Automated guided vehicle and carriage connection method

Abstract

This automated guided vehicle is provided with: a vehicle body; a recognition unit that recognizes holes or recesses and protrusions in the bottom surface of a carriage in which holes or recesses and protrusions are formed in the bottom surface; an engagement pin that is disposed so as to protrude upward on the upper surface of the vehicle body; a raising / lowering unit that raises and lowers the engagement pin; and a control unit that controls the vehicle body so as to slip under the carriage, recognizes the holes or recesses and protrusions in the bottom surface of the carriage via the recognition unit, sets the position of a hole or a recess where the engagement pin is to be engaged among the recognized holes or recesses and protrusions as an engagement position, controls the vehicle body so that the engagement pin is positioned below the engagement position, and then performs connection control for controlling the raising / lowering unit so that the engagement pin rises.

Description

Automated guided vehicle and method for connecting carriages

[0001] The present specification discloses an automated guided vehicle and a method for connecting carriages.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an automated guided vehicle that slides under a carriage to couple with the carriage and transport the coupled carriage. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automated guided vehicle that couples with a carriage by inserting a lift plate into a guide portion that is provided in a downwardly concave shape on the bottom surface of the carriage, the automated guided vehicle including a distance sensor that measures the distance to the carriage, a transport characteristic storage unit that stores coupling information including the shape and size of the guide portion of the carriage and the coupling position, and moves the automated guided vehicle to a coupling execution position so that the lift plate is located at the coupling position based on the distance detection information output by the distance sensor, and then raises the lift plate to couple with the carriage.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-77295

[0004] In the above-mentioned automated guided vehicles, connection information including the shape, size, and connection position of the guide parts (recesses) of the carriages must be registered, so only registered carriages can be connected and transported.

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to enable a variety of carts having different patterns of holes and protrusions on the bottom surface to be more reliably connected and transported.

[0006] The present disclosure has adopted the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The gist of the disclosed automated guided vehicle is an automated guided vehicle that is coupled to a bogie for transport, and comprises: a vehicle body; a recognition unit that recognizes holes or irregularities on the bottom surface of the bogie, the bottom surface of which has holes or irregularities; an engagement pin arranged to protrude upward on the top surface of the vehicle body; a lifting unit that raises and lowers the engagement pin; and a control unit that performs coupling control by controlling the vehicle body to go under the bogie and recognizing the holes or irregularities on the bottom surface of the bogie with the recognition unit, setting the position of a hole or recess among the recognized holes or irregularities with which the engagement pin engages to an engagement position, controlling the vehicle body so that the engagement pin is positioned below the engagement position, and then controlling the lifting unit so that the engagement pin is raised.

[0008] In the automated guided vehicle disclosed herein, the vehicle body is moved under the carriage, the recognition unit recognizes the holes or recesses formed on the bottom surface of the carriage, the position of the hole or recess with which the engagement pin engages is set to the engagement position, the vehicle body is moved so that the engagement pin is positioned below the engagement position, and then the engagement pin is raised. In this way, the holes or recesses on the bottom surface of the carriage are recognized and the position of the hole or recess with which the engagement pin engages (the engagement position) is set, making it possible to more reliably connect and transport a variety of carriages with different patterns of holes or recesses on their bottom surfaces.

[0009] The trolley coupling method disclosed herein is a trolley coupling method for coupling a trolley to an automated guided vehicle, comprising the steps of: sliding the vehicle body of the automated guided vehicle under the trolley to identify holes or irregularities formed on the bottom surface of the trolley; setting the position of a hole or recess among the identified holes or irregularities to engage an engagement pin arranged to protrude upward on the top surface of the vehicle body as an engagement position; moving the vehicle body so that the engagement pin is positioned below the engagement position, and then raising the engagement pin.

[0010] The method for connecting carriages according to the present disclosure can achieve the same effects as the automated guided vehicle according to the present disclosure.

