FR3146867A1 - Pallet transport vehicle with virtual window - Google Patents

Abstract

Transport vehicle (1) for pallets (9) comprising a fork (3) insertable into a pallet (9) to be moved, a vehicle body (2) housing the motor and driving members of the vehicle to move it in a direction of advance DA, said body (2) having a height H and comprising at least one front camera (4) whose field of vision to be displayed is oriented in the direction of advance DA. FIGURE 1

Description

Pallet transport vehicle with virtual window

The present invention relates to a pallet transport vehicle comprising a fork insertable into a pallet to be moved, a vehicle body housing the motor and driving members of the vehicle to move it in a direction of advance located in the axis of the fork, said body having a height of at least 1.4m.

For several years, the number of parcels and goods passing through warehouses has been increasing continuously. At the same time, online commerce brings constraints of deliveries over very short periods, often 24 hours. Many technical solutions have therefore been developed to improve the efficiency of warehouses in general, and handling equipment in particular.

In these warehouses, logistics centers and other handling centers, vehicles such as pallet trucks, stackers, forklifts, order preparation carts, etc. are traditionally used. These manually piloted vehicles have been designed so that the operator holding the tiller has the best visibility to see obstacles to the left or right of the machine or on the fork side, as well as to see the forks and a pallet to be moved, which allows him to pilot the vehicle efficiently and safely.

Also used, and increasingly frequently, are robots or automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) which have been designed to facilitate and speed up the movement, loading and unloading of goods in warehouses. The primary use of such a vehicle is to be used 100% automatically without an operator. It is in this operating mode that the vehicle is most profitable.

Also, the technical characteristics of these vehicles are defined to optimize their operation in automatic mode. Consequently, the more compact the machine, the more maneuverable it is. Consequently, the length of the machine is reduced in return for its height. Unlike a manual truck, many engine and control components have been arranged by arranging them in the direction of height. This design is optimal in automatic operating mode. But there are many cases where it is desired to be able to use these vehicles in manual mode.

However, the height design has the effect of obstructing the operator's visibility. Thus, when an operator wants to move the vehicle, he no longer has the necessary visibility of the obstacles around the vehicle or of the pallet he wants to take charge of. Indeed, for a vehicle whose body is equal to or greater than his own height, the vehicle operator cannot see the work area in front of the vehicle and/or the left side, if the operator is behind the vehicle on the right, nor the side on the right if the operator is on the left.

To overcome the various drawbacks previously mentioned, the invention provides various technical means.

First of all, a first objective of the invention consists in providing a pallet transport vehicle comprising an architecture with a body of height equal to or greater than an operator of average height, facilitating manual piloting despite the presence of this body at height.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compact pallet transport vehicle with a reduced turning radius.

To do this, the invention provides a pallet transport vehicle comprising a fork insertable into a pallet to be moved, a vehicle body housing the motor and driving members of the vehicle to move it in a direction of advance DA located in the axis of the fork or up to +/-90° from this axis, said body having a height H greater than 1.6m, and preferably greater than 1.8m, and more preferably greater than 2m, said vehicle comprising at least one front camera arranged on the same side as the fork and whose field of vision to be displayed is oriented according to the direction of advance DA and a display screen for displaying the images corresponds to the field of vision, said screen being arranged on the body, on the side opposite that of the fork.

This architecture allows an operator to drive the vehicle as if the vehicle had a virtual window allowing him to see through the body of the vehicle. In other words, the field of view to be displayed on the screen corresponds at least in part to the visual domain of an operator positioned behind the vehicle and looking ahead without obstruction by the body of the vehicle. Advantageously, this field of view includes at least the end of the fork and the immediate area in front of and to the sides of the fork.

Also advantageously, a wide-angle or panoramic camera is provided.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the vehicle also comprises side cameras arranged on each side of the body.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the vehicle also comprises at least one presence detector designed to detect objects surrounding the vehicle and a calculator to determine the relative position of these objects with respect to the vehicle.

