Consumption Calculation Device

Abstract

To solve a problem that it is not easy to know the degree of wear for each traveling means when a moving body having multiple traveling means conveys a conveyance object in cooperation with other moving bodies while the degree of wear may vary depending on the traveling means due to the fact that the center of gravity of the conveyance object is not above the moving body.SOLUTION: A wear degree calculation device 1 for conveying conveyance objects in cooperation with other moving bodies and calculating the degree of wear that indicates the degree of wear for each traveling means in a moving body 10 having multiple traveling means, includes: a weight acquisition unit 13 that acquires a value corresponding to a weight applied to the traveling means for each traveling means; a distance acquisition unit 14 that acquires a travel distance of the moving body 10; and a calculation unit 15 that calculates the degree of wear for each traveling means using the value acquired by the weight acquisition unit 13 and the travel distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit 14. In this way, it becomes possible to know the degree of wear for each traveling means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a consumption degree calculation device that calculates a consumption degree indicating the degree of consumption of each traveling means of a moving body.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a plurality of moving bodies have been used to cooperate in transporting a transport object (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By such cooperation of a plurality of moving bodies, it becomes possible to transport a large or heavy transport object that cannot be transported by a single moving body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a plurality of moving bodies cooperate to transport a transport object, usually, the center of gravity of the transport object is not on each moving body. As a result, the degree of consumption of traveling means such as wheels may be uneven. In such a case, for example, there has been a desire to know the degree of consumption of each traveling means of the moving body in order to arrange the moving bodies so that the degree of consumption of each traveling means does not vary, or to replace consumable parts according to the degree of consumption.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a consumption degree calculation device that can calculate a consumption degree indicating the degree of consumption of each traveling means of a moving body performing cooperative transportation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, a wear-to-wear device according to one aspect of the present invention is a wear-to-wear device that calculates the degree of wear of each means of a mobile body having multiple means of travel that transport objects in cooperation with other mobile bodies, and comprises a weight acquisition unit that acquires a value corresponding to the weight applied to each means of travel, a distance acquisition unit that acquires the travel distance of the mobile body, and a calculation unit that calculates the wear-to-wear of each means of travel using the value acquired by the weight acquisition unit and the travel distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a wear rate calculation device can calculate the degree of wear of each travel mechanism of a mobile body performing cooperative transport. Therefore, by using the calculated wear rate, the mobile body can be used in such a way that the wear rate of each travel mechanism becomes more uniform. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Flowchart showing the operation of the wear-to-wear calculation device according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] Plan view showing the object to be transported and multiple moving bodies in the same embodiment. [Figure 4] Plan view showing the center of gravity of the moving body and the transported object in the same embodiment. [Figure 5] Plan view showing the center of gravity of the moving body and the transported object in the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The wear degree calculation device according to the present invention will be described below using embodiments. In the following embodiments, components and steps denoted by the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent and may not be described again. The wear degree calculation device according to this embodiment calculates the degree of wear for each of the multiple travel means of a mobile body that performs cooperative transport.

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile body 10 according to this embodiment. The mobile body 10 according to this embodiment comprises a moving mechanism 11, a moving control unit 12, a communication unit 17, and a wear-tolerance calculation device 1. The wear-tolerance calculation device 1 calculates a wear-tolerance indicating the degree of wear of each running means in the mobile body 10 which has multiple running means, and comprises a weight acquisition unit 13, a distance acquisition unit 14, a calculation unit 15, and a storage unit 16. In this embodiment, the case in which the wear-tolerance calculation device 1 is included in the mobile body 10 will be mainly described, but as will be described later, this is not required. The mobile body 10 is a mobile body that travels on a running surface such as a floor or a road using running means.

[0011] Mobile unit 10 transports the object to be transported in cooperation with other mobile units. That is, mobile unit 10 is one of a group of mobile units that transport the object to be transported in cooperation. The other mobile units may also have the same configuration as mobile unit 10, for example. The number of mobile units that transport a single object to be transported in cooperation is not particularly limited as long as there are two or more units, for example, there may be two, three, four, or five or more units. The object to be transported is not particularly limited, but may be long items such as timber or steel materials, cardboard boxes or containers, pallets on which the object to be transported is placed, or other objects to be transported.

[0012] When multiple mobile units cooperate to transport an object, the object may be placed so as to straddle the top surfaces of the multiple mobile units. Therefore, it is preferable that the top surfaces of each mobile unit are at the same height from the running surface, such as the floor. Furthermore, it is preferable that the top surfaces of the mobile units on which the object is placed are designed to prevent the object from slipping. For this reason, for example, a high-friction sheet with a high coefficient of friction, such as a rubber sheet, may be attached to the top surfaces of the mobile units.

[0013] The mobile body 10 may, for example, move autonomously, or it may be operated directly or remotely by an operator. In this embodiment, the former case will be mainly described. When the mobile body 10 moves autonomously, it may mean that the mobile body 10 moves to a destination based on its own judgment, rather than moving in response to operation instructions received from a user or the like. The destination may be, for example, manually determined, or it may be automatically determined. Furthermore, the movement to the destination may be, for example, carried out along a travel path, or not. When the mobile body 10 moves to a destination based on its own judgment, it may mean that it moves to the destination by, for example, by making its own decisions regarding the direction of travel, movement, stopping, etc. Also, for example, the mobile body 10 may move in a way that avoids collisions with obstacles.