[0011] 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a plurality of basket carts placed in a facility and an automated guided vehicle that transports the basket carts. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of an automated guided vehicle and a basket cart. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exterior of an automated guided vehicle. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drive system of an automated guided vehicle. FIG. 4 is a side view of an automated guided vehicle. FIG. 5 is a side view of an automated guided vehicle. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an automated guided vehicle has slipped under a basket cart. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an automated guided vehicle is coupled to a basket cart. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a transport system including an automated guided vehicle and a management device. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a back surface shape pattern of a loading platform section. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a transport control routine. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a coupling control process. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for monitoring vehicle position deviation.

[0012] Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a plurality of carts 100 placed in a facility and an automated guided vehicle 10 that transports the carts 100. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the carts 100 and the automated guided vehicle 10. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the automated guided vehicle 10. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the drive system of the automated guided vehicle 10. FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views of the automated guided vehicle 10. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the automated guided vehicle 10 has slipped under the cart 100. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the automated guided vehicle 10 is coupled to the cart 100. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a transport system 1 including the automated guided vehicle 10 and a management device 60.

[0014] 1, a transport system 1 of this embodiment is a system used in a facility having multiple shelves S, such as a logistics center, warehouse, or store, and includes one or more automated guided vehicles 10 and a management device 60 (see FIG. 9) that manages the operation of the automated guided vehicles 10. The automated guided vehicles 10 are autonomously traveling transport robots (AMR: Autonomous Mobile Robot) that are coupled to a cart 100 and transport the cart to a designated shelf S.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2 , the basket cart 100 has a rectangular loading platform 101 capable of loading cargo C, and a plurality (four) of casters 110 rotatably attached to the four corners of the underside of the loading platform 101. The automated guided vehicle 10 can transport the basket cart 100 having a lattice-like loading platform 101 (see FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C ) with a number of rectangular, diamond-shaped, or other holes on the underside so that engagement pins (described later) can engage with the platform 101. The automated guided vehicle 10 can also transport the basket cart 100 having a loading platform 101 whose underside is formed with an uneven surface that is uneven in the vertical direction so that engagement pins (described later) can engage with the platform 101. A marker M, such as an AR marker, a two-dimensional code, or a barcode, is provided on the side of the loading platform 101 to identify the basket cart 100. By reading the marker M, the automated guided vehicle 10 recognizes the type of basket cart 100 to be transported (cart to be transported) and the type of cargo C loaded on its loading platform 101. The marker M may be attached to the cargo C loaded on the loading platform 101. Furthermore, the identification information for identifying the basket cart 100 and the cargo C is not limited to the marker M. For example, the identification information may be a unique ID that identifies the basket cart 100. Furthermore, the identification information may be identification information (such as letters or a picture) written on the outer box of the cargo C.

[0016] 3 and 4, the automated guided vehicle 10 of this embodiment has a low, flat, rectangular parallelepiped appearance so that it can slip under the cart 100. The automated guided vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 11, a plurality of (e.g., four) wheels 21 rotatably attached to the bottom surface of the vehicle body 11, and a plurality of (e.g., four) drive units 22 that respectively drive and rotate the corresponding wheels 21.

[0017] In this embodiment, each wheel 21 is configured as a Mecanum wheel having a wheel body 21h connected to an axle and a plurality of rollers 21r attached to the outer periphery of the wheel body 21h so as to be rotatable around an axis inclined at 45 degrees relative to the axle, as shown in Fig. 4. Note that each wheel 21 is not limited to a Mecanum wheel, and may be configured as an omniwheel having a plurality of rollers rotatable around an axis that intersects the rotation axis of the wheel body.

[0018] The drive unit 22 includes a motor 23 connected to the axle of the corresponding wheel 21 , a drive circuit (not shown) that drives the motor 23 , and an encoder 24 that detects the amount of rotational displacement of the motor 23 .

