Self-propelled road marking and lettering vehicle

Abstract

To provide a self-travel road surface sign drawing device capable of realizing a device drawing, on a road surface, drawing information such as lines / characters / signs / drafts / designs inputted in a computer and, preferably for control of drawing positions upon drawing, accurately drawing even more complicated characters and drafts at desired positions by drawing characters and confirming a normal line and a position of a traveling direction to correct them.SOLUTION: A self-travel road surface sign drawing vehicle 1000 drawing specific characters or any signs on a road surface while self-traveling is provided with: a blower outlet 1810 blowing out air for blower treatment on the road surface; a primer spray outlet 1710 carrying out primer treatment on the blower-treated road surface; a paint material output section attaching paint material for drawing on the primer-treated road surface; and a hardening treatment output section 1510 carrying out hardening treatment of the paint material on the road surface on which the paint material is attached.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-propelled road surface marking character drawing method, a self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in order to notify the driver of a vehicle of differences from normal road conditions, etc. accompanying road construction, etc., signs and drawings drawn on the road such as "Slow down", "Watch out for sudden emergence", "There is an intersection ahead", etc. are known as warning displays for the driver of the vehicle. These signs, etc. are devised in various ways in terms of size, color, shape, etc. in order to make them easy to recognize and visually confirm even from a moving vehicle.

[0003] As a process for installing such characters drawn on the road, each process such as a road cleaning process, a primer application process for adhering the characters to be drawn, a lettering work process for applying a molten material as a material to the correct position of the characters, etc. is sequentially performed by a plurality of workers. And generally, after lettering, a resin containing heated glass beads is placed on it and the work is completed after curing.

[0004] Patent Document 1 below describes an invention aimed at providing a construction unit for a dividing line that makes it easy to ensure the accuracy of construction even when constructing a dividing line at a location far away in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle. According to this Document 1, a carriage 7 that is supported by a vehicle and travels on the road surface R as the vehicle travels on the road surface R, a support 8 that is supported by the carriage 7 and extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the carriage 7, a paint spray gun 9 that is supported by the support 8 at a position separated outward in the vehicle width direction from the carriage 7 and injects paint supplied from a paint tank mounted on the vehicle onto the road surface R through a paint pipe, and a beads spray gun 10 that is supported by the support 8 at a position separated outward in the vehicle width direction from the carriage 7 and injects beads, which are a reflective material supplied from a beads tank mounted on the vehicle, toward the paint injected from the paint spray gun 9.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an automatic writing device for road surfaces, etc., comprising: a horizontal frame mounted on a mobile vehicle such as a truck to enable rotation in the horizontal direction centered on the front end; a rotation drive device for rotating the horizontal frame in the horizontal direction; a device body mounted on the horizontal frame to enable movement in its longitudinal direction; a writing roller mounted on the device body to enable lifting and lowering, rotation in the horizontal direction centered on a vertical axis, and rotation around a horizontal axis; a movement drive device for moving the device body in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal frame; a lifting and rotation drive device for lifting and rotating the writing roller; and a control device that operates each of the drive devices based on pre-stored data to cause the device body, the horizontal frame, and the writing roller to perform predetermined operations.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes a system in which a suspended front guide rod is rotatably installed on the front of the vehicle to precede on a preliminary line, piping from a paint tank with a remaining amount warning device installed on the vehicle's cargo bed is connected to a primary airless pump, passes through a sealed boiler, is introduced to an accumulator via a paint filter, is further connected to a secondary airless pump and introduced to the accumulator, is piped to a paint gun, and piping is further made from the paint gun to the paint tank, and an air compressor with a diesel engine is installed to drive these pumps, and the above-mentioned The invention describes a self-propelled road marking vehicle characterized by the following features: a diesel engine drives a generator; the fuel for the engine and the sealed boiler is the same as the fuel for the vehicle's engine; a bead tank with a remaining amount warning device and a bead gun are connected by piping; the paint gun and bead gun are mounted on an automatic lifting device located at the lower rear of the cargo bed, with the bead gun positioned behind the paint gun; both guns are equipped with speedometer-linked auto switches; and a control panel is installed to electrically control the valves, warning devices, etc., of all these devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-085771 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-080604 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 56-046006 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The conventional technology disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document is merely a device that mechanically draws lines that are easy to draw mechanically, such as straight lines, on the road, and was not capable of automatically drawing graphic designs created by a computer, or complex characters, symbols, or patterns on the road.

[0009] Furthermore, while the lettering work for road markings has traditionally been completed through the coordinated efforts of multiple workers, the lettering work for a single location generally takes 30 minutes to an hour. In recent years, from the perspective of further improving customer satisfaction with transportation infrastructure, there has been an increasing demand for shortening the work time. In addition, with the decline in the number of construction workers due to the low birthrate and population decrease, there is a shortage of skilled workers to carry out road marking work, and this trend is becoming more pronounced year by year.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to realize a device that draws drawing information such as straight lines, characters, symbols, patterns, and designs that have been taken into a computer onto the road surface, and preferably, in the drawing position control during drawing, by confirming and correcting the normal and position in the direction of travel when drawing characters, the invention proposes a self-propelled road surface marking character drawing device that can accurately draw even more complex characters and patterns at the desired position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] Traditionally, lettering work for installing road markings requires considerable skill. To simplify this process, a mobile drawing machine will be used to draw letters, symbols, lines, and diagrams on road or floor surfaces. This will allow a single person to perform the task, addressing labor shortages and enabling work with less experience. Therefore, the machine will be a mobile road / floor drawing machine that applies powdered resin, heated resin, or ink to roads and other floor surfaces.

