Control device and unmanned operation method

Abstract

To provide a technique for allowing an operator to easily conduct operation around a movable body moving by unmanned operation.SOLUTION: A control device includes: a process information acquisition unit configured to acquire process information related to work processes performed on a movable body movable through unmanned operation; an environmental information acquisition unit configured to acquire environmental information on a distance between an operator around the movable body and the movable body; and a control unit configured to move the movable body through unmanned operation within a range that does not exceed a predetermined maximum speed and maximum steering angle for each work process, wherein when the distance between the operator and the movable body is equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance, the control unit reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and an unmanned driving method.

Background Art

[0002] In the vehicle manufacturing process, a technology for driving a vehicle by unmanned driving is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above document, unmanned driving when there are workers around a moving object such as a vehicle is not considered.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] <, The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a control device is provided. The control device includes a process information acquisition unit that acquires process information related to a work process performed on a moving object that can be moved by unmanned driving, a surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires surrounding information related to the distance between a worker existing around the moving object and the moving object, and a control unit that moves the moving object by unmanned driving within a range not exceeding a maximum speed and a maximum steering angle predetermined for each work process, and when the distance between the worker and the moving object is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the control unit that reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle. According to this type of control device, when the distance between the moving object and workers surrounding it falls below a predetermined distance, at least one of the moving object's maximum speed and maximum steering angle is reduced, thereby slowing down the movement of the moving object. Consequently, it becomes easier for workers to perform their tasks around the moving object. (2) In the control device of the above form, the surrounding information acquisition unit may acquire the distance between the worker and the moving body using at least one of a camera and a distance measuring device located outside the moving body. This type of control device allows for the acquisition of the distance between a worker and the mobile object, even if the mobile object is not equipped with a camera or rangefinder. (3) In the control device of the above form, the control unit does not need to reduce the maximum steering angle while the direction of travel of the moving body is being changed. This type of control device can prevent a moving object from deviating from its target route. (4) In the control device of the above form, the surrounding information acquisition unit further acquires clothing information relating to the worker's clothing, and the control unit may, when the distance between the worker and the moving body is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, reduce at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle by a predetermined degree of reduction according to the worker's clothing. This type of control device allows the movement of a mobile object to be adjusted according to the clothing of workers surrounding the mobile object. (5) According to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, an unmanned driving method is provided. This unmanned driving method acquires process information relating to work processes performed on a mobile body that can be moved by unmanned driving, acquires ambient information relating to the distance between workers present around the mobile body and the mobile body, moves the mobile body by unmanned driving within a range that does not exceed a predetermined maximum speed and maximum steering angle for each work process, and reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle if the distance between the worker and the mobile body is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. According to this form of unmanned operation method, when the distance between the moving object and workers surrounding it falls below a predetermined distance, at least one of the moving object's maximum speed and maximum steering angle is reduced, thereby slowing down the moving object's movement. Consequently, it becomes easier for workers to perform their tasks around the moving object. This disclosure can also be implemented in various forms other than control devices and unmanned operation methods. For example, it can be implemented in the form of unmanned operation systems, remote control systems, methods for manufacturing mobile objects, methods for manufacturing vehicles, computer programs, and recording media on which computer programs are stored. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the unmanned operation system of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] An explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] An explanatory diagram showing how vehicles are moved remotely within a factory. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the procedure for controlling the vehicle's movement according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the contents of the unmanned operation process in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram showing how the maximum speed and maximum steering angle are adjusted. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the unmanned operation system of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] An explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] A flowchart illustrating the procedure for controlling the vehicle's movement according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A. First Embodiment: Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned operation system 10 equipped with a control device 200 in the first embodiment. The unmanned operation system 10 is used in a factory that manufactures mobile objects to move them by unmanned operation.

[0009] In this disclosure, “mobile object” means an object that can move, such as a vehicle or an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (so-called flying car). A vehicle may be a wheeled vehicle or a tracked vehicle, such as a passenger car, truck, bus, motorcycle, car, tank, or construction vehicle. Vehicles include electric vehicles (BEVs: Battery Electric Vehicles), gasoline vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. If the mobile object is not a vehicle, the terms “vehicle” and “car” in this disclosure may be replaced with “mobile object” as appropriate, and the term “driving” may be replaced with “moving” as appropriate.

