Obstacle detection device

Abstract

To provide an obstacle detection apparatus which can suppress failure to detect an obstacle by occlusion.SOLUTION: An obstacle detection apparatus 30 according to the present invention has a route generating unit 32 for acquiring a travel scheduled route R of a folk lift 1, a self-position estimating unit 33 for estimating a self position of the folk lift 1, a detection area setting unit 35 for setting an obstacle detection area E for use in detection of an obstacle X existing in a travel direction of the folk lift 1, an obstacle sensor 23 for detecting the obstacle X, and an obstacle determination unit 38 for, based on point group data of the obstacle sensor 23, determining whether or not there is any obstacle X in the obstacle detection area E. The obstacle detection area E has a first detection area E1 along the travel scheduled route R and a second detection area E2 ranging from the folk lift 1 to the first detection area E1. The detection area setting unit 35 sets the second detection area E2 based on the self-position of the folk lift 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an obstacle detection device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which when an obstacle existing in the planned travel route of a work vehicle is recognized by an obstacle sensor that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle in front of the work vehicle, the travel route of the work vehicle is changed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above prior art, when the planned travel route ahead cannot be seen because there is an obstacle near the work vehicle, even if there is actually another obstacle in the planned travel route ahead, it may be determined that there is no obstacle in the planned travel route ahead. That is, there may be an oversight in detecting an obstacle due to occlusion.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an obstacle detection device capable of suppressing an oversight in detecting an obstacle due to occlusion.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention relates to an obstacle detection device mounted on an industrial vehicle, comprising: a route acquisition unit for acquiring the planned travel route of the industrial vehicle; a self-position estimation unit for estimating the self-position of the industrial vehicle; a detection area setting unit for setting an obstacle detection area for detecting obstacles in the direction of travel of the industrial vehicle; an obstacle detection unit for detecting obstacles; and an obstacle determination unit for determining whether an obstacle exists in the obstacle detection area set by the detection area setting unit based on the detection data from the obstacle detection unit, wherein the obstacle detection area has a first detection area along the planned travel route acquired by the route acquisition unit and a second detection area from the industrial vehicle to the first detection area, and the detection area setting unit sets the second detection area based on the self-position of the industrial vehicle estimated by the self-position estimation unit.

[0007] In such an obstacle detection device, the industrial vehicle's own position is estimated, and an obstacle detection area is set to detect obstacles in the industrial vehicle's direction of travel. Based on the detection data from the obstacle detection unit, it is determined whether or not an obstacle exists in the obstacle detection area. Here, the obstacle detection area is set as a first detection area along the industrial vehicle's planned travel path, and a second detection area from the industrial vehicle to the first detection area. The second detection area is set based on the industrial vehicle's own position. Therefore, an obstacle is detected in the industrial vehicle's direction of travel not only when an obstacle exists in the first detection area, but also when an obstacle exists in the second detection area. Consequently, even if the first detection area beyond the obstacle is not visible due to an obstacle in the second detection area, an obstacle is detected in the industrial vehicle's direction of travel. This suppresses the failure to detect obstacles due to occlusion.

[0008] The obstacle detection device may further include a counting unit that determines the number of state information detected by the obstacle detection unit, and the obstacle determination unit may determine whether an obstacle exists in the obstacle detection area based on the number of state information determined by the counting unit.

[0009] In this configuration, whether or not an obstacle exists in the obstacle detection area is determined based on the number of detection pieces detected by the obstacle detection unit. Therefore, if a small object exists in the second detection area and an obstacle exists in the first detection area which is further ahead of the second detection area relative to the industrial vehicle, the number of state pieces corresponding to the small object among the state pieces detected by the obstacle detection unit is also taken into consideration when determining whether or not an obstacle exists in the obstacle detection area. Consequently, even if part or all of the obstacle is hidden by the small object from the perspective of the industrial vehicle, the presence of an obstacle in the direction of travel of the industrial vehicle is detected.

