Mobile body, control method, and program

Abstract

This mobile body comprises: a fork that can be inserted into an insertion port of a target object; a fork control unit that controls the movement of the fork in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction; a sensor that is provided below the fork in the vertical direction and can measure the three-dimensional position of and the distance to a target object P; and a calculation unit that calculates the height of the insertion port of the target object and the center position of the target object on the basis of sensor information with which the target object measured by the sensor can be identified. The fork control unit controls the movement of the fork in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction on the basis of the height of the insertion port of the target object and the center position of the target object.

Description

Mobile object, control method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a moving object, a control method, and a program.

[0002] The forklift has forks that are inserted into the pallet. Patent Document 1 discloses a forklift equipped with a pallet detection device that detects a line segment that indicates the front surface of the pallet based on a point cloud measured by a two-dimensional distance measuring device, and acquires the position and orientation of the pallet based on the line segment.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-40866

[0004] When using a 2D distance sensor with a conventional forklift, the sensor can only be used when the measurement height is equal to the sensor's measurement height, limiting the application scenarios. Conventional forklifts are not limited by the installation height of the target to be measured, and there is room for improvement in the accuracy of detecting the position and orientation of the target.

[0005] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a moving body, a control method, and a program that can improve the accuracy of detecting the position and attitude of a target without being limited by the installation height of the target to be measured.

[0006] The moving body according to the present disclosure includes a fork that can be inserted into a socket of a target object, a fork control unit that controls the movement of the fork in the up-down and left-right directions, a sensor that is provided below the fork in the up-down direction and is capable of measuring the three-dimensional position and distance of the target object, and a calculation unit that calculates the height of the socket of the target object and the central position of the target object based on sensor information that can identify the target object measured by the sensor, and the fork control unit controls the movement of the fork in the up-down and left-right directions based on the height of the socket of the target object and the central position of the target object.

[0007] The control method according to the present disclosure is a control method for a moving body that includes a fork that can be inserted into a socket of a target object, a fork control unit that controls the movement of the fork in the up-down and left-right directions, and a sensor that is provided below the fork in the up-down direction and that can measure the three-dimensional position and distance of the target object, and includes the steps of calculating the height of the socket of the target object and a central position of the target object based on sensor information that can identify the target object measured by the sensor, and controlling the movement of the fork in the up-down and left-right directions by the fork control unit based on the height of the socket of the target object and the central position of the target object.

[0008] The program according to the present disclosure causes a mobile body including a fork that can be inserted into a socket of a target object, a fork control unit that controls the movement of the fork in the up-down and left-right directions, and a sensor that is provided below the fork in the up-down direction and that can measure the three-dimensional position and distance of the target object to execute the following steps: calculating the height of the socket of the target object and the central position of the target object based on sensor information that can identify the target object measured by the sensor; and controlling the movement of the fork in the up-down and left-right directions by the fork control unit based on the height of the socket of the target object and the central position of the target object.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the accuracy of detecting the position and attitude of a target without being limited by the installation height of the target to be measured.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mobility control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a mobile body according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between sensors and targets in the mobile body shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a management device. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of an information processing device. FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a control device for a mobile body. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the structure of a target. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control device for calculating a three-dimensional position of a target. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of limiting the ranging range from sensor information. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for calculating the height of a socket of a target. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of calculating the height of a socket of a target. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of calculating the position of a central pillar by matching the shape of a target. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for calculating the left-right position of a central pillar of a target. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an example of calculating a detailed position of the central pillar of a target. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for calculating a detailed position of the central pillar of a target. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for determining the reflection intensity of a target pillar. Fig. 17 is a diagram for explaining an example of extracting the posture of a target pillar. Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between a fork of a moving body and a target according to the second embodiment. Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of inserting a fork into a socket of a target. Fig. 20 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of a moving body according to the third embodiment.

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and when there are multiple embodiments, the present disclosure also includes configurations in which the respective embodiments are combined.

[0012] (First Embodiment) (Overall Configuration of a Mobile Control System) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mobile control system according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile control system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a mobile object 10, a management device 12, and an information processing device 14. The mobile control system 1 is a system that controls the movement of a mobile object 10 belonging to a facility W. The facility W is, for example, a facility that is subjected to logistics management, such as a warehouse. In the mobile control system 1, a target object P placed within an area AR of the facility W is picked up and transported by the mobile object 10. The area AR is, for example, the floor surface of the facility W, and is an area where the target object P is installed and where the mobile object 10 moves. In this embodiment, the target object P is a transport target object in the form of a pallet on which cargo is loaded. The target object P has, on its front surface Pa, multiple pillars PA and insertion ports PB formed between the pillars PA. The front surface Pa refers to the surface from which the mobile object 10 approaches. The moving body 10 holds the target P by inserting the fork 24, which will be described later, into the insertion port PB. However, the target P is not limited to a pallet with cargo loaded on it, and may be in any form, for example, it may be cargo only without a pallet. Hereinafter, one direction along the area AR will be referred to as direction X, and a direction along the area AR that intersects with direction X will be referred to as direction Y. In this embodiment, direction Y is a direction perpendicular to direction X. Directions X and Y may also be referred to as horizontal directions. Furthermore, a direction perpendicular to directions X and Y, i.e., the vertical direction, will be referred to as direction Z.

[0013] Multiple installation areas AR0 are provided in an area AR within the equipment W. The installation area AR0 is an area where targets P are to be installed. The installation area AR0 is set in advance as an area where the targets P should be installed. The installation area AR0 is divided, for example, by white lines, and the position (coordinates), shape, and size of the installation area AR0 are set in advance. Within the installation area AR0, the targets P are arranged so that their front faces Pa face the direction X. In the example of FIG. 1 , the targets P are arranged within the installation area AR so that an axis PX perpendicular to the front face Pa as viewed from the direction Z is aligned with the direction X, i.e., so that the orientation of the targets P does not deviate from the installation area AR0. However, the axis PX of the targets P is not limited to being aligned with the direction X, and the axis PX may be installed at an angle from the direction X, i.e., offset from the orientation of the installation area AR. For example, it is preferable that the target P be arranged in the installation area AR0 so that the inclination angle between the axis PX and the direction X is 45 degrees or less.

[0014] In this embodiment, the installation area AR0 is provided in the area AR, which is the floor of the facility W, but is not limited thereto. For example, the installation area AR0 may be provided in the loading platform of a vehicle that has delivered the target object P to the facility W. In this embodiment, the installation area AR0 is partitioned for each target object P, and one target object P is placed in the installation area AR0, but is not limited thereto. For example, the installation area AR0 may be set as a free space in which multiple targets P can be placed. In the example of FIG. 1, the installation area AR0 is rectangular, but the shape and size may be arbitrary. The number of installation areas AR0 provided in the area AR may also be arbitrary.

[0015] The mobile body 10 is an automatically mobile device. In this embodiment, the mobile body 10 is a forklift, or more specifically, a so-called AGF (Automated Guided Forklift). As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the mobile body 10 moves within an area AR in a facility W. The mobile body 10 detects a target P multiple times using a sensor 26 (described later) while moving from a first position A1 to a second position A2 along a first path R1 (wide area path). The mobile body 10 acquires a point cloud from the multiple detection results by the sensor 26 and identifies the position and orientation of the target P based on the point cloud. Upon reaching the second position A2, the mobile body 10 moves from the second position A2 to a target position A3 along a second path R2 (approach path) set based on the position and orientation of the target P, and picks up the target P. Here, the position of the target P refers to the coordinates of the target P in a two-dimensional coordinate system CO in the X and Y directions, and the attitude of the target P refers to the orientation (rotation angle) of the target P when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions. Furthermore, the target position A3 is a position and attitude that are predetermined relative to the target P. In this embodiment, the target position A3 can be said to be a position and attitude at which the moving body 10 can pick up the target P. For example, the target position A3 may be a position and attitude of the moving body 10 at which the fork 24 of the moving body 10, described below, can be inserted into the insertion port PB of the target P by moving straight ahead without moving laterally. In this case, the moving body 10 moves straight ahead from the target position A3 to pick up the target P and transport the target P to another location.

