Transport position determination method and automatic transport system

Abstract

This transport position determination method is applied to an automatic transport system that automatically transports, using an unmanned transport vehicle, a plurality of carts on which articles are respectively placed to predetermined transport positions in a facility. The method comprises: a first step of installing, on each of the plurality of carts or on an article placed on each of the plurality of carts, a transmission member capable of transmitting identification information and position information; a second step of acquiring the identification information and the position information from the transmission member of each of the plurality of carts when the plurality of carts are manually transported; a third step of generating, on the basis of the acquired position information and identification information, transport position-related data in which a category of an article and the transport position of the cart on which the article is placed are associated with each other; and a fourth step of determining temporary transport positions of the plurality of carts on the basis of the generated transport position-related data. In this way, energy saving is achieved. This also contributes to reducing CO2 through energy conservation.

Description

Conveyance Position Determination Method and Automatic Conveyance System

[0001] The present specification discloses a conveyance position determination method and an automatic conveyance system.

[0002] Conventionally, this type of automatic conveyance system has been proposed which includes an automated guided vehicle that is coupled to a conveyance carriage for conveyance, a control unit that controls the automated guided vehicle, and a storage unit that stores map data in which travel paths within the travel range of the automated guided vehicle, conveyance carriage positions, conveyance carriage detachment positions and the like are recorded (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The control unit sets the coupling position of the conveyance carriage and the detachment position (conveyance position) of the conveyance carriage by referring to the map data.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-140218

[0004] When applying an automatic conveyance system that conveys carriages using automated guided vehicles in a facility such as a store, personnel involved in the facility cannot determine to which location the carriage can be conveyed because they do not grasp the travel restrictions of the automated guided vehicle. For this reason, personnel related to the automatic conveyance system receive a facility map from facility personnel, and determine a temporary arrangement (temporary conveyance position) of the carriage while judging locations where the carriage can be likely conveyed from the map. Then, the personnel related to the automatic conveyance system notify the facility personnel of the temporary arrangement information, and appropriately make corrections such as adding carriages to be conveyed or changing the temporary arrangement according to requests from the facility personnel who have confirmed the temporary arrangement information, thereby determining the final arrangement (conveyance position) of the carriage. However, such exchanges between personnel related to the automatic conveyance system and facility personnel require a great deal of labor and time, so there is a demand for determining the arrangement of carriages with less labor and time.

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to determine conveyance positions of a plurality of carriages with less labor and time in an automatic conveyance system that conveys a plurality of carriages.

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

[0007] The present disclosure provides a method for determining the transport position of a plurality of carts, each on which an article is placed, in an automated transport system that automatically transports a plurality of carts, each on which an article is placed, to predetermined transport positions using an automated guided vehicle. The method comprises: a first step of installing a transmitting member capable of transmitting identification information and position information on the plurality of carts or on each of the articles placed on the plurality of carts; a second step of acquiring the identification information and position information from each of the transmitting members of the plurality of carts when the plurality of carts are transported manually; a third step of generating transport position-related data that associates the category of the article with the transport position of the cart on which the article is placed, based on the position information and identification information acquired in the second step; and a fourth step of determining the provisional transport position of the plurality of carts based on the transport position-related data generated in the third step.

[0008] In the transport position determination method of this disclosure, when multiple carts are transported manually, identification information and position information are obtained from the transmitting member of each of the multiple carts, and transport position-related data is generated that associates the category of the item with the transport position of the cart on which the item is placed based on the obtained position information and identification information. By determining the provisional transport position of the carts from the transport position-related data, the transport positions of multiple carts can be determined with less effort and time.

[0009] The present disclosure is an automated transport system that automatically transports a plurality of carts, each on which an item is placed, to predetermined transport positions within a facility using an automated transport vehicle, and comprises: a transmitting member installed on the plurality of carts or on each of the items placed on the plurality of carts, capable of transmitting identification information and location information; and a generating unit that, when the carts are manually transported by an operator, acquires the identification information and location information from the transmitting member of each of the plurality of carts, and generates transport position-related data that associates the category of the item with the transport position of the cart on which the item is placed, based on the acquired location information and identification information.

[0010] According to this disclosure, the transport positions of multiple carts can be determined with less effort and time. Furthermore, energy savings are achieved. In addition, it contributes to reducing CO2 emissions through energy conservation.

