Control device, control method, and program

Abstract

This control device: sets an entry avoidance region around a predicted position of each of one or more pedestrians; sets a passing point for each of the pedestrians on the basis of the entry avoidance region; selects, on each of the left and right sides, a passing point having the largest azimuth angle as viewed from a mobile body on the basis of a direction connecting the mobile body at the present time and the destination; generates a first path connecting the selected passing point and the destination; and generates a second path in which the mobile body should proceed by adding a passing point outside the first path.

Description

Control device, control method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a program.

[0002] In recent years, research and practical application of mobile objects that can move in the same space as pedestrians has progressed. This type of mobile object moves autonomously by generating a path that does not get too close to obstacles such as pedestrians. In this regard, an invention on avoidance control of a robot using personal space has been disclosed (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-13038

[0004] The above-mentioned mobile object may move in a place where pedestrians are present (floor, sidewalk, open space, etc.). In such a place, there may not only be a small number of pedestrians, but also a relatively large number of pedestrians present at the same time. Conventional technology cannot easily generate a route when multiple pedestrians are present, and the processing load may increase.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a control device, a control method, and a program that can easily generate a route even when there are multiple pedestrians, and that can reduce the processing load.

[0006] The control device, control method, and program according to the present invention employ the following configuration: (1): A control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device that controls a mobile object that autonomously moves, at least temporarily, in an area where pedestrians walk, and includes: a recognition unit that recognizes positions of one or more pedestrians in time series, a destination setting unit that sets a destination of the mobile object, an area setting unit that sets an entry avoidance area around an expected position of each of the one or more pedestrians, and a generation unit that sets waypoints for each pedestrian based on the entry avoidance area, selects waypoints on both the left and right sides that have the largest azimuth angle as seen from the mobile object with respect to a direction connecting the mobile object and the destination at a current time, generates a first route connecting the selected waypoints and the destination, and generates a second route to be traveled by the mobile object by adding waypoints that are outside the first route.

[0007] (2): In the aspect (1) above, the area setting unit sets an entry avoidance area around each predicted position of the one or more pedestrians at a future time when the one or more pedestrians are predicted to come closest to the moving body.

[0008] (3): In the aspect (1) above, the generation unit generates the first route and the second route using geometric curves that smoothly connect the current position of the moving body, the intermediate points, and the destination.

[0009] (4) In the aspect (1) above, the destination setting unit sets the destination at a relative position with respect to the person to be followed that the moving body is to follow.

[0010] (5): In the aspect of (4) above, the destination setting unit sets multiple destination candidates when the number of pedestrians recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and the generation unit, when the destination setting unit sets multiple destination candidates, generates the first route and the second route for each of the multiple destination candidates and outputs the second route selected based on a predetermined criterion as a final route.

[0011] (6) In the aspect (1) above, the destination setting unit sets the destination of the moving object to a location set by a user.

[0012] (7) In the aspect (1) above, the destination setting unit estimates the destination of the moving object to be the destination of the user estimated based on the user's behavior.

[0013] (8) In the above aspect (1), the area setting unit sets an entry avoidance area around each predicted position of the one or more pedestrians at each future time point.

[0014] (9): A control method according to another aspect of the present invention is a control method executed by a control device that controls a mobile body that moves autonomously, at least temporarily, in an area where pedestrians walk, the control method comprising: recognizing the positions of one or more pedestrians in chronological order; setting a destination of the mobile body; setting an entry avoidance area around the predicted position of each of the one or more pedestrians; setting waypoints for each pedestrian based on the entry avoidance area; selecting waypoints on both the left and right sides that have the largest azimuth angle as seen from the mobile body based on a direction connecting the mobile body and the destination at the current time; generating a first route connecting the selected waypoints and the destination; and generating a second route along which the mobile body should proceed by adding waypoints that are outside the first route.

