Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To prevent a deterioration in operability of a remotely controlled moving body.SOLUTION: In a remote control system, an operation unit of an information processing device includes: a command value control unit that controls a speed command for movement of a moving body 1 that exists in a remote location and is mutually-communicably connected via a network 40, based on an operation input to a control unit by an operator; and a reaction force control unit that controls a reaction force to the operation input which is applied to the control unit, based on a difference between a speed indicated by the speed command and an actual speed of the moving body. The difference between a speed indicated by the speed command and the actual speed of the moving body, which is generated due to a communication delay, is controlled by the reaction force to the control unit, thereby improving a deterioration in operability.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of communication networks, it has become common to remotely control devices such as robots or manipulators located in remote locations.

[0003] However, communication networks cause communication delays, so it is important to take communication delays into consideration in remote control, where real-time performance is important. Therefore, various technologies are being studied to prevent the deterioration of controllability due to communication delays in remote control.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology for compensating for communication delays based on estimated communication disturbances in bilateral control that presents tactile and force information acting on the control end of a manipulator located in a remote location to an operator. Patent Document 2 below also discloses a similar bilateral control technology that dynamically changes control parameters on the manipulator side or the operator side depending on the state of the communication network. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2006 / 046500 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-119757 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the techniques disclosed in the above Patent Documents 1 and 2 are techniques that address communication delays when presenting the contact reaction force between a manipulator and an object to an operator. Therefore, with the techniques disclosed in the above Patent Documents 1 and 2, it was difficult to improve the deterioration of maneuverability caused by communication delays when remotely maneuvering an object that has speed, such as a moving body.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved information processing device, information processing method, and program that can suppress a decrease in the maneuverability of a remotely controlled moving body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device comprising: a command value control unit that controls a speed command for the movement of a moving body located at a remote location based on an operation input to a control unit by an operator; and a reaction force control unit that controls a reaction force applied to the control unit in response to the operation input based on the difference between the speed indicated by the speed command and the actual speed of the moving body.

[0009] The control unit may have three or more rotatable axes and a handle that is held by the operator and can move with three or more degrees of freedom using the three or more axes, and a reaction force to the operation input may be applied to the handle.

[0010] The steering unit may use the attitude of the handle at the time when an input to start steering the moving body is made as a steering starting point, and the reaction force may act to return the handle to the steering starting point.

[0011] The reaction force control unit may control the reaction force such that the reaction force against the operation input increases as the difference between the speed indicated by the speed command and the actual speed of the moving object increases.

[0012] An upper limit may be set on the absolute value of the reaction force.

[0013] The speed command may be transmitted to the mobile unit via a network.

[0014] The operator may be presented with an image captured by an imaging device mounted on the moving body and transmitted via the network.

[0015] Transmission and reception via the network may cause communication delays.

[0016] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method including the steps of: controlling, by a calculation processing device, a speed command for movement of a moving body located at a remote location based on an operation input to a control unit by an operator; and controlling a reaction force applied to the control unit in response to the operation input based on the difference between the speed indicated by the speed command and the actual speed of the moving body.

[0017] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes a computer to function as a command value control unit that controls a speed command for the movement of a moving body located at a remote location based on an operation input to a control unit by an operator, and a reaction force control unit that controls a reaction force applied to the control unit in response to the operation input based on the difference between the speed indicated by the speed command and the actual speed of the moving body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the maneuverability of a remotely controlled moving body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a specific configuration of a moving body. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a specific configuration of a moving body. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a specific configuration of a control device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a mobile object and an information processing device. [Figure 6] 3 is a block diagram showing processing executed by a command value control unit and a reaction force control unit of the information processing device. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the forward movement amount of a moving object when a reaction force caused by a communication delay is taken into consideration. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the forward movement amount of a moving object when a reaction force caused by a communication delay is not taken into consideration. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing processes executed by a command value control unit and a reaction force control unit of an information processing device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0021] <1. Remote control system> First, the overall configuration of a remote control system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a remote control system according to this embodiment. Figures 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams showing the specific configuration of a moving body 1. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the specific configuration of a control device 30.