[0012] Furthermore, preferably, the machine draws characters, symbols, lines, etc., on roads or floor surfaces based on data stored in a built-in computer, data acquired by motion capture technology, photographs, CAD, coordinate data, or input from a touch panel attached to the machine.

[0013] Furthermore, more preferably, the machine applies molten resin or powdered resin to the road or floor surface and hardens and fixes it with heat or light. Even more preferably, a monitoring camera captures the normal in the direction of travel to manage and correct the trajectory, and a sensor installed at the front prevents collisions. Even more preferably, the device reads coordinates from a drawing and draws letters, symbols, or lines on the road or floor surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] This invention provides a device for drawing computer-generated drawing information, such as lines, characters, symbols, patterns, and designs, onto the road surface. Preferably, in the drawing position control during drawing, the device can accurately draw even complex characters and patterns at the desired position by checking and correcting the normal and position in the direction of travel while drawing the characters. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the general configuration of the self-propelled road surface marking vehicle of the present invention. [Figure 2]This is a diagram for explaining an example of characters drawn on a road surface for marking and their reference points. (a) explains an example in which reference points are provided at two corners of the drawn characters themselves of "Reduce Speed", and (b) explains an example in which reference points are provided at two corners of a self-propelled road surface marking drawing vehicle when drawing the characters of "Reduce Speed". [Figure 3] This is a diagram for explaining an outline of road surface marking work based on CAD data. [Figure 4] This is a diagram for explaining the working process and working situation of the conventional manual character drawing on a road.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] For the drawing work of road surface warning characters and the like installed on a road, first, ink is applied to the planned installation location of the characters under the guidance of a plurality of skilled workers, and so-called lettering is carried out. Then, by applying a resin containing heat-melted glass beads, the characters are created and arranged on the road surface.

[0017] Even if these operations are guided and carried out by skilled workers, each location requires 30 minutes to 1 hour. In recent years, due to the influence of the declining birthrate and population decline, there has been a problem of labor shortage, resulting in insufficient progress in the maintenance and installation work of important road surface markings related to traffic safety, and there is a concern that it may also have an adverse effect on the probability of traffic accidents.

[0018] In addition, in the recent rapidly developing autonomous driving of automobiles, image recognition technology for reading lane lines by in-vehicle cameras and the like is used, and the absence of lane lines on the road surface may also affect the automatic control of vehicles.

[0019] As a drawing method of the present invention, a robot arm built in a 3D printer or a drawing machine (select an appropriate robot considering the operating range, portable weight, operating speed, etc.) is used to perform drawing and installation work such as characters and pattern designs on the road surface. The robot arm is an industrial robot that functions like a human arm and mainly consists of three parts: a manipulator part, a hand part, and a controller part. The manipulator part is composed of a rotating shaft and links and operates like a human arm to perform actual work. It can also rotate in various directions and is responsible for the accuracy and efficiency of the work. In addition, in order to draw white lines and characters, the manipulator part requires at least 2D plane motion and is appropriately adjusted and designed considering its working range, accuracy, speed, etc.

[0020] In addition, the hand part can not only grasp the product but also perform operations such as rotating, shaking, and pulling. In the present invention, for example, a hand that holds a drawing pen or brush or a discharge hand that sprays paint can be used. An inkjet ink discharge mechanism may be provided on the robot arm mounted on the vehicle.

[0021] In addition, the controller part is a control part for controlling the robot arm. In order to adjust the operation, position, speed, acceleration, etc. of the robot arm, it cooperates with a control program and various sensors to realize accurate work. In the present invention, the control program and sensors of the robot arm are appropriately set so that white lines, characters, and figures can be accurately drawn. In addition, in order to accurately draw white lines, characters, figures, etc., sensors and vision systems can be utilized, and any various sensors such as an image camera, a laser scanner, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, etc. can be used to detect the state of the road surface, the road surface boundary, existing white lines, obstacles, guide marks, etc. and correct the position.

[0022] In general, robot arms are known to be capable of a wide variety of tasks depending on the number of rotation axes, the type of hand, and the arbitrary and appropriate program settings. For example, in welding, they are used to join metals by heating and melting them together, ensuring accurate welding and worker safety. In assembly, they can perform tasks such as screwing metal parts together and assembling plastic parts, and are known to be able to perform these tasks efficiently and safely even over long periods of time. Furthermore, in painting, they can safely spray paint evenly onto the target product (airless painters and air spray guns can also be used). In addition, in boxing, they can efficiently and accurately pack products into boxes, and in inspection processes, automation by robot arms can improve quality consistency by performing tasks such as visual inspection and sorting defective products.

