WO2019054208A1 - Mobile body and mobile body system - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile body of an embodiment is a mobile body capable of autonomous travel, comprising: a drive device that moves the mobile body; an external sensor; a position estimating device that sequentially outputs position information showing the position and orientation of the mobile body based on sensor data output from the external sensor; a storage device that stores the position information output from the position estimating device; and a controller that controls the drive device to move the mobile body. After the mobile body moves from a first point to second point, based on the position information stored in the storage device, the controller returns the mobile body to the first point following in reverse the path from the first point to the second point.

Description

Mobile body and mobile system

The present disclosure relates to mobiles and mobile systems.

Research and development of mobile units such as unmanned carrier vehicles or mobile robots are in progress. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-084135 discloses a mobile robot that registers a map and a movement route while moving following a person. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-285635 discloses a mobile robot that moves to the place of the person when called by a person and returns to the vicinity of the original route position again when the business is over.

JP, 2008-084135, A Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2006-285635

The present disclosure provides a technique for further improving the convenience of work using a moving object.

The mobile in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is a mobile that can move autonomously, and includes a drive device for moving the mobile, an external sensor, and a sensor output from the external sensor. A position estimation device for sequentially outputting position information indicating the position and attitude of the mobile object based on data; a storage device for storing the position information output from the position estimation device; and controlling the drive device to control the drive device And a controller for moving the moving body. The controller is configured to move from the first point to the second point based on the position information stored in the storage device after the mobile body moves from the first point to the second point. The path is reversed to return the mobile to the first point.

The above general or specific aspects may be realized by a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium. Alternatively, the present invention may be realized by any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a storage medium.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the mobile moves from the first point to the second point, the mobile can be returned to the first point again without giving information on the return route. For this reason, the convenience of the work using a mobile body can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mobile unit in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a control system that controls traveling of each AGV according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a moving space in which an AGV is present. FIG. 4A shows the AGV and tow truck before being connected. FIG. 4B shows the connected AGV and tow truck. FIG. 5 is an external view of an exemplary AGV according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating an example of a first hardware configuration of an AGV. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of a second hardware configuration of an AGV. FIG. 7A shows an AGV that generates a map while moving. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. FIG. 7C is a diagram showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. FIG. 7D is a diagram showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. FIG. 7E is a diagram showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. FIG. 7F is a view schematically showing a part of the completed map. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example in which a map of one floor is configured by a plurality of partial maps. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the operation management device. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the AGV movement route determined by the operation management device. FIG. 11A is a view schematically showing an example of an AGV operating in the tracking mode. FIG. 11B is a view schematically showing another example of the AGV operating in the tracking mode. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an AGV in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13A is a first diagram illustrating an example of the operation of an AGV in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13B is a second diagram illustrating an example of the operation of an AGV in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13C is a third diagram illustrating an example of the operation of an AGV in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13D is a fourth diagram illustrating an example of operation of an AGV in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13E is a fifth diagram illustrating an example of operation of an AGV in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13F is a sixth diagram illustrating an example of operation of an AGV in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another example of the operation of the AGV in the return path. FIG. 15A is a diagram showing an example of position information recorded in the forward pass. FIG. 15B is a diagram showing an example of position information in the return path. FIG. 15C is a diagram showing another example of position information in the return path.

<Term>
Before describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, definitions of terms used in the present specification will be described.

The term "unmanned transport vehicle" (AGV) means a trackless vehicle that manually or automatically loads a load on a main body, travels automatically to a designated location, and unloads manually or automatically. "Unmanned aerial vehicle" includes unmanned tow vehicles and unmanned forklifts.

The term "unmanned" means that the steering of the vehicle does not require a person, and does not exclude that the unmanned carrier conveys a "person (e.g., a person who unloads a package)".

The "unmanned tow truck" is a trackless vehicle that is to automatically travel to a designated location by towing a cart for manual or automatic loading and unloading of luggage.

The "unmanned forklift" is a trackless vehicle equipped with a mast for raising and lowering a load transfer fork and the like, automatically transferring the load to the fork and the like and automatically traveling to a designated location and performing an automatic load handling operation.

A "trackless vehicle" is a vehicle that includes a wheel and an electric motor or engine that rotates the wheel.

A "mobile" is a device that moves while carrying a person or a load, and includes a driving device such as a wheel, a biped or multi-legged walking device, or a propeller that generates a traction for movement. The term "mobile" in the present disclosure includes mobile robots, service robots, and drone as well as unmanned guided vehicles in a narrow sense.

The “automatic traveling” includes traveling based on an instruction of an operation management system of a computer to which the automated guided vehicle is connected by communication, and autonomous traveling by a control device provided in the automated guided vehicle. The autonomous traveling includes not only traveling by the automated guided vehicle toward a destination along a predetermined route, but also traveling by following a tracking target. In addition, the automatic guided vehicle may perform manual traveling temporarily based on the instruction of the worker. Although "automatic travel" generally includes both "guided" travel and "guideless" travel, in the present disclosure, "guideless" travel is meant.

The “guided type” is a system in which a derivative is installed continuously or intermittently and a guided vehicle is guided using the derivative.

The “guideless type” is a method of guiding without installing a derivative. The unmanned transfer vehicle in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a self position estimation device, and can travel in a guideless manner.

The “self-position estimation device” is a device that estimates the self-location on the environment map based on sensor data acquired by an external sensor such as a laser range finder.

The "external sensor" is a sensor that senses the external state of the mobile object. The external sensor includes, for example, a laser range finder (also referred to as a range sensor), a camera (or an image sensor), LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a millimeter wave radar, and a magnetic sensor.

The “internal sensor” is a sensor that senses the internal state of the mobile object. The internal sensors include, for example, a rotary encoder (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as an "encoder"), an acceleration sensor, and an angular acceleration sensor (for example, a gyro sensor).

"SLAM (Slam)" is an abbreviation for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, and means that self-localization and environmental mapping are simultaneously performed.

Exemplary Embodiment
Hereinafter, an example of a mobile unit and a mobile unit system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, detailed description more than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed description of already well-known matters and redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The inventors provide the attached drawings and the following description so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the present disclosure. They are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mobile unit in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The movable body 101 includes an external sensor 103, a position estimation device 105, a storage device 107, a controller 109, and a drive device 111.