[0022] 1, the remote control system includes a mobile object 1, an information processing device 20, a display device 21, and a control device 30. The mobile object 1 and the information processing device 20 are located in remote locations and are communicably connected to each other via a network 40. An operator (not shown) can thereby remotely control the mobile object 1 located in a remote location by operating the control device 30 while visually checking the images and information displayed on the display device 21.

[0023] The moving body 1 is a robotic device that includes a movement mechanism and moves based on an operation input input to a control device 30. The moving body 1 may be connected to a network 40 via, for example, wireless communication. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the moving body 1 may be a robotic device that includes a movement mechanism 11 and imaging devices 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d.

[0024] The moving mechanism 11 is a mechanism that is driven by power and can move the moving body 1 to any location. The moving mechanism 11 may be two or more wheels, two or more legs, two or more leg-wheels, caterpillar tracks, or air levitation. Furthermore, the moving mechanism 11 may be a mechanism that can fly in the air, such as a fixed-wing or rotary-wing mechanism.

[0025] The imaging devices 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d are mounted on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the moving object 1 and are cameras or the like that capture images of the environment around the moving object 1. The imaging devices 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d may be wide-angle fisheye cameras with a viewing angle of nearly 180°. The images captured by the imaging devices 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d are transmitted to the information processing device 20 via the network 40 and displayed on the display device 21. In this way, by visually checking the images displayed on the display device 21, the operator can grasp the state of the environment around the moving object 1 and monitor the state of the moving object 1.

[0026] The information processing device 20 controls the input and output of information between the moving body 1 and the operator by controlling the input and output of the display device 21 and the control device 30. Specifically, the information processing device 20 can present the images and information received from the moving body 1 to the operator by generating images to be displayed on the display device 21 based on images and information received from the moving body 1 via the network 40. Furthermore, the information processing device 20 can transmit remote control from the operator to the moving body 1 by generating movement commands for the moving body 1 based on operation inputs input to the control device 30 by the operator.

[0027] The display device 21 is an image display device that displays an image generated by the information processing device 20. The display device 21 may be, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device. The display device 21 displays an image generated based on the image and information received from the moving object 1.

[0028] The control device 30 is an input device through which an operator operates and inputs movement instructions to the moving body 1. The control device 30 may be composed of, for example, an input means such as a button, a switch, a lever, or a handle, and an input control circuit that generates a signal based on an input to the input means.

[0029] 4, the control device 30 includes rotary shafts 32a, 32b, and 32c that can be driven by a drive device (not shown), and a handle 31 that can be operated with three degrees of freedom by the rotary shafts 32a, 32b, and 32c. The handle 31 is held by an operator and moved in the x, y, and z directions.

[0030] The information processing device 20 can detect the angles of the rotation shafts 32a, 32b, and 32c using an encoder (not shown) and calculate the amount of movement of the handle 31 in the x, y, and z directions from the detected angles. This allows the information processing device 20 to acquire a movement command input by the operator to the control device 30 as the movement direction and amount of movement of the handle 31. Furthermore, the information processing device 20 may generate a reaction force of about several N against the operation input in the handle 31, depending on the calculated amount of movement in the x, y, and z directions. This allows the control device 30 to use a spring element to push the position of the handle 31 back to the operation starting point where no operation input has been made, when the operation input from the operator has ended.

[0031] The network 40 is a wired or wirelessly connected communication network. For example, the network 40 may be the Internet communication network, a home LAN (Local Area Network), an in-house LAN, an infrared communication network, a radio wave communication network, a satellite communication network, or the like.

