Control method, control system, and component mounting system

Abstract

To smoothly move a moving body to a position where the moving body can hold an object.SOLUTION: A control system 2 includes a designation unit 21 and a movement control unit 22. A moving body 1 holds an object, which has plural wheels, by inserting at least part of a main unit of the moving body inserted between two of the plural wheels. The designation unit 21 designates a halt target position that is a position, where the moving body 1 can hold the object, on the basis of a result of detection of presence or absence of an accessory part attachable to each of the two wheels. The movement control unit 22 controls the moving body 1 so that the moving body 1 can move to the halt target position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control method, a control system, and a component mounting system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a control method, a control system, and a component mounting system for controlling movement of a moving object. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a control system for controlling a moving body. The moving body transports an object such as a wheeled cart. When the control system causes the moving body to transport the cart, it moves the moving body to a position where it slips under the cart. The moving body grasps the cart by lifting it up, and then moves while grasping the cart, thereby conveying the cart. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020-179386 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Some of the carriages, which are the objects transported by the moving body, have stoppers and other attachment parts attached to their wheels. When the moving body is moved to a position where it can grip the carriage, that is, a position where it can slip under the carriage, if there are protrusions such as attachment parts on the wheels, there is a possibility that the moving body will hit the attachment parts and be unable to move to a position where it can grip the carriage.

[0005] Furthermore, if the wheels of the bogie are swivel wheels that can be turned in any direction, and the direction of the swivel wheels is tilted diagonally relative to the direction of travel when the moving body is sliding under the bogie, the width of the swivel wheels when viewed from the direction of travel will be larger than when the direction of the swivel wheels is parallel to the direction of travel.As a result, when moving the moving body to a position where it can slide under the bogie, there is a possibility that the moving body will hit the swivel wheels and not be able to move to a position where it can grip the bogie.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a control method, a control system, and a component mounting system that are capable of smoothly moving a moving body to a position where the moving body can grasp an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a setting step and a movement control step. In the setting step, a target stop position where a moving body can grasp an object having multiple wheels with at least a portion of the moving body body inserted between two of the multiple wheels is set based on a result of detecting whether or not there are any accessory parts that can be attached to the two wheels. In the movement control step, the moving body is controlled so that the moving body moves to the target stop position.

[0008] A control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a setting step and a movement control step. In the setting step, a moving object having multiple wheels is grasped with at least a portion of the moving object body inserted between two of the multiple wheels, and a stop target position where the moving object can be grasped by the moving object is set based on a result of detecting the orientations of the two wheels. In the movement control step, the moving object is moved to the stop target position.

[0009] A control system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a setting unit and a movement control unit. The setting unit sets a target stop position, where a moving object having multiple wheels can be grasped by a moving object with at least a portion of the moving object body inserted between two of the wheels, based on a result of detecting whether or not there are any accessory parts that can be attached to the two wheels. The movement control unit controls the moving object to move to the target stop position.

[0010] A component mounting system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one component mounter that mounts components onto a substrate. The component mounter has a feeder carriage that supplies the components and a mounting body that includes a mounting head that mounts the components onto the substrate. The feeder carriage is the object transported by the moving body controlled by the control system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, the movable body can be smoothly moved to a position where it can grasp an object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic system configuration diagram of a transport system including a control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the moving body controlled by the control system of the above embodiment before gripping an object. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the mobile object gripping an object. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control system. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a moving direction in which the moving body moves to grip an object. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the detection result of the range sensor provided in the moving object. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a calculation method by which the control system calculates the reference point. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a calculation method by which the control system calculates the reference stop position. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a detection method by which the control system detects the presence or absence of an accessory part. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a setting method in which the control system sets the target stop position. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a movement path to a target stop position calculated by the control system of the above embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a component mounting system to which the control system of the above embodiment is applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] (Embodiment 1) A control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the figures referred to in the following description are schematic diagrams, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the figures do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications. Various modifications other than these embodiments and modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0014] (1) Overview First, an overview of a control system 2 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0015] The control system 2 controls the movement of the moving body 1 for transporting the target object 200. In this embodiment, the control system 2 that controls the moving body 1 is realized by a control unit 20 and the like that the moving body 1 has.

[0016] The mobile object 1 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is used for transportation work in facilities such as factories, logistics centers (including distribution centers), offices, stores, schools, and hospitals. The mobile object 1 moves by running on a moving surface G1 using multiple wheels 11, 12. The moving surface G1 is the surface on which the mobile object 1 moves; when the mobile object 1 moves within a facility, the moving surface G1 is the floor of the facility, and when the mobile object 1 moves outdoors, the moving surface G1 is the ground, etc.

[0017] The moving body 1 has a hook-shaped gripping portion 13, and grips the object 200 by hooking the gripped portion 230 of the object 200 with the gripping portion 13. The moving body 1 transports the object 200 by moving while gripping the object 200. Note that the moving body 1 may move while towing the object 200, or may move by pushing the object 200 from behind. Furthermore, the manner in which the moving body 1 grips the object 200 is not limited to the manner in which the gripping portion 13 hooks the gripped portion 230, and the moving body 1 may grip the object 200 by attracting the object 200 with the magnetic force of an electromagnet or the like, for example.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a top view of the mobile object 1 before gripping the object 200, and FIG. 3 is a top view of the mobile object 1 gripping the object 200. The object 200 is, for example, a cart that is rectangular in shape in a plan view. A wheel 210 is provided at each of the four corners of the bottom surface of the object 200. The object 200 is configured to be able to move on a moving surface G1 using the four wheels 210. A pair of gripped parts 230 is provided on one side of the object 200, and the side of the object 200 on which the pair of gripped parts 230 is provided is referred to as the front side. Of the four wheels 210 provided on the object 200, the two wheels 210 on the front side are referred to as front wheels 211, and the two wheels 210 on the rear side are referred to as rear wheels 212. In the following description, the side of the object 200 on which the gripped parts 230 are provided is referred to as the front side, and the front, rear, left, and right directions are defined accordingly. When the moving body 1 is gripping the object 200, the side of the moving body main body 10 facing the front of the object 200 is defined as the rear surface 10A, and the opposite surface is defined as the front surface, defining the front, rear, left and right directions.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic system configuration diagram of a transport system 300 including a moving object 1. As shown in FIG.

[0020] The control system 2 of this embodiment includes a setting unit 21 and a movement control unit 22.

[0021] The moving body 1 grasps an object 200 having a plurality of wheels 210 with at least a portion of the moving body main body 10 inserted between two of the plurality of wheels 210 (e.g., the front wheels 211) (see FIG. 3).

[0022] The setting unit 21 sets the target stopping position P1 (see FIG. 2), which is a position where the moving body 1 can grasp the target object 200, based on the result of detecting whether or not there are accessory parts 220 that can be attached to the two wheels 210 (front wheels 211).

[0023] The movement control unit 22 controls the moving body 1 so that the moving body 1 moves to the stop target position P1.

[0024] Here, the wheel 210 may include the minimum components necessary to travel on the moving surface G1, such as a fork that holds the axis of the wheel 210 and a rotation mechanism that allows the direction of the wheel 210 to be rotated.

[0025] The accessory part 220 is a part for adding an additional function to the wheel 210, such as a stopper for stopping the rotation of the wheel 210. The stopper is provided on the wheel 210 in a manner that allows it to move between an unlocked position, where the wheel 210 is rotatable, and a locked position, where the wheel 210 is stopped from rotating. When a user moves the stopper to the unlocked position, the wheel 210 to which the stopper is provided becomes rotatable. When a user moves the stopper to the locked position, the wheel 210 to which the stopper is provided becomes restricted in rotation by the stopper. Note that the accessory part 220 may be fixedly attached to the wheel 210 or may be attached later. Furthermore, the accessory part 220 is not limited to a stopper and may be a cover for protecting the wheel 210 or for preventing entanglement in the wheel 210. However, the following description will be given taking the case where the accessory part 220 is a stopper as an example.