[0010] The obstacle detection unit may determine whether the number of state information detected by the obstacle detection unit is equal to or greater than a threshold, and if the number of state information is equal to or greater than the threshold, it may determine that an obstacle exists in the obstacle detection area.

[0011] In this configuration, even if part or all of an obstacle is obscured by a small object from the perspective of the industrial vehicle, it is easy to detect whether an obstacle exists in the direction of travel of the industrial vehicle based on the number of state information detected by the obstacle detection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the failure to detect obstacles due to occlusion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a forklift as an industrial vehicle equipped with an obstacle detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving control device equipped with an obstacle detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing an example of a planned route for a forklift. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of an obstacle detection area set by the detection area setting unit shown in Figure 2. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the detection area setting process executed by the detection area setting unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of the first detection area set by the detection area setting unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the dimensional relationship between the detection frame forming the first detection area shown in FIG. 6 and the forklift. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the obstacle determination process executed by the obstacle determination unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a state where part or all of an obstacle is hidden by a small object with respect to the forklift. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the deceleration stop control process executed by the deceleration stop control unit shown in FIG. 2.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] [[ID=​​​​​​​​​​

[0018] The pallet 12 is, for example, a flat pallet made of plastic or wood. The pallet 12 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. Goods (not shown) are placed on the pallet 12. The pallet 12 is provided with a pair of fork holes 13 on the left and right sides into which each fork 9 is inserted.

[0019] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a travel control device equipped with an obstacle detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The travel control device 20 is a device that controls the forklift 1 to automatically travel to a target position when performing unloading work on a pallet 12, as shown in Figure 3, for example. The travel control device 20 is mounted on the forklift 1. The target position is a position where the forks 9 can be inserted into the fork holes 13 of the pallet 12.

[0020] In Figure 2, the driving control device 20 includes a laser sensor 21, a map storage unit 22, an obstacle sensor 23, a vehicle speed sensor 24, a drive unit 25, a warning device 26, and a controller 27.

[0021] The laser sensor 21 emits laser light towards the forklift 1 and receives the reflected laser light to detect the distance to objects around the forklift 1 and acquire point cloud data. The laser sensor 21 emits laser light within a predetermined angular range (e.g., 270 degrees) centered on the front of the forklift 1. The point cloud is a collection of reflected laser points (laser points). Objects around the forklift 1 include the pallet 12. For example, a LIDAR (light detection and ranging) or a laser rangefinder can be used as the laser sensor 21.

[0022] The map storage unit 22 stores map data of the area where cargo handling operations are performed by the forklift 1. The map data includes pillars, shelves, walls, etc.

[0023] The obstacle sensor 23 is an obstacle detection unit that detects obstacles X (see Figure 6) present around the forklift 1. Obstacles X include workers and other vehicles. Similar to the laser sensor 21, a LIDAR or laser rangefinder can be used as the obstacle sensor 23. There may be one or more obstacle sensors 23. The vehicle speed sensor 24 detects the travel speed (vehicle speed) of the forklift 1.

[0024] The drive unit 25 includes, for example, a drive motor that rotates the front wheels 5, which are the drive wheels, and a steering motor that steers the rear wheels 6, which are the steering wheels. The alarm device 26 sounds an alarm or displays an alarm when it detects the presence of an obstacle X in front of the forklift 1 (in the direction of travel).

[0025] The controller 27 consists of a CPU, RAM, ROM, and an input / output interface, etc. The controller 27 includes a pallet position calculation unit 31, a path generation unit 32, a self-position estimation unit 33, a guidance control unit 34, a detection area setting unit 35, a removal processing unit 36, a laser point counting unit 37, an obstacle determination unit 38, and a deceleration / stop control unit 39. These functions are executed, for example, when the automatic operation of the forklift 1 is instructed to start by an operation switch (not shown).

[0026] The path generation unit 32, detection area setting unit 35, removal processing unit 36, laser point counting unit 37, and obstacle determination unit 38 work together with the obstacle sensor 23 to form an obstacle detection device 30 that detects whether an obstacle X exists in the direction of travel of the forklift 1.