[0014] Thus, when a single object is transported by multiple moving bodies, the center of gravity of the object is often located away from the moving body 10. In such cases, the degree of wear on each of the multiple travel mechanisms of the moving body 10 will differ. Therefore, in order to know the degree of wear on each travel mechanism, the degree of wear is calculated by the wear calculation device 1.

[0015] The moving mechanism 11 moves the mobile body 10. The moving mechanism 11 may, for example, be capable of moving the mobile body 10 in all directions, or it may not be capable of moving in all directions. In the latter case, the moving mechanism 11 may be a non-holonomic moving mechanism. In this embodiment, the case in which the moving mechanism 11 can move the mobile body 10 in all directions will be mainly described. Being able to move in all directions means being able to move in any direction. The moving mechanism 11 may, for example, have a plurality of running means and a driving means (for example, a motor or an engine) that drives the plurality of running means. The running means are in contact with the running surface and are able to move the mobile body 10 when driven by the driving means, and may be, for example, wheels, omnidirectional wheels, or tracks. When the moving mechanism 11 is capable of moving the mobile body 10 in all directions, the running means may be omnidirectional wheels (for example, omniwheels, Mecanum wheels, etc.). In this embodiment, the case in which the running means of the moving mechanism 11 is an omniwheel will be mainly described. The driving means may, for example, drive all of the multiple means of travel, or it may not. If the means of travel are omnidirectional wheels, then normally all means of travel will be driven. On the other hand, if the mobile body 10 is a non-holonomic mobile body and the means of travel are wheels, then the driving means may, for example, drive the drive wheels and not drive the driven wheels. There may be, for example, two drive wheels. The mobile mechanism 11 may also have a mechanism that can acquire the speed and rotational speed of the means of travel, such as wheels, for example, an encoder. A known mobile mechanism 11 can be used, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0016] The movement control unit 12 controls the movement mechanism 11. This control controls the movement of the mobile body 10. The movement control may include controlling the direction of movement of the mobile body 10, or controlling the start and stop of movement. For example, if a movement path is set, the movement control unit 12 may control the movement mechanism 11 so that the mobile body 10 moves along that movement path. In this case, the mobile body 10 may be equipped with a current position acquisition unit that acquires its current position. The movement control unit 12 may then control the movement mechanism 11 so that the current position acquired by the current position acquisition unit is along the movement path. The movement control unit 12 may also perform movement control using a map. In this case, the movement control unit 12 may, for example, use a map to search for a path to a destination and then control the movement mechanism 11 to move along the searched path. Note that the control of the movement mechanism 11 by the movement control unit 12 is well known, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0017] The current position acquisition unit acquires the current position of the moving object 10. The current position may be acquired, for example, by wireless communication, by measuring the distance to surrounding objects, by taking images of the surroundings, or by using other means capable of acquiring the current position. As a method of acquiring the current position using wireless communication, for example, the method using GPS (Global Positioning System) is known. As a method of acquiring the current position, for example, by measuring the distance to surrounding objects or by taking images of the surroundings, for example, methods known as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) may be used. The current position acquisition unit may also acquire the current position using, for example, an autonomous navigation system. Furthermore, it is preferable for the current position acquisition unit to acquire the current position including the orientation (direction) of the moving object 10. This direction may be indicated, for example, by the azimuth angle measured clockwise with north as 0 degrees, or by other information indicating direction. This orientation may be acquired by an electronic compass or a geomagnetic sensor.

[0018] The weight acquisition unit 13 acquires a value for each means of transport corresponding to the weight applied to it. The value corresponding to the weight applied to the means of transport may be, for example, the weight applied to the means of transport itself, or a value that has a positive correlation with the weight applied to the means of transport. In the latter case, the larger the weight applied to the means of transport, the larger the value acquired by the weight acquisition unit 13 for that means of transport. The weight applied to the means of transport may be, for example, the weight of the object being transported applied to the means of transport, or the weight of both the object being transported applied to the means of transport and the moving body 10. The weight acquisition unit 13 may, for example, measure or calculate the value corresponding to the weight applied to the means of transport, or it may receive a value measured or calculated by another device or other component. The value corresponding to the weight applied to the means of transport acquired by the weight acquisition unit 13 does not have to be, for example, an exact value. For example, for a means of transport that carries less weight compared to other means of transport, the weight on that means of transport may be set to 0.

[0019] The weight acquisition unit 13 may, for example, acquire a value corresponding to the weight acting on the driving means by using the distance from the center of gravity of the moving body 10 to the center of gravity of the object being transported and the weight of the object being transported. In this case, the value corresponding to the weight acting on the driving means may be, for example, the result of multiplying the distance from the center of gravity of the moving body 10 to the center of gravity of the object being transported by the weight of the object being transported, or it may be the result of multiplying that multiplication by a coefficient. The distance from the center of gravity of the moving body 10 to the center of gravity of the object being transported may be, for example, the exact distance from the center of gravity of the moving body 10 to the center of gravity of the object being transported, or it may be the length obtained by projecting the distance from the center of gravity of the moving body 10 to the center of gravity of the object being transported in the straight line direction connecting the center of gravity of the moving body 10 and the driving means from which the value is being acquired, that is, the length from the center of gravity of the moving body 10 to the center of gravity of the object being transported, in that straight line direction. This embodiment primarily describes the case in which the weight acquisition unit 13 acquires the distance between the center of gravity of the moving body 10 and the transported object, the weight of the transported object, and the result of multiplying these by a predetermined coefficient. The weight acquisition unit 13 may, for example, acquire a value corresponding to the weight applied to the travel mechanism based on sensor measurements. This case will be described later.

