Movable floating body, unit control system, and automatic operation method of movable floating body

Abstract

Provided are a movable floating body movable on water, a unit control system, and an automatic operation method of the movable floating body. A movable floating body 1 includes a floating body 4, a propulsion machine 2 provided in the floating body, a direction changing device 3 for changing the direction of propulsion force generated by the propulsion machine, and a controller 5 configured or programmed to control the propulsion machine and the direction changing device to move the movable floating body on water. The controller executes automatic movement control for moving a mobile floating pier to a target position.

Description

Moving floating body, unit control system, and automatic driving method for moving floating body

[0001] This invention relates to a moving floating body, a unit control system, and an automatic driving method for a moving floating body.

[0002] A floating pier is a facility that moors box-shaped floating bodies to a quay wall or a levee and provides a berthing space for ships (mainly small ships) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Therefore, a floating pier becomes a fixed structure fixed to the land in the harbor and always occupies the space in the harbor. Thus, it is necessary to prepare a sufficient installation location in advance. Further, since it is designed to have sufficient robustness and durability as a fixed structure, the material cost and installation cost are high accordingly.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-15828

[0004] The inventor of the present application has been studying a moving floating body that can move on water without being fixed to the land. By utilizing such a moving floating body, the above-described problems associated with the installation of a conventional floating pier fixed to the land can be solved. However, there is no prior art that has studied the problems that occur when utilizing a moving floating body and the means for solving them.

[0005] One embodiment of this invention provides a solution to the problems that occur when utilizing a moving floating body.

[0006] One embodiment of this invention provides a moving floating body that can move on water. The moving floating body includes a floating body, a propulsion device provided on the floating body, a direction changing device that changes the direction of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion device, and a controller configured or programmed to control the propulsion device and the direction changing device to move the moving floating body on water by unmanned operation. The controller executes automatic movement control to move the moving floating body to a target position.

[0007] With this configuration, a moving floating body that can move on water can be provided. Thus, it is possible to provide a floating pier at a lower cost than a floating pier fixed to the land without always occupying the space in the harbor.

[0008] On the other hand, because the mobile floating platform is movable on the water, a challenge arises as to how to move people and cargo between it and a ship. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mobile floating platform is equipped with a propulsion system and a direction-changing device, and moves on the water by unmanned operation controlled by a controller. Thus, for example, a ship can be anchored in a body of water where there are no berthing facilities such as piers, and the mobile floating platform can be moved unmanned into the anchoring space where the ship is anchored. This makes it possible to bring the ship and the mobile floating platform closer together and enable the movement of people and cargo between them.

[0009] One embodiment of this invention performs a pressing control to press the buoyancy body toward the hull of a target vessel near the target position after it has arrived at the target position.

[0010] Because the mobile float is movable on the water, the contact between the ship and the mobile float is unstable, which may hinder the smooth movement of people and cargo. Therefore, in this embodiment, after moving the mobile float to the target position by automatic movement control, a pressing control is performed to press the float against the hull of the target ship near the target position. This ensures that the contact between the ship and the mobile float is maintained stably, allowing for the smooth movement of people and cargo.

[0011] Unmanned operation means that the propulsion system and / or steering mechanism are not operated by a person. A mobile floating vehicle operating unmanned may or may not have people on board.

[0012] In one embodiment of this invention, the controller performs a pressing target recognition control to recognize the pressing target position of the target vessel. The pressing control controls the propulsion system and the direction changing device to press the floating body against the pressing target position recognized by the pressing target recognition control.

[0013] This configuration allows the target vessel to recognize the position to be pressed against, and the floating body is pressed against that recognized position. This ensures that the floating body of the mobile floating body is pressed against the appropriate position on the target vessel, allowing for stable contact between the vessel and the mobile floating body in an appropriate positional relationship, and maintaining that contact state. This, in turn, facilitates the smoother movement of people and cargo between the vessel and the mobile floating body.

[0014] In one embodiment of this invention, the floating body includes a pressing force sensor that detects an external force applied to a pressing portion that presses against the hull. The pressing control maintains a state in which the floating body is pressed against the hull, based on the output of the pressing force sensor.

[0015] In this configuration, the pressing force sensor detects the external force applied to the pressing part of the float, i.e., the pressing force against the hull, and pressing control is performed accordingly. Therefore, the state in which the moving float is pressed against the hull with an appropriate pressing force can be maintained. As a result, the contact state between the moving float and the ship can be stably maintained with just the right amount of pressing force, allowing for the smooth movement of people and cargo between the moving float and the ship.

[0016] In one embodiment of this invention, the moving float further includes a distance sensor for detecting the distance to the target vessel. The controller performs proximity control to bring the float closer to the hull of the target vessel based on the distance detected by the distance sensor in the vicinity of the target position.

[0017] With this configuration, in the vicinity of the target position, the floating platform can be brought closer to the hull of the vessel based on the distance to the target vessel detected by the distance sensor. This allows the floating platform to approach the vessel while appropriately controlling its relative movement state (especially its relative speed) relative to the vessel. As a result, the floating platform can approach and make contact with the vessel at an appropriate relative speed.

[0018] In one embodiment of this invention, the moving float further includes a command receiver that receives a movement command including target position information representing the target position. The controller acquires the target position based on the target position information included in the movement command received by the command receiver.

[0019] With this configuration, the command receiver can receive movement commands, and these movement commands include target position information. Therefore, not only can the vehicle automatically drive to the target position, but the setting of the target position can also be done unmanned. Thus, the mobile floating vehicle can be operated unmanned (without crew), which reduces operating costs.

[0020] In one embodiment of this invention, the target vessel is moored to a fixed floating object and anchored in a berthing space near the floating object. The target position information includes information that can identify the location of the floating object or the berthing space.

[0021] In this configuration, information that can identify the location of a fixed water object or a nearby berthing space where the vessel is moored is used as target position information. Therefore, accurate target position information can be provided to the controller without detecting the vessel's position. Generally, since vessel position detection using position sensors can be inaccurate, position information from a fixed water object or berthing space is more accurate.

[0022] Information that can identify the location of a fixed object or mooring space on the water may be location information of the fixed object or mooring space on the water, or it may be identification information of the fixed object or mooring space on the water. For example, by pre-determining the location information of a fixed object or mooring space in its vicinity, and preparing location management information that associates the identification information with the location information, it is possible to obtain location information of a fixed object or mooring space on the water based on the identification information of the fixed object or mooring space on the water.

[0023] In one embodiment of this invention, the controller further performs automatic return control to move the mobile floating body away from the target vessel to the return position by unmanned operation.

[0024] This configuration allows the mobile floating platform to be automatically operated unmanned from the target vessel to its return point. The return point is, for example, a predetermined position for the mobile floating platform, or it may be a waiting area (base) for the mobile floating platform. Therefore, after the movement of people and cargo between the vessel and the mobile floating platform, the mobile floating platform can be automatically moved back to the return point by automatic operation.

[0025] In one embodiment of this invention, the mobile floating body is not equipped with manual control equipment. With this configuration, the mobile floating body can be operated without manual control equipment, thus reducing costs.

[0026] One embodiment of this invention provides an automatic operation method for a mobile floating body that is movable on water, comprising a floating body, a propulsion system, and a direction-changing device. The method includes an automatic movement step of moving the mobile floating body to a target position by controlling the propulsion system and the direction-changing device, and a pressing step of pressing the floating body toward a target vessel near the target position by controlling the propulsion system and the direction-changing device after the mobile floating body has arrived at the target position.

[0027] In one embodiment of this invention, the method further includes a pressing target recognition step for automatically recognizing the pressing target position on the target vessel. The pressing step involves pressing the buoy against the pressing target position recognized in the pressing target recognition step.

[0028] In one embodiment of this invention, the method further includes an automatic return step of moving the mobile float away from the target vessel to a return position.

[0029] In one embodiment of this invention, the controller may be configured to perform follow control to follow a moving body on the water. With this configuration, multiple floating bodies can move simultaneously by following the moving body.