[0015] (10): A program according to another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a processor of a control device that controls a mobile body that moves autonomously, at least temporarily, in an area where pedestrians walk, to execute the following operations: recognizing the positions of one or more pedestrians in chronological order; setting a destination of the mobile body; setting an entry avoidance area around the predicted position of each of the one or more pedestrians; setting waypoints for each pedestrian based on the entry avoidance area; selecting waypoints on both the left and right sides that have the largest azimuth angle as seen from the mobile body based on the direction connecting the mobile body and the destination at the current time; generating a first route connecting the selected waypoints and the destination; and generating a second route along which the mobile body should proceed by adding waypoints that are outside the first route.

[0016] According to aspects (1) to (10), a route can be easily generated even when there are multiple pedestrians, and the processing load can be reduced.

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a mobile body equipped with a control device; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how a destination is set; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a set entry avoidance area; FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the processing of a via point setting unit; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how via points are selected; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how a first route is generated; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how a second route is generated; and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing how a plurality of destination candidates are set.

[0018] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of a control device, a control method, and a program of the present invention will be described. The control device of the present invention controls the drive device of a mobile body to move the mobile body. In the present invention, a mobile body autonomously moves in an area where pedestrians walk. The area where pedestrians walk includes sidewalks, public open spaces, floors within buildings, etc., and may also include roadways. In the following description, it is assumed that no person rides on the mobile body, but it is also acceptable for a person to ride on the mobile body.

[0019] A mobile object may lead a leading subject, follow a following subject, or move independently toward a destination. The leading subject or following subject may be, for example, a pedestrian, but may also be a robot or an animal. When following a following subject, for example, a location around the following subject is treated as the destination. In the following description, the mobile object moves toward a destination set as a relative position of the following subject. Note that such an operation need not be performed constantly, but may be performed temporarily. For example, when the mobile object is placed in a predetermined state, the mobile object's control device may execute the algorithm of the present invention to perform the operation temporarily.

[0020] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a mobile object equipped with a control device. The mobile object 1 includes, for example, a body 5 equipped with an HMI 10, a detection device 20, a position identification device 30, and a control device 100, a movement mechanism 40 attached to the body 5, and a sensor 50 attached to the movement mechanism 40 or the like.

[0021] The HMI 10 presents various information to the follower F and accepts input operations from the user. The HMI 10 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, etc. For example, the HMI 10 accepts input of a destination (a predetermined location, oneself, etc.) by the user.

[0022] The detection device 20 is a device that generates data for recognizing objects and a follower F that exist around the moving body 1. The detection device 20 includes, for example, sensors such as a camera, a radar device, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and an ultrasonic sensor that have a detection range around the moving body 1, and an object recognition device that identifies an object by performing sensor fusion processing based on the outputs of these sensors.

[0023] The positioning device 30 is a device that determines the position of the moving body 1. The positioning device 30 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver that determines the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The positioning device 30 may determine or supplement the position of the moving body 1 using an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that uses the output of a sensor 50, which will be described later. The positioning device 30 may also have an electromagnetic wave receiving function and determine or supplement the position of the moving body 1 based on the intensity of electromagnetic waves arriving from surrounding electromagnetic wave sources (whose positions are known).

[0024] The movement mechanism 40 is a mechanism for moving the moving body 1 including the body 5 in any direction. The movement mechanism 40 includes, for example, a plurality of wheels, a drive motor attached to one or more of the wheels, and a steering device attached to one or more of the wheels. There are no particular restrictions on the configuration of the movement mechanism 40, and the movement mechanism 40 may include pseudo feet for walking on two legs.

[0025] The sensor 50 is a sensor for detecting the behavior of the mobile body 1. The sensor 50 includes, for example, a wheel speed sensor for detecting the wheel speed, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration acting on the mobile body 1, a yaw rate sensor attached near the center of gravity of the body part 5 in the horizontal direction, a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of the steered wheels (steered wheels), and an orientation sensor for detecting the orientation of the mobile body 1 in the horizontal direction.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control device. The control device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, a destination setting unit 120, an area setting unit 130, a generation unit 140, and a movement control unit 150. The generation unit 140 includes, for example, a waypoint setting unit 141, a waypoint selection unit 142, a first route generation unit 143, a waypoint reselection unit 144, and a second route generation unit 145. These components are implemented by a hardware processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry), such as a large-scale integration (LSI), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the storage device by inserting the storage medium into a drive device. Note that the control device 100 may store map information including at least a local map of the location where the mobile object 1 operates in the storage unit.