[0019] 3, 5, and 6, the automated guided vehicle 10 also includes a coupling unit 30 that is provided on the upper surface of the vehicle body 11 and can be coupled to the cart 100 when the vehicle body 11 is positioned below the cart 100. The coupling unit 30 includes a flat lift plate 31, a first engagement pin unit 32, a second engagement pin unit 33, and a third engagement pin unit 34 each having a plurality of engagement pins erected on the lift plate 31, and a lifting device 35 that raises and lowers the lift plate 31. The lift plate 31 has a width substantially the same as the width of the vehicle body 11 so as to cover the upper surface of the vehicle body 11, and a front-to-rear width that is slightly shorter than the width of the vehicle body 11. The first engagement pin portion 32 is provided at the front of the lift plate 31, the second engagement pin portion 33 is provided at the rear of the lift plate 31, and the third engagement pin portion 34 is provided at an intermediate portion between the front and rear of the lift plate 31. Each of the first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34 can be independently extended and retracted by a respective spring. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, when the car body portion 11 is submerged under the basket trolley 100 having a lattice-like loading platform portion 101, the lifting device 35 raises the lift plate 31, and at least one engagement pin enters and engages with a gap in the mesh of the loading platform portion 101 (hereinafter referred to as an engagement hole). Furthermore, when the vehicle body 11 is submerged under the cart 100 having the loading platform 101 whose underside is formed with an uneven surface, the lifting device 35 raises the lifting plate 31, so that at least one engaging pin enters and engages with a recess (hereinafter referred to as an engaging recess) in the uneven surface of the loading platform 101. This connects the automated guided vehicle 10 and the cart 100, and the automated guided vehicle 10 can transport (tow) the cart 100.

[0020] 3, 5, and 6, contact detection sensors 36 (spring sensors) are provided on both the left and right sides of the lift plate 31 to detect when the connecting portions 30 (first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34) come into contact with (connect to) the loading platform 101 of the cart 100. The contact detection sensors 36 have a sensor plate that is biased upward by a spring to a height substantially equal to that of the first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34 relative to the lift plate 31 and can move up and down. When any of the first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34 comes into contact with the loading platform 101 of the cart 100, the sensor plate of the contact detection sensor 36 comes into contact with the loading platform 101, and as the lift plate 31 rises, the spring is compressed and the sensor plate descends relative to the lift plate 31. The contact detection sensor 36 detects that the connecting portion 30 has come into contact with (connected to) the loading platform portion 101 of the cart 100 by detecting that the sensor plate has been lowered relatively.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the automated guided vehicle 10 includes a control unit 40 that controls the entire vehicle, a memory unit 41 that stores various information including map information 41a, a communication unit 42 for communicating (wirelessly communicating) with the management device 60, camera units 51 and 52 as imaging devices, sensor units 53 and 54, and light-emitting units 55 and 56.

[0022] The camera unit 51 is installed on the front of the vehicle body unit 11 so as to recognize what is ahead of the vehicle body unit 11. The front of the vehicle body unit 11 is also provided with a light-emitting unit 55 that illuminates the front so that the camera unit 51 can easily recognize surrounding objects in dark places.

[0023] The camera unit 52 is installed on the upper surface of the vehicle body 11 so as to be able to capture an image of the underside of the loading platform 101 of the basket cart 100 when the vehicle body 11 is under the basket cart 100. In addition, a light emitting unit 56 is also provided on the upper surface of the vehicle body 11 for illuminating upward so that the underside of the loading platform 101 can be easily recognized by the camera unit 52.

[0024] The sensors 53 and 54 are installed on the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle body 11, respectively, to detect surrounding objects. The sensors 53 and 54 detect surrounding objects and the distance to the objects. In this embodiment, the sensors 53 and 54 use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors that scan the surroundings with laser light, receive each reflected light, and measure the time it takes to receive the reflected light, thereby measuring distance data for each scan angle and obtaining surrounding two-dimensional point cloud data.

[0025] The control unit 40 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, includes a ROM for storing processing programs, a RAM for temporarily storing data, a timer, etc. As shown in Fig. 9, the control unit 40 receives inputs of detection signals from each encoder 24, image signals from camera units 51 and 52, detection signals from sensor units 53 and 54, and detection signals from contact detection sensor 36. The control unit 40 outputs control signals to each motor 23, control signals to lifting device 35, control signals to camera units 51 and 52, light emission signals to light emitters 55 and 56, etc.