[0030] In one embodiment of this invention, a position information receiver is provided to acquire information regarding the movement trajectory of the moving body, and the controller may be configured to perform tracking control based on the movement trajectory information of the moving body received by the position information receiver, and to track the movement trajectory of the moving body. With this configuration, the moving float is equipped with a position information receiver that acquires information regarding the movement trajectory of the moving body, and the moving float tracks the movement trajectory of the moving body based on the received movement trajectory information, thereby enabling the moving float to move stably behind the moving body. Furthermore, multiple moving floats can move stably simultaneously.

[0031] In one embodiment of this invention, the system may further include a position information transmitter that transmits information regarding the movement trajectory of the moving float. With this configuration, the moving float can transmit its own position information to, for example, other moving floats. This allows other moving floats to follow the moving float, and multiple moving floats can move simultaneously.

[0032] The above-described method for automatically operating a moving floating body may further include a tracking step in which the moving body follows the moving body moving on the water.

[0033] Furthermore, the technologies disclosed herein can be implemented in various forms, for example, in the form of a measuring device, a method for controlling the measuring device, a control program for controlling the measuring device, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program is stored.

[0034] This invention provides a mobile floating body that can move on water and an automatic operation method therefor, and can solve the problems that arise when utilizing mobile floating bodies.

[0035] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a system utilizing a mobile floating pier according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the mobile floating pier. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of the mobile floating pier. Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of the command device. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the controller of the mobile floating pier. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the mobile floating pier in the second embodiment. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the mobile floating pier in the second embodiment. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the cross-sectional configuration of the mobile floating pier at the position VIII-VIII in Figure 6. Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of the mobile floating pier in the second embodiment. Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of the command device in the second embodiment. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the controller of the mobile floating pier in the second embodiment. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the controller of the mobile floating pier in the second embodiment. Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which multiple movable floating docks of the second embodiment are moving in a chain by follow control. Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing another state in which multiple movable floating docks of the second embodiment are moving in a chain by follow control.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a system utilizing a mobile floating pier according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] The mobile floating dock 1 is a water-moving object that can move on the water. The mobile floating dock 1 is equipped with a propulsion unit 2 (see Figure 2) and a steering device 3 (see Figure 2) that changes the direction of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion unit 2, and is configured to move on the water and change direction. Note that the mobile floating dock 1 is an example of a mobile floating object. The steering device 3 is an example of a direction-changing device.

[0039] On the other hand, a mooring space 50 for anchoring a vessel 51 is provided within the water area to which the movable floating dock 1 can move, and mooring posts 52 for anchoring the vessel 51 are provided in this mooring space 50. In the example shown in Figure 1, multiple mooring posts 52 are provided to secure multiple points on the hull 55. A mooring post 52 is an example of a fixed object on the water, extending upward from a base fixed in the ground at the bottom of the sea, and having a mooring portion that protrudes above the water surface. Typically, the vessel 51 is moored using mooring aids such as a mooring rope 53. That is, one end of the mooring rope 53 is connected to the mooring portion of the mooring post 52, and the other end of the mooring rope 53 is connected to the hull 55. By connecting the hull 55 to multiple mooring posts 52, the vessel 51 can be moored while restricting the turning of the hull 55.

[0040] The mooring space 50 is typically located away from the land 60. The mobile floating dock 1 can move across the water between a base 61 located near the land 60 and the target vessel 51. Some examples of the use of the mobile floating dock 1 are as follows:

[0041] Example of use 1 (Disembarking from ship 51) The mobile floating dock 1 is moved from base 61 (or another location) to ship 51. When the mobile floating dock 1 arrives at ship 51, the crew of ship 51 moves onto the mobile floating dock 1. Once the crew has moved, the mobile floating dock 1, carrying the crew, returns to base 61. When the mobile floating dock 1 arrives at base 61, the crew moves to land 60.

[0042] Example of use 2 (Disembarking from ship 51) The mobile floating dock 1 is moved from base 61 (or another location) to ship 51. When the mobile floating dock 1 arrives at ship 51, the crew of ship 51 moves onto the mobile floating dock 1. Once the crew has moved, the mobile floating dock 1, carrying the crew, moves to a disembarkation point 62 different from base 61. When the mobile floating dock 1 arrives at disembarkation point 62, the crew moves from the mobile floating dock 1 to land 60. The mobile floating dock 1 may then return to base 61, move towards another ship, or move towards a location different from base 61.

[0043] Use Example 3 (boarding a ship 51) A crew member who intends to board the ship 51 gets on the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 at the base 61 from the land 60, and then directs the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 from the base 61 towards the ship 51. When the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 arrives at the ship 51, the crew member moves from the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 to the ship 51. When the movement of the crew member is completed, the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 returns to the base 61 or heads towards another destination.

[0044] Use Example 4 (boarding a ship 51) A crew member who intends to board the ship 51 waits at a standby location 63 different from the base 61, and the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 moves to this standby location 63. When the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 arrives at the standby location 63, the crew member moves from the land 60 to the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1. After the crew member gets on the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1, the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 is directed from the base 61 towards the ship 51. When the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 arrives at the ship 51, the crew member moves from the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 to the ship 51. When the movement of the crew member is completed, the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 returns to the base 61 or heads towards another destination.

[0045] In any of the use examples, instead of or together with the movement of the crew member, cargo can be similarly moved and loaded onto the ship 51. Of course, the use examples of the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 are not limited to the above examples.

[0046] Typically, a plurality of mobile floating pontoon bridges 1 are operated simultaneously. In this case, the mobile floating pontoon bridges 1 may be placed close to each other to form a larger floating pontoon bridge (a group of mobile floating pontoon bridges). For example, at the base 61 of the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1, it may be possible to move between the land 60 and the mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 via another mobile floating pontoon bridge 1.

[0047] (First Embodiment) FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a configuration example of the mobile floating pontoon bridge ①

[0048] The mobile floating pontoon bridge 1 includes a floating body 4, a propulsion device 2 provided on the floating body 4, a steering device 3, and a controller 5.

[0049] The steering device 3 is a device for changing the direction of the thrust force generated by the propulsion engine 2, that is, the direction of the thrust force acting on the floating body 4. The steering device 3 may also be a device for rotating the propulsion engine 2 around a vertical pivot axis 6. For example, the steering device 3 may be configured to allow the propulsion engine 2 to rotate in all directions around the pivot axis 6, i.e., 360 degrees. In other words, the steering device 3 may be configured to direct the direction of the thrust force generated by the propulsion engine 2 in all directions over 360 degrees around the pivot axis 6.

[0050] The controller 5 is configured or programmed to control the propulsion system 2 and the steering device 3, and to perform controls to move the mobile floating dock 1 on the water by unmanned operation.

[0051] Unmanned operation refers to an operating state in which the generation of thrust by the thruster 2 and the operation of the steering device 3 are controlled without the use of manual control equipment. Manual operation refers to operating manual controls that command the magnitude and / or direction of the thrust generated by the thruster 2, and manual controls that command changes in the direction of the thrust generated by the thruster 2. These manual controls constitute the manual control equipment. Specifically, manual controls include accelerator levers, steering wheels, joysticks, etc. In this embodiment, the mobile floating pier 1 is not equipped with manual control equipment.

[0052] In this embodiment, the thruster 2 is an electric thruster driven by an electric motor 2a. That is, the thruster 2 includes an electric motor 2a and a propeller 2b driven by the electric motor 2a.

[0053] The mobile floating dock 1 further includes a battery 7 for supplying power to the propulsion system 2. The mobile floating dock 1 further includes a charging system 8 for charging the battery 7. The charging system 8 may include a solar panel 9.