[0026] The accessory part 220 is attached at a position that does not interfere with the rotation of the wheel 210, and is provided, for example, on one end side of the axle of the wheel 210 (for example, the left end of the axle). The accessory part 220 is provided in a state that it protrudes from one surface of the wheel 210, and therefore the width of the wheel 210, including the accessory part 220, is greater than the width of the wheel 210 without the accessory part 220. In the example of FIG. 3 , the accessory part 220 provided on the right front wheel 211 is located more inward (closer to the center in the left-right direction) than the right front wheel 211, and is provided so as to protrude more inward than the right front wheel 211. Therefore, when the moving object 1 moves to the stop target position P1, if a part of the moving object main body 10 (hereinafter, the part of the moving object main body 10 that is inserted between the two front wheels 211 is also referred to as an insertion part 10B) enters between the two front wheels 211, the insertion part 10B may come into contact with the accessory part 220 located more inward than the front wheels 211.

[0027] The setting unit 21 of this embodiment sets the target stop position P1 based on the result of detecting the presence or absence of the attached part 220, and therefore, if the attached part 220 is present, the target stop position P1 can be set to a position where the mobile body 10 does not come into contact with the attached part 220. Therefore, while the movement control unit 22 moves the mobile body 1 to the target stop position P1, the control system 2 can reduce the possibility that the mobile body 1 will come into contact with the attached part 220 or the main body 201 of the target object 200. Therefore, the control system 2 can smoothly move the mobile body 1 to a position (target stop position P1) where the mobile body 1 can grasp the target object 200.

[0028] The control method executed by the control system 2 includes a setting step and a movement control step.

[0029] In the setting step, a target stop position P1 where the moving body 1 can grasp the object 200 is set based on the result of detecting whether or not there are accessory parts 220 that can be attached to the two wheels 210 (front wheels 211).

[0030] The movement control step controls the moving body 1 so that the moving body 1 moves to the stop target position P1.

[0031] This control method reduces the possibility that the moving body 1 will come into contact with the accessory part 220 or the main body 201 of the target object 200 while moving to the target stop position P1. Therefore, this control method allows the moving body 1 to move smoothly to a position (target stop position P1) where the moving body 1 can grasp the target object 200.

[0032] (2)Details The control system 2 according to this embodiment and the transport system 300 including the control system 2 and the moving body 1 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0033] (2.1) Overall structure As shown in FIG. 1, the transport system 300 includes a moving body 1 including a control system 2, and a group control system 4 that controls the transport work performed by the moving body 1.

[0034] The mobile object 1 and the group control system 4 are configured to be able to communicate with each other. In this disclosure, "able to communicate" means that information can be exchanged directly or indirectly via the network NT1 or a relay device 6, etc., using an appropriate communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication. In this embodiment, the group control system 4 and the mobile object 1 are able to communicate bidirectionally, and information can be transmitted both from the group control system 4 to the mobile object 1 and from the mobile object 1 to the group control system 4.

[0035] The conveyance system 300 of this embodiment is used, for example, in a component mounting system 500 (see FIG. 12) including at least one component mounter 400 that mounts components on a board. The component mounting system 500 will be described in "(2.4) Component Mounting System." Note that the conveyance system 300 is not limited to being used in the component mounting system 500, and its application can be changed as appropriate.

[0036] 1, there is one moving body 1, but there may be two or more moving bodies 1. In other words, the group control system 4 may control the transport work performed by each of the multiple moving bodies 1.

[0037] (2.2) Transport robot The moving body 1 autonomously travels on a flat moving surface G1, which may be, for example, the floor of a facility. The moving body 1 is equipped with a storage battery, such as a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery, and operates using the electrical energy stored in the storage battery.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the moving body 1 includes a moving body main body 10, a pair of wheels 11 and 12, and a pair of grips 13.

[0039] 1, the mobile object 1 includes a control unit 20, a wheel drive unit 25, a grip drive unit 26, a surrounding information detection unit 27, a communication unit 28, and a storage unit 29. A control system 2 that controls the mobile object 1 includes the above-described control unit 20 and surrounding information detection unit 27. The mobile object 1 may also include other components, such as a charging circuit for a storage battery, as appropriate.

[0040] The control unit 20 is mainly composed of a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the control unit 20 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0041] 1, the control unit 20 has the functions of the setting unit 21 and movement control unit 22 described above, and further has functions of a grip control unit 23, a determination unit 24, an attached part detection unit 30, etc. Note that the setting unit 21, movement control unit 22, grip control unit 23, determination unit 24, and attached part detection unit 30 merely indicate functions realized by the control unit 20, and do not necessarily indicate actual configurations.

[0042] The mobile body 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a pair of wheels 11, 12 is provided on the bottom surface of the mobile body 10. A pair of grip units 13 is provided on the rear surface 10A of the mobile body 10. The mobile body 10 houses components such as a control unit 20, a wheel drive unit 25, a grip drive unit 26, a surrounding information detection unit 27, a communication unit 28, and a memory unit 29.

[0043] The mobile body 10 travels on the moving surface G1 by means of pairs of wheels 11, 12 provided on the bottom surface. The pair of wheels 11 are drive wheels, and one is provided on each side of the mobile body 10. The pair of wheels 11 are configured to be rotatable in a desired direction at a desired rotational speed. The pair of wheels 12 are driven wheels that change direction to follow the moving direction of the mobile body 10, and one is provided at the front and one at the back in the center of the mobile body 10 in the left-right direction.

[0044] The wheel driving unit 25 drives the wheels 11, which are driving wheels, based on a control command from the movement control unit 22. The wheel driving unit 25 moves the moving body 1 in a desired direction by individually controlling the rotation direction and rotation speed of the pair of wheels 11.

[0045] The movable body main body 10 is provided with a pair of gripping portions 13. The pair of gripping portions 13 are provided on the rear surface 10A of the movable body main body 10, respectively corresponding to a pair of gripped portions 230 provided on the target object 200. Each of the pair of gripped portions 230 has a protruding piece 231 and a hooking piece 232. The protruding piece 231 protrudes forward from the front surface of the target object 200. The rear portion of the protruding piece 231 is connected to the main body 201 of the target object 200. The hooking piece 232 protrudes from the front portion of the protruding piece 231 to the center in the left-right direction of the front surface of the target object 200, and the protruding piece 231 and the hooking piece 232 form an L-shape in a plan view.

[0046] The pair of gripping parts 13 are provided on the rear surface 10A of the movable body 10 facing the target object 200. The pair of gripping parts 13 are each provided so as to be slidable in the left-right direction relative to the movable body 10, and the distance between the pair of gripping parts 13 is configured to be changeable.

[0047] The grip driving unit 26 drives the pair of gripping units 13 based on a control command from the grip control unit 23. The grip driving unit 26 includes, for example, a feed screw arranged along the left-right direction of the movable body 10, a motor that rotates the feed screw, and a reducer that transmits the rotation of the motor to the feed screw. The grip driving unit 26 controls the direction and amount of rotation of the motor to slide each of the pair of gripping units 13 in the left-right direction.

[0048] When the movable body 1 grips the object 200, the gripping drive unit 26 slides the pair of gripping units 13 to a position where the distance between the pair of gripping units 13 is narrower than the distance between the pair of gripped units 230, and then the movable body 1 approaches the object 200 and inserts the pair of gripping units 13 between the pair of gripped units 230. When the gripping drive unit 26 moves the pair of gripping units 13 in a direction that widens the distance between them, the pair of gripping units 13 stop in a state where they are in contact with the protruding pieces 231 of the pair of gripped units 230, respectively. At this time, the pair of gripping units 13 contact the hook pieces 232 of the pair of gripped units 230 in the front-rear direction, so that the movable body 1 grips the object 200.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a top view of the mobile object 1 gripping the object 200. When the mobile object 1 grips the object 200, an insertion portion 10B, which is at least a part (rear portion) of the mobile object main body 10, is inserted between two wheels 210 (for example, two front wheels 211). In the example of FIG. 3, the portion of the mobile object main body 10 that is hatched with dots is the insertion portion 10B. The mobile object 1 transports the object 200 by moving together with the object 200 while gripping it. When the mobile object 1 transports the object 200, there are two traveling modes: one in which the mobile object 1 is at the front and pulls the object 200, and one in which the object 200 is at the front and the mobile object 1 pushes the object 200 from behind. Generally, the traveling state is more stable when the object 200 is towed than when the object 200 is pushed from behind, so the moving body 1 usually moves by towing the object 200.