[0016] (Mobile body) Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the mobile body according to the first embodiment. In Fig. 2, the front-rear direction XA, the left-right direction YA, and the up-down direction ZA are linear directions that intersect at right angles to each other, and are based on the forklift.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20, wheels 20A, straddle legs 21, a mast 22, a fork 24, a side shift device 25, a sensor 26, and a control device 28.

[0018] The straddle legs 21 are a pair of shaft-shaped members provided at one end of the vehicle body 20 in the fore-and-aft direction XA and protruding from the vehicle body 20. The wheels 20A are provided at the tip of each straddle leg 21 and on the vehicle body 20. That is, a total of three wheels 20A are provided, but the positions and number of the wheels 20A may be arbitrary. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the wheels 20A include front and rear wheels. The front wheels are rotatably provided at the front ends of the left and right straddle legs 21, respectively. The rear wheels are rotatably provided at the center of the vehicle body 20. The rear wheels are configured to be rotatable and steerable. In this embodiment, the mobile body 10 is configured so that the turning of the mobile body 10 can be controlled by operating one of the rear wheels 20A.

[0019] The mast 22 is movably attached to the straddle legs 21 and moves in the fore-and-aft direction XA of the vehicle body 20. The mast 22 extends in an up-and-down direction ZA perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction XA, and the backrest 23 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction YA and the up-and-down direction ZA. The mast 22 has a lifting device (not shown), which raises and lowers the backrest 23 to raise and lower the forks 24, i.e., move them in the up-and-down direction ZA. When the forks 24 are inserted into a pallet, the lifting device raises or lowers the forks 24 so that the front ends of the forks 24 and the insertion openings of the pallet are positioned on the same horizontal plane. The backrest 23 is a load-receiving frame that prevents loads on the forks 24 from falling rearward of the mast 22.

[0020] The fork 24 is attached to the mast 22 via the backrest 23 so as to be movable in the up-down direction ZA. The fork 24 is movable relative to the mast 22 in the left-right direction YA of the vehicle body 20 by a side shift device 25. The fork 24 has a pair of forks 24A and 24B. The forks 24A and 24B extend from the backrest 23 (mast 22) toward the front of the vehicle body 20. The forks 24A and 24B are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction YA of the mast 22. Hereinafter, in the fore-and-aft direction XA, the direction toward the side of the vehicle 10 where the fork 24 is not provided will be referred to as the rearward direction, and the direction toward the side where the fork 24 is provided will be referred to as the forward direction.

[0021] The forks 24 are provided to extend in the front-rear direction XA, and are inserted into the target P (the insertion opening of the pallet) to be able to lift the target P. In this embodiment, two forks 24 are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction YA, forming a left-right pair, but three or more forks may also be provided.

[0022] The side shift device 25 moves the pair of forks 24 in the left-right direction YA without changing the distance between the forks 24. By moving the forks 24, the side shift device 25 adjusts the position of the forks 24 relative to the target object position.

[0023] The sensor 26 includes a sensor 26A and a sensor 26B. The sensor 26A detects at least one of the position and the orientation of an object present around the vehicle body 20. It can also be said that the sensor 26A detects at least one of the position of the object relative to the mobile body 10 and the orientation of the object relative to the mobile body 10. In this embodiment, the sensor 26A is provided at the forward tip of each straddle leg 21 and at the rear side of the vehicle body 20. For example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor, a proximity sensor, or the like can be used as the sensor 26A. Note that the location at which the sensor 26A is provided is not limited thereto, and the sensor 26A may be provided at any position, and the number of sensors provided may also be arbitrary. The sensor 26A supplies sensor information indicating at least one of the position of the object relative to the mobile body 10 and the orientation of the object relative to the mobile body 10 to the control device 28.

[0024] 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between the sensor 26B and the target P in the moving body 10 shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, scene C1 shows a side view of the moving body 10, and scene C2 shows a top view of the moving body 10.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3 , the sensor 26B detects the position, posture, etc. of the target P. The sensor 26B is provided on the underside of the pair of forks 24 on the backrest 23 and moves together with the forks 24. That is, even if the forks 24 move in the up-down direction ZA or the left-right direction YA, the relative positional relationship between the forks 24 and the sensor 26B does not change. The sensor 26B is provided below the forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and is configured to measure the three-dimensional position and distance of the target P. By providing the sensor 26B below the pair of forks 24, it can be raised and lowered together with the forks 24, and can detect the front of the mobile unit 10 even when the forks 24 are inserted into the target P. That is, the sensor 26B does not need to raise and lower the forks 24 to obtain three-dimensional position information, simplifying the operation. The ability to raise and lower the sensor 26B allows it to accommodate targets P installed at different heights.

[0026] In the example shown in FIG. 3 , the sensor 26B has a ranging range 260 in front of the mobile object 10, which includes the installation stand 1000, a target P installed on the installation stand 1000, and a baggage 2000 installed on the target P. The ranging range 260 is a portion of the range that the sensor 26B can measure. The sensor 26B measures the environment in the ranging range 260 and provides sensor information including a point cloud or the like that can identify the three-dimensional position of the measured object and the distance to the object. The sensor information includes a three-dimensional point cloud obtained by the sensor 26B in a single measurement, and includes information such as the position and distance of each point.

[0027] In this embodiment, the sensor 26B is described as being a three-dimensional ToF (Time of Flight) camera that measures distance (depth), but various sensors that can detect the position of an object can be used. The sensor 26B captures a depth image that allows the three-dimensional position and distance to be identified, and supplies sensor information indicating the captured depth image to the control device 28.

[0028] 2, the control device 28 is a computer that controls the mobile object 10. The control device 28 detects the position and distance of the detection target from sensor information. The control device 28 has a function of calculating the position, attitude, etc. of the insertion port PB of the target object P into which the fork 24 is inserted. The control device 28 will be described later.

[0029] (Management Device) FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the management device. The management device 12 is a system that manages logistics in the facility W. In this embodiment, the management device 12 is a WMS (Warehouse Management System), but is not limited to a WMS and may be any system, such as a back-end system such as another production management system. The location where the management device 12 is installed is arbitrary, and the management device 12 may be installed within the facility W or at a location remote from the facility W to manage the facility W from that location. The management device 12 is a computer, and as shown in FIG. 4, includes a communication unit 30, a memory unit 32, and a control unit 34.

[0030] The control unit 34 is a calculation device, i.e., a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 34 includes a work determination unit 36. The control unit 34 reads and executes a program (software) from the storage unit 32, thereby realizing the work determination unit 36 ​​and executing its processing. The control unit 34 may execute the processing using a single CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processing using these multiple CPUs. The work determination unit 36 ​​may also be implemented using a hardware circuit. The program for the control unit 34 stored in the storage unit 32 may also be stored on a recording medium readable by the management device 12.

[0031] The work determination unit 36 ​​determines the target object P to be transported. Specifically, the work determination unit 36 ​​determines work content indicating information about the target object P to be transported, for example, based on an input work plan. The work content can also be said to be information that identifies the target object P to be transported. In the example of this embodiment, the work content determines which target object P is located in which facility, by when, and to where it should be transported. In other words, the work determination unit 36 ​​determines information indicating the facility where the target object P is stored, the target object P, the destination of the target object P, and the transport time of the target object P. The work determination unit 36 ​​transmits the determined work content to the information processing device 14 via the communication unit 30.