[0020] The distance acquisition unit 14 acquires the distance traveled by the mobile body 10. This distance may be, for example, an actual value, i.e., the actual distance traveled, or an estimated value, i.e., an estimated distance traveled. The distance acquisition unit 14 may, for example, measure or calculate the distance traveled, or it may receive a distance traveled that has been measured or calculated by other devices or components. The actual value of the distance traveled may be acquired using, for example, the rotation speed of the driving means or the current position of the mobile body 10. For example, the distance acquisition unit 14 may acquire the distance traveled using the rotation speed of the driving means acquired by the encoder, or it may acquire the distance traveled along a path that changes in the current position acquired by the current position acquisition unit. Furthermore, the estimated value of the distance traveled may be acquired using, for example, the travel path on the map determined by route search, or, if the same path has been traveled in the past, it may be acquired using the past actual value of the distance traveled. In the former case, the distance acquisition unit 14 may, for example, acquire the distance along the travel path on the map as the distance traveled. The distance traveled along this travel path may be acquired, for example, by the movement control unit 12, and the distance acquisition unit 14 may receive this distance. When acquiring an estimated distance traveled using past actual distance traveled, the distance acquisition unit 14 may, for example, use the actual value as the estimated value if there is only one past actual value, or use a representative value of the two or more past actual values ​​as the estimated value if there are two or more past actual values. The representative value may be, for example, the mean or the median.

[0021] The distance acquisition unit 14 may acquire the travel distance for each of the multiple means of travel, or it may acquire a single travel distance for all of the multiple means of travel that the mobile body 10 has. In the former case, for example, it is possible to acquire a travel distance that also takes into account the difference in the paths of the inner and outer wheels when a non-holonomic mobile body 10 turns a curve. In the latter case, for example, the travel distance of any of the means of travel that the mobile body 10 has may be used as the travel distance for all other means of travel. The distance acquisition unit 14 may also acquire, for example, an actual value of the travel distance corresponding to the movement to the current position and an estimated value of the travel distance corresponding to the movement from the current position to the destination. That is, for example, the distance acquisition unit 14 may acquire the actual value of the travel distance for past movements and an estimated value of the travel distance for future movements.

[0022] The calculation unit 15 calculates the degree of wear for each means of transport using the value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 and the mileage obtained by the distance acquisition unit 14. The degree of wear is not particularly limited as long as it is information that can be used to determine the degree of wear of the means of transport, but for example, the value may increase as the degree of wear increases. In this embodiment, this case will be mainly described. The degree of wear is usually a value that increases as the value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 increases, and a value that increases as the mileage obtained by the distance acquisition unit 14 increases. That is, the function used to calculate the degree of wear may be an increasing function of the value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 and the mileage obtained by the distance acquisition unit 14, respectively. The specific calculation of the degree of wear will be described later.

[0023] The calculation unit 15 may, for example, calculate the wear and tear of each driving means for each coordinated transport of the transported object 3. The calculation unit 15 may also add the wear and tear calculated for each coordinated transport for each driving means. For example, if coordinated transport is performed three times, three wear and tear values ​​corresponding to the three coordinated transports may be calculated and added together. The addition of multiple wear and tear values ​​may be performed, for example, for the wear and tear corresponding to coordinated transport after a reference point. The reference point may be, for example, the point in time when consumables (e.g., rubber tires) are replaced for the driving means subject to the calculation of wear and tear. The addition of wear and tear may be performed, for example, by another device. The calculation unit 15 may also calculate the wear and tear after travel to the destination for each driving means by adding, for example, the wear and tear calculated using the actual travel distance and the wear and tear calculated using the estimated travel distance. In this case, the degree of wear and tear related to past travel to the current location may be obtained using the actual value of the distance traveled, and the degree of wear and tear related to future travel from the current location to the destination may be obtained using the estimated value of the distance traveled. The calculation unit 15 may also calculate the degree of wear and tear of the mobile body 10 using, for example, the degree of wear and tear of all the means of travel in the mobile body 10. The degree of wear and tear calculated by the calculation unit 15 may also be stored in, for example, the storage unit 16. In this case, it is preferable that each degree of wear and tear be stored in the storage unit 16 so that it can be distinguished for each means of travel.

