Automatic marking system and automatic marking method

Abstract

To automatically mark a surface to be marked.SOLUTION: An automatic marking system 100 includes a marking device 10 for marking while moving, a three-dimensional measurement device 50 capable of measuring a three-dimensional space position of the marking device 10, and a control device 30 for controlling traveling and marking of the marking device 10. The marking device 10 has a travel part 12 capable of traveling on a surface to be marked, a marking part 18 for marking the surface to be marked, and a target part 20 tracked by the three-dimensional measurement device 50. The travel part 12 has a plurality of omnidirectional moving wheels each independently controlling its rotation direction and rotation speed. The control device 30 controls each rotation of the plurality of omnidirectional moving wheels so that the marking part 18 is positioned at a prescribed target marking position without changing the direction of the marking device 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic ink application system and an automatic ink application method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic ink application system including an ink application robot that performs marking on an ink application surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The automatic ink application system described in Patent Document 1 moves an ink application robot to a designated target point and creates a marking by pressing a stamp at the target point. Therefore, for the ink application lines connecting the markings, it is necessary for an operator to perform an ink application operation separately, and the workload of the operator has not been sufficiently reduced.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic ink application system capable of automatically performing ink application on an ink application surface.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to an automatic marking system comprising: a marking device that marks a marking surface while moving; a three-dimensional measuring device that tracks the marking device and can measure the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device; and a control device that controls the movement and marking of the marking device based on the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device measured by the three-dimensional measuring device. The marking device has a traveling unit that can travel on the marking surface, a marking unit that marks the marking surface, and a target unit that is tracked by the three-dimensional measuring device. The traveling unit has a plurality of omnidirectional wheels whose rotation direction and rotation speed are independently controlled, and the control device does not change the orientation of the marking device. , including at least one of a sharp or obtuse bend and a curve Pre-set target marking position Trace along The rotation of multiple omnidirectional wheels is controlled individually so that the marking area is positioned correctly.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an automatic marking system and method comprising: a marking device that marks a marking surface while moving; a three-dimensional measuring device that tracks the marking device and measures its three-dimensional spatial position; and a control device that controls the movement and marking of the marking device based on the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device measured by the three-dimensional measuring device, wherein the method controls the running section of the marking device which has a plurality of omnidirectional wheels whose rotation direction and rotation speed are independently controlled, Includes at least one of a sharp or obtuse bend and a curve. Pre-set target marking position Trace along Move the marking device without changing its orientation so that the marking section of the marking device is positioned correctly. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an automatic marking system can automatically mark a marking surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an illustrative diagram showing an image of the marking-out process performed by the automatic marking-out system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]This is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the marking device for an automatic marking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an automatic marking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a diagram to explain the drawing data. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for marking out work performed by the automatic marking out system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the method for recognizing the orientation of a marking device. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the orientation of the marking device when performing marking. [Figure 8A] This diagram illustrates the movement of the marking device to the target marking position. [Figure 8B] This diagram illustrates the movement of the marking device to the target marking position. [Figure 9A] This diagram illustrates a method for adjusting the position of a marking device relative to a target marking position. [Figure 9B] This diagram illustrates a method for adjusting the position of a marking device relative to a target marking position. [Figure 10] This is a diagram to explain the offset of drawing data. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, an automatic marking system and an automatic marking method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] The automatic ink marking system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system that automatically marks an ink marking line or the like serving as a construction standard on the floor surface of a building. As shown in FIG. 1, the system includes an ink marking device 10 that performs ink marking on the floor surface 1, which is an ink marking surface, while moving; a three-dimensional measurement device 50 that tracks the ink marking device 10 and can measure the three-dimensional spatial position of the ink marking device 10; and a control device 30 that controls the traveling and ink marking of the ink marking device 10 based on the three-dimensional spatial position of the ink marking device 10 measured by the three-dimensional measurement device 50. Hereinafter, the case where the control device 30 is built in the ink marking device 10 will be described. However, the control device 30 may be built in the three-dimensional measurement device 50, or may be provided separately from the ink marking device 10 and the three-dimensional measurement device 50.

[0012] The ink marking device 10 is an autonomous mobile robot that does not require external operation. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink marking device 10 includes a traveling unit 12 for traveling on the floor surface 1, which is an ink marking surface; an ink marking unit 18 for performing ink marking on the floor surface 1; a target unit 20 that is tracked by the three-dimensional measurement device 50; and a base unit 24 to which the traveling unit 12, the ink marking unit 18, and the target unit 20 are attached. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ink marking device 10 viewed from above, showing a state in which a cover member 25 attached to the base unit 24 so as to cover the traveling unit 12 and the ink marking unit 18 is removed.

