Robot, patrol system, and patrol method

Abstract

The present invention provides a robot capable of achieving both appropriate charging and immediacy of abnormality notification. A robot (10) is provided with: a position specification unit (151) that can specify the position of the robot; an abnormality detection unit (152) that detects an abnormality; and a movement control unit (153) that, when an abnormality is detected in an area in which communication with the outside is not possible, controls the movement of the robot so as to move to a communication area in which communication with a communication device provided in a charging dock can be performed, while specifying the position of the robot.

Description

Robot, patrol system and patrol method

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot that patrols a monitored area, a patrol system including the robot, and a patrol method.

[0002] Many social infrastructure facilities, such as sewage treatment plants, water purification plants, drainage pumping stations, and waste disposal facilities, were constructed during the period of high economic growth and are therefore all aging at the same time, increasing the need for appropriate maintenance. Meanwhile, with the recent worsening labor shortage due to population decline, securing personnel due to the aging population and labor shortage is becoming a major issue even at the sites responsible for maintaining social infrastructure facilities.

[0003] To solve such problems, various technologies have been developed to automate and reduce the labor required for inspections within power facilities by using self-propelled robots to check for abnormalities in the equipment being inspected, as described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-165859

[0005] If a self-propelled robot such as the one described above detects an abnormality while patrolling a monitored area, it must immediately notify the facility manager of the abnormality. Meanwhile, as the performance of self-propelled robots has improved in recent years, the patrol ranges of self-propelled robots have expanded to areas where GPS signals cannot reach. Therefore, it is necessary to both appropriately charge the self-propelled robot so that it can patrol such areas and promptly notify the facility manager of the abnormality when it is detected.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a robot or the like that can achieve both appropriate charging and immediate notification of an abnormality.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention is a robot that patrols a plurality of inspection locations included in a monitored area, and a charging dock for the robot placed within the monitored area is equipped with communication equipment that enables communication between the robot and a management device for the monitored area, and is equipped with a position determination unit that can either (1) determine the position of the robot by a first means using radio waves from GPS satellites, or (2) determine the position of the robot by a second means other than the radio waves, an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in any of the plurality of inspection locations or the robot, and a movement control unit that, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, controls the movement of the robot so that the robot moves to a communication area where communication with the communication equipment is possible while determining its own position using the first means and / or the second means.

[0008] Furthermore, a patrol method according to one aspect of the present invention is a patrol method using a robot to patrol a plurality of inspection locations included in a monitored area, wherein a charging dock for the robot placed in the monitored area is provided with a communication device that enables communication between the robot and a management device for the monitored area, and the robot is equipped with a position determination unit that can either (1) determine the position of the robot by a first means using radio waves from a GPS satellite, or (2) determine the position of the robot by a second means other than the radio waves, an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in any of the plurality of inspection locations or the robot, and a movement control unit that controls movement of the robot, and includes a movement control step in which, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, the movement control unit controls the movement of the robot so that the robot moves to a communication area where communication with the communication device is possible while determining its own position by the first means and / or the second means.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize a robot or the like that can achieve both appropriate charging and immediate notification of an abnormality.

[0010] The present invention relates to a robot that can be used to inspect a plurality of areas to be monitored, and a method for inspecting the areas to be monitored using the robot.

[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0012] (Patrol System) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a patrol system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The patrol system 1 is a system for inspecting a plurality of inspection points included in a monitored area TA. As shown in Fig. 1, the patrol system 1 includes a robot 10, a charging dock 20, and a management device 30.

[0013] The robot 10 patrols a plurality of inspection locations included in the monitored area TA. The charging dock 20 is a dock for charging the robot 10. The management device 30 is a device that manages the monitored area TA.

[0014] 1 shows multiple robots 10. This is merely an example of the positions to which the robots 10 may move, and does not necessarily require that multiple robots 10 patrol the monitored area TA simultaneously in the patrol system 1.

[0015] 1 , the monitored area TA is located underground. The monitored area TA includes a waiting area SA where the charging dock 20 is located, a first area TA1 located below the waiting area SA, and a second area TA2 located below the first area TA. A management area MA where the management device 30 is located is located on the ground above the waiting area SA.

[0016] The positional relationship between the monitored area TA, waiting area SA, and management area MA is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1. For example, the management area MA may be located underground, and the waiting area SA may be located above ground. The management area MA and waiting area SA may also be located on the same floor. Furthermore, part of the monitored area TA may be located on the same floor as the management area MA and / or waiting area SA.