[0027] The pallet position calculation unit 31 calculates the position of the pallet 12 relative to the forklift 1 based on the point cloud data from the laser sensor 21. The pallet position calculation unit 31 calculates the plane equation of the front surface of the pallet 12 using, for example, RANSAC (Random Sample Consensus) or the least squares method, and calculates the position of the pallet 12 relative to the forklift 1 based on that plane equation.

[0028] The route generation unit 32 generates a planned travel route R (see Figure 3) for the forklift 1 to the target position (described above) based on the position of the pallet 12 relative to the forklift 1 calculated by the pallet position calculation unit 31. The planned travel route R is the path that the forklift 1 intends to travel and is formed by a plurality of route points P (see Figure 6). The route generation unit 32 constitutes a route acquisition unit that acquires the planned travel route R of the forklift 1.

[0029] The self-position estimation unit 33 estimates the self-position of the forklift 1 based on the point cloud data from the laser sensor 21 and the map data stored in the map storage unit 22. Specifically, the self-position estimation unit 33 estimates the self-position of the forklift 1 by matching the point cloud data and map data, for example, using a SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) method. SLAM is a self-position estimation technique that uses sensor data and map data to estimate the self-position.

[0030] The guidance control unit 34 controls the drive unit 25 to guide the forklift 1 to the target position along the planned travel path R generated by the path generation unit 32. At this time, the guidance control unit 34 controls the drive unit 25 so that the self-position of the forklift 1, estimated by the self-position estimation unit 33, approaches the planned travel path R.

[0031] The detection area setting unit 35 sets an obstacle detection area E for detecting an obstacle X (see Figure 6) present in the direction of travel of the forklift 1. As shown in Figure 4, the obstacle detection area E has a first detection area E1 along the planned travel path R of the forklift 1 and a second detection area E2 from the forklift 1 to the first detection area E1.

[0032] The detection area setting unit 35 sets a first detection area E1 based on the planned travel route R generated by the route generation unit 32, and sets a second detection area E2 based on the self-position of the forklift 1 estimated by the self-position estimation unit 33.

[0033] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the detection area, which is performed by the detection area setting unit 35. In Figure 5, the detection area setting unit 35 first acquires data of the planned travel route R generated by the route generation unit 32 and data of the self-position of the forklift 1 estimated by the self-position estimation unit 33 (procedure S101).

[0034] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the detection area setting unit 35 sets a first detection area E1 along the planned travel route R by mapping a rectangular detection frame F that completely surrounds the forklift 1 to multiple path points P of the planned travel route R (procedure S102). At this time, the detection frame F is mapped to the path points P such that the path points P are located at the center of the detection frame F. In this way, a first detection area E1 consisting of multiple detection frames F is set.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, the dimensions of the detection frame F are larger than the external dimensions of the forklift 1 in the front-rear and left-right directions. Specifically, the length dimension L1 of the detection frame F is greater than the overall length L2 of the forklift 1. The overall length L2 of the forklift 1 is the length from the tip (front end) of the forks 9 of the forklift 1 to the rear end of the vehicle body 4. The width dimension W1 of the detection frame F is greater than the overall width W2 of the forklift 1. The overall width W2 of the forklift 1 is the vehicle width of the forklift 1.

[0036] The dimensions of the detection frame F are larger than the external dimensions of the forklift 1 by a specified amount d in all directions (front, back, left, and right). Due to self-position estimation errors generated by the self-position estimation unit 33 and guidance errors generated by the guidance control unit 34, the actual travel path of the forklift 1 may deviate from the planned travel path R. Therefore, the specified amount d is set to a value that can absorb the amount of deviation of the forklift 1's actual travel path from the planned travel path R.