[0050] Thereafter, when the moving body 1 moves the object 200 to the destination position, the moving body 1 stops at that position, and the gripping control unit 23 moves the pair of gripping units 13 in a direction that narrows the distance between them. When the pair of gripping units 13 move to positions where they are not in contact with the pair of gripped units 230, the moving body 1 moves forward and separates the object 200. After separating the object 200, the moving body 1 can move independently, and the object 200 stops at the position where it was separated from the moving body 1 (the destination position).

[0051] The surrounding information detection unit 27 detects, for example, the surrounding conditions of the mobile body 10. The surrounding information detection unit 27 has, for example, a range sensor 271 for detecting objects present around the mobile body 10. The range sensor 271 is equipped with, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor as a sensor for detecting objects present around. The range sensor 271 is provided, for example, on the rear surface 10A of the mobile body 10 so as to be able to detect the object 200 when the mobile body 1 grasps the object 200. Note that the range sensor 271 is also provided on the front surface of the mobile body 10 so as to be able to detect objects in front of the mobile body 1 when the mobile body 1 moves forward. When the mobile body 1 grasps the object 200, the range sensor 271 provided on the rear surface 10A of the mobile body 10 detects the positions of the wheels 210 and the like of the object 200. That is, the range sensor 271 included in the surrounding information detection unit 27 executes a first detection step of detecting the positions of the two wheels 210 of the object 200 to be conveyed. In other words, the surrounding information detection unit 27 realizes a first detection unit that detects the positions of the two wheels 210.

[0052] The surrounding information detection unit 27 may be provided with an image sensor that captures an image of the surroundings of the mobile body 10, and may detect the positions of the wheels 210, etc. by processing the image of the surroundings captured by the image sensor.

[0053] The mobile object 1 may also have a function to estimate the current position of the mobile object body 10 on the moving plane G1 based on, for example, detection information of surrounding objects detected by the range sensor 271 and electronic map information of the moving plane G1. The mobile object 1 may also estimate the current position of the mobile object body 10 on the moving plane G1 using a Local Positioning System (LPS) using radio wave beacons. That is, the mobile object 1 may estimate the current position based on the radio wave intensity when a receiver provided in the mobile object 1 receives beacon signals transmitted from multiple transmitters installed in a facility and the installation positions of each transmitter. The mobile object 1 may also have a function to estimate the current position of the mobile object body 10 using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) such as the Global Positioning System (GPS). The position coordinates of the mobile object body 10 detected by the positioning function of the mobile object 1 may be position coordinates in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system set on the moving plane G1 or may be position coordinates in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

[0054] Before the moving body 1 moves to a position (stop target position P1) where it can grasp the object 200, the accessory part detection unit 30 determines whether or not the wheel 210 is provided with the accessory part 220, that is, the presence or absence of the accessory part 220, based on the result of detection of the object 200 to be transported by the surrounding information detection unit 27. Here, the accessory part detection unit 30 functions as a second detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the accessory part 220.

[0055] Before the moving body 1 moves to a position where it can grasp the target object 200, the setting unit 21 determines a stop target position P1 based on the detection result of the surrounding information detection unit 27 (first detection unit) and the detection result of the presence or absence of the accessory part 220 by the accessory part detection unit 30 (second detection unit). Here, the stop target position P1 is a position where the gripping unit 13 of the moving body 1 can hook the grasped part 230 of the target object 200, and is a position where the insertion part 10B of the moving body main body 10 is inserted between a pair of wheels 210 (for example, a pair of front wheels 211).

[0056] When the accessory part detection unit 30 detects that the accessory part 220 is not present, the setting unit 21 sets a reference stop position that is set in advance for the object 200 that is not provided with the accessory part 220 as the stop target position P1. On the other hand, when the accessory part detection unit 30 detects that the accessory part 220 is present, the setting unit 21 sets a position that is obtained by moving the reference stop position by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the accessory part 220 as the stop target position P1.

[0057] When the communication unit 28 receives a transport instruction from the group control system 4, the movement control unit 22 controls the wheel drive unit 25 based on the transport instruction and the detection result of the surrounding information detection unit 27, and moves the mobile body 10 on the movement plane G1 to the object 200 to be transported. When the mobile body 1 moves to just before a position where the mobile body 1 can grasp the object 200, the movement control unit 22 moves the mobile body 1 to the stop target position P1 set by the setting unit 21.

[0058] When the moving body 1 arrives at the target stopping position P1 and grasps the target object 200, the movement control unit 22 controls the wheel drive unit 25 based on the transport instruction from the group control system 4 and the detection result of the surrounding information detection unit 27, and moves the moving body main body 10 to the destination position.

[0059] When the moving body 1 moves to the destination position and separates the object 200, the movement control unit 22 controls the wheel drive unit 25 based on the detection result of the surrounding information detection unit 27, and moves the moving body main body 10, for example, to a standby position on the moving plane G1. At this time, the object 200 separated from the moving body 1 stops at that position, and the object 200 is placed at the destination position.

[0060] The communication unit 28 is configured to be able to communicate with the group control system 4. In this embodiment, the communication unit 28 communicates with one or more relay devices 6 installed in the facility where the mobile object 1 is operated, via wireless communication using radio waves as the medium. Therefore, the communication unit 28 and the group control system 4 communicate indirectly via at least the network NT1 and the relay device 6.

[0061] Each relay device 6 is a device (access point) that relays communication between the communication unit 28 and the group control system 4. The relay device 6 communicates with the group control system 4 via the network NT1. In this embodiment, as an example, wireless communication conforming to standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or unlicensed low-power radio (specified low-power radio) is adopted for communication between the relay device 6 and the communication unit 28. Furthermore, the network NT1 is not limited to the Internet, and may be, for example, a local communication network within the area in which the mobile object 1 is operated or within the operating company of this area.

[0062] The storage unit 29 includes, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory). The storage unit 29 stores in advance electronic map information of the moving plane G1 along which the moving body 1 moves. The electronic map information of the moving plane G1 includes position information of objects placed on the moving plane G1. The storage unit 29 stores model information relating to the outer shape of the target object 200 transported by the moving body 1. The target object 200 includes multiple types of transport targets, and the storage unit 29 stores model information relating to each of the multiple types of transport targets.

[0063] Here, the model information includes at least information regarding the positions of the wheels 210 provided on the object 200. The information regarding the positions of the wheels 210 is expressed, for example, in two-dimensional coordinates with a reference point on the main body 201 of the object 200 as the origin. The model information also includes information regarding a center line CL1 (see FIGS. 7 to 11) of the object 200 and information regarding a reference stop position P2. The center line CL1 is, for example, a line that passes through a position P3 of the center of gravity of the main body 201 of the object 200 and is perpendicular to the front surface of the main body 201. Note that a pair of wheels 210 (for example, front wheels 211) between which the insertion portion 10B of the movable body main body 10 is inserted are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the center line CL1. The reference stop position P2 is a position at which the movable body 1 can grip the object 200 when the wheels 210 do not have attached parts 220 provided, and is set in advance for each type of object 200. The model information also includes flag information indicating whether the target object 200 requires adjustment of its approach position when the movable body 1 moves to a position where the target object 200 can be grasped (target stop position P1). For example, if the difference (L1-L2) between a first dimension L1, which is the distance between the two wheels 210 into which the insertion portion 10B of the movable body main body 10 is inserted, and a second dimension L2, which is the width dimension of the insertion portion 10B, is less than a predetermined threshold, flag information indicating that adjustment of the approach position is required is set in advance. On the other hand, if the difference between the first dimension L1 and the second dimension L2 is equal to or greater than the threshold, flag information indicating that adjustment of the approach position is not required is set in advance.

[0064] 5, when pairs of gripped portions 230 are provided on multiple side surfaces of the main body 201 of the object 200, multiple stop target positions P1 at which the moving body 1 can grip the object 200 are set for one object 200. In this way, when multiple stop target positions P1 are set for one object 200, flag information indicating whether or not adjustment processing of the entry position is required may be set corresponding to each of the multiple stop target positions P1. In the object 200 shown in FIG. 5, the distance L1B between the front wheels 211 and the rear wheels 212 is wider than the distance L1A between the pair of front wheels 211.