[0017] 1, the first area TA1 and the second area TA2 are each shown as a single floor. However, the division of the first area TA1 and the second area TA2 is not limited to this. One or both of the first area TA1 and the second area TA2 may include multiple floors. Furthermore, some or all of the first area TA1 and the second area TA2 may be located on the same floor.

[0018] The charging dock 20 is provided with a communication device 21 that enables communication between the management device 30 and the robot 10. The robot 10 can communicate with the management device 30 via the communication device 21 in the vicinity of the charging dock 20, for example, in a first area TA1. However, the robot 10 cannot communicate with the communication device 21 in a location away from the charging dock 20, for example, in a second area TA2. That is, the first area TA1 is a communication area where communication with the communication device 21 is possible. On the other hand, the second area TA2 is an area where communication with the outside, including the communication device 21, is not possible.

[0019] Furthermore, the robot 10 can receive radio waves from GPS satellites 100 in the management area MA and the standby area SA. However, the robot 10 may not be able to receive radio waves from GPS satellites 100 in the monitored area TA. In Fig. 1, it is assumed that the robot 10 cannot receive radio waves from GPS satellites 100 throughout the monitored area TA. However, there may be areas within the monitored area TA where radio waves from GPS satellites 100 can be received.

[0020] The patrol system 1 further includes a communication antenna 50. The communication antenna 50 is disposed on the ground. When the robot 10 is located on the ground, the communication antenna 50 mediates communication between the robot 10 and the management device 30. In this case, communication between the robot 10 and the communication antenna 50 is performed, for example, via a mobile phone line.

[0021] The patrol system 1 may further include a support device (not shown) that supports the robot 10 by managing the patrol time of the robot 10. The support device may be installed, for example, near the management device 30 in a state capable of communicating with the management device 30.

[0022] If an abnormality occurs in the robot 10, it is possible that the robot 10 will not be able to return to the charging dock 20. If the robot 10 does not return within a predetermined time from the preset return time, the support device issues a report to the management device 30 that the robot 10 will not return. The return time may be set appropriately taking into consideration the movement speed of the robot 10, the size of the monitored area TA, the number of inspection points, etc., and is, for example, 60 minutes after the start of inspection, and the predetermined time is 5 minutes from the return time. The manager checks the content of the report from the support device and takes appropriate action.

[0023] (Robot) Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the main parts of the robot 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the robot 10 includes a communication unit 11, a three-dimensional point cloud information acquisition unit 12, an imaging unit 13, a moving mechanism 14, a control unit 15, and a storage unit 16. The robot 10 also includes components that are included in a typical robot, such as a battery.

[0024] The communication unit 11 communicates with the outside of the robot 10. Specifically, the communication unit 11 communicates with, for example, the communication device 21, the communication antenna 50, and the GPS satellite 100. The communication unit 11 may include a separate antenna for each communication partner.

[0025] The three-dimensional point cloud information acquisition unit 12 acquires surrounding point cloud information that indicates, as a three-dimensional point cloud, the shapes of structures, floors, ground, living things, and the like around the robot 10. The three-dimensional point cloud information acquisition unit 12 is, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device.

[0026] The imaging unit 13 captures an image of the inspection location. Any known imaging device for capturing visible light images can be used as the imaging unit 13, without any particular restrictions. The imaging unit 13 may also include an imaging device, such as a thermal camera, that can capture an image showing the temperature distribution of the inspection location. In this case, if an abnormality occurs in the temperature of the inspection location due to, for example, a water leak, the abnormality can be recognized from the image, and appropriate measures can be taken.

[0027] The movement mechanism 14 is a mechanism for moving the robot 10. The movement mechanism 14 may be a quadrupedal walking mechanism. That is, the robot 10 may be a quadrupedal walking robot. In this case, the robot 10 can inspect a variety of locations by taking advantage of the high degree of freedom of movement of a quadrupedal walking robot. For example, if the monitored area TA has multiple floors, the robot 10 can move between floors by ascending and descending stairs. However, if there are no steps or other obstacles on the route to patrol the inspection locations, the movement mechanism 14 may be wheels instead of a quadrupedal walking mechanism. Furthermore, if the route to patrol the inspection locations includes high places or narrow spaces, the movement mechanism 14 of the robot 10 may be a propeller mechanism, like a drone.