[0037] The detection area setting unit 35 does not need to map detection frames F to all route points P of the planned travel route R; it may map detection frames F to route points P at predetermined intervals. This leads to a reduction in calculation processing time. In this case, by setting the interval of route points P to be mapped so that parts of adjacent detection frames F overlap, it is possible to prevent gaps in the first detection area E1.

[0038] Furthermore, in areas where gaps occur in the first detection area E1, the spacing between mapping path points P may be shortened, or the dimensions of the detection frame F may be increased in areas where gaps occur in the first detection area E1. Also, if the detection frame F completely surrounds the forklift 1, the length dimension L1 of the detection frame F may be equal to the total length L2 of the forklift 1, and the width dimension W1 of the detection frame F may be equal to the total width W2 of the forklift 1. In addition, the shape of the detection frame F is not particularly limited to a rectangle; it may be a polygonal or circular shape that completely surrounds the forklift 1.

[0039] After executing procedure S102, the detection area setting unit 35 sets the second detection area E2 from the forklift 1 to the first detection area E1 based on the forklift 1's own position (procedure S103). Specifically, the second detection area E2 is the area extending from the obstacle sensor 23 of the forklift 1 to both ends of the first detection area E1, as shown in Figure 4. Note that in Figure 4, the first detection area E1 is shown as shorter for convenience.

[0040] Next, the detection area setting unit 35 outputs data for the obstacle detection area E, which consists of the first detection area E1 set in step S102 and the second detection area E2 set in step S103, to the obstacle determination unit 38 (step S104).

[0041] Returning to Figure 2, the removal processing unit 36 ​​removes laser points corresponding to objects other than obstacle X from the point cloud data (detection data) of the obstacle sensor 23. As a result, point cloud data (processed data) is obtained from which laser points corresponding to objects other than obstacle X have been removed.

[0042] Here, objects other than obstacle X include forks 9 and pallet 12, etc. The position and length of forks 9 and the dimensions of pallet 12 are known in advance. The position of pallet 12 relative to forklift 1 is obtained from pallet position calculation unit 31. Therefore, laser points corresponding to forks 9 and pallet 12, etc. can be easily removed from the point cloud data of obstacle sensor 23.

[0043] The laser point counting unit 37 is a counting unit that determines the number of laser points based on the point cloud data of the obstacle sensor 23. The number of laser points corresponds to the number of state information detected by the obstacle sensor 23. At this time, the laser point counting unit 37 determines the number of laser points based on the processed data from which laser points corresponding to objects other than obstacle X have been removed by the removal processing unit 36.

[0044] The obstacle detection unit 38 determines whether an obstacle X exists in the obstacle detection area E set by the detection area setting unit 35, based on the point cloud data from the obstacle sensor 23. At this time, the obstacle detection unit 38 determines whether an obstacle X exists in the obstacle detection area E based on the number of laser points obtained by the laser point counting unit 37.

[0045] The obstacle detection unit 38 determines whether the number of laser points obtained by the laser point counting unit 37 is equal to or greater than a threshold, and if the number of laser points is equal to or greater than the threshold, it determines that an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E.

[0046] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for obstacle detection processing performed by the obstacle detection unit 38. In Figure 8, the obstacle detection unit 38 first acquires data for the obstacle detection area E set by the detection area setting unit 35 (procedure S111).

[0047] Next, the obstacle detection unit 38 determines whether the number of laser points detected in the obstacle detection area E is equal to or greater than a threshold (procedure S112). The threshold is a predetermined number (for example, 3 in Figure 9).

[0048] The obstacle detection unit 38 determines that an obstacle X exists in the obstacle detection area E if it determines that the number of laser points detected in the obstacle detection area E is equal to or greater than the threshold (procedure S113). The obstacle detection unit 38 determines that an obstacle X does not exist in the obstacle detection area E if it determines that the number of laser points detected in the obstacle detection area E is not equal to or greater than the threshold (procedure S114).