The driving device 111 is provided with a mechanism for moving the moving body 101. The drive device 111 may include, for example, at least one drive electric motor (hereinafter simply referred to as a “motor”) not shown, and a motor control circuit that controls the motor. The external sensor 103 is a sensor that senses the external environment, such as a laser range finder, a camera, a radar, or a LIDAR. The position estimation device 105 estimates the position and attitude of the moving body based on sensor data output from the external sensor. The position estimation device 105 sequentially outputs information (referred to as “position information” in this specification) indicating the estimated position and orientation of the moving object. The storage device 107 stores position information sequentially output from the position estimation device 105 while the moving body 101 is moving. The controller 109 controls the driving device 111 to move the moving body 101.

After moving the mobile unit 101 from the first point to the second point, the controller 109 returns the mobile unit 101 to the first point based on the position information stored in the storage device 107. At this time, the controller 109 returns the mobile object 101 to the first point on a route that is reversely traced from the first point to the second point. The path from the first point to the second point is referred to as "outbound path", and the path from the second point to the first point is referred to as "return path".

According to this embodiment, after moving the mobile unit 101 from the first point to the second point, the mobile unit 101 can be returned to the first point without giving a specific instruction on the return route. Thereby, the efficiency of the work using the mobile unit 101 can be improved. For example, the loading operation can be performed at one of the first point and the second point, and the efficiency of the transportation operation such as unloading at the other of the first point and the second point can be improved.

In one embodiment, the mobile unit 101 is an unmanned transport vehicle, and data of an environmental map (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "environmental map") is recorded in the storage device 107. The position estimation device 105 performs matching between the sensor data and the environmental map recorded in the storage device 107 to determine estimated values of the position and orientation of the mobile body on the environmental map, and the estimated values are used as position information. Can be output as

The controller 109 moves in at least one of a mode in which the moving body 101 is moved based on path information transmitted from an external device and a mode in which the moving body 101 tracks a moving object (referred to as “tracking mode”). The body 101 can be operated. In the tracking mode, the controller 109 controls the drive device 111 based on the sensor data output from the external sensor 103 to cause the moving object 101 to track the moving object. The moving object may be, for example, a person or other moving object. In the tracking mode, the controller 109 causes the mobile object 101 to track a person or another mobile object and move the mobile object 101 from the first point to the second point, and then returns the mobile object 101 to the first point.

The controller 109 moves the mobile unit 101 to the first point after the mobile unit 101 moves from the first point to the second point, for example, in response to a feedback command given by a user operation or another device. You may return it. The feedback command may not include an instruction for specifying a return path. The controller 109 may start an operation of returning the moving body 101 to the first point when the position or state of the moving body 101 satisfies the set conditions. For example, when the mobile unit 101 is used to transport a package, the controller 109 detects that the unloading or loading has been completed after the mobile unit 101 has reached the second point. An operation to return to the first point may be initiated. Unloading or loading can be detected, for example, by a sensor provided near the mobile unit 101 or the second point. In an example, individual items placed on the mobile object 101 may be tagged, such as RFID. The sensor may detect that unloading or loading of all items has been completed by reading the information recorded on the individual tags.

When returning the mobile unit 101 from the second point to the first point, the controller 109 may reverse the direction of the mobile unit 101 in the forward path and then start moving. Alternatively, when returning the mobile unit 101 from the second point to the first point, the controller 109 may move the mobile unit 101 while maintaining the orientation of the mobile unit 101 the same as the direction in the forward path. In the latter example, the controller 109 causes the moving body 101 to reverse travel (or run backward) by rotating each drive motor in the moving body 101 in the direction opposite to the forward path.

Hereinafter, a more specific example in the case where the moving body is an unmanned carrier will be described. In this specification, an unmanned carrier may be described as "AGV" using abbreviations. The following description can be similarly applied to mobile bodies other than AGVs, for example, mobile robots, drone, or manned vehicles, as long as no contradiction arises.

(1) Basic Configuration of System FIG. 2 shows an example of the basic configuration of an exemplary mobile management system 100 according to the present disclosure. The mobile management system 100 includes at least one AGV 10 and an operation management apparatus 50 that manages the operation of the AGV 10. The terminal device 20 operated by the user 1 is also shown in FIG.

The AGV 10 is an unmanned transport carriage capable of "guideless" traveling, which does not require a derivative such as a magnetic tape for traveling. The AGV 10 can perform self-position estimation, and can transmit the result of estimation to the terminal device 20 and the operation management device 50. The AGV 10 can automatically travel in the moving space S in accordance with a command from the operation management device 50. The AGV 10 can also operate in a "tracking mode" that moves following a person or other mobile.

The operation management device 50 is a computer system that tracks the position of each AGV 10 and manages traveling of each AGV 10. The operation management device 50 may be a desktop PC, a laptop PC, and / or a server computer. The operation management apparatus 50 communicates with each AGV 10 via the plurality of access points 2. For example, the operation management device 50 transmits, to each AGV 10, data of coordinates of a position to which each AGV 10 should go next. Each AGV 10 periodically transmits data indicating its position and orientation to the operation management device 50, for example, every 100 milliseconds. When the AGV 10 reaches the designated position, the operation management device 50 transmits data of coordinates of a position to be further advanced. The AGV 10 can also travel in the moving space S in accordance with the operation of the user 1 input to the terminal device 20. An example of the terminal device 20 is a tablet computer. Typically, travel of the AGV 10 using the terminal device 20 is performed at the time of map creation, and travel of the AGV 10 using the operation management device 50 is performed after the map creation.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a moving space S in which three AGVs 10a, 10b and 10c exist. All AGVs are assumed to travel in the depth direction in the figure. The AGVs 10a and 10b are carrying the load placed on the top plate. The AGV 10 c runs following the front AGV 10 b. In addition, although the referential mark 10a, 10b and 10c were attached | subjected in FIG. 3 for the facilities of description, it describes as "AGV10" below.

The AGV 10 can also transfer a load using a tow truck connected to itself, in addition to the method of transferring the load placed on the top plate. FIG. 4A shows the AGV 10 and the tow truck 5 before being connected. Each leg of the tow truck 5 is provided with a caster. The AGV 10 is mechanically connected to the tow truck 5. FIG. 4B shows the connected AGV 10 and tow truck 5. When the AGV 10 travels, the tow truck 5 is pulled by the AGV 10. By pulling the tow truck 5, the AGV 10 can transport the load placed on the tow truck 5.