[0054] The floating body 4 may be a hollow structure made of a lightweight material such as FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) or urethane. The floating body 4 has a deck 10 on its upper surface to support people or cargo. Fenders (not shown) may be placed around the periphery of the deck 10. Support columns 11 are provided projecting upward from the deck 10, and a roof 12 is fixed to the upper part of these support columns 11. Solar panels 9 may be placed on the upper surface of this roof 12. The deck 10 may provide a flat upper surface (floor surface), or it may have a concave surface for accommodating people or cargo. For example, the surface of the deck 10 may be molded into a concave shape (cup shape) having a seat for people to sit on and a back surface behind the seat that follows the upper back of the person's body.

[0055] The deck 10 has a pressing portion 13 at its edge that contacts and presses against the ship 51 (typically against the side of the hull 55). A pressing force sensor 14 is positioned on this pressing portion 13 to detect the pressing force against the ship 51 (hull).

[0056] The pressing portion 13 preferably has an edge that conforms to the shape of the area on the hull 55 to be pressed against. Typically, the pressing portion 13 may have an edge that is substantially straight in plan view. In this case, pressing the pressing portion 13 against the side of the hull 55 (especially the straight portion in plan view) facilitates the movement of crew or cargo between the deck 10 and the ship 51.

[0057] Preferably, the deck 10 is configured such that, in plan view, the pressing portion 13 has a shape with straight edges, and may, for example, have a polygonal shape. Figure 1 shows an example where the deck 10 is hexagonal (more specifically, a regular hexagon) in plan view, and Figure 2 shows an example where the deck 10 is rectangular in plan view. In order to bring multiple movable floating docks 1 close together to form a large floating dock made up of a group of movable floating docks, it is preferable that the planar shape of the deck 10 be selected so that the decks 10 of the multiple movable floating docks 1 can be brought together with minimal gaps.

[0058] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of the mobile floating pier 1.

[0059] As described above, the mobile floating dock 1 includes a propulsion system 2, a steering device 3, and a controller 5. Furthermore, the mobile floating dock 1 includes a battery 7 and charging equipment 8 (solar panel 9). The mobile floating dock 1 also includes a GPS receiver 20, a millimeter-wave radar 21, a pressure sensor 14, a camera 23, a wireless communication unit 24, and the like.

[0060] The controller 5 includes a processor 5a and a memory 5b. The processor 5a executes programs stored in the memory 5b to realize various functions, in particular, functions to control the propulsion system 2 and the steering device 3.

[0061] The GPS receiver 20 is an example of a position sensor that acquires positional information of the mobile floating pier 1. GPS (Global Positioning System) is an example of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) which uses artificial satellites to measure position on Earth.

[0062] The millimeter-wave radar 21 is a sensor that emits millimeter waves into its surroundings and acquires positional information such as the distance and / or direction to an object, as well as relative velocity to the object. The millimeter-wave radar 21 can be used to detect nearby obstacles or to acquire information such as the distance to the target vessel 51, the direction of the target vessel 51, and the relative velocity to the target vessel 51. The millimeter-wave radar 21 is an example of a distance sensor.

[0063] As described above, the pressing force sensor 14 is a sensor for detecting the pressing force applied to the target vessel 51, and includes, for example, a pressure sensor.

[0064] Camera 23 is an imaging device that captures images of an object and generates image data. Camera 23 can be used for detecting obstacles, determining the position and direction of the target vessel 51, recognizing the area of ​​the hull 55 that is being pressed against, and determining the position and / or direction of the base 61 and other facilities.

[0065] The output signals from these sensors are input to the controller 5. The controller 5 is configured or programmed to acquire the output signals from the sensors and control the operation of the sensors as needed.

[0066] The wireless communication unit 24 communicates with an external command device 40 and has the function of receiving command signals from the command device 40 and transmitting response signals to the command device 40. The controller 5 acquires command signals from the wireless communication unit 24 and commands the wireless communication unit 24 to transmit response signals.

[0067] The wireless communication unit 24 is wirelessly connected to a network 30 formed in an area including the base station 61 and the mooring space 50. It can then communicate with a command device 40 connected to this network 30. An example of the network 30 is a wireless LAN (local area network).

[0068] An example of the command device 40 may be an information terminal device held by the user of the vessel 51. The information terminal device typically includes a computer and may also be a mobile terminal such as a tablet (tablet computer) or a smartphone. The user of the vessel 51 can issue commands to the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1 by operating the command device 40. The controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1 may communicate with a server 31 connected to the network 30, and the command device 40 may communicate with this server 31. That is, the command device 40 may be able to issue commands to the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1 via the server 31.

[0069] For example, the server 31 can communicate with the controllers 5 of multiple mobile floating docks 1. Also, for example, the server 31 can communicate with multiple command devices 40. For example, when a command is issued from a command device 40 held by the user of a ship 51 to move a mobile floating dock 1 to the ship 51, the command is received by the server 31. The server 31 then issues movement commands to the multiple mobile floating docks 1.

[0070] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the command device 40.

[0071] In this example, the command device 40 includes a processor 41, memory 42, display 43, input device 44, wireless communication device 45, and GPS receiver 46. The processor 41 implements various functions by executing programs stored in memory 42. The display 43 and input device 44 provide a human-machine interface. The display 43 is a two-dimensional display device such as a liquid crystal panel. The input device 44 may include a touch panel provided on the display screen of the display 43. The wireless communication device 45 is wirelessly connected to the network 30. The GPS receiver 46 is an example of a position sensor that acquires position information of the command device 40.

[0072] The command device 40 may further include a camera 47. The camera 47 can be used to acquire image information and can be used, for example, to read code images such as barcodes and two-dimensional barcodes, or character information. For example, a code image or character information representing location information or identification information may be attached to the mooring pile 52, and the image can be acquired by the camera 47 and recognized by the processor 41, thereby enabling the acquisition of location information and identification information of the mooring pile 52. When identification information is acquired, it is preferable that the server 31 registers mooring pile management data (location management information) that associates the identification information of the mooring pile 52 with the location information of the mooring pile 52. The mooring pile management data may be registered in the controller 5 of the mobile floating pier 1.

[0073] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1.

[0074] For example, the passengers of vessel 51 moor vessel 51 in the berthing space 50 and secure it to the mooring pile 52, then operate the command device 40 to issue a movement command to summon the mobile floating dock 1. The movement command includes target location information. The target location information represents the target location to which the mobile floating dock 1 should move, and in this example, the berthing position of vessel 51 is the target location.

[0075] When issuing a move command after the vessel 51 has been moored, the command device 40 may obtain its own location information from the GPS receiver 46 and issue a move command using that location information as the target location information. Alternatively, the target location information may be identification information of the mooring pile 52 or the mooring space 50. That is, if the location information of the mooring pile 52 or the mooring space 50 is managed based on the identification information of the mooring pile 52 or the mooring space 50, the target location can be identified by a move command that includes the identification information of the mooring pile 52 or the mooring space 50 as the target location information. For example, by attaching identification information to the mooring pile 52 by printing or other means, the user of the command device 40 can operate the command device 40 to issue a move command that includes that identification information. As mentioned above, the management of location information based on identification information may be performed on the server 31, or the corresponding location management information may be stored in the memory 5b of the controller 5 of the mobile floating pier 1.

[0076] The movement command issued by the command device 40 is transmitted to the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1 via the network 30. The transmission of the movement command may be mediated by the server 31 as described above, or it may be transmitted to the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1 without the mediation of the server 31.

[0077] Upon receiving a movement command (step S1), the controller 5 of a mobile floating pier 1 capable of handling the movement command sends a response signal to the network 30 indicating acceptance of the movement command (steps S2, S3). This response signal is transmitted to the command device 40. When multiple mobile floating piers 1 are connected to the network 30, the mobile floating pier 1 that sent the response signal first is considered to have accepted the movement command, and the controllers 5 of the other mobile floating piers 1 consider that movement command to be a command that has been handled. In this way, communication is established between the command device 40 and the controller 5 of one mobile floating pier 1 (step S4).