[0027] The processing of each unit described below is repeatedly executed for each control cycle that arrives at a predetermined interval (executed in chronological order). Therefore, the moving object 1 does not move along the route generated at a certain point in time until it reaches its destination. The route is updated to a new one due to changes in the surrounding environment, etc., and the control content of the moving object 1 is updated based on the latest updated route. The parameter (t) below represents the control cycle (control timing).

[0028] The recognition unit 110 recognizes objects present around the mobile body 1 in chronological order based on information input from the detection device 20. The objects include pedestrians, including leading and following subjects if present, and static obstacles. The recognition unit 110 recognizes the object's position, speed, acceleration, and other conditions. The object's position is recognized as a relative position as seen from the mobile body 1, converted into a position on an imaginary plane S that represents the space around the mobile body 1 as a two-dimensional plane seen from above, and used for subsequent processing. In the following description, a position refers to a single point.

[0029] The destination setting unit 120 sets a destination for the moving body 1. For example, if a person to be followed is present, the destination tgt is set to a relative position relative to the person to be followed U (for example, a position directly behind or diagonally behind the person to be followed and approximately several tens of centimeters to one meter away from the person to be followed). FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating how a destination is set. In the diagram, DM is the movement vector of the moving body 1. Alternatively, the destination setting unit 120 may set a fixed position set by a user (a leading person, a following person, or another person) as the destination tgt. The destination setting unit 120 may also set the user's destination estimated from the user's behavior as the destination tgt. When estimating the user's destination, the destination setting unit 120 may simply estimate the destination from the history of the user's movement vector, or may estimate the user's destination by analyzing the user's surrounding environment based on the output of the detection device 20, recognizing the positions of objects (stores, counters, doors, etc.) that the user is likely to select as the destination, and comparing the positions with the history of the user's movement vector. Furthermore, if the user moves to the same place periodically, the destination setting unit 120 may estimate the user's destination based on the user's movement history. Furthermore, if the user moves in a manner that follows a specific other person, the destination setting unit 120 may estimate the other person's location as the user's location.

[0030] The region setting unit 130 sets an entry avoidance area AR(i, t) around the predicted position of each of one or more pedestrians Pi. For example, the region setting unit 130 sets the entry avoidance area AR(i, t) around the predicted position of each of one or more pedestrians Pi at a future time point when the one or more pedestrians Pi are predicted to be closest to the moving body 1. Alternatively, the region setting unit 130 may select any time point from a time period when the one or more pedestrians are predicted to approach the moving body 1 and set the entry avoidance area AR(i, t) around the predicted position of each of the one or more pedestrians Pi at that time point. Alternatively, the region setting unit 130 may set the entry avoidance area AR(i, t) by any other method that achieves a similar purpose. i is identification information of the pedestrian (i = 1, 2, ...). Prior to this, the region setting unit 130 calculates the predicted position of each of the one or more pedestrians Pi at each future time point. For example, the area setting unit 130 calculates the predicted position of the pedestrian Pi under the assumption that the pedestrian Pi moves at a constant speed or a constant acceleration while maintaining the current moving direction. Furthermore, the area setting unit 130 may set the entry avoidance area AR(i, t) not only at the "future time point at which one or more pedestrians are predicted to come closest to the moving body 1" but also at each future time point. The entry avoidance area AR(i, t) at each time point is used, for example, to avoid approaching a pedestrian in an emergency, according to a rule separate from the path generation described below. In the following description, the "entry avoidance area" refers to the "entry avoidance area at the future time point at which one or more pedestrians Pi are predicted to come closest to the moving body 1 (assuming that the moving body 1 moves at a predetermined speed toward the destination tgt)." FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a set entry avoidance area. In the figure, the arrows attached to the pedestrians Pi represent the movement vectors of each pedestrian Pi. The entry avoidance area AR(i, t) is set to a shape that protrudes toward the moving direction of the pedestrian Pi.