[0026] The control unit 40 can arbitrarily control the translational speed and turning speed of the vehicle by independently controlling the rotational direction and rotational speed of each corresponding wheel 21 using the four motors 23. Specifically, the control unit 40 sets target values ​​for the rotational speed of each wheel 21 by inverse kinematics using command values ​​for the translational speed and turning speed based on a position command value of the vehicle, and controls each motor 23 so that each wheel 21 is driven to rotate at the set target value for each rotational speed. The control unit 40 also calculates the rotational speed of each wheel 21 based on detection signals from each encoder 24, and calculates the translational speed and turning speed of the vehicle by matrix transforming the calculated rotational speed of each wheel 21 using forward kinematics.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 9 , the management device 60 includes a processing unit 61, a storage unit 62, and a communication unit 63 for communicating (wirelessly communicating) with the automated guided vehicle 10. The management device 60 is also connected to an input unit 65 (such as a mouse or keyboard) and a display unit 66 (such as a liquid crystal display or organic EL display). The processing unit 61 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and includes, in addition to the CPU, a ROM for storing processing programs and a RAM for temporarily storing data. The storage unit 62 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and stores various information such as facility map information 62a and package information 62b. The package information 62b includes the type of package and the coordinates of the package's destination.

[0028] Next, the operation of the transport system 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. In particular, as shown in Fig. 1, the operation of the automated guided vehicle 10 when transporting a plurality of basket carts 100 arranged in a cart storage area L one by one to their respective destinations will be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a transport control routine executed by the control unit 40 of the automated guided vehicle 10. This process is executed when an instruction to transport a basket cart 100 (baggage) is received from the management device 60.

[0029] When the transport control routine is executed, the control unit 40 first controls the motor 23 to move to the cart storage area L (S100). Next, the control unit 40 searches for nearby basket carts 100 (S102). The search for the basket cart 100 is performed, for example, by capturing an image of the area around the vehicle body 11 with the camera unit 51 and processing the captured image to determine whether or not the marker M attached to the basket cart 100 has been recognized. If the control unit 40 determines that it has failed to recognize the marker M (NO in S104), it determines that there is no basket cart 100 to be transported at the cart storage area L, and ends the transport control routine.

[0030] On the other hand, when the control unit 40 determines that the recognition of the marker M was successful (YES in S104), it determines that there is a basket cart 100 to be transported in the cart storage area L, and, with the basket cart 100 as the transport target cart, acquires a destination to which the transport target cart should be transported based on the marker ID of the recognized marker M (S106). The destination is acquired, for example, by transmitting the marker ID recognized by the control unit 40 to the management device 60, identifying the type of package C from the marker ID received by the management device 60, deriving coordinate values ​​of the corresponding destination from the package information 62b based on the type of package C, and transmitting the coordinate values ​​to the control unit 40. Note that the control unit 40 may also identify the type of package C from the marker ID and transmit the identified type of package C to the management device 60. Alternatively, the control unit 40 may store the package information 62b in the memory unit 41, identify the type of package C from the marker ID, and acquire coordinate values ​​of the corresponding destination from the package information 62b based on the identified type of package C.

[0031] Next, the control unit 40 acquires the current location (self-position) of the vehicle (S108). For example, the control unit 40 calculates the translational speed and turning speed of the vehicle using forward kinematics based on the rotational displacement detected by each encoder 24 and estimates the self-position by integrating the calculated speeds. Alternatively, the control unit 40 records point cloud data measured by the sensor units 53 and 54 (LiDAR), matches the point clouds to estimate the movement amount of the vehicle, and estimates the self-position by integrating the movement amount of the vehicle. Next, the control unit 40 sets a transportation route from the current location of the vehicle to the destination (S110). The transportation route is set by searching for a route based on the acquired current location of the vehicle, the set destination, and map information 41a, and setting the route with the shortest required time or travel distance as the transportation route. The control unit 40 of the automated guided vehicle 10 may transmit the current location of the vehicle to the management device 60, which may then set a transportation route based on the map information 62a and transmit the route to the automated guided vehicle 10.