[0078] Upon receiving a movement command and establishing communication with the command device 40, the controller 5 of the mobile floating pier 1 sets a target position based on the target position information included in the movement command (step S5), and executes automatic movement control (step S6) to move the mobile floating pier 1 towards that target position in an unmanned manner. For example, the controller 5 controls the propulsion system 2 and the steering device 3 based on the current position of the mobile floating pier 1 and the target position detected by the GPS receiver 20, bringing the mobile floating pier 1 closer to the target position. It is also preferable that the controller 5 simultaneously executes obstacle avoidance control (step S7, part of automatic movement control) to detect and avoid obstacles using the millimeter-wave radar 21.

[0079] When the distance between the mobile floating dock 1 and the target position falls below a predetermined threshold (step S8: YES), the controller 5 may perform approach control (step S9, part of automatic movement control) to bring the mobile floating dock 1 closer based on the distance to the target vessel 51 detected by the millimeter-wave radar 21 (an example of a distance sensor). The predetermined threshold is set based on the distance detectable by the millimeter-wave radar 21 and may be, for example, about 10 meters. In this approach control, it is preferable for the controller 5 to bring the mobile floating dock 1 closer to the target vessel 51 at a predetermined low speed range (for example, 5 km / h or less).

[0080] While performing approach control (step S9), the controller 5 executes a target position recognition control (step S10) to recognize the target position (target position) to which the pressing portion 13 of the movable floating dock 1 will be pressed. The target position is typically set to a part on the side of the hull 55 of the target vessel 51 that has a shape that allows the pressing portion 13 to follow along.

[0081] The pressing target position may be marked with an identification symbol to identify the pressing target position. For example, a sticker bearing a predetermined symbol or pattern may be affixed to the side of the hull 55 in advance. Specifically, the pressing target position recognition control (step S10) is achieved by the controller 5 performing recognition processing on the image captured by the camera 23. The controller 5 recognizes the pressing target position through image recognition processing and controls the propulsion unit 2 and the steering device 3 to bring the pressing unit 13 close to and into contact with the recognized pressing target position.

[0082] The contact of the pressing portion 13 with the target position can be detected by the output signal of the pressing force sensor 14. When the controller 5 detects contact (step S11: YES), it starts pressing control (step S12). Specifically, the controller 5 controls the propulsion unit 2 and the steering device 3 to press the pressing portion 13 of the floating body 4 against the target position on the target vessel 51. More specifically, the controller 5 controls the magnitude and direction of the thrust force generated by the propulsion unit 2 so that the pressing force detected by the pressing force sensor 14 is maintained within a predetermined range that can maintain the pressing state, thereby maintaining the state in which the floating body 4 is pressed against the target position on the target vessel 51.

[0083] While this pressing control (step S12) is being performed, the crew can move from the ship 51 to the mobile floating dock 1, and cargo can also be moved as needed. To indicate that the crew and cargo can move while the pressing control is being performed, a display device such as a lamp may be provided on the mobile floating dock 1 and controlled by the controller 5. Alternatively, the display 43 of the command device 40 may show that the crew and / or cargo can move.

[0084] Once the movement of the crew and / or cargo is complete, the operator of the control device 40 notifies the mobile floating dock 1 of the completion of the crew / cargo movement. This notification is typically transmitted to the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1 via the network 30. Upon receiving notification of the completion of the crew / cargo movement (step S13: YES), the controller 5 terminates the push control. In other words, the notification of the completion of the crew / cargo movement is a form of a push control stop command that commands the cessation of the push control.

[0085] The operator of the command device 40 transmits a movement command to the mobile floating dock 1, instructing it to move to its next destination. The movement command includes target location information representing the destination. This movement command is transmitted via the network 30 to the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1, and is received by the controller 5 (step S14: YES). The controller 5 sets a target location according to the target location information included in the received movement command (step S5), and performs unmanned automatic movement control (step S6) to move toward that target location. As a result, the propulsion system 2 and steering device 3 are controlled so that the mobile floating dock 1 moves toward the new target location.

[0086] One example of a movement command is a return command that commands the mobile floating dock 1 to return to base 61. For example, a return command button for commanding a return to base 61 may be displayed on the display 43 of the command device 40, and the return command may be issued by operating this return command button. The return command is a movement command that includes target position information with the location of base 61 as the target position. When a return command is given (step S15: YES), the controller 5 sets base 61 as the target position (step S16) and executes automatic movement control (step S6, automatic return control) to move (return) the mobile floating dock 1 to that target position (base 61). As a result, the mobile floating dock 1 can be automatically returned to base 61 by unmanned automatic movement control (automatic return control).

[0087] When the use of the mobile floating dock 1 is finished, the operator of the command device 40 performs an operation to terminate use. The command device 40 then issues a disconnection command, which is sent to the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 1 via the network 30. Upon receiving the disconnection command (step S18: YES), the controller 5 disconnects from the command device 40 (step S19) and enters a state of waiting for a new movement command (step S1).

[0088] As described above, this embodiment provides a movable floating pier 1 that can move on the water. The movable floating pier 1 can move on the water between land 60 and a berthing space 50 located away from land 60, and can carry people or cargo. This allows for the movement of people or cargo between land 60 and ships 51. Therefore, even if the berthing space provided by a pier fixed to land 60 is small, it becomes possible to berthe many ships. Furthermore, since a large fixed pier that can secure berthing space for many ships is not required, the space occupied by the pier in the harbor can be reduced, and the cost associated with constructing the pier can be reduced. In this way, a floating pier can be provided without permanently occupying space in the harbor and at a lower cost than a floating pier fixed to land.

[0089] On the other hand, because the mobile floating dock 1 is movable on the water, a challenge arises as to how to move people and cargo between it and the ship 51. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mobile floating dock 1 is equipped with a propulsion system 2 and a steering device 3, and the mobile floating dock 1 moves on the water by unmanned operation controlled by a controller 5. Thus, the ship 51 can be moored in a body of water where no berthing facilities such as piers are provided, and the mobile floating dock 1 can be moved unmanned to the mooring space 50 where the ship 51 is moored. This makes it possible to bring the ship 51 and the mobile floating dock 1 closer together and enable the movement of people and cargo between them.

[0090] Furthermore, since the mobile floating dock 1 of this embodiment is operated unmanned and automatically moves to the target vessel 51 or base 61 by automatic control, no personnel are required to operate the mobile floating dock 1. Therefore, the mobile floating dock 1 can be operated with little to no labor costs.

[0091] Furthermore, because the mobile floating dock 1 is movable on the water, the contact between the vessel 51 and the mobile floating dock 1 is unstable, which may prevent the smooth movement of people and cargo. Therefore, in the mobile floating dock 1 of this embodiment, when it arrives at the target position, a pressing control is automatically executed to press the floating body 4 against the target vessel 51. As a result, the movement of people or cargo can be carried out in a stable state while reliably maintaining contact between the target vessel 51 and the mobile floating dock 1.

[0092] In this embodiment, a pressing target recognition control is performed to recognize the pressing target position on the hull 55, and the floating body 4 is pressed against the recognized pressing target position. Therefore, the floating body 4 can be brought into contact with and pressed against the appropriate position on the hull 55, allowing for the smooth movement of people or cargo.

[0093] The specific pressing control involves detecting the external force applied to the pressing part 13 by the pressing force sensor 14, while maintaining the state in which the floating body 4 is pressed against the ship's hull. This allows for the maintenance of a pressing state with an appropriate pressing force. As a result, the contact state between the mobile floating dock 1 and the ship 51 can be stably maintained with just the right amount of pressing force, enabling the movement of people or cargo in a stable state.

[0094] When moving the mobile floating dock 1 toward the target vessel 51, once the mobile floating dock 1 has moved to the vicinity of the target position, approach control is performed to bring the mobile dock closer to the target vessel 51 based on the distance detected by the millimeter-wave radar 21 (distance sensor). This allows the mobile floating dock 1 to move appropriately according to the distance to the target vessel 51 and reach the target vessel 51. More specifically, the mobile floating dock 1 can be brought closer to the vessel 51 while appropriately controlling the relative movement state of the mobile floating dock 1 with respect to the vessel 51 (especially the relative movement speed). This allows the mobile floating dock 1 to approach and make contact with the vessel 51 at an appropriate relative speed.