[0032] (Information Processing Device) FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of an information processing device. The information processing device 14 is provided in the facility W and is a device that transmits and receives at least information related to the movement of the mobile object 10 to and from the mobile object 10, i.e., a so-called ground system. The information processing device 14 is a computer, and as shown in FIG. 5 , includes a communication unit 40, a storage unit 42, and a control unit 44. The communication unit 40 is a module used by the control unit 44 to communicate with external devices such as the management device 12 and the mobile object 10, and may include, for example, an antenna. In this embodiment, the communication method used by the communication unit 40 is wireless communication, but any communication method may be used. The storage unit 42 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 44, and includes, for example, at least one of a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and an external storage device such as an HDD.

[0033] The control unit 44 is a computing device, i.e., a CPU. The control unit 44 includes a task content acquisition unit 50 and a moving object selection unit 52. The control unit 44 reads and executes a program (software) from the storage unit 42, thereby realizing the task content acquisition unit 50 and the moving object selection unit 52 and performing their processing. The control unit 44 may perform these processes using a single CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and perform the processes using the multiple CPUs. Furthermore, at least a portion of the task content acquisition unit 50 and the moving object selection unit 52 may be realized by hardware circuits. Furthermore, the program for the control unit 44 stored in the storage unit 42 may be stored in a recording medium readable by the information processing device 14.

[0034] The work content acquisition unit 50 acquires information about the work content determined by the management device 12, i.e., information about the target object P to be transported. The work content acquisition unit 50 identifies the installation area AR0 in which the target object P is installed from the information about the target object P in the work content. For example, the memory unit 42 stores the target object P and the installation area AR0 in which the target object P is installed in association with each other, and the work content acquisition unit 50 identifies the installation area AR0 by reading the information from the memory unit 42. The moving object selection unit 52 selects the target moving object 10. For example, the moving object selection unit 52 selects the target moving object 10 from multiple moving objects belonging to the facility W. The moving object selection unit 52 may select the target moving object 10 using any method. For example, based on the installation area AR0 identified by the work content acquisition unit 50, the moving object selection unit 52 may select a moving object 10 that is suitable for transporting the target object P in the installation area AR0 as the target moving object 10.

[0035] (Control Device of Mobile Body) Next, the control device 28 of the mobile body 10 will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of the control device 28 of the mobile body 10. The control device 28 controls the mobile body 10. The control device 28 controls the mobile body 10 to move the mobile body 10 to the target position A3 along the second path R2 set based on multiple detection results by the sensor 26 of the mobile body 10, and causes the mobile body 10 to pick up the target object P. The control device 28 is a computer, and as shown in FIG. 6, includes a communication unit 70, a storage unit 72, and a control unit 74. The control device 28 is electrically connected to the side shift device 25, the sensor 26, the drive device 29, and the lift device 220.

[0036] The drive device 29 includes a movement mechanism such as a drive unit and steering of the mobile body 10. The control device 28 is configured to be able to control the movement, rotation, etc. of the mobile body 10 by controlling the drive unit and movement mechanism of the drive device 29. The mobile body 10 is configured to be able to change the attitude, direction, etc. of the fork 24 relative to the target P by rotating.

[0037] The lift device 220 is provided on the mast 22 and includes a mechanism for raising and lowering the backrest 23. The control device 28 controls the lift device 220 to raise and lower the backrest 23. The lift device 220 raises and lowers the backrest 23, thereby positioning the forks 24 at a desired height. When the forks 24 are inserted into the insertion ports PB of the target P, the lift device 220 raises or lowers the forks 24 so that the front ends of the forks 24 and the insertion ports PB are positioned on the same horizontal plane.

[0038] The communication unit 70 is a module used by the control unit 74 to communicate with an external device such as the information processing device 14, and may include, for example, an antenna. In this embodiment, the communication method used by the communication unit 70 is wireless communication, but the communication method may be any other method.

[0039] The storage unit 72 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 74, and includes at least one of, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and an external storage device such as an HDD. The storage unit 72 can store a program 721, work information 722, sensor information 723, position information 724, etc. The program 721 includes a program for realizing functions such as movement control, fork control, and detection control of the mobile object 10. The work information 722 includes information indicating the first path R1, second path R2, etc. of the mobile object 10, acquired from the information processing device 14, a database, etc. The sensor information 723 includes information acquired from the sensor 26. The position information 724 is acquired from the sensor information 723 and includes information that can identify the position, posture, etc. of the target object P. The storage unit 72 can associate the sensor information 723 and the position information 724 and store them in chronological order.

[0040] The control unit 74 is a computing device and includes a computing circuit such as a CPU. The control unit 74 includes an information acquisition unit 80, a movement control unit 82, a detection control unit 84, a calculation unit 86, and a fork control unit 88. The control unit 74 reads and executes a program 721 (software) from the storage unit 72, thereby realizing the movement control unit 82, the detection control unit 84, the calculation unit 86, and the fork control unit 88 and performing their processing. The control unit 74 may perform these processes using a single CPU, or may include multiple CPUs and perform the processes using the multiple CPUs. Furthermore, at least a portion of the movement control unit 82, the detection control unit 84, the calculation unit 86, and the fork control unit 88 may be realized by hardware circuits. Furthermore, the program 721 for the control unit 74 stored in the storage unit 72 may be stored in a recording medium readable by the control device 28.

[0041] The information acquisition unit 80 acquires various information related to the work, such as the first pass R1, the second pass R2, the structure of the target P, and the position of the target P, as work information 722. When the mobile body 10 is selected as a work target, the information acquisition unit 80 may acquire the work information from the information processing device 14, or may read out work information stored in advance in the storage unit 72.

[0042] The movement control unit 82 controls the movement of the moving body 10 by controlling the driving unit of the drive device 29, steering, and other movement mechanisms. The movement control unit 82 moves the moving body 10 according to the first path R1 and the second path R2 acquired by the information acquisition unit 80. The movement control unit 82 sequentially grasps the position information of the moving body 10, and moves the moving body 10 so that it passes through the first path R1 and the second path R2. Any method for acquiring the position information of the moving body 10 may be used. For example, in this embodiment, a detection object (not shown) is provided in the facility W, and the movement control unit 82 acquires information on the position and attitude of the moving body 10 based on the detection of the detection object. The position of the moving body 10 is the coordinates in a two-dimensional coordinate system CO in the direction X and the direction Y in the area AR of the facility W. The attitude of the moving body 10 is the orientation (rotation angle) of the moving body 10 when viewed from the direction Z perpendicular to the direction X and the direction Y.

[0043] The movement control unit 82 controls the movement of the moving body 10 so that the fork 24 approaches the insertion port PB of the target object P. The movement control unit 82 moves the moving body 10 to the target position A3 by moving the moving body 10 so that the fork 24 passes through the second path R2 (approach path), and places the moving body 10 at the pickup position of the target object P.

[0044] The detection control unit 84 causes the sensor 26 to detect the position of the target P, the front surface Pa of the target P, the positions of the forks 24, etc., and acquires the detection results of the sensor 26 as a point cloud. The detection control unit 84 chronologically stores the acquired information in the storage unit 72 as sensor information 723. For example, the detection control unit 84 analyzes the position of the target P, the front surface Pa of the target P, the insertion port PB on the front surface Pa, the positions of the forks 24, etc., based on the point cloud obtained by the sensor 26, and stores the analysis results in the storage unit 72 as sensor information 723.