[0013] The traveling unit 12 has three omni-wheels 13 (omnidirectional moving wheels) whose rotational directions and rotational speeds are independently controlled. Each omni-wheel 13 is rotationally driven by an electric motor 15 via a vehicle axle 14. The vehicle axle 14 and the electric motor 15 may be connected via a speed reducer (not shown).

[0014] The three omni-wheels 13 are arranged at equal intervals (120° intervals) on the circumference of a common circle, and the axial directions of their vehicle axles 14 face the center of the common circle. In other words, the three omni-wheels 13 are arranged such that the axial directions of their respective vehicle axles 14 face a common center point.

[0015] Each electric motor 15 is separately controlled in terms of its rotation direction and rotation speed by a control device 30. That is, the three omni-wheels 13 are independently controlled in terms of their rotation directions and rotation speeds.

[0016] Note that the traveling unit 12 may have four omni-wheels 13. Even in this case, the four omni-wheels 13 are arranged at equal intervals (90° intervals) on the circumference of a common circle, and are arranged such that the axial directions of the respective axles 14 face a common center point. However, when four omni-wheels 13 are used, if the floor surface 1 is not flat but has irregularities, there is a possibility that some of the omni-wheels 13 may not contact the ground, resulting in a decrease in traveling stability. Therefore, it is preferable to use three omni-wheels 13.

[0017] Also, the omnidirectional moving wheels of the traveling unit 12 are not limited to omni-wheels 13, and any configuration may be used as long as the wheels enable the movement of the marking device 10 in the axial direction of the axle 14. For example, they may be mecanum wheels or Mbius wheels.

[0018] By configuring the traveling unit 12 to have a plurality of omnidirectional moving wheels in this way, the marking device 10 can smoothly move in all directions without turning.

[0019] The marking unit 18 is an inkjet printing device having a predetermined marking width W1, and includes a nozzle head (not shown) provided with a plurality of nozzles capable of discharging ink onto the floor surface 1 at a predetermined minute interval, and an ink supply unit (not shown) for supplying ink to the nozzle head. The nozzle head is attached to the base portion 24 such that a plurality of nozzles are arranged along the marking width W1 direction.

[0020] Therefore, when the marking device 10 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the marking width W1, it is possible to freely draw characters and lines within the marking width W1. Even when the marking device 10 is moved in the same direction as the marking width W1, lines can be drawn along the direction of movement of the marking device 10 by ejecting ink from the nozzle at a relatively high speed. Furthermore, by arranging multiple nozzle heads along the direction of the marking width W1, it is possible to expand the marking width W1 as needed.

[0021] Here, as described above, the marking device 10 can move freely in all directions, and there is no particular concept of "forward." However, for the sake of explanation below, the basic travel direction of the marking device 10 will be defined as the travel direction that is approximately perpendicular to the direction of the marking width W1, which allows for the free drawing of characters and lines on the floor surface 1 via the marking unit 18 as described above. Furthermore, the side of the first omniwheel 13A (right side in Figure 2) where the axle 14 does not rotate when the marking device 10 is traveled in the basic travel direction will be defined as the "forward" of the marking device 10, and the first omniwheel 13A positioned in front will be defined as the "steering wheel" that steers the direction of movement of the marking device 10. Note that the definition of "forward" of the marking device 10 is not limited to this.

[0022] The target unit 20 is a directional prism capable of reflecting laser light emitted from the three-dimensional measuring device 50, and is rotated by the target rotation unit 21 so as to always point towards the three-dimensional measuring device 50. The target rotation unit 21 is a servo motor, and its rotation angle is controlled by the control device 30 as described later. The target unit 20 may also be a 360-degree prism, in which case the target rotation unit 21 may not be provided.

[0023] In addition to the aforementioned traveling unit 12, marking unit 18, and target unit 20, the base unit 24 of the marking device 10 is equipped with a posture detection unit 26 capable of detecting the posture of the marking device 10 while it is traveling, a communication unit 27 for sending and receiving data with the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and an external server 120, and a battery 28 for supplying power to the traveling unit 12 and other electrical components. A control device 30 is also installed on the base unit 24.

[0024] The attitude detection unit 26 is a so-called inertial measurement unit (IMU) that integrates an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor capable of detecting the attitude of the marking device 10. For example, it can detect which direction the "forward" of the marking device 10 is facing relative to the direction in which the marking device 10 is traveling, that is, to what extent the direction of the marking width W1 is tilted relative to the direction in which the marking device 10 is traveling.

[0025] The communication unit 27 is a short-range wireless communication device such as BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy) or Wi-Fi®, and is mainly used to send and receive data with the three-dimensional measuring device 50. The communication unit 27 may also be equipped with a general wireless communication device capable of sending and receiving data via an internet connection.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the three-dimensional measuring device 50 includes a trolley unit 60 that can move on the floor surface 1 which is the marking surface, and an optical measuring unit 55 that can measure the three-dimensional spatial position of the target unit 20 based on the reflected light of the laser beam irradiated onto the target unit 20.

