Autonomous delivery robot

Abstract

To provide an autonomous travel type delivery robot which can perform unattended delivery of a package and can stably discharge the package.SOLUTION: An autonomous travel type delivery robot R includes: travel means T capable of autonomously traveling; an unattended delivery device 2 mounted on a robot body 1 having a package compartment; and a control part C for executing an unattended delivery process. The unattended delivery device 2 includes: a lift-down mechanism 4 for lifting down a movable basket part 3 capable of storing a package, from a storage position (3A) at which the same is stored in the package compartment to an unattended delivery position (3B) at which a bottom plate part 31 of the movable basket part 3 is brought into contact with a floor F at a delivery destination; and a preferential ground contact part 8 which, when the movable basket part 3 is lifted down by the lift-down mechanism 4 from the storage position (3A) to the unattended delivery position (3B), is brought into contact with a package delivery surface F in preference to the bottom plate part 31 when the bottom plate part 31 approaches the package delivery surface F up to a prescribed distance. The bottom plate part 31 is inclined by ground-contact reaction force acting on the preferential ground contact part 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), and more particularly to an autonomous mobile delivery robot device that can deliver packages stored in a cargo compartment inside the robot to a destination. [Background technology]

[0002] The number of parcels has surged in recent years, driven by the spread and expansion of electronic commerce (EC) and the special demand for EC due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a booming parcel delivery market. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, since the state of emergency was declared in April 2020, the number of parcels delivered has remained approximately 10% higher than the previous year. Meanwhile, the increase in parcels has increased the workload of delivery drivers, and labor shortages have become a problem in the logistics industry. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in demand for non-face-to-face and non-contact delivery, and it is expected that demand for non-contact delivery will further increase during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

[0003] As one way to address the increase in parcel delivery volume, the increased workload on delivery drivers, and labor shortages, domestic trials are underway to reduce the workload of delivery drivers by having some of their work delegated to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for automated delivery, and practical application is also progressing overseas (see Non-Patent Document 1 below).

[0004] Additionally, as a response to the increasing workload of delivery drivers, labor shortages, and the demand for non-contact delivery, a demonstration experiment is underway in which the task of drop-off delivery (a delivery method in which the delivery person leaves the package at a designated location rather than handing it directly to the recipient) is entrusted to an autonomous robot, which then automatically leaves the package at the destination (see Non-Patent Document 2 below). Drop-off delivery allows the delivery person to leave the package at a designated location without handing it over, regardless of whether the recipient is at home or not. This effectively reduces the effort and time required for redelivery, thereby significantly contributing to improved work efficiency (delivery efficiency). It has also been reported that delivery efficiency has improved due to a significant drop in redelivery rates amid the self-restraint measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] “Delivery robot DeliRo”, [online], [searched May 20, 2021], Internet,<URL:https: / / www.zmp.co.jp / products / lrb / deliro> [Non-patent document 2] “Amoeba Energy, Japan Post / Successful continuous delivery by robot”, [online], [Retrieved May 20, 2021], Internet,<URL:https: / / www.lnews.jp / 2020 / 01 / m0130401.html> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When using the delivery robot described in Non-Patent Document 1, the recipient of the package can collect it by removing it from the delivery robot's box. However, if the recipient is not at the delivery destination, the robot must either wait at the delivery destination for a certain period of time or return to the base and then redeliver the package.

[0007] Furthermore, the delivery robot described in Non-Patent Document 2 can automatically place and deliver packages by itself, avoiding situations where the robot has to wait at the delivery destination for a certain period of time or return to the delivery center and then redeliver even if the recipient is not at home. However, it has the following drawbacks. First, the delivery robot described in Non-Patent Document 2 has a loading space near the floor to accommodate packages placed on the floor, forcing the recipient to crouch down to receive the package even during normal deliveries. This is also true when loading and unloading packages to be delivered at delivery centers, etc., resulting in reduced efficiency in the loading work of workers. Furthermore, the delivery robot described in Non-Patent Document 2 uses a pair of dedicated crawlers on the left and right as a travelling means, making it impossible or extremely difficult to adapt or replace it with a delivery robot equipped with more practical wheels, etc., and in this respect, it can be said that the degree of flexibility is low.

[0008] Demand for delivery robots that can cover labor shortages and also handle contactless delivery is not limited to the home delivery industry, but is also seen in the retail, hospital, and hotel industries, etc., and the question of how to provide last-mile logistics services (logistics services from the final base to the end user) is becoming an important issue for industries that require package delivery.

[0009] In consideration of this current situation, the applicant has developed an autonomous delivery robot R' as shown in Figure 12 and is currently conducting tests toward practical application (Patent Application No. 2021-101787). The autonomous delivery robot R' is equipped with an autonomously traveling means T' and a delivery device 2' mounted on a robot main body 1' having a cargo compartment, and is configured to be able to select between a delivery process in which the lift-down mechanism 4' of the delivery device 2' lifts down the bottom plate 31' of the movable basket 3' to a delivery position where it contacts the floor of the delivery destination, and a process in which a normal delivery is performed without operating the lift-down mechanism 4'.

[0010] In such a delivery robot R', a configuration is adopted in which the package N' is discharged by tilting the bottom plate portion 31' of the movable basket portion 3' via a mechanical link member that is linked to the movement of the lift-down mechanism 4' accompanying the lift-down operation of the package N'.

[0011] However, with this configuration, subsequent testing has revealed that the larger the set angle of the final tilt angle of the bottom plate of the movable basket at the completion of the lift-down operation (the tilt angle of the bottom plate when the luggage is discharged), the earlier the bottom plate of the movable basket begins to tilt during the lift-down operation. This can cause the luggage to be released into the air and fall to the ground, potentially causing unexpected damage to the luggage and packaging box. While it may be possible to avoid the situation where the bottom plate begins to tilt relatively early during the lift-down operation by setting a smaller set angle of the final tilt angle of the bottom plate (the tilt angle of the bottom plate when the luggage is discharged), a small final tilt angle of the bottom plate may prevent the luggage from being discharged smoothly, potentially resulting in luggage remaining on the bottom plate. Similarly, if the placement location is higher than the robot's landing surface, the bottom plate's movement may not be properly coordinated during the lift-down operation, resulting in the luggage having to be discharged from the bottom plate before the expected final tilt angle is reached (when the slope is shallow), potentially resulting in poor discharge.