[0032] The moving body 1 and the information processing device 20 transmit and receive data to and from each other via a network 40. Specifically, the moving body 1 can transmit, via the network 40, to the information processing device 20, images captured by the imaging devices 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d mounted on the moving body 1, information related to the movement of the moving body 1, information related to the power source of the moving body 1, and the like. In addition, the information processing device 20 can transmit, via the network 40, to the moving body 1, movement commands generated based on operation input by an operator to the control device 30.

[0033] However, when transmitting and receiving data via the network 40, communication delays occur depending on the amount of data being transmitted and received and the line speed of the network 40. As a result, a time lag occurs between the actual movement of the moving object 1 and the operation input to the control device 30 by the operator viewing the display device 21. In the remote control system according to this embodiment, by controlling the reaction force against the operation input to the control device 30, it is possible to suppress excessive operation of the moving object 1 by the operator, which occurs due to the time lag. With the remote control system according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the maneuverability of the moving object 1 due to communication delays by suppressing excessive operation of the moving object 1 due to communication delays.

[0034] <2. Configuration of information processing device> Next, a specific functional configuration of the above-mentioned moving object 1 and information processing device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the moving object 1 and information processing device 20.

[0035] (Mobile unit 1) As shown in FIG. 5, the moving object 1 includes a calculation unit 110, an input / output unit 120, a communication unit 130, a storage unit 140, and a power supply unit 150.

[0036] The input / output unit 120 is a connection interface that inputs and outputs various data between the imaging device 12 (i.e., the imaging devices 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d), the moving mechanism 11, the encoder unit 13, and the calculation unit 110. The input / output unit 120 may be, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, an IEEE 1394 port, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) port, an RS-232C port, an optical audio terminal, an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port, or the like.

[0037] The communication unit 130 is a communication interface configured with a communication device or the like for connecting to the network 40. The communication unit 130 may be, for example, a communication card for a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or WUSB (Wireless USB).

[0038] The storage unit 140 is a device for storing data of the mobile object 1. The storage unit 140 may include, for example, a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deleting device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium. The storage unit 140 may store map data of a specific base acquired from the information processing device 20, or may store parameters related to the movement of the mobile object 1.

[0039] The power supply unit 150 is a power source for the moving object 1 and supplies power to each part of the moving object 1. The power supply unit 150 may include a battery that stores power. The power supply unit 150 may include, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery.

[0040] The calculation unit 110 performs all data processing in the moving body 1 and controls all operations of the moving body 1. The calculation unit 110 may perform data processing and operation control of the moving body 1 through cooperation of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU is an arithmetic processing device that performs calculations and control according to various programs. The ROM stores programs used by the CPU, calculation parameters, etc. The RAM temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU, and parameters that change as appropriate during program execution, etc.

[0041] Specifically, the calculation unit 110 includes a drive control unit 111 , a communication processing unit 113 , a video encoding unit 114 , and a battery monitoring unit 115 .

[0042] The drive control unit 111 drives the moving mechanism 11 to execute the movement command received from the information processing device 20. Specifically, the drive control unit 111 may drive the moving mechanism 11 to move in the direction and at the speed instructed by the movement command, based on information relating to the driving status of the moving mechanism 11 measured by the encoder unit 13.

[0043] The video encoding unit 114 compresses the captured images of the surrounding environment of the moving object 1 acquired from the imaging device 12. The compressed captured images are transmitted to the information processing device 20 via the network 40. The video encoding unit 114 can reduce the amount of data of the captured images through compression, thereby reducing communication delays when transmitting the captured images.

[0044] The battery monitoring unit 115 monitors the state of the power supply unit 150. Specifically, the battery monitoring unit 115 monitors the state of the power supply unit 150 by acquiring information about the battery included in the power supply unit 150 from the power supply unit 150. For example, the battery monitoring unit 115 may acquire from the power supply unit 150 information about the remaining capacity of the battery included in the power supply unit 150, information about error notifications, and the like.