[0028] The control unit 15 controls the operation of the robot 10. The control unit 15 includes a position identification unit 151, an abnormality detection unit 152, and a movement control unit 153.

[0029] The position identification unit 151 identifies the position of the robot 10. The position identification unit 151 can identify the position of the robot 10 using either a first means 151a or a second means 151b. The first means 151a is a means that uses radio waves from GPS satellites 100. The second means 151b is a means that uses a method other than radio waves from GPS satellites 100.

[0030] The second means 151b may be a means that does not require communication with the outside. The second means 151b may also be a means that can identify the position of the robot 10 throughout the entire monitoring area TA. This allows the position identification unit 151 to identify the position of the robot 10 using the second means 151b even in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, i.e., an area where position identification by the first means 151a is not possible.

[0031] Examples of the second means 151b include position measurement using a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor built into the robot 10, or position measurement by reading QR codes (registered trademark) that indicate position information and are placed intermittently along the patrol route. Another example of the second means 151b is position measurement by storing information indicating the shapes of structures present in the monitoring target area TA in advance and comparing the information with surrounding point cloud information acquired by the three-dimensional point cloud information acquisition unit 12.

[0032] Furthermore, the position identification unit 151 may be capable of position identification using LoRa (registered trademark, low-power long-distance wireless communication technology) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), in addition to the first means 151a and the second means 151b. In this case, even in an area where radio waves from GPS satellites 100 cannot be received and position identification using the first means 151a is impossible, the position of the robot 10 can be identified using LoRa, Wi-Fi, etc., as long as communication with the communication device 21 is possible.

[0033] The abnormality detection unit 152 detects abnormalities at a plurality of inspection points included in the monitoring target area TA. The abnormality detection unit 152 also detects abnormalities in the robot 10 itself.

[0034] The anomaly detection unit 152 may have a trained model generated by machine learning using, as teacher images, an image of the inspection location when an anomaly has occurred and an image of the inspection location when no anomaly has occurred. In this case, the anomaly detection unit 152 detects an anomaly at the inspection location by inputting an image of the inspection location captured by the imaging unit 13. By using the trained model generated by machine learning, the accuracy with which the anomaly detection unit 152 detects anomalies can be improved.

[0035] The inspection points are, for example, displays that display the measurement values ​​of measuring devices installed in the monitored area TA, such as ammeters, pressure gauges, thermometers that measure the temperature of bearings, or remaining chemical levels in tanks. In this case, the abnormality detection unit 152 may have a trained model in which normal images are obtained when the measurement values ​​of each device are within an allowable range, and abnormal images are obtained when the measurement values ​​are outside the allowable range, as teacher images. The abnormality detection unit 152 determines whether the image of each device captured by the imaging unit 13 is a normal image or an abnormal image using the above-mentioned trained model.

[0036] Furthermore, the abnormality detection unit 152 may monitor whether the time required to patrol an area where external communication is not possible is within an allowable time. If the time required to patrol an area where external communication is not possible exceeds the allowable time, the abnormality detection unit 152 may transmit data indicating the cause of the delay to the management device 30 after returning to an area where external communication is possible. The data indicating the cause of the delay may be data indicating a travel record, obstacle avoidance, malfunction of the robot 10 itself, etc.

[0037] The movement control unit 153 controls the movement of the robot 10. Specifically, the movement control unit 153 controls the movement mechanism 14 to move the robot 10 from the charging dock 20 in the waiting area SA so as to patrol the monitoring target area TA along a preset route.

[0038] The movement control unit 153 can move the robot 10 to an area where communication with the outside is not possible. When an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 152 in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, the movement control unit 153 controls the movement of the robot 10 so that the robot 10 moves to a communication area where communication with the communication device 21 is possible, while identifying the position of the robot 10 using the first means 151a and / or the second means 151b of the position identification unit 151. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , when an abnormality is detected at an inspection point in the second area TA2, the movement control unit 153 moves the robot 10 to the first area TA1.

[0039] The communication device 21 is provided in the charging dock 20, thereby enabling reliable communication with the management device 30. Therefore, when the robot 10 detects an abnormality in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, i.e., an area where radio waves for data communication from the robot 10 cannot reach the communication device 21, the robot 10 can move to a communication area where communication with the communication device 21 is possible and reliably notify the management device 30 of the detected abnormality. Furthermore, when the battery of the robot 10 runs out, the robot 10 can charge the battery in the charging dock 20. Therefore, the robot 10 can achieve both appropriate charging and immediate notification of an abnormality.