[0065] Here, when the pair of gripping units 13 grip a pair of gripped parts 230 on the front side of the main body 201, the distance L1A between the pair of front wheels 211 becomes the first dimension L1, and the difference between the first dimension L1 and the second dimension L2 is less than the threshold value, so flag information indicating that adjustment processing is required is set for the stop target position P1 in this gripping state. On the other hand, when the pair of gripping units 13 grip a pair of gripped parts 230 on the right side of the main body 201, the distance L1B between the front wheel 211 and the rear wheel 212 becomes the first dimension, and the difference between the first dimension L1 and the second dimension L2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Therefore, flag information indicating that adjustment processing is not required is set for the stop target position P1 in the gripping state when the pair of gripping units 13 grip a pair of gripped parts 230 on the right side of the main body 201.

[0066] (2.3) Group Control System The group control system 4 is realized by, for example, a computer system. The group control system 4 controls the transport work performed by the mobile object 1. The group control system 4 may be located inside or outside the facility where the mobile object 1 performs the transport work.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 1, the group control system 4 includes a control unit 40, a communication unit 41, an operation reception unit 42, a display unit 43, and a storage unit 44.

[0068] The communication unit 41 communicates with the mobile object 1 via the network NT1 and the relay device 6. As a communication method between the communication unit 41 and the relay device 6, an appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted.

[0069] The operation acceptance unit 42 has a function of accepting operations from a user who uses the group control system 4. In this embodiment, the operation acceptance unit 42 is realized, for example, by a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a combination of these. The operation acceptance unit 42 may also be realized by a voice recognition unit that accepts operations by voice uttered by the user. The operation acceptance unit 42 may also accept, via the communication unit 41, information input into a terminal such as a tablet terminal used by the user.

[0070] The display unit 43 is used to present information to a user who uses the group control system 4. The display unit 43 is realized by a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. If the group control system 4 has a touch panel display, the touch panel display may function as the operation reception unit 42 and the display unit 43.

[0071] The storage unit 44 includes, for example, a memory such as a RAM, a ROM, or a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM. The storage unit 44 stores, for example, information input by a user of the group control system 4, regarding the position of the target object 200 and the position of the destination of the target object 200.

[0072] The control unit 40 mainly comprises a computer system including, for example, a memory and a processor. That is, the functions of the control unit 40 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0073] The control unit 40 issues a transport instruction to the moving body 1 to transport the object 200 via the communication unit 41. The control unit 40 issues a transport instruction to the moving body 1 to transport the object 200, which is located at a certain location within the moving plane G1, to a destination position, for example, thereby causing the moving body 1 to transport the object 200 to the destination position. For example, the control unit 40 transmits a transport instruction to the moving body 1 that includes information on the location where the object 200 is located, information on the destination position, etc. As a result, the group control system 4 causes the moving body 1 to perform a moving task of moving to the position of the object 200, a grasping task of grasping the object 200, and a transport task of transporting the object 200 to the destination position.

[0074] (2.4) Component Mounting System As shown in FIG. 12, the transfer system 300 of this embodiment is used in a component mounting system 500 including at least one component mounter 400 that mounts components onto a board.

[0075] The component mounter 400 has a feeder cart that supplies components and a mounting body 401 that includes a mounting head that mounts the components on a board. The feeder cart is the target object 200 that is transported by a moving body 1 controlled by a control system 2.

[0076] The feeder cart is used to supply components to a mounting body 401 of a component mounter 400 installed in a factory. The "component mounter" here refers to a machine that mounts components on an object such as a circuit board. The mounting body 401 includes a mounting head that mounts the components on the circuit board. In this embodiment, the moving body 1 transports the feeder cart as the object 200 to the installation location of the mounting body 401 of the component mounter 400. This makes it possible to build a component mounting system 500.

[0077] For example, upon receiving a transport instruction from the group control system 4, the mobile body 1 moves the feeder cart, which is the target object 200, to a position where it will be connected to the mounting body 401. When the mobile body 1 moves the feeder cart into a recess provided on the side of the mounting body 401, a second connector of the feeder cart is connected to a first connector provided on the mounting body 401, thereby connecting the mounting body 401 and the feeder cart to each other. Then, with the mounting body 401 and the feeder cart connected to each other, it becomes possible to supply components from the feeder cart to the mounting body 401.

[0078] (2.5) Operation explanation The operation of the control system 2 when the moving body 1 grasps the target object 200 will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 4 and 6 to 11. Note that the flowchart shown in Figure 4 is merely an example of a control method according to this embodiment, and the order of processing may be changed as appropriate, and processing may be added or omitted as appropriate.

[0079] When the control unit 20 of the moving body 1 receives an instruction to transport the object 200 from the group control system 4, the movement control unit 22 outputs a control command to the wheel drive unit 25 to move the moving body 1 to the location where the object 200 is located.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 2, when the mobile object 1 approaches the target object 200, the target object 200 is detected by the range sensor 271 of the mobile object 1. The range sensor 271 detects objects present around the mobile object main body 10, and detects the outer shapes of the main body 201 and four wheels 210 of the target object 200. A1 to A4 in Fig. 6 show the outer shapes of the four wheels 210 detected by the range sensor 271. As shown in Fig. 6, when the mobile object 1 is located in front of the target object 200, the range sensor 271 of the mobile object 1 cannot detect the outer shapes of the rear sides of the wheels 210, and only the outer shapes of the front sides that can be detected by the range sensor 271 are partially detected.

[0081] When the control unit 20 (control system 2) of the moving object 1 acquires the detection results of the outer shapes of the four wheels 210 from the range sensor 271 (step S1), the control unit 20 recognizes the positions of the four wheels 210 from the detection results of the range sensor 271 (step S2). The control unit 20 identifies the type of the object 200 based on the positions of the four wheels 210, based on the model information stored in the storage unit 29 (step S3). Note that the shape and size of the main body 201 of the object 200 differs for each type of object 200, and the positions of the four wheels 210 differ, so the control unit 20 can identify the type of object 200 based on the positions of the four wheels 210.

[0082] The control unit 20 determines whether or not an adjustment process for the entry position is necessary based on the model information of the identified object 200 (step S4). The control unit 20 determines the insertion direction in which the insertion part 10B of the movable body 10 is inserted into the object 200 based on the model information of the identified object 200, and determines whether or not an adjustment process for the entry position is necessary based on flag information included in the model information.

[0083] The control unit 20 may determine whether or not adjustment processing is necessary by determining the distance (first dimension L1) between the pair of wheels 210 between which the insertion portion 10B is inserted based on model information of the target object 200, and comparing the first dimension L1 with the width dimension (second dimension L2) of the insertion portion 10B. For example, the control unit 20 determines that adjustment processing of the entry position is necessary if the difference (L1-L2) between the first dimension L1 and the second dimension L2 is less than a predetermined threshold, and determines that adjustment processing of the entry position is not necessary if the difference (L1-L2) is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0084] If it is determined in the determination process of step S4 that the adjustment process is not necessary (step S4: No), the setting unit 21 acquires information about the reference stop position P2 from the model information of the object 200, and sets the reference stop position P2 to the stop target position P1 (step S5). Then, the movement control unit 22 calculates a movement path for moving the moving object 1 from the current position to the stop target position P1 (step S6), and outputs a control command to the wheel driving unit 25 based on the calculation result of the movement path. The wheel driving unit 25 controls the rotation direction and rotation speed of the wheels 11, which are drive wheels, based on the control command, thereby causing the moving object 1 to travel along the movement path to the stop target position P1 (step S7).

[0085] When the moving body 1 arrives at the stop target position P1, the grip control unit 23 outputs a control command to the grip driving unit 26 to grip the target object 200. At this time, the grip driving unit 26 drives the pair of gripping units 13 and causes the pair of gripping units 13 to grip the pair of gripped units 230, respectively, thereby causing the moving body 1 to grip the target object 200 (step S8).

[0086] When the moving body 1 grasps the target object 200, the movement control unit 22 calculates a movement path for moving the target object 200 to the destination position, and outputs a control command to the wheel drive unit 25 based on the calculation result of the movement path. The wheel drive unit 25 controls the rotation direction and rotation speed of the wheels 11, which are drive wheels, based on the control command, to cause the moving body 1 to travel along the movement path and convey the target object 200 to the destination position (step S9). When the moving body 1 arrives at the destination position, the grip control unit 23 outputs a control command to the grip drive unit 26 to release the grip of the target object 200, and the grip drive unit 26 drives the pair of grippers 13 to release the grip of the pair of gripped parts 230 by the pair of grippers 13. Thereafter, the movement control unit 22 calculates a movement path for moving the moving body 1 from the current position to the standby position, and outputs a control command to the wheel drive unit 25 based on the calculation result of the movement path. The wheel driving unit 25 controls the rotation direction and rotation speed of the wheels 11, which are driving wheels, based on the control command, to move the moving body 1 to the standby position.