[0011] This is an external perspective view of multiple cage trolleys placed in a facility and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) that transports the cage trolleys. This is an external perspective view of the AGV and cage trolleys. This is an external perspective view of the AGV. This is a side view of the AGV. This is a side view of the AGV. This is an explanatory diagram showing the AGV positioned under a cage trolley. This is an explanatory diagram showing the AGV connected to a cage trolley. This is a block diagram of the transport system including the AGV and the control device. This is a flowchart showing the flow until the destination of the cage trolley is determined. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a facility map. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of manually acquired destination information. This is an example of a heat map showing the destinations of cage trolleys for each product category.

[0012] Next, the forms for implementing this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 is an external perspective view of multiple cage trolleys 100 placed in a facility and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) 10 that transports the cage trolleys 100. Figure 2 is an external perspective view of the cage trolleys 100 and the AGV 10. Figure 3 is an external perspective view of the AGV 10. Figures 4 and 5 are side views of the AGV 10. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the AGV 10 in a position underneath the cage trolleys 100. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the AGV 10 connected to the cage trolleys 100. Figure 8 is a block diagram of the automated transport system 1 including the AGV 10 and the control device 60.

[0014] The automated transport system 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, is a system used in a facility having multiple shelves S, and comprises one or more automated guided vehicles 10 and a management device 60 (see Figure 8) for managing the operation of the automated guided vehicles 10. The automated guided vehicles 10 are autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that are connected to a cage trolley 100 and transport to designated shelves S. The facility may be, for example, a logistics center, warehouse, or store, and is not limited to indoors but may also be outdoors.

[0015] The cage trolley 100, as shown in Figure 2 for example, has a rectangular, mesh-shaped loading platform 101 on which cargo C (articles) can be loaded, and a plurality (four) of casters 110 that are rotatably attached to the four corners of the lower surface of the loading platform 101. The loading platform 101 of the cage trolley 100 (in this embodiment, the central part of the outer edge front end surface of the loading platform 101) is provided with a marker M, such as an AR marker, a two-dimensional code, or a barcode, for identifying the cage trolley 100. The automated guided vehicle 10 recognizes the cage trolley 100 (the trolley to be transported) and the type (category) of cargo C loaded on its loading platform 101 by reading the marker M. The marker M may also be attached to the cargo C loaded on the loading platform 101. Furthermore, the identification information for recognizing the cage trolley 100 and cargo C is not limited to the marker M. For example, the identification information may be a unique ID that identifies the cage trolley 100. Furthermore, the identification information may be the identification information (such as letters or pictures) written on the outer box of package C.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 10 of this embodiment has a low-profile, flat, rectangular parallelepiped appearance. The AGV 10 comprises a body 11, a plurality of (e.g., four) wheels 21 rotatably mounted on the bottom surface of the body 11, and a plurality of (e.g., four) drive motors 22 (see Figure 8) that rotate each corresponding wheel 21. In this embodiment, the plurality of wheels 21 are configured as Mecanum wheels, each having a plurality of rollers on its outer circumference that are rotatable around an axis inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the wheel's rotation axis. The AGV 10 can move the body 11 in all directions and rotate (such as in tight turns, pivot turns, and gentle turns) by independently controlling the rotation direction and rotation speed of the corresponding wheels 21 with the plurality of drive motors 22. The plurality of wheels 21 may also be configured as omniwheels, each having a plurality of rollers that are rotatable around an axis that intersects the wheel's rotation axis in three dimensions. In other words, the multiple wheels 21 can be of any type, as long as they can move or rotate the vehicle body 11 in multiple directions.