[0027] The trolley section 60, like the running section 12 of the marking device 10, has three omniwheels 61, a motor (not shown) provided for each omniwheel 61, and a battery (not shown) that supplies power to the motors. As a result, the three-dimensional measuring device 50, like the marking device 10, can move smoothly in all directions without rotating.

[0028] The bogie section 60 may have four omniwheels 61. Furthermore, the wheels of the bogie section 60 are not limited to omniwheels 61, but may also be Mecanum wheels or Mobius wheels. Also, since the movement of the bogie section 60 is not as frequent as that of the marking device 10, the bogie section 60 may be a general-purpose running device capable of self-propulsion in all directions (forward, backward, left, and right) and moving to a predetermined position.

[0029] Furthermore, the trolley section 60 is provided with a mounting base 62 for installing the optical measuring unit 55 on the trolley section 60. Although the mounting base 62 shown in Figure 1 is a simple columnar structure, it may also be configured to be extendable and retractable in the vertical direction.

[0030] The optical measurement unit 55 has a light-emitting unit 56 that emits laser light and a light-receiving unit 57 located at the same position as the light-emitting unit 56 that receives the reflected laser light. Based on the time from when the laser light is emitted toward the object to be measured, such as the target unit 20, until the reflected laser light is received, it is possible to measure the distance to the object and measure its three-dimensional spatial coordinates. This is a three-dimensional coordinate surveying instrument, such as a laser tracker or tracking total station.

[0031] The light-emitting unit 56 and the light-receiving unit 57 are configured to be rotatable horizontally around the vertical axis C1 and vertically around the horizontal axis C2. This configuration allows the optical measurement unit 55 to always receive the laser light reflected by the target unit 20 at the light-receiving unit 57, even when the target unit 20 is moving, thus enabling it to track the target unit 20. A camera may be provided to improve tracking of the target unit 20.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the three-dimensional measuring device 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a control unit 51, a microcomputer equipped with ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) as storage units 52, and an input / output interface (I / O interface), as well as a communication unit 53 for sending and receiving data with the marking device 10 and an external server 120.

[0033] The control unit 51 controls the operation of the trolley unit 60 and the optical measurement unit 55 based on commands from the control device 30, and transmits the measured values ​​measured by the optical measurement unit 55 to the marking device 10 and the external server 120 via the communication unit 53.

[0034] The memory unit 52 stores control programs and the like that executed by the control unit 51, as well as measured values ​​measured by the optical measurement unit 55 and data acquired from an external server 120 or the like via the communication unit 53.

[0035] The communication unit 53 is a short-range wireless communication device similar to the communication unit 27 of the marking device 10, and is mainly used to send and receive data with the marking device 10. The communication unit 53 may also be equipped with a general wireless communication device capable of sending and receiving data via an internet connection.

[0036] The three-dimensional measuring device 50 configured in this way tracks the target unit 20, which moves along with the movement of the marking device 10, using the optical measuring unit 55, and measures the three-dimensional spatial position (position coordinates) of the target unit 20 within the space where marking is performed.

[0037] The optical measurement unit 55 automatically determines its own position in the space by measuring the distance and angle to multiple reference prisms pre-installed in the space where marking is performed. Furthermore, the optical measurement unit 55 automatically updates its own position each time the three-dimensional measuring device 50 moves and stops. In this way, the optical measurement unit 55 always knows its own position coordinates in the space where marking is performed, and can therefore constantly measure the three-dimensional spatial position coordinates of the target unit 20 in the space where marking is performed.

[0038] Furthermore, the three-dimensional measuring device 50 may transmit the position coordinates of the target unit 20 in a pre-set coordinate system to the control device 30, or it may transmit data such as distance and angle necessary to calculate the position coordinates of the target unit 20 to the control device 30. In addition, the depression angle and rotation angle of the optical measuring unit 55, which are necessary to control the rotation angle of the target rotation unit 21, are transmitted from the three-dimensional measuring device 50 to the control device 30.

[0039] The control device 30 controls the operation of the travel section 12 and the marking section 18 of the marking device 10 based on the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device 10 measured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and pre-loaded design data. The specific control performed by the control device 30 will be described in detail later in the explanation of the automatic marking method that automatically marks the floor surface 1.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the control device 30 is a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a control unit 31, ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) as storage units 32, and an input / output interface (I / O interface).

[0041] The control unit 31 includes an attitude recognition unit 33 that recognizes the attitude of the marking device 10, a position recognition unit 34 that recognizes the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device 10, a drawing data generation unit 35 that generates drawing data from design data, and a marking position setting unit 36 ​​that sets the target marking position based on the drawing data. Note that these attitude recognition unit 33, etc., are shown as virtual units representing the functions of the control unit 31 and do not mean that they exist physically. Furthermore, the above functions are only a part of the control performed by the control unit 31, and the control unit 31 also performs control related to other functions as needed.