Advantageously, the calculator allows the field of vision of the cameras to be oriented according to the direction of the vehicle.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the calculator makes it possible to orient the field of vision of the cameras according to the position of an operator with respect to the vehicle.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the vehicle comprises a drawbar allowing an operator to manually control the direction of travel of the vehicle, and in which the computer makes it possible to orient the field of vision of the cameras according to the position of the drawbar opposite the vehicle.

Advantageously, the calculator determines a virtual path to be followed by the vehicle for display on the screen.

Also advantageously, the calculator determines augmented reality data to be displayed on the screen in order to supplement the camera data. This augmented reality data makes it possible, for example, to display a trajectory, obstacles, operator positions, etc.

All the details of the embodiment are given in the following description, supplemented by figures 1 to 10, presented solely for non-limiting example purposes, and in which:

Fig.1

there is a schematic representation illustrating an example of a pallet transport vehicle in preparation for a phase of insertion of the vehicle's fork into a pallet to be moved;

Fig.2

there is a schematic representation of a first example of a pallet transport vehicle seen from the side, with an operator positioned behind the body of the vehicle, facing a display screen;

Fig.3

there shows the vehicle of the , in rear view, with the operator moving to one side, the vehicle's fork being shown on screen;

Fig.4

there shows the vehicle of the seen from above, with a schematic representation delimiting the field of vision presented on the screen seen by an operator located to the right of the vehicle;

Fig.5

there shows the vehicle of the , seen from above, with a schematic representation delimiting the field of vision presented on the screen seen by an operator located to the left of the vehicle;

Fig.6

there shows the vehicle of the , seen from the side, with a schematic representation delimiting the field of vision presented on the screen seen by an operator located behind the body of the vehicle;

Fig.7

there shows the vehicle of the with a raised field of vision;

Fig.8

there shows the vehicle of the , in rear view, with the operator moving to one side, the vehicle's fork being shown on the screen with a symbol illustrating an obstacle out of the field of vision;

Fig.9

there shows the vehicle of the in rear view, with the operator moving to one side, an aerial view of the vehicle in its surroundings being displayed on the screen;

Fig.10

there shows the vehicle of the seen from the side, with an operator on one side and a pallet to be moved on the other.

Briefly, the solution developed and detailed in the following consists of using one or more cameras arranged on the vehicle, a means of knowing the position of the operator, for example by detecting the lateral angle of the tiller or of an operator facing the body of the vehicle, using a laser scanner, or an ultrasound belt, or a camera with image recognition software. A computer, receiving the data from these two sources, performs the operations to display on a screen placed behind the body of the vehicle what the operator could see if this body were transparent. The screen therefore acts as a window. In the case where several cameras complement each other to offer an expanded field of vision, the computer is also designed to perform image processing so that the fields of vision of the cameras are assembled so as to complement each other to form a unified image of the expanded field of vision. The use of a panoramic camera, arranged on the vehicle, also makes it possible to present an expanded field of vision.

There is a schematic representation illustrating the technical context when a pallet transport vehicle 1 must approach a pallet 9 to be moved. The automatic vehicle or the operator must align the fork arms 3 appropriately to insert the latter into the housings provided for this purpose in the pallet. The figure illustrates a typical example of use, where the vehicle moves in a main direction of advance (towards the pallet 9) along a gripping trajectory allowing alignment of the fork arms with the housings. When this type of operation is manually controlled by an operator 10 located behind the vehicle 1, it can be seen that this operator must have good visibility of the front area of the vehicle, including the fork 3 (or at least the free end of the fork) and the objects located in the environment of the fork.

Figures 2 to 10 illustrate an example of a pallet transport vehicle 9 specifically designed to facilitate the manual execution (with an operator driving the vehicle) of tasks such as that presented in .