[0040] Furthermore, depending on the positional relationship between the communication device 21 and the monitored area TA, it may be possible that the robot 10 is unable to communicate with the outside throughout the monitored area TA. In this case, if an abnormality is detected at an inspection point within the monitored area TA, the movement control unit 153 may move the robot 10 to an area outside the monitored area TA where communication is possible, such as a waiting area SA.

[0041] Furthermore, after the robot 10 moves to the communication area and the anomaly detection unit 152 communicates the detected anomaly to the management device 30, if there are any unpatrolled inspection locations among the multiple inspection locations that the robot 10 is to patrol, the movement control unit 153 controls the movement of the robot 10 so that the robot 10 moves to the unpatrolled inspection location. In this case, the movement control unit 153 checks the remaining battery power of the robot 10, and if it determines that the remaining battery power is sufficient to patrol the unpatrolled inspection location, it moves the robot 10 to the unpatrolled inspection location. On the other hand, if it determines that the remaining battery power is insufficient, it charges the robot 10 in the charging dock 20 and then moves the robot 10 to the unpatrolled inspection location. This allows the robot 10 to prioritize communication related to the anomaly while patrolling all of the originally scheduled inspection locations.

[0042] In this case, if there are multiple unpatrolled inspection locations, the robot 10 may report any abnormalities detected at the unpatrolled inspection locations to the management device 30 after patrolling all of the inspection locations. In other words, if an abnormality is detected at one of multiple unpatrolled inspection locations and there is another unpatrolled inspection location remaining, the movement control unit 153 controls the movement of the robot 10 to move to the other unpatrolled inspection location. This allows the robot 10 to quickly complete the patrol of the inspection locations that was originally scheduled.

[0043] When an abnormality is reported from the robot 10 to the management device 30, it takes a certain amount of time for the manager to confirm the details of the abnormality and respond to it. For this reason, the robot 10 can quickly report one abnormality and then simultaneously report all abnormalities at inspection locations that have not yet been visited at that time, thereby making effective use of the time it takes for the manager to confirm the details of the abnormality that was first reported, and patrol the inspection locations.

[0044] The memory unit 16 stores information necessary for the control of the robot 10 by the control unit 15. For example, the memory unit 16 may store a route for patrolling inspection points and a learning model for detecting abnormalities at the inspection points. The robot 10 does not necessarily need to include the memory unit 16. If the robot 10 does not include the memory unit 16, it may be communicably connected to an external storage device that stores information necessary for the control of the robot 10 by the control unit 15.

[0045] (Patrol Method) Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a patrol method for using the robot 10 to patrol multiple inspection locations included in a monitored area TA. In the patrol method shown in Figure 3, the movement control unit 153 moves the robot 10 to an area where communication with the outside is not possible (S1). In that area, the movement control unit 153 moves the robot 10 to inspection locations that have not been patrolled in a predetermined order (S2). At each inspection location, the abnormality detection unit 152 determines whether or not an abnormality has been detected at that inspection location (S3).

[0046] If an abnormality is detected at an inspection location (YES in S3), the movement control unit 153 controls the movement of the robot 10 so that it moves to a communication area where communication with the communication device 21 is possible while identifying its own location using the first means 151a and / or the second means 151b (S4, movement control step). After the robot 10 arrives at the communication area, the abnormality detection unit 152 notifies the management device 30 of the details of the abnormality (S5). The manager checks the details of the abnormality notified by the abnormality detection unit 152 and takes appropriate action. After step S5, if there are any inspection locations that have not been patrolled, the robot 10 may repeat the process from step S2 as described above.

[0047] If the abnormality detection unit 152 does not detect an abnormality at the inspection location (NO in S3), the movement control unit 153 determines whether all inspection locations have been visited (S6). If all inspection locations have been visited (YES in S6), the movement control unit 153 moves the robot 10 to the charging dock 20 (S7). If all inspection locations have not been visited (NO in S6), the movement control unit 153 repeats the process from step S2.

[0048] [Example of implementation by software] The functions of the robot 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") can be realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the device, and a program that causes a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each part included in the control unit 15).

[0049] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The functions described in each of the above embodiments are realized by executing the program using the control device and storage device.