The connection method of AGV10 and the pulling truck 5 is arbitrary. Here, an example will be described. A plate 6 is fixed to the top plate of the AGV 10. The tow truck 5 is provided with a guide 7 having a slit. The AGV 10 approaches the tow truck 5 and inserts the plate 6 into the slit of the guide 7. When the insertion is completed, the AGV 10 penetrates the plate 6 and the guide 7 with an electromagnetic lock type pin (not shown) to lock the electromagnetic lock. Thereby, AGV10 and the pulling truck 5 are physically connected.

Refer again to FIG. Each AGV 10 and the terminal device 20 can be connected, for example, on a one-to-one basis to perform communication conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. Each AGV 10 and the terminal device 20 can also perform communication conforming to Wi-Fi (registered trademark) using one or more access points 2. The plurality of access points 2 are connected to one another via, for example, a switching hub 3. Two access points 2a, 2b are shown in FIG. The AGV 10 is wirelessly connected to the access point 2a. The terminal device 20 is wirelessly connected to the access point 2b. The data transmitted by the AGV 10 is received by the access point 2 a, transferred to the access point 2 b via the switching hub 3, and transmitted from the access point 2 b to the terminal device 20. The data transmitted by the terminal device 20 is received by the access point 2 b, transferred to the access point 2 a via the switching hub 3, and transmitted from the access point 2 a to the AGV 10. Thereby, bi-directional communication between the AGV 10 and the terminal device 20 is realized. The plurality of access points 2 are also connected to the operation management device 50 via the switching hub 3. Thereby, bidirectional communication is realized also between the operation management device 50 and each of the AGVs 10.

(2) Creation of Environment Map In order to allow the AGV 10 to travel while estimating its own position, a map in the moving space S is created. The AGV 10 is equipped with a position estimation device and a laser range finder, and a map can be created using the output of the laser range finder.

The AGV 10 transitions to the data acquisition mode by the operation of the user. In the data acquisition mode, the AGV 10 starts acquiring sensor data using a laser range finder. The laser range finder periodically scans the surrounding space S by emitting a laser beam of, for example, infrared or visible light around. The laser beam is reflected by, for example, a surface such as a wall, a structure such as a pillar, or an object placed on the floor. The laser range finder receives the reflected light of the laser beam, calculates the distance to each reflection point, and outputs measurement data indicating the position of each reflection point. The direction of arrival of reflected light and the distance are reflected in the position of each reflection point. Data of measurement results may be referred to as "measurement data" or "sensor data".

The position estimation device stores sensor data in a storage device. When acquisition of sensor data in the movement space S is completed, the sensor data accumulated in the storage device is transmitted to the external device. The external device is, for example, a computer that has a signal processor and has a mapping program installed.

The signal processor of the external device superimposes sensor data obtained for each scan. A map of the space S can be created by repeatedly performing the process of overlaying the signal processor. The external device transmits the created map data to the AGV 10. The AGV 10 stores the created map data in an internal storage device. The external device may be the operation management device 50 or another device.

The AGV 10 may create the map instead of the external device. The processing performed by the signal processing processor of the external device described above may be performed by a circuit such as a microcontroller unit (microcomputer) of the AGV 10. When creating a map within the AGV 10, there is no need to transmit the accumulated sensor data to an external device. The data capacity of sensor data is generally considered to be large. Since it is not necessary to transmit sensor data to an external device, occupation of the communication line can be avoided.

In addition, the movement in the movement space S for acquiring sensor data can be implement | achieved when AGV10 drive | works according to a user's operation. For example, the AGV 10 wirelessly receives a traveling instruction instructing movement in each of the front, rear, left, and right directions from the user via the terminal device 20. The AGV 10 travels back and forth and left and right in the moving space S in accordance with a travel command to create a map. When the AGV 10 is connected to a steering apparatus such as a joystick by wire, the map may be created by traveling in the moving space S in the front, rear, left, and right according to a control signal from the steering apparatus. The sensor data may be acquired by a person pushing on the measurement cart on which the laser range finder is mounted.

Although a plurality of AGVs 10 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one AGV may be provided. When there are a plurality of AGVs 10, the user 1 can use the terminal device 20 to select one AGV 10 out of the plurality of registered AGVs and create a map of the moving space S.

After the map is created, each AGV 10 can automatically travel while estimating its own position using the map. The description of the process of estimating the self position will be described later.

(3) Configuration of AGV FIG. 5 is an external view of an exemplary AGV 10 according to the present embodiment. The AGV 10 has two drive wheels 11a and 11b, four casters 11c, 11d, 11e and 11f, a frame 12, a transport table 13, a travel control device 14, and a laser range finder 15. The two drive wheels 11a and 11b are provided on the right and left sides of the AGV 10, respectively. Four casters 11 c, 11 d, 11 e and 11 f are disposed at the four corners of the AGV 10. The AGV 10 also has a plurality of motors connected to the two drive wheels 11a and 11b, but the plurality of motors are not shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 5 shows one drive wheel 11a and two casters 11c and 11e located on the right side of the AGV 10 and a caster 11f located on the left rear, but the left drive wheel 11b and the left front The caster 11 d is not shown because it is hidden by the frame 12. The four casters 11c, 11d, 11e and 11f can freely pivot. In the following description, the drive wheel 11a and the drive wheel 11b are also referred to as a wheel 11a and a wheel 11b, respectively.

The AGV 10 further includes at least one obstacle sensor 19 for detecting an obstacle. In the example of FIG. 5, four obstacle sensors 19 are provided at four corners of the frame 12. The number and arrangement of obstacle sensors 19 may be different from the example of FIG. The obstacle sensor 19 may be, for example, an apparatus capable of distance measurement, such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a stereo camera. In the case where the obstacle sensor 19 is an infrared sensor, for example, an infrared ray is emitted at regular time intervals, and an obstacle existing within a certain distance is detected by measuring a time until a reflected infrared ray returns. Can. When the AGV 10 detects an obstacle on the path based on a signal output from at least one obstacle sensor 19, the AGV 10 operates to avoid the obstacle.

