JP2019139304A - Travel device, obstacle determination method of travel device and obstacle determination program of travel device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a travel device having higher obstacle detection accuracy in bad weather than before by reducing the influence of noise caused by such as rain, fog, and snow.SOLUTION: A travel device includes: a case; a travel drive unit for traveling the case; a ranging sensor that scans around the case; a storage unit for storing a distance to a measurement point indicating a target position detected by the ranging sensor; and an obstacle determination unit which estimates, when a plurality of the measurement points is detected within a predetermined distance range by the ranging sensor, a size of a measurement point set including the plurality of the measurement points whose difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value which varies depending on a distance of the measurement point, and determines the measurement point set as one obstacle when the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a traveling apparatus, an obstacle determination method for the traveling apparatus, and an obstacle determination program for the traveling apparatus, and more specifically, a traveling apparatus having an obstacle detection function for detecting surrounding obstacles by a distance measuring sensor such as LIDAR, The present invention relates to an obstacle determination method for a traveling device and an obstacle determination program for a traveling device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Today, as a traveling device, a transportation robot that transports a load, and a manned or unmanned traveling device that monitors the situation in a building, around the building, or in a predetermined site are used. In addition, cameras and various sensors were installed in activities in hazardous areas such as searching for victims in disaster-stricken areas such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, or collecting information inside factories and power plants where accidents occurred. A traveling vehicle may be utilized (for example, refer patent document 1).

  Some of these traveling vehicles have an obstacle detection function that detects an obstacle using a distance sensor such as LIDAR, but the distance sensor may not operate correctly due to the influence of weather such as rain, fog, and snow. is there.

  In addition, when it is raining and the road surface gets wet, it is difficult to obtain the correct distance value by the laser sensor when detection data indicating a height above a predetermined value is obtained from the road surface in one scan. The first determination means for determining the presence of an obstacle and the determination of the presence of an obstacle when data of a predetermined number of times or more are obtained at the same place among a plurality of data obtained by a plurality of scans. By using the second determination means in a complementary manner, the mobile robot can detect obstacles with high accuracy at all times without being affected by the road surface condition even if it gets wet due to heavy rain. Is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2005-111595 A JP 2008-009929 A

  On the other hand, in the case of measurement by a distance sensor such as LIDAR, the laser beam may be reflected by rain, fog, snow, etc. before the laser beam hits the obstacle, resulting in obstacle detection accuracy. May go down.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and by reducing the influence of noise caused by rain, fog, snow, etc., the traveling device has higher obstacle detection accuracy in bad weather than before. An object of the present invention is to provide an obstacle determination method for a traveling device and an obstacle determination program for the traveling device.