[0024] As described above, the calculated wear level may be stored in the storage unit 16. Furthermore, information other than the wear level may also be stored in the storage unit 16. The storage unit 16 is preferably implemented using a non-volatile recording medium, but may also be implemented using a volatile recording medium. The recording medium may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0025] The communication unit 17 communicates, for example, with a server that controls multiple mobile bodies performing cooperative transport, or with other mobile bodies performing cooperative transport. This communication is usually wireless. The communication unit 17 may receive, for example, the position of the center of gravity of the transported object or the weight of the transported object from the server. The communication unit 17 may also communicate with other mobile bodies regarding movement control during cooperative transport. Movement control may include, for example, movement control for stopping, decelerating, or avoiding obstacles in response to obstacle detection. The communication unit 17 may or may not include a wired or wireless communication device for communication. Furthermore, the communication unit 17 may be implemented by hardware or by software such as a driver that drives the communication device.

[0026] Here, we will briefly explain how to use the wear rate for each running mechanism calculated by the calculation unit 15. For example, when performing coordinated transport, the mobile body 10 may be arranged so that the wear rate of each running mechanism of the mobile body 10 is equal. Typically, the running mechanism closer to the center of gravity of the transported object will have a higher wear rate. For example, when arranging the mobile body 10, the running mechanism with the smallest sum of wear rates may be positioned closer to the center of gravity of the transported object. The calculated wear rate may also be used to replace consumables of the running mechanisms. For example, the mobile body 10 may be equipped with an output unit that outputs an alert when the sum of wear rates exceeds a predetermined threshold. In response to the alert output by the output unit, the consumables of the running mechanism whose wear rate exceeds the threshold may be replaced. The alert may include information that can identify the running mechanism whose wear rate exceeds the threshold (for example, a running mechanism identifier). The alert may be output by means of display, printing, transmission, or by lighting a consumable replacement lamp at the location corresponding to the running mechanism.

[0027] Next, a method for calculating the degree of wear will be described. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, consider a situation where the object to be transported 3 is transported by two mobile units 10A and 10B. Note that FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the mobile units 10A and 10B and the object to be transported 3. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the relationship between the mobile unit 10 and the center of gravity C1 of the object to be transported 3. Note that in FIG. 4, the position of the center of gravity C1 of the object to be transported 3 is shown based on the mobile unit 10A shown in FIG. 3. However, the following description is valid even when the center of gravity C1 of the object to be transported 3 exists at an arbitrary position, or when the object to be transported 3 is transported by three or more mobile units. The xy orthogonal coordinate system shown in FIG. 4 is a local coordinate system of the mobile unit 10 with the center of gravity C2 of the mobile unit 10 as the origin. The mobile unit 10 has four omnidirectional wheels 21A to 21D as traveling means. Also, the representative points of the respective omnidirectional wheels 21A to 21D are denoted as P1 to P4, respectively. The representative point may be, for example, the center of gravity. Also, the coordinates of the representative point PN are respectively (x N , y N ). Here, N is an arbitrary integer from 1 to 4. Also, the coordinates of the center of gravity C1 of the object to be transported 3 are denoted as (x C , y C ). Usually, since the shape and weight balance of the object to be transported 3 are known, the position of the center of gravity C1 can be specified using them. Note that when the weight balance of the object to be transported 3 is unknown, for example, the position of the center of gravity C1 may be specified assuming that the weight balance is uniform. In such a situation, the calculation unit 15 may calculate, for example, the degree of wear W N by the following formula. Here, the degrees of wear W1 to W4 are the degrees of wear corresponding to the Nth traveling means, respectively. Here, the omnidirectional wheels 21A to 2​​1D are used as the first to fourth traveling means, respectively.

[0028] (1) When x N ×x C + y N ×y C > 0 W N = (α N ×a×(x N ×x C + y N ×yC )+β N ) × L + γ N (2)x N ×x C +y N ×y C If ≤ 0 W N =β N ×L+γ N

[0029] Here, α N , β N gamma N These are real coefficients used to calculate the wear rate of the Nth means of transport, and may be determined empirically, for example. α N β is a positive coefficient that represents the degree of wear per unit distance and per unit weight during the transportation of an object. N γ is a coefficient of 0 or greater that represents the degree of wear per unit distance during movement other than when transporting an object. N β is a constant of 0 or greater that represents the degree of wear and tear corresponding to the transport, and is independent of the distance traveled. N This could be a coefficient indicating the degree of wear per unit distance during movement due to the influence of the weight of the moving body 10, for example. a is the weight of the object being transported 3, and L is the distance traveled. α N , β N gamma N For example, this may be a different value for each means of transport, or it may be a value common to all means of transport. For example, as shown in Figure 4, when the four means of transport are arranged so as to be rotationally symmetric with respect to the center of gravity C2 of the mobile body 10, α N , β N gamma N These values ​​may be independent of the means of transport. That is, for any integers N and M from 1 to 4, α N =α M And β N =β M And γ N =γ M This is also acceptable. For example, for any integer N from 1 to 4, β N It may also be =0, γN = 0 is also acceptable. That is, wear and tear on the means of transport when not transporting goods does not need to be considered, and wear and tear on the means of transport that is not dependent on the distance traveled does not need to be considered. This is because the degree of wear and tear is common to all means of transport, and therefore it is not particularly necessary when comparing the degree of wear and tear between means of transport.