[0045] The calculation unit 86 calculates position information 724 such as the position, attitude, etc. of the target P based on the sensor information 723. The calculation unit 86 estimates the target P based on parameters for estimating the position of the target P and the sensor information 723, and calculates the position, attitude, etc. of the target P.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a target. In FIG. 7, scene C11 shows a top view of the target P, and scene C12 shows a front view of the front surface Pa of the target P. The target P has multiple pillars PA. On the front surface Pa, the target P has multiple pillars PA, including a central pillar PAC located in the center, a left pillar PAL located at the left end, and a right pillar PAR located at the right end. On the front surface Pa of the target P, the space surrounded by the central pillar PAC, the left pillar PAL, the upper surface PC, and the lower surface PD, and the space surrounded by the central pillar PAC, the right pillar PAR, the upper surface PC, and the lower surface PD form a socket PB.

[0047] The calculation unit 86 calculates the height of the socket PB of the target P and the central position of the target PB based on sensor information 723 capable of identifying the target P measured by the sensor 26B. The calculation unit 86 calculates the position of the central pillar PAC on the front surface Pa of the target P on which the socket PB is provided as the central position, and calculates the left-right position of the central pillar PAC. The left-right position of the central pillar PAC includes the positions of the left and right ends of the central pillar PAC, positions imposed on the left and right structures of the central pillar PAC, etc. The calculation unit 86 limits the ranging range 260 in which the target P is located based on the sensor information 723, and calculates the height of the socket PB of the target P and the central position of the target P from the ranging range 260. The calculation unit 86 determines the reflection intensities of multiple pillars on the front surface Pa of the target P on which the socket PB is provided, and calculates the attitude of the target P based on the ranging position and the reflection intensities.

[0048] 6 , the calculation unit 86 extracts the front surface Pa of the target P from sensor information 723 indicating information such as measurement values ​​indicating the position and distance of the front surface Pa of the target P measured by the sensor 26B, and estimates the position of the socket PB from the front surface Pa. The calculation unit 86 calculates position information 724 including the estimated positions of the target P and the socket PB, and stores the calculation result in the storage unit 72.

[0049] The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the pair of forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA. The fork control unit 88 moves the pair of forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA using the lift device 220. The fork control unit 88 moves the pair of forks 24 in the left-right direction YA using the side shift device 25. The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA based on the height of the insertion opening PB of the target object P and the center position of the target object P. The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA based on the height of the insertion opening PB of the target object P, the center position of the target object, and the posture of the target object. The fork control unit 88 controls the side shift until the pair of forks 24 are directly facing the unloading position.

[0050] (Processing Procedure of the Control Device of the Mobile Body) Next, an example of an algorithm will be described in which the control device 28 of the mobile body 10 calculates the three-dimensional position of the target P from the sensor information 723. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control device 28 for calculating the three-dimensional position of the target P.

[0051] 8, the control device 28 acquires parameters for position estimation (step S101). For example, the control device 28 acquires parameters corresponding to the target P from the work information 722, a database, etc. The parameters are information for estimating the position of the target P from the sensor information 723. The parameters include, for example, information on the size and shape of the target P corresponding to the scale, the structure of the front surface Pa, the arrangement of the socket PB, etc. When the control device 28 completes the processing of step S101, the processing proceeds to step S102.

[0052] The control device 28 acquires sensor information 723 from the sensor 26 (step S102). For example, the control device 28 acquires sensor information 723 measuring the installation area AR0 in which the target P is installed, and stores the acquired sensor information 723 in chronological order in the storage unit 72. When the process of step S102 is completed, the control device 28 proceeds to the process of step S103.

[0053] The control device 28 limits the ranging range 260 from the acquired sensor information 723 (step S103). For example, the control device 28 deletes information unnecessary for estimating the target P from the sensor information 723, thereby limiting the ranging range 260 of the target P. By limiting the ranging range 260, the control device 28 reduces the processing load of the control device 28 and deletes information that may cause erroneous determination from the sensor information 723.

[0054] 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of limiting the distance measurement range 260 from the sensor information 723. In Fig. 9, scene C21 shows a front view of the target P measured, and scene C22 shows a top view of the target P measured. Note that in scene C22, the baggage 2000 in scene C21 is omitted in order to show the target P.

[0055] In an example shown in FIG. 9 , the control device 28 limits the distance measurement range 260 based on the sensor information 723 shown in scene C21, including the height of the target P (pallet) indicated by the parameters, the expected error HMZ of the height position of the target P, the size of the installation stand 1000, and the size of the luggage 2000. The distance measurement range 260 includes the entire target P and a portion of the installation stand 1000 and the luggage 2000. As shown in scene C22, the control device 28 limits the distance measurement range 260X, which is the depth of the distance measurement range 260 in the forward / backward direction XA, from the sensor information 723, based on the reference distance from the sensor 26B to the target P and the expected error HMX in the forward / backward direction XA, which is the direction in which the sensor 26B approaches or approaches. For example, the distance measurement range 260 in the left / right direction YA of the target P covers a range of ±300 mm of the size of the target P. In addition, if the size (dimensions) of the target P is unknown, the distance measurement range 260 may be set based on the size of the installation stand 1000, luggage 2000, etc., or may be set as the entire range indicated by the sensor information 723.

[0056] 8, when the process of step S103 is completed, the control device 28 proceeds to step S104. The control device 28 calculates the height of the socket PB of the target P (step S104). For example, the control device 28 extracts the height of the bottom surface of the socket PB of the target P and the height of the top surface of the target P from the sensor information 723, and calculates the height of the socket PB of the target P.

[0057] (Example of Calculation of Height of Receptacle) Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for calculating the height of the receptacle PB of the target P. Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of calculating the height of the receptacle PB of the target P. Note that Fig. 11 shows only the target P and the installation stand 1000 on which the target P is installed.

[0058] 10, the control device 28 limits a processing range 260E in the left-right direction YA within the distance measurement range 260 (step S201). For example, as shown in Fig. 11, the control device 28 limits the processing range 260E to an area within the distance measurement range 260 that includes two sockets PB.

[0059] Next, in FIG. 10 , the control device 28 divides the limited processing range 260E at regular intervals in the left-right direction YA and extracts the divided region 261 with the smallest number of measurements (step S202). For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the control device 28 divides the processing range 260E at regular intervals in the left-right direction YA to set multiple divided regions 261. In this embodiment, the multiple divided regions 261 include external regions on both sides of the processing range 260E in the up-down direction ZA, but they may also be configured not to include the external regions. When the socket PB of the target P is located in the multiple divided regions 261, the number of measurements (number of point clouds) is smaller than in the region where the socket PB is located. Therefore, the control device 28 extracts the divided region 261 with the smallest number of point cloud measurements from the multiple divided regions 261.

[0060] 10, the control device 28 narrows the lower limit of the extracted divided region 261 and acquires the bottom and top positions of the socket PB based on the number of changes in the measurement values ​​(step S203). For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the control device 28 sequentially moves the lower limit (scanning line) of the extracted divided region 261 in the upward direction ZAU of the vertical direction ZA, and compares the number of measurements for each lower limit to calculate the number of changes. The control device 28 then acquires the position where the number of changes decreases as the bottom position of the socket PB and the position where the number of changes increases as the top position of the socket PB.

[0061] Next, in Fig. 10, the control device 28 determines the midpoint between the bottom position PB1 and the top position PB2 of the socket PB of the target object P and acquires the height of the socket PB of the target object (step S204). For example, as shown in Fig. 11, the control device 28 calculates the midpoint between the bottom position PB1 and the top position PB2 of the socket PB of the target object P in the up-down direction ZA and acquires the position of the midpoint as the height of the socket PB of the target object. Note that the height of the socket PB may also be acquired as the bottom position PB1, the top position PB2, etc. of the socket PB. After setting the acquired height of the socket PB in the position information 724 of the storage unit 72, the control device 28 ends the predetermined procedure shown in Fig. 10 and returns to step S104 shown in Fig. 8.