The travel control device 14 is a device that controls the operation of the AGV 10, and mainly includes an integrated circuit including a microcomputer (described later), an electronic component, and a substrate on which the components are mounted. The traveling control device 14 performs transmission and reception of data with the terminal device 20 described above and pre-processing calculation.

The laser range finder 15 is an optical device that measures the distance to the reflection point by emitting a laser beam 15a of infrared or visible light, for example, and detecting the reflected light of the laser beam 15a. In the present embodiment, the laser range finder 15 of the AGV 10 is, for example, a pulsed laser beam while changing the direction every 0.25 degree in a space within a range of 135 degrees (270 degrees in total) with reference to the front of the AGV 10 The light 15a is emitted, and the reflected light of each laser beam 15a is detected. This makes it possible to obtain data of the distance to the reflection point in the direction determined by the angle for a total of 1081 steps every 0.25 degrees. In the present embodiment, the scan of the surrounding space performed by the laser range finder 15 is substantially parallel to the floor surface and planar (two-dimensional). However, the laser range finder 15 may scan in the height direction.

The AGV 10 can create a map of the space S based on the position and orientation (orientation) of the AGV 10 and the scan result of the laser range finder 15. The map may reflect the surrounding walls of the AGV, structures such as columns, and the placement of objects placed on the floor. Map data is stored in a storage device provided in the AGV 10.

Generally, the position and posture of a mobile are called a pose. The position and orientation of the moving body in a two-dimensional plane are represented by position coordinates (x, y) in the XY orthogonal coordinate system and an angle θ with respect to the X axis. The position and posture of the AGV 10, that is, the pose (x, y, θ) may be hereinafter simply referred to as "position".

The position of the reflection point viewed from the emission position of the laser beam 15a can be expressed using polar coordinates determined by the angle and the distance. In the present embodiment, the laser range finder 15 outputs sensor data represented by polar coordinates. However, the laser range finder 15 may convert the position expressed in polar coordinates into orthogonal coordinates and output it.

The structure and the operating principle of the laser range finder are known, so a further detailed description will be omitted herein. Examples of objects that can be detected by the laser range finder 15 are people, luggage, shelves, walls.

The laser range finder 15 is an example of an external sensor for sensing surrounding space and acquiring sensor data. As another example of such an external sensor, an image sensor and an ultrasonic sensor can be considered.

The traveling control device 14 can estimate the current position of itself by comparing the measurement result of the laser range finder 15 with the map data held by itself. In addition, the map data currently hold | maintained may be the map data which other AGV10 created.

FIG. 6A shows a first hardware configuration example of the AGV 10. FIG. 6A also shows a specific configuration of the traveling control device 14.

The AGV 10 includes a travel control device 14, a laser range finder 15, two motors 16a and 16b, a drive device 17, wheels 11a and 11b, and two rotary encoders 18a and 18b.

The traveling control device 14 includes a microcomputer 14a, a memory 14b, a storage device 14c, a communication circuit 14d, and a position estimation device 14e. The microcomputer 14a, the memory 14b, the storage device 14c, the communication circuit 14d, and the position estimation device 14e are connected by a communication bus 14f and can exchange data with each other. The laser range finder 15 is also connected to the communication bus 14f via a communication interface (not shown), and transmits measurement data as a measurement result to the microcomputer 14a, the position estimation device 14e and / or the memory 14b.

The microcomputer 14 a is a processor or control circuit (computer) that performs calculations for controlling the entire AGV 10 including the traveling control device 14. Typically, the microcomputer 14a is a semiconductor integrated circuit. The microcomputer 14a transmits a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal, which is a control signal, to the drive unit 17 to control the drive unit 17 to adjust the voltage applied to the motor. This causes each of the motors 16a and 16b to rotate at a desired rotational speed.

One or more control circuits (for example, microcomputers) for controlling the drive of the left and right motors 16a and 16b may be provided independently of the microcomputer 14a. For example, motor drive device 17 may be provided with two microcomputers for controlling the drive of motors 16a and 16b, respectively. Those two microcomputers may perform coordinate calculation using encoder information output from the encoders 18a and 18b, respectively, to estimate the moving distance of the AGV 10 from a given initial position. Further, the two microcomputers may control the motor drive circuits 17a and 17b using encoder information.

The memory 14 b is a volatile storage device that stores a computer program executed by the microcomputer 14 a. The memory 14b can also be used as a work memory when the microcomputer 14a and the position estimation device 14e perform an operation.

The storage device 14 c is a non-volatile semiconductor memory device. However, the storage device 14 c may be a magnetic recording medium represented by a hard disk, or an optical recording medium represented by an optical disk. Furthermore, the storage device 14 c may include a head device for writing and / or reading data on any recording medium and a control device of the head device.

The storage device 14c stores map data M of the space S in which the vehicle travels and data (traveling route data) R of one or more traveling routes. The map data M is created by the AGV 10 operating in the mapping mode and stored in the storage device 14c. The travel route data R is transmitted from the outside after the map data M is created. In the present embodiment, the map data M and the traveling route data R are stored in the same storage device 14c, but may be stored in different storage devices.

An example of the travel route data R will be described.

When the terminal device 20 is a tablet computer, the AGV 10 receives traveling route data R indicating a traveling route from the tablet computer. The travel route data R at this time includes marker data indicating the positions of a plurality of markers. “Marker” indicates the passing position (passing point) of the traveling AGV 10. The travel route data R includes at least position information of a start marker indicating a travel start position and an end marker indicating a travel end position. The travel route data R may further include positional information of markers at one or more intermediate waypoints. When the travel route includes one or more intermediate via points, a route from the start marker to the end marker via the travel via points in order is defined as the travel route. The data of each marker may include, in addition to the coordinate data of the marker, data of the orientation (angle) and traveling speed of the AGV 10 until moving to the next marker. When the AGV 10 temporarily stops at each marker position and performs self-position estimation and notification to the terminal device 20, the data of each marker is an acceleration time required to accelerate to the traveling speed, and / or It may include data of deceleration time required to decelerate from the traveling speed to a stop at the position of the next marker.

The operation management device 50 (for example, a PC and / or a server computer) rather than the terminal device 20 may control the movement of the AGV 10. In that case, the operation management apparatus 50 may instruct the AGV 10 to move to the next marker each time the AGV 10 reaches the marker. For example, the AGV 10 receives, from the operation management apparatus 50, coordinate data of a target position to be headed to next, or data of a distance to the target position and data of an angle to be traveled as travel route data R indicating a travel route.