[0010] "Unmanned operation" means driving without the operation of an onboard passenger. Driving operation refers to operations related to at least one of the following: "driving," "turning," or "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned operation is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. A vehicle 100 operating under unmanned operation may have passengers on board who do not perform driving operations. Passengers who do not perform driving operations include, for example, people simply sitting in the seats of the vehicle 100, or people performing tasks other than driving operations, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches, while on board the vehicle 100. Driving with the operation of an onboard passenger is sometimes called "manned operation."

[0011] In this specification, "remote control" includes "complete remote control" in which all operations of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which some operations of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. Further, "autonomous control" includes "complete autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from a device outside the vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using information received from a device outside the vehicle 100.

[0012] In the present embodiment, the driverless operation system 10 includes a vehicle 100 which is a moving body, a remote control device 200 which is a control device for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an external sensor group 300 installed in a factory, and a process management device 400 for managing the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory.

[0013] In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel by remote control. The vehicle 100 is configured as an electric vehicle. The vehicle 100 includes a drive device 110 for accelerating the vehicle 100, a steering device 120 for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, a braking device 130 for decelerating the vehicle 100, a communication device 140 for communicating with the remote control device 200 by wireless communication, and a vehicle control device 150 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the drive device 110 includes a battery, a traveling motor driven by the power of the battery, and drive wheels rotated by the traveling motor.

[0014] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device 150. The vehicle control device 150 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 151, a memory 152, an input / output interface 153, and an internal bus 154. The processor 151, the memory 152, and the input / output interface 153 are connected via the internal bus 154 so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The input / output interface 153 is connected to the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, the braking unit 130, and the communication device 140. The processor 151 functions as a driving control unit 155 that performs driving control of the vehicle 100 by executing a computer program PG1 that is pre-stored in the memory 152. "Driving control" means, for example, adjusting the acceleration, speed, and steering angle of the vehicle 100. The driving control unit 155 drives the vehicle 100 by performing driving control, in other words, by controlling the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, and the braking unit 130. The driving control unit 155 can drive the vehicle 100 by controlling various devices 110 to 130 in accordance with the passenger's operations when a passenger is on board the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving control unit 155 can drive the vehicle 100 by controlling various devices 110 to 130 using driving control signals received from the remote control device 200, regardless of whether or not a passenger is on board the vehicle 100.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the remote control device 200 is comprised of a computer comprising a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 for communicating with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication is connected to the input / output interface 203. In this embodiment, the communication device 205 can communicate with the external sensor group 300 and the process control device 400 via wired or wireless communication.

[0016] The processor 201 functions as a process information acquisition unit 210, a surrounding information acquisition unit 220, and a remote control unit 230 by executing a computer program PG2 stored in advance in the memory 202. The process information acquisition unit 210 acquires information regarding the work process to be performed on the vehicle 100. The surrounding information acquisition unit 220 acquires information regarding the distance between the workers existing around the vehicle 100 and the vehicle 100. In the following description, the information regarding the work process to be performed on the vehicle 100 is referred to as process information, and the information regarding the distance between the workers existing around the vehicle 100 and the vehicle 100 is referred to as surrounding information. The work process includes the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 230 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel. The remote control unit 230 causes the vehicle 100 to travel by transmitting the travel control signal to the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the remote control unit 230 causes the vehicle 100 to travel so that the speed and steering angle of the vehicle 100 do not exceed a predetermined maximum speed and maximum steering angle. Note that the remote control device 200 may be simply referred to as a control device, and the remote control unit 230 may be simply referred to as a control unit.

[0017] The external sensor group 300 is composed of a plurality of external sensors. An external sensor is a sensor installed outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor is used to detect the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the external sensor is also used to detect the distance between the workers existing around the vehicle 100 and the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the external sensor group 300 is composed of a plurality of cameras installed in a factory. Each camera is a stereo camera. Each camera includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the remote control device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0018] The process control device 400 manages the entire manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory. The process control device 400 consists of at least one computer. The process control device 400 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the remote control device 200 by wired or wireless communication. When the remote control device 200 starts remote control of the vehicle 100, the process control device 400 transmits the identification number of the vehicle 100 to be remotely controlled and information regarding the current manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 to the remote control device 200. When the remote control device 200 ends remote control of the vehicle 100, the process control device 400 retrieves the identification number of the vehicle 100 and information regarding the current manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 from the remote control device 200.