[0062] When the process of step S104 is completed, the control device 28 proceeds to step S105. The control device 28 calculates the left and right positions of the central pillar PAC by shape matching of the target P (step S105). For example, the control device 28 performs shape matching of the target P in the ranging range 260 to calculate the positions of the left and right ends of the central pillar PAC of the target P as the left and right positions.

[0063] (Example of Calculation of Left-Right Position of Central Pillar) Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of calculating the position of the central pillar PAC by matching the shape of the target P. Fig. 12 shows a top view of the target P measured. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for calculating the left-right position of the central pillar PAC of the target P.

[0064] As shown in Figure 12, a matching range center MC of the matching range ME is set in the distance measurement range 260, and the matching range center MC moves within the range. The left-right direction YA passes through the position 26P of the sensor 26B and is perpendicular to the front-back direction XA (far-to-near direction) at the position 26P of the sensor 26B. The attitude angle direction YAW indicates the direction of rotation (yawing) around the position 26P of the sensor 26B. The search range MA indicates the range within the distance measurement range 260 for searching for the matching range center MC.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 13, the control device 28 sets the measurement number ps to an initial value of 0 (step S301). The measurement number ps is calculated based on the estimated position (X ｅｓｔ , Y ｅｓｔ ) indicates the number of points within the matching range ME of the estimated position X ｅｓｔ indicates the estimated position of the X coordinate of the central pillar PAC of the target P in the forward / backward direction XA. ｅｓｔ indicates the estimated Y coordinate position in the left-right direction YA of the central pillar PAC of the target P. Then, the control device 28 sets the lower limit value of the matching range ME to the variable x (step S302).

[0066] Next, the control device 28 determines whether the variable x is equal to or less than the upper limit of the matching range ME in the forward / backward direction XA (step S303). If the control device 28 determines that the variable x is not equal to or less than the upper limit of the matching range ME in the forward / backward direction XA (No in step S303), the control device 28 proceeds to step S304. The control device 28 sets the variable y to the lower limit of the matching range ME (step S304).

[0067] Next, the control device 28 determines whether the variable y is equal to or less than the upper limit value of the left-right direction YA of the matching range ME (step S305). If the control device 28 determines that the variable y is not equal to or less than the upper limit value of the left-right direction YA of the matching range ME (No in step S305), the process proceeds to step S306.

[0068] The control device 28 determines whether the number of measurements ps is smaller than the number of measurements within the matching range ME (step S306). If the control device 28 determines that the number of measurements ps is smaller than the number of measurements within the matching range ME (Yes in step S306), the process proceeds to step S307. The control device 28 sets the number of measurements within the matching range ME to the number of measurements ps (step S307). Then, the control device 28 calculates the estimated position (X ｅｓｔ , Y ｅｓｔ ) to the variable (x, y) (step S308). Then, the control device 28 adds the value of the variable y to the center position movement amount Δy of the matching range ME and sets the value of the variable y to the variable y (step S309), and returns the process to the already-described step S305 to continue the process. Note that the center position movement amount Δy is the movement increment (amount) of the center position in the left-right direction YA of the matching range ME.

[0069] Furthermore, if the control device 28 determines that the number of measurements ps is not smaller than the number of measurements in the matching range ME (No in step S306), it sets the value of the variable y to the sum of the value of the variable y and the number of center position movements of the matching range ME (step S309), returns the processing to the already described step S305, and continues processing.

[0070] Furthermore, if the control device 28 determines that the variable y is equal to or less than the upper limit value of the matching range ME in the left-right direction YA (Yes in step S305), the control device 28 proceeds to step S310. The control device 28 sets the variable x to the sum of the value of the variable x and the center position movement number Δx of the matching range ME (step S310), and returns the process to step S303, which has already been described, to continue the process. Note that the center position movement number Δx is the number of movement increments (amount) of the center position in the forward-backward direction XA of the matching range ME.

[0071] Furthermore, when the control device 28 determines that the variable x is equal to or less than the upper limit value of the matching range ME in the forward / backward direction XA (Yes in step S303), it ends the processing procedure shown in Fig. 13 and returns to step S105 shown in Fig. 8. That is, by executing the processing procedure shown in Fig. 13, the control device 28 calculates the approximate left and right positions of the central pillar PAC by shape matching of the target P, as shown in Fig. 12, and stores the calculation results in the storage unit 72. In the example shown in Fig. 12, the approximate left and right positions include the left and right positions of the central pillar PAC in the left-right direction YA.

[0072] 8, when the processing of step S105 is completed, the control device 28 proceeds to step S106. The control device 28 calculates the detailed position of the central pillar PAC of the target P (step S106). For example, the control device 28 detects the edge portions of the central pillar PAC of the target P, and sets the average position (left-right position) of the measurement values ​​(point cloud) between the edge portions as the detailed left-right position of the central pillar PAC of the target P.

[0073] (Calculation example of detailed position of central pillar) Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining an example of calculating the detailed position of the central pillar PAC of the target P. Fig. 14 shows a top view of the target P measured. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for calculating the detailed position of the central pillar PAC of the target P.

[0074] 14, the control device 28 detects a left edge portion PEL and a right edge portion PER of the central pillar PAC of the target P, and sets an edge portion PE including the edge portions PEL and PER. The control device 28 sets the average position (left-right position) of the measurement values ​​(point cloud) between the edge portions PEL and PER as the detailed left-right position of the central pillar PAC.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 15 , the control device 28 extracts measurement values ​​(point cloud) of the central pillar PAC of the target P from the approximate lateral position of the central pillar PAC (step S401). Then, the control device 28 extracts two edge portions of the central pillar PAC from information regarding changes in the forward / backward direction XA among the measurement values ​​of the central pillar PAC of the target P (step S402). In the example shown in FIG. 14 , the control device 28 extracts the edge portions PEL and PER of the central pillar PAC. Then, in FIG. 15 , the control device 28 extracts all measurement values ​​(point cloud) between the edge portions of the central pillar PAC, extracts the average lateral position of the extracted measurement values ​​(points) (step S403), terminates the processing procedure shown in FIG. 15 , and returns to step S106 shown in FIG. 8 . That is, the control device 28 executes the processing procedure shown in FIG. 15 to calculate the detailed position of the central pillar PAC of the target P, and stores the calculation result in the memory unit 72 as the detailed lateral positions of the central pillar PAC.

[0076] In FIG. 8 , when the processing of step S106 is completed, the control device 28 proceeds to step S107. The control device 28 determines the reflection intensities of the left pillar PAL, the center pillar PAC, and the right pillar PAR of the target P (step S107). For example, when the control device 28 measures the distance to the target P using the sensor 26B, if the reflection intensity is low, variations in the reflection intensity occur. In this case, if the posture of the target P is calculated using a pillar of the target P with low reflection intensity and a pillar of the target P with high reflection intensity, errors will increase due to the influence of variations. For this reason, the control device 28 checks the reflection intensity of the target P and acquires two or more pillars with reflection intensities similar to that of the target P.

[0077] (Example of determining reflection intensity of pillars of target) Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for determining the reflection intensity of pillars of the target P. As shown in Fig. 15, the control device 28 acquires the average reflection intensity of each of the left pillar PAL, central pillar PAC, and right pillar PAR of the target P (step S501). For example, the control device 28 acquires the reflection intensity from the color, brightness, etc. of the measurement values ​​(points) corresponding to the left pillar PAL, central pillar PAC, and right pillar PAR of the target P, and calculates the average value.

[0078] Next, the control device 28 determines whether each acquired reflection intensity is equal to or greater than a threshold, and if it is equal to or greater than the threshold, sets the reflection intensity discrimination flag of each pillar to 1, and if it is not equal to or greater than the threshold, sets the reflection intensity discrimination flag of each pillar to 0 (step S502). In this embodiment, the control device 28 sets the reflection intensity discrimination flag of the left pillar PAL of the target P to FGL, the reflection intensity discrimination flag of the central pillar PAC to FGC, and the reflection intensity discrimination flag of the right pillar PAR to FGR.