[0045] The communication processing unit 113 controls communication between the moving object 1 and the information processing device 20. Specifically, the communication processing unit 113 may transmit to the information processing device 20 a compressed image of the surrounding environment of the moving object 1, information indicating the moving state of the moving object 1, information regarding the remaining charge of the battery included in the power supply unit 150, and the like. The communication processing unit 113 may also receive a movement command from the information processing device 20 instructing the moving object 1 to move.

[0046] (information processing device 20) The information processing device 20 includes a calculation unit 210 , an input / output unit 220 , a communication unit 230 , and a storage unit 240 .

[0047] The input / output unit 220 is a connection interface that inputs and outputs various data between the display device 21 and the control device 30 and the calculation unit 210. The input / output unit 120 may be, for example, a USB port, an IEEE1394 port, or a SCSI port, or may be an RS-232C port, an optical audio terminal, or an HDMI (registered trademark) port.

[0048] The communication unit 230 is a communication interface configured with a communication device or the like for connecting to the network 40. The communication unit 230 may be, for example, a wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a communication card for WUSB.

[0049] The storage unit 240 is a device for storing data of the information processing device 20. The storage unit 240 may include, for example, a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deleting device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium. The storage unit 240 may store map data of multiple bases, and may also store a log of movement commands executed by the mobile body 1. Note that the map data of a specific base stored in the storage unit 240 may be transmitted to the mobile body 1 according to the base at which the mobile body 1 is located.

[0050] The calculation unit 210 performs all data processing in the information processing device 20 and controls all operations of the information processing device 20. The calculation unit 210 may perform data processing and operation control of the information processing device 20 through cooperation of a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is an arithmetic processing device that performs calculations and control according to various programs. The ROM stores programs used by the CPU, calculation parameters, etc. The RAM temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU, and parameters that change as appropriate during program execution, etc.

[0051] Specifically, the calculation unit 210 includes a command value control unit 211 , a reaction force control unit 212 , a communication processing unit 213 , and a video decoding unit 214 .

[0052] The command value control unit 211 generates a movement command to the moving body 1 based on an operation input by the operator to the control device 30. Specifically, the command value control unit 211 may generate a movement command to the moving body 1 based on the direction and amount by which the handle 31 of the control device 30 has moved from the control starting point.

[0053] The movement command generated by the command value control unit 211 includes a direction command that instructs the movement direction of the moving object 1, and a speed command that instructs the movement speed of the moving object 1. Therefore, the command value control unit 211 may generate a speed command that instructs the moving object 1 to move at a speed that is proportional to the amount that the handle 31 has moved from the steering starting point. Furthermore, the command value control unit 211 may generate a direction command that instructs the moving object 1 to move in the same direction as the direction in which the handle 31 has moved from the steering starting point, with the front of the moving object 1 being the forward direction.

[0054] The starting point of operation of the handle 31 of the control device 30 may be determined by pressing a button or lever (not shown) of the control device 30. Before remotely controlling the moving body 1, the operator can determine the starting point of operation of the handle 31 by pressing down the button or lever.

[0055] The reaction force control unit 212 controls the reaction force generated in the handle 31 of the control device 30. Specifically, when the handle 31 of the control device 30 is moved from the control starting point, the reaction force control unit 212 may generate a reaction force (for example, up to about several N) in response to the operation input according to the amount of movement of the handle 31 from the control starting point. In this way, when the operation input from the operator is completed, the reaction force control unit 212 can use a spring element to push the position of the handle 31 back to the control starting point. Furthermore, the reaction force control unit 212 can prevent the operator from suddenly and significantly moving the handle 31 from the control starting point.

[0056] In the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment, the reaction force control unit 212 further controls the reaction force acting on the handle 31 in response to the operation input, based on the difference between the movement speed commanded by the speed command and the actual movement speed of the moving object 1. Specifically, the reaction force control unit 212 may cause the handle 31 to generate a larger reaction force in response to the operation input, the larger the difference between the movement speed commanded by the speed command and the actual movement speed of the moving object 1.