[0019] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing how vehicle 100 moves remotely within factory KJ. In this embodiment, factory KJ includes a first location PL1 for assembling vehicle 100, a second location PL2 for inspecting vehicle 100, and a third location PL3 for storing vehicle 100 that has passed inspection. The first location PL1, the second location PL2, and the third location PL3 are connected by a travel path SR on which vehicle 100 can travel. Vehicle 100 assembled in the first location PL1 is equipped with a drive unit 110, a steering unit 120, a braking unit 130, a communication device 140, and a vehicle control device 150. Vehicle 100 assembled in the first location PL1 travels from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 under the remote control of the remote control device 200. Vehicle 100 that has passed inspection at location PL2 is remotely controlled by a remote control device 200 and travels from location PL2 to location PL3. Upon arrival at location PL3, vehicle 100 is then shipped from factory KJ. In the following description, the process of assembling vehicle 100 at location PL1 is sometimes referred to as the assembly process, the process of moving vehicle 100 from location PL1 to location PL2 is sometimes referred to as the first moving process, the process of inspecting vehicle 100 at location PL2 is sometimes referred to as the inspection process, and the process of moving vehicle 100 from location PL2 to location PL3 is sometimes referred to as the second moving process. The assembly process, the first moving process, the inspection process, and the second moving process are included in the manufacturing process of vehicle 100. The manufacturing process is sometimes referred to as the work process.

[0020] Referring to Figure 3, a brief explanation will be given of how the remote control device 200 controls the vehicle 100 remotely. The remote control device 200 determines a target route for the vehicle 100 to travel to its destination via the travel path SR. In this embodiment, the target route is the reference path RR, which will be described later. Multiple cameras 301 are installed in factory KJ to photograph the travel path SR. The multiple cameras 301 are included in the external sensor group 300. By analyzing the images captured by each camera 301, the remote control device 200 can obtain the relative position and orientation of the vehicle 100 with respect to the target route in real time. The remote control device 200 generates a control command to drive the vehicle 100 along the target route and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the control command is the travel control signal, which will be described later. The vehicle control device 150 mounted on the vehicle 100 controls the drive unit 110, steering unit 120, and braking unit 130 according to the received control command, thereby driving the vehicle 100. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transport devices such as cranes or conveyors.

[0021] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for controlling the vehicle 100's movement in the first embodiment. Referring to Figure 4, the method by which the remote control device 200 controls the vehicle 100 will be described in more detail. In step S1, the remote control unit 230 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using detection results output from an external sensor, which is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. Vehicle position information is position information that forms the basis for generating the driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the reference coordinate system of factory KJ. In this embodiment, the reference coordinate system of factory KJ is the global coordinate system, and any position within factory KJ is represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system. In this embodiment, the external sensor is a camera 301, and the external sensor outputs an captured image as a detection result. That is, in step S1, the remote control unit 230 acquires vehicle position information using the captured image acquired from the camera 301, which is the external sensor.

[0022] In detail, in step S1, the remote control unit 230, for example, detects the outline of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the vehicle 100's positioning point in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and obtains the position of the vehicle 100 by converting the calculated coordinates to coordinates in the global coordinate system. The outline of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, within or outside the unmanned driving system 10 and pre-stored in the memory 202 of the remote control device 200. Examples of the detection model DM include a trained machine learning model that has been trained to implement either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. The training dataset includes, for example, multiple training images containing vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training images represents vehicle 100 or something other than vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the CNN parameters using backpropagation to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the labels. Furthermore, the processor 201 can obtain the orientation of vehicle 100 by, for example, using the optical flow method, estimating it based on the direction of the vehicle 100's movement vector calculated from the positional changes of the vehicle 100's feature points between frames of the captured images.