[0023] For example, the robot arm could be controlled using Arduino, or a GUI control of the robot arm could be used using Python. Conventionally, when painting products with a robot arm, the product to be painted is transported by a belt conveyor or the like to the work area of ​​the robot arm, which is fixed in position, and the painting work is performed by the robot arm at that predetermined location. On the other hand, in the present invention, the object to be drawn is the road surface, which has various shapes, curves, widths, lengths, slopes, unevenness, presence or absence of obstacles, boundary conditions, presence or absence of existing drawings, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to detect these surrounding environment factors with sensors and perform appropriate road surface drawing.

[0024] In this regard, since autonomous driving technology is already being established, a self-propelled road surface marking character drawing device can be created by utilizing the sensor groups and control programs used for autonomous driving. Specifically, by mounting the road surface marking character drawing device of the present invention on a vehicle that utilizes the sensor groups and control programs used for autonomous driving, a system or vehicle that performs road surface drawing while driving can be realized.

[0025] Furthermore, 3D printers are constantly evolving, and currently, impact-resistant, high-tensile resins, resins with extremely high heat resistance (load deflection temperature of 224 degrees Celsius), and resins with mechanical strength, water resistance, flame retardancy, chemical resistance, and insulation (high electrical properties) can be used in powder form or solidified to draw road markings.

[0026] Furthermore, the robotic arm may utilize motion capture (a technology that digitizes the movement of people and objects), making it possible to digitize the movement trajectories drawn by skilled workers and have them perform work actions equivalent to those of skilled workers.

[0027] Data, photos, CAD data, or SIM data pre-stored in the computer built into the drawing machine are selected via a touch panel, and the machine is moved to the planned location and normal line to set up. Once activated, the machine operates according to the specifications of the input data, placing and drawing characters, symbols, lines, and diagrams on the road or floor surface. The shape of the resin to be applied will be molten resin or resin powder, which will be heat-cured or light-cured, or ink, which will be placed on the road or floor surface. In addition, the drawing machine will remove any debris from the road or floor surface using an air blower, and then apply a primer while applying the molten resin or powdered resin to the road surface.

[0028] In this invention, not only can simple shapes such as straight lines be drawn mechanically on the road surface, but complex shapes such as straight lines, letters, symbols, and diagrams can also be drawn with accurate position, range, and size based on drawing data pre-loaded into a computer and detected by various sensors mounted on the vehicle.

[0029] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 of the present invention. In Figure 1, the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 includes a computer 1120 that processes captured image data and controls the vehicle's movement and the drawing device, and an input / output display device 1110 consisting of a touch panel or the like that displays information from the computer 1120 and accepts input.

[0030] Furthermore, the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 is equipped with a driving device 1200 which is a drive source for driving (engine, battery and motor, or hybrid), and a rotary encoder information output unit 1300. The rotary encoder information output unit 1300 detects the rotation speed of the wheels and provides the computer 1120 with the accurate distance traveled.

[0031] Furthermore, the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 is configured to be able to move on the road surface 1400, and controls its own position, driving speed, driving direction and driving distance so that predetermined markings can be drawn at predetermined locations, based on position data acquired from various sensor groups 1900, the distance between surrounding objects, image data, etc., and operates various drawing devices mounted on the vehicle to draw at the necessary locations during this time.

[0032] The sensor group 1900 can be equipped with, for example, a monitor camera 1920, a collision avoidance sensor 1910, and other known arbitrary sensors such as GPS, laser sensors, radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and optical sensors (not shown), in order to more precisely control the drawing operation, which is performed along with accurate determination of the vehicle's position and driving control, so as to match the predetermined drawing position range on the image data.

[0033] Furthermore, the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 in Figure 1 may be equipped with a system for drawing, for example, a raw material tank 1620 that contains liquid paint, powder, resin raw material pellets, etc., and an electromagnetic valve 1610 that delivers an appropriate amount of the raw material to the drawing machine 1600. The drawing machine 1600 shall be equipped with various parts and equipment necessary for drawing a predetermined pattern on the road surface, such as an ink discharge nozzle for dispensing paint (ink), heated resin, etc., an application roller, an application brush, actuators to operate them, various motors and heaters, a metering system, etc. The tip of the robot arm of the drawing machine 1600 may be equipped with an inkjet discharge port, and the position and spacing of the inkjet discharge port relative to the road shall be grasped and arbitrarily controlled by the computer 11120, at least during the drawing operation.

[0034] Furthermore, the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 is equipped with a blower device 1800 that blows a strong stream of air from the blower outlet 1810 onto the road surface to remove dust and debris from the road surface where the markings are to be drawn. This allows the vehicle to then spray an appropriate amount of paint primer supplied from the primer device 1700 through the primer spray nozzle 1710. The primer treatment improves the affinity with the paint, which in turn promotes the application and fixation of the paint to the road surface by the drawing machine 1600, improving durability and stability and thus preventing paint peeling. After the markings are drawn by the drawing machine 1600, the curing device 1500 applies light, laser light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, hot air, or cold air to the markings on the road surface from the curing treatment output unit 1510 for curing.