[0049] For example, as shown in Figure 9(a), if an obstacle X is present in the first detection area E1 of the obstacle detection area E, and two small objects G are present in the second detection area E2 of the obstacle detection area E, the laser beam emitted from the obstacle sensor 23 strikes the obstacle X and each object G at one point each and is reflected, so the obstacle sensor 23 detects three laser points P L An obstacle is detected. Therefore, it is determined that an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E. The small object G is a raindrop, etc.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(b), if an obstacle X is present in the first detection area E1 of the obstacle detection area E, and a small object G is present in the second detection area E2 of the obstacle detection area E, the laser beam emitted from the obstacle sensor 23 will hit three points on object G and be reflected, and the laser beam will not hit the obstacle X. However, even in this case, the obstacle sensor 23 will detect three laser points P L Because it is detected, it is determined that obstacle X is present in obstacle detection area E.

[0051] Returning to Figure 2, the deceleration / stop control unit 39 controls the drive unit 25 to decelerate or stop the forklift 1 when the obstacle detection unit 38 determines that an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E, and also controls the alarm device 26 to issue an alarm. The deceleration / stop control unit 39 controls the drive unit 25 to stop the forklift 1 when the distance to the obstacle X is less than or equal to a specified value, and controls the drive unit 25 to decelerate the forklift 1 when the distance to the obstacle X is longer than a specified value.

[0052] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the deceleration stop control process executed by the deceleration stop control unit 39. In Figure 10, the deceleration stop control unit 39 first determines whether the obstacle detection unit 38 has determined that an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E (procedure S121).

[0053] When the deceleration / stop control unit 39 determines that an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E, it acquires the detected value from the vehicle speed sensor 24 (procedure S122). Then, based on the detected value from the vehicle speed sensor 24, the deceleration / stop control unit 39 calculates the distance required to stop the forklift 1 as it travels along the planned route R (procedure S123).

[0054] Here, if we let v be the current speed of forklift 1 and a be its deceleration, then the time t required to stop forklift 1 is given by the following formula. Note that the deceleration a is predetermined. t = v / a

[0055] The distance x required to stop forklift 1 is expressed by integrating the current vehicle speed v of forklift 1, as shown in the following formula. x=v 2 / 2a

[0056] Next, the deceleration / stop control unit 39 determines whether an obstacle X is present in the stopping area e1 (see Figure 6) within the obstacle detection area E (procedure S124). The stopping area e1 is the area within the obstacle detection area E that is closer to the forklift 1 than the stopping threshold S1 (specified value).

[0057] The stopping threshold S1 is the value obtained by adding a margin to the distance x described above, when the vehicle speed v of forklift 1 is set to a fixed value v0 corresponding to an extremely low speed. The fixed value v0 corresponding to an extremely low speed is lower than the actual vehicle speed v of forklift 1. The stopping threshold S1 is, for example, the position corresponding to the path point P in the detection frame F which includes the stopping area e1 and the deceleration area e2 (described later) (see Figure 6).

[0058] When the deceleration / stop control unit 39 determines that an obstacle X is present in the stopping area e1 within the obstacle detection area E, it controls the drive unit 25 to stop the forklift 1 (procedure S125). The deceleration / stop control unit 39 also controls the alarm device 26 to issue a stop alarm (procedure S126).

[0059] When the deceleration / stop control unit 39 determines that no obstacle X is present in the stop area e1 within the obstacle detection area E, it determines whether obstacle X is present in the deceleration area e2 (see Figure 6) within the obstacle detection area E (procedure S127). The deceleration area e2 is the area between the stop threshold S1 and the deceleration threshold S2 within the obstacle detection area E.

[0060] The deceleration threshold S2 is located further from the forklift 1 than the stopping threshold S1. The deceleration threshold S2 is the distance x at the current vehicle speed v of the forklift 1 plus a margin. The deceleration threshold S2 corresponds to, for example, the end of the detection frame F on the direction of travel that is furthest from the forklift 1 in the deceleration area e2 (see Figure 6).