[0095] In this embodiment, the command device 40 can transmit a movement command including target location information representing the target location, which is received by the wireless communication unit 24 (command receiver) and provided to the controller 5. The controller 5 acquires the target location based on the target location information included in the movement command and performs automatic movement control to move to that target location unmanned. In this way, the command device 40 can command the target location, and the mobile floating pier 1 can be automatically moved to that target location unmanned. That is, the mobile floating pier 1 can be automatically moved to the required location when needed. In this way, not only is automatic driving to the target location possible, but the setting of the target location can also be done unmanned. Therefore, since the mobile floating pier 1 can be operated unmanned (without crew), operating costs can be reduced.

[0096] As mentioned above, when mooring a vessel 51 in a berthing space 50 equipped with mooring posts 52 (fixed structures on the water), the target position information may be information that can identify the location of the mooring posts 52 or the berthing space 50 (this may also be identification information for the mooring posts 52 or the berthing space 50). This allows the controller 5 to be provided with target position information that accurately represents the target location without detecting the position of the vessel 51, thereby improving the movement accuracy of the mobile floating pier 1.

[0097] In this embodiment, automatic return control is also performed to move the mobile floating pier 1 to a return position such as the base 61 by unmanned operation. This allows the mobile floating pier 1 to be automatically returned to a predetermined return position.

[0098] (Second Embodiment) Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the movable floating pier 100 in the second embodiment. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the movable floating pier 100 in the second embodiment. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the cross-sectional configuration of the movable floating pier 100 at position VIII-VIII in Figure 6. Each figure shows mutually orthogonal XYZ axes for specifying direction. In this specification, the positive Z-axis direction is referred to as the upward direction, and the negative Z-axis direction is referred to as the downward direction. Also, in this specification, for convenience, the positive X-axis direction is referred to as the forward direction, the negative X-axis direction as the backward direction, the positive Y-axis direction as the right direction, and the negative X-axis direction as the left direction, but the movable floating pier 1 and the movable floating pier 100 may actually be oriented in different directions. Furthermore, for the movable floating pier 100 of the second embodiment, the same configuration and processing as the movable floating pier 1 of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanation is omitted. The movable floating pier 100 is an example of a movable floating structure.

[0099] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the mobile floating dock 100 is a water-moving structure that can move on the water. As shown in Figure 6, the mobile floating dock 100 has, for example, a regular hexagonal shape when viewed from above.

[0100] The mobile floating dock 100 comprises a controller 5, a battery 7, a deck 200, a floating dock body 500, and a propulsion system 700. The floating dock body 500 is an example of a floating structure.

[0101] The floating pier body 500 is a component that floats on the water surface WS. As shown in Figure 7, the floating pier body 500 is the main body of the movable floating pier 100. The floating pier body 500 is roughly flat. When viewed from above, the floating pier body 500 is roughly a regular hexagon (see Figure 6).

[0102] The floating pier body 500 includes a housing 300, a floating body 400, a first connecting member 810, and a second connecting member 820.

[0103] As shown in Figure 7, the housing 300 is a component that forms the upper part of the floating pier body 500. The housing 300 has a flat plate shape. When viewed from above, the housing 300 is approximately a regular hexagon (see Figure 6). A housing space R is formed inside the housing 300. For example, the controller 5 and the battery 7 are arranged in the housing space R of the housing 300.

[0104] The housing 300 is formed, for example, from a plurality of rod-shaped members. The material of the rod-shaped members is, for example, aluminum and stainless steel. The housing 300 is formed, for example, by arranging a plurality of triangular prisms, each formed from a plurality of rod-shaped members, horizontally.

[0105] As shown in Figure 7, the floating body 400 is a component that forms the lower part of the floating pier body 500. The floating body 400 is a component that generates buoyancy for the movable floating pier 100. The floating body 400 is located below the housing 300. That is, the housing 300 is located above the floating body 400. When viewed from above, the floating body 400 is, for example, disc-shaped (see Figure 6). The inside of the floating body 400 is hollow (see Figure 8). At least a portion of the housing 300 is positioned to overlap the floating body 400 when viewed in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the floating body 400 and the housing 300 substantially overlap.

[0106] The thruster 700 is a component that provides thrust to the movable floating pier 100. As shown in Figure 7, the thruster 700 is located below the movable floating pier 100 in the vertical direction. When viewed from above, the thruster 700 is located inward relative to the outer diameter line of the floating pier body 500 (see Figure 6). The thruster 700 has multiple (three in this embodiment) thrust modules (700P, 700Q, 700R). The lower ends of each thrust module (700P, 700Q, 700R) are at the same position in the vertical direction.

[0107] Each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) is located on the periphery of the movable floating dock 100, as shown in Figure 6. Each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) is positioned at three non-adjacent vertices of the roughly hexagonal housing 300 when viewed from above. Each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) is positioned inward relative to the outer diameter line of the floating dock body 500 when viewed from above. As shown in Figure 7, the propulsion module 700P has a propulsion module body 740P and a propeller 760P. An electric motor is located in the propulsion module body 740P. The propulsion module 700P rotates the propeller 760P using the electric motor. The propulsion module 700P can change the rotation speed and direction of the propeller 760P. Furthermore, the propulsion modules 700P, 700Q, and 700R all share the same mechanism.

[0108] As shown in Figure 6, the first rotation axis Ap1, the second rotation axis Ap2, and the third rotation axis Ap3 are tangent to the same circle along the circumferential direction of the floating pier body 500 when viewed in the vertical direction. In each propulsion module body, each blade is positioned in the same direction with respect to the circumferential direction of the floating pier body 500. The rotation axes (Ap1, Ap2, Ap3) of each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) are positioned to form substantially the same plane when viewed in the vertical direction (see Figure 7).

[0109] The propulsion system 700 adjusts the magnitude and direction of the thrust of the mobile floating dock 100 by adjusting the rotation speed and direction of the propellers of each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R). For example, if only the propeller of propulsion module 700P is rotated in the forward direction (the propellers of propulsion modules 700Q and 700R are stopped), the mobile floating dock 100 will move in the direction of propulsion module 700P. Also, if all the propellers of each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) are rotated in the same direction, the mobile floating dock 100 will rotate in that position.

[0110] Each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) of the thruster 700 is connected to the controller 5 in a communication manner. Each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) of the thruster 700 is electrically connected to the battery 7.

[0111] As shown in Figure 6, the first connecting member 810 is positioned on the circumferential outer surface of the floating pier body 500 (the circumferential surface of the floating pier body 500 on which the first connecting member 810 is positioned is referred to as the "first peripheral portion 810S"). In this embodiment, the first connecting member 810 is fixed to the housing 300 (see Figure 8).

[0112] As shown in Figure 6, the second connecting member 820 is positioned on the circumferential outer surface of the floating pier body 500 (the circumferential surface of the floating pier body 500 on which the second connecting member 820 is positioned is referred to as the "second peripheral portion 820S"). In this embodiment, the second connecting member 820 is fixed to the housing 300 (see Figure 8). The second peripheral portion 820S is a circumferential outer surface of the floating pier body 500, separate from the first peripheral portion 810S.

[0113] The first connecting member 810 and the second connecting member 820 are equipped with the same parts. Furthermore, the positional relationship of the parts in the first connecting member 810 and the second connecting member 820 is also the same.

[0114] As shown in Figure 7, the deck 200 is located above the movable floating pier 100. The deck 200 is flat. As shown in Figure 6, the deck 200 has a roughly regular hexagonal shape when viewed from above. The deck 200 has a first cover 210 and a second cover 220.

[0115] As shown in Figure 8, the first cover 210 is a member that protrudes horizontally from the deck 200. In a vertical view, the first cover 210 is located outside the outline of the floating pier body 500. In a vertical view, the first cover 210 overlaps at least a portion of the first connecting member 810. The first cover 210 is located above the first connecting member 810. The first cover 210 is expandable and contractible in the direction in which it protrudes from the deck 200 (an example of the connecting direction).