The AGV 10 can travel along the stored travel path while estimating its own position using the created map and the sensor data output from the laser range finder 15 acquired during travel.

The communication circuit 14d is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication compliant with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) and / or the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard. Both standards include wireless communication standards using frequencies in the 2.4 GHz band. For example, in the mode in which the AGV 10 is run to create a map, the communication circuit 14d performs wireless communication conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, and communicates with the terminal device 20 on a one-to-one basis.

The position estimation device 14e performs map creation processing and estimation processing of the self position when traveling. The position estimation device 14e creates a map of the moving space S based on the position and attitude of the AGV 10 and the scan result of the laser range finder. When traveling, the position estimation device 14e receives sensor data from the laser range finder 15, and reads out the map data M stored in the storage device 14c. By matching the local map data (sensor data) created from the scan result of the laser range finder 15 with the map data M in a wider range, the self position (x, y, θ) on the map data M is obtained Identify The position estimation device 14 e generates “reliability” data indicating the degree to which the local map data matches the map data M. The data of the self position (x, y, θ) and the reliability can be transmitted from the AGV 10 to the terminal device 20 or the operation management device 50. The terminal device 20 or the operation management device 50 can receive each data of the self position (x, y, θ) and the reliability and can display it on a built-in or connected display device.

In this embodiment, although the microcomputer 14a and the position estimation device 14e are separate components, this is an example. It may be a single chip circuit or a semiconductor integrated circuit capable of independently performing each operation of the microcomputer 14a and the position estimation device 14e. FIG. 6A shows a chip circuit 14g including the microcomputer 14a and the position estimation device 14e. Hereinafter, an example in which the microcomputer 14a and the position estimation device 14e are provided separately and independently will be described.

Two motors 16a and 16b are attached to two wheels 11a and 11b, respectively, to rotate each wheel. That is, the two wheels 11a and 11b are respectively drive wheels. In the present specification, the motor 16a and the motor 16b are described as being motors for driving the right and left wheels of the AGV 10, respectively.

The moving body 10 further includes an encoder unit 18 that measures the rotational position or rotational speed of the wheels 11a and 11b. The encoder unit 18 includes a first rotary encoder 18a and a second rotary encoder 18b. The first rotary encoder 18a measures the rotation at any position of the power transmission mechanism from the motor 16a to the wheel 11a. The second rotary encoder 18 b measures the rotation at any position of the power transmission mechanism from the motor 16 b to the wheel 11 b. The encoder unit 18 transmits the signals acquired by the rotary encoders 18a and 18b to the microcomputer 14a. The microcomputer 14 a may control the movement of the mobile unit 10 using not only the signal received from the position estimation device 14 e but also the signal received from the encoder unit 18.

The drive device 17 has motor drive circuits 17a and 17b for adjusting the voltage applied to each of the two motors 16a and 16b. Each of motor drive circuits 17a and 17b includes a so-called inverter circuit. The motor drive circuits 17a and 17b turn on or off the current flowing to each motor by the PWM signal transmitted from the microcomputer 14a or the microcomputer in the motor drive circuit 17a, thereby adjusting the voltage applied to the motor.

FIG. 6B shows a second hardware configuration example of the AGV 10. The second hardware configuration example differs from the first hardware configuration example (FIG. 6A) in that it has the laser positioning system 14 h and that the microcomputer 14 a is connected to each component on a one-to-one basis. Do.

The laser positioning system 14 h includes a position estimation device 14 e and a laser range finder 15. The position estimation device 14e and the laser range finder 15 are connected by, for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable. The operations of the position estimation device 14e and the laser range finder 15 are as described above. The laser positioning system 14 h outputs information indicating the pose (x, y, θ) of the AGV 10 to the microcomputer 14 a.

The microcomputer 14a has various general purpose I / O interfaces or general purpose input / output ports (not shown). The microcomputer 14a is directly connected to other components in the travel control device 14, such as the communication circuit 14d and the laser positioning system 14h, via the general-purpose input / output port.

Except the configuration described above with reference to FIG. 6B, the configuration is the same as the configuration of FIG. Therefore, the description of the common configuration is omitted.

The AGV 10 in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a safety sensor such as a bumper switch not shown. The AGV 10 may include an inertial measurement device such as a gyro sensor. By using measurement data from an internal sensor such as the rotary encoders 18a and 18b or an inertial measurement device, it is possible to estimate the amount of change (angle) of the movement distance and posture of the AGV 10. These distance and angle estimates may be referred to as odometry data, and may perform a function of assisting the position and orientation information obtained by the position estimation device 14e.

(4) Map Data FIGS. 7A to 7F schematically show the AGV 10 moving while acquiring sensor data. The user 1 may move the AGV 10 manually while operating the terminal device 20. Alternatively, the unit provided with the travel control device 14 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, or the AGV 10 itself may be mounted on a carriage, and sensor data may be acquired by the user 1 manually pushing or holding the carriage.

FIG. 7A shows an AGV 10 that scans the surrounding space using a laser range finder 15. A laser beam is emitted for each predetermined step angle and scanning is performed. The illustrated scan range is an example schematically shown, and is different from the total scan range of 270 degrees described above.

In each of FIGS. 7A to 7F, the position of the reflection point of the laser beam is schematically shown using a plurality of black points 4 represented by a symbol “·”. The scanning of the laser beam is performed at short intervals while the position and attitude of the laser range finder 15 change. Therefore, the number of actual reflection points is much larger than the number of reflection points 4 shown. The position estimation device 14e stores, for example, in the memory 14b, the position of the black point 4 obtained as the vehicle travels. The map data is gradually completed as the AGV 10 continues to scan while traveling. In FIGS. 7B-7E, only the scan range is shown for simplicity. The scan range is an example, and is different from the above-described example of 270 degrees in total.

The map may be created using the microcomputer 14a in the AGV 10 or an external computer based on the sensor data after acquiring the sensor data of the amount necessary for creating the map. Alternatively, a map may be created in real time based on sensor data acquired by the moving AGV 10.