[0017] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the automated guided vehicle 10 is provided with a connecting section 30 on the upper surface of the vehicle body 11, which can be connected to the cage trolley 100 when the vehicle body 11 is tucked under the cage trolley 100. The connecting section 30 has a flat lifting plate 31, connecting pins 32, 33, and 34 that extend upward from the lifting plate 31 and are provided to be retractable, and a lifting device 35 that raises and lowers the lifting plate 31. The lifting plate 31 has a left-right width that is approximately the same as the left-right width of the vehicle body 11, and a front-to-back width that is slightly shorter than the front-to-back width of the vehicle body 11, so as to cover the upper surface of the vehicle body 11. The connecting pin 32 is provided at the front of the lifting plate 31, the connecting pin 33 is provided at the rear of the lifting plate 31, and the connecting pin 34 is provided in the middle part between the front and rear of the lifting plate 31. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connecting section 30 is connected when the vehicle body 11 is tucked under the cage trolley 100 and the lifting device 35 raises the lifting plate 31, causing at least one of the connecting pins 32, 33, and 34 to engage with the underside of the loading platform 101 of the cage trolley 100. This connects the automated guided vehicle 10 and the cage trolley 100, allowing the automated guided vehicle 10 to transport (tow) the cage trolley 100.

[0018] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, contact detection sensors 36 (spring sensors) are provided on both the left and right sides of the lifting plate 31 to detect when the connecting portion 30 (connecting pins 32, 33, 34) comes into contact with (connects to) the loading platform 101 of the cage trolley 100. The contact detection sensor 36 has a plate that is biased upward by a spring, with its upper end at approximately the same height as the connecting pins 32, 33, 34 relative to the lifting plate 31. When the connecting pins 32, 33, 34 engage with the loading platform 101 of the cage trolley 100, the plate of the contact detection sensor 36 comes into contact with the loading platform 101, and the spring is compressed as it descends relative to the connecting pins 32, 33, 34. The contact detection sensor 36 detects that the connecting portion 30 has come into contact with (connected to) the loading platform 101 of the cage trolley 100 by detecting the state in which the plate has descended relative to the connecting portion 30.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the automated guided vehicle 10 includes a control unit 40 that controls the entire system, a storage unit 41 that stores various information including map information 41a, a communication unit 42 for communication (wireless communication) with the management device 60, a camera unit 51 as an imaging device, sensor units 52 and 53, and a light-emitting unit 54 that illuminates the front of the vehicle body 11. The camera unit 51 is installed on the front of the vehicle body 11 to recognize the area in front of the vehicle body 11. The sensor units 52 and 53 are installed on the front and rear of the vehicle body 11, respectively, to detect surrounding objects. The sensor units 52 and 53 detect surrounding objects and the distance to those objects. In this embodiment, the sensor units 52 and 53 use LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensors that scan a laser beam around the surroundings, receive the reflected light from each point, and measure the time until the reflected light is received to measure distance data for each scanning angle and obtain two-dimensional point cloud data of the surroundings. The light-emitting unit 54 is installed on the front of the vehicle body 11 and illuminates the area in front, making it easier for the camera unit 51 to recognize surrounding objects in dark places.

[0020] The control unit 40 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it includes a ROM for storing processing programs, a RAM for temporarily storing data, a timing unit, and the like. As shown in Figure 8, the control unit 40 receives inputs such as image signals from the camera unit 51, detection signals from the sensor units 52 and 53, and detection signals from the contact detection sensor 36. The control unit 40 outputs control signals to the drive motor 22 and control signals to the lifting device 35.

[0021] As shown in Figure 8, the management device 60 comprises a processing unit 61, a storage unit 62, and a communication unit 63 for communicating (wireless communication) with the automated guided vehicle 10, the cage trolley 100, and the category identification tag T installed on the luggage C placed on the cage trolley 100. Here, the category identification tag T is a wireless communication tag with a communication range of several hundred meters, and is configured to transmit tag identification information that identifies the tag T and location information of the tag T. Examples of category identification tags T include wireless communication tags including LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) modules such as LoRA (Low Power Wide Area) and wireless communication tags including GPS (Global Positioning System) modules. By pre-storing the category (product category) of the luggage C in association with the tag identification information, the management device 60 can recognize the category of the luggage C from the tag identification information received from the category identification tag T.

[0022] Furthermore, the management device 60 is connected to an input unit 65 (such as a mouse or keyboard), a display unit 66 (such as a liquid crystal display or organic EL display), and a printer (not shown). The processing unit 61 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it includes a ROM for storing processing programs and RAM for temporarily storing data. The storage unit 62 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and in addition to the facility map information 62a, the storage unit 62 stores various information such as destination information 62b, obstacle information 62c, and manually acquired destination information 62d. For example, at least a portion of the various information such as the facility map information 62a, destination information 62b, obstacle information 62c, and manually acquired destination information 62d may be stored in an externally constructed device (external device) such as a cloud server. In this case, the management device 60 obtains the necessary information from the external device via a telecommunications line.