[0012] The present invention was made with an eye on such problems, and its main purpose is to provide an autonomous delivery robot that can leave and deliver packages in a stable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In other words, the autonomous delivery robot of the present invention comprises a driving means capable of autonomous travel, a robot main body with a cargo compartment configured as part of its internal space, a delivery device mounted on the robot main body, and a control unit that executes at least the delivery process.The delivery device comprises a movable basket portion capable of storing packages, a lift-down mechanism that lifts the movable basket portion from a storage position where the entire movable basket portion is stored in the cargo compartment to a delivery position where at least a portion of the bottom plate of the movable basket portion is in contact with or close to the package delivery surface of the delivery destination, and a priority grounding portion that touches the package delivery surface before the bottom plate portion when the lift-down mechanism lifts the movable basket portion from the storage position to the delivery position.The control unit operates the lift-down mechanism to execute the delivery process, and after the priority grounding portion attached to the bottom plate portion touches the package delivery surface, the bottom plate portion is configured to gradually tilt in the direction of carrying out the package.

[0014] With such an autonomous delivery robot according to the present invention, the lift-down mechanism is activated to move the movable basket to a drop-off location (lift-down movement), thereby moving the parcel stored in the compartment to the parcel delivery surface (floor, ground, etc.) of the destination. In particular, with the autonomous delivery robot according to the present invention, the priority ground contact portion has priority over the bottom plate portion, and by continuing the lift-down movement after the touch-down point, a large upward ground reaction force acts on the priority ground contact portion. Therefore, the bottom plate portion of the movable basket begins to tilt at a constant height from the parcel delivery surface, and the tilt angle (final tilt angle) of the bottom plate portion at the time of parcel discharge is also constant. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which parcels are discharged by tilting the bottom plate of the movable basket via a mechanical link member linked to the movement of the lift-down mechanism, setting the final tilt angle of the bottom plate (the tilt angle of the bottom plate when the parcel is discharged) relatively large does not result in the bottom plate starting to tilt relatively early during the lift-down movement, i.e., when the bottom plate is relatively far above the parcel conveying surface. This prevents the parcel from being released into the air and falling to the ground, resulting in damage to the parcel, and allows for stable parcel discharge (drop-off and delivery). Furthermore, because the autonomous delivery robot of the present invention can maintain a constant tilt angle of the bottom plate at the time of parcel discharge (final tilt angle), it is possible to actively adopt a final tilt angle of the bottom plate that allows for smooth parcel discharge, without having to set a small final tilt angle that would leave parcels on the bottom plate when the lift-down is completed in order to avoid the bottom plate starting to tilt relatively early during the lift-down movement. Therefore, even if the location where the luggage is to be placed (luggage delivery surface) is a platform that is higher than the running surface of the traveling means (the landing surface of the robot), the final inclination angle of the bottom plate at the time of luggage discharge will be an angle that is suitable for the pre-set luggage discharge, effectively preventing the occurrence of poor discharge.In the present invention, wheels (training wheels) are suitable as the priority ground contact portion, considering that the entire robot may be moved while the priority ground contact portion is in contact with the parcel delivery surface, but this is not limited to this, and the material and shape can also be selected and changed as appropriate.

[0015] In addition, if the autonomous delivery robot according to the present invention is equipped with an outrigger mechanism that contacts the tip of the outrigger contact part with the package delivery surface while extending in the direction of lifting down the movable basket from the storage position toward the delivery position, it is possible to prevent the entire robot from tipping over due to a shift in the center of gravity when the lift-down mechanism lifts down the movable basket. Furthermore, if the autonomous delivery robot is equipped with a contact angle detection unit that detects the contact angle when the tip of the outrigger contact part contacts the package delivery surface by operating the outrigger mechanism with a control unit, and a lift-down target angle calculation unit that calculates the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism based on the detected value (contact detection angle) by the contact angle detection unit, the base plate always begins to tilt at a constant height from the package delivery surface, based on the package delivery surface on which the priority contact part contacts, and this allows for stable delivery and delivery even when the height of the package placement surface, including the ground, changes. Therefore, the autonomous delivery robot of the present invention can be used to automatically place and deliver packages, expanding the options for package delivery and increasing its practicality. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, the bottom plate of the movable basket carrying the package begins to be forcibly tilted after the bottom plate approaches a predetermined distance from the package conveying surface, and the final tilt angle of the bottom plate when the bottom plate touches or approaches the package conveying surface can be always kept constant, making it possible to provide an autonomous delivery robot that can perform a drop-off and delivery process while ensuring stable package discharge. The autonomous delivery robot of the present invention is not limited to the home delivery field, but can also be used in fields such as retail, hospitals, and hotels. Therefore, the autonomous delivery robot of the present invention is highly versatile and can be used in many industries and fields as an autonomous delivery robot with the function of delivering, transporting, or transporting packages. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an overall view of an autonomous delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an overall perspective view of the autonomous delivery robot at the time of completion of delivery in the same embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an autonomous delivery robot executing a normal delivery process in the same embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the mechanism of the delivery device in the embodiment immediately after the initial operation, with some parts omitted. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing the mechanism of the delivery device in the embodiment immediately after the initial operation, with some parts omitted. [Figure 6] 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing the time point at which the lift-down process is completed in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 and showing the time point at which the lift-down process is completed in the embodiment. [Figure 8] 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the outrigger has been grounded and a lift-down process is being performed in the same embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 and illustrating a state at the time when the auxiliary wheels start to touch the ground during the lift-down process in the same embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10]5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the bottom plate portion is tilted by the ground reaction force of the auxiliary wheels during the lift-down process in the same embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a delivery process according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] An overall view of an autonomous delivery robot for which the applicant has previously applied for a patent. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment includes an autonomously traveling vehicle T, a robot main body 1 having a cargo compartment 1S as a part of its interior, a delivery device 2 mounted on the robot main body 1, and a control unit C that controls the operation of the autonomous delivery robot R to perform a delivery or normal delivery process depending on the selected delivery type (delivery method). FIG. 1 shows an overall external view of the autonomous delivery robot R in a normal state (i.e., not performing a delivery process) upon arrival at the delivery destination, while FIG. 2 shows an overall external view of the autonomous delivery robot R performing a delivery or normal delivery process. While no parcel is shown in either drawing, the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment is suitable for delivering parcels with a box-like external shape (such as the parcel N' shown in FIG. 12). Of course, the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment can also deliver parcels with an external shape other than a box.