[0116] The second cover 220 is a member that protrudes horizontally from the deck 200, as shown in Figure 8. In a vertical view, the second cover 220 is located outside the outline of the floating pier body 500. In a vertical view, the second cover 220 overlaps at least a portion of the second connecting member 820. The second cover 220 is located above the second connecting member 820. The second cover 220 is expandable and contractible in the direction in which it protrudes from the deck 200.

[0117] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of the mobile floating pier 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0118] In addition to the functions described above, the wireless communication unit 24 of the mobile floating dock 100 can communicate directly with other mobile floating docks 100X and other mobile floating docks 100A, as shown in Figure 9. The wireless communication unit 24 of the mobile floating dock 100 can, for example, directly receive location information of the mobile floating dock 100X. Note that the mobile floating dock 100X is an example of a mobile object. The wireless communication unit 24 is an example of a location information receiver.

[0119] The wireless communication unit 24 of the mobile floating dock 100 can, for example, directly transmit location information of the mobile floating dock 100 to the mobile floating dock 100A. The location information can be acquired, for example, by a GPS receiver 20. The wireless communication unit 24 is an example of a location information transmitter.

[0120] The controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 controls the components of the mobile floating dock 100. The controller 5 is connected to the components of the mobile floating dock 100 in a communication manner.

[0121] In addition to the sensors described above, the mobile floating dock 100 also includes an inertial measurement unit 15, an illuminance sensor 16, and a geomagnetic sensor 17. The inertial measurement unit 15 is a device for measuring the acceleration and angular velocity of the mobile floating dock 100. The inertial measurement unit 15 includes an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. The acceleration sensor detects the acceleration applied to the mobile floating dock 100 in three axes. The gyro sensor detects the rotational motion of the mobile floating dock 100 in three axes. Based on the detected data, the inertial measurement unit 15 can calculate the attitude and motion. The inertial measurement unit 15 transmits the calculated attitude and motion of the mobile floating dock 100 to the controller 5.

[0122] The illuminance sensor 16 is a sensor for detecting the intensity of light in the surrounding environment of the mobile floating dock 100. The illuminance sensor 16 is constructed using, for example, a photodiode or a phototransistor. The illuminance sensor 16 transmits a signal to the controller 5 corresponding to the detected amount of light.

[0123] The geomagnetic sensor 17 is a sensor that detects the geomagnetic field in the mobile floating dock 100 and acquires orientation information. The geomagnetic sensor 17 includes, for example, a magnetic sensor element capable of detecting magnetism in three axial directions. The geomagnetic sensor 17 transmits a signal to the controller 5 corresponding to the strength of the detected magnetic field. The controller 5 can acquire attitude information of the mobile floating dock 100 over time using the signal from the geomagnetic sensor 17 and the signal from the inertial measurement device 15.

[0124] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the command device 40 in the second embodiment. In addition to the functions described above, the command device 40 can simultaneously transmit command signals to multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, etc.). The command device 40 can simultaneously receive signals from multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, etc.).

[0125] The processor 41 of the command device 40 controls multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, etc.) simultaneously. The processor 41 of the command device 40 is communicated with multiple mobile floating docks.

[0126] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 according to the second embodiment. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0127] In addition to the functions described above, the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 performs the following controls:

[0128] Controller 5 controls the rotation speed and direction of the propellers of each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) of the thruster 700. By appropriately combining the rotation speed and direction of the propellers of each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R), the magnitude and direction of the thrust force of the mobile floating dock 100 can be adjusted. Controller 5 is an example of a direction-changing device.

[0129] The controller 5 stores location information of the moving object (such as the mobile floating pier 100X shown in Figure 13, described later) received by the wireless communication unit 24 over time. From the stored location information of the moving object, the controller 5 generates information about the movement trajectory of the moving object (an example of movement trajectory information).

[0130] The controller 5 selects and executes either automatic movement control or follow control for the mobile floating dock 100, as follows: Automatic movement control is a control in which the controller 5 moves the mobile floating dock 100 to a target position. Follow control is a control in which the controller 5 makes the mobile floating dock 100 follow a moving object that is moving ahead of it. For example, the controller 5 makes the mobile floating dock 100 follow the mobile floating dock 100X. As a result, multiple mobile floating docks can move automatically at once.

[0131] As shown in Figure 11, when the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 receives a movement command from the command device 40 (step S100: YES), it transmits a moveable signal to the command device 40 (step S110). When multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, etc.) become moveable, the controller 5 receives a corresponding signal from the command device 40 (step S120). The corresponding signal includes the identification signals of each of the multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, etc.) input to the command device 40, and sequence information, which is information about the arrangement order of the multiple mobile floating docks. This allows the controller 5 to determine the order of the mobile floating dock 100 among the multiple mobile floating docks. Furthermore, when performing follow control, as described later, the controller 5 can obtain the identification number of the following moving object.

[0132] If the sequence information of the corresponding signal received from the command device 40 is the first of the multiple mobile floating docks (step S130: YES), the controller 5 receives target position information from the command device 40 (step S140). The controller 5 controls the propulsion unit 700 and performs automatic movement control to move the mobile floating dock 100 to the target position (step S150). While performing automatic movement control (step S150), the controller 5 transmits the first position information of the mobile floating dock 100 (step S160). The first position information of the mobile floating dock 100 is, for example, information obtained from the GPS receiver 20. When the mobile floating dock 100 arrives at the target position (step S170: YES), the controller 5 transmits an arrival signal to the command device 40 to inform it that it has reached the target position (step S180). The controller 5 terminates the automatic movement control (step S190).

[0133] As shown in Figure 12, if the sequence information of the corresponding signal received from the command device 40 is not the first of the multiple mobile floating docks (step S130: NO), the controller 5 directly receives second position information (including identification information of the mobile body) of the following mobile body from the mobile body (step S210). At this stage, the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 can receive the second information directly from the mobile body. When the controller 5 receives the second position information of the mobile body from the mobile body (step S210: YES), it performs follow control to follow the mobile body based on the second position information of the mobile body (step S220). Furthermore, as described above, the controller 5 can generate movement trajectory information of the mobile body from the second position information and control the mobile floating dock 100 along this movement trajectory information. The controller 5 transmits third position information (including identification information of the mobile floating dock 100), which is the position information of the mobile floating dock 100 (step S230). The third position information of the mobile floating dock 100 is, for example, information obtained from the GPS receiver 20. When the controller 5 receives an arrival signal from the command device 40 (step S240: YES), it terminates the tracking control of the mobile floating dock 100 (step S250).

[0134] The command device 40 can control the movement of multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, etc.) to a target position while maintaining their relative positions (an example of a predetermined arrangement pattern). For example, the command device 40 can control the movement of mobile floating dock 100 and mobile floating dock 100A while they are in contact with each other. Specifically, the command device 40 issues instructions to each controller, and each controller controls its respective thruster to move mobile floating dock 100 and mobile floating dock 100A to a predetermined position while they are in contact with each other. As a result, the connected mobile floating dock 100 and mobile floating dock 100A move as a single unit. This control is an example of unit movement control. The command device 40 is an example of an operating device. The processor 41 of the command device 40 is an example of a unit controller.

[0135] (Effects of the second embodiment) As described above, the mobile floating dock 100 that can move on water according to this embodiment comprises a floating dock body 500, a propulsion unit 700 provided on the floating dock body 500, and a controller 5. The controller 5 is configured or programmed to control the propulsion unit 700 to move the mobile floating docks (100, 100A, 100X) on the water. The controller 5 performs automatic movement control to move the mobile floating dock 100 to a target position. As a result, the mobile floating dock 100 can move to the target position.