[0035] Furthermore, as an example, the curing device 1500 can be configured as a laser cooling device to cool the asphalt surface temperature to below the standard 50°C in a short time, thereby enabling the early lifting of vehicle traffic restrictions. As a result, construction work time is shortened, the daily construction extension and amount of work that can be done are increased, which in turn shortens the number of construction days and reduces economic losses.

[0036] Laser cooling is a technique that reduces the motion of atoms to their ground state and brings them to an extremely low temperature by irradiating them with light of a wavelength slightly longer than the wavelength of the excited substance being cooled (gas atoms, solid atoms) and causing them to absorb the light. However, since this is already a well-known technical concept, only a brief explanation will be given below. Laser cooling makes it possible to lower the temperature of a group of about 1 billion atoms in a space with a diameter of about 1 cm to about 0.0001 K. For example, approximately 80% of the atmosphere on Earth is composed of nitrogen molecules. Room temperature is 300 K in absolute temperature (Kelvin), and at this temperature, the velocity of nitrogen (N2) particles is 279 m / s. When N2 nitrogen particles are cooled to 0.000001 K, the velocity of the particles becomes 1.7 m / s.

[0037] It is important to note that oxygen dissolved in nitrogen can be converted into ozone by gamma rays, which can react with organic matter in the atmosphere and potentially cause an explosion accompanied by ignition. Therefore, when cooling the atmosphere, it is preferable to use chloroprene rubber, a shielding material, as a measure to block gamma rays and other elements to prevent ignition.

[0038] In hardening based on road surface cooling by laser cooling, a laser beam is irradiated onto a gas and / or alkali metals, and heat exchange occurs within a cooling hopper (corresponding in this case to the hardening treatment output unit 1510) to indirectly lower the temperature of the asphalt pavement. Typically, it can be used to quickly cool asphalt road coatings to below the specified temperature for service commencement (50°C). It can also mitigate the heat island effect caused by the unexpected rise of asphalt temperatures above 60°C at night.

[0039] Furthermore, Figure 2 illustrates examples of characters to be drawn on the road surface and their reference points 2100 and 2200. Figure 2(a) illustrates an example where reference points are set at two corners of the drawn characters "Slow Down" themselves, and Figure 2(b) illustrates an example where reference points are set at two corners 2300 and 2400 of the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 when the drawn characters "Slow Down" are to be drawn. Note that although "Slow Down" appears to be readable on the road surface in Figure 2(b), this indicates the characters to be drawn and their placement, conceptually showing that the drawing position and characters are determined in this way in the image data held by the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000, and that these characters do not yet exist on the actual road surface. In addition to what is shown in Figure 2, any surrounding objects such as utility poles, transmission towers, rocks, building edges, mountain edges, or white lines can be used as reference points or starting points to accurately determine the vehicle's position, orientation, distance from the road edge, drawing length, and width.

[0040] Furthermore, Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the overview of road marking work based on CAD data. It illustrates the state in which the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 of the present invention draws the warning marking "Slow Down" printed in front of it onto the road surface in the CAD data. The characters "Slow Down" observed in the CAD data shown in Figure 3 represent the characters that the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 will draw as it actually drives, and are therefore only on the CAD data display and do not yet exist on the actual road surface. As shown in Figure 3, an input / output display device 1110 consisting of a touch panel or the like that displays information from the computer 1120 and accepts input may also display the CAD data and the placement position and range of the drawing characters "Slow Down" to be displayed on the data. Based on this data, the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 can draw predetermined characters at predetermined positions while driving under its own power.

[0041] Figure 4 illustrates the conventional manual process and working conditions for drawing characters on roads. While such manual work typically requires 30 minutes to 1 hour per location, even for skilled workers, the self-propelled road marking vehicle 1000 of the present invention allows for the rapid and precise drawing of predetermined characters at predetermined locations without the need for multiple people or skilled workers.

[0042] A system or mechanism for a vehicle to paint on the road surface while it is moving under its own power may utilize the system or mechanism of a printer, such as a computer printer. In a printer, a sheet of paper such as A4 moves while the inkjet unit is fixed in place. However, if we consider the paper as the road surface, then the inkjet unit (paint ejection nozzles, paint rollers, etc., in this invention) moves while the paper (road surface in this invention) remains fixed. The fixed object and the moving object are reversed, but they share the commonality of applying and ejecting ink at the appropriate position while understanding the relative positions of each other.

[0043] However, in the case of a printer, A4 paper and similar sizes are always of a fixed standard size, with their width and length predetermined and fixed. Furthermore, the paper is also placed in a fixed position in the paper tray, so the distance between the paper surface and the ink nozzle is constant. The printer only needs to know the length of the paper feed from the edge of the paper and control it, while simultaneously dispensing and applying the necessary type and amount of ink to the necessary ink placement locations in accordance with that paper feed length, thereby feeding the entire paper and completing printing on the entire A4 or similar sheet.

[0044] On the other hand, in this invention, roads and road surfaces vary greatly in shape, size, and surrounding environment. Therefore, while both inventions share the common feature of dispensing the appropriate amount of the necessary type of ink onto the road surface in a timely manner according to the movement of the self-propelled vehicle, it is necessary to pre-set the road width, the location and coordinates of the starting point (pivot point) marks, and the placement positions of the characters to be drawn on the road surface, etc., as image data. It is preferable that this image data be 3D image data in order to perform more precise drawing. In the actual drawing process, the vehicle moves at an appropriate speed while drawing, taking into account not only the distance traveled by the self-propelled vehicle, but also the distance to surrounding obstacles, etc., as well as the coordinates from the starting point and pivot point marks and objects, so that the actual drawing placement matches the predetermined placement positions in the image data.

