Cart robot, and program

Abstract

To provide a cart robot and a program capable of properly delivering and receiving luggage.SOLUTION: A cart robot according to an embodiment includes an arm and a control device. The arm delivers and receives luggage. The control device determines an operating speed of the arm that delivers and receives the luggage according to the type of the luggage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to a cart robot and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a cart robot that autonomously travels based on a predetermined cargo collection plan for articles and picks up cargo from a shelf by an arm (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The above-described conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of appropriately delivering and receiving cargo in a cart robot.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cart robot and a program that can appropriately deliver and receive cargo.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A cart robot according to one aspect of an embodiment includes: an arm that delivers and receives cargo; and a control device that determines an operating speed of the arm for delivering and receiving the cargo according to a type of the cargo.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of an embodiment, cargo can be appropriately delivered and received in a cart robot.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a floor plan of a warehouse to which the picking system according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cart robot according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of arm information. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation process of the cart robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that functions as an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The present invention will be described below through embodiments, but these embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0010] Figure 1 is a plan view of the warehouse floor 50 to which the picking system 1 according to this embodiment is applied.

[0011] Picking is the job of collecting (picking up) necessary items (packages). Picking staff play an essential role in shipping items from the warehouse and are therefore deployed in warehouses of all types. In this embodiment, the picking staff is a robot with an arm. In this embodiment, the picking staff is a cart robot 52. The picking staff also includes humanoid robots.

[0012] For example, the main job of a picking staff member is to collect specified items based on pre-assigned lists or order forms, and then pass them on to the inspection and packing staff. The larger the warehouse, the greater the variety and number of items stored, and therefore, a large number of picking staff members will be moving around within the 50-floor warehouse.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, floor 50 is equipped with a storage area (warehouse, shelves, etc.) 54 where multiple baskets 56 are stored. The baskets 56 are items (packages) collected through picking operations. A cart robot 52 moves around this storage area 54. The cart robot 52's main role is to receive and transfer the baskets 56, and it is classified into two types based on its movement path: Fast Track Cart 52A, which moves along the Fast Lane 58, and Local Track Cart 52B, which moves along the Local Picking Lane 60.

[0014] The cart robot 52 handles the transfer of baskets 56. The transfer includes taking baskets 56 out of the storage unit 54 and transporting baskets 56.

[0015] Local lane 60 is an inner lane within floor 50, in other words, a lane set outside the storage unit 54. Local cart 52B moves in a zigzag pattern, approaching and moving away from the storage unit 54, and temporarily slows down or stops to pick up baskets 56 from the storage unit 54. Note that the movement of local cart 52B is not limited to zigzag movement.

[0016] The high-speed lane 58 is an outer lane within the floor 50, in other words, a lane set outside the local lane 60, which receives a basket 56 from a local cart 52B that travels nonstop at, for example, 20 km / h in the local lane 60.

[0017] As a series of operations, for example, after picking up the basket 56, the local cart 52B on the local lane 60 passes the basket 56 to the high-speed cart 52A in a non-stop manner while traveling alongside the high-speed cart 52A on the outer high-speed lane 58 at a speed of 20 km / h in the manner of passing a relay baton. Note that the transfer of the basket 56 between the local cart 52B and the high-speed cart 52A may be performed in a state where each cart robot 52 is stopped.

[0018] On the floor 50, a Docking Station 68 is provided corresponding to the storage unit 54. The docking station 68 serves as a junction between the high-speed lane 58 and the local lane 60.

[0019] The docking station 68 includes, for example, 20 arms and has a function of receiving the basket 56 from the high-speed lane 58.

[0020] At the docking station 68, the high-speed cart 52A temporarily decelerates to, for example, 2 km / h, transfers the basket 56 within, for example, 1 minute, and then accelerates again.

[0021] On the floor 50, in-warehouse sensors 70 including cameras and LiDAR are installed on the ceiling and walls.

[0022] These in-warehouse sensors 70 constantly measure the inter-vehicle distance and speed of the high-speed cart 52A and the local cart 52B. The in-warehouse sensors 70 include at least one of a highest-performance camera, solid-state LiDAR (light detection and ranging), multi-color laser coaxial displacement meter, or various other sensors. The in-warehouse sensors 70 also include a vibrometer, thermographic camera, hardness tester, radar, LiDAR, high-pixel / telephoto / ultra-wide-angle / 360-degree / high-performance camera, vision recognition sensor , minute sound sensor , ultrasonic wave sensor , vibration sensor , infrared ray sensor , ultraviolet ray sensorelectromagnetic waves sensor ,temperature sensor , humidity sensor Spot AI weather forecast Sensors that acquire data High-precision multi-channel GPS, low-altitude satellite information Sensors that acquire data , and long-tail incident AI data Sensors that acquire data These may also be included. The warehouse sensor 70 may include multiple sensors.