[0020] In this embodiment, the travel means T is equipped with two front wheels T1 and two rear wheels T2, and can move forward and backward in the front-to-back direction X where the front wheels T1 and rear wheels T2 are aligned. It can also move laterally in the direction Y by steering while stopped (rotating the front wheels T1 and rear wheels T2 by 90 degrees to change the direction of forward and backward movement). The front wheels T1 and rear wheels T2 can also be turned left and right by changing their orientation (swinging). The part of the autonomous delivery robot R that is equipped with the travel means T and supports the robot body 1 can be considered as a cart B.

[0021] The robot body 1 is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that can autonomously move to a destination by means of a travelling means T and has the ability to recognize its surroundings. The robot body 1 of this embodiment is box-shaped and includes a door D that can open and close the interior space. A portion of the interior space of the robot body 1 is set as a luggage compartment 1S that can accommodate luggage (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the robot body 1 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped robot having a long planar shape in the front-rear direction X where the front wheels T1 and rear wheels T2 are aligned, and a predetermined height. An opening K formed on only one side of the robot body 1 can be opened and closed by the door D (right door D1, left door D2). Specifically, the pair of doors D (right door D1, left door D2) are configured to be able to open and close in a double-door style (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the pair of doors D are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction X. In the following description, the door D on the front wheel T1 side is referred to as the left door D2, and the door D on the rear wheel T2 side is referred to as the right door D1.

[0022] The autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment is configured to be able to store packages in a movable basket 3 set in a luggage compartment 1S. As shown in Fig. 3, when at least one of the left and right doors D (right door D1, left door D2) is in the open position (DB), a user (such as a package recipient P or a package sorter) can access the luggage compartment 1S through the opening K. This allows the package recipient P to remove packages set in the luggage compartment 1S, and allows the package sorter to load (store) packages into the luggage compartment 1S or remove (collect) packages from the luggage compartment 1S.

[0023] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the movable basket 3 is mounted at a height position that allows an adult P of average height to access the movable basket 3 set in the luggage compartment 1S without having to crouch. In other words, in the case of normal delivery, the movable basket 3 is mounted at an appropriate height position that makes it easy for the parcel recipient P to remove parcels from the movable basket 3 set in the luggage compartment 1S. This also means that the movable basket 3 is mounted at an appropriate height position that makes it easy for a parcel sorter at the delivery source (delivery origin) to store and collect parcels from the movable basket 3 set in the luggage compartment 1S.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5, the movable basket section 3 includes a bottom plate section 31 on which luggage can be placed, and a pair of upright plate sections 32 arranged in an upright position from the edge of the bottom plate section 31 on the front wheel T1 side and the edge of the bottom plate section 31 on the rear wheel T2 side, respectively. Rotatable rollers 34 are arranged in multiple rows in a predetermined area of ​​the bottom plate section 31 that directly contacts the luggage (see Figure 2). Note that Figures 4 and 5 omit a portion of the bottom plate section 31 including the rollers 34. The upper ends of the upright plate sections 32 are connected to each other by rod-shaped connecting sections 35 (see Figures 4 and 5). The movable basket section 3 constitutes the delivery device 2, and is movable by a lift-down mechanism 4.

[0025] The delivery device 2 includes a lift-down mechanism 4 that lifts down the movable basket 3 set in the luggage compartment 1S to a position where it contacts or is close to the floor F, an outrigger mechanism 5 that extends outward from the robot body 1 to prevent it from tipping over, and a door opening / closing mechanism (not shown) that opens and closes the doors D (right door D1, left door D2). In this embodiment, the control unit C is configured to be able to control the travel of the cart B and the operation of each mechanism (lift-down mechanism 4, outrigger mechanism 5, door opening / closing mechanism). The control unit C is mounted at an appropriate position on the autonomous delivery robot R and is only shown schematically in FIG. 1.

[0026] The autonomous delivery robot R of this embodiment has a delivery device 2 consisting of assemblies with the above-mentioned functions (lift-down mechanism 4, outrigger mechanism 5, door opening / closing mechanism), and its control unit C mounted on the top of a trolley B.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the lift-down mechanism 4 lifts down the movable basket 3 from a storage position (3A) where the entire movable basket 3 is stored in the luggage compartment 1S to a placement position (3B) where at least a portion of the bottom plate 31 of the movable basket 3 contacts or is close to the floor F of the delivery destination. Figures 4 and 5 are a side view and a rear view, respectively, showing, with some parts omitted, the internal mechanism of the placement and delivery device 2 when the movable basket 3 is set in the storage position (3A). Figures 6 and 7 are views corresponding to Figures 4 and 5, respectively, showing the movable basket 3 moved to the placement and delivery position (3B).