[0045] For marking or using landmarks / reference points to determine the relative positioning of the drawing area, you can use landmarks (multiple landmarks are possible) located in the actual road environment surrounding the road surface, such as trees and rocks along the roadside, distant transmission towers and utility poles, road corners, mountaintops or mountain edges, the ends of piers, existing white lines, and existing pedestrian crossings. The angle and distance to these landmarks can be calculated for positioning the marking characters in the image data captured by the camera, and then, when drawing with a real-world self-propelled vehicle, the angle and distance to these real-world landmarks can be captured from the camera to determine the coordinates and positioning.

[0046] Furthermore, to explain the difference between the present invention and product painting in factory production lines, in factories, products are moved and delivered to a predetermined position relative to the robot arm by a conveyor or the like and placed there (or the robot arm moves to a predetermined position relative to the product and is placed there), that is, the relative position between the robot arm and the product is always constant. Then, the robot arm repeatedly performs the same painting operation on the products that are delivered and placed one after another, thereby enabling identical and uniform painting on a large number of products.

[0047] On the other hand, in road surface drawing, not only do the road surface conditions and surrounding environment differ from road to road, but the same drawing operation is not repeated in the same location as in mass-produced products, and the content of the drawing generally differs each time for each drawing location. For this reason, the surrounding environment of the drawing target area, the road surroundings, and the road surface conditions are captured as image data in advance using a camera, and the placement and drawing positions of the characters, symbols, etc. to be drawn on the road surface are determined and decided on the image data of a computer such as a PC (preferably while confirming on the screen display). In addition, one or more coordinate starting points or coordinate markers are determined manually or automatically, and the computer recognizes the positional relationship (relative interval, distance, and arrangement) between the coordinate starting points and the drawing locations / drawing ranges on the image data, and the system can then reflect this data in the actual vehicle driving and draw while driving.

[0048] Here, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-080604) states, "Next, the automatic writing device for road surfaces, etc. of the present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 9. 1 is a mobile vehicle, such as a well-known truck. 2 is an X-axis drive unit, which is composed of a stepper motor and a gear 27 to move the entire device body (painting part) supported by the support unit 28 in the directions of arrows C and D in Figure 5. The support unit 28 moves in the directions of arrows C and D by rotating the motor forward and backward. 3 is the characters written by this device, and 4 is the X-axis arm. In this embodiment, As shown in Figure 5, a rack (z) that meshes with the gear 27 is engraved on one side. The X-axis arm 4 can be rotated horizontally around a pivot point (P) by a suitable rotation drive device such as a motor, according to a command from the X-axis control device 37. 5 is a paint tank, and it has a valve 26 and a painting pipe 25 to supply paint from the tank 5 to the roller 24. 6 is a power generator for this device, and in this embodiment, an engine-type generator is used. 7 is a processing unit, and the X-axis drive unit 2 and printing angle drive unit 15 in Figure 5 control the valve 26 and X-axis arm 4. 14 is an operating unit. The work unit (display device with input device) has the function of specifying the characters to be written on the road surface to the processing unit 7. Also, 15 is the printing angle drive unit, and this drive unit 15 has gears 16 and 18 for rotating the roller 24 in the direction of arrows K and K. The printing angle drive unit 15 is, for example, a stepper motor. Also, 17 is the painting arm, which supports the roller 24 and is detachable from the gear 18. Also, 19 is the road surface pressing cylinder, which can apply a constant pressure in the direction of arrow K and is movable up and down in the direction of arrows K and K. The painting arm 17 is detachable from the direction of arrows K and K. It can rotate up to 360° in any direction. 20 is a vehicle (for example, a caster that can swivel in all directions) that supports the frame 23. 21 is an arm support cylinder that supports the X-axis arm 4, and this arm support cylinder 21 is raised and lowered by operating an operating lever (not shown) in the driver's seat 33. 24 is a roller, with a paint pipe 25 extending into the roller, and the pipe 25 inside the roller 24 has holes 34 as shown in Figure 8. The roller 24 also has holes 32, and its outer circumference is made of sponge or the like.Furthermore, 30 is the roller support section, 31 is the pipe support section, 33 is the driver's seat of the mobile vehicle 1, and 35 is a memory device that stores control information regarding the shape and size of the letters, numbers, kanji, kana characters, symbols, curves, straight lines, etc. to be written, and the movement of the X-axis arm 4, printing angle drive unit 15, road surface pressure cylinder 19, valve 26, etc. when writing them. The operation control of the road surface pressure cylinder 19 is performed based on the information stored in the memory device 35, for example, information about the road surface of the part to be written. 37 is the X-axis control device, which sends forward and reverse rotation commands to the X-axis drive unit 2 and turning commands to the X-axis arm 4. Furthermore, 38 is the printing angle control device, which transmits the forward and reverse rotation commands received from the processing unit 7 to the printing angle drive unit 15. Furthermore, 39 is the paint control unit, which controls the viscosity and flow rate of the paint and transmits the pulp opening and closing command received from the processing unit 7 to the valve 26. 40 is the Y-axis control unit, which transmits the pressure amount command for the road surface received from the processing unit 7 to the road surface pressing cylinder 19. 51 is a bead tank that supplies beads to the bead gun 52, and has a valve 53 and pipe 54 as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0049] Next, the operation of the automatic road surface writing device will be explained. The mobile vehicle 1 travels to the location where the characters are to be written in the state shown in Figure 4. Upon arrival at the location, the mobile vehicle 1 is stopped correctly at the position where the characters should be written. Then, from the driver's seat 33, an operating lever (not shown) is operated to extend the arm support cylinder 21, causing the vehicle 20 to land. Only if there is a significant incline in the road surface near the location where the characters should be written, the frame support cylinder 21 is operated (extending and retracting in the direction of the arrows S and T in Figure 4) to eliminate the height difference between the front and rear, making the X-axis frame 4 horizontal, and then the rollers 24 are changed according to the thickness of the characters. All of the above operations are performed from the driver's seat 33, with only the replacement of the rollers 24 in the writing section being ground work. Next, from the operation unit 14, the X-axis arm 4 of the X-axis drive unit 2 is operated to determine the starting point for writing the characters (this is called starting point determination). Then, the type and size of the characters are specified from the input device of the operation unit 14. All subsequent operations are performed automatically based on control signals from the processing unit 7. Specifically, the processing unit 7 obtains information regarding the operation of the X-axis arm 4, X-axis drive unit 2, printing angle drive unit 15, and road surface pressure cylinder 19 from a memory device (a memory device that pre-stores the unevenness of the road surface on which characters are written, for example) 35. Then, it outputs an open command to the valve 26 to supply paint, while simultaneously pressing the roller 24 against the road surface to write characters on the road surface. When writing characters darker or lighter, the viscosity of the paint and the pressure of the roller 24 are controlled. At this time, the roller 24 is rotated in the direction of arrows C and T in Figure 5 relative to the direction of travel. The bead gun 52 at the rear of the direction of travel is activated to drop beads onto the applied paint to finish the job. When the writing of characters is finished, the processing unit 7 raises the roller 24 in the direction of arrow K in Figure 5 using the road surface pressure cylinder 19 and outputs a close command to the valve 26 to complete the writing. When writing multiple characters continuously in a vertical or horizontal direction, the process can be restarted from the starting point. When drawing a long straight line, after aligning the starting point, the valve 26 is opened from the operating unit 14, the roller 24 is brought to the ground, and then the mobile vehicle 1 is made to move in a straight line.