[0087] Furthermore, if it is determined in the judgment process of step S4 that adjustment processing is necessary (step S4: Yes), the setting unit 21 determines the center line CL1 (see Figure 7) of the object 200 based on the detected positions of a pair of wheels 210 (e.g., a pair of front wheels 211) into which the insertion portion 10B of the moving body main body 10 is inserted and the model information of the object 200.

[0088] The setting unit 21 provisionally determines the closest position from the range measurement sensor 271 on the line segments A1, A2 representing the outer shape of the pair of front wheels 211 detected by the range measurement sensor 271 as the detected position of the pair of front wheels 211. Then, the setting unit 21 calculates a reference point P10, which is a point on the center line CL1 at which the detected positions of the pair of front wheels 211 appear to be at a 45-degree angle with respect to the center line CL1. After calculating the reference point P10, the setting unit 21 calculates the closest position from the reference point P10 on the line segments A1, A2 representing the outer shape of the pair of front wheels 211 as the corner positions P21, P22 of the pair of front wheels 211 (step S10).

[0089] The setting unit 21 applies the positions P21, P22 of the corners of the pair of front wheels 211 to the model information of the object 200, and determines the reference stop position P2 (see FIG. 8) when holding the object 200 (step S11). Note that the reference stop position P2 is set to the center position P4 of the mobile body 10 when the mobile body 1 is in a position where it can grasp the object 200, with the center position P4 of the mobile body 10 existing on the center line CL1 of the object 200.

[0090] Next, the setting unit 21 determines whether or not an accessory part 220 is provided to the pair of front wheels 211 (step S12). Specifically, the setting unit 21 determines whether or not a detection point of the outer shape exists on the line segments A1 and A2 representing the outer shape of the pair of front wheels 211, on the inner side (closer to the center line CL1) of the positions P21 and P22 of the corners of the pair of front wheels 211. If a detection point exists on the line segment A1 representing the outer shape of the right front wheel 211 and is spaced a predetermined value or more inward from the position P21 of the corner of the right front wheel 211, the setting unit 21 determines that an accessory part 220 exists on the right front wheel 211. Similarly, if a detection point exists on the line segment A1 representing the outer shape of the left front wheel 211 and is spaced a predetermined value or more inward from the position P22 of the corner of the left front wheel 211, the setting unit 21 determines that an accessory part 220 exists on the left front wheel 211. 9, there is a detection point P23 that is a distance x1 greater than a predetermined value on the inside of the position P21 of the corner of the right front wheel 211, and therefore the setting unit 21 determines that an attached part 220 is present on the right front wheel 211. Note that in the example of FIG. 9, there is no detection point that is a distance greater than or equal to the predetermined value on the inside of the position P22 of the corner of the left front wheel 211, and therefore the setting unit 21 determines that an attached part 220 is not present on the left front wheel 211.

[0091] If it is determined in step S12 that the accessory part 220 is not present (step S12: No), the setting unit 21 sets the reference stop position P2 as the target stop position P1 (step S13).

[0092] If it is determined in step S12 that an accessory part 220 is present (step S12: Yes), the setting unit 21 sets a position obtained by moving the reference stop position P2 by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the accessory part 220 as the stop target position P1 (see Figure 10).

[0093] When the setting unit 21 sets the stop target position P1 in step S13 or S14, the movement control unit 22 calculates a movement path along which the moving body 1 will travel so that the moving body main body 10 can move while facing the main body 201 of the target object 200 directly before the moving body 10 enters the narrow road area A10 on a movement path R1 (see FIGS. 9 and 10) until the moving body 1 arrives at the stop target position P1 (step S15). Here, the movement control unit 22 controls the position of the moving body 1 with a first accuracy when the moving body 1 is present in an area other than the narrow road area A10, and controls the position of the moving body 1 with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy when the moving body 1 is present in the narrow road area A10. The narrow road area A10 is an area where the position of the moving body 1 needs to be controlled with high accuracy (second accuracy) so that the moving body main body 10 does not come into contact with any part of the target object 200.

[0094] The movement control unit 22 outputs a control command to the wheel drive unit 25 based on the calculation result of the movement path. The wheel drive unit 25 controls the rotation direction and rotation speed of the wheels 11, which are drive wheels, based on the control command, thereby causing the moving object 1 to travel along the movement path R1 to the stop target position P1 (step S7). Here, when the moving object 1 moves along the movement path R1 to just before the narrow road area A10, the moving object main body 10 faces the main body 201 of the object 200 (see FIG. 11). Therefore, when the moving object 1 enters the narrow road area A10 and moves to the stop target position P1, the moving object 1 can move linearly to the stop target position P1 with the moving object main body 10 facing the main body 201 of the object 200. Therefore, after the moving object 1 enters the narrow road area A10, the moving object 1 does not change direction, which reduces the possibility of the moving object main body 10 hitting the wheels 210, the accessory part 220, etc., and allows the moving object 1 to move smoothly. In particular, a moving body 1 of a differential two-wheel type, in which the orientation of the two wheels 11 (drive wheels) of the moving body 1 is fixed and the moving body 1 travels around a curve by changing the angular velocity of the two wheels 11, has the characteristic of being difficult to turn. In the control method of this embodiment, after the moving body 1 enters the narrow road area A10, the moving body 1 can move linearly to the stop target position P1, so that even if the moving body 1 is a differential two-wheel type moving body, the possibility of the moving body 1 coming into contact with the accessory part 220 or the main body 201 of the target object 200 in the narrow road area A10 can be reduced.

[0095] When the moving body 1 arrives at the stop target position P1, the moving body 1 grips the object 200 (step S8) and transports the object 200 to the destination position (step S9). When the moving body 1 arrives at the destination position, the moving body 1 releases the state of gripping the object 200, places the object 200 at the destination position, and then moves to, for example, a standby position.

[0096] To summarize the above operations, the control method executed by the control system 2 further includes a first detection step of detecting the positions of the two wheels 210 of the target object 200 to be conveyed and a second detection step of detecting the presence or absence of an accessory part 220. The setting step includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, a reference stop position P2 is determined based on model information regarding the outer shapes of multiple types of conveyed objects and the detection results of the positions of the two wheels 210. In the second step, if the presence of an accessory part 220 is detected, a position obtained by moving the reference stop position P2 by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the accessory part 220 is set as the target stop position P1. Note that in this embodiment, the surrounding information detection unit 27 executes the first detection step of detecting the positions of the two wheels 210 of the target object 200, and the accessory part detection unit 30 executes the second detection step of detecting the presence or absence of the accessory part 220. In addition, the setting unit 21 executes the setting step including the first step and the second step.

[0097] As described above, in the control method executed by the control system 2, when there is an attached part 220, a position obtained by moving the reference stop position P2 by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the attached part 220 is set as the target stop position P1, thereby reducing the possibility of the moving object 1 coming into contact with the attached part 220, etc. Note that the predetermined amount by which the reference stop position P2 is moved may be a fixed value or may be a value set in advance corresponding to each of multiple types of transported objects, and the predetermined amount by which the reference stop position P2 is moved can be changed depending on the type of transported object. Furthermore, the control system 2 may change the predetermined amount by which the reference stop position P2 is moved depending on the amount of protrusion of the attached part 220 from the wheel 210 detected in step S12.

[0098] In addition, in the first step of determining the reference stop position P2, the positions of the corners of each of the two wheels 210 are detected based on the detection results of the outer surfaces of the two wheels 210, and the reference stop position P2 is determined based on the positions of the corners of each of the two wheels 210 and the model information.

[0099] In this way, the control system 2 determines the reference stop position P2 by applying the positions of the corners of the two wheels 210 to the model information, and even if the reference stop position P2 differs for each type of object 200, it is possible to determine the reference stop position P2 that is set for each type.