[0028] In this embodiment, the lift-down mechanism 4 is configured using a parallel link mechanism 41. The parallel link mechanism 41 is a link mechanism including a first link arm 43 having one end attached to a drive input shaft 42 (first parallel link shaft 42) and a second link arm 45 having one end attached to a second parallel link shaft 44 fixed at a position relatively close to the first parallel link shaft 42, the other end of the first link arm 43 being attached to the upright plate portion 32 of the movable car portion 3 via a shaft (third parallel link shaft 46), and the other end of the second link arm 45 being attached to the upright plate portion 32 of the movable car portion 3 via a shaft (fourth parallel link shaft 47). The parallel link mechanism 41 is switchable between a storage position (4A) (see FIGS. 4 and 5) in which the first link arm 43 and the second link arm 45 are stored in the internal space of the robot body 1 in an upright position (an upright position tilted at a predetermined angle) and aligned substantially parallel to each other, and a lift-down position (4B) (see FIGS. 6 and 7) in which the first link arm 43 and the second link arm 45 are tilted in a direction to throw the movable basket 3 from the luggage compartment 1S out of the luggage compartment 1S through the opening K of the robot body 1, so that the first link arm 43 and the second link arm 45 are aligned sideways (a sideways position tilted at a predetermined angle) and overlap in the height direction. By switching the parallel link mechanism 41 from the storage position (4A) to the lift-down position (4B), the movable basket 3 can be lifted down from the storage position (3A) to the placement position (3B), and the luggage stored in the luggage compartment 1S can be lowered to the vicinity of the floor F of the delivery destination.

[0029] The lift-down mechanism 4 includes a lift drive motor (not shown) that drives the parallel link mechanism 41 between a storage position (4A) and a lift-down position (4B). In this embodiment, by driving the lift drive motor, the rotation of the drive output shaft (gearhead output shaft) is transmitted through a reduction gear train associated with each parallel link mechanism 41 to rotate an input shaft (first parallel link shaft 42) attached to the lower end of a first link arm 43 of the parallel link mechanism 41, and as a result, the parallel link mechanism 41 is configured to change its position between the storage position (4A) and the lift-down position (4B).

[0030] The lift-down mechanism 4 is equipped with a lift-down angle encoder 4E that detects the absolute angle of at least one of the first link arm 43 or the second link arm 45 that constitute the parallel link mechanism 41 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). In this embodiment, the lift-down angle encoder 4E is provided at the lower end of the first link arm 43 of one of the parallel link mechanisms 41. Based on the detected value (detected angle) by the lift-down angle encoder 4E, the parallel link mechanism 41 is set to reciprocate (reciprocate between the stored position (4A) and the lift-down position (4B)) within a preset target angle range (0 degree to the target angle).

[0031] The lift-down mechanism 4 is also provided with a storage position limiter (e.g., a photosensor, not shown) that detects a physical stroke limit when the movable car 3 returns to the storage position (3A), and is set to stop the lift drive motor when the storage position limiter detects that the movable car 3 has reached the storage position (3A). Note that the lift drive motor may also be set to stop when it is detected that the movable car 3 has reached the storage position (3A) based on the angle detected by the lift-down angle encoder 4E.

[0032] The lift-down mechanism 4 is equipped with a drop-off position limiter (e.g., a photosensor, not shown) that detects a physical stroke limit when the movable basket 3 is moved to the drop-off position (3B) near the floor F of the delivery destination, and is set to stop the lift drive motor when the drop-off position limiter detects that the movable basket 3 has reached the drop-off position (3B). Note that the lift drive motor may also be set to stop when it is detected that the movable basket 3 has reached the drop-off position (3B) based on the angle detected by the lift-down angle encoder 4E.

[0033] After the initial operation, the lift-down mechanism 4 detects that the value (absolute angle) of the lift-down angle encoder 4E is 0 degrees (home position) or that the movable car section 3 is in the stowed position (3A) using the stowed position limiter. When the lift drive motor is driven in this state, the rotation of the drive output shaft (gearhead output shaft) rotates the input shaft (first parallel link shaft 42) attached to the lower end of the first link arm 43 of the parallel link mechanism 41 via a reduction gear train associated with each parallel link mechanism 41, causing the parallel link mechanism 41 to change position from the stowed position (4A) to the lift-down position (4B). At this time, the detected value of the lift-down angle encoder 4E increases.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 , the autonomous delivery robot R of this embodiment is equipped with a priority ground contact portion 8 that contacts the parcel delivery surface F (floor) in preference to the bottom plate portion 31 when the bottom plate portion 31 of the movable basket portion 3, on which parcels are placed, approaches the parcel delivery surface F (floor) within a predetermined distance when the lift-down mechanism 4 lifts down the movable basket portion 3 from the storage position (3A) to the drop-off / delivery position (3B). The priority ground contact portion 8 is attached to the bottom plate portion 31 and specifically includes a bracket 81 fixed to the bottom plate portion 31 and an auxiliary wheel 82 rotatably supported at the lower end of the bracket 81. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 , the priority ground contact portion 8 is provided at both ends of the bottom plate portion 31 in the width direction w (both sides of the bottom plate portion 31). In this embodiment, the width direction w of the bottom plate portion 31 is the same as the X direction in Fig. 1, and the direction d (depth direction of the bottom plate portion 31) perpendicular to the width direction w of the bottom plate portion 31 in a plane is the same as the Y direction in Fig. 1. The priority grounding portion 8 is fixed to the bottom plate portion 31 in an orientation that protrudes downward from the bottom plate portion 31.