[0050] The present invention's automatic writing device for road surfaces, etc., comprises a horizontal frame mounted on a moving vehicle such as a truck so as to be able to rotate horizontally around its front end, a device body mounted on the horizontal frame so as to be able to move along its longitudinal direction, a writing roller mounted on the device body so as to be able to move up and down, rotate horizontally around a vertical axis, and rotate around a horizontal axis, a moving drive device for moving the device body along the longitudinal direction of the horizontal frame, a lifting and turning drive device for lifting and turning the writing roller, and a control device that operates each of the drive devices based on pre-stored data to cause the device body and the writing roller to perform predetermined operations. As it performs these operations, the writing of characters can be automated, eliminating the risk of traffic accidents. Furthermore, characters can be written quickly and according to specifications, resulting in shorter traffic control times and reduced economic losses.

[0051] In this invention, it is possible to adopt some or all of the configuration of the above-mentioned prior art document 2, but this document does not disclose any ideas regarding the reading and output of drawing data, the setting and determination of reference points, starting points, and drawing position placement, methods thereof, or the driving control of the drawing vehicle, and it is understood that the vehicle's movement is controlled by a person holding the steering wheel.

[0052] As already described above, in this invention, the actual road surface conditions are acquired in advance as image data by a camera or the like, along with the surrounding conditions. Preferably, the image data is displayed on a monitor screen, and drawing characters or the like are superimposed on the image data to determine the placement position and drawing range of the drawing. Note that the road surface is not limited to road surfaces, but may be any ground surface such as a parking lot, plaza, campground, or sports field.

[0053] The self-propelled road marking drawing device of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and, based on pre-acquired image data and drawing position data, can autonomously drive to the starting position for drawing on the actual road surface and initiate the drawing operation and the driving required for it. Therefore, the vehicle can perform road marking while determining the actual drawing location based on the relationship between the reference point recognized in the image data and the drawing position, and on the reference point of the actual road environment acquired from a camera mounted on the vehicle.

[0054] Furthermore, the self-propelled road marking drawing vehicle of the present invention can perform more accurate and precise drawing by appropriately correcting and adjusting the current vehicle position by matching the current position acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle with the position on the image data.

[0055] Alternatively, the system may acquire the normal vector to the direction of travel using the monitor camera 1920 while rendering the real world, and use this data to control the vehicle's movement. It can also recognize road signs and road features, and use these as reference points, coordinate axes, or markers to adjust the vehicle's direction of travel and position. By combining this with GPS data, even more precise control of the vehicle's position becomes possible, allowing for more accurate rendering of the planned location and range.