[0050] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0051] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0052] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may run on the control device or on another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0053] [Summary] The present invention can also be expressed as follows.

[0054] A robot according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a robot that patrols a plurality of inspection locations included in a monitored area, and a charging dock for the robot located within the monitored area is equipped with communication equipment that enables communication between the robot and a management device for the monitored area, and is equipped with a position determination unit that can either (1) determine the position of the robot by a first means using radio waves from GPS satellites, or (2) determine the position of the robot by a second means other than the radio waves, an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in any of the plurality of inspection locations or the robot, and a movement control unit that, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, controls the movement of the robot so that the robot moves to a communication area where communication with the communication equipment is possible while determining its own position using the first means and / or the second means.

[0055] In the robot of aspect 2 of the present invention, in aspect 1, the movement control unit controls the movement of the robot so that after the robot moves to the communication area and communicates the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection unit to the management device, if there are any unpatrolled inspection locations among the multiple inspection locations that the robot is to patrol, the robot moves to the unpatrolled inspection location.

[0056] The robot according to aspect 3 of the present invention is the robot of aspect 1 or 2, further comprising an imaging unit that captures images of the inspection location, and the anomaly detection unit detects an anomaly at the inspection location by inputting the images captured by the imaging unit into a trained model generated by machine learning using, as teacher images, an image of the inspection location when an anomaly has occurred and an image of the inspection location when no anomaly has occurred.

[0057] A robot according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a quadruped walking robot in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0058] A patrol system according to aspect 5 of the present invention comprises the robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, the charging dock, and the management device.

[0059] A patrol method according to aspect 6 of the present invention is a patrol method using a robot to patrol a plurality of inspection locations included in a monitored area, wherein a charging dock for the robot placed in the monitored area is provided with communication equipment that enables communication between the robot and a management device for the monitored area, and the robot is equipped with a position determination unit that is capable of (1) determining the position of the robot by a first means using radio waves from a GPS satellite, and (2) determining the position of the robot by a second means other than the radio waves, an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in any of the plurality of inspection locations or the robot, and a movement control unit that controls movement of the robot, and includes a movement control step in which, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, the movement control unit controls the movement of the robot so that the robot moves to a communication area where communication with the communication equipment is possible while determining its own position by the first means and / or the second means.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Patrol system 10 Robot 13 Imaging unit 151 Position identification unit 151a First means 151b Second means 152 Abnormality detection unit 153 Movement control unit 20 Charging dock 30 Management device

Claims

1. A robot that patrols a plurality of inspection locations included in a monitored area, wherein a charging dock for the robot placed within the monitored area is equipped with a communication device that enables communication between the robot and a management device for the monitored area, and the robot is equipped with: (1) a position determination unit that can determine the position of the robot by a first means that uses radio waves from GPS satellites, and (2) a second means that is not the radio waves; an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in any of the plurality of inspection locations or the robot; and a movement control unit that, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, controls the movement of the robot so that the robot moves to a communication area where communication with the communication device is possible while determining its own position using the first means and / or the second means.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the movement control unit controls the movement of the robot so that after the robot moves to the communication area and communicates the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection unit to the management device, if there are any unpatrolled inspection locations among the multiple inspection locations that the robot should patrol, the robot moves to the unpatrolled inspection location.

3. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging unit that captures images of the inspection location, wherein the anomaly detection unit detects an anomaly at the inspection location by inputting the images captured by the imaging unit into a trained model generated by machine learning using, as teacher images, an image of the inspection location when an anomaly has occurred and an image of the inspection location when no anomaly has occurred.

4. The robot of claim 1, which is a quadrupedal walking robot.

5. A patrol system comprising: the robot according to claim 1; the charging dock; and the management device.

6. A patrol method using a robot to patrol a plurality of inspection locations included in a monitored area, wherein a charging dock for the robot placed within the monitored area is provided with a communication device that enables communication between the robot and a management device for the monitored area, and the robot is equipped with: (1) a position determination unit that can determine the position of the robot by a first means that uses radio waves from GPS satellites, and (2) a second means that is not the radio waves; an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in any of the plurality of inspection locations or in the robot; and a movement control unit that controls the movement of the robot, and includes a movement control step in which, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit in an area where communication with the outside is not possible, the movement control unit controls the movement of the robot so that the robot moves to a communication area where communication with the communication device is possible while determining its own position by the first means and / or the second means.

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