[0031] The via point setting unit 141 of the generation unit 140 sets via points for each pedestrian Pi based on the entry avoidance area AR(i, t). For example, the via point setting unit 141 sets via points along the outer edge of the entry avoidance area AR(i, t) for each pedestrian Pi. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the via point setting unit. "Setting along the outer edge" means, for example, setting along the line segment L connecting the moving object 1 and the destination tgt.Ｍｔ This means that the waypoints are set at positions offset by the safety margin distance Y of the moving body 1 from the two end points of the entry avoidance area AR(i, t) in a direction perpendicular to the moving body 1. The safety margin distance Y is set to a distance slightly larger than the radius of the moving body 1 when viewed from above (the distance from the center of gravity to the farthest point if it is not circular). In this way, two waypoints Lvi-L and Lvi-R are set for each pedestrian Pi. The L and R following the hyphen indicate which side they are on when viewed from the moving body 1.

[0032] The via point selection unit 142 selects a line segment L connecting the current moving object 1 and the destination tgt. Ｍｔ Using the direction of the arrow Lv1 as a reference, the way points with the largest azimuth angle as seen from the moving body 1 are selected on both the left and right sides as seen from the moving body 1. Figure 6 is a diagram showing how way points are selected. In the example shown, way points Lv3-L and Lv1-R are selected.

[0033] The first route generation unit 143 generates two first routes Path1-L and Path1-R that connect the two selected waypoints with the destination, respectively. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing how the first routes are generated. The first route generation unit 143 generates the first route by using the current position of the mobile object 1, the selected waypoints, and the destination tgt as input values ​​and generating a geometric curve such as a spline curve that smoothly connects these values.

[0034] The way point reselection unit 144 selects a way point that is outside the first route. "Outside" means that it is outside the area AP defined by the two first routes Path1-L and Path1-R. In the example shown in the figure, only the way point Lv4-R is outside the area AP, so the way point Lv4-R is selected.

[0035] The second path generation unit 145 generates second paths Path2-L and Path2-R along which the mobile object 1 should travel by adding waypoints located outside the first path. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating how the second path is generated. Similar to the first path generation unit 143, the second path generation unit 145 generates two paths Path2-L and Path2-R by generating a geometric curve such as a spline curve that passes through the added waypoints. The second path generation unit 145 then selects one second path that has a good score evaluating the path length, turning angle, and the like. This second path, or a path obtained by performing processing such as smoothing on the second path, is output to the movement control unit 150 as the path along which the mobile object 1 should travel.

[0036] The movement control unit 150 controls the movement mechanism 40 so that the moving body 1 moves along the route. The movement control unit 150 controls the drive motor and steering device so that the position and behavior of the moving body 1 obtained from the output of the sensor 50 approach the route.

[0037] In this way, a route is generated and the movement of the moving object 1 is controlled so that the moving object 1 passes outside of areas crowded with pedestrians while heading toward the destination tgt. The calculations in the control process are simple as described above, so that the processing load is not excessive. Therefore, even when there are multiple pedestrians Pi, a route can be generated easily, and the processing load can be reduced.

[0038] In the above description, only one destination tgt is set. However, if the recognition unit 110 recognizes a predetermined number of pedestrians or more, the destination setting unit 120 may set multiple destination candidates at positions relative to the person to be followed U. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating how multiple destination candidates are set. In the illustrated example, three destination candidates tgt1 to tgt3 are set. The three destination candidates are set, for example, diagonally behind the right, directly behind, and diagonally behind the person to be followed U, respectively. In this case, the generation unit 140 generates a first route and a second route for each of the multiple destination candidates and outputs the second route selected based on a predetermined criterion as the final route. Since two second routes are generated for each destination candidate, if there are three destination candidates, a total of six second routes are generated. This increases the number of route options for the moving object 1, making it possible to select a more appropriate route in congested situations.