[0023] In step S2, the remote control unit 230 determines the next target location that the vehicle 100 should head to. In this embodiment, the target location is represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system. The memory 202 of the remote control device 200 stores in advance a reference route RR, which is the route that the vehicle 100 should travel. The route is represented by a node indicating the starting point, nodes indicating waypoints, a node indicating the destination, and links connecting each node. The remote control unit 230 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine the next target location that the vehicle 100 should head to. The remote control unit 230 determines the target location on the reference route RR beyond the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0024] In step S3, the remote control unit 230 generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. The driving control signal may also include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of the acceleration of the vehicle 100, or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 230 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 from the change in the position of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. Overall, if the driving speed is lower than the target speed, the remote control unit 230 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and if the driving speed is higher than the target speed, it determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. Furthermore, the remote control unit 230 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference path RR when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference path RR, and determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference path RR when the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference path RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference path RR.

[0025] In step S4, the remote control unit 230 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 230 repeats the process of acquiring the position of the vehicle 100, determining the target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal at predetermined intervals.

[0026] In step S5, the vehicle control device 150 mounted on the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the remote control device 200. In step S6, the vehicle control device 150 uses the received driving control signal to control the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, and the braking unit 130, thereby driving the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. The vehicle control device 150 repeats the reception of the driving control signal and the control of the various devices 110 to 130 at predetermined intervals.

[0027] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the contents of the unmanned operation process in the first embodiment. The unmanned operation process is repeatedly executed by the processor 201 of the remote control device 200 when the remote control device 200 receives a predetermined start command. In the following description, the vehicle 100 that the remote control device 200 operates through the unmanned operation process will be referred to as the target vehicle 100. When the unmanned operation process starts, in step S110, the process information acquisition unit 210 acquires process information from the process control device 400 indicating the current manufacturing process of the target vehicle 100.

[0028] In step S120, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220 acquires distance information indicating the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the workers present around the target vehicle 100, and transmits the distance information to the remote control unit 230. In this embodiment, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220 acquires the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the workers by analyzing the video from the camera 301.

[0029] In step S130, the remote control unit 230 uses distance information to determine whether the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. If it is determined in step S130 that the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker exceeds the predetermined distance, the remote control unit 230 determines the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 in step S140, which are predetermined for each manufacturing process. In this embodiment, the memory 202 stores a database DB that shows the predetermined maximum speed and maximum steering angle for each manufacturing process. The remote control unit 230 determines the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 by referring to the database DB. The maximum speed in the assembly process and inspection process can be, for example, 4 km / h, which is about the same as the walking speed of a worker, in order to make it easier for the worker to perform work around the target vehicle 100, and the maximum speed in the first movement process and second movement process can be, for example, 40 km / h, in order to move the target vehicle 100 in a short time. The maximum speed may differ between the assembly process and the inspection process, and may also differ between the first and second movement processes. The maximum steering angle in the assembly and inspection processes can be set to, for example, 30 degrees to allow for tight turns, while the maximum steering angle in the first and second movement processes can be set to, for example, 20 degrees to enhance stability during driving. The maximum steering angle may differ between the assembly process and the inspection process, and may also differ between the first and second movement processes.

[0030] If, in step S130, it is determined that the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, the remote control unit 230 determines in step S145 that the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 are smaller than the maximum speed and maximum steering angle predetermined for each manufacturing process. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 230 determines the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 by multiplying the maximum speed and maximum steering angle shown in the database DB by a predetermined coefficient. The coefficient can be, for example, 0.5 regardless of the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker. The coefficient does not always have to be the same value. For example, the coefficient may be smaller as the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker decreases.

[0031] In step S150, the remote control unit 230 generates a driving control signal so that the target vehicle 100 travels within the range of the maximum speed and maximum steering angle determined in step S140 or step S145. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the remote control unit 230 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using detection results output from an external sensor, determines the next target position to which the vehicle 100 should go using the vehicle position information and the reference path RR, and generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The remote control unit 230 transmits the generated driving control signal to the target vehicle 100. After that, the remote control unit 230 terminates the unmanned driving process. The remote control unit 230 repeats the unmanned driving process until the target vehicle 100 arrives at its destination. The method realized by the unmanned driving process is sometimes called an unmanned driving method.