[0056] For example, the monitoring camera 1920 can detect road markings and obstacles, and based on that information, the vehicle can be controlled to maintain its direction of travel safely and efficiently. The system can also be implemented by combining technologies such as image processing and machine learning. A specific control method may be as follows:

[0057] Step 1: Image Processing and Feature Detection The computer 1120 acquires video from the monitoring camera 1920 and uses image processing technology to detect features such as lines and obstacles on the road. It also extracts information such as the road's center line, distance to obstacles, and angles from the detected features.

[0058] Step 2: Calculating the direction of travel From the detected features, the computer 1120 calculates the normal vector relative to the vehicle's direction of travel. For example, the correction angle relative to the direction of travel can be calculated from the vehicle's position relative to the road's center line.

[0059] Step 3: Driving control Based on the calculated correction angle for the direction of travel, the system controls the vehicle's steering (i.e., the direction of the tires), accelerator, brakes, and other functions. Furthermore, based on the correction angle, it controls the vehicle to ensure safe driving on the road; for example, if the correction angle is positive, the steering wheel is turned to the right, and if it's negative, it's turned to the left. Step 4: Real-time updates

[0060] The system updates its control in real time in response to changes in the direction of travel and the surrounding environment, while simultaneously performing drawing operations on the road surface. For example, if an obstacle appears ahead or if a road corner is approaching, the system appropriately adjusts the direction of travel, accelerator, and brake control. By combining these steps, the system can control the direction of the autonomous vehicle while performing drawing operations on the road surface, utilizing information acquired from the monitoring camera 1920.

[0061] Furthermore, even though there are methods for printing road markings onto the road surface using a robotic arm mounted on a vehicle, such as Mobile Robotic Printers (MRPs), Tiger Stone Paving Machines (specialized paving machines in which a robotic arm mounted on a vehicle automates paving work, precisely placing stones during paving to create crosswalks and road markings), and Roadware 3D printing systems (mobile 3D printing systems in which a robotic arm mounted on a vehicle directly prints concrete onto the road, and is used for road maintenance such as road surface repair and bridge repair), these methods are based on the premise that accurate road markings such as white lines, signs, and median strips already exist on the road surface. For this reason, these known conventional methods are not applicable to the uses of the present invention.

[0062] The image data used by the self-propelled road marking drawing vehicle 1000 in this invention is not limited to image data acquired in-situ from the monitor camera 1920, but may also be the 3D map data described below. The following method may be used to create the 3D map data.

[0063] For example, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, specifically using a LiDAR sensor, can be used to measure the height and shape of the ground surface, and this data can be used to create a 3D map. Because LiDAR uses a laser beam to measure the distance to objects and terrain surfaces, it can generate extremely precise 3D maps. Therefore, it is desirable that the detailed conditions of the road surface, such as small bumps, slopes, and curves, and the surrounding environment, can be used as 3D image data, enabling road surface rendering with greater precision and detail.

[0064] Furthermore, by utilizing photogrammetry, multiple photographs (such as aerial or satellite images) can be taken, and specialized software can be used to extract feature points of the terrain from these photographs and generate a 3D model. This process accurately determines the camera's position and orientation, and based on that information, the shape of the terrain can be reconstructed from the images.

[0065] Furthermore, 3D models of terrain can be created using images and photographs taken from the air using drones. This can be combined with photogrammetry and LiDAR technologies.

[0066] Furthermore, it is possible to utilize Geographic Information System (GIS) data and create 3D models representing terrain elevation and shape using data obtained from GIS. Data on terrain elevation and shape can be collected from aerial photographs, satellite images, terrain data, and other survey data.

[0067] While LiDAR technology is ideal for creating precise 3D maps, it tends to be somewhat costly. Drones, on the other hand, can cover large areas relatively easily, although they may be subject to weather and airspace limitations. The process of creating 3D map data using aerial, drone, and satellite imagery is called photogrammetry, and it allows for the reconstruction of the three-dimensional coordinates of specific points and terrains from aerial photographs.

[0068] Specifically, first, aerial photographs are taken using airplanes, drones, or satellites to capture images from above. Obtaining photographs taken from multiple angles and positions allows for the creation of a more accurate 3D model. Next, as part of image processing, the captured aerial photographs are processed using specialized software to extract terrain feature points and textures from the images, thereby obtaining information such as the position, angle, and size of objects and terrain within the photographs.

[0069] Furthermore, the photogrammetry process allows for the calculation of 3D coordinates of terrain and objects using extracted feature points and correspondences between images. This enables a three-dimensional representation of terrain from aerial photographs. In addition, the 3D model generation process uses the results of photogrammetry to create a 3D model of the terrain. This model includes the height and shape of the terrain, and by applying textures obtained from aerial photographs, a realistic appearance can be obtained. Therefore, the aforementioned 3D map data can be used as image data for road surface rendering.