[0030] The value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 is, for example, "a × (x)" in the above equation. N ×x C +y N ×y C The value of ) is also acceptable. N ×x C +y N ×y C This is the dot product of a first vector, which starts at the origin of the xy coordinate system and ends at the representative point PN of the Nth traveling means, and a second vector, which starts at the origin and ends at the center of gravity C1 of the object being transported 3. Since this dot product is the product of the length of the first vector, the length of the second vector, and the cosine of the angle between the first and second vectors, it is the result of multiplying the distance between the centers of gravity by a predetermined coefficient (i.e., the product of the length of the first vector and the cosine of the angle between the first and second vectors). Therefore, this dot product can be considered to be a value corresponding to the distance from the center of gravity C2 of the moving body 10 to the center of gravity C1 of the object being transported 3. Note that this dot product is also the product of the length of the first vector and the length of the vector obtained by projecting the second vector in the direction of the first vector. Therefore, this dot product can also be considered as a value corresponding to the distance from the center of gravity of the moving body 10 to the center of gravity of the transported object 3 in the straight line direction connecting the center of gravity of the moving body 10 and the means of transport, that is, a value obtained by multiplying that distance by a predetermined coefficient (i.e., the length of the first vector). The length of the first vector is the distance from the center of gravity of the moving body 10 to the means of transport. In this way, "a × (x N ×x C +y N ×y C The value of ")" can be considered to be a value calculated using the weight of the object to be transported 3 and the distance from the center of gravity of the mobile body 10 to the weight of the object to be transported 3.

[0031] Also, the "x" in the above equation N ×x C +y N ×y C Instead of ", "(x N ×x C +y N ×y C ) / (x N 2 +y N 2 ) 1 / 2 " may also be used. In this case, the value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 is, for example, "(x N ×x C +y N ×y C ) / (x N 2 +y N 2 ) 1 / 2 The value of " is also acceptable. Note that (x N 2 +y N 2 ) 1 / 2 is the length of the first vector. For example, if the length of the first vector differs for each means of transport, it is preferable to use the value obtained by dividing the dot product by the length of the first vector instead of the dot product in the above formula. On the other hand, if the means of transport is an omnidirectional wheel, the length of the first vector is usually the same for all means of transport, so the degree of wear may be calculated as in the above formula. Furthermore, the above formula is just one example of a formula for calculating the degree of wear, and it goes without saying that other formulas may be used to calculate the degree of wear. For example, in the above formula, a may be the value obtained by dividing the weight of the transported object 3 by the number of mobile bodies that transport the transported object 3.

[0032] In the above equation, if the dot product is a positive value, the endpoint of the vector obtained by projecting the second vector in the direction of the first vector will be on the same side as the representative point of the travel mechanism, with respect to the origin. That is, the travel mechanism will be on the side of the center of gravity of the transported object 3, with respect to the center of gravity of the mobile body 10. In this case (hereinafter referred to as "the first case"), the weight on the travel mechanism will be large, and the degree of wear will be large accordingly. On the other hand, in the above equation, if the dot product is a value of 0 or less, the endpoint of the vector obtained by projecting the second vector in the direction of the first vector will not be on the same side as the representative point of the travel mechanism, with respect to the origin. That is, the travel mechanism will not be on the side of the center of gravity of the transported object 3, with respect to the center of gravity of the mobile body 10. In this case (hereinafter referred to as "the second case"), the weight on the travel mechanism will be small, and the degree of wear will be small accordingly. Therefore, in the above formula, in the first case, the degree of wear is calculated using a value corresponding to the weight on the means of transport, and in the second case, the degree of wear is calculated by setting the value corresponding to the weight on the means of transport to 0.

[0033] For example, each time the object to be transported 3 is transported, the calculation unit 15 uses the above formula to calculate the degree of wear W N The wear and tear calculated in this way may be added together for each means of transport to calculate the final wear and tear of each means of transport, i.e., the cumulative wear and tear. The calculation unit 15 also calculates the wear and tear of the mobile body 10 W using the following formula. all The following can be calculated. δ is a coefficient for converting the wear and tear of each drive mechanism to the wear and tear of the mobile body 10, and may be, for example, "1" or 1 / K. K is an integer representing the number of drive mechanisms that the mobile body 10 has. Furthermore, the sum Σ in the following equation is taken for each integer from N=1 to N=K. W all =δ × ΣW N

[0034] Furthermore, although the case where the mobile body 10 has four means of travel has been described here, the above formula can also be used, for example, when the mobile body 10 has omni-wheels which are three means of travel, as shown in Figure 5. In this case, N can be any integer from 1 to 3. The above formula can also be used when the mobile body 10 has means of travel other than three or four.

[0035] Next, the operation of the wear level calculation device 1 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 2. (Step S101) The calculation unit 15 determines whether to calculate the degree of wear and tear. If it decides to calculate the degree of wear and tear, it proceeds to step S102; otherwise, it repeats the process in step S101 until it decides to calculate the degree of wear and tear. The calculation unit 15 may decide to calculate the degree of wear and tear when it starts a new journey to the destination, or it may decide to calculate the degree of wear and tear when it has completed the journey to the destination.

[0036] (Step S102) The weight acquisition unit 13 acquires a value corresponding to the weight of the object to be transported for each means of transport.

[0037] (Step S103) The distance acquisition unit 14 acquires the distance traveled by the moving body 10. This distance traveled may be, for example, an estimated value of the distance traveled from the current location to the destination, or it may be the actual value of the distance traveled from the starting point to the current location.