[0023] The destination information 62b is information that associates the category of the package C with the destination of the cage trolley 100 on which the package C is placed, and is pre-registered by the operator. The management device 60 creates a unique marker M for each category of package C according to the operator's instructions and prints (issues) the created marker M using a printer. The operator then attaches the printed marker M to a designated location on the cage trolley 100 or to the package C placed on the cage trolley 100. As a result, the automated guided vehicle 10 can recognize the category of the package C by reading the marker M with the camera unit 51, and can obtain the destination of the cage trolley 100 on which the package C is loaded from the recognized category of the package C.

[0024] Obstacle information 62c is information about obstacles placed on the map. Obstacle information 62c is associated with an obstacle ID that identifies the obstacle, a registration time which is the date and time the obstacle was registered, and the location (x, y) of the obstacle on the map.

[0025] Next, the operation of the automated transport system 1 of this embodiment, as configured in this way, will be described. In particular, the operation of the automated transport vehicle 10 (automatic transport process) that transports multiple cage trolleys 100 to pre-registered destinations, and the procedure for determining the destination of each of the multiple cage trolleys 100 will be described. First, the operation of the automated transport vehicle 10 will be described.

[0026] In the automated transport process, the control unit 40 first controls the drive motor 22 so that the automated guided vehicle 10 moves to the cart storage area L. Next, the control unit 40 uses the camera unit 51 to image the surroundings and search for nearby cage carts 100. The search for nearby cage carts 100 is performed by processing the captured images to determine whether or not a marker M can be recognized. If the control unit 40 cannot recognize a marker M, it determines that there are no cage carts 100 to be transported in the cart storage area L and terminates the automated transport process. On the other hand, if the control unit 40 can recognize a marker M, it determines that there are cage carts 100 to be transported, recognizes the category of the cargo C from the recognized marker M, obtains the transport destination corresponding to the recognized category of cargo C, and sets it as the destination. Next, the control unit 40 sets the transport route that has the shortest travel time and distance among the traversable routes from the current location to the destination. The transport route is set by recognizing the vehicle's current location using sensors 52 and 53 (LiDAR), and then searching for a route based on the recognized current location, destination, map information 41a, and obstacle information 62c. In this embodiment, the obstacle information 62c includes the locations of transported cage trolleys 100 on the map, and the map information 41a includes width information. Since the size of the cage trolleys 100 is known, the control unit 40 can find a traversable transport route based on the size including the cage trolleys 100 to be transported by the automated guided vehicle 10, the map information 41a, and the obstacle information 62c, and can transport the cage trolleys 100 to their destination in a short time without interfering with transported cage trolleys 100. Alternatively, the control unit 40 of the automated guided vehicle 10 may transmit the vehicle's current location to the management device 60, which may then set a transport route based on the map information 62a and obstacle information 62c and transmit it to the automated guided vehicle 10. The control unit 40 sets the destination and transport route for the cage cart 100 to be transported, then moves the automated guided vehicle 10 under the cage cart 100 to connect with it, and transports the cage cart 100 to its destination according to the set transport route. When the control unit 40 arrives at the destination, it disconnects from the cage cart 100, returns to the cart storage area L, and repeats the process.Furthermore, when the control unit 40 transports a cage trolley 100, it transmits the coordinate values ​​of the destination of the cage trolley 100 to the management device 60 and registers them in the obstacle information 62c. As a result, when the next cage trolley 100 is transported, the obstacle information 62c has been added, so when transporting the next cage trolley 100 to the same area, if there is a cage trolley 100 that has already been transported between the current location and the destination, the transport route is set to avoid it.

[0027] Next, the procedure for determining the destination of each of the multiple carts 100 to be transported will be explained. The following explanation will use the example of determining the destination of the carts 100 to be transported to a store in order to place the products according to a shelf layout table that specifies the placement of products by category. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of determining the destination of the carts 100. Personnel involved with the automated transport system 1 first obtain a store map (see Figure 10) from store personnel.