[0023] The warehouse sensor 70 receives the above information Other information The following may also be detected: the movement of the center of gravity of the cart robot 52, and the material of the floor on which the cart robot 52 is installed. 、 Floor's vertical, horizontal, and diagonal inclination angles ,odor These are some examples. The warehouse sensor 70 performs these detections, for example, every nanosecond.

[0024] Each piece of measured information is used to control the cart robot 52. For example, each piece of measured information is used to synchronize the high-speed cart 52A and the local cart 52B with each other.

[0025] Next, an example of the configuration of the cart robot 52 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the cart robot 52 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the cart robot 52 comprises a vehicle body 10, a plurality of arms 11, a sensor 13, and an information processing device 15 (see Figure 3). The cart robot 52 described below is applicable to at least one of the high-speed cart 52A and the local cart 52B.

[0026] The vehicle body 10 is formed, for example, in the shape of a box with an opening at the top. The vehicle body 10 is capable of carrying a basket 56. The vehicle body 10 is provided with a plurality of drive wheels 10a. Each drive wheel 10a is provided with a motor. The rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a is adjusted by the motor. By adjusting the rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a, the vehicle body 10 can travel in the forward / backward, left / right, and diagonal directions. Furthermore, by adjusting the rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a, the vehicle body 10 can rotate 360 ​​degrees.

[0027] Arm 11 is used for transferring baskets (luggage) 56. Arm 11 is attached to the vehicle body 10. By attaching the base end of arm 11 to the vehicle body 10, arm 11 is fixed to the vehicle body 10. For example, the base end of arm 11 is attached to the upper end of the vehicle body 10. Multiple arms 11 (for example, two) are provided on the vehicle body 10. In the following, one of the two arms 11 may be referred to as "first arm 11a" and the other as "second arm 11b". Also, when explaining without particularly distinguishing between the first arm 11a and the second arm 11b, they may be referred to as "arm 11".

[0028] The number of arms 11 shown in Figure 2 is merely an example and not limiting. In other words, the cart robot 52 may have one or more arms 11. Also, Figure 2 shows the case where it is fixed to the side of the vehicle body 10, but it is not limited to this. Furthermore, the picking system 1 may include a cart robot 52 that does not have arms 11. A cart robot 52 without arms 11 may be used, for example, as a high-speed cart 52A that travels on a high-speed lane 58, specifically as a robot specialized in transporting goods.

[0029] The height at which the arm 11 is attached is the shoulder height of a warehouse worker. The height at which the arm 11 is attached is the average shoulder height of a warehouse worker. For example, the height at which the arm 11 is attached is 150 cm from the floor. For example, in the cart robot 52, the height of the base end of the arm 11 attached to the vehicle body 10 is 150 cm from the floor.

[0030] The arm 11 has a plurality of rod sections 12a, a plurality of joint sections 12b, and a holding section 12c. The joint sections 12b are provided, for example, between two rod sections 12a, allowing the two rod sections 12a to rotate relative to each other. Each joint section 12b has a motor. By rotating the rod sections 12a relative to each joint section 12b, the arm 11 can extend and retract and rotate 360 ​​degrees.

[0031] The holding portion 12c is provided at the tip of the arm 11 and holds the basket 56. There are several types of holding portions 12c according to this embodiment, and the method of holding the basket 56 differs from one another. Specifically, the holding portion 12c includes a gripping portion, an attraction holding portion, and a magnetic holding portion.

[0032] The gripping part is a so-called robot hand and is configured to grip the basket (luggage) 56 by clamping it. The suction holding part has a suction port and is configured to hold the basket (luggage) 56 by suction from the suction port. The magnetic holding part has, for example, a magnet (electromagnet or permanent magnet) and is configured to hold the basket (luggage) 56 by the magnetic force of the magnet. When the magnetic holding part is used as the holding part 12c, the basket 56 is fitted with a metal plate or magnet that attracts the magnet of the magnetic holding part.