[0100] Furthermore, in a first step, the control system 2 determines a center line CL1 that passes through the midpoint of the two wheels 210 and is parallel to the insertion direction (front-to-back direction in FIG. 2) in which the insertion portion 10B is inserted between the two wheels 210, based on the detection results of the positions of the two wheels 210. In the first step, the control system 2 determines a reference point P10 that is a point on the center line CL1 (see FIG. 7). The reference point P10 is a point where a first angle θ1 formed between the center line CL1 and a first straight line L11 connecting one of the two wheels 210 and the reference point P10, and a second angle θ2 formed between the center line CL1 and a second straight line L12 connecting the other of the two wheels 210 and the reference point P10 are equal (for example, 45 degrees). In addition, in the first step, the control system 2 determines the closest position from the reference point P10 on the outer surface of one of the two wheels 210 as the position of one corner of the two wheels 210, and determines the closest position from the reference point P10 on the outer surface of the other of the two wheels 210 as the position of the other corner of the two wheels 210.

[0101] In this way, the control system 2 determines the closest position from the reference point on the outer surface of each of the two wheels 210 as the position of the corner of each of the two wheels 210, thereby enabling more accurate detection of the positions of the corners of the two wheels 210.

[0102] The control method executed by the control system 2 further includes a determination step. The determination step determines, based on the positions of the two wheels 210 detected in the first detection step, whether or not it is necessary to control the position of the moving body 1 with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy when the moving body 1 moves to the stop target position P1. If it is determined in the determination step that the position of the moving body 1 is to be controlled with the second accuracy, the setting step is executed. Note that in this embodiment, the determination unit 24 included in the control unit 20 further determines, based on the detection results of the positions of the two wheels 210, whether or not it is necessary to control the position of the moving body 1 with the second accuracy higher than the first accuracy when the moving body 1 moves to the stop target position P1. If the determination unit 24 determines that the position of the moving body 1 is to be controlled with the second accuracy, the setting unit 21 performs processing to set the stop target position P1.

[0103] In this way, the control system 2 performs the setting step when it is determined in the determination step that the position of the moving body 1 should be controlled to the second accuracy, and therefore the setting step can be executed only when it is necessary to control the position of the moving body 1 to the second accuracy. Therefore, when it is not necessary to control the position of the moving body 1 to the second accuracy, the control system 2 does not perform the setting step, and therefore the amount of processing performed by the control system 2 can be reduced.

[0104] Furthermore, in the movement control step executed by the control system 2, the movement of the moving body 1 is controlled so that the moving body 1 can move in a state where it faces the object 200 directly before it enters the narrow road area A10 on the movement path until the moving body 1 arrives at the stop target position P1. The narrow road area A10 is an area where the position of the moving body 1 needs to be controlled with the second precision. As a result, after the moving body 1 enters the narrow road area A10, the moving body 1 can move linearly to the stop target position P1, reducing the possibility of the moving body 1 coming into contact with the accessory part 220 or the main body 201 of the object 200, etc.

[0105] (3) Variations The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Furthermore, functions similar to those of the control system 2 may be embodied as a control method, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded. A control method according to one aspect includes a setting step and a movement control step. The setting step sets a stop target position P1, which is a position at which the moving body 1 can grasp the target object 200, based on the result of detecting the presence or absence of accessory parts 220 that can be attached to the two wheels 210. The movement control step controls the moving body 1 so that the moving body 1 moves to the stop target position P1. A (computer) program according to one aspect is a program for causing a computer system to execute the above control method.

[0106] Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0107] The control system 2 or the control method according to the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is primarily composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the computer system's memory to realize the functions of the control system 2 or the control method according to the present disclosure. The program may be pre-stored in the computer system's memory, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive that is readable by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integrations (VLSIs), or ultra-large-scale integrations (ULSIs). Furthermore, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are programmable after the LSI is manufactured, or logic devices that allow the reconfiguration of internal connections or internal circuit partitions of the LSI, can also be used as processors. The electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip or distributed across multiple chips. The chips may be integrated into one device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0108] Furthermore, it is not essential for the control system 2 that multiple functions in the control system 2 are concentrated in one housing, and the components of the control system 2 may be distributed across multiple housings. For example, some or all of the multiple functions in the control system 2 may be provided in the group control system 4. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the control system 2 may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the moving body 1 was a type of transport robot that moves by towing or pushing the object 200 from behind while holding the grasped portion 230 of the object 200 with the gripping portion 13, but the moving body 1 is not limited to this type of transport robot.

[0110] The moving body 1 may be a so-called low-floor transport robot that moves under the target object 200, lifts up a part or the whole of the target object 200, and transports the target object 200 with some of the wheels 210 of the target object 200 floating. In this case, the target stopping position of the moving body 1 when grasping the target object 200 is preferably set to, for example, the center position or the center of gravity of the bottom surface of the target object 200.

[0111] Furthermore, the movable body 1 may be a transport robot of a type that has fork parts that can move in the vertical direction and transports the object 200 while lifting the object 200 or a pallet on which the object 200 is placed with the fork parts. In this case, the target stopping position when the movable body 1 grasps the object 200 is preferably set to a position where the object 200 or the pallet on which the object 200 is placed can be lifted with the fork parts.

[0112] In the above embodiment, in the comparison between a dimension and a threshold value, etc., "less than" may be "equal to or less than." In other words, in the comparison of two values, whether or not the two values ​​are equal can be arbitrarily changed depending on the setting of the reference value, etc., so there is no technical difference between "less than" and "equal to or less than." Similarly, "greater than or equal to" may be "greater than."

[0113] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the moving body 1 is not limited to a vehicle-type robot that moves (travels) on wheels on the moving surface G1. The moving body 1 may be an aerial drone that flies in the air, a surface drone that navigates on water, or an underwater drone that navigates underwater.

[0114] (Embodiment 2) The control system 2 of the second embodiment differs from the above-described embodiment in that the setting unit 21 sets the target stop position P1, which is the position where the moving body 1 can grasp the target object 200, based on the result of detecting the orientations of the two wheels 210. Note that, since the control system 2 of the second embodiment is the same as the above-described embodiment except for the setting step performed by the setting unit 21, the same reference numerals are used for the common components and their description will be omitted.

[0115] If at least one of the two wheels 210 is tilted with respect to the insertion direction in which the insertion portion 10B of the movable body 10 is inserted between the two wheels 210, the movable body 10 may come into contact with the wheel 210.

[0116] When the wheels 210 protrude inward by a predetermined threshold value or more compared to when the orientation of the wheels 210 is parallel to the insertion direction, the setting unit 21 shifts the stop target position P1 by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the wheels 210 that are inclined obliquely with respect to the insertion direction. This reduces the possibility that the mobile body 10 will come into contact with the wheels 210, etc., when the insertion portion 10B of the mobile body 10 is inserted between two wheels 210, allowing the mobile body 1 to move smoothly.

[0117] The configuration (including the modified examples) described in the second embodiment can be applied in appropriate combination with the configuration (including the modified examples) described in the first embodiment.

[0118] (summary) The above-described embodiments and the like disclose the following aspects.

[0119] The control method of the first aspect includes a setting step and a movement control step. In the setting step, a target stop position (P1) where a moving body (1) can grasp an object (200) having a plurality of wheels (210) with at least a portion of the moving body main body (10) inserted between two of the plurality of wheels (210) is set based on a result of detecting whether or not an accessory part (220) attachable to the two wheels (210) is present. In the movement control step, the moving body (1) is controlled so that the moving body (1) moves to the target stop position (P1).

[0120] According to this aspect, if there is an attached part (220), the target stop position (P1) can be set at a position where the mobile body main body (10) does not come into contact with the attached part (220). Therefore, in the movement control step, while the mobile body (1) is being moved to the target stop position (P1), the possibility of the mobile body (1) coming into contact with the attached part (220) or the main body (201) of the object (200) can be reduced. Therefore, the mobile body (1) can be smoothly moved to a position where the mobile body (1) can grasp the object (200).

[0121] In the control method of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the target object (200) includes multiple types of objects to be transported. The control method further includes a first detection step of detecting the positions of two wheels (210) of the target object (200) to be transported, and a second detection step of detecting the presence or absence of an accessory part (220). The setting step includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, a reference stop position (P2) is determined based on model information regarding the outer shapes of the multiple types of objects to be transported and the detection results of the positions of the two wheels (210). In the second step, if it is detected that an accessory part (220) is present, a position obtained by moving the reference stop position (P2) by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the accessory part (220) is set as a target stop position (P1).