[0057] A large difference between the travel speed commanded by the speed command and the actual travel speed of the moving object 1 means that the travel speed commanded by the operator and the actual travel speed of the moving object 1 are deviating due to a time lag caused by communication delays in the network 40. In such a case, the reaction force control unit 212 generates a larger reaction force in the handle 31 in response to the operation input in order to suppress the operation input to the control device 30 by the operator. This naturally reduces the operation input to the control device 30 by the operator, and therefore the reaction force control unit 212 can prevent the operator from unintentionally over-operating the moving object 1. Therefore, the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment can prevent a decrease in the maneuverability of the moving object 1 by suppressing over-operation of the moving object 1 due to communication delays.

[0058] The video decoding unit 214 decompresses the compressed image of the surrounding environment of the moving object 1 received from the moving object 1, and performs image processing on the decompressed captured image of the surrounding environment of the moving object 1, thereby generating an image to be displayed on the display device 21. Specifically, the video decoding unit 214 may generate a bird's-eye image of the moving object 1 from above by performing image processing on the captured image of the surrounding environment of the moving object 1. Furthermore, the video decoding unit 214 may change the line of sight direction of the generated bird's-eye image to any direction based on input from an operator.

[0059] The communication processing unit 213 controls communication between the information processing device 20 and the mobile object 1. Specifically, the communication processing unit 213 may transmit a movement command to the mobile object 1 to instruct the mobile object 1 to move. The communication processing unit 213 may also receive from the mobile object 1 an image captured by the imaging device 12, information indicating the movement state of the mobile object 1, information regarding the remaining charge of the battery included in the power supply unit 150, and the like.

[0060] According to the above configuration, the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment can suppress over-operation of the moving body 1 due to communication delays by controlling the reaction force against the operation input to the control device 30. Therefore, the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment can suppress a decrease in the maneuverability of the moving body 1 due to communication delays.

[0061] <3. Operation of the information processing device> Next, a specific flow of operations of the information processing device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the processes executed by the command value control unit 211 and the reaction force control unit 212 of the information processing device 20.

[0062] In the remote control system according to this embodiment, the operator first determines the steering starting point of the handle 31 by pressing down a button or lever (not shown) on the control device 30. This allows the operator to move the handle 31 of the control device 30 in a forward or backward direction from the steering starting point, thereby moving the mobile object 1 forward or backward. In addition, the operator can cause the mobile object 1 to turn left or right or move translationally by moving the handle 31 left or right from the steering starting point.

[0063] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the command value control unit 211 receives an operation input f h , using a forward kinematics model H1 of the handle 31. Next, the command value control unit 211 converts the movement amount and movement direction of the handle 31 into a command value V of the movement direction and movement speed of the moving body 1 instructed by the operator using a conversion coefficient C1 from the movement amount and movement direction of the handle 31 to a command value V of the movement direction and movement speed of the moving body 1.ref At this time, the reaction force control unit 212 converts the amount of movement θ1 of the steering wheel 31 from the steering starting point and the spring reaction force coefficient S of the steering wheel 31 into p and the operation input f applied to the handle 31 h The reaction force f fed back to f Control input f h The reaction force f f is the operation input f h It acts as a spring element for

[0064] Next, the moving direction and moving speed command value V of the moving body 1 instructed by the operator ref is transmitted to the moving body 1 via the network 40, which causes a communication delay of T1 seconds. The moving body 1 receives the moving direction and moving speed command value V ref Here, the moving body 1 controls the driving of the moving mechanism 11 based on odometry information Odom relating to the position and posture of the moving mechanism 11. msg , the actual moving speed of moving body 1, V msg , and the captured image of the imaging device 12 may be transmitted to the information processing device 20.