[0038] (Step S104) The calculation unit 15 uses the values ​​obtained in steps S102 and S103 to calculate the degree of wear for each means of transport. The calculated degree of wear may be stored in the memory unit 16, for example, or added to the cumulative value of wear stored in the memory unit 16. Then, the process returns to step S101.

[0039] Although not shown in the flowchart of Figure 2, the distance acquisition unit 14 may, for example, measure the actual distance traveled using the value of the encoder of the driving means or the current position acquired by the current position acquisition unit when the mobile body 10 is moving. The communication unit 17 may also, for example, transmit the degree of wear calculated for each driving means to a server or the like. The communication unit 17 may also receive from a server or the like the position of the center of gravity of the transported object or the weight of the transported object. Furthermore, the order of processing in the flowchart of Figure 2 is just an example, and the order of each step may be changed if similar results can be obtained. For example, after the distance traveled is acquired, a value corresponding to the weight on the driving means may be acquired. Also, in the flowchart of Figure 2, processing ends when the power is turned off or an interrupt occurs indicating the end of processing.

[0040] Next, the operation of the mobile body 10 according to this embodiment will be explained using a specific example. In this example, it is assumed that the cumulative value of wear and tear for each means of transport for past movements is stored in the storage unit 16. It is assumed that this wear and tear is calculated using the actual distance traveled. The server assigns the mobile body 10 to a cooperative transport carried out by multiple mobile bodies, determines the positional relationship between the transported object 3 and the mobile body 10, and transmits from the server to the mobile body 10 information indicating the positional relationship between the two (more specifically, information indicating the positional relationship between the mobile body 10 and the center of gravity of the transported object 3), the weight of the transported object 3, and the travel route to the destination. This information is received by the communication unit 17. The calculation unit 15 is then informed that a new movement will be made, and the information indicating the positional relationship between the transported object 3 and the mobile body 10, and the weight of the transported object 3 are passed to the weight acquisition unit 13, and the travel route is passed to the distance acquisition unit 14.

[0041] Upon receiving an instruction to perform a new movement, the calculation unit 15 determines that the degree of wear is to be calculated, and passes an instruction to the weight acquisition unit 13 to acquire a value corresponding to the weight applied to the traveling means, and an instruction to the distance acquisition unit 14 to acquire the travel distance (step S101). Upon receiving the instruction from the calculation unit 15, the weight acquisition unit 13 acquires a value corresponding to the weight applied to the traveling means for each traveling means (step S102). Note that based on the information indicating the positional relationship between the conveyance target 3 and the moving body 10 transmitted from the server, the weight acquisition unit 13 can specify the position of the center of gravity of the conveyance target 3 in the local coordinate system of the moving body 10. Also, the positions of the representative points of each traveling means in the local coordinate system of the moving body 10 are known. The positions of the representative points of the traveling means are, for example, stored in the storage unit 16 for each traveling means, and the weight acquisition unit 13 may read and use the stored positions of the representative points. Then, the weight acquisition unit 13 calculates "a×(x N ×x C +y N ×y C )" of the above formula for each traveling means using the received information and other information, and passes the calculated value to the calculation unit 15. Also, upon receiving the instruction from the calculation unit, the distance acquisition unit 14 estimates the travel distance of the moving body 10 along the received movement path, and passes the estimated value to the calculation unit 15 (step S1), and the estimated value of this travel distance becomes the distance L in the above formula.

[0042] Upon receiving the acquisition results from the weight acquisition unit 13 and the distance acquisition unit respectively, the calculation unit 15 calculates the degree of wear for each traveling means using the above formula. Then, the calculation unit 15 calculates the final degree of wear for each traveling means by adding the accumulated degree of wear up to the current position stored in the storage unit 16 and the newly calculated degree of wear for each traveling means, and passes it to the communication unit 17 (step S104). Note that the newly calculated degree of wear may be accumulated in the storage unit 16, for example. Also, at this point

[0043] , for example, in the storage unit 16, the newly calculated degree of wear may not be added to the accumulated degree of wear up to the current position.

[0043] The communication unit 17 transmits the wear and tear status of each means of transport received to the server. By receiving this wear and tear status, the server can determine the wear and tear status of each means of transport when the mobile unit 10 arrives at its destination. For example, if there is an imbalance in the wear and tear status, the positional relationship between the mobile unit 10 and the transported object 3 may be changed, and the changed positional relationship may be transmitted to the mobile unit 10 so that a new wear and tear status can be calculated. For example, such a wear and tear calculation may be repeated until the positional relationship between the mobile unit 10 and the transported object 3 is determined so that the wear and tear status of each means of transport of the mobile unit 10 is optimal, and the unit may move accordingly.

[0044] Furthermore, during movement, the distance acquisition unit 14 may acquire the actual distance traveled for each means of transport by using the output of the encoders of each means of transport of the moving mechanism 11 to acquire the rotational speed for each means of transport. Then, upon arrival at the destination, the calculation unit 15 may calculate the degree of wear using the actual distance traveled from the starting point to the destination (steps S101 to S104). The calculation unit 15 may also update the accumulated degree of wear by adding the newly calculated degree of wear for each means of transport to the accumulated degree of wear stored in the storage unit 16 up to the starting point. In this way, when considering the positional relationship between the moving body 10 and the transported object 3, the accumulated degree of wear calculated using the estimated distance traveled to the destination can be used, and when movement is completed, a more accurate accumulated degree of wear can be calculated using the actual distance traveled.