[0042] The attitude recognition unit 33 recognizes which direction the "forward" of the marking device 10 is facing while it is moving, based on the detection value of the attitude detection unit 26, which is capable of detecting the attitude of the marking device 10.

[0043] Here, the three-dimensional spatial position of the target section 20 of the marking device 10 is measured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50. However, the marking section 18, which marks the floor surface 1, is located within the marking device 10 at a predetermined distance from the position where the target section 20 is located. Therefore, in order to determine the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking section 18, it is necessary to determine which direction the "forward" of the marking device 10 is facing, using the target section 20, whose three-dimensional spatial position has been determined, as a reference.

[0044] Therefore, the attitude recognition unit 33 constantly recognizes the attitude of the marking device 10 using a known autonomous navigation method (DR: Dead Reckoning) based on the detected values ​​detected by the attitude detection unit 26. The initial attitude of the marking device 10 before it starts marking work is recognized in the attitude recognition process described later.

[0045] The orientation of the marking device 10, which is constantly recognized by the orientation recognition unit 33, is used in the position recognition unit 34, which recognizes the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device 10 within the space where marking is performed, along with the three-dimensional spatial position of the target unit 20, which is measured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50. Based on the three-dimensional spatial position of the target unit 20 and the orientation of the marking device 10, the position recognition unit 34 determines the three-dimensional spatial position coordinates of the marking unit 18 that marks the floor surface 1.

[0046] Furthermore, the design data that is pre-transmitted to the control device 30 from an external server 120 or the like and stored in the memory unit 32 includes data regarding the locations where marking should be performed. However, since this data was not created with the efficiency of the marking work by the marking device 10 in mind, attempting to perform the marking faithfully according to the design data may result in longer working times.

[0047] Therefore, the drawing data generation unit 35 converts the design data into drawing data suitable for marking out by the marking out device 10.

[0048] Specifically, for example, in order to accurately draw a broken line as shown on the left side of Figure 4, the marking device 10 must be sufficiently decelerated before the inflection points BP1 and BP2, stopped at the inflection points BP1 and BP2, and then the direction of travel of the marking device 10 must be changed. However, it is difficult to stop the marking device 10 while precisely positioning the marking section 18 of the marking device 10 on the inflection points BP1 and BP2, and there is a risk that the position of the vertices of the broken line drawn by the marking will be misaligned with the design positions of the inflection points BP1 and BP2.

[0049] On the other hand, it is relatively easy to accurately mark out line segments of a predetermined length using the marking device 10.

[0050] Therefore, if the design data includes a polyline with inflection points BP1 and BP2, as shown on the left side of Figure 4, it is preferable to generate drawing data as shown on the right side of Figure 4 by extending the two line segments L1 and L2 that make up the polyline at the first inflection point BP1, thereby converting the first inflection point BP1 into the first intersection point IP1 where the two line segments L1 and L2 intersect, and extending the two line segments L2 and L3 that make up the polyline at the second inflection point BP2, thereby converting the second inflection point BP2 into the second intersection point IP2 where the two line segments L2 and L3 intersect.

[0051] By ensuring that the drawing data generated by the drawing data generation unit 35 does not include polylines, the efficiency of the marking-out process can be improved, and the positions of the intersections drawn by the marking-out process can be made to closely match the positions of the design inflection points BP1 and BP2. The drawing data generated from the design data by the drawing data generation unit 35 is stored in the storage unit 32.

[0052] Based on the drawing data generated by the drawing data generation unit 35, the target marking position (target position coordinates) for the marking unit 18 of the marking device 10 to mark is set by the marking position setting unit 36. The marking device 10 is controlled by the control device 30 so that the marking unit 18 moves along the target marking position set by the marking position setting unit 36. In other words, the control device 30 controls the traveling unit 12 of the marking device 10 so that the target marking position (target position coordinates) set by the marking position setting unit 36 ​​and the three-dimensional spatial position coordinates of the marking unit 18 obtained by the position recognition unit 34 always coincide.

[0053] Furthermore, if the target unit 20 is not facing the optical measurement unit 55, the three-dimensional measuring device 50 cannot measure the three-dimensional spatial position of the target unit 20, and as a result, it becomes impossible to move the marking device 10 along the target marking position.

[0054] Therefore, the control unit 31 controls the rotation angle of the target rotation unit 21 based on the angle data from the optical measurement unit 55 transmitted from the three-dimensional measuring device 50, so that the target unit 20 always faces the optical measurement unit 55.