[0032] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing how the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 are adjusted. In addition to the target vehicle 100 and worker WK, Figure 6 also shows the steering wheel 125 of the target vehicle 100. If the distance between the target vehicle 100 and worker WK exceeds a predetermined distance, the remote control unit 230 determines the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 to be the maximum speed V1 and maximum steering angle Φ1 predetermined for each manufacturing process. In other words, the remote control unit 230 does not adjust the maximum speed and maximum steering angle. On the other hand, if the distance between the target vehicle 100 and worker WK is less than or equal to the predetermined distance, the remote control unit 230 determines the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 to be a speed V2 and steering angle Φ2 that are smaller than the maximum speed V1 and maximum steering angle Φ1 predetermined for each manufacturing process. In other words, the remote control unit 230 adjusts the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 so that they are smaller than the predetermined maximum speed V1 and maximum steering angle Φ1.

[0033] As described above, the remote control device 200 in this embodiment reduces the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 when the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK falls below a predetermined distance. Therefore, when the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK is below a predetermined distance, the operation of the target vehicle 100 becomes slower compared to when the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK exceeds a predetermined distance. Consequently, it becomes easier for the worker WK to perform their work around the target vehicle 100.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220 acquires the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK using a camera 301 installed in the factory KJ. Therefore, even if the target vehicle 100 does not have a camera mounted on it, the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK can be acquired. Also, since the camera 301 used to acquire the position and orientation of the target vehicle 100 is used to acquire the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK, no separate equipment is required solely for acquiring the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK. If a ranging device such as a LiDAR or millimeter-wave radar is installed in the factory KJ to acquire the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220 may use the ranging device to acquire the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK.

[0035] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the unmanned driving system 10b in the second embodiment. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device 150b in the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the unmanned driving system 10b does not have a remote control device 200, and the vehicle 100 is driven by autonomous control rather than remote control. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0036] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to drive autonomously. The vehicle 100 can communicate with the external sensor group 300 and the process control device 400 via wireless communication using the communication device 140. As shown in Figure 8, in this embodiment, the processor 151 of the vehicle control device 150b functions as a driving control unit 155b, a process information acquisition unit 156, and a surrounding information acquisition unit 157 by executing a computer program PG1 that is pre-stored in the memory 152. The driving control unit 155b generates its own driving control signals and uses the generated driving control signals to control the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, and the braking unit 130 to drive the vehicle. The memory 152 is pre-stored with a database DB, a reference path RR, and a detection model DM. The process information acquisition unit 156 acquires information about the work processes to be performed on the vehicle. For example, the process information acquisition unit 156 acquires process information indicating the current manufacturing process of the vehicle from the process control device 400. The surrounding information acquisition unit 157 acquires information regarding the distance between the vehicle and workers present in its vicinity. The surrounding information acquisition unit 157 acquires the distance between the vehicle and workers, for example, by analyzing the video from camera 301. Note that the vehicle control device 150b is sometimes simply referred to as the control device, and the driving control unit 155b is sometimes simply referred to as the control unit.

[0037] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure for controlling the movement of the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. In step S11, the movement control unit 155b of the vehicle control device 150b acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the camera 301, which is an external sensor. In step S21, the movement control unit 155b determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next go. In step S31, the movement control unit 155b generates a movement control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S41, the movement control unit 155b uses the generated movement control signal to control the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, and the braking unit 130, thereby driving the vehicle 100 according to the parameters expressed in the movement control signal. The movement control unit 155b repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the movement control signal, and control of the various devices 110 to 130 at predetermined intervals.

[0038] In this embodiment, the unmanned driving process shown in Figure 5 is performed by the vehicle control device 150b. In step S150 of Figure 5, the driving control unit 155b generates a driving control signal so that the target vehicle 100 travels within the range of the maximum speed and maximum steering angle determined in step S140 or step S145, and uses the generated driving control signal to control the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, and the braking unit 130. As shown in Figure 9, the driving control unit 155b acquires vehicle position information, determines the next target position that the vehicle 100 should head to, and generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position.

[0039] According to the unmanned driving system 10b of this embodiment described above, the driving control unit 155b reduces the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the vehicle when the distance between the vehicle and the worker WK falls below a predetermined distance. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to make it easier for the worker WK to perform work around the vehicle.

[0040] C. Other embodiments: (C1) In each of the embodiments described above, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b are configured to reduce the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. Alternatively, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 without reducing the maximum speed of the vehicle 100 when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

[0041] (C2) In each of the embodiments described above, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b are configured to reduce the maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 when they determine that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. In contrast, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may be configured not to reduce the maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 when the current steering angle of the vehicle 100 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, in other words, when the vehicle 100 is changing direction, even if they determine that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. In this case, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from deviating from the target route.