The travel device of the present invention includes a housing, a travel drive unit that travels the housing, a measurement refusal sensor that scans the periphery of the housing, and a measurement point that indicates a position of a target detected by the measurement refusal sensor. And when the plurality of measuring points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measuring sensor, the plurality of the distance differences are smaller than a predetermined threshold value. An obstacle determination unit that estimates the point set as one obstacle when the size of the point set consisting of the following points is estimated, and the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, and the threshold is It is characterized in that it differs depending on the distance of the measuring point.
Further, the travel device of the present invention shows a housing, a travel drive unit that travels the housing, a measurement refusal sensor that scans around the housing, and a position of an object detected by the measurement refusal sensor. When a plurality of the measuring points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measuring sensor and a storage unit that stores the distance to the measuring point, the difference between the distances is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Estimating the size of a station set consisting of the plurality of stations, and when the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, an obstacle determination unit that determines the station set as one obstacle, The storage unit stores position information of obstacles detected in the past, and the obstacle determination unit is not less than a predetermined lower limit value even if the size is less than the reference value. In a past scan at a predetermined point, If the object has been detected, and judging the obstacle the measurement point set.
The obstacle determination method for a traveling device according to the present invention is an obstacle determination method for a traveling device that includes a distance measuring sensor that scans the surroundings, and includes a measurement point that indicates a position of an object detected by the refusal sensor. A storage step for storing the distance to the distance, and when the plurality of measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, the plurality of the distance differences are smaller than a predetermined threshold value. An obstacle determination step for estimating the size of the set of stations and determining that the set of stations is one obstacle when the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value. In the object determining step, the threshold value is different depending on a distance of the measurement points.
The obstacle determination method for a traveling device according to the present invention is an obstacle determination method for a traveling device that includes a distance measuring sensor that scans the surroundings, and includes a measurement point that indicates a position of an object detected by the refusal sensor. A storage step for storing the distance to the distance, and when the plurality of measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, the plurality of the distance differences are smaller than a predetermined threshold value. An obstacle determination step for estimating a size of a set of stations and determining that the set of stations is one obstacle when the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, In the step, position information of obstacles detected in the past is stored, and in the obstacle determination step, even if the size is less than the reference value, the size is not less than a predetermined lower limit, Preparatory When an obstacle in substantially the same position in the scan at which a defined has been detected, and judging the obstacle the measurement point set.
The obstacle determination program for a traveling device of the present invention is an obstacle determination program executed by a traveling control system for a traveling device having a distance measuring sensor that scans the surroundings. A storage step of storing a distance to a measurement point indicating the position of the target detected by the refusal sensor, and when a plurality of the measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, Estimating the size of the station set consisting of the plurality of stations where the difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and if the size is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, An obstacle determination step for determining an object is executed, and in the obstacle determination step, the threshold value is different depending on a distance of the measurement point.
The obstacle determination program for a traveling device of the present invention is an obstacle determination program executed by a traveling control system for a traveling device having a distance measuring sensor that scans the surroundings. A storage step of storing a distance to a measurement point indicating the position of the target detected by the refusal sensor, and when a plurality of the measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, Estimating the size of the station set consisting of the plurality of stations where the difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and if the size is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, An obstacle determination step for determining an obstacle, and in the storage step, position information of an obstacle detected in the past is stored, and in the obstacle determination step, Even if the noise is less than the reference value, if the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined lower limit value and an obstacle is detected at substantially the same position by scanning at a predetermined time in the past, the measurement point The set is determined as an obstacle.

The “measurement point” is a point detected by receiving the laser beam reflected from the object when the laser beam is scanned.
“When an obstacle has been detected at substantially the same position in a scan at a predetermined time in the past” is not only the position of the obstacle detected at the time of any one scan (for example, the previous scan), but also any It may be the position of an obstacle detected during a plurality of scans.
Further, the position of the obstacle detected in the past scanning does not need to be exactly the same position, and may be appropriately corrected according to the scanning time interval and the traveling speed of the housing.
The “obstacle determination program executed by the travel control system of the travel device” is a program executed by the management server that controls the travel of the travel device via communication.
Moreover, the program run by the control part provided in the traveling apparatus may be sufficient.

  The “travel drive unit” of the present invention is realized by the cooperation of the electric motors 41R and 41L, the motor shafts 42R and 42L, the gear boxes 43R and 43L, and the control unit 100, and the “measurement rejection sensor” of the present invention is The distance detection unit 12 and the “obstacle determination unit” of the present invention are realized by the control unit 100.

  According to the present invention, by adopting different thresholds depending on the distance of the measuring point, the possibility of erroneous detection of rain, fog, snow, etc. as an obstacle is reduced, and the detection accuracy of an object in bad weather has been conventionally Higher traveling device, traveling device obstacle determination method, and traveling device obstacle determination program are provided.

  Moreover, the traveling apparatus of this invention may be comprised as follows, and may be combined suitably.

  In this way, by referring to the position information of obstacles detected in the past, the influence of noise caused by rain, fog, snow, etc. can be reduced with higher accuracy than before, and detection of objects in bad weather A traveling device with higher accuracy than before is provided.

  The obstacle determination unit may take a range of the substantially same position as a predetermined range in consideration of a change in the position of the obstacle due to movement of the housing and the obstacle.

  In this way, the obstacle determination unit refers to the position information of the obstacle detected in the past in consideration of the change in the position of the obstacle due to the movement of the casing and the obstacle. Thus, a traveling device is provided in which the influence of noise caused by snow or the like is reduced with higher accuracy than before, and object detection accuracy during bad weather is higher than before.

  When the obstacle enters within a predetermined distance from the casing, the traveling drive unit may decelerate or stop the casing.

  In this way, by reducing the influence of noise caused by rain, fog, snow, etc., the traveling device that can detect the object in bad weather and can travel the housing safely is better than before. Provided.