[0028] After the store staff delivers the rolling cart 100 loaded with goods into the store (step S100), they attach category identification tags T to the delivered rolling cart 100 (step S110). Next, the store staff manually transport the delivered rolling cart 100 to the shelf corresponding to the product category of the goods placed on the rolling cart 100, according to the shelf allocation chart (step S120). The store staff also transfer the goods from the manually transported rolling cart 100 to the shelf. Once the store staff completes one day's work in this way, they repeat steps S100 to S120 for a predetermined number of days (step S130). Here, the predetermined number of days is set as, for example, one week, two weeks, or three weeks.

[0029] Personnel involved with the automated transport system 1 instruct the management device 60 to perform the following process. Specifically, after the manual transport of all the carts 100 by store personnel for the day is completed, the management device 60 acquires tag identification information and location information (the destination of the cart 100 transported by manual transport) from the category identification tag T attached to each cart 100. Subsequently, the management device 60 recognizes the product category from the tag identification information and stores manual transport destination acquisition information 62d (transport location related data), which associates the recognized product category with the location information, in the storage unit 62 (step S200). An example of manual transport destination acquisition information 62d is shown in Figure 11. As shown in the figure, the manual transport destination acquisition information 62d is information that associates the product category with the destination transported by manual transport for each day of the week. Next, the management device 60 determines whether it has acquired manual transport destination information 62d for a predetermined number of days (step S210). If it determines that it has not acquired manual transport destination information 62d for a predetermined number of days, it returns to step S200 and repeats steps S200 and S210 on the next business day, similarly acquiring tag identification information and location information and storing the manual transport destination information 62d in the storage unit 62.

[0030] In step S210, when the management device 60 determines that it has acquired manual transport destination information 62d for a predetermined number of days, it creates a heat map showing the transport destinations of the carts 100 for each product category on a daily basis (step S220), and displays the created heat map on the display unit 66 overlaid on the store map (step S230). An example of a heat map is shown in Figure 12. The heat map is displayed in different colors for each product category, and the color becomes darker as the density of the carts 100 placement increases. As a result, personnel involved with the automatic transport system 1 can easily and visually grasp the placement of the carts 100 that were actually transported manually by store personnel by looking at the heat map displayed overlaid on the store map image. The heat map only needs to be displayed in different ways for each product category. The reason for creating a heat map for each day of the week is to take into account that the shelf layout differs from day to day. If the shelf layout is the same regardless of the day of the week, the predetermined number of days may be one day, and only one heat map may be created.

[0031] Personnel of the automated transport system 1 take into account the travel constraints of the unmanned transport vehicle 10, such as the width of the vehicle it can travel, and set temporary destinations for the carts 100 for each product category (step S230), and propose these temporary destinations to the store personnel. The store personnel confirm the proposal from the personnel of the automated transport system 1 (step S140) and notify the personnel of the automated transport system 1 of the confirmation result. If the confirmation result indicates that the personnel of the automated transport system 1 agree to the proposal, they decide on the proposed temporary destinations as the final destinations (step S250) and end the procedure. On the other hand, if the confirmation result indicates that the personnel of the automated transport system 1 do not agree to the proposal, they reconsider the destinations (step S260) and re-propose the revised temporary destinations to the store personnel. Personnel of the automated transport system 1 may, for example, add carts 100 to be transported or change the temporary destinations of the carts 100 at the request of the store personnel. The store staff review the revised proposal from the automated transport system 1 staff (step S140) and notify the automated transport system 1 staff of the review results. If the automated transport system 1 staff agree to the proposal, they decide on the revised destination as the final destination (step S250) and end the procedure.

[0032] Here, we will explain the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure as described in the claims. Specifically, the cage trolley 100 of this embodiment is an example of a trolley of the present disclosure, the automated guided vehicle 10 is an example of an automated guided vehicle, and the category identification tag T is an example of a transmitting member.

[0033] It goes without saying that this disclosure is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0034] For example, in the embodiment described above, manual transport destination acquisition information 62d is stored for each day of the week, and a temporary transport destination is set for each day of the week. However, in addition to the days of the week, for example, specific days such as days ending in 0 or 5 each month, or days with repeating digits such as the 11th or 22nd, may also be distinguished from other days, and manual transport destination acquisition information 62d may be stored for each of these days, with a temporary transport destination set for each.