[0045] As described above, the wear rate calculation device 1 according to this embodiment can calculate the wear rate of each running means of the mobile body 10 that performs cooperative transport. Therefore, in cooperative transport, the center of gravity of the transported object is often not on the mobile body 10, and as a result, the degree of wear of each running means of the mobile body 10 may differ, but even in such cases, the wear rate of each running means can be determined. Furthermore, by using the weight acquisition unit 13 to acquire a value corresponding to the weight applied to each running means using the distance between the center of gravity of the mobile body 10 and the transported object, and the weight of the transported object, a value corresponding to the weight applied to the running means can be acquired even if the mobile body 10 is not equipped with a weight sensor or the like described later, or even if the transported object is not actually placed on the mobile body 10, or if movement has not started with the transported object placed on it. Furthermore, by using the calculated wear rate, for example, the mobile body 10 can be used in cooperative transport so that the wear rate of multiple running means is equal. Furthermore, by referring to the calculated wear rate, it is possible to determine, for example, whether it is time to replace the consumables for each running means.

[0046] Furthermore, when the distance acquisition unit 14 acquires the actual travel distance corresponding to the movement to the current position and the estimated travel distance corresponding to the movement from the current position to the destination, the calculation unit 15 can calculate the wear and tear after the movement to the destination for each means of transport by adding the wear and tear calculated using the actual travel distance and the wear and tear calculated using the estimated travel distance. Therefore, the wear and tear after the movement to the destination can be calculated before the start of the movement to the destination, and for example, coordinated transport by the transport units 10 can be performed so that the wear and tear after the movement to the destination is more even. In addition, since the wear and tear for the movement to the current position is calculated using the actual travel distance, a more accurate wear and tear can be calculated than when an estimated value is used.

[0047] Furthermore, if the wear rate of a mobile body 10 is calculated using the wear rate of all the driving means in multiple mobile bodies 10, then, for example, coordinated transport by multiple mobile bodies 10 can be performed so that the wear rate of each mobile body 10 is equal. Also, for example, by performing coordinated transport by multiple mobile bodies 10 so that the wear rates of multiple mobile bodies 10 are not close, it is possible to prevent the replacement of consumables from overlapping at the same time.

[0048] In this embodiment, the case where a value corresponding to the weight applied to the transport means is obtained using the position of the center of gravity of the transported object has been mainly described, but this is not required. The weight acquisition unit 13 may, for example, acquire a value corresponding to the weight applied to the transport means based on the measurement value of a sensor. The sensor is not particularly limited, but may be a weight sensor, an ammeter, a torque sensor, etc.

[0049] The weight sensor may be positioned, for example, in a location that overlaps with the travel mechanism in a plan view, and measure the weight acting on the travel mechanism. More specifically, the weight sensor may be positioned on the mounting surface on which the object to be transported is placed, in a location that overlaps with each travel mechanism in a plan view. In this case, the object to be transported may be placed on the same number of weight sensors as the number of travel mechanisms. Alternatively, the weight sensor may be positioned, for example, between the travel mechanism and the base to which the travel mechanism is attached. In this case, the travel mechanism may be attached to the base via the weight sensor. In this case as well, it is preferable that the weight sensor and the travel mechanism are in the same position in a plan view. If the mobile body 10 has weight sensors, the weight acquisition unit 13 may acquire the weight by receiving, for example, the measured value from the weight sensor, i.e., the weight acting on the travel mechanism, from the weight sensor.

[0050] The ammeter may, for example, measure the current flowing through the motors that drive each of the travel mechanisms. Since there is usually a linear relationship between the current flowing through a motor and the motor's torque, the motor torque itself, or a value positively correlated with the motor torque, can be obtained from the motor current measured by the ammeter. Generally, the greater the weight on a travel mechanism, the greater the torque of the motor driving it; therefore, there is a positive correlation between the weight on a travel mechanism and the torque of the motor driving it. Accordingly, the weight acquisition unit 13 can use the ammeter's measurement, i.e., the current value of the motor driving the travel mechanism, to acquire a value corresponding to the weight on that travel mechanism. Alternatively, the current value itself, or the current value multiplied by a predetermined coefficient, may represent the value corresponding to the weight on the travel mechanism, and the weight on the travel mechanism may be calculated using that current value.

[0051] The torque sensor may be, for example, placed on the drive shaft connecting the drive means and the travel means, and measure the torque of that drive shaft. In this case as well, the weight acquisition unit 13 can use the measured value of the torque sensor, i.e., the torque value of the drive shaft connecting the drive means and the travel means, to acquire a value corresponding to the weight acting on the travel means. Alternatively, the torque value acquired by the torque sensor itself, or the torque value multiplied by a predetermined coefficient, may be the value corresponding to the weight acting on the travel means, and the weight acting on the travel means may be calculated using that torque value.