[0035] The bottom plate 31, which is integrally provided with the priority contact portion 8 protruding downward, is configured to be rotatable about a bottom plate rotation axis 31A disposed at the end of the bottom plate 31 facing the baggage discharge direction 31x (see FIG. 2). Therefore, when the priority contact portion 8 touches the baggage delivery surface F (floor) while the movable basket 3 is being lifted down from the storage position (3A) to the placement and delivery position (3B) (see FIG. 9), and the movable basket 3 is further lowered toward the placement and delivery position (3B), the bottom plate 31 rotates about the bottom plate rotation axis 31A toward the baggage discharge direction 31x due to the ground reaction force received by the priority contact portion 8, and gradually tilts overall (see FIG. 10). In this embodiment, the tilt angle of the bottom plate 31 is set to a predetermined maximum tilt angle suitable for baggage discharge when the movable basket 3 reaches the placement and delivery position (3B) (see FIGS. 6 and 7). As a result, by lifting down the movable basket section 3 from the storage position (3A) to the placement position (3B), the luggage can be slid by its own weight in the inclined direction of the bottom plate section 31 (the same direction as the luggage removal direction 31x, see Figure 2) and discharged onto the luggage delivery surface F (floor).

[0036] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , a partially arcuate guide groove 36 is formed in the upright plate portion 32 of the movable car portion 3 to guide the tilting movement of the bottom plate portion 31. A guide pin 37 provided on the bottom plate portion 31 moves along the guide groove 36, thereby ensuring that the movement trajectory of the bottom plate portion 31 during tilting and when returning from the tilted position to the normal position (where the bottom plate portion 31 is substantially flat) is consistent. In particular, in this embodiment, a pair of opposing upright plate portions 32 that sandwich the bottom plate portion 31 in the width direction w are each formed with a guide groove 36, and the tilting movement is guided by inserting a guide pin 37 provided on the bottom plate portion 31 into each guide groove 36. This allows the bottom plate portion 31 to be properly positioned so as not to shift in the width direction w of the bottom plate portion 31 during tilting. Furthermore, a notch 38 is formed in the upright plate portion 32 of the movable car portion 3 to avoid interference with the tilting priority ground contact portion 8 (see FIG. 4 , etc.).

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to 10, the outrigger mechanism 5 is a mechanism for supporting the autonomous delivery robot R to prevent it from tipping over when the lift-down mechanism 4 raises or lowers packages. The outrigger mechanism 5 includes a grounding arm 51 (corresponding to the "outrigger grounding portion" of the present invention) whose tip end contacts the floor F while extending in a direction to lift down the movable basket 3 from the storage position (3A) toward the placement position (3B). In this embodiment, casters 52 provided at the tip end of the grounding arm 51 are configured to contact the floor F. Specifically, the left and right casters 52 are configured to contact the floor F near both ends of the width direction w of the bottom plate 31 of the movable basket 3 that will contact the floor later, and at positions facing each other across the width direction w of the bottom plate 31 (see FIG. 7). The ground arms 51 switch between a storage position (5A) on the outside (outward facing side) of the upright plate sections 32 of the movable car section 3 and not exposed to the outside, and a ground position (5B) inclined from the storage position (5A) to an angle at which the casters 52 at the tips thereof touch the floor F through the opening K of the robot main body 1. The base ends of the ground arms 51 provided on the outside of each upright plate section 32 of the movable car section 3 are connected to a rotation shaft 53, and the pair of ground arms 51 rotate around the rotation shaft 53 between the storage position (5A) and the ground position (5B). The outrigger mechanism 5 is equipped with an outrigger angle encoder 5E that detects the rotation angle of the ground arms 51 from the storage position (5A) to the ground position (5B) (see FIGS. 5 and 7). The detection value (ground contact detection angle) by the outrigger angle encoder 5E when the ground contact arm 51 is rotated from the storage position (5A) to the ground contact position (5B) can be used to set the target angle (angle of the drop-off position (3B)) of the lift-down mechanism 4. That is, the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment is equipped with a ground contact angle detection unit that detects the ground contact angle at the time when the outrigger mechanism 5 is operated by the control unit C to bring the tip end (castor wheel 52) of the ground contact arm 51, which is the outrigger ground contact portion, into contact with the package delivery surface F (floor), and a lift-down target angle calculation unit C1 that calculates the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism 4 based on the detection value (ground contact detection angle) by the ground contact angle detection unit.In this embodiment, the ground contact angle detection unit is configured using an outrigger angle encoder 5E, and in particular, an absolute encoder that outputs an absolute value of a rotation angle is used as the outrigger angle encoder 5E. The lift-down target angle calculation unit C1 calculates the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism 4 based on the output value of this absolute encoder 5E. In this embodiment, the lift-down target angle calculation unit C1 is configured to calculate the detection value of the outrigger angle encoder 5E when the tip end (castor wheel 52) of the ground contact arm 51, which is the outrigger ground contact portion, touches the floor (floor) as the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism 4. The lift-down target angle calculation unit C1 is schematically shown only in FIG. 7. Note that in this embodiment, the absolute angle of the outrigger angle encoder 5E is set to the origin position (0 degrees) when the ground contact arm 51 is positioned in the stowed position (5A) after the initial operation.

[0038] The outrigger mechanism 5 is equipped with an outrigger drive motor (not shown), and when the outrigger drive motor is driven (FW) with the grounding arm 51 in the stored position (5A), the rotating shaft 53 (for example, reduction ratio 1 / 200) rotates via a gear train, and when the outrigger drive motor detects a current equivalent to grounding detection, the outrigger drive motor is stopped and the detection value of the outrigger angle encoder 5E at this point is recorded. After the outrigger drive motor is stopped, the grounding arm 51 is held in the grounding position (5B) by a non-excitation operated electromagnetic brake contained in the outrigger drive motor.