  The storage unit stores a threshold value table indicating a relationship between the distance between the measurement points and the threshold value, and the obstacle determination unit refers to the threshold value table to determine whether or not the measurement point set is an obstacle. It may be determined.

  In this way, it is possible to efficiently reduce the possibility of erroneous detection of rain, fog, snow, etc. as an obstacle by referring to the threshold value table indicating the relationship between the distance between the measuring points and the threshold value. A traveling device having a higher detection accuracy than conventional is provided.

  It further includes a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information of a travel region around the housing, the storage unit stores a plurality of threshold tables according to the weather information, and the obstacle determination unit The threshold value table may be switched according to information.

  In this way, since the threshold value table is switched according to the weather information of the travel region around the housing, the influence of noise caused by rain, fog, snow, etc. is reduced with higher accuracy than before, and in bad weather A traveling device with higher object detection accuracy than conventional is provided.

  The apparatus further includes a detection sensor that detects a precipitation state in a traveling region around the housing, the storage unit stores a plurality of threshold tables according to the precipitation state, and the obstacle determination unit is configured to store the precipitation state in the precipitation state. The threshold value table may be switched accordingly.

  The “detection sensor for detecting a precipitation state around the casing” is a detection sensor such as a camera for detecting a precipitation state such as rain, snow, hail, hail, drizzle around the casing.

  In this way, since the threshold value table is switched according to the precipitation state detected by the detection sensor, the influence of noise due to the precipitation state such as rain or snow is reduced with higher accuracy than before, and the object in bad weather A traveling device having a higher detection accuracy than conventional is provided.

  The image processing apparatus further includes a region information acquisition unit that acquires region information about a travel region around the housing, the storage unit stores a plurality of threshold tables according to the region information, and the obstacle determination unit includes the region The threshold value table may be switched according to information.

  In this way, since the threshold value table is switched according to the area information of the running area around the housing, the influence of noise caused by the characteristics of the area, such as areas with a lot of grass and swamps, can be made with higher accuracy than before. A traveling device with reduced object detection accuracy is provided.

  A route prediction unit that performs a route prediction based on the speed and direction of the housing is further provided, and the obstacle determination unit takes into account changes in the positions of the plurality of measurement points predicted based on the route prediction, It may be determined whether or not the station set is an obstacle.

  In this way, even when an autonomous traveling vehicle travels, obstacles are determined in consideration of their speed and direction, so that a traveling device capable of appropriate obstacle detection processing is provided. Is done.

It is a left view which shows the autonomous running vehicle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view of the autonomous running vehicle of FIG. It is a right view explaining schematic structure of the electric chassis part in the autonomous running vehicle of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the LIDAR detection area of the autonomous running vehicle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the elements on larger scale which expanded a part of detection area of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the obstruction detection process which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the obstruction detection process which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the obstruction detection process which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the obstruction detection process which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the detection result of the distance detection part which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a graph which shows an example of the threshold value table which shows the relationship between the distance of a measuring point, and a threshold value. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the obstacle detection process of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a graph which shows an example of the threshold value table which shows the relationship between the distance of a measuring point, and a threshold value. FIG. 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 illustrating an example of a measurement point detected by scanning with a laser beam when an isolated point is present in front of a label. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the measuring point detected by the scanning of the laser beam in the flame | frame immediately before FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the detection result of the distance detection part which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the obstruction detection process which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an autonomous traveling vehicle 1 as an example of a traveling device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by description of the following examples.
The present invention is not limited to the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 and may be a vehicle driven by a person as long as it detects an obstacle using a laser.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a left side view showing an autonomous traveling vehicle 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 of FIG. FIG. 3A is a right side view illustrating a schematic configuration of the electric chassis 10 in the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a diagram of B in FIG. FIG.

  The autonomous traveling vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention mainly includes an electric chassis 10, an elevating mechanism 50 provided on the electric chassis 10, and an imaging provided at the tip of the elevating mechanism 50. A surveillance camera 60 as a unit is provided.

  More specifically, a distance detection unit 12 is provided on the front end of the electric chassis 10, and a Wi-Fi antenna 71 and a warning lamp 72 are provided on the rear end of the electrical chassis 10. CCD cameras 73 are provided on the left and right side surfaces and the rear end surface, and a GPS antenna 74 is provided at a position behind the monitoring camera 60 of the lifting mechanism 50.