[0070] By specifying the drawing position, size, and range on the 3D map data and setting and inputting them to the computer 1120 via the input / output display device 1110, the self-propelled road marking drawing vehicle 1000 can determine its own position based on GPS data and data acquired from the sensor group 1900, and accurately and precisely trace and draw the road markings so that the drawing direction, drawing content, drawing position, size, and range are as predetermined.

[0071] The configurations, structures, and various methods described in this embodiment are merely illustrative examples for the sake of explanation, and are not limited to the content described herein. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, it is possible to change, arrange, add, delete, or modify the configuration, materials, raw materials, processes, methods, structures, work procedures, etc., as appropriate, within the scope of what is obvious to those skilled in the art and within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0072] This invention can be widely applied to situations where letters, warning signs, or various designs are drawn on road surfaces. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1000...Self-propelled road marking drawing vehicle, 1110...Input / output display device, 1120...Computer, 1200...Traction device, 1300...Rotary encoder information output unit, 1400...Road surface, 1500...Curing device, 1510...Curing process output unit, 1600...Drawing machine, 1610...Solenoid valve, 1620...Raw material chamber, 1700...Primer device, 1800...Blower device, 1900...Various sensor groups.

Claims

1. A vehicle that automatically drives and draws predetermined characters or arbitrary markings on the road surface, A blower outlet that blows air to treat the road surface corresponding to the drawing area, A primer spray nozzle for applying primer to the blower-treated road surface, A paint output unit for applying drawing paint to the primer-treated road surface, A hardening treatment output unit that performs a paint hardening treatment on a road surface to which paint has been applied, It includes a monitoring camera that takes in pre-drawn image data of the surrounding road surface and / or monitors the area around the vehicle during drawing, The aforementioned monitoring camera acquires and recognizes the normal vector located in front of the direction of travel. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

2. In the self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to Claim 1, The direction of travel is controlled based on the aforementioned normal. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

3. In the self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, It further includes a rotary encoder information output unit that measures the distance traveled while drawing. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

4. In the self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, It also features collision avoidance sensors that detect obstacles around the vehicle. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

5. In the self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to Claim 4, A raw material chamber for containing the raw materials of the aforementioned drawing paint, The machine further comprises an electromagnetic valve that outputs the appropriate amount of raw material contained in the raw material chamber to the drawing machine equipped with the paint output unit in a timely manner. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

6. In the self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to Claim 5, The system further comprises a computer having CAD data of the road surface to be drawn or image data of the surrounding environment of the road surface acquired in advance. The drawing is driven autonomously by instructions from the computer so that the drawing shape, position, size, and range determined on at least one of the CAD data or image data held by the computer are realized. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

7. In the self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to Claim 6, The curing treatment output unit emits heat or light onto the road surface to fix the molten resin or powdered resin applied to the road surface. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

8. A vehicle that draws predetermined characters or arbitrary markings on the road surface while driving automatically, A blower outlet that blows air to treat the road surface corresponding to the drawing area, A primer spray nozzle for applying primer to the blower-treated road surface, A paint output unit for applying drawing paint to the primer-treated road surface, A hardening treatment output unit that performs a paint hardening treatment on a road surface to which paint has been applied, A monitor camera that monitors the area around the vehicle during rendering, Collision avoidance sensors that detect obstacles around the vehicle, A computer having pre-acquired 3D map data of the road surface and surrounding environment to be rendered, The drawing is driven autonomously by instructions from the computer so that the drawing shape, position, size, and range determined on the 3D map data held by the computer are realized. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

9. A road surface drawing method using a self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, The system further comprises a computer having CAD data of the road surface to be drawn or image data or coordinate data of the surrounding environment of the road surface acquired in advance. To realize a drawing shape, position, size, and range that has been pre-entered on at least one of the image data, CAD data, or coordinate data held by the computer, Based at least the detection data input from the monitoring camera, The process includes a step of allowing the vehicle to run unmanned while a predetermined marking is made on the road surface. A road surface drawing method characterized by the following features.

10. In the road surface drawing method described in claim 9, The monitoring camera acquires the normal vector relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle while drawing on the road surface, and the computer controls the vehicle based on the acquired normal vector data. A road surface drawing method characterized by the following features.

11. In a road surface drawing method using a self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle as described in claim 8, In order to realize the pre-entered drawing shape, position, size, and range for the 3D map data held by the computer, Based at least the detection data input from the monitoring camera or the collision prevention sensor, The process includes a step of allowing the vehicle to run unmanned while a predetermined marking is made on the road surface. A road surface drawing method characterized by the following features.

12. In the road surface drawing method according to claim 11, The monitoring camera, while rendering the road surface, acquires the normal vector relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the computer controls the vehicle's movement based on the acquired normal vector data. A road surface drawing method characterized by the following features.

13. In the self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to Claim 4, The system further includes a computer that has coordinate data of the road surface to be drawn, The drawing is driven autonomously by instructions from the computer so that the drawing shape, position, size, and range determined on the coordinate data held by the computer are realized. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

14. In the self-propelled road surface marking character drawing vehicle according to Claim 1, Based at least the detection data input from the monitoring camera, The vehicle operates autonomously while drawing predetermined patterns on the road surface. A self-propelled road surface marking and lettering vehicle characterized by the following features.

Images