[0055] Next, with reference to Figures 5-9, an automatic marking method for automatically marking the floor surface 1 using the automatic marking system 100 configured as described above will be explained. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure when the automatic marking system 100 automatically performs marking work, Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining how to recognize the posture of the marking device 10, and Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the posture of the marking device 10 when marking. Furthermore, Figures 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining the movement of the marking device 10 to the target marking position, Figures 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining how to adjust the position of the marking device 10 relative to the target marking position, and Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining the offset of drawing data.

[0056] First, in step S11, the control device 30 reads design data for the space where layout work such as BIM (Building Information Modeling) will be performed from an external server 120 or the like. The design data read here includes data on the locations where layout work should be performed. Note that the design data may be stored in advance in the storage unit 32 of the control device 30.

[0057] Next, in step S12, the control device 30 generates drawing data from the design data read in step S11 using the drawing data generation unit 35. Then, based on the generated drawing data, the target marking position (target position coordinates) where the marking unit 18 of the marking device 10 will mark is set by the marking position setting unit 36.

[0058] In step S12, once the target marking position is set, in the following step S13, the marking device 10 is captured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50. Specifically, the optical measuring unit 55 of the three-dimensional measuring device 50 measures the three-dimensional spatial position (position coordinates) of the target unit 20 of the marking device 10.

[0059] At this point, the orientation of the marking device 10, that is, which direction the "forward" of the marking device 10 is facing relative to the target unit 20 whose three-dimensional spatial position has been determined, is still unknown.

[0060] Therefore, in the following step S14, the attitude recognition unit 33 of the control device 30 recognizes the attitude of the marking device 10 (attitude recognition step).

[0061] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, in step S13, the marking device 10 is moved by a predetermined distance from the position where the marking device 10 was captured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50, that is, from a position where it is not yet known which direction the "forward" of the marking device 10 is facing, in a predetermined direction, for example, in the direction defined as "forward" for the marking device 10.

[0062] For example, without rotating the first omniwheel 13A, which is positioned in the direction defined as "forward," by the electric motor 15, it is possible to move the marking device 10 in the direction defined as "forward" by rotating the other two omniwheels 13 toward the first omniwheel 13A at the same rotational speed.

[0063] Then, the direction in which the marking device 10 has moved is determined from the difference between the position coordinates of the target unit 20 received by the control device 30 from the three-dimensional measuring device 50 before the marking device 10 is moved and the position coordinates of the target unit 20 received by the control device 30 from the three-dimensional measuring device 50 after the marking device 10 has been moved. This direction is recognized by the attitude recognition unit 33 as the "forward" direction of the marking device 10 at this moment. At the same time, the direction detected by the attitude detection unit 26 is set as the "forward" direction of the marking device 10 and is used as a reference for determining the attitude of the marking device 10 from this point onward.

[0064] This makes it possible to recognize which direction the "forward" of the marking device 10 is currently facing within the space where the marking is performed, and to estimate any subsequent changes in the posture of the marking device 10 based on the detected values ​​detected by the posture detection unit 26. The method for recognizing the initial posture of the marking device 10 is not limited to the method described above; any method that identifies the posture based on the difference in the position coordinates of the target unit 20 measured before and after moving the marking device 10 in a predetermined direction is acceptable.

[0065] By determining the orientation (direction) of the marking device 10 in this way, it becomes possible to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of the marking unit 18 based on the three-dimensional coordinates of the target unit 20 measured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50. In other words, it becomes possible to move the marking unit 18 along the target marking position set in step S12.

[0066] Therefore, in the following step S15, the marking out process by the marking out device 10 is initiated.

[0067] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the control device 30 controls the travel section 12 of the marking device 10 so that the marking section 18 is positioned to trace the target marking position set in step S12.

[0068] As described above, the running section 12 of the marking device 10 is configured to have multiple omni-wheels 13 (all-directional wheels), allowing the marking device 10 to move smoothly in all directions without turning. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, even if there is a section that bends at an acute or obtuse angle at the target marking position, the marking device 10 can travel with the side defined as "forward" always facing the same direction, without turning or reversing, and perform marking.

[0069] In this way, the marking device 10 maintains its orientation (direction) while the rotation of each of the multiple omniwheels 13 is controlled by the control device 30 so that the marking unit 18 is positioned at a preset target marking location. In other words, during the marking process, the marking device 10 does not rotate to change direction or reverse direction, thus shortening the time required for the marking work, and as a result, marking can be performed efficiently and automatically on the floor surface 1. Although Figure 7 shows a case where the target marking location is a straight line, the target marking location may also be curved.

[0070] Furthermore, since the marking device 10 can move smoothly in all directions without rotating, it is possible to quickly move toward a designated target marking position, for example.