[0032] After setting the destination and transport route of the transport target vehicle, the control unit 40 performs coupling control to couple the transport target vehicle (S112). The coupling control is performed by executing the coupling control process of Fig. 12. Hereinafter, the description of the transport control routine will be interrupted and the coupling control process will be described.

[0033] In the coupling control process, the control unit 40 first controls the motor 23 so that the vehicle body 11 moves under the target vehicle (S200). Next, the control unit 40 controls the camera unit 52 and the light-emitting unit 56 to irradiate light onto the underside of the platform 101 of the target vehicle to capture an image of the underside of the platform 101 (S202). Next, the control unit 40 recognizes the positions of the engagement holes and engagement recesses on the underside of the platform 101 through image processing of the captured image of the underside of the platform 101 (S204). The control unit 40 then sets a target position for the vehicle to move directly below the engagement hole or engagement recess recognized by a predetermined specific engagement pin among the first, second, and third engagement pins 32, 33, and 34 (e.g., one of the third engagement pins 34 located in the center of the vehicle body 11 in the longitudinal direction) (S206). The target position can be determined, for example, by pre-storing the offset amount of a specific engagement pin relative to a predetermined representative position of the vehicle body section 11 (e.g., the center of the vehicle), recognizing the relative positions of the engagement holes and engagement recesses relative to the representative position of the vehicle body section 11 based on an image of the underside of the loading platform section 101, and offsetting the recognized relative positions of the engagement holes and engagement recesses by the offset amount.

[0034] Once the control unit 40 sets the target position for the host vehicle, it controls the motor 23 to start moving the host vehicle toward the target position (S208). The control unit 40 then estimates its own position (S210) and determines whether the host vehicle (the representative position of the vehicle body 11) has reached the target position (S212). If the control unit 40 determines that the host vehicle has not reached the target position, it returns to S210. If the control unit 40 determines that the host vehicle has reached the target position, it controls the lifting device 35 to raise the first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34 (lift plate 31) (S214), thereby terminating the coupling control process. In this manner, the control unit 40 moves a specific engagement pin from among the first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34 directly below the engagement hole or engagement recess on the underside of the loading platform 101, and then raises the first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34 as a whole. This allows any one of the engagement pins (specific engagement pins) of the first, second, or third engagement pin portions 32, 33, or 34 to more reliably engage with the engagement holes or engagement recesses on the back surface of the loading platform portion 101, thereby connecting the automated guided vehicle 10 to the cart to be transported.

[0035] Returning to the transport control routine, after executing the coupling control process, the control unit 40 controls the camera unit 52 to capture an image of the underside of the platform 101 of the coupled transport target cart and stores the captured image of the underside in the storage unit 41 (S114). The control unit 40 then starts transporting the transport target cart according to the set transport route (S116). Next, the control unit 40 acquires its own position (S118) and determines whether the cart has arrived at its destination (S120). If the control unit 40 determines that the cart has not arrived at its destination, it monitors the positional deviation of the transport target cart relative to the vehicle body 11 during transport (S122) and determines whether a positional deviation has occurred in the transport target cart (S124). The process of S122 is performed by executing the cart position deviation monitoring process illustrated in FIG. 13. The description of the transport control routine will now be interrupted and the cart position deviation monitoring process will be described.

[0036] In the cart position deviation monitoring process, the control unit 40 first controls the camera unit 52 to capture an image of the underside of the platform 101 of the cart to be transported (S300). Next, the control unit 40 compares the captured underside image with the underside image captured and stored in S114 when the transport of the cart to be transported is initiated (S302). The control unit 40 then determines whether the two images generally match using pattern matching or the like (S304). If the control unit 40 determines that the two images generally match, it determines that no position deviation has occurred in the cart to be transported during transport, and terminates the cart position deviation monitoring process. On the other hand, if the control unit 40 determines that the two images do not match, it determines that a position deviation has occurred in the cart to be transported during transport (S306), and terminates the cart position deviation monitoring process.