[0042] (C3) In each of the embodiments described above, the surrounding information acquisition units 220 and 157 may be configured to acquire clothing information regarding the clothing of workers WK present around the vehicle 100 in addition to distance information, and the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 by a predetermined degree of reduction according to the clothing of the workers WK when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the workers WK is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. For example, in a factory where less skilled workers WK wear hats with a predetermined mark, and more skilled workers WK wear hats without the mark, and the vehicle 100 is operated unmanned, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum speed and maximum steering angle to a greater degree when the distance between the less skilled workers WK wearing the marked hats and the vehicle 100 falls below a predetermined distance, compared to when the distance between the more skilled workers WK wearing the unmarked hats and the vehicle 100 falls below a predetermined distance. Also, for example, in a factory where workers WK responsible for maintaining manufacturing equipment wear orange helmets, and the vehicle 100 is operated unmanned, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum speed of the vehicle 100 around equipment where a predetermined number or more workers WK wearing orange helmets are gathered, as this may indicate a malfunction.

[0043] (C4) In each of the embodiments described above, the surrounding information acquisition units 220 and 157 acquire the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the camera 301 installed in the factory KJ. However, if a distance measuring device such as LiDAR is installed in the factory KJ, the surrounding information acquisition units 220 and 157 may acquire the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the distance measuring device instead of the camera 301. Alternatively, the surrounding information acquisition units 220 and 157 may acquire the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK using a distance measuring device in addition to the camera 301. In this case, the camera 301 may be a mono camera instead of a stereo camera. If the vehicle 100 is equipped with a camera or LiDAR, the surrounding information acquisition units 220 and 157 may acquire the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the camera or LiDAR installed in the vehicle 100.

[0044] (C5) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor is a camera 301. However, the external sensor does not have to be a camera 301; for example, it may be a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, the detection result output from the external sensor may be 3D point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the 3D point cloud data as the detection result and pre-prepared reference point cloud data.

[0045] (C6) In the first embodiment described above, the remote control device 200 performs the processing from acquiring vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may perform at least a part of the processing from acquiring vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0046] (1) The remote control device 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go, and generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location, as shown in the acquired vehicle position information, to the target location. The remote control device 200 may generate a route to the target location between the current location and the destination, or it may generate a route to the destination. The remote control device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels along the route received from the remote control device 200, and may use the generated driving control signal to control the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, and the braking unit 130.

[0047] (2) The remote control device 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go, generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location shown in the received vehicle position information to the target location, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels along the generated route, and use the generated driving control signal to control the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, and the braking unit 130.

[0048] (3) In the embodiments of (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with internal sensors, and the detection results output from the internal sensors may be used in at least one of the generation of a route and the generation of a driving control signal. The internal sensors are sensors mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensors may include, for example, sensors that detect the motion state of the vehicle 100, sensors that detect the operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and sensors that detect the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensors may include, for example, cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, GPS sensors, acceleration sensors, gyro sensors, etc. For example, in the embodiment of (1) above, the remote control device 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment of (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the embodiment of (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment described in (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0049] (C7) In the second embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result from the internal sensor and reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result from the internal sensor and reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0050] (C8) In the second embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the camera 301, which is an external sensor. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information using the detection results of the internal sensor, determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go, generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location shown in the acquired vehicle position information to the target location, generate a driving control signal for driving along the generated route, and use the generated driving control signal to control the drive unit 110, steering unit 120, and braking unit 130. In this case, the vehicle 100 can drive without using the detection results of the external sensor at all. The vehicle 100 may also acquire the target arrival time and congestion information from outside the vehicle 100 and reflect the target arrival time and congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal.