[0136] In the mobile floating dock 100 of this embodiment, the controller 5 may also be configured to perform follow control to follow a moving body moving on the water. According to the mobile floating dock 100 of this embodiment, multiple mobile floating docks (100, 100A, 100X) can move simultaneously by following the mobile floating dock 100 and a moving body (for example, mobile floating dock 100X).

[0137] In the mobile floating pier 100 of this embodiment, a wireless communication unit 24 is provided to acquire information regarding the movement trajectory of the mobile body, and the controller 5 may be configured to perform tracking control based on the movement trajectory information of the mobile body received by the wireless communication unit 24, and to track the movement trajectory of the mobile body.

[0138] According to the mobile floating dock 100 of this embodiment, the mobile floating dock 100 is equipped with a wireless communication unit 24 that acquires information regarding the movement trajectory of a moving object. Based on the received movement trajectory information, the mobile floating dock 100 follows the movement trajectory of the moving object, thereby enabling the mobile floating dock 100 to move stably behind the moving object. Furthermore, multiple mobile floating docks (100, 100A, 100X) can move stably simultaneously.

[0139] In this embodiment, the mobile floating pier 100 may also be configured to include a wireless communication unit 24 that transmits information regarding the movement trajectory of the mobile floating pier 100. According to this embodiment, the mobile floating pier 100 can transmit its own position information to, for example, another mobile floating pier 100A. This allows other mobile floating piers 100A to follow the mobile floating pier 100. As a result, multiple mobile floating piers (100, 100A, 100X) can move simultaneously.

[0140] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which multiple movable floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) of multiple second embodiments are moving in a sequence by follow control.

[0141] As shown in Figure 13, multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) move in a chain.

[0142] The mobile floating pier 100X is the leading unit of a group of mobile floating piers (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) (Figure 11, Step S130: YES). In other words, the mobile floating pier 100X is the leading mobile unit. The controller of the mobile floating pier 100X performs automatic movement control on the mobile floating pier 100X (Figure 11, Step S150). As a result, the mobile floating pier 100X moves to the target position. The mobile floating pier 100X performs automatic movement control and also transmits its position information 100XI (Figure 11, Step S160).

[0143] The mobile floating dock 100 is the second of several mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) (Figure 11, Step S130: NO). The mobile floating dock 100 moves behind the mobile floating dock 100X, which is a moving object. That is, the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 performs follow control over the mobile floating dock 100X (Figure 12, Step S220). Specifically, the controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 receives position information 100XI of the mobile floating dock 100X (Figure 12, Step S210). The controller 5 generates movement trajectory information for the movement trajectory 100XT of the mobile floating dock 100X using this position information 100XI. Along this movement trajectory 100XT, the controller 5 follows behind the mobile floating dock 100. The controller 5 of the mobile floating dock 100 transmits location information 100I of the mobile floating dock 100 from the wireless communication unit 24 (Figure 12, step S230).

[0144] The mobile floating pier 100A is the third of several mobile floating piers (Figure 11, Step S130: NO). The mobile floating pier 100A is moving behind the mobile floating pier 100A. That is, the controller of the mobile floating pier 100A is performing follow control over the mobile floating pier 100 (Figure 12, Step S220). Specifically, the controller of the mobile floating pier 100A receives position information 100I of the mobile floating pier 100 (Figure 12, Step S210). The controller of the mobile floating pier 100A generates movement trajectory information for the movement trajectory 100T of the mobile floating pier 100 based on this position information 100I. The controller of the mobile floating pier 100A moves the mobile floating pier 100A along this movement trajectory 100T. As a result, the mobile floating dock 100A follows behind the mobile floating dock 100.

[0145] Through this operation, multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) move in a chain. Furthermore, by having the mobile floating dock 100X move along an appropriate trajectory, the subsequent mobile floating docks (100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) can move smoothly. For example, multiple mobile floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) can move smoothly along land 60. The movement trajectory 100T and the movement trajectory 100XT are almost identical.

[0146] Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing another state in which multiple movable floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) of the second embodiment are moving in a chain by follow control. When the controller of movable floating dock 100X performs follow control on movable floating dock 100D, the multiple movable floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) can take on a circular shape. In this case, since each movable floating dock has a first connecting member 810 and a second connecting member 820 on its circumferential side surface, each movable floating dock can be connected to an adjacent one. Furthermore, above the first connecting member 810 and above the second connecting member 820, there is a first cover 210 and a second cover 220. The first cover 210 and the second cover 220 are expandable and contractible in the direction of connection between the first connecting member 810 and the second connecting member 820. Therefore, the upper surfaces of multiple adjacent movable floating docks are flush with each other.

[0147] In this embodiment, a unit control system for controlling a plurality of movable floating docks (100, 100A, 100X) comprises a command device 40 operated by a user and a unit controller, wherein the unit controller may be configured to perform unit movement control to move the plurality of movable floating docks (100, 100A, 100X) in a predetermined arrangement pattern in response to the operation of the command device 40. The unit controller of this embodiment can move the plurality of movable floating docks (100, 100A, 100X) arranged in a predetermined pattern while maintaining their arrangement. For example, if the plurality of movable floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) are arranged in a circular shape as shown in Figure 14, the plurality of movable floating docks can be moved as a single unit.

[0148] While embodiments of this invention have been described above, this invention can also be implemented in other forms.

[0149] In the above-described embodiment, the mobile floating dock (1, 100) moved on the water by unmanned operation. However, the mobile floating dock (1, 100) may also move on the water by manned operation, for example, using a manual control device.

[0150] For example, in the first embodiment, an example was described in which the charging equipment 8 is equipped with a solar panel 9, but the charging equipment 8 may also be equipped with power receiving equipment such as a power supply cable for receiving power from shore power equipment.

[0151] Furthermore, although the first embodiment shows an example where the thruster 2 is an electric thruster, a thruster driven by an engine may also be used.

[0152] Furthermore, while the first embodiment showed an example in which the mobile floating dock 1 is equipped with a position sensor such as a GPS receiver 20, such a position sensor is not necessarily required. For example, if the movement range of the mobile floating dock 1 is not wide, the mobile floating dock 1 can be moved appropriately even without a position sensor by means of distance sensors such as a millimeter-wave radar 21 or recognition of the target vessel 51 by a camera 23.

[0153] In the second embodiment described above, the movable floating dock 100 may have fins and a rudder positioned below the floating dock body 500.

[0154] In the second embodiment described above, the propulsion system 700 of the mobile floating dock 100 has three propulsion modules (700P, 700Q, 700R), but it may also be a single propulsion system. In the case of a single propulsion system, the mobile floating dock 100 can change the direction of the propulsion force of the propulsion system 700 by further equipping the propulsion system 700 with a steering device. In the second embodiment described above, the propulsion system 700 can control the magnitude and direction of the propulsion force of the mobile floating dock 100 by controlling the rotation speed and rotation direction of the propellers of each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) (for example, by controlling them with a controller 5 mounted on the mobile floating dock 100). For example, in Figure 6, propulsion module 700P rotates the propeller 760P in the opposite direction. That is, propulsion module 700P generates a thrust force directed toward the opposite side of the blade at the first rotation axis Ap1. The propulsion module 700Q is stationary. The propulsion module 700R rotates its propeller in the forward direction. That is, the propulsion module 700R generates thrust toward the blades at the third rotation axis Ap3. As a result, the mobile floating dock 100 moves to the opposite side of the position of the propulsion module 700Q (to the upper right in Figure 6). Also, if the propellers of each propulsion module (700P, 700Q, 700R) are all rotated in the same direction, the mobile floating dock 100 will rotate in that position. Note that there may be three or more propulsion modules in the thruster 700.

[0155] In the second embodiment described above, the thruster 700 controls each thrust module (700P, 700Q, 700R) of the thruster 700 from a single controller 5, but is not limited to this. For example, each thrust module (700P, 700Q, 700R) may have its own controller. As a result, the controllers of each thrust module (700P, 700Q, 700R) are smaller than the controller 5 of the mobile floating pier 100. Therefore, the mobile floating pier 100 becomes more compact when assembling and disassembling it. Also, the controllers of the thrust modules are easier to load and unload from the mobile floating pier 100. Furthermore, if each thrust module (700P, 700Q, 700R) has its own controller, another controller may be additionally mounted on the mobile floating pier 100 to control each controller of each thrust module and control the movement of the mobile floating pier 100. Also, the command device 40 may have the functions of the above-mentioned other controller.