[0037] Returning to the transport control routine, if the control unit 40 determines as a result of executing the cart positional deviation monitoring process that the target cart is not misaligned (NO in S124), the process returns to S118. On the other hand, if the control unit 40 determines that the target cart is misaligned (YES in S124), the control unit 40 stops the cart (S126) and controls the lifting device 35 to lower the lift plate 31 (first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34), thereby disengaging the cart from the target cart (S128). The control unit 40 then re-executes the same coupling control as in S112 (S130), resumes transport toward the destination (S132), and returns to S118. In this way, during the transport of the target cart, the control unit 40 monitors whether the target cart is misaligned by capturing an image of the underside of the platform portion 101 of the target cart with the camera unit 52, and if the target cart is misaligned, the control unit 40 re-executes the coupling control. As a result, even if a positional shift of the transport target cart occurs during transport due to a poor connection between the coupling part 30 (engagement pin) of the automated guided vehicle 10 and the platform part 101 of the transport target cart, the automated guided vehicle 10 can be recoupled to the transport target cart. As a result, the automated guided vehicle 10 can more reliably transport the transport target cart to its destination (destination). After re-executing the coupling control in S130, the control unit 40 may capture and store a backside image of the platform part 101 of the transport target cart, as in S114, and use the stored backside image in S302 of the next cart positional shift monitoring process.

[0038] When the control unit 40 determines in S120 that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, it stops traveling (S134).Then, the control unit 40 controls the lifting device 35 so that the lifting plate 31 (the first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34) descends, thereby releasing the connection with the transport target vehicle (S136), and returns to S100.

[0039] Here, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure described in the claims will be explained. That is, the cart 100 of the present embodiment is an example of a cart of the present disclosure, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is an example of an automatic guided vehicle, the vehicle body 11 is an example of a vehicle main body, the camera unit 52 is an example of a recognition unit, each of the engagement pins of the first, second, and third engagement pin units 32, 33, and 34 is an example of an engagement pin, the lifting device 35 is an example of a lifting unit, and the control unit 40 is an example of a control unit. Also, the camera unit 52 is an example of an imaging unit.

[0040] It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 10 is provided with the first, second, and third engagement pin portions 32, 33, and 34 (multiple engagement pins), but the number of engagement pins may be any number.

[0042] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 40 recognizes the positions of the engagement holes and engagement recesses by capturing an image of the underside of the loading platform 101 using the camera unit 52. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 40 may detect the engagement holes and engagement recesses on the underside of the loading platform 101 using a height sensor, and acquire its own position when the engagement holes or engagement recesses are detected, thereby recognizing the positions of the engagement holes and engagement recesses.

[0043] As described above, in the automated guided vehicle disclosed herein, the vehicle body is moved under a carriage, the sensor unit recognizes holes or irregularities formed in the bottom surface of the carriage, the position of the hole or recess with which the engagement pin engages is set to the engagement position, the vehicle body is moved so that the engagement pin is positioned below the engagement position, and then the engagement pin is raised. In this way, the holes or irregularities in the bottom surface of the carriage are recognized and the position of the hole or recess with which the engagement pin engages (the engagement position) is set, so that a variety of carriages with different patterns of holes or irregularities in the bottom surface can be more reliably connected and transported.

[0044] In the automated guided vehicle of the present disclosure, the sensor unit may be an imaging unit that is installed on the top surface of the vehicle body so that the imaging direction faces upward, which makes it possible to more reliably recognize the positions of holes or recesses on the underside of the carriage.

[0045] Furthermore, in the automated guided vehicle of the present disclosure, the engagement pins may include a plurality of engagement pins arranged in a row on the upper surface of the vehicle body and each of which is individually extendable and retractable, the lifting unit may raise and lower the plurality of engagement pins collectively, and the control unit may, as the coupling control, control the vehicle body so that a predetermined specific pin among the plurality of engagement pins is positioned below the engagement position, and then control the lifting unit so that the plurality of engagement pins rise. This makes it possible to more reliably couple the vehicle to the bogie.