[0079] Next, the control device 28 determines whether the reflection intensity determination flag FGL, the reflection intensity determination flag FGC, and the reflection intensity determination flag FGR are equal to each other (step S503). For example, if the reflection intensity determination flag FGL, the reflection intensity determination flag FGC, and the reflection intensity determination flag FGR are all 1, the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity determination flag FGL, the reflection intensity determination flag FGC, and the reflection intensity determination flag FGR are all equal to each other.

[0080] When the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGL, the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC, and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are equal (Yes in step S503), the control device 28 proceeds to step S504. Then, the control device 28 uses the left pillar PAL, the center pillar PAC, and the right pillar PAR of the target P for the attitude of the target P (step S504), and stores information on the pillars to be used in the storage unit 72, then ends the processing procedure shown in Fig. 16 and returns to step S107 shown in Fig. 8.

[0081] Furthermore, if the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity determination flag FGL, the reflection intensity determination flag FGC, and the reflection intensity determination flag FGR are not equal (No in step S503), the process proceeds to step S505. The control device 28 determines whether the reflection intensity determination flag FGL and the reflection intensity determination flag FGC are equal (step S505). For example, if the reflection intensity determination flag FGL and the reflection intensity determination flag FGC are 1, the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity determination flag FGL and the reflection intensity determination flag FGC are equal.

[0082] When the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGL and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC are equal (Yes in step S505), the control device 28 proceeds to step S506. Then, the control device 28 uses the left pillar PAL and the center pillar PAC of the target P for the attitude of the target P (step S506), stores information on the pillars to be used in the storage unit 72, and then ends the processing procedure shown in Fig. 16 and returns to step S107 shown in Fig. 8.

[0083] On the other hand, if the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGL and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC are not equal (No in step S505), the process proceeds to step S507. The control device 28 determines whether the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are equal (step S507). For example, if the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are both 1, the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are equal.

[0084] When the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are equal (Yes in step S507), the control device 28 proceeds to step S508. Then, the control device 28 uses the central pillar PAC and the right pillar PAR of the target P for the attitude of the target P (step S508), stores information about the pillars to be used in the storage unit 72, and then ends the processing procedure shown in Fig. 16 and returns to step S107 shown in Fig. 8.

[0085] On the other hand, if the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are not equal (No in step S507), the process proceeds to step S509. The control device 28 determines whether the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGL and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are equal (step S509). For example, if the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGL and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are 1, the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGC and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are equal.

[0086] When the control device 28 determines that the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGLC and the reflection intensity discrimination flag FGR are equal (Yes in step S509), the control device 28 proceeds to step S510. Then, the control device 28 uses the left pillar PAL and the right pillar PAR of the target P for the attitude of the target P (step S510), stores information about the pillars to be used in the storage unit 72, and then ends the processing procedure shown in Fig. 16 and returns to step S107 shown in Fig. 8.

[0087] If it is determined that the reflection intensity determination flag FGLC and the reflection intensity determination flag FGR are not equal (No in step S509), the processing procedure shown in FIG. 16 is ended, and the process returns to step S107 shown in FIG.

[0088] 8, when the process of step S107 is completed, the control device 28 proceeds to step S108. The control device 28 calculates the attitude of the target P based on the reflection intensities of the left pillar PAL, the center pillar PAC, and the right pillar PAR of the target P (step S108). For example, the control device 28 calculates the attitude of the target P based on information about the position of the center pillar PAC of the target P and the determination result of the reflection intensity in step S107.

[0089] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of extracting the posture of the pillars of the target P. FIG. 17 shows a top view of the target P measured. As shown in FIG. 17 , the control device 28 extracts measurement values ​​700 (point cloud) of the left pillar PAL and the right pillar PAR of the target P based on information about the position of the central pillar PAC of the target P and the result of the reflection intensity determination in step S107, obtains an approximated line 710 based on the reflection intensity, distance, etc. of the extracted measurement values ​​700 using the least squares method, and extracts the posture of the target P from the slope of the approximated line 710. After storing the information about the posture of the target P in the memory unit 72 as position information 724, the control device 28 ends the processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 .

[0090] The control device 28 executes the processing procedure shown in Fig. 8 to obtain the calculation results of the height of the insertion port PB of the target object P and the center position of the target object P. The control device 28 moves the forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA by controlling the lift device 220 so that the fork control unit 88 is at the height of the insertion port PB of the target P and at the center position of the target P. Then, when the forks 24 are positioned in a position where they can be inserted into the insertion port PB of the target P, the control device 28 moves the mast 22 forward in the fore-and-aft direction XA to insert the forks 24 into the insertion port PB of the target P.

[0091] In this way, by providing the sensor 26B capable of measuring three-dimensional position and distance below the fork 24 in the vertical direction ZA, the mobile body 10 can calculate the height of the insertion port PB of the target P and the center position of the target P even if the height of the target P varies. The mobile body 10 can accommodate the insertion of the fork 24 into the insertion port PB of targets P at different heights by controlling the movement of the fork 24 based on the calculated height of the insertion port PB of the target P and the center position of the target P. As a result, the mobile body 10 can improve the accuracy of detecting the position and attitude of the target P without being limited by the installation height of the target P to be measured.

[0092] In this embodiment, the calculation unit 86 of the moving body 10 calculates the attitude of the target P based on the reflection intensity, distance, and left-right position of pillars with the same reflection intensity among multiple pillars on the surface of the target P on which the socket PB is provided. Pillars with the same reflection intensity include pillars with similar reflection intensities. For example, the calculation unit 86 may calculate the attitude of the target P based on a straight line connecting the left-right positions of pillars with the same reflection intensity. In this way, the moving body 10 calculates the attitude of the target P based on all of the reflection intensity, distance, and left-right position of pillars with the same reflection intensity, thereby further improving the calculation accuracy of the attitude of the socket PB of the target P.

[0093] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the mobility control system 1 has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment, and includes a mobile object 10, a management device 12, and an information processing device 14. As in the first embodiment, the mobile object 10 includes a vehicle body 20, wheels 20A, straddle legs 21, a mast 22, a fork 24, a side shift device 25, a sensor 26, and a control device 28. As in the first embodiment, the control device 28 includes a communication unit 70, a storage unit 72, and a control unit 74. The control unit 74 includes an information acquisition unit 80, a mobility control unit 82, a detection control unit 84, a calculation unit 86, and a fork control unit 88. In the second embodiment, descriptions of parts that are common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0094] Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between the forks 24 of the moving body 10 according to the second embodiment and the target P. In the example shown in Fig. 18, the backrest 23 provided with the pair of forks 24 and the target P are shown, and other configurations are omitted.

[0095] 18 , a pair of forks 24, each having a length of 24L and a width of 24W, are provided on the backrest 23 of the mobile body 10 along the front-rear direction XA of the mobile body 10. The mobile body 10 has a first center at the midpoint between the pair of forks 24 on the backrest 23, and has mobile body coordinates in the left-right direction YF from the first center along the backrest 23 and the front-rear direction XF passing through the first center and along the forks 24. The target P has a second center at the center position of the central pillar PAC on the front face Pa, and has target coordinates in the left-right direction YP from the second center along the front face Pa and the front-rear direction XP passing through the second center and along the inner wall PF of the insertion port PB.

[0096] 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of inserting the fork 24 into the insertion port PB of the target P. In FIG. 19, scene C31 shows an example of inserting the fork 24 using a conventional method, and scene C32 shows an example of inserting the fork 24 using the method of the present disclosure.

[0097] The control device 28 of the moving body 10 guides the fork 24 to a position where the moving body coordinates and the target coordinates coincide, but when the side shift device 25 is provided, it may be possible to adjust only the left-right direction YF of the moving body coordinates without adjusting the posture of the fork 24.