FIG. 7F schematically shows a part of the completed map 40. In the map shown in FIG. 7F, free space is partitioned by a point cloud (Point Cloud) corresponding to a collection of reflection points of the laser beam. Another example of the map is an occupied grid map that distinguishes space occupied by an object from free space in grid units. The position estimation device 14e stores map data (map data M) in the memory 14b or the storage device 14c. The illustrated number or density of black spots is an example.

The map data thus obtained may be shared by multiple AGVs 10.

A typical example of an algorithm in which the AGV 10 estimates its own position based on map data is ICP (Iterative Closest Point) matching. As described above, by matching the local map data (sensor data) created from the scan result of the laser range finder 15 with the map data M in a wider range, the self position (x, y, θ) can be estimated.

When the area where the AGV 10 travels is wide, the amount of data of the map data M increases. As a result, the time required to create a map may increase, and the self-location estimation may take a long time. If such a problem occurs, the map data M may be created and recorded as data of a plurality of partial maps.

FIG. 8 shows an example in which the entire area of one floor of one factory is covered by a combination of four partial map data M1, M2, M3 and M4. In this example, one partial map data covers an area of 50 m × 50 m. A rectangular overlapping area of 5 m in width is provided at the boundary between two adjacent maps in each of the X direction and the Y direction. This overlapping area is called "map switching area". When the AGV 10 traveling while referring to one partial map reaches the map switching area, it switches to a traveling referring to another adjacent partial map. The number of partial maps is not limited to four, and may be appropriately set according to the area of the floor on which the AGV 10 travels, and the performance of a computer that executes map creation and self-position estimation. The size of the partial map data and the width of the overlapping area are not limited to the above example, and may be set arbitrarily.

(5) Configuration Example of Operation Management Device FIG. 9 shows a hardware configuration example of the operation management device 50. The operation management apparatus 50 includes a CPU 51, a memory 52, a position database (position DB) 53, a communication circuit 54, a map database (map DB) 55, and an image processing circuit 56.

The CPU 51, the memory 52, the position DB 53, the communication circuit 54, the map DB 55, and the image processing circuit 56 are connected by a communication bus 57 and can exchange data with each other.

The CPU 51 is a signal processing circuit (computer) that controls the operation of the operation management device 50. Typically, the CPU 51 is a semiconductor integrated circuit.

The memory 52 is a volatile storage device that stores a computer program that the CPU 51 executes. The memory 52 can also be used as a work memory when the CPU 51 performs an operation.

The position DB 53 stores position data indicating each position that can be a destination of each AGV 10. The position data may be represented, for example, by coordinates virtually set in the factory by the administrator. Location data is determined by the administrator.

The communication circuit 54 performs wired communication conforming to, for example, the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard. The communication circuit 54 is connected to the access point 2 (FIG. 1) by wire, and can communicate with the AGV 10 via the access point 2. The communication circuit 54 receives data to be transmitted to the AGV 10 from the CPU 51 via the bus 57. The communication circuit 54 also transmits data (notification) received from the AGV 10 to the CPU 51 and / or the memory 52 via the bus 57.

The map DB 55 stores data of an internal map of a factory or the like on which the AGV 10 travels. The map may be the same as or different from the map 40 (FIG. 7F). The data format is not limited as long as the map has a one-to-one correspondence with the position of each AGV 10. For example, the map stored in the map DB 55 may be a map created by CAD.

The position DB 53 and the map DB 55 may be constructed on a non-volatile semiconductor memory, or may be constructed on a magnetic recording medium represented by a hard disk or an optical recording medium represented by an optical disc.

The image processing circuit 56 is a circuit that generates data of an image displayed on the monitor 58. The image processing circuit 56 operates only when the administrator operates the operation management device 50. In the present embodiment, particularly the detailed description is omitted. The monitor 59 may be integrated with the operation management device 50. Further, the CPU 51 may perform the processing of the image processing circuit 56.

(6) Operation of Operation Management Device The outline of the operation of the operation management device 50 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a view schematically showing an example of the movement route of the AGV 10 determined by the operation management device 50. As shown in FIG.

The outline of the operation of the AGV 10 and the operation management device 50 is as follows. In the following, an example will be described in which an AGV 10 is currently at position M ₁ and travels through several positions to the final destination position M _{n + 1} (n: 1 or more positive integer) . In the position DB 53, coordinate data indicating positions such as a position M ₂ to be passed next to the position M _{1 and} a position M ₃ to be passed next to the position M ₂ are recorded.

CPU51 of traffic control device 50 reads out the coordinate data of the position _{M 2} with reference to the position DB 53, and generates a travel command to direct the position _{M 2.} The communication circuit 54 transmits a traveling command to the AGV 10 via the access point 2.

The CPU 51 periodically receives data indicating the current position and attitude from the AGV 10 via the access point 2. Thus, the operation management device 50 can track the position of each AGV 10. CPU51 determines that the current position of the AGV10 matches the position _{M 2,} reads the coordinate data of the position _{M 3,} and transmits the AGV10 generates a travel command to direct the position _{M 3.} That is, when it is determined that the AGV 10 has reached a certain position, the operation management device 50 transmits a traveling command for directing to the next passing position. Thus, the AGV ₁₀ can reach the final target position _{Mn + 1} . The passing position and the target position of the AGV 10 described above may be referred to as a “marker”.

(7) Operation Example of AGV Next, a more specific example of the operation of the AGV 10 will be described.

The AGV 10 in the present embodiment can operate in a “tracking mode” for tracking a moving object, separately from the mode in which the vehicle travels according to an instruction from the operation management apparatus 50.

11A and 11B are diagrams schematically showing an example of the AGV 10 operating in the tracking mode. The broken line in the figure schematically shows an example of the AGV 10 path. In the example of FIG. 11A, the AGV 10 moves following the movement of the user 1. In the example of FIG. 11B, the AGV 10 moves following the movement of the other leading AGV 10A.

The microcomputer 14 a in the AGV 10 detects a moving object from the sensor data acquired by the laser range finder 15. For example, the microcomputer 14a detects a mark object such as the leg of the user 1 located in front, or the rear bumper of another AGV 10A. The microcomputer 14a controls the movement of the AGV 10 such that the distance between the object and the AGV 10 is substantially constant (eg, several tens of cm). Thereby, AGV10 can track the moving object ahead. For recognition of moving objects, an external sensor other than the laser range finder 15, for example, an image sensor or an ultrasonic sensor may be used. When using an image sensor, the microcomputer 14a may recognize a moving object by image processing.