[0061] When the deceleration / stop control unit 39 determines that an obstacle X is present in the deceleration area e2 within the obstacle detection area E, it controls the drive unit 25 to decelerate the forklift 1 (procedure S128). The deceleration / stop control unit 39 also controls the alarm device 26 to issue a deceleration alarm (procedure S129), and then repeats procedure S121.

[0062] If the deceleration / stop control unit 39 determines that there is no obstacle X in the deceleration area e2 within the obstacle detection area E, it repeats the above procedure S121.

[0063] For example, as shown in Figure 6, if the planned travel path R is curved, the first detection area E1 of the obstacle detection area E is set to curve along the planned travel path R. In this case, if the planned travel path R beyond the obstacle X is not visible from the forklift 1 because the obstacle X is located outside the first detection area E1, it will be determined that there is no obstacle X in the direction of travel of the forklift 1, even if there is actually another obstacle X in the first detection area E1 that includes the planned travel path R beyond the obstacle X. In other words, detection of obstacle X may be missed due to occlusion.

[0064] To address such challenges, in this embodiment, the self-position of the forklift 1 is estimated, and an obstacle detection area E is set for detecting obstacles X present in the direction of travel of the forklift 1. Then, based on the point cloud data of the obstacle sensor 23 that detects obstacles X, it is determined whether or not obstacles X are present in the obstacle detection area E. Here, the obstacle detection area E is set to a first detection area E1 along the planned travel path R of the forklift 1, and a second detection area E2 from the forklift 1 to the first detection area E1. The second detection area E2 is set based on the self-position of the forklift 1. Therefore, obstacles X are detected in the direction of travel of the forklift 1 not only when obstacles X are present in the first detection area E1, but also when obstacles X are present in the second detection area E2. Consequently, even if the first detection area E1 beyond the obstacles X is not visible because obstacles X are present in the second detection area E2, obstacles X are detected in the direction of travel of the forklift 1. This suppresses the failure to detect obstacles X due to occlusion.

[0065] Furthermore, because the obstacle sensor 23 emits laser light radially, as shown in Figure 9, a small object G may obscure part or all of the obstacle X. For this reason, if we attempt to detect whether an obstacle X is present in the direction of travel of the forklift 1 based on the size of the obstacle X, it is difficult to set a threshold for determining the size of the obstacle X, making it difficult to accurately detect the obstacle X.

[0066] For example, in the situation shown in Figure 9(a), part of the obstacle X is hidden by two small objects G, so it may be determined that there is an obstacle X smaller than its actual size, or depending on the judgment threshold, it may be determined that there is no obstacle X. Also, in the situation shown in Figure 9(b), the entirety of the obstacle X is hidden by one small object G, so it is determined that there is no obstacle X.

[0067] In this embodiment, whether or not an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E is determined based on the number of laser points detected by the obstacle sensor 23. Therefore, if a small object G is present in the second detection area E2, and an obstacle X is present in the first detection area E1, which is further ahead of the second detection area E2 relative to the forklift 1, the number of laser points corresponding to the small object G among the number of laser points detected by the obstacle sensor 23 is also taken into consideration when determining whether or not an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E. Consequently, even if part or all of the obstacle X is hidden by the small object G from the perspective of the forklift 1, the presence of the obstacle X in the direction of travel of the forklift 1 is detected. This improves the detection accuracy of the obstacle X compared to detecting whether or not an obstacle X is present in the direction of travel of the forklift 1 based on the size of the obstacle X.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the number of laser points detected by the obstacle sensor 23 is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is determined that an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E. Therefore, even if part or all of the obstacle X is hidden by a small object G from the perspective of the forklift 1, it is easy to detect whether or not an obstacle X is present in the direction of travel of the forklift 1 based on the number of laser points detected by the obstacle sensor 23.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since a planned travel path R to the target position of the forklift 1 is generated, even if the target position changes, the first detection area E1 along the planned travel path R can be easily set.