[0098] 19 , in the conventional method, the fork 24 is inserted into the insertion port PB of the target P without considering the posture of the fork 24. For this reason, in the conventional method, the first distance between the fork 24 in the region P110 of the insertion port PB and the inner wall PF of the target P is longer than the second distance between the fork 24 in the region P120 inside the target P and the inner wall PF of the target P, making it easier for the fork 24 to come into contact with the inner wall PF of the target P.

[0099] In contrast, in the method according to the second embodiment, as shown in scene C32 in Fig. 19 , the position and attitude of the fork 24 are estimated taking into consideration the attitude of the fork 24 and the positional relationship of the fork 24 with respect to the insertion port PB of the target P after the fork 24 is inserted into the insertion port PB. For example, the calculation unit 86 of the control device 28 calculates the shift amount SL of the fork 24 using the following (Equation 1): Shift amount SL = length of fork 24 / 2 * sin (fork attitude angle - target attitude angle) ... (Equation 1)

[0100] The calculation unit 86 of the control device 28 calculates the shift amount SL of the forks 24 by substituting the attitude of the target object P, the attitude of the forks 24, and the length 24L of the forks 24 calculated in the first embodiment into (Equation 1). The calculation unit 86 estimates the attitude of the forks 24, for example, from the actual control results of the forks 24. The calculation unit 86 acquires fork information such as the length 24L of the forks 24 and the spacing between the pair of forks 24. The fork control unit 88 of the control device 28 then controls the movement of the forks 24 in the left-right direction YF by controlling the side shift device 25 and the drive device 29 based on the shift amount SL of the forks 24. This allows the mobile body 10 to adjust the position and attitude of the forks 24 to take into account the positional relationship of the forks 24 with respect to the insertion port PB of the target P after the forks 24 are inserted into the insertion port PB.

[0101] In this way, the movable body 10 according to the second embodiment calculates the shift amount SL of the fork 24 at which the fork 24 does not come into contact with the inner wall of the insertion port PB of the target P, based on the calculated posture of the target P and the posture and length of the fork 24, and controls the movement of the fork 24 in the left-right direction YA based on the shift amount SL of the fork 24. In this way, the movable body 10 can avoid contact between the fork 24 inserted into the insertion port PB and the inner wall of the target P by taking into account the positional relationship between the fork 24 and the insertion port PB after the fork 24 is inserted into the insertion port PB of the target P.

[0102] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the mobility control system 1 has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment, and includes a mobile object 10, a management device 12, and an information processing device 14. As in the first embodiment, the mobile object 10 includes a vehicle body 20, wheels 20A, straddle legs 21, a mast 22, a fork 24, a side shift device 25, a sensor 26, and a control device 28. As in the first embodiment, the control device 28 includes a communication unit 70, a storage unit 72, and a control unit 74. The control unit 74 includes an information acquisition unit 80, a mobility control unit 82, a detection control unit 84, a calculation unit 86, and a fork control unit 88. In the third embodiment, descriptions of parts that are common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0103] In the prior art, even if the height of the target object P was known, the fork 24 had to be raised and lowered in order to grasp the shape of the target object P, and after grasping the shape of the target object P, the fork 24 had to be adjusted to an appropriate height.

[0104] 20 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the operation of the mobile body 10 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20 , the mobile body 10 according to the third embodiment includes a sensor 26B that is provided below the fork 24 in the vertical direction ZA and that is capable of measuring the three-dimensional position and distance of the target P. Therefore, if the height of the target P is known, the mobile body 10 can grasp the shape of the target P without raising and lowering the fork 24. After grasping the shape of the target P, the mobile body 10 can eliminate the need to raise and lower the fork 24. As a result, the mobile body 10 can improve throughput by eliminating the need to raise and lower the fork 24.

[0105] The calculation unit 86 of the mobile body 10 calculates the height of the insertion port PB of the target P and the center position of the target P based on sensor information 723 capable of identifying the target P measured by the sensor 26B without performing any lifting or lowering operation of the forks 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 20 , when the mobile body 10 moves to a target position and picks up the target P, the sensor 26B measures the target P located in front of it without performing any lifting or lowering operation of the forks 24. Then, the mobile body 10 calculates the height of the insertion port PB of the target P and the center position of the target P based on the sensor information 723 measuring the target P, and moves the forks 24 to the height of the insertion port PB of the target P. In this way, the mobile body 10 can sense the insertion port PB of the target P into which the forks 24 are inserted, with the forks 24 positioned at the height of the insertion port PB of the target P. As a result, the movable body 10 can insert the fork 24 without unnecessary lifting and lowering of the fork 24, which can contribute to improving the throughput of the fork 24 insertion operation.

[0106] (Effect) The mobile body 10 according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a fork 24 that can be inserted into a socket PB of a target P, a fork control unit 88 that controls movement of the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA, a sensor 26B that is provided below the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and that is capable of measuring the three-dimensional position and distance of the target P, and a calculation unit 86 that calculates the height of the socket PB of the target P and the center position of the target P based on sensor information 723 that can identify the target P measured by the sensor 26B, and the fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA based on the height of the socket PB of the target P and the center position of the target P. As a result, by providing the sensor 26B that can measure the three-dimensional position and distance below the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA, the mobile body 10 can calculate the height of the socket PB of the target P and the center position of the target P even if the height of the target P varies. The mobile body 10 can accommodate insertion of the fork 24 into the insertion port PB of targets P at different heights by controlling the movement of the fork 24 based on the calculated height of the insertion port PB of the target P and the center position of the target P. As a result, the mobile body 10 can improve the accuracy of detecting the position and attitude of the target P without being limited by the installation height of the target P to be measured.

[0107] In the mobile body 10 according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the target P has a pillar formed between a pair of adjacent sockets PB, and the calculation unit 86 calculates the position of the central pillar PAC on the surface of the target P on which the sockets PB are provided as the central position, and calculates the left-right positions of the central pillar PAC. As a result, by focusing on the left-right positions of the central pillar PAC on the surface of the target P on which the sockets PB are provided, the mobile body 10 can calculate the height of the sockets PB of the target P and the central position of the target P even if the width of the target P is unknown. Furthermore, since the mobile body 10 does not need to measure the entire target P with the sensor 26B, it is possible to perform measurement while approaching the target P.

[0108] In the mobile body 10 according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit 86 limits the ranging range 260 in which the target P is located based on the sensor information 723, and calculates the height of the socket PB of the target P and the central position of the target P from the ranging range 260. This allows the mobile body 10 to reduce the processing load on the mobile body 10 by limiting the ranging range 260 to a narrower range than the range actually measured by the sensor information 723. Furthermore, the mobile body 10 can improve the calculation accuracy of the height of the socket PB of the target P and the central position of the target P by deleting from the sensor information 723 information that may cause erroneous determination.

[0109] In the mobile body 10 according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit 86 determines the reflection intensity of a plurality of pillars on the surface of the target P on which the receptacle PB is provided and calculates the attitude of the target P based on the reflection intensity, and the fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA based on the height of the receptacle PB of the target P, the center position of the target PB, and the attitude of the target P. In this way, the mobile body 10 calculates the attitude of the target P from the attitudes of the plurality of pillars on the surface of the target P on which the receptacle PB is provided, thereby improving the accuracy of calculating the attitude of the receptacle PB of the target P.