The AGV 10 starts moving from a first point P1 which is an initial point, and moves to a second point P2 which is a destination while tracking a moving object. In this example, loading to the AGV 10 is performed at the first point P1, and unloading from the AGV 10 is performed at the second point P2.

While the AGV 10 moves from the first point P1 to the second point P2, the microcomputer 14a stores the position information (x, y, θ) sequentially output from the position estimation device 14e in the storage device 14c. At this time, the microcomputer 14a may store the position information sequentially output from the position estimation device 14e as it is in the storage device 14c, or may thin the position information as necessary. For example, the microcomputer 14a stores the position information periodically output from the position estimation device 14e at a rate of once in a plurality of times, that is, once in N times (N is any integer of 2 or more). May be stored. Alternatively, the microcomputer 14a may store the position information in the storage device 14c each time the AGV 10 advances by a predetermined distance. The distance traveled by the AGV 10 can be calculated from the position information output from the position estimation device 14 e or the odometry information output from the encoder unit 18. By thinning out and recording the position information output from the position estimation device 14e, the amount of data can be reduced, and the processing can be speeded up.

After the moving object 10 reaches the second point P2 and unloading is completed, the microcomputer 14a returns the AGV 10 from the second point P2 to the first point P1. The completion of the unloading can be notified to the microcomputer 14a, for example, by the user 1 pressing a switch or button (not shown) provided on the AGV 10 or operating the terminal device 20. This notification is input to the microcomputer 14a as a feedback command. In response to the feedback command, the microcomputer 14a starts an operation of returning the AGV 10 to the first point P1. The feedback command may be transmitted to the microcomputer 14a from another device such as the operation management device 50. The operation management apparatus 50 can detect that unloading has been completed at the second point P2, for example, by the operation of the terminal device 20 by the user 1. Alternatively, the operation management apparatus 50 may detect that unloading has been completed from a sensor that reads information of an IC tag such as an RFID attached to an individual item placed on the AGV 10. Such a sensor may be provided, for example, in a rack located near the AGV 10 or the second point P2.

The microcomputer 14a may return the AGV 10 to the first point P1 when the set conditions are satisfied without explicitly giving a feedback command. As the set conditions, for example, the following conditions can be considered.
・ When the sensor reading the information of the tag attached to each article detects that unloading of all articles is completed ・ Time set from the time when AGV 10 reaches the second point P2 (for example, 5 minutes When about one hour has passed • When the AGV 10 is manually moved to a specific area near the second point P2

Thus, when the controller satisfies the condition (hereinafter, may be referred to as “feedback condition”) in which the position or state of the AGV 10 is set, the controller starts an operation of returning the mobile object 10 to the first point. It is also good.

In the return path, the microcomputer 14a returns the AGV 10 to the first point P1 by tracing back the path from the first point P1 to the second point P2 based on the position information stored in the storage device 14c. . Here, the movement route of the AGV 10 in the forward route and the return route does not have to be exactly the same. For example, when there is an obstacle that did not exist on the outgoing route in the middle of the route for returning the mobile object 10 to the first point P1, the microcomputer 14a controls the operation of the AGV 10 to avoid the obstacle. May be An obstacle may be detected by at least one obstacle sensor 19 (FIG. 5) provided in the AGV 10.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AGV 10 in the present embodiment. When the AGV 10 starts moving from the first point P1, the microcomputer 14a causes the storage device 14c to store position information, for example, at fixed intervals or at fixed intervals (step S101). A set of accumulated position information is recorded in the storage device 14c as route information of the forward path. When the AGV 10 reaches the second point (Yes in step S102), the microcomputer 14a determines whether a feedback command has been issued or whether the feedback condition is satisfied (step S103). If the determination is Yes, the microcomputer 14a reverses the route based on the position information recorded in the storage device 14c, and returns the moving object 10 to the first point P1 which is the initial position (step S104).

Subsequently, an example of the operation of the AGV 10 will be more specifically described with reference to FIGS. 13A to 13F. Here, as an example, an example in which three AGVs 10A, 10B, and 10C move in formation will be described. The leading AGV 10A moves from the initial point to the destination point in accordance with the route instruction from the operation management device 50. The second AGV 10B moves following the first AGV 10A. The third AGV 10C moves following the second AGV 10B.

The first AGV 10A holds an environmental map in the storage device 14c. The position estimation device 10 e in the AGV 10 A performs matching between the data of the point group output from the laser range finder 15 and the environmental map, and moves while estimating its own position. The AGV 10A may perform an operation to avoid the obstacle if an obstacle not present on the environmental map exists on the route. The AGV 10A may update the environmental map while moving.

The AGVs 10B and 10C that follow the leading AGV 10A may not hold the environmental map at the time of departure. The AGVs 10B and 10C may create an environmental map while moving from the initial point to the destination point. At that time, other AGVs traveling ahead are not reflected on the environmental map. The environment map can be created by the position estimation device 14 e based on the position information of the point group periodically output from the laser range finder 15.

FIG. 13A to FIG. 13C show an example of the operation on the outward path from the start of movement to the arrival at the destination point. 13D to 13F show examples of the operation of the return from the destination point to the initial point. The initial point (first point) and the destination point (second point) differ depending on the AGV. For example, as shown in FIG. 13A, the initial point of the leading AGV 10A is located forward of the initial points of the AGVs 10B and 10C. The same is true for the destination point.

As shown in FIG. 13B, on the outbound path, the three AGVs 10A, 10B, and 10C move toward the destination while maintaining a substantially constant inter-vehicle distance. At this time, each of the AGVs 10A, 10B, 10C moves while recording its own position information. Recording of position information may be performed, for example, every fixed time (for example, several milliseconds to several seconds) or every predetermined distance (for example, several tens of millimeters to several meters). The frequency of the recording may be lower than the frequency of the output of the position information output from the position estimation device 14e.

The AGVs 10B and 10C may create or update the environmental map while tracking the leading AGV 10A. In that case, the microcomputer 14a creates or updates the environment map based on the position information sequentially output from the position estimation device 14e while causing the AGVs 10B and 10C to track the head AGV 10A. The AGVs 10B and 10C may obtain the environment map by communication from the head AGV 10A or the operation management device.