[0071] Specifically, if the running section of the marking device does not have wheels that allow movement in all directions, but rather a typical running device that changes the direction of movement of the marking device by steering the front wheels located in front of the marking device, as shown in Figure 8A, then in order to move towards the designated target marking position, it is necessary to steer the front wheels to point the "front" of the marking device toward the target marking position, and then steer the front wheels again so that the "front" of the marking device faces in the direction of the target marking position.

[0072] In other words, if the travel unit of the marking device is a typical travel unit, it is necessary to perform an action to point the "forward" of the marking device toward the target, that is, an action to change the posture (direction) of the marking device. This may cause delays in reaching the target marking position, or it may not be possible to position the marking unit at the target marking position at all.

[0073] In contrast, in this embodiment, the marking device 10 has the rotation direction and rotation speed of the three omni wheels 13 of the traveling unit 12 controlled separately by the control device 30. As shown in Figure 8B, it can move toward the designated target marking position without changing its posture (orientation), with the side defined as "forward" always facing the same direction, and the marking unit 18 can be quickly positioned at the target marking position. Furthermore, if the position of the marking device 10 shifts during marking, it can be quickly returned to the correct position.

[0074] In this way, the marking device 10 maintains its orientation (direction) while the rotation of each of its omniwheels 13 is controlled by the control device 30 so that the marking unit 18 is positioned at a preset target marking location. In other words, during the process of moving to the target marking location, the marking device 10 does not rotate to change direction or reverse direction, thus shortening the time required for movement and, as a result, enabling efficient marking on the floor surface 1. Situations in which the marking device 10 moves to the target marking location include not only when marking at a predetermined location is completed and it moves to a new target marking location, but also, for example, when the marking device 10 has moved away from the target marking location due to some factor and then moves back to the target marking location.

[0075] Here, in order to improve the accuracy of marking when marking from the marking unit 18 to the target marking position as described above, it is necessary to accurately align the position of the marking device 10, in particular the position of the marking unit 18, with respect to the target marking position.

[0076] As a method for adjusting the position of the marking device 10 relative to the target marking position, as shown in Figure 9A, one possible method is to rotate the first omni-wheel 13A, which is a steering wheel, with the electric motor 15 in a direction that eliminates the difference only when a difference occurs between the target marking position and the position of the marking unit 18.

[0077] However, in the example shown in Figure 9A, the rotation direction of the first omniwheel 13A is switched depending on the direction in which the difference occurs. Generally, when the rotation direction is switched, a time lag occurs due to backlash of the reduction gear, etc., so the difference between the position of the marking unit 18 and the target marking position cannot be sufficiently reduced, and as a result there is a risk that the marking accuracy will decrease.

[0078] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9B, the first omniwheel 13A, which is the steering wheel, is always driven to rotate in a predetermined direction by the electric motor 15, regardless of whether or not there is a difference between the target marking position and the position of the marking unit 18.

[0079] Specifically, as shown on the left side of Figure 9B, the marking device 10 is driven in a state where the position of the marking unit 18 coincides with the target marking position, and the position of the first omni-wheel 13A, which is the steering wheel, is a predetermined distance away from the target marking position. In other words, the marking device 10 is driven in a state where the "front" is tilted horizontally with respect to the direction of travel, such that a predetermined inclination angle α is formed between the axial direction of the axle 14 of the first omni-wheel 13A and the target marking position.

[0080] By operating the marking device 10 with its "front" tilted relative to the direction of travel, the position of the marking device 10 relative to the target marking position can be adjusted by changing only the rotation speed of the omniwheels 13, without changing the rotation direction of all of them.

[0081] For example, if the position of the marking unit 18 shifts from the target marking position in the direction in which the inclination angle α is formed, the rotation speed of the first omniwheel 13A increases. Conversely, if the position of the marking unit 18 shifts from the target marking position in the opposite direction to the direction in which the inclination angle α is formed, the rotation speed of the first omniwheel 13A decreases (see Figure 9B).

[0082] As shown in Figure 9B, the rotation speed of the first omniwheel 13A is adjusted according to the direction in which the difference occurs, without the rotation direction of the first omniwheel 13A being switched. Therefore, since there is no time lag due to switching the rotation direction, it is possible to improve the convergence of the position of the marking unit 18 to the target marking position, and as a result, marking can be performed accurately from the marking unit 18 to the target marking position.

[0083] Furthermore, in order to improve the accuracy of marking from the marking section 18 to the target marking position, as shown in Figure 10, the drawing data may be offset according to the difference e between the three-dimensional spatial position of the target section 20 measured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and the target position of the target section 20 determined based on the drawing data.

[0084] Normally, marking from the marking unit 18 is performed near the center of the marking unit 18, and the drawing data is generated by the drawing data generation unit 35 assuming that the marking is performed near the center of the marking unit 18. Therefore, in order to ensure marking accuracy, it is necessary to align the center position of the marking unit 18 with the target marking position.