[0033] The type of holding portion 12c provided on the arm 11 can be arbitrarily set. For example, the holding portion 12c1 of the first arm 11a may be a gripping portion, and the holding portion 12c2 of the second arm 11b may be an attraction holding portion. Alternatively, the holding portion 12c1 of the first arm 11a may be a gripping portion, and the holding portion 12c2 of the second arm 11b may be a magnetic holding portion. Although not shown in the figures, if there are three arms 11, the first arm 11 may have a gripping portion, and the second arm 11 The third arm 11 may be equipped with a suction holding part, and the third arm 11 may be equipped with a magnetic holding part. Thus, in the cart robot 52 according to this embodiment, the types of holding parts 12c of the multiple arms 11 are configured to be different from each other.

[0034] In the above example, the holding parts 12c of multiple arms 11 are of different types, but the system is not limited to this, and the holding parts 12c of multiple arms 11 may be of the same type. Furthermore, the tip of each arm 11 may be equipped with a camera capable of photographing the basket 56 to be held and identifying the type of basket 56.

[0035] Furthermore, the holding portion 12c does not need to include all of the gripping portion, suction holding portion, and magnetic holding portion described above; it is sufficient if it includes at least one of the gripping portion, suction holding portion, and magnetic holding portion. Also, the holding portion 12c is not limited to the gripping portion, suction holding portion, and magnetic holding portion; it may include a holding portion that holds the basket 56 by other means, such as lifting and holding the basket 56.

[0036] Sensor 13 is attached to the vehicle body 10. Sensor 13 is located on the front side of the vehicle body 10. For example, sensor 13 is located at the front end of the vehicle body 10. Sensor 13 is located at the upper end of the vehicle body 10. Sensor 13 may be located so as to protrude above the vehicle body 10. Sensor 13 is attached near the center of the vehicle body 10 in the left-right direction. For example, arm 11 and sensor 13 are located opposite each other on the vehicle body 10. The type of sensor 13 is the same as that of the warehouse sensor 70. Sensor 13 may include multiple sensors.

[0037] Next, the information processing device 15 (control device) will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 15. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 15 comprises an information acquisition unit 150, a control unit 152, and an information storage unit 154.

[0038] The information acquisition unit 150 acquires information detected by the sensor 13. The information acquisition unit 150 also acquires information detected by the warehouse sensor 70.

[0039] The information acquisition unit 150 acquires signals transmitted from a control center or the like that instructs the operation of the cart robot 52.

[0040] The information storage unit 154 is implemented by a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory element like RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory. The information storage unit 154 stores various programs executed by the control unit 152. The information storage unit 154 also stores information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150.

[0041] The information storage unit 154 stores arm information indicating the operation of the arm 11. Figure 4 shows an example of arm information 154a.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the arm information 154a includes items such as "arm information ID," "type of load," "stability priority," "arm operating speed," and "type of holding part," and the data for each item is related to (linked) to each other. The information included in each item, "type of load," "stability priority," "arm operating speed," and "type of holding part," is pre-set information, but is not limited to this.

[0043] The "Arm Information ID" is information that identifies the arm information. The "Type of Luggage" is information that indicates the type of basket (luggage) 56. The "Type of Luggage" may include information such as electronic equipment, precision instruments, home appliances, clothing, food products, and books, but these are examples and not limiting. In the example shown in Figure 4, for convenience, the "Type of Luggage" is abstractly described as "B01," but "B01" will store specific information. Other information may also be described abstractly below.

[0044] In this embodiment, the operating speed of the arm 11 is determined according to the type of basket (luggage) 56 described above, thereby enabling the cart robot 52 to properly transfer the basket 56. This will be explained later.

[0045] "Stability priority" indicates the degree to which stability is prioritized when the corresponding basket (package) 56 is transported during handover, etc. "Stability priority" can be, for example, high or medium. The levels are set in stages, such as low, etc. Note that Figure 4 shows an example where the "stability priority" has three levels, but it is not limited to this, and there may be two or four or more levels.

[0046] To explain in more detail, among the "types of cargo," electronic devices, precision instruments, and home appliances are susceptible to vibrations during transport due to their nature. Therefore, it is preferable for electronic devices to be transported with relatively little vibration, and thus transport stability is prioritized. In other words, for electronic devices, stability takes precedence over transport speed. Accordingly, the "priority of stability" for "types of cargo" corresponding to electronic devices is set to be high.