[0051] (C9) In the first embodiment described above, the remote control device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the remote control device 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, an external operator may operate a control device that includes a display for displaying captured images output from an external sensor, a camera 301, a steering wheel for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the remote control device 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the remote control device 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0052] (C10) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a configuration that allows it to move by unmanned operation, and may take the form of a platform having the configuration described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned operation, it only needs to be equipped with at least a drive unit 110, a steering unit 120, a braking unit 130, and vehicle control devices 150, 150b. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned operation, the vehicle 100 may further be equipped with a communication device 140. That is, the vehicle 100 that can move by unmanned operation does not need to have at least some of the interior parts such as a driver's seat and dashboard, at least some of the exterior parts such as bumpers and fenders, and does not need to have a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before it is shipped from factory KJ, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after it has been shipped from factory KJ, while the remaining parts such as the body shell are not attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be attached from any direction, such as the top, bottom, front, rear, right, or left side of the vehicle 100, and they may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. The positioning of the platform can also be determined in the same way as for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0053] (C11) Vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module means a unit composed of multiple parts grouped together according to the part or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the central part of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that constitute the platform is not limited to three, but may be two or fewer, or four or more. In addition to, or instead of, the parts that constitute the platform may be modularized, as well as parts that constitute parts of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform. Various modules may also include any exterior parts such as bumpers and grilles, or any interior parts such as seats and consoles. Furthermore, not limited to vehicle 100, any type of mobile body may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such modules may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts by welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least a part of the parts that constitute the module as a single part by casting. A molding technique for integrally molding a single component, especially a relatively large component, is also called gigacast or megacast. For example, the front module, central module, and rear module mentioned above may be manufactured using gigacast.

[0054] (C12) Transporting vehicle 100 using the unmanned operation of vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous transport." The configuration for realizing autonomous transport is also called a "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system." Furthermore, a production method that uses autonomous transport to produce vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous production." In autonomous production, for example, at factory KJ where vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a portion of the transport of vehicle 100 is realized by autonomous transport.

[0055] (C13) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in software may be implemented in hardware. Also, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in hardware may be implemented in software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0056] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the summary of the invention can be replaced or combined as appropriate in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10,10b…Unmanned driving system, 100…Vehicle (mobile body), 110…Drive system, 120…Steering system, 125…Steering wheel, 130…Braking system, 140…Communication device, 150,150b…Vehicle control device, 151…Processor, 152…Memory, 153…Input / output interface, 154…Internal bus, 155,155b…Driving control unit, 156…Process information acquisition unit, 157…Surrounding information acquisition unit, 200…Remote control device, 201…Process information acquisition unit, 202…Memory, 203…Input / output interface, 204…Internal bus, 205…Communication device, 210…Process information acquisition unit, 220…Surrounding information acquisition unit, 230…Remote control unit, 300…External sensor group, 301…Camera, 400…Process control device

Claims

1. A control device, A process information acquisition unit that acquires process information related to work processes performed on a mobile body that can be moved by unmanned operation, A surrounding information acquisition unit acquires surrounding information regarding the distance between workers present around the moving object and the moving object. A control unit that moves the moving body by unmanned operation within a range that does not exceed the maximum speed and maximum steering angle predetermined for each work process, and which reduces the maximum steering angle when the distance between the worker and the moving body is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, A control device equipped with the following features.

2. A control device according to claim 1, The surrounding information acquisition unit is a control device that acquires the distance between the worker and the moving object using at least one of a camera and a rangefinder located outside the moving object.

3. A control device according to claim 1, The control unit is a control device that does not reduce the maximum steering angle while the direction of travel of the moving body is being changed.

4. A control device, A process information acquisition unit that acquires process information related to work processes performed on a mobile body that can be moved by unmanned operation, A surrounding information acquisition unit acquires surrounding information regarding the distance between workers present around the moving object and the moving object. A control unit that moves the mobile body by unmanned operation within a range that does not exceed the maximum speed and maximum steering angle predetermined for each work process, and which reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle when the distance between the worker and the mobile body is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, Equipped with, The aforementioned surrounding information acquisition unit further acquires clothing information regarding the worker's attire, The control unit is a control device that, when the distance between the worker and the moving object is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle by a predetermined degree of reduction according to the worker's clothing.

5. An unmanned driving method, We acquire process information regarding work processes performed on mobile objects that can be moved by unmanned operation. Obtain surrounding information regarding the distance between workers present around the moving object and the moving object. The moving body is moved by unmanned operation within a range that does not exceed the predetermined maximum speed and maximum steering angle for each of the aforementioned work processes. If the distance between the worker and the moving object is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, the maximum steering angle is reduced. Unmanned operation method.

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