[0046] Furthermore, in the automated guided vehicle disclosed herein, the control unit may couple the carriage by the coupling control, and then execute transport control to control the vehicle body to transport the carriage to its destination, and while the carriage is being transported by the transport control, monitor whether the carriage is misaligned with respect to the vehicle body based on the recognition result of the bottom surface of the carriage by the sensor unit, and if it determines that the carriage is misaligned, stop the vehicle body and then execute the coupling control again. In this way, even if the carriage becomes misaligned during transport, the automated guided vehicle can be recoupled to the carriage, and the carriage can be more reliably transported to its destination.

[0047] Furthermore, although the present disclosure has been described in the form of an automated guided vehicle, it may also be described in the form of a method for connecting carriages.

[0048] The present disclosure is applicable to the manufacturing industry of automated guided vehicles and transport systems.

[0049] 1 Conveying system, 10 Automated guided vehicle, 11 Vehicle body, 21 Wheel, 21h Wheel body, 21r Roller, 22 Drive unit, 23 Motor, 24 Encoder, 30 Connection unit, 31 Lifting plate, 32 First engagement pin unit, 33 Second engagement pin unit, 34 Third engagement pin unit, 35 Lifting device, 36 Contact detection sensor, 40 Control unit, 41 Memory unit, 41a Map information, 42 Communication unit, 51, 52 Camera unit, 53, 54 Sensor unit, 55, 56 Light emitting unit, 60 Management device, 61 Processing unit, 62 Memory unit, 62a Map information, 62b Baggage information, 63 Communication unit, 65 Input unit, 66 Display unit, 100 Basket cart, 101 Loading platform unit, 110 Caster, C Baggage, L Cart storage area, M Marker, S shelf.

Claims

1. An automated guided vehicle for connecting and transporting a carriage, comprising: a vehicle body; a recognition unit configured to recognize holes or unevenness on the bottom surface of the carriage, where the holes or unevenness are formed on the bottom surface of the carriage; an engagement pin disposed on the upper surface of the vehicle body to protrude upward; a lifting unit configured to lift and lower the engagement pin; a control unit configured to control the vehicle body to dive under the carriage so that the recognition unit recognizes the holes or unevenness on the bottom surface of the carriage, set the position of a hole or recess for engaging the engagement pin among the recognized holes or unevenness as an engagement position, control the vehicle body so that the engagement pin is positioned below the engagement position, and then perform connection control to control the lifting unit so that the engagement pin rises.

2. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the recognition unit is an imaging unit installed on the upper surface of the vehicle body with an imaging direction facing upward.

3. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: a plurality of engagement pins disposed side by side on the upper surface of the vehicle body and each individually telescopic as the engagement pins; the lifting unit configured to lift and lower the plurality of engagement pins together; the control unit configured, as the connection control, to control the vehicle body so that a predetermined specific pin among the plurality of engagement pins is positioned below the engagement position, and then control the lifting unit so that the plurality of engagement pins rise.

4. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit, after connecting the carriage by the connection control, executes transport control to control the vehicle body to transport the carriage to a destination, monitors whether the carriage is misaligned with respect to the vehicle body based on a recognition result of the bottom surface of the carriage by the recognition unit while transporting the carriage by the transport control, and if it is determined that the carriage is misaligned, stops the vehicle body and then re-executes the connection control.

5. A method for connecting a carriage to an automated guided vehicle, comprising: causing the vehicle body of the automated guided vehicle to slide under the carriage to recognize a hole or unevenness formed on the bottom surface of the carriage; setting, as an engagement position, the position of a hole or recess for engaging an engagement pin disposed so as to protrude upward on the upper surface of the vehicle body among the recognized holes or unevenness; moving the vehicle body so that the engagement pin is positioned below the engagement position, and then raising the engagement pin.

Images