[0070] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, the first detection area E1 of the obstacle detection area E is set by mapping a detection frame F that completely surrounds the forklift 1 to multiple path points P of the planned travel path R, but the invention is not limited to such a form. The first detection area E1 of the obstacle detection area E may be, for example, an area of ​​a predetermined width set to follow the planned travel path R.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a laser sensor such as a LIDAR or laser rangefinder is used as the obstacle sensor 23 for detecting the obstacle X. This sensor irradiates laser light towards the forklift 1 and receives the reflected light to acquire point cloud data. However, the system is not limited to this configuration. An image sensor such as a camera may also be used as the obstacle sensor 23. In this case, the number of pixels in which an object is captured is determined based on the image data from the obstacle sensor 23, and it is determined whether or not an obstacle X is present in the obstacle detection area E based on this number of pixels. The number of pixels in which an object is captured corresponds to the number of state information detected by the obstacle sensor 23.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the position of the pallet 12 relative to the forklift 1 is calculated based on the point cloud data of the laser sensor 21, and the self-position of the forklift 1 is estimated based on the point cloud data of the laser sensor 21 and the map data stored in the map storage unit 22. However, the system is not limited to this configuration. For example, a separate laser sensor may be provided for pallet detection and a separate laser sensor for self-position estimation.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the self-position of the forklift 1 is estimated using a SLAM method based on point cloud data from the laser sensor 21, but the system is not limited to this configuration. As a method for estimating the self-position of the forklift 1, for example, a SLAM method based on image data from a camera, an odometry sensor that detects the amount and direction of movement of the forklift 1, or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that measures the angular velocity and acceleration of the forklift 1 may be used.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the forklift 1 is controlled to travel along the planned route R, but the present invention is also applicable to other industrial vehicles such as towing tractors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...Forklift (industrial vehicle), 23...Obstacle sensor (obstacle detection unit), 30...Obstacle detection device, 32...Path generation unit (path acquisition unit), 33...Self-position estimation unit, 35...Detection area setting unit, 37...Laser point counting unit (counting unit), 38...Obstacle determination unit, P L ...Laser point (status information), R...Planned travel path, E...Obstacle detection area, E1...First detection area, E2...Second detection area, X...Obstacle.

Claims

1. In a driving control system installed in an industrial vehicle, A route acquisition unit that acquires the planned route of the industrial vehicle, A self-position estimation unit for estimating the position of the industrial vehicle, A detection area setting unit sets an obstacle detection area for detecting obstacles present in the direction of travel of the industrial vehicle, An obstacle detection unit for detecting the aforementioned obstacle, An obstacle determination unit determines whether an obstacle exists in the obstacle detection area set by the detection area setting unit based on the detection data from the obstacle detection unit, The system includes a control unit that controls the industrial vehicle to slow down or stop when the obstacle detection unit determines that an obstacle is present in the obstacle detection area, The obstacle detection area includes a first detection area along the planned travel route acquired by the route acquisition unit, and a second detection area from the industrial vehicle to the first detection area. The detection area setting unit sets the second detection area extending from the obstacle detection unit to both ends of the first detection area along the left-right direction of the industrial vehicle, based on the self-position of the industrial vehicle estimated by the self-position estimation unit, so as it expands from the obstacle detection unit toward the first detection area, The control unit controls the industrial vehicle to decelerate or stop when the obstacle determination unit determines that an obstacle is present in the first detection area, and when the obstacle determination unit determines that an obstacle is present in the second detection area, and when the obstacle determination unit determines that an obstacle is present in the second detection area, it controls the industrial vehicle to decelerate or stop.

2. The system further includes a counting unit that determines the number of state information detected by the obstacle detection unit, The driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle determination unit determines whether an obstacle exists in the obstacle detection area based on the number of state information obtained by the counting unit.

3. The driving control device according to claim 2, wherein the obstacle determination unit determines whether the number of state information detected by the obstacle detection unit is equal to or greater than a threshold, and if the number of state information is equal to or greater than the threshold, it determines that an obstacle is present in the obstacle detection area.

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