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the vehicle comprises a vehicle body 2 for housing all the functional elements such as the drive elements, the control and guidance elements, the computer 13, etc. A fork 3 is arranged in front of the body 2. The vehicle is mounted on wheels. The housing of the body makes it possible to protect the functional elements of the vehicle from the work environment and at the same time protects the operators located near the functional elements of the vehicle likely to cause accidents or injuries. To optimize the movements of a vehicle in handling sites that are increasingly constrained in terms of free space, the dimensions contributing to the footprint of the body 2 are advantageously reduced, and in return, the height H of the body 2 is significant, due to the stacking of the elements in the body. As illustrated in , the body 2 has a height H equal to or greater than that of an average operator, i.e. a height H (from the base of the vehicle) greater than 1.6 m, and more preferably greater than 1.8 m, and possibly up to 2.5 m or even more. The significant height of the body 2 has the consequence of obstructing the field of vision of an operator 10 normally driving the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle, on the side opposite that of the fork 3. To allow the operator to see what is in front of the vehicle, on the other side of the body 2, a screen 6 is arranged on the body 2 at a height corresponding to his usual field of vision. The screen is for example arranged so that its center is preferably between 1.3 and 1.7 m from the ground.

As illustrated in the , since the operator regularly needs to visualize the interactions at the end of the fork, he instinctively has the reflex to look down. To take this tendency into account and allow the operator to adopt the most natural behavior and posture possible, the screen is advantageously inclined at an angle between 5° and 45°, and more preferably between 25° and 35°, with the top of the screen oriented towards the inside of the body 2. This arrangement also corresponds to tall operators, who will find it very comfortable to consult the inclined screen.

To display on the screen 6 the elements useful for piloting the vehicle, the vehicle has one or more cameras. In the examples illustrated, a front camera 4 is arranged on the body, on the fork side, for example at a height between 1.3 and 2 m from the ground. The camera can also be fixed to the apron (vertical part, integral with the fork).

In the same spirit of ergonomics facilitating the operator's ease, as illustrated in the example of the , the camera 4 is advantageously positioned in the lower zone of the body 2, for example between 1.3 and 1.6 m. Such an arrangement with the front camera advantageously positioned at a height lower than that of the screen 6, makes it possible to obtain an AA alignment between the middle of the screen, the front camera, and the end zone of the fork (see the alignment arrow AA) Similarly, depending on the size and position of the operator 10 relative to the screen, this alignment continues up to the operator's eyes. Such an architecture provides the effect of a virtual window, as if the operator could see through the body 2 without constraint.

Alternatively, the height of the front camera and the height of the center of the screen are the same. Alternatively, the front camera is placed higher than the screen, for example to promote panoramic vision or to better show surrounding obstacles.

The size of the screen varies depending on the model and the uses. For example, a screen with a diagonal between 10 and 24 inches is used, without these dimensions being limiting.

The illustrated vehicle also includes two side cameras 5, arranged on the body, on each side thereof. A panoramic camera, placed on the body, can also be used.

A computer 13 receives the image data captured by the camera(s). If only one camera is used, i.e. a front camera 4, the computer transmits the data to display in whole or in part on the screen 6 the images of the field of vision 8 coming from this camera. If several cameras are used, i.e. a front camera 4 and side cameras 5, the computer processes the image data received to allow the display of a single view, for example with a field of vision extended to the sides (or panoramic view), taking into account all or part of the data received from the cameras.

The vehicle also comprises at least one presence detector 7. This detector makes it possible to detect objects surrounding the vehicle. The computer 13, also coupled to the presence detector 7, makes it possible to determine the relative position of these objects with respect to the vehicle. These calculated relative position data, possibly supplemented by the angular position data of the steered wheels of the vehicle, make it possible, for example, to adapt the field of vision 8 of the cameras according to the direction of the vehicle, and/or to adapt the field of vision 8 of the cameras according to the position of an operator 10 with respect to the vehicle. FIGS. 4 and 5 show examples of situations where an operator is located on one side of the body (on the right at the left). , left to the ). The operator's positioning data allows the calculator to determine a displayed field of vision 8 on the opposite side, i.e. at the , to the left of the vehicle fork when the operator is on the right, of the screen and to the , to the right of the vehicle fork when the operator is on the left of the screen. These types of displays are similar to what an operator would see looking through a virtual window placed in body 2.