[0047] Furthermore, among the "types of luggage," clothing, food, books, etc., have a higher tolerance to vibrations during transport compared to electronic devices, etc., and therefore speed takes precedence over stability during transport. In other words, for clothing, etc., speed takes precedence while ensuring a certain degree of stability during transport. Therefore, the "priority of stability" for clothing, etc., is set to be moderate or low. To put it another way, the "priority of stability" for clothing, etc., is set to be lower than the "priority of stability" for electronic devices, etc.

[0048] The electronic devices, precision instruments, and home appliances mentioned above are just examples of the specified types of cargo. The clothing, food items, and books mentioned above are examples of other types of cargo that differ from the specified types. Therefore, the specified types of cargo (in this case, electronic devices, etc.) are those for which stability during transport is a higher priority than other types of cargo (in this case, clothing, etc.).

[0049] "Arm operating speed" is information indicating the operating speed of arm 11. More specifically, "arm operating speed" is the operating speed when arm 11 is transferring basket 56, or in other words, it is information indicating the operating speed when arm 11 is holding and transporting basket 56.

[0050] The "arm operating speed" is set in stages, such as high speed, medium speed, and low speed. Specifically, the "arm operating speed" corresponding to "types of cargo" with a high priority for stability is set to low speed. The "arm operating speed" corresponding to "types of cargo" with a moderate priority for stability is set to medium speed, which is faster than low speed. The "arm operating speed" corresponding to "types of cargo" with a low priority for stability is set to high speed, which is faster than low speed or medium speed. Note that Figure 4 shows an example where the "arm operating speed" has three stages, but it is not limited to this, and there may be two stages or four or more stages.

[0051] "Type of holding part" is information indicating the type of holding part 12c of the arm 11 that transfers the basket 56. "Type of holding part" includes the gripping part, suction holding part, and magnetic holding part mentioned above. Note that "Type of holding part" should be set to the type of holding part 12c attached to the arm 11.

[0052] For example, for "types of cargo" where stability is a high priority, the "type of holding part" is set to a type of holding part 12c (for example, a gripping part) that can stably hold and transport the basket 56. Also, for "types of cargo" where stability is a moderate or low priority (in other words, "types of cargo" where speed is a priority), the "type of holding part" is set to a type of holding part 12c (for example, a suction holding part or a magnetic holding part) that can hold the basket 56 relatively quickly and transport it at a medium or high speed. Note that the above examples show specific types of holding parts 12c corresponding to "types of cargo," but these are illustrative and not limiting.

[0053] In the example shown in Figure 4, the arm information identified by arm information ID "A01" indicates that the type of load is "B01", the stability priority is "high", the arm operating speed is "low", and the type of holding part is "C01". The arm information identified by arm information ID "A02" indicates that the type of load is "B02", the stability priority is "medium", the arm operating speed is "medium", and the type of holding part is "C02". The arm information identified by arm information ID "A03" indicates that the type of load is "B03", the stability priority is "low", the arm operating speed is "high", and the type of holding part is "C03".

[0054] Continuing the explanation of Figure 3, the control unit 152 controls the operation of the arm 11 and the vehicle body 10 based on signals transmitted from the control center or the like and acquired by the information acquisition unit 150.

[0055] The control unit 152 controls the movement of the arm 11 using the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 and AI (Artificial Intelligence). The control unit 152 controls the motors of each joint 12b of the arm 11.

[0056] Furthermore, the control unit 152 controls the operation of the vehicle body 10 using the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 and the AI. The control unit 152 controls the motors of each drive wheel 10a of the vehicle body 10. The control unit 152 controls the operation of the vehicle body 10 using the information detected by the sensor 13 and the warehouse sensor 70.

[0057] The information detected by the sensor 13 and the warehouse sensor 70 includes information about the basket 56 that the arm 11 of the cart robot 52 is scheduled to deliver. This information about the basket 56 includes information indicating the type of basket (package) 56.

[0058] The control unit 152 controls the operation of the arm 11 based on information indicating the type of basket 56 and the arm information 154a described above (see Figure 4). Specifically, the control unit 152 determines the operating speed of the arm 11 that will transfer the basket 56 according to the type of basket 56. In other words, the control unit 152 determines the operating speed of the arm 11 from the time the arm 11 holds the basket 56 until it hands over the basket 56 or places the basket 56 on the vehicle body 10, according to the type of basket 56. That is, the control unit 152 determines the operating speed of the arm 11 after it has held the basket 56, according to the type of basket 56.