[0035] In the embodiment described above, personnel of the automated transport system 1 set the temporary transport destinations for the cage trolley 100 based on a heat map created from the manually acquired transport destination information 62d. However, the management device 60 of the automated transport system 1 may also set the temporary transport destinations for the cage trolley 100 from the manually acquired transport destination information 62d. In this case, the management device 60 may set the temporary transport destinations that can be transported by the automated guided vehicle 10 by searching for transport routes in a simulation for each transport destination for each product category stored in the manually acquired transport destination information 62d and confirming whether or not the automated guided vehicle 10 can transport them.

[0036] As described above, in the transport position determination method of this disclosure, when multiple trolleys are transported manually, identification information and position information are obtained from the transmitting member of each of the multiple trolleys, and transport position-related data is generated that associates the category of the item with the transport position of the trolley on which the item is placed based on the obtained position information and identification information. By determining the provisional transport position of the trolleys from the transport position-related data, the transport positions of multiple trolleys can be determined with less effort and time.

[0037] In the transport position determination method of this disclosure, the second step may involve acquiring the identification information and position information of the multiple trolleys when they are manually transported over multiple days, the third step may involve generating transport position-related data for each specific day, and the fourth step may involve determining the provisional transport positions of the multiple trolleys for each specific day. This allows for appropriate handling even when the desired transport destination differs for each specific day. Here, "specific days" include not only days of the week but also days ending in 0 or 5 in each month, or days with repeating digits such as the 11th or 22nd.

[0038] Furthermore, in the transport position determination method of this disclosure, the transport position-related data may be a heat map showing the transport positions of manually transported carts for each category of item. In this way, system personnel can easily visually understand the arrangement of carts actually transported manually by facility personnel by looking at the heat map.

[0039] Furthermore, while this disclosure describes it as a method for determining the transport position, it may also be described as an automated transport system.

[0040] This disclosure can be used in industries such as the manufacturing of automated transport systems.

[0041] 1 Automatic transport system, 10 Automated guided vehicle, 11 Body, 21 Wheels, 22 Drive motor, 30 Coupling unit, 31 Lifting plate, 32, 33, 34 Coupling pins, 35 Lifting device, 36 Contact detection sensor, 40 Control unit, 41 Storage unit, 41a Map information, 42 Communication unit, 51 Camera unit, 52, 53 Sensor unit, 54 Light-emitting unit, 60 Management device, 61 Processing unit, 62 Storage unit, 62a Map information, 62b Destination information, 62c Obstacle information, 62d Manual destination acquisition information, 63 Communication unit, 65 Input unit, 66 Display unit, 100 Cage trolley, 101 Loading platform, 110 Caster, C Luggage, L Trolley storage area, M Marker, S Shelf, T Category identification tag.

Claims

1. In an automated transport system that automatically transports a plurality of carts, each on which an item is placed, to predetermined transport positions using an automated guided vehicle, a method for determining the transport positions of the plurality of carts, comprising: a first step of installing a transmitting member capable of transmitting identification information and position information on the plurality of carts or on each of the items placed on the plurality of carts; a second step of acquiring the identification information and position information from the transmitting member of each of the plurality of carts when the plurality of carts are transported manually; a third step of generating transport position-related data that associates the category of the item with the transport position of the cart on which the item is placed, based on the position information and identification information acquired in the second step; and a fourth step of determining the provisional transport positions of the plurality of carts based on the transport position-related data generated in the third step.

2. A method for determining the transport position according to claim 1, wherein the second step is to acquire the identification information and the position information when the plurality of trolleys are transported manually over a period of several days, the third step is to generate the transport position-related data for each specific day, and the fourth step is to determine the provisional transport positions of the plurality of trolleys for each specific day.

3. A method for determining a transport position according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transport position-related data is a heat map showing the transport position of a manually transported trolley for each category of article.

4. An automated transport system that automatically transports a plurality of carts on which articles are placed to predetermined transport positions within a facility using an automated guided vehicle, comprising: a transmitting member installed on the plurality of carts or on the articles placed on each of the plurality of carts and capable of transmitting identification information and location information; and a generating unit that, when the carts are manually transported by an operator, acquires the identification information and location information from the transmitting member of each of the plurality of carts and generates transport position-related data that associates the category of the article with the transport position of the cart on which the article is placed based on the acquired location information and identification information.

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