[0156] In the second embodiment described above, the thruster 700 supplies power to each of its thrust modules (700P, 700Q, 700R) from a single battery 7, but is not limited to this. For example, each of the thrust modules (700P, 700Q, 700R) may have its own battery. As a result, the batteries of each thrust module (700P, 700Q, 700R) are smaller than the battery 7 of the mobile floating dock 100. Therefore, the mobile floating dock 100 becomes more compact when assembling and disassembling it. In addition, the batteries of the thrust modules are easier to load and unload from the mobile floating dock 100.

[0157] In the second embodiment described above, the mobile floating pier 100 follows the mobile floating pier 100X based on the movement trajectory 100XT of the mobile floating pier 100X. The mobile floating pier 100A follows the mobile floating pier 100 based on the movement trajectory 100T of the mobile floating pier 100, but is not limited to this. For example, the mobile floating pier 100A may follow the mobile floating pier 100X based on the movement trajectory 100XT of the mobile floating pier 100X.

[0158] In the second embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 14, a shape in which multiple movable floating docks are arranged in a circle is shown, but it is not limited to a circle. Multiple movable floating docks may be arranged in a roughly triangular shape or a roughly parallelogram shape. For example, by connecting two adjacent sides of one movable floating dock to another, multiple (for example, three) movable floating docks can be arranged in a roughly triangular shape.

[0159] In the second embodiment described above, the mobile floating pier 100 is equipped with an inertial measuring device 15. The controller 5 of the mobile floating pier 100 can correct the position information of the mobile floating pier 100 based on information from the inertial measuring device 15. The controller 5 can also correct the information of the movement trajectory (100XT) of the mobile floating pier 100X based on information from the inertial measuring device 15 and information from the inertial measuring device 15X of the mobile floating pier 100X. The controller 5 can perform tracking control of the mobile floating pier 100 more stably.

[0160] In the second embodiment described above, the mobile floating pier 100 is equipped with an inertial measuring device 15 and an illuminance sensor 16. The controller 5 of the mobile floating pier 100 can acquire information about the waves around the mobile floating pier 100, for example, using the inertial measuring device 15 of the mobile floating pier 100. The controller 5 of the mobile floating pier 100 can also acquire information about the light around the mobile floating pier 100, for example, using the illuminance sensor 16. The controller 5 transmits this information about the mobile floating pier 100 to the command device 40. The command device 40 monitors this information. The command device 40 receives this information from multiple mobile floating piers. If the command device 40 detects an abnormal value in this information, it sends a signal to the controllers of the multiple mobile floating piers to execute automatic movement control to move each mobile floating pier to a target position. As a result, the controller of each mobile floating pier executes automatic movement control to move the mobile floating pier to the target position.

[0161] In the second embodiment described above, the multiple movable floating docks (100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) are not connected, but they may be connected by connecting members. For example, the first connecting member 810 of movable floating dock 100 may be connected to the second connecting member of movable floating dock 100A. In this case, each connecting member may be positioned at a corner formed by adjacent circumferential surfaces of movable floating dock 100 (100A).

[0162] Furthermore, various design modifications can be made within the scope of the matters described in the patent claims.

[0163] 1: Mobile floating dock 2: Propulsion system 2a: Electric motor 2b: Propeller 3: Steering mechanism 4: Floating body 5: Controller 5a: Processor 5b: Memory 6: Rotation axis 7: Battery 8: Charging equipment 9: Solar panel 10: Deck 11: Support column 12: Roof 13: Pressing part 14: Pressing force sensor 15, 15X: Inertial measurement device 16: Illuminance sensor 20: GPS receiver 21: Millimeter wave radar 23: Camera 24: Wireless communication unit 30: Network 31: Server 40: Command device 41: Processor 42: Memory 43: Display 44: Input device 45: Wireless communication device 46: GPS receiver 47: Camera 50: Mooring space 51: Ship 52: Mooring pile 53: Mooring rope 55: Hull 60: Land 61: Base 62: Disembarkation point 63: Waiting area 100T: Movement trajectory 100X, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D: Mobile floating pier 100XT: Movement trajectory 200: Deck 210: First cover 220: Second cover 300: Housing 400: Floating body 500: Floating pier body 700: Propulsion unit 700P, 700Q, 700R: Propulsion module 740P: Propulsion module body 760P: Propeller 810: First connecting member 810S: First peripheral portion 820: Second connecting member 820S: Second peripheral portion Ap1: First rotation axis Ap2: Second rotation axis Ap3: Third rotation axis R: Housing space WS: Water surface

Claims

1. A mobile floating body that can move on water, comprising: a floating body; a propulsion unit provided on the floating body; a direction-changing device for changing the direction of the propulsion force generated by the propulsion unit; and a controller configured or programmed to control the propulsion unit and the direction-changing device to move the mobile floating body on water, wherein the controller performs automatic movement control to move the mobile floating body to a target position.

2. The mobile float according to claim 1, wherein the controller, after arriving at the target position, performs a pressing control to press the float toward the hull of a target vessel near the target position.

3. The mobile float according to claim 2, wherein the controller performs a pressing target recognition control to recognize the pressing target position of the target vessel, and the pressing control controls the propulsion unit and the direction changing device to press the float against the pressing target position recognized by the pressing target recognition control.

4. The movable float according to claim 2, wherein the float includes a pressing force sensor for detecting an external force applied to a pressing portion that presses against the hull, and the pressing control maintains a state in which the float is pressed against the hull based on the output of the pressing force sensor.

5. The mobile float according to claim 2, further comprising a distance sensor for detecting the distance to the target vessel, wherein the controller performs approach control to bring the float closer to the hull of the target vessel based on the distance detected by the distance sensor in the vicinity of the target position.

6. The mobile floating body according to claim 2, further comprising a command receiver that receives a movement command including target position information representing the target position, wherein the controller acquires the target position based on the target position information included in the movement command received by the command receiver.

7. The mobile floating body according to claim 6, wherein the target vessel is moored to a fixed floating object and anchored in a berthing space near the fixed floating object, and the target position information includes information that can identify the position of the fixed floating object or the berthing space.

8. The mobile float according to claim 2, wherein the controller further performs automatic return control to move the mobile float away from the target vessel to a return position by unmanned operation.

9. The mobile floating body according to claim 1, wherein the controller further performs follow control to follow a moving body moving on the water.

10. The mobile floating body according to claim 9, further comprising a position information receiver that acquires information regarding the movement trajectory of the mobile body, wherein the controller, in the tracking control, controls the mobile floating body to follow the movement trajectory of the mobile body based on the movement trajectory information of the mobile body received by the position information receiver.

11. The mobile float according to any one of claims 1, 9, or 10, further comprising a position information transmitter that transmits information relating to the movement trajectory of the mobile float.

12. A unit control system for controlling a plurality of movable floating bodies according to any one of claims 9 to 11, comprising: an operating device operated by a user; and a unit controller, wherein the unit controller performs unit movement control to move the plurality of movable floating bodies in a predetermined arrangement pattern in response to the operation of the operating device.

13. An automatic operation method for a mobile floating body, which is equipped with a floating body, a propulsion system and a direction-changing device and is movable on water, comprising: an automatic movement step of moving the mobile floating body to a target position by controlling the propulsion system and the direction-changing device.

14. An automated operation method for a moving float according to claim 13, further comprising a pressing step of controlling the propulsion system and the direction-changing device to press the moving float toward a target vessel near the target position after the moving float has arrived at the target position.

15. An automatic operation method for a moving floating body according to claim 13, further comprising a follow step of following a moving body moving on water.

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