[0065] Also, the actual moving speed of moving body 1 is V msg is fed back to the reaction force control unit 212 of the information processing device 20 via the network 40, which causes a communication delay of T2 seconds. The reaction force control unit 212 receives the command value V ref and the actual moving speed V of moving body 1 msg Difference with (V ref -exp(-T1-T2)s*V msg ) is derived. Note that exp(-T1-T2)s is a dead time element due to a communication delay of T1+T2 seconds expressed using the Laplace operator s. Next, the reaction force control unit 212 applies a feedback coefficient C2 to the derived difference to derive the reaction force f m Determine the reaction force f due to communication delay. m Actuator Model A of Handle 31 hap is added to the handle 31 based on

[0066] As a result, the handle 31 of the control device 30 receives an operation input f h and operation input f h The reaction force f f and the reaction force f due to communication delay m Therefore, the information processing device 20 operates in response to the operation input f h The reaction force f m can be applied.

[0067] The function of applying a reaction force to the handle 31 according to the difference between the actual speed and the command speed caused by the communication delay may be turned on and off by the operator. Also, the value of the feedback coefficient C2 may be arbitrarily controlled by the operator.

[0068] <4. Action and Effects> Next, the effects of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a graph showing the forward movement amount of the moving object 1 when the reaction force caused by the communication delay is taken into consideration. Fig. 8 is a graph showing the forward movement amount of the moving object 1 when the reaction force caused by the communication delay is not taken into consideration.

[0069] The information processing device 20 according to this embodiment can calculate, in a short cycle (for example, every 1 ms), the difference between the moving speed instructed by the operator's operation input and the actual moving speed of the moving body 1. Therefore, the information processing device 20 can suppress the operation input in accordance with the magnitude of the communication delay by controlling and applying, in a short cycle, a reaction force that pushes the handle 31 of the control device 30, to which the operator's operation input has been applied, back to the operation starting point.

[0070] Operator operation input hFor example, the trapezoidal waveform pattern accelerates to 0.2 m / s in 0.5 seconds 0.5 seconds after the start, maintains the speed for 1 second, and then decelerates and stops in 0.5 seconds. Therefore, if the moving object 1 moves according to the operation input, the moving object 1 will move 0.3 m, which is equivalent to the area of ​​the trapezoidal waveform.

[0071] For example, as shown in Fig. 7, when a reaction force due to a communication delay is generated, the operator's operation input f h For a trapezoidal waveform with a maximum value of 2N, the greater the delay time due to communication delay, the more the forward movement amount and movement speed of the moving body 1 are suppressed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when no reaction force due to communication delay is generated, the forward movement amount and movement speed of the moving body 1 are suppressed. h For a trapezoidal waveform (maximum value 2N), the forward movement amount of the moving body 1 remains the same regardless of the length of the delay time due to communication delay.

[0072] Therefore, when an operator remotely controls the moving body 1 while checking the moving position of the moving body 1 on the display device 21, the moving body 1 will move too far from the target moving position as the delay time increases. The information processing device 20 according to this embodiment can suppress the forward movement amount and movement speed of the moving body 1 by using a reaction force caused by communication delay, and therefore can suppress the moving body 1 from moving too far from the target moving position.

[0073] Furthermore, the greater the communication delay and the greater the difference between the actual movement speed of the moving body 1 and the movement speed instructed by the operator through operation input, the more the information processing device 20 can suppress the forward movement amount and movement speed of the moving body 1. This allows the information processing device 20 to control the reaction force applied to the handle 31 of the control device 30 so as to eliminate the gap between the movement speed instructed by the operator through operation input and the actual movement speed of the moving body 1. Therefore, the information processing device 20 can suppress a decrease in the maneuverability of the moving body 1 due to communication delay.