[0059] As a result, the control unit 152 in this embodiment can determine the operating speed of the arm 11 to a value appropriate to the type of basket 56 to be handed over, thereby enabling the cart robot 52 to properly hand over the basket 56.

[0060] Specifically, the control unit 152 makes the operating speed of the arm 11 that handles the transfer of baskets 56 containing electronic devices (a predetermined type of luggage) different from the operating speed of the arm 11 that handles baskets 56 containing clothing (a different type of luggage). More specifically, the control unit 152 makes the operating speed of the arm 11 different when the type of basket 56 to be transferred is electronic devices and the priority of stability during transport is relatively high, and when the type of basket 56 to be transferred is clothing and the priority of stability during transport is lower than that of electronic devices.

[0061] In this way, the control unit 152 makes the operating speed of the arm 11 different depending on the type of basket 56 to be handed over. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to determine the operating speed of the arm 11 according to the type of basket 56, and thus the cart robot 52 can more appropriately hand over the basket 56.

[0062] More specifically, if the type of basket 56 to be handed over is electronic equipment, and the basket 56 prioritizes stability during transport over clothing, the control unit 152 will reduce the operating speed of the arm 11 that handles the handedover of the electronic equipment basket 56 (a predetermined type of luggage) compared to the operating speed of the arm 11 that handles clothing (other types of luggage). In other words, the control unit 152 slows down the operating speed of the arm 11.

[0063] As a result, in this embodiment, the basket 56 (a predetermined type of cargo) containing electronic equipment and the like is stably handed over and transported by the relatively slow arm 11, making it less likely for vibrations or drops to occur to the basket 56, and allowing for more appropriate handover of the basket 56.

[0064] Furthermore, if the type of basket 56 to be handed over is clothing or the like, and the speed of transport is prioritized over that of electronic equipment, the control unit 152 increases the operating speed of the arm 11 that handles the handover of the clothing basket 56 (other types of luggage) compared to the operating speed of the arm 11 that handles the handover of the electronic equipment basket 56 (a predetermined type of luggage). In other words, the control unit 152 sets the operating speed of the arm 11 to medium or high speed.

[0065] As a result, in this embodiment, baskets 56 (various types of luggage) such as clothing are quickly handed over and transported by the medium-speed or high-speed arm 11 while ensuring stability, thus enabling more appropriate handover of baskets 56.

[0066] Thus, in this embodiment, by determining the operating speed of the arm 11 according to the type of basket 56 to be transferred, it is possible to achieve both stability and speed during transport.

[0067] The control unit 152 may set the operating speed of the arm 11 when the arm 11 is not holding the basket 56 to a preset initial speed (for example, high speed). Specifically, the control unit 152 may set the operating speed of the arm 11 to an initial speed (for example, high speed) before the arm 11 holds the basket 56, after the basket 56 is handed over, and after the basket 56 is placed on the vehicle body 10. The control unit 152 may also determine the operating speed of the arm 11 before it holds the basket 56 according to the type of basket 56.

[0068] Furthermore, the control unit 152 may change the type of holding part 12c of the arm 11 that handles the transfer of the basket (luggage) 56, depending on the type of basket 56. In this embodiment, this makes it possible to properly hold the basket 56 with the arm 11, thereby enabling the transfer of the basket 56 to be performed more efficiently.

[0069] Specifically, the control unit 152 ensures that the holding part 12c of the arm 11 that handles the transfer of baskets 56 containing electronic devices (a predetermined type of luggage) is different from the holding part 12c of the arm 11 that handles baskets 56 containing clothing (a different type of luggage). More specifically, the control unit 152 ensures that the holding part 12c of the arm 11 is different when the type of basket 56 to be transferred is electronic devices and the priority of stability during transport is relatively high, and when the type of basket 56 to be transferred is clothing and the priority of stability during transport is lower compared to electronic devices.

[0070] More specifically, if the type of basket 56 to be handed over is electronic equipment or the like, and the stability during transport is prioritized over that of clothing or the like, the control unit 152 will use a holding part 12c (for example, a gripping part) that can stably hold and transport the basket 56 as the holding part 12c of the arm 11 that hands over the basket 56 of electronic equipment or the like (a predetermined type of luggage).