If the vehicle has a tiller for manual steering, the tiller orientation data allows the computer 13 to adapt the field of vision 8 of the cameras according to the position of the tiller in relation to the vehicle.

These latter embodiments also make it possible to orient the field of vision shown on the screen according to the direction that the vehicle will follow according to the operator's commands. For example, as shown in the example of the , the operator stands on one side of the vehicle to command a turn on that same side. The field of vision of the cameras is then automatically adapted to show the direction according to this turn.

The calculated object relative position data may also enable the ECU to determine a virtual path for the vehicle to follow for display on the screen. For example, the ECU determines the virtual path for the fork to insert into a pallet and displays that path on the screen in addition to the pallet.

To optimize the data displayed on the screen according to the operational context, the vertical angular orientation of the cameras can be adjusted according to either the speed requested by the operator (the slower you ask to go, the more you look down, as shown in the example of the ), or obstacles detected by the vehicle's detector 7 (if there are no obstacles, we look more upwards, as shown in the example of the ). It is also possible to provide for detection of the position of the operator's head or face in order to orient the field of vision in alignment with this position. Detection can be carried out by a camera located on the screen or by the detector 7.

To orient the field of vision 8, either the camera 4 (and/or the side cameras 5) is motorized to be oriented according to the position determined by the computer 13, or it is fixed, and the computer can then extract part of the field of vision to target as needed.

Variants with augmented reality data

The calculator can use the data of a predictable trajectory to calculate augmented reality data and display on the augmented reality screen the obstacles that could hinder the movement of the vehicle taking into account its predictable trajectory. The display can for example provide color codes depending on the cases, such as red = immediate blockage, orange = close distance, yellow = far distance.

If obstacles are in the virtual window, they can be highlighted, for example with color codes, an arrow pointing to the obstacle, etc. As shown in the example of the , if an obstacle is not in the displayed field of view 8, an obstacle out of view indication 11 can be added to explain on which side the obstacle is located (arrows, or edge of the screen flashing the correct color).

Augmented reality data can also include a display of the ideal position of the operator or tiller to place the fork in a pallet ( ).

Many logistics sites use floor markings to guide operations. For example: it is common to draw yellow rectangles on the floor to indicate where pallets should be picked up or dropped off. The detection by the cameras of these floor markings allows the calculator to define a bird's-eye view (as shown in the example of the ) for on-screen display. This configuration allows the operator to easily position the vehicle relative to a road marking.

Claims (8)

Pallet (9) transport vehicle (1) comprising a fork (3) insertable into a pallet (9) to be moved, a vehicle body (2) housing the driving and driving members of the vehicle to move it in a direction of advance DA located in the axis of the fork (3) or up to +/-90° from this axis, said body (2) having a height H greater than 1.6m, and preferably greater than 1.8m, and more preferably greater than 2m, said vehicle being characterized in that it comprises at least one front camera (4) arranged on the same side as the fork (3) and whose field of vision (8) to be displayed is oriented according to the direction of advance DA and a display screen (6) for displaying the images corresponds to the field of vision (8), said screen being arranged on the body 2, on the side opposite that of the fork (3). A pallet transport vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising side cameras (5) arranged on each side of the body (2). Pallet transport vehicle according to claim 1, also comprising at least one presence detector (7) designed to detect objects surrounding the vehicle and a computer (13) for determining the relative position of these objects with respect to the vehicle. Pallet transport vehicle according to claim 3, in which the computer (13) makes it possible to orient the field of vision (8) of the cameras according to the direction of the vehicle. Pallet transport vehicle according to claim 3, in which the computer (13) makes it possible to orient the field of vision (8) of the cameras according to the position of an operator (10) facing the vehicle. Pallet transport vehicle according to claim 3, in which the vehicle comprises a tiller allowing an operator to manually control the direction of travel of the vehicle, and in which the computer (13) makes it possible to orient the field of vision (8) of the cameras according to the position of the tiller opposite the vehicle. A pallet transport vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the computer determines a virtual path to be followed by the vehicle for display on the screen. A pallet transport vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the computer determines augmented reality data to be displayed on the screen in order to supplement the camera data.