[0039] In this outrigger mechanism 5, the casters 52 touch the floor F before the lift-down mechanism 4 operates, thereby preventing the robot R from tipping over in the roll direction due to a shift in the center of gravity caused by the operation of the lift-down mechanism 4. When returning the ground contact arm 51 from the ground contact posture (5B) to the stowed posture (5A), the outrigger drive motor is driven (BW) after the movable car unit 3 is moved to the stowed position (3A) by the lift-down mechanism 4, and the outrigger drive motor is stopped when the detection value of the outrigger angle encoder 5E reaches 0 degrees (when the outrigger drive motor reaches the origin position corresponding to the stowed posture (5A)). At this time, by clearing the value of the outrigger angle encoder 5E recorded during the previous outrigger operation (the detection value of the outrigger angle encoder 5E when a current equivalent to ground contact detection was detected for the outrigger drive motor and the outrigger drive motor was stopped), the value of the outrigger angle encoder 5E when the ground contact arm 51 is rotated from the stowed posture (5A) to the ground contact posture (5B) during the next outrigger ground contact process can be newly recorded.

[0040] The outrigger mechanism 5 may also be equipped with a first sub-sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the castor 52 attached to the tip of the ground arm 51 (the position of the castor 52 when the ground arm 51 is in the retracted position (5A) or the position of the castor 52 when the ground arm 51 is in the ground contact position (5B)) to account for errors in the detection value of the outrigger angle encoder 5E when the ground contact arm 51 is in the retracted position (5A). The first sub-sensor can also be used to detect when the castor 52 has reached a position slightly higher than the designed position of the castor 52 when in the ground contact position (5B), and use this information to determine whether to switch to current detection mode. The outrigger mechanism 5 may also be equipped with a second sub-sensor (not shown) that detects the moment when the castor 52 touches the ground and a large torque is required and stops the outrigger drive motor. The second sub-sensor can be configured to detect the moment when the castor 52 touches the ground and a large torque is required, and to stop the outrigger drive motor at that detection point. An example of the second sub-sensor is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that provides a current detection function. Furthermore, when the autonomous delivery robot R is tilted, the outrigger mechanism 5 and the lift-down mechanism 4 are also tilted, so if correction of the target angle by the IMU is not required, the second sub-sensor can be omitted.

[0041] In the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment, the operation of each of these mechanisms (lift-down mechanism 4, outrigger mechanism 5) is controlled by a control unit C. The operation of the traveling means T is also controlled by the common control unit C.

[0042] Next, the delivery process performed by the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 11. The following describes the case where one package is placed in the movable basket 3 set in the luggage compartment 1S and then delivered to a delivery destination.

[0043] After the delivery worker or other operator loads the package into the movable basket 3 of the luggage compartment 1S at the delivery origin, and the autonomous delivery robot R arrives at the delivery destination (destination) (see FIG. 1), the control unit C of the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment activates the door opening / closing mechanism of the delivery device 2 based on a signal (including information specifying the package to be delivered) to switch the right door D1 and left door D2, which are in the closed state (DA), to the open state (DB) (door opening process S1). Next, the control unit C activates the outrigger mechanism 5 to place the tip end (castor wheel 52) of the outrigger mechanism 5 on the floor F, which is the package delivery surface (outrigger grounding process S2).

[0044] The outrigger ground contact process S2 is a process for switching the ground contact arm 51 from the storage position (5A) to the ground contact position (5B) by driving the outrigger drive motor of the outrigger mechanism 5 (starting the outrigger mechanism 5). In this embodiment, a detection value (encoder information related to the ground contact angle) is obtained by the outrigger angle encoder 5E at the time when the ground contact arm 51 is rotated from the storage position (5A) to the ground contact position (5B), and the lift-down target angle calculation unit C1 calculates the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism 4 based on this detection value.

[0045] Next, in the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C activates the lift-down mechanism 4 to move the movable basket unit 3 from the storage position (3A) to the delivery position (3B) (lift-down process S3). Note that, until the lift-down process S3 starts, the movable basket unit 3 is maintained at the storage position (3A) set on the base frame 20 of the delivery device 2 fixed to the luggage compartment 1S (see FIG. 4).

[0046] The lift-down process S3 is a process in which the lift drive motor is driven to change the position of the parallel link mechanism 41 of the lift-down mechanism 4 from the storage position (4A) to the lift-down position (4B), thereby lowering the movable basket 3 to the floor F of the delivery destination. During this process, the control unit C, while checking the detection value of the lift-down angle encoder 4E (absolute encoder), lowers the lift-down mechanism 4 until the detection value of the lift-down angle encoder 4E (absolute encoder) becomes equal to the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism 4 calculated by the lift-down target angle calculation unit C1. Figure 8 shows the lift-down mechanism 4 and the outrigger mechanism 5 immediately after the start of the lift-down process S3, when the movable basket 3 has moved a predetermined distance from the storage position (3A) in the baggage unloading direction 31x (when the bottom plate 31 has moved to a position lower than the base frame 20 of the delivery device 2 fixed to the luggage compartment 1S).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 9, when the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment uses the lift-down mechanism 4 to lift down the movable basket 3 from the storage position (3A) toward the drop-off position (3B), the priority contact portion 8 attached to the bottom plate 31 contacts the baggage delivery surface F (floor) at a predetermined distance (approximately 10 cm from the baggage delivery surface F (floor) in this embodiment) before the bottom plate 31 does so. At this point, the detection value of the lift-down angle encoder 4E (absolute encoder) has not yet reached the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism 4 calculated by the lift-down target angle calculation unit C1. In other words, the movable basket 3 has not yet reached the drop-off position (3B). After this point, when the movable basket 3 is further lifted down toward the drop-off position (3B) (approaching the lift-down target angle), the ground reaction force (priority contact portion 8) applied to the lower end of the priority contact portion 8 increases, as shown in FIG. 10. The bottom plate portion 31 rotates around the bottom plate portion rotation axis 31A in the direction of the ground reaction force received by the ground contact arm 8 (the direction of the ground contact reaction force received by the ground contact arm 8 is shown schematically by a relatively thick arrow in the figure), and gradually tilts in the luggage carrying-out direction 31x. The value detected by the lift-down angle encoder 4E is the lift-down target angle (the target value set with reference to the detection value by the outrigger angle encoder 5E at the time when the ground contact arm 51 is rotated from the storage position (5A) to the ground contact position (5B)), which is the target value calculated by the lift-down target angle calculation unit C1. When the movable basket section 3 is lifted down until the angle of inclination of the bottom plate section 31 matches the target value, the movable basket section 3 reaches the drop-off position (3B), and at this point the inclination angle of the bottom plate section 31 becomes the maximum angle during the drop-off process (see Figures 2, 5, and 6). As a result, the luggage slides in the inclination direction of the bottom plate section 31 (the same direction as the luggage carrying-out direction 31x) due to its own weight, and moves smoothly to a position where part of the bottom (one side of the bottom) contacts the floor F due to rollers 34 provided on the part of the bottom plate section 31 that comes into contact with the luggage.