[0071] As a result, in this embodiment, the basket 56 (a predetermined type of luggage) containing electronic equipment and the like is stably held and handed over by the arm 11 during transport, making it less likely for vibrations or drops to occur to the basket 56, and enabling more appropriate handover of the basket 56.

[0072] Furthermore, if the type of basket 56 to be handed over is clothing or the like, and the speed of transport is prioritized over electronic equipment, the control unit 152 will use a holding part 12c (for example, a suction holding part or a magnetic holding part) that can hold the basket 56 relatively quickly and transport it at a medium or high speed as the holding part 12c of the arm 11 that handles the handover of the clothing basket 56 (other types of luggage).

[0073] As a result, in this embodiment, the basket 56 (other types of luggage) containing clothing and other items is held stably by the medium-speed or high-speed arm 11, and is quickly handed over and transported, thus enabling more efficient handling of the basket 56.

[0074] Thus, in this embodiment, by changing the type of holding part 12c of the arm 11 according to the type of basket 56 to be transferred, it is possible to achieve both stability and speed during transport.

[0075] Next, the operation process of the cart robot 52 according to this embodiment will be explained using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation process of the cart robot 52 according to this embodiment.

[0076] As shown in Figure 5, the information processing device 15 starts preparing to hand over the basket 56 based on signals transmitted from a control center or the like that instructs the operation of the cart robot 52 (step S100). Next, the information processing device 15 identifies the type of basket 56 that the arm 11 is scheduled to hand over (step S101). For example, the information processing device 15 identifies the type of basket 56 based on signals transmitted from a control center or the like, and information about the basket 56 detected by the sensor 13 and the warehouse sensor 70.

[0077] Next, the information processing device 15 determines the operating speed of the arm 11 according to the type of basket 56 identified (step S102). The information processing device 15 determines the type of holding part 12c of the arm 11 according to the type of basket 56 (step S103). In the example in Figure 5, the steps were described in the order of steps S102 and S103, but the processing may also be performed in the order of steps S103 and S102, or steps S102 and S103 may be performed in parallel.

[0078] Next, the information processing device 15 transfers the basket 56 using the arm 11 to which the determined operating speed and type of holding unit 12c are applied (step S104). The information processing device 15 may also perform these series of operations based on instructions from a control center (not shown).

[0079] The information processing device 15 may also use information detected by the warehouse sensor 70 to control the movement of the arm 11 and the movement of the vehicle body 10. For example, when the local cart 52B retrieves a basket 56 from the storage unit 54, the information processing device 15 determines the position of the vehicle body 10 relative to the basket 56 to be retrieved from the storage unit 54, and the position of the arm 11 relative to the basket 56 to be retrieved from the storage unit 54, based on the information acquired by the sensor 13.

[0080] The information processing device 15 then moves the vehicle body 10 to the determined position. As the vehicle body 10 moves, the information processing device 15 moves the arm 11 to the determined position. The information processing device 15 controls the operation of the vehicle body 10 and the operation of the arm 11 according to the arrangement of the storage unit 54, the position of the basket 56, and the presence or absence of other local carts 52B.

[0081] For example, when the local cart 52B hands over the basket 56 to the high-speed cart 52A, the information processing device 15 of the local cart 52B determines the position of the local cart 52B's body 10 and the position of the local cart 52B's arm 11 relative to the high-speed cart 52A, based on information acquired by the sensor 13. The information processing device 15 of the local cart 52B then controls the operation of the local cart 52B's body 10 and the operation of the local cart 52B's arm 11.

[0082] Furthermore, when the local cart 52B hands over the basket 56 to the high-speed cart 52A, the information processing device 15 of the high-speed cart 52A may similarly control the operation of the arm 11 of the high-speed cart 52A. The information processing device 15 of the high-speed cart 52A also controls the operation of the vehicle body 10 of the high-speed cart 52A.

[0083] As described above, the cart robot 52 according to this embodiment comprises an arm 11 and an information processing device 15 (an example of a control device). The arm 11 is responsible for transferring the basket 56. The information processing device 15 determines the operating speed of the arm 11 that transfers the basket 56 according to the type of basket 56. This allows the transfer of the basket 56 to be performed appropriately according to the type of basket 56.