When the AGVs 10B and 10C that follow the leading AGV 10A lose their positions, the position information may be acquired from the leading AGV 10A or the operation management apparatus 50. The operation management device 50 communicates with the leading AGV 10A and tracks its position and attitude.

In this example, only the head AGV 10A moves according to the instruction from the operation management device, but the other AGVs 10B and 10C may also operate according to the instruction from the operation management device. In that case, the AGVs 10B and 10C may not have the tracking function.

As shown in FIG. 13C, when all the AGVs 10A, 10B, 10C reach the destination, the unloading operation is performed. When this work is completed, the user gives each AGV a feedback command by pressing a button provided on each AGV or operating the terminal device 20. Then, from the AGV given the feedback command, it returns to the original place in order. In the examples of FIGS. 13D to 13F, the feedback commands are given in the order of AGVs 10C, 10B, and 10A. The microcomputer 14a of each AGV performs self-position estimation while moving, and confirms the correspondence between the position and orientation (x, y, θ) and the position information (x, y, θ) recorded in the storage device 14c. Control the movement while. The frequency of confirmation of the correspondence of the position information in the return pass may be lower than the frequency of recording the position information in the forward pass. Finally, as shown in FIG. 13F, all AGVs 10A, 10B, 10C return to their initial positions.

The position of each AGV shown in FIG. 13F does not have to exactly correspond to the position in the initial state shown in FIG. 13A, and may be slightly offset. Also, each AGV may return to the middle of the movement path instead of returning to the initial position. In that case, a point in the middle of the movement route is interpreted as a "first point". Each of the first point and the second point does not mean a precise "point" but may be an area with a certain extent.

In the example shown in FIG. 13D to FIG. 13F, each AGV moves backward toward the initial position by tracing the path in the same direction as the direction in the forward path. That is, each AGV runs in reverse. According to such a movement mode, sensor data from the laser range finder 15 is similar between the forward path and the return path. Therefore, there is an advantage that it is easy to estimate the position on the return route, especially when moving while creating or updating the environmental map in the forward route.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another example of the operation of the AGV in the return path. In the example of FIG. 14, each AGV returns to the initial position in the direction opposite to the direction in the forward path. In this case, the microcomputer 14a in each AGV first performs an operation of reversing the direction of the AGV when the feedback operation is started. According to this example, since the traveling direction of each AGV coincides with the front direction of the laser range finder 15, it is not necessary to change the control method of each motor by the microcomputer 14a between forward and backward.

FIG. 15A is a diagram showing an example of position information recorded in the forward pass. FIG. 15B is a diagram showing an example of position information in the return path. FIG. 15C is a diagram showing another example of position information in the return path. FIG. 15B shows an example of the case where the AGV reverses with the same direction as the direction in the forward path. FIG. 15C shows an example in which the AGV returns to the original position in the direction opposite to the outward path. In the example of FIG. 15C, the angle θ in the return path differs by 180 degrees from the angle θ in the forward path. The microcomputer 14a sets position information as shown in FIG. 15B or FIG. 15C in the return path, and returns the AGV to the initial position through the same route as the forward path.

The mobile body and mobile body management system of the present disclosure can be suitably used for moving and transporting objects such as luggage, parts, finished products, etc. in factories, warehouses, construction sites, logistics, hospitals and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... User 2a, 2b Access point 10 AGV (moving body) 14 Travel control apparatus 14a Microcomputer (calculation circuit) 14b Memory 14c ... Memory device, 14d ... Communication circuit, 14e ... Position estimation device, 16a, 16b ... Motor, 15 ... Laser range finder, 17 ... Drive device, 17a, 17b ... Motor drive circuit, 18: encoder unit, 18a, 18b: rotary encoder, 19: obstacle sensor, 20: terminal device (mobile computer such as tablet computer), 50: operation management device 51: CPU 52: memory 53: position database (position DB) 54: communication circuit 55: map database (map DB , 56: image processing circuit, 100: moving object management system, 101: moving object, 103: external sensor, 105: position estimation device, 107: storage device, 109. · Controller, 111 · · · Drive device

Claims (11)

A mobile that can move autonomously, and
A driving device for moving the moving body;
An external sensor,
A position estimation device that sequentially outputs position information indicating the position and attitude of the moving object based on sensor data output from the external sensor;
A storage device for storing the position information output from the position estimation device;
A controller for controlling the driving device to move the moving body;
Equipped with
The controller is configured to move from the first point to the second point based on the position information stored in the storage device after the mobile body moves from the first point to the second point. A mobile, wherein the mobile is returned to the first point by reversing the route. The storage device stores an environmental map,
The position estimation apparatus matches the sensor data output from the external sensor with the environmental map to determine estimated values of the position and orientation of the mobile body on the environmental map, and the estimated value The mobile unit according to claim 1, wherein: The controller can operate the moving body in a tracking mode, and in the tracking mode, the controller controls the driving device based on the sensor data output from the external sensor, and the moving object is moved to the moving body. The moving body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the moving object is tracked from the first point to the second point. The controller according to claim 3, wherein the controller creates or updates an environmental map based on the position information sequentially output from the position estimation device while causing the moving object to track the moving object in the tracking mode. Mobile body described. The controller operates to return the mobile object to the first point in response to a feedback command from a user or another device after the mobile object moves from the first point to the second point. The moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the controller starts an operation of returning the moving body to the first point when a position or a state of the moving body satisfies a set condition. . The moving body is an unmanned carrier,
The controller starts an operation of returning the mobile object to the first point when detecting that the unloading or the loading is completed after the mobile object reaches the second point.
The mobile according to claim 6. The mobile unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the controller thins out the position information sequentially output from the position estimation device and stores the thinned information in the storage device. It further comprises at least one obstacle sensor for detecting obstacles,
The controller causes the moving body to avoid the obstacle when the obstacle sensor detects an obstacle on the way of returning the moving body to the first point.
The mobile according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the controller moves the mobile unit from the first point to the second point in accordance with an instruction from an operation management apparatus connected to the mobile unit via a network. The moving body described in. At least one mobile, and
An operation management device that manages the operation of the at least one mobile unit;
Equipped with
A mobile system, wherein the at least one mobile is a mobile according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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