[0110] In the mobile body 10 according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit 86 calculates the attitude of the target P based on the reflection intensity, distance, and left-right position of pillars with equal reflection intensities among multiple pillars on the surface of the target P on which the socket PB is provided. For example, if the reflection intensity measured from the target P is low, variations in reflection intensity will occur. Therefore, if pillars with low reflection intensities and pillars with high reflection intensities are used to calculate the attitude of the target P, the effects of variations will result in large errors. In contrast, the mobile body 10 calculates the attitude of the target P based on all of the reflection intensities, distances, and left-right positions of pillars with equal reflection intensities, thereby further improving the accuracy of calculating the attitude of the socket PB of the target P.

[0111] The mobile body 10 according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure further includes a movement control unit 82 that controls the movement of the mobile body 10 so that the forks 24 approach the insertion opening PB of the target object P. As a result, the mobile body 10 can automatically position the forks 24 at the position of the insertion opening PB of the target object P, and then control the movement of the forks 24 based on the calculated height of the insertion opening PB of the target object P and the center position of the target object P, thereby enabling automatic operation to accommodate insertion of the forks 24 into insertion openings PB of targets P of different heights.

[0112] In the moving body 10 according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit 86 calculates the shift amount SL of the fork 24 at which the fork 24 does not come into contact with the inner wall of the insertion port PB of the target P, based on the calculated posture of the target P and the posture and length of the fork 24, and the fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the fork 24 in the left-right direction YA based on the shift amount SL of the fork 24. In this way, the moving body 10 can avoid contact between the fork 24 inserted into the insertion port PB and the inner wall of the target P by taking into account the positional relationship between the fork 24 and the insertion port PB after the fork 24 is inserted into the insertion port PB of the target P.

[0113] In the mobile body 10 according to the eighth aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit 86 calculates the height of the insertion opening PB of the target P and the center position of the target PB based on the sensor information 723 capable of identifying the target P measured by the sensor 26B without performing any lifting or lowering operation of the fork 24. This allows the mobile body 10 to sense the insertion opening PB of the target P into which the fork 24 is to be inserted while the fork 24 is positioned at the height of the insertion opening PB of the target P. As a result, the mobile body 10 can perform the insertion operation of the fork 24 without performing any unnecessary lifting or lowering operation of the fork 24, which can contribute to improving the throughput of the insertion operation of the fork 24.

[0114] A control method according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a mobile body 10 including a fork 24 insertable into a socket PB of a target P, a fork control unit 88 that controls movement of the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA, and a sensor 26B that is provided below the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and that is capable of measuring a three-dimensional position and distance to the target P, the control method including the steps of calculating a height of the socket PB of the target P and a center position of the target P based on sensor information 723 that can identify the target P measured by the sensor 26B, and controlling the movement of the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA based on the height of the socket PB of the target P and the center position of the target P. As a result, by providing the sensor 26B that can measure the three-dimensional position and distance below the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA, the control method allows the mobile body 10 to calculate the height of the socket PB of the target P and the center position of the target P even if the height of the target P varies. The control method can accommodate insertion of the fork 24 into the insertion port PB of targets P at different heights by having the mobile body 10 control the movement of the fork 24 based on the calculated height of the insertion port PB of the target P and the center position of the target P. As a result, the control method can improve the accuracy with which the mobile body 10 detects the position and attitude of the target P without being limited by the installation height of the target P to be measured.

[0115] A program according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure causes a mobile body 10 including a fork 24 insertable into a socket PB of a target P, a fork control unit 88 controlling movement of the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA, and a sensor 26B provided below the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and capable of measuring a three-dimensional position and distance to the target P to execute the following steps: calculating the height of the socket PB of the target P and a center position of the target P based on sensor information 723 capable of identifying the target P measured by the sensor 26B; and controlling the movement of the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA based on the height of the socket PB of the target P and the center position of the target P. As a result, by providing the sensor 26B capable of measuring the three-dimensional position and distance below the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA, the program allows the mobile body 10 to calculate the height of the socket PB of the target P and the center position of the target P even if the height of the target P is different. The program can accommodate insertion of the fork 24 into the insertion port PB of targets P of different heights by having the mobile body 10 control the movement of the fork 24 based on the calculated height of the insertion port PB of the target P and the center position of the target P. As a result, the program can improve the accuracy with which the mobile body 10 detects the position and attitude of the target P without being limited by the installation height of the target P to be measured.

[0116] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments.

[0117] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Movement control system 10 Mobile body 12 Management device 14 Information processing device 20 Vehicle body 21 Straddle leg 22 Mast 23 Backrest 24, 24A, 24B Fork 25 Side shift device 26, 26A, 26B Sensor 28 Control device 29 Drive device 36 Work determination unit 50 Work content acquisition unit 52 Mobile body selection unit 70 Communication unit 72 Memory unit 74 Control unit 80 Information acquisition unit 82 Movement control unit 84 Detection control unit 86 Calculation unit 88 Fork control unit 220 Lift device 260, 260X Distance measurement range 260E Processing range 261 Divided area 721 Program 722 Work information 723 Sensor information 724 Position information 1000 Installation platform 2000 Baggage P Target object Pa Front

Claims

1. A moving body comprising: a fork that can be inserted into a socket of a target object; a fork control unit that controls the up-down and left-right movement of the fork; a sensor that is provided below the fork in the up-down direction and is capable of measuring the three-dimensional position and distance of the target object; and a calculation unit that calculates the height of the socket of the target object and the central position of the target object based on sensor information that can identify the target object measured by the sensor; wherein the fork control unit controls the up-down and left-right movement of the fork based on the height of the socket of the target object and the central position of the target object.

2. The moving body according to claim 1, wherein the target has a pillar formed between a pair of adjacent sockets, and the calculation unit calculates the position of the central pillar on the surface of the target on which the sockets are provided as the central position, and calculates the left and right positions of the central pillar.

3. The mobile body according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit limits the distance measurement range in which the target is located from the sensor information, and calculates the height of the socket of the target and the center position of the target from the distance measurement range.

4. The moving body described in claim 3, wherein the calculation unit determines the reflection intensities of multiple pillars on the surface of the target object where the socket is provided and calculates the attitude of the target object based on the reflection intensities, and the fork control unit controls the vertical and horizontal movement of the forks based on the height of the socket of the target object, the central position of the target object, and the attitude of the target object.

5. A moving body as described in claim 4, wherein the calculation unit calculates the attitude of the target based on the reflection intensity, the distance, and the left-right position of a pillar having the same reflection intensity among multiple pillars on the surface of the target where the socket is provided.

6. The moving body according to claim 5, further comprising a movement control unit that controls the movement of the moving body so that the fork approaches the insertion opening of the target object.

7. A moving body as described in claim 4, wherein the calculation unit calculates an amount of shift of the fork so that the fork does not come into contact with the inner wall of the insertion port of the target object based on the calculated attitude of the target object and the attitude and length of the fork, and the fork control unit controls the left-right movement of the fork based on the amount of shift of the fork.

8. The mobile body described in claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the height of the insertion port of the target and the center position of the target based on sensor information that can identify the target measured by the sensor when the forks are not being raised or lowered.

9. A method for controlling a moving object that includes a fork that can be inserted into a socket of a target object, a fork control unit that controls the up-down and left-right movement of the fork, and a sensor that is provided below the fork in the up-down direction and that can measure the three-dimensional position and distance of the target object, the method comprising: a step of calculating the height of the socket of the target object and the center position of the target object based on sensor information that can identify the target object measured by the sensor; and a step of the fork control unit controlling the up-down and left-right movement of the fork based on the height of the socket of the target object and the center position of the target object.

10. A program for causing a mobile body to carry out the following steps: calculating the height of the insertion port of the target and the center position of the target based on sensor information capable of identifying the target measured by the sensor; and controlling the up-down and left-right movement of the fork, the mobile body comprising: a fork that can be inserted into an insertion port of a target; a fork control unit that controls the up-down and left-right movement of the fork; and a sensor that is provided below the fork in the up-down direction and can measure the three-dimensional position and distance of the target.

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