[0122] According to this aspect, when an accessory part (220) is present, the target stop position (P1) is set to a position obtained by moving the reference stop position (P2) a predetermined amount in a direction away from the accessory part (220), thereby reducing the possibility of the moving body (1) coming into contact with the accessory part (220), etc.

[0123] In the control method of the third aspect, in the second aspect, in the first step, the positions (P21, P22) of the corners of each of the two wheels (210) are detected based on the detection results of the outer surfaces of the two wheels (210). In the first step, the reference stop position (P2) is determined based on the positions (P21, P22) of the corners of each of the two wheels (210) and model information.

[0124] According to this embodiment, the reference stop position (P2) is determined by applying the positions of the corners of the two wheels (210) to the model information, so even if the reference stop position (P2) differs for each type of object (200), the reference stop position (P2) set for each type can be determined.

[0125] In the control method of the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, in a first step, a center line (CL1) that passes through the midpoint of the two wheels (210) and is parallel to an insertion direction in which a part of the mobile body (10) is inserted between the two wheels (210) is determined based on the detection results of the positions of the two wheels (210). In the first step, a reference point (P10) that is a point on the center line (CL1) is determined. The reference point (P10) is a point on the center line (CL1) such that a first angle (θ1) formed between the center line (CL1) and a first straight line (L11) connecting one of the two wheels (210) to the reference point (P10) is equal to a second angle (θ2) formed between the center line (CL1) and a second straight line (L12) connecting the other of the two wheels (210) to the reference point (P10). In the first step, the closest position from the reference point (P10) on the outer surface of one of the two wheels (210) is determined as the position of one corner of the two wheels (210), and the closest position from the reference point on the outer surface of the other of the two wheels (210) is determined as the position of the other corner of the two wheels (210).

[0126] According to this embodiment, the positions of the corners of the two wheels (210) are determined as the closest positions from the reference point (P10) on the outer surfaces of the two wheels (210), respectively, and the positions of the corners of the two wheels (210) can be detected more accurately.

[0127] In the control method of the fifth aspect, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the predetermined amount is a value set in advance corresponding to each of the plurality of types of objects to be conveyed.

[0128] According to this aspect, the predetermined amount by which the reference stop position (P2) is moved can be changed depending on the type of the object to be conveyed.

[0129] The control method of the sixth aspect is any one of the second to fifth aspects and further includes a determination step. In the determination step, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to control the position of the moving body (1) with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy when the moving body (1) moves to the stop target position (P1), based on the positions of the two wheels (210) detected in the first detection step. If it is determined in the determination step that the position of the moving body (1) should be controlled with the second accuracy, a setting step is executed.

[0130] According to this aspect, when it is not necessary to control the position of the moving body (1) with the second accuracy, the setting step is not performed, so that the amount of processing performed by the control system (2) that executes the control method can be reduced.

[0131] In the control method of the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, the movement control step controls the movement of the moving body (1) so that the moving body (10) can move facing the object (200) directly until the moving body (10) enters an area (A10) where the position of the moving body (1) needs to be controlled with a second accuracy on the movement path until the moving body (1) arrives at the stop target position (P1).

[0132] According to this aspect, after the main body (10) of the moving object (1) enters the area (A10) where the position of the moving object (1) needs to be controlled with the second accuracy, the moving object (1) can move linearly to the target stop position (P1). Therefore, the possibility of the moving object (1) coming into contact with the accessory part (220) or the main body (201) of the target object (200) can be reduced.

[0133] The control method of the eighth aspect includes a setting step and a movement control step. In the setting step, a moving body (1) grips an object (200) having a plurality of wheels (210) with at least a portion of the moving body main body (10) inserted between two of the plurality of wheels (210), and a stop target position (P1) at which the moving body (1) can grip the object (200) is set based on the result of detecting the orientation of the two wheels (210). In the movement control step, the moving body (1) is moved to the stop target position (P1).

[0134] According to this aspect, when the orientation of the wheels 210 is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the movable body 10, the target stop position P1 can be set at a position where the movable body 10 does not come into contact with the wheels 210. Therefore, in the movement control step, while the movable body 1 is being moved to the target stop position P1, the possibility of the movable body 1 coming into contact with the wheels 210 or the body 201 of the object 200 can be reduced. Therefore, the movable body 1 can be smoothly moved to a position where the movable body 1 can grasp the object 200.

[0135] A control system (2) of a ninth aspect includes a setting unit (21) and a movement control unit (22). The setting unit (21) sets a stop target position (P1), which is a position where a moving body (1) can grasp an object (200) having a plurality of wheels (210) with at least a portion of the moving body main body (10) inserted between two of the plurality of wheels (210), based on a result of detecting the orientation of the two wheels (210). The movement control unit (22) controls the moving body (1) to move to the stop target position (P1).

[0136] According to this aspect, the setting unit 21 can set the target stop position P1 at a position where the mobile body main body 10 does not come into contact with the attached part 220, if any. Therefore, the movement control unit 22 can reduce the possibility that the mobile body 10 will come into contact with the attached part 220 or the main body 201 of the object 200 while moving the mobile body 10 to the target stop position P1. Therefore, the control system 2 can smoothly move the mobile body 10 to a position where the mobile body 10 can grasp the object 200.

[0137] In a control system (2) of a tenth aspect, in the ninth aspect, the target object (200) includes multiple types of objects to be transported. The control system (2) further includes a first detection unit (27) that detects the positions of two wheels (210) of the target object (200) to be transported, and a second detection unit (30) that detects the presence or absence of an accessory part (220). The setting unit (21) executes a first step and a second step. In the first step, the setting unit (21) determines a reference stop position (P2) based on model information related to the outer shapes of the multiple types of target objects to be transported and the detection results of the positions of the two wheels (210). In the second step, if the setting unit (21) detects the presence of an accessory part (220), it sets a position obtained by moving the reference stop position (P2) by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the accessory part (220) as a target stop position (P1).

[0138] According to this aspect, when an accessory part (220) is present, the setting unit (21) sets the target stop position (P1) to a position obtained by moving the reference stop position (P2) a predetermined amount in a direction away from the accessory part (220), thereby reducing the possibility that the moving body (1) will come into contact with the accessory part (220), etc.

[0139] In the control system (2) of the eleventh aspect, in the tenth aspect, the setting unit (21) detects the positions (P21, P22) of the corners of each of the two wheels (210) based on the detection results of the outer surfaces of the two wheels (210) in a first step. The setting unit (21) determines the reference stop position (P2) based on the positions (P21, P22) of the corners of each of the two wheels (210) and the model information.

[0140] According to this aspect, the setting unit (21) determines the reference stop position (P2) by applying the positions of the corners of the two wheels (210) to the model information, so even if the reference stop position (P2) differs for each type of object (200), it is possible to determine the reference stop position (P2) to be set for each type.

[0141] In the control system (2) of the twelfth aspect, in the eleventh aspect, the setting unit (21) determines, in a first step, a center line (CL1) that passes through the midpoints of the two wheels (210) and is parallel to an insertion direction in which a portion of the movable body (10) is inserted between the two wheels (210) based on the detection results of the positions of the two wheels (210). In the first step, the setting unit (21) determines a reference point (P10) that is a point on the center line (CL1). The reference point (P10) is a point on the center line (CL1) such that a first angle (θ1) formed between the center line (CL1) and a first straight line (L11) connecting one of the two wheels (210) to the reference point (P10) is equal to a second angle (θ2) formed between the center line (CL1) and a second straight line (L12) connecting the other of the two wheels (210) to the reference point (P10). In the first step, the setting unit (21) determines the closest position from the reference point (P10) on the outer surface of one of the two wheels (210) as the position of one corner of the two wheels (210), and determines the closest position from the reference point (P10) on the outer surface of the other of the two wheels (210) as the position of the other corner of the two wheels.

[0142] According to this aspect, the setting unit (21) determines the positions of the corners of the two wheels (210) as the closest positions from the reference point (P10) on the outer surfaces of the two wheels (210), respectively, and can detect the positions of the corners of the two wheels (210) more accurately.