[0074] <5. Variations> Furthermore, a modified example of the information processing device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the processing executed by the command value control unit 211 and the reaction force control unit 212 of the information processing device 20 according to the modified example.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 9, in the modified example of the information processing device 20, the reaction force control unit 212 controls the moving speed of the moving object 1 instructed by the operator to be V ref and the actual moving speed V of moving body 1 msg Difference with (V ref -exp(-T1-T2)s*V msg ) is applied with a feedback coefficient C2, and then the saturation element Lm is applied.

[0076] The saturation element Lm is the reaction force f applied to the handle 31 of the control device 30. m Specifically, the saturation element Lm is set to set an upper limit on the magnitude of the reaction force f m If the absolute value of is greater than a predetermined value, the reaction force f m The absolute value of is limited to a predetermined value.

[0077] In addition, the reaction force f set by the saturation element Lm m The upper limit of the reaction force f may be changed depending on the moving direction of the moving body 1. For example, m The upper limit of the reaction force f may be set lower in the traveling direction of the moving object 1 than in other directions. m The upper limit may be the same regardless of the direction of movement of the moving object 1.

[0078] In the modified example of the information processing device 20, the magnitude of the reaction force applied to the handle 31 of the control device 30 is limited, thereby suppressing the amount of reduction in the movement speed of the remotely controlled moving object 1. Therefore, in the modified example of the information processing device 20, it is possible to prevent the movement speed of the moving object 1 from becoming too slow, and therefore it is possible to maintain the efficiency of movement by the moving object 1.

[0079] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0080] Furthermore, the series of processes performed by the information processing device described in this specification may be realized using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance, for example, in a storage medium (non-transitory medium) provided inside or outside each device. Then, each program is loaded into RAM when executed by a computer, for example, and executed by a processor such as a CPU. The storage medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, etc. Furthermore, the computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a storage medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Mobile 11 Moving mechanism 12 Imaging device 13 Encoder section 20 Information processing equipment 21 Display device 30 Controls 31 Handle 40 Network 110 Arithmetic section 111 Drive control unit 113 Communication processing unit 114 Video Encoding Unit 115 Battery monitoring unit 120 Input / output section 130 Communications Department 140 Storage section 150 Power supply section 210 Arithmetic section 211 Command value control section 212 Reaction force control unit 213 Communication processing unit 214 Video Decoder 220 Input / output section 230 Communications Department 240 Storage section

Claims

1. a command value control unit that controls a speed command for the movement of a moving object located at a remote location based on an operation input to the control unit by an operator; a reaction force control unit that controls a reaction force applied to the control unit in response to the operation input based on a difference between a speed indicated by the speed command and an actual speed of the moving object; An information processing device comprising:

2. the operating unit has three or more rotatable rotation shafts, and a handle that is held by the operator and can be moved with three or more degrees of freedom by the three or more rotation shafts; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a reaction force against the operation input is applied to the handle.

3. the operation unit sets the attitude of the handle at the time when an input to start operating the moving body is made as an operation starting point, The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the reaction force acts to return the steering wheel to the steering starting point.

4. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reaction force control unit controls the reaction force so that the greater the difference between the speed indicated by the speed command and the actual speed of the moving body, the greater the reaction force to the operation input.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein an upper limit is set for the absolute value of the reaction force.

6. 4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the speed command is transmitted to the mobile body via a network.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the operator is presented with an image captured by an imaging device mounted on the moving body and transmitted via the network.

8. The information processing device according to claim 7 , wherein a communication delay occurs in transmission and reception via the network.

9. By the processing unit, controlling a speed command for movement of a moving object located at a remote location based on an operation input to a control unit by an operator; controlling a reaction force applied to the control unit in response to the operation input based on a difference between a speed indicated by the speed command and an actual speed of the moving object; An information processing method, including:

10. Computer, a command value control unit that controls a speed command for the movement of a moving object located at a remote location based on an operation input to the control unit by an operator; a reaction force control unit that controls a reaction force applied to the control unit in response to the operation input based on a difference between a speed indicated by the speed command and an actual speed of the moving object; A program that functions as a

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