[0085] On the other hand, as described above, the marking unit 18 can mark the floor surface 1 within a predetermined marking width W1. In other words, as shown in Figure 10, even if the center position of the marking unit 18 does not coincide with the target marking position, if the target marking position is within the marking width W1, marking can be performed relative to the target marking position.

[0086] Therefore, for example, even if the rotation speed of the first omni-wheel 13A, which is the steering wheel, is being adjusted to bring the position of the marking unit 18 closer to the target marking position, and the center position of the marking unit 18 does not yet coincide with the target marking position, it is possible to mark the target marking position by offsetting the drawing data generated by the drawing data generation unit 35 by the difference e between the three-dimensional spatial position of the target unit 20 measured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and the target position of the target unit 20 determined based on the drawing data, and then marking from the marking unit 18 based on this offset drawing data.

[0087] In addition to offsetting the drawing data according to the difference e, as described above, by adjusting the rotation speed of the first omniwheel 13A according to the direction in which the difference e occurs, accurate marking can be performed to the target marking position.

[0088] While the marking device 10 is performing marking using the means described above to improve marking accuracy and marking efficiency, the control device 30 determines in step S16 whether or not there is a risk of the devices being separated due to an existing component such as a partition wall interfering between the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and the moving marking device 10.

[0089] As described above, the three-dimensional measuring device 50 measures the three-dimensional spatial position of the moving marking device 10 by irradiating it with laser light. Therefore, if the laser light is blocked by a partition wall or the like, it becomes impossible to measure the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device 10, and as a result, the marking device 10 is unable to continue marking accurately.

[0090] Therefore, while the marking device 10 is performing marking, the control device 30 constantly monitors whether there is a risk of existing components such as partition walls entering between the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and the marking device 10, based on design data such as BIM that includes position data of partition walls, etc., in the space where the marking work is being performed, the current position of the three-dimensional measuring device 50, and the planned travel path of the marking device 10.

[0091] If it is determined in step S16 that there is a risk of disconnection between the devices, in step S17 the control device 30 temporarily stops the marking by the marking device 10.

[0092] In the following step S18, the control device 30 controls the carriage section 60 of the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and moves the three-dimensional measuring device 50 to a position where there is no risk of existing members such as partition walls interfering between the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and the marking device 10.

[0093] Once the movement is complete and the device has stopped, the three-dimensional measuring device 50 automatically updates its own position within the space where marking is performed, as described above, and becomes capable of measuring the three-dimensional spatial position of the target unit 20.

[0094] Once it is confirmed that the three-dimensional spatial position of the target unit 20 can be measured by the three-dimensional measuring device 50, the process proceeds to step S19, and the control device 30 resumes marking by the marking device 10.

[0095] Furthermore, whether or not existing components such as partition walls will be located between the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and the marking device 10 can be predicted based on the planned stopping position of the three-dimensional measuring device 50 and the planned travel path of the marking device 10. For this reason, the movement of the three-dimensional measuring device 50 may be planned, and for example, the three-dimensional measuring device 50 may be moved on the condition that the marking device 10 reaches a predetermined position on the planned travel path.

[0096] After marking by the marking device 10 resumes in step S19, or if it is determined in step S16 that there is no risk of disconnection between the devices, the process proceeds to step S20, where the control device 30 determines whether all the planned marking work has been completed.

[0097] Once all scheduled marking work is completed, the marking device 10 will terminate processing and enter a standby state until it receives instructions for the next task from the server 120.

[0098] On the other hand, if the scheduled marking work has not yet been completed, the process returns to step S16 and the marking work continues. Subsequently, the marking work is carried out through the above-described process until the scheduled marking work is completed.

[0099] According to the above embodiments, the following effects are achieved.

[0100] In the automatic marking system 100 with the above configuration, the control device 30 controls the rotation of each of the multiple omniwheels 13 (all-directional wheels) so that the marking unit 18 is positioned at a preset target marking position without changing the orientation (direction) of the marking device 10. The control device 30 also controls the marking unit 18 of the moving marking device 10 so that marking is performed from the marking unit 18 to a preset target marking position, and controls the rotation of each of the multiple omniwheels 13 (all-directional wheels) so that the marking device 10 travels along the target marking position without changing its orientation.

[0101] The running section 12 of the marking device 10 has a configuration that includes multiple omni-wheels 13, allowing the marking device 10 to move smoothly in all directions without turning. Therefore, even if there is a section at the target marking position that bends at an acute or obtuse angle, the marking device 10 can move and perform marking without turning or reversing, for example, by keeping the side defined as "forward" always facing the same direction. Furthermore, when moving toward a designated target marking position, the marking device 10 can also move with the side defined as "forward" always facing the same direction, allowing the marking section 18 to be quickly positioned relative to the preset target marking position.