[0048] Thus, in this embodiment, in the process of changing the position of the parallel link mechanism 41 from the storage position (4A) to the lift-down position (4B) (lift-down process S3), the bottom plate portion 31 of the movable basket portion 3 is maintained in a horizontal or approximately horizontal position until the priority contact portion 8 contacts the baggage delivery surface F (floor) (see FIGS. 4 and 8), and the bottom plate portion 31 is gradually tilted from the point at which the priority contact portion 8 contacts the baggage delivery surface F (floor) (see FIG. 9) (see FIGS. 10 and 6). During the lift-down process S3, the guide pins 37 provided on the bottom plate portion 31 move along the guide grooves 36 formed in the upright plate portions 32 of the movable basket portion 3, thereby enabling smooth movement during the tilting operation of the bottom plate portion 31 and preventing the bottom plate portion 31 from shifting in the width direction w while tilting (see FIGS. 4 to 10).

[0049] When the detection value by the lift-down angle encoder 4E reaches the lift-down target angle calculated by the lift-down target angle calculation unit C1, the lift drive motor is stopped, and the lift-down process S3 by the lift-down mechanism 4 is terminated. Note that the lift drive motor may also be stopped, and the lift-down process S3 by the lift-down mechanism 4 may be terminated, when the drop-off position side limiter detects that the movable car section 3 has reached the drop-off position (3B).

[0050] Following the lift-down process S3, the control unit C executes a process (stationary process S4) to stationary the travel means T (front wheels T1, rear wheels T2) of the cart B of the autonomous delivery robot R, causing the cart B to move (crab walk) in the lateral direction Y, and the parcel is completely carried out from the movable basket unit 3 onto the parcel delivery surface F (floor) of the delivery destination. By following the above procedure, parcels targeted for delivery can be delivered to their destination.

[0051] After the delivery is completed, the control unit C activates the lift-down mechanism 4 to move the movable basket 3, which does not have any luggage loaded thereon, from the delivery position (3B) to the storage position (3A) (lift-down return process S5), then activates the outrigger mechanism 5 to switch the ground arm 51 from the ground position (5B) to the storage position (5A) (outrigger return process S6), and stores these mechanisms (lift-down mechanism 4, outrigger mechanism 5) in a space inside the robot body 1 that is not exposed to the luggage compartment 1S. Finally, the door opening / closing mechanism is activated to switch the doors D (right door D1, left door D2) from the open state (DB) to the closed state (DA) (door closing process S7), and the control unit C outputs a signal indicating that the delivery process is complete (delivery completion signal). Finally, the traveling means T (front wheels T1, rear wheels T2), which are in a stationary state, are returned to their original position (stationary return process S8), completing the delivery process.

[0052] In this way, with the autonomous delivery robot R of this embodiment, by operating the lift-down mechanism 4 in a state that allows the lift-down movement of the movable basket section 3 by the lift-down mechanism 4 (with the left and right doors D open), the movable basket section 3 is lifted down and moved to the drop-off position (3B), and the package to be dropped off and stored in the cargo compartment 1S can be moved to the floor F of the delivery destination.

[0053] In particular, with the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment, during the drop-off process, the bottom plate 31 of the movable basket 3 always begins to tilt at a constant height from the parcel delivery surface F (floor) based on the parcel delivery surface F, and the tilt angle (final tilt angle) of the bottom plate 31 at the time of parcel discharge is also constant, so when the parcel is lowered onto the parcel delivery surface F at the delivery destination, it can be smoothly slid by its own weight to a position where the bottom of the parcel contacts the parcel delivery surface F, and the parcel can be discharged onto the parcel delivery surface F (floor) in a stable state without damaging the parcel. In addition, this embodiment employs a configuration in which rollable rollers 34 are provided on at least the area of ​​the bottom plate 31 of the movable basket 3 that comes into contact with the parcel, so that after the bottom plate 31 tilts, the parcel can be moved by sliding on the rollers 34 more smoothly and accurately.

[0054] Furthermore, the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment is equipped with an outrigger mechanism 5 that grounds the tip (castor 52) of the outrigger grounding portion 51 to the package delivery surface F (floor) while projecting in the direction of lifting down the movable basket 3 from the storage position (3A) toward the drop-off position (3B), thereby preventing the entire robot R from tipping over due to a shift in the center of gravity when the movable basket 3 is lifted down by the lift-down mechanism 4. In particular, this embodiment employs an outrigger mechanism 5 configured so that the castor 52 provided at the tip of the grounding arm 51 grounds to the floor F. Therefore, despite the relatively simple configuration, grounding the castor 52 to the floor F ensures a stable grounding state that can flexibly accommodate unevenness of the floor F. The autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment is equipped with a ground contact angle detection unit 5E that detects the ground contact angle at the time when the outrigger mechanism 5 is operated by the control unit C to bring the tip (castor wheel 52) of the outrigger ground contact part 51 into contact with the parcel delivery surface F (floor), and a lift-down target angle calculation unit C1 that calculates the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism 4 based on the detection value (ground contact detection angle) by the ground contact angle detection unit 5E. Therefore, whether the parcel is placed on the ground (a surface at the same height as the surface on which the wheels T are in contact) or on a platform at a different height from the ground (a platform at a different height from the surface on which the wheels T are in contact), by performing the lift-down operation up to the lift-down target angle calculated by the lift-down target angle calculation unit C1, the base plate 31 always begins to tilt at a constant height from the parcel delivery surface F (floor), which is the surface on which the priority ground contact part 8 is in contact, and this enables stable parcel delivery to be performed even if the height of the surface on which the parcel is placed (parcel delivery surface) changes. Therefore, the autonomous delivery robot R will expand the options for parcel delivery, allowing parcels to be automatically placed and delivered, making it more practical.