[0039] According to the embodiment described above, a route can be easily generated even when there are multiple pedestrians, and the processing load can be reduced.

[0040] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows: A control device for controlling a mobile body that autonomously moves, at least temporarily, in an area where pedestrians walk, comprising: one or more storage media for storing computer-readable instructions; and a processor connected to the one or more storage media, wherein the processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: recognize positions of one or more pedestrians in time series, set a destination for the mobile body, set an entry avoidance area around a predicted position of each of the one or more pedestrians, set way points for each pedestrian based on the entry avoidance area, select way points on both the left and right sides that have the largest azimuth angle as seen from the mobile body with respect to a direction connecting the mobile body and the destination at the current time, generate a first route connecting the selected way points and the destination, and generate a second route to be traveled by the mobile body by adding way points located outside the first route.

[0041] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0042] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Mobile object 20 Detection device 40 Mobile mechanism 100 Control device 110 Recognition unit 120 Destination setting unit 130 Area setting unit 140 Generation unit 141 Way point setting unit 142 Way point selection unit 143 First route generation unit 144 Way point reselection unit 145 Second route generation unit 150 Movement control unit

Claims

1. A control device that controls a moving body that autonomously moves in an area where a pedestrian walks, at least temporarily, the control device comprising: a recognition unit that recognizes the positions of one or more pedestrians over time; a destination setting unit that sets a destination for the moving body; a region setting unit that sets an entry avoidance region around the predicted position of each of the one or more pedestrians; a generation unit that sets a waypoint for each pedestrian based on the entry avoidance region, selects, for each of the left and right, the waypoint having the largest azimuth angle as seen from the moving body with respect to the direction connecting the moving body at the current time and the destination, generates a first path connecting the selected waypoint and the destination, and generates a second path for the moving body to travel by adding a waypoint outside the first path.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the region setting unit sets an entry avoidance region around the predicted position of each of the one or more pedestrians at a future time point when the one or more pedestrians are predicted to be closest to the moving body.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the generation unit generates the first path and the second path as geometric curves that smoothly connect the current position of the moving body, the waypoint, and the destination.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the destination setting unit sets the destination of the moving body at a relative position with respect to a target person being followed by the moving body.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein when the number of pedestrians recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or more than a predetermined number, the destination setting unit sets a plurality of destination candidates, and when the destination setting unit sets a plurality of the destination candidates, the generation unit generates the first path and the second path for each of the plurality of destination candidates, and outputs the second path selected based on a predetermined criterion as the final path.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the destination setting unit sets the destination of the moving body at a position set by a user.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the destination setting unit estimates the destination of the moving body at a destination of the user estimated based on the behavior of the user.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the region setting unit sets an entry avoidance region around the predicted position of each of the one or more pedestrians at each future time point.

9. A control method executed by a control device that controls a moving body that autonomously moves in an area where pedestrians walk, at least temporarily, the method comprising: recognizing the positions of one or more pedestrians in time series; setting a destination for the moving body; setting an entry avoidance area around each predicted position of the one or more pedestrians; setting a waypoint for each pedestrian based on the entry avoidance area, and selecting, for each of the left and right, a waypoint having the largest azimuth angle as seen from the moving body at the current time point with respect to the direction connecting the moving body and the destination at the current time point, generating a first path connecting the selected waypoint and the destination, and adding a waypoint outside the first path to generate a second path for the moving body to travel along.

10. A program for causing a processor of a control device that controls a moving body that autonomously moves in an area where pedestrians walk, at least temporarily, to execute: recognizing the positions of one or more pedestrians in time series; setting a destination for the moving body; setting an entry avoidance area around each predicted position of the one or more pedestrians; setting a waypoint for each pedestrian based on the entry avoidance area, and selecting, for each of the left and right, a waypoint having the largest azimuth angle as seen from the moving body at the current time point with respect to the direction connecting the moving body and the destination at the current time point, generating a first path connecting the selected waypoint and the destination, and adding a waypoint outside the first path to generate a second path for the moving body to travel along.

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