[0052] The weight acquisition unit 13 may, for example, receive the sensor's measurement value as a value corresponding to the weight applied to the driving means, calculate a value corresponding to the weight applied to the driving means based on the sensor's measurement value, or receive a value corresponding to the weight applied to the driving means calculated using the sensor's measurement value from another component or device.

[0053] Furthermore, the motor current value and the drive shaft torque value change depending on the rotational speed of the drive mechanism. Therefore, the current value and torque value used to obtain values ​​corresponding to the weight acting on the drive mechanism may be, for example, measured values ​​taken when the drive mechanism and drive shaft are rotating at a predetermined rotational speed.

[0054] Furthermore, the calculation unit 15 may perform both calculations: one based on a value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 using, for example, the distance from the center of gravity of the mobile body 10 to the center of gravity of the object being transported; and another based on a value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 using sensor measurements. For example, the calculation unit 15 may calculate the degree of wear using a value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 based on the distance from the center of gravity of the mobile body 10 to the center of gravity of the object being transported, since there are no sensor measurements for movement from the current position to the destination; and the calculation unit 15 may calculate the degree of wear using a value obtained by the weight acquisition unit 13 based on sensor measurements for past movement to the current position. In this case, for example, when the mobile body 10 is moving, a measurement may be taken by the sensor and the measurement may be recorded. After movement, the weight acquisition unit 13 may obtain a value corresponding to the weight on the driving means based on the sensor measurement, and the calculation unit 15 may calculate the degree of wear using the obtained value. In this way, a more accurate degree of wear can be calculated after movement.

[0055] Furthermore, while this embodiment mainly describes a case where wear and tear is calculated using actual mileage for past travel and estimated mileage for future travel, this is not necessarily the case. For example, all wear and tear may be calculated using estimated mileage. Alternatively, for example, wear and tear for future travel may not be calculated, and all wear and tear may be calculated using actual mileage.

[0056] Furthermore, although this embodiment mainly describes the case where the wear rate calculation device 1 is included in the mobile body 10, this is not required. The wear rate calculation device 1 may be, for example, a server capable of communicating with the mobile body 10. The wear rate calculation device 1, which is a server, may calculate the wear rate using information received from the mobile body 10 as needed. In this case, the wear rate calculation device 1 may be equipped with an output unit that outputs the calculated wear rate. This output may be, for example, displayed on a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display), transmitted via a communication line to a predetermined device, printed by a printer, output as audio by a speaker, stored on a recording medium, or transferred to another component. The wear rate calculation device 1, which is a server, may also be equipped with a wired or wireless communication unit for communicating with the mobile body 10. It may receive information such as mileage traveled or sensor measurements from the mobile body via this communication unit.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each process or function may be implemented by centralized processing by a single device or a single system, or by distributed processing by multiple devices or multiple systems.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if two or more components included in the wear-to-wear calculation device 1 have a communication device, an input device, etc., the two or more components may have a single physical device, or they may have separate devices.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or, if it is a component that can be implemented by software, it may be implemented by executing a program. For example, each component can be implemented by a program execution unit such as a CPU reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory. During execution, the program execution unit may execute the program while accessing the storage unit or recording medium. The program may also be executed by being downloaded from a server or the like, or by being executed by reading a program recorded on a predetermined recording medium (e.g., an optical disk, magnetic disk, semiconductor memory, etc.). Furthermore, this program may be used as a program that constitutes a program product. Furthermore, the computer executing the program may be one or multiple computers. That is, centralized processing may be performed, or distributed processing may be performed.

[0060] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible, all of which are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1. Wear and tear calculation device, 10. Mobile body, 11. Moving mechanism, 12. Moving control unit, 13. Weight acquisition unit, 14. Distance acquisition unit, 15. Calculation unit, 16. Storage unit, 17. Communication unit

Claims

1. A wear rate calculation device for calculating the degree of wear of each of the running means in a mobile body having multiple running means, wherein the object to be transported is placed so as to straddle the upper surfaces of multiple mobile bodies, and the mobile body transports the object to be transported in cooperation with other mobile bodies, Each of the aforementioned driving means is provided with a weight acquisition unit that acquires a value corresponding to the weight applied to the driving means, A distance acquisition unit that acquires the distance traveled by the moving object, A wear and tear calculation device comprising: a calculation unit that calculates the wear and tear of each of the driving means using the value obtained by the weight acquisition unit and the driving distance obtained by the distance acquisition unit.

2. The distance acquisition unit acquires the actual distance traveled corresponding to the movement to the current location and the estimated distance traveled corresponding to the movement from the current location to the destination. The wear and tear calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the wear and tear after travel to the destination for each of the means of transport by adding the wear and tear calculated using the actual value of the travel distance and the wear and tear calculated using the estimated value of the travel distance.

3. The wear-tolerance calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the wear-tolerance of a mobile body using the wear-tolerance of all the running means in the mobile body.

4. The wear rate calculation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the weight acquisition unit acquires a value corresponding to the weight applied to the travel means using the distance from the center of gravity of the moving body to the center of gravity of the object to be transported and the weight of the object to be transported.

5. The wear rate calculation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the weight acquisition unit acquires a value corresponding to the weight applied to the travel means based on the measurement value of the sensor.

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