[0055] By using the autonomous delivery robot R according to this embodiment, it is possible to deliver packages to multiple destinations in one round of delivery, and to flexibly combine regular delivery and drop-off delivery. This makes it possible to completely resolve current issues such as an increase in packages, an increased workload for delivery drivers, a driver shortage, and demand for non-contact delivery.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the above-described embodiment illustrates an example in which a priority ground portion is attached to each of both widthwise ends of the bottom plate portion, but it may also be an example in which a single priority ground portion is attached to the widthwise center portion of the bottom plate portion, or an example in which three or more priority ground portions are attached to the bottom plate portion.

[0057] Instead of training wheels, other parts or parts with different shapes can be used as the priority ground contact parts. It is also possible to change and adjust the height dimension of the priority ground contact parts, thereby making it possible to change and adjust the final tilt angle of the bottom plate part.

[0058] An encoder or sensor other than an absolute encoder may be used as the ground contact angle detector.

[0059] Further, the configuration may not include a lift-down target angle calculation unit that calculates the lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism based on the detected value (ground contact detection angle) by the ground contact angle detection unit.

[0060] The door is not limited to a double-door type door, but may also be a shutter-type door, a foldable door, or a door (upper-type door) that can be switched to an open state by rotating it around an operating rotation axis provided in a horizontal position at the top end of the door when it is closed.

[0061] In the present invention, the lift-down mechanism may be a hydraulic lift that moves the movable basket up and down between the storage position and the delivery position. When the hydraulic lift moves the movable basket up and down between the storage position and the delivery position, an actuator that moves the movable basket up and down and an actuator that moves the movable basket from the luggage compartment toward the outside through the opening are required.

[0062] The robot body of the present invention is not limited to a box-like shape, but may be any shape with an appropriate internal space, such as a cylindrical shape. The size of the internal space and the cargo compartment can be appropriately changed depending on the specifications. The size of the opening that can be opened and closed by the door can also be appropriately changed. In particular, in the above-described embodiment, an opening is provided on only one side of the robot body and is opened and closed by a door. However, depending on the size of the internal space and the cargo compartment of the robot body, openings may be provided on both sides of the robot body and each opening may be opened and closed by a door. In this case, if the movable basket can be moved from the storage position to the delivery position through each opening by a lift-down mechanism, the options for the direction in which the package is carried out can be increased, which is expected to contribute to the efficiency of the delivery operation. Furthermore, an opening may be provided on either or both of the front and back sides of the robot body and opened and closed by a door.

[0063] The autonomous delivery robot according to the present invention may have multiple delivery devices mounted on the robot body, or multiple robot bodies mounted on a common cart, each equipped with a delivery device. By increasing the number of delivery devices, such a configuration can accommodate an increase in the number of delivery destinations (an increase in packages to be delivered).

[0064] By using a non-stationary driving means or a differential two-wheel type that can perform spin turns with the left and right wheels rotating in opposite directions, forward and backward movement, pivot turns, etc., it is possible to realize an autonomous driving robot that can provide a drop-off delivery service similar to that described above.

[0065] Furthermore, the specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1S...Luggage compartment 1...Robot body 2...Delivery device 3... Movable basket section 31…Bottom plate part (3A)…Housing position (3B)…Delivery location 4...Lift-down mechanism 5...Outrigger mechanism 5E…Ground angle detection unit 8…Priority grounding part C…Control unit C1: Lift-down target angle calculation section R...Autonomous delivery robot T…Travel means

Claims

1. An autonomous delivery robot comprising: a traveling means capable of autonomous traveling; a robot body having a part of its internal space set as a cargo compartment; a delivery device mounted on the robot body; and a control unit that executes at least a delivery process; The delivery device includes: a movable basket portion capable of accommodating luggage; a lift-down mechanism that lifts down the movable basket from a storage position where the entire movable basket is stored in the luggage compartment to a placement position where at least a portion of a bottom plate of the movable basket is in contact with or close to a luggage delivery surface of a delivery destination; and a priority contact portion that contacts the luggage delivery surface in preference to the bottom plate portion when the bottom plate portion of the movable basket portion on which luggage is placed comes close to the luggage delivery surface within a predetermined distance when the movable basket portion is lifted down from the storage position to the delivery position by the lift-down mechanism, An autonomous delivery robot characterized in that, when the control unit operates the lift-down mechanism to perform a drop-off and delivery process, after the priority grounding portion attached to the bottom plate portion touches the package delivery surface, the bottom plate portion can be gradually tilted in the package removal direction by a ground reaction force applied to the lower end of the priority grounding portion.

2. an outrigger mechanism that causes a tip of an outrigger grounding portion to contact the baggage delivery surface while the movable basket is extended in a direction that lifts the movable basket from the storage position toward the delivery position; a ground contact angle detection unit that detects a ground contact angle at the time when the control unit activates the outrigger mechanism and the tip of the outrigger ground contact portion touches the luggage delivery surface; The autonomous delivery robot according to claim 1, further comprising a lift-down target angle calculation unit that calculates a lift-down target angle of the lift-down mechanism based on a detection value by the ground contact angle detection unit.

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