The distance detection unit 12 has a function of confirming a moving front region and a road surface state. The distance detection unit 12 has a light emitting unit that emits light, a light receiving unit that receives light, and a plurality of predetermined measurement points SP in the front space. And a scanning control unit that scans the light emitting direction so that the light is emitted toward the head.
The distance detector 12 emits a laser to a two-dimensional (2D) space or a three-dimensional (3D) space in a predetermined distance measurement region, and measures LIDAR (a distance at a plurality of measurement points in the distance measurement region). Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (rider) can be used.

  The control unit 100 is a part that executes a traveling function, a monitoring function, and the like that the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 has, such as a control unit (travel control unit and safety control unit), an obstacle detection unit, a human detection unit, and an instruction recognition unit. A communication unit, an instruction execution unit, a storage unit, and the like.

The autonomous vehicle 1 stores in advance map information and travel route information of an area to be traveled, and uses information acquired from the monitoring camera 60, the distance detector 12 and GPS (Global Positioning System) to obstruct the obstacle. The vehicle is configured to travel on a predetermined route while avoiding the above.
In the first embodiment, the distance detection unit 12 emits a laser in a two-dimensional (2D) space and measures the distance to the measuring point SP. However, even if the distance detector 12 emits a laser in a three-dimensional (3D) space. Good.

  The autonomously traveling vehicle 1 uses the monitoring camera 60, the distance detection unit 12, and the like to travel on its own while confirming the state in the forward direction of the electric chassis 10. For example, when it is detected that there are obstacles, steps, etc. ahead, the course is changed by performing operations such as stationary, rotating, retreating and moving forward to prevent collision with the obstacles. To do.

  Next, a configuration related to traveling of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B). In FIG. 3A, the right front wheel 21 and the rear wheel 22 are indicated by two-dot chain lines, and in FIG. 3B, sprockets 21b, 22b, 31b, and 32b described later are indicated by dotted lines.

<Description of the electric chassis unit 10>
The electric chassis unit 10 includes a chassis body 11, four wheels provided on the front, rear, left and right of the chassis body 11, and two electric motors that individually rotate and drive at least one pair of left and right wheels on the front and rear sides of the four wheels. 41R, 41L, a battery 40 that supplies power to the two electric motors 41R, 41L, a distance detector 12, and a control unit 100.

In the case of the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, since the electric chassis 10 moves forward in the direction of arrow A, the left and right wheels on the arrow A side are the front wheels 21 and 31, and the remaining The left and right wheels are the rear wheels 22 and 32, and the left and right front wheels 21 and 31 are individually driven and controlled by the two electric motors 41R and 41L.
In FIG. 3 (B), the front wheels 21 and 31 and the rear wheels 22 and 32 have grounding center points G ₂₁ and G ₃₁ and G ₂₂ and G ₃₂ , respectively.
The battery 40 is stored in the storage space 16 of the chassis main body 11.

  3 (A) and 3 (B) merely illustrate the components constituting the electric chassis 10 and their arrangement, the electrical chassis shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B). The size, interval, and the like of each component 10 do not necessarily match the electric chassis 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the chassis main body 11, bumpers 17 f and 17 r are attached to the front surface 13 and the rear surface 14, and a band-shaped cover 18 is installed on the right side surface 12 R and the left side surface 12 L, and extends along the front-rear direction of the chassis body 11. Yes. Below the cover 18 are provided axles 21a, 31a and axles 22a, 32a that rotatably support the front wheels 21, 31 and the rear wheels 22, 32, respectively. Axle 21a of the front wheels 21 and 31, 31a are disposed while being disposed on the first axis _{P 1} same axle 22a of the rear wheel 22 and 32, 32a in the second over center axis _{P 2} identical .
Each axle 21a, 31a, 22a, 32a is independently rotatable when not coupled by a power transmission member.

  The pair of right and left front wheels 21 and 31 and rear wheels 22 and 32 are interlocked by belts 23 and 33 which are power transmission members. Specifically, a sprocket 21 b is provided on the axle 21 a of the right front wheel 21, and a sprocket 22 b is provided on the axle