[0084] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 that functions as an information processing device 15. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "parts" of the device according to this embodiment, or to cause the computer 1200 to execute operations associated with the device according to this embodiment or such one or more "parts", and / or to cause the computer 1200 to execute a process or a stage of such process according to this embodiment. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to execute specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0085] The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, RAM 1214, and a graphics controller 1216, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive and a DVD-RAM drive, etc. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive, etc. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0086] The CPU 1212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 1230 and RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 1212 and stores it in a frame buffer provided in RAM 1214 or within itself, so that the image data is displayed on the display device 1218.

[0087] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0088] The ROM 1230 stores boot programs and / or hardware-dependent programs of the computer 1200, which are executed by the computer 1200 upon activation. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via USB ports, parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

[0089] The program is provided on a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable storage medium and installed on a storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 1200, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

[0090] For example, when communication is performed between a computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 1214 and instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 1214, storage device 1224, DVD-ROM, or IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area provided on the recording medium.

[0091] Furthermore, the CPU 1212 may read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), or an IC card into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may then write the processed data back to the external recording medium.

[0092] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU 1212 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the specified condition for the attribute value of the first attribute, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0093] The program or software module described above may be stored on or near the computer 1200 in a computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0094] In this embodiment, blocks in the flowchart and block diagram may represent a stage in a process in which an operation is performed or a "part" of a device that has the role of performing an operation. A particular stage and "part" may be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs), which include logical AND, logical OR, exclusive OR, negated AND, negated OR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements.

[0095] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by a suitable device, and as a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein will comprise a product that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0096] Computer-readable instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, Java®, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0097] Computer-readable instructions may be provided to a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or a programmable circuit, either locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet, so that the computer-readable instructions may be executed by the processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, in order to generate means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, and the like.

[0098] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0099] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, systems, programs, and methods described in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before" or "prior to," and that these can be implemented in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," and "next," for convenience, this does not mean that it is essential to perform the operations in that order. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 11 Arms 12c Holding part 15. Information Processing Device (Control Device) 52 Cart Robots 56 Basket

Claims

1. An arm for transferring luggage, A control device that determines the operating speed of the arm that delivers the package, according to the type of package, Equipped with, The aforementioned luggage is, This includes a predetermined type of cargo and other types of cargo that are different from the predetermined type. The aforementioned specified type of luggage is This is a type of cargo for which stability during transport is prioritized over the aforementioned other types of cargo. The aforementioned arm is It includes a holding section for holding the aforementioned luggage, The aforementioned retaining part is It includes at least one of a gripping portion for gripping the load, a suction holding portion for holding the load by suction, and a magnetic holding portion for holding the load by magnetic force, The control device is When the arm is used to transfer the predetermined type of cargo, the gripping part is used as the holding part of the arm, and the operating speed of the arm is reduced compared to the operating speed of the arm used to transfer other types of cargo. When the arm is used to transfer the other types of cargo, the suction holding part or the magnetic holding part is used as the holding part of the arm, and the operating speed of the arm is increased compared to the operating speed of the arm used to transfer the predetermined types of cargo. Cart robot.

2. The control device is If the arm is not holding the load, the operating speed of the arm is set to a preset initial speed. The aforementioned initial speed is, The operating speed is faster than that of the arm that handles the transfer of the aforementioned other types of cargo. The cart robot according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned arms are multiple, Each of the multiple arms is equipped with the holding portion. The cart robot according to claim 1.

4. This is a program for controlling a cart robot. Control procedure for controlling the arm that handles the transfer of luggage, A determination procedure for determining the operating speed of the arm that delivers the package, according to the type of package, Have the computer run it, The aforementioned luggage is, This includes a predetermined type of cargo and other types of cargo that are different from the predetermined type. The aforementioned specified type of luggage is This is a type of cargo for which stability during transport is prioritized over the aforementioned other types of cargo. The arm is equipped with a holding portion for holding the load, The aforementioned retaining part is It includes at least one of a gripping portion for gripping the load, a suction holding portion for holding the load by suction, and a magnetic holding portion for holding the load by magnetic force, When the arm is used to transfer the predetermined type of cargo, the control procedure uses the gripping part as the holding part of the arm, and the determination procedure reduces the operating speed of the arm to a lower speed than the operating speed of the arm used to transfer other types of cargo. When the arm is used to transfer the other types of cargo, the control procedure uses the suction holding part or the magnetic holding part as the holding part of the arm, and the determination procedure increases the operating speed of the arm compared to the operating speed of the arm used to transfer the predetermined type of cargo. program.

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