[0143] In the control system (2) of the thirteenth aspect, in any one of the tenth to twelfth aspects, the predetermined amount is a value set in advance corresponding to each of the plurality of types of objects to be conveyed.

[0144] According to this aspect, the predetermined amount by which the reference stop position (P2) is moved can be changed depending on the type of the object to be conveyed.

[0145] The control system (2) of a fourteenth aspect is in any one of the tenth to thirteenth aspects, and further includes a determination unit (24). The determination unit (24) determines, based on the detection result of the positions of the two wheels (210), whether or not it is necessary to control the position of the moving body (1) with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy when the moving body (1) moves to the stop target position (P1). When the determination unit (24) determines that the position of the moving body (1) should be controlled with the second accuracy, the setting unit (21) performs processing to set the stop target position (P1).

[0146] According to this aspect, when it is not necessary to control the position of the moving body (1) with the second accuracy, the setting unit (21) does not perform the process of setting the stop target position (P1), thereby reducing the amount of processing performed by the control system (2).

[0147] In the control system (2) of the 15th aspect, in any of the 14th aspects, the movement control unit (22) controls the movement of the moving body (1) so that the moving body main body (10) can move facing the object (200) directly until the moving body (10) enters an area where the position of the moving body (1) needs to be controlled with the second accuracy on the movement path until the moving body (1) arrives at the stop target position (P1).

[0148] According to this aspect, after the main body (10) of the moving object (1) enters the area (A10) where the position of the moving object (1) needs to be controlled with the second accuracy, the moving object (1) can move linearly to the target stop position (P1). Therefore, the possibility of the moving object (1) coming into contact with the accessory part (220) or the main body (201) of the target object (200) can be reduced.

[0149] A component mounting system (500) of a sixteenth aspect includes at least one component mounter (400) that mounts components on a board. The component mounter (400) has a feeder carriage that supplies components and a mounting body (401) that includes a mounting head that mounts the components on the board. The feeder carriage is an object (200) that is transported by a moving body (1) controlled by a control system (2) of any of the ninth to fifteenth aspects.

[0150] According to this embodiment, the moving body (1) can be smoothly moved to a position where the moving body (1) can grasp the object (200).

[0151] Not limited to the above aspects, various configurations (including modified examples) of the control system (2) according to the embodiment can be embodied as a control method, a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, executed by the control system (2).

[0152] The configurations according to the second to seventh aspects are not essential for the control method according to the first aspect and may be omitted as appropriate. The configurations according to the tenth to fifteenth aspects are not essential for the control system (2) according to the ninth aspect and may be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0153] 1. Mobile 2. Control System 10 Mobile body 21 Setting section 22 Movement control unit 24 Judgment section 27 Surrounding information detection unit (first detection unit) 30 Accessory parts detector (second detector) 200 objects 210 wheels 220 Accessory Parts 400 component mounting machine 401 Implementation Body 500 Component Mounting System A10 Narrow area (area) CL1 center line L11 1st straight line L12 2nd straight line P1 Stop target position P2 Reference stop position P10 Reference Point P21, P22 Wheel corner position θ1 1st angle θ2 2nd angle

Claims

1. a setting step of setting a target stopping position where a moving body can grip an object having a plurality of wheels with an insertion portion, which is at least a part of the moving body body, inserted between two of the plurality of wheels, and the moving body can grip the object, based on a result of detecting whether or not there are any accessory parts that can be attached to the two wheels; a movement control step of controlling the moving body so that the moving body moves to the target stop position, Control method.

2. The object includes a plurality of types of objects to be conveyed, a first detection step of detecting positions of the two wheels of the object to be transported; a second detection step of detecting the presence or absence of the accessory part, The setting step includes: a first step of determining a reference stop position based on model information relating to the outer shapes of the plurality of types of transport objects and detection results of the positions of the two wheels; a second step of, when it is detected that the attached part is present, moving the reference stop position by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the attached part, and setting the resulting position as the target stop position. The control method according to claim 1 .

3. In the first step, Detecting the positions of the corners of each of the two wheels based on the detection results of the outer surfaces of the two wheels; determining the reference stop position based on the positions of the corners of each of the two wheels and the model information; The control method according to claim 2 .

4. In the first step, determining a center line that passes through the midpoints of the two wheels and is parallel to an insertion direction in which a part of the movable body is inserted between the two wheels based on the detection results of the positions of the two wheels; a point on the center line at which a first angle formed by a first straight line connecting one of the two wheels and the point and the center line is equal to a second angle formed by a second straight line connecting the other of the two wheels and the point and the center line is determined as a reference point; determining a position on an outer surface of one of the two wheels that is closest to the reference point as the position of one of the corners of the two wheels, and determining a position on an outer surface of the other of the two wheels that is closest to the reference point as the position of the other of the corners of the two wheels. The control method according to claim 3 .

5. the predetermined amount is a value set in advance corresponding to each of the plurality of types of objects to be conveyed. The control method according to claim 2 .

6. a determination step of determining, based on the positions of the two wheels detected in the first detection step, whether or not it is necessary to control the position of the moving body with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy when the moving body moves to the target stop position; executing the setting step when it is determined in the determining step that the position of the moving object is to be controlled to the second accuracy; The control method according to claim 2 .

7. In the movement control step, the movement of the moving body is controlled so that the moving body can move in a state where the moving body faces the object directly, until the moving body enters an area where the position of the moving body needs to be controlled with the second accuracy, on a movement path until the moving body arrives at the stop target position. The control method according to claim 6.

8. a setting step of setting a target stopping position where the moving body can grip an object having a plurality of wheels with at least a part of the moving body body inserted between two of the plurality of wheels, based on a result of detecting the orientations of the two wheels; a movement control step of moving the moving body to the target stop position, Control method.

9. a setting unit that sets a target stop position where a moving body that holds an object having a plurality of wheels can hold the object with at least a part of the moving body main body inserted between two of the plurality of wheels, based on a result of detecting whether or not there are accessory parts that can be attached to the two wheels; a movement control unit that controls the moving body so that the moving body moves to the target stop position, Control system.

10. The object includes a plurality of types of objects to be conveyed, a first detection unit that detects the positions of the two wheels of the object to be transported; a second detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the accessory part, The setting unit a first step of determining a reference stop position based on model information relating to the outer shapes of the plurality of types of transport objects and detection results of the positions of the two wheels; a second step of, when it is detected that the attached part is present, moving the reference stop position by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the attached part, and setting the resulting position as the target stop position; The control system of claim 9.

11. The setting unit in the first step, detecting positions of corners of each of the two wheels based on the detection results of the outer surfaces of the two wheels, and determining the reference stop position based on the positions of the corners of each of the two wheels and the model information; The control system of claim 10.

12. The setting unit In the first step, determining a center line that passes through the midpoints of the two wheels and is parallel to an insertion direction in which a part of the movable body is inserted between the two wheels based on the detection results of the positions of the two wheels; a point on the center line at which a first angle formed by a first straight line connecting one of the two wheels and the point and the center line is equal to a second angle formed by a second straight line connecting the other of the two wheels and the point and the center line is determined as a reference point; determining a position on an outer surface of one of the two wheels that is closest to the reference point as the position of one of the corners of the two wheels, and determining a position on an outer surface of the other of the two wheels that is closest to the reference point as the position of the other of the corners of the two wheels. The control system of claim 11.

13. the predetermined amount is a value set in advance corresponding to each of the plurality of types of objects to be conveyed. The control system of claim 10.

14. a determination unit that determines, based on a result of detecting the positions of the two wheels, whether or not it is necessary to control the position of the moving body with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy when the moving body moves to the target stop position; When the determination unit determines that the position of the moving object is to be controlled to the second accuracy, the setting unit performs a process of setting the target stop position. The control system of claim 10.

15. the movement control unit controls the movement of the moving body so that the moving body can move in a state where the moving body main body faces the object directly, until the moving body enters an area where the position of the moving body needs to be controlled with the second accuracy, on a movement path until the moving body arrives at the stop target position.

15. The control system of claim 14.

16. at least one component mounter that mounts components onto a substrate; The component mounter includes: a feeder cart for supplying the parts; a mounting body including a mounting head that mounts the component on the board, The feeder cart is the object conveyed by the moving body controlled by the control system according to any one of claims 9 to 15. Component mounting system.

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