[0102] In this way, the control device 30 controls the rotation of each of the multiple omni-wheels 13 so that the marking device 10 travels along the target marking position without changing its orientation. In other words, during the marking process and the movement process, the marking device 10 does not turn around to change orientation or reverse direction, thus shortening the time required for marking work, and as a result, marking can be performed efficiently and automatically on the floor surface 1.

[0103] Furthermore, the following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and it is possible to combine the configurations shown in the modifications with the configurations described in the embodiments described above, or to combine the configurations described in the following different modifications.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the three-dimensional spatial position of one marking device 10 is measured by one three-dimensional measuring device 50. Alternatively, the three-dimensional measuring device 50 may measure the three-dimensional spatial positions of multiple marking devices 10. When the three-dimensional spatial positions of multiple marking devices 10 are measured by one three-dimensional measuring device 50 in this way, the three-dimensional spatial positions of the other marking devices 10 will not be measured temporarily while the three-dimensional spatial position of one marking device 10 is being measured. However, since the marking device 10 is equipped with an inertial measuring unit (IMU) as an attitude detection unit 26, it is possible to drive along the target marking position and perform marking using autonomous navigation (DR) while the three-dimensional spatial position is not being measured.

[0105] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments only represent a part of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 100...Automatic marking system 1. Floor surface (marking surface) 10. Marking device 12. Running section 13,13A...Omni-wheel (wheel that moves in all directions) 14... Axle 18. Marking section 20..Target Department 26. Posture detection unit 30.. Control device 50. Three-dimensional measuring device 55. Optical Measurement Section

Claims

1. An automatic marking system comprising: a marking device that marks a marking surface while moving; a three-dimensional measuring device that tracks the marking device and measures its three-dimensional spatial position; and a control device that controls the movement and marking of the marking device based on the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device measured by the three-dimensional measuring device, The aforementioned marking device is A traveling unit that can travel on the marking surface, A marking section for marking the marking surface, It has a target unit that is tracked by the three-dimensional measuring device, The aforementioned running section has a plurality of omnidirectional wheels whose rotation direction and rotation speed are controlled independently, The control device controls the rotation of each of the multiple omnidirectional wheels so that the marking unit is positioned to trace a preset target marking position that includes at least one of a sharp or obtuse bend and a curve, without changing the orientation of the marking device. Automatic marking system.

2. The control device adjusts the position of the marking device relative to the target marking position by changing the rotational speed of the plurality of omnidirectional wheels without changing their rotational direction. The automatic marking system according to claim 1.

3. The multiple omnidirectional wheels are three omniwheels arranged such that the axial direction of each axle points towards a common center point. The automatic marking system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The three-dimensional measuring device is An optical measuring unit that optically measures the distance to the target portion, It has a trolley that can move on the marking surface, The control device controls the trolley to move the three-dimensional measuring device so that no light-blocking member enters between the optical measuring unit and the target unit. The automatic marking system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The control device has a drawing data generation unit that generates drawing data from design data, If the design data includes a polyline, the drawing data generation unit extends the two line segments constituting the polyline at the inflection point and converts the inflection point into an intersection point where the two line segments intersect. The automatic marking system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The control device is A drawing data generation unit that generates drawing data from design data, It includes a marking position setting unit that sets the target marking position based on the drawing data, The drawing data generation unit, The drawing data is offset according to the difference between the position of the target portion measured by the three-dimensional measuring device and the target position of the target portion determined in advance based on the drawing data. The marking position setting unit sets the target marking position based on the offset drawing data. The automatic marking system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The control device has a posture recognition unit that recognizes the posture of the marking device, The attitude recognition unit, after receiving the position of the target portion measured by the three-dimensional measuring device, moves the marking device in a preset direction and recognizes the attitude of the marking device based on the position of the target portion received before the movement and the position of the target portion received after the movement. The automatic marking system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. An automatic marking system comprising: a marking device that marks a marking surface while moving; a three-dimensional measuring device that tracks the marking device and measures its three-dimensional spatial position; and a control device that controls the movement and marking of the marking device based on the three-dimensional spatial position of the marking device measured by the three-dimensional measuring device, wherein the automatic marking system provides an automatic marking method, By controlling the running section of the marking device, which has a plurality of omnidirectional wheels whose rotation direction and rotation speed are independently controlled, the marking device is moved without changing the orientation of the marking device so that the marking section of the marking device is positioned to trace a preset target marking position that includes at least one of a sharp or obtuse bend and a curve. Automatic marking method.

9. The position of the marking device relative to the target marking position is adjusted by changing the rotational speed of the multiple omnidirectional wheels without changing their rotational direction. The automatic marking method according to claim 8.

10. The multiple omnidirectional wheels are three omniwheels arranged such that the axial direction of each axle points towards a common center point. The automatic marking method according to claim 8 or 9.

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