Unmanned Transport Vehicle Control Using a Pseudo-Reference Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the logistics field, there is a need for automated transport solutions that can efficiently move transport objects like cage carts without labor shortages and cost reduction, while avoiding obstacles and improving transport efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An unmanned transport vehicle with a moving mechanism and operation control device that includes a pseudo-reference position setter, path acquirer, operation command generator, and driving controller, allowing it to combine with transport objects and navigate through environments without human steering, using omnidirectional wheels and sensors for obstacle avoidance and efficient path planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an unmanned transport vehicle uses a vehicle body reference position for operation control, then the control system is simple, but the transport efficiency is reduced due to contact with obstacles and inefficient path planning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pseudo-reference position as an intermediary between the vehicle body reference position and the actual transport object. This pseudo-reference position serves as a virtual mediator that enables more efficient path planning and obstacle avoidance without requiring complex real-time adjustments to the vehicle's physical structure or control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a conceptual dimension to the control system by introducing a pseudo-reference position that exists in the control space rather than the physical space. This allows the vehicle to plan paths and avoid obstacles more effectively by considering the relative position to the transport object, thereby improving transport efficiency without significantly increasing physical device complexity.
2Extent of automation
If the unmanned transport vehicle autonomously navigates and combines with transport objects, then labor requirements are reduced, but the risk of contact with obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by calculating and setting a pseudo-reference position before the vehicle begins its transport operation. This advance preparation allows the vehicle to plan its path and anticipate potential obstacles, reducing the risk of contact during autonomous navigation while maintaining high automation levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the operation control device continuously monitors the vehicle's position relative to the pseudo-reference position and the transport object. This feedback allows real-time adjustments to the navigation path, enabling the vehicle to avoid obstacles while maintaining autonomous operation.
3Productivity
If the operation reference position is set at the vehicle body center, then the control is straightforward, but the movement efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between the vehicle body reference position (used for basic control) and the pseudo-reference position (used for optimized path planning). This allows the system to maintain simplicity in basic control operations while achieving improved movement efficiency through localized enhancements in the path planning function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the reference position functionality into two distinct components: the vehicle body reference position for basic control and the pseudo-reference position for optimized navigation. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific purpose effectively, maintaining control simplicity while improving overall movement efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned transport vehicle according to an embodiment includes a vehicle body, a moving mechanism, and an operation control device. The vehicle body is combinable with a transport object. The moving mechanism causes the vehicle body to be moved. The operation control device controls an operation of the moving mechanism. The operation control device includes a pseudo-reference position setter, a path acquirer, an operation command generator, and a driving controller. The pseudo-reference position setter sets a pseudo-reference position serving as an operation reference position of a combination structure of the vehicle body and the transport object to be different from a vehicle body reference position that is an operation reference position of the vehicle body. The path acquirer acquires a movement path from a current position of the combination structure to a target position. The operation command generator determines an operation of the combination structure that moves along the movement path acquired by the path acquirer based on the pseudo-reference position and generates an operation command related to a vehicle body operation that implements the determined operation of the combination structure. The driving controller causes the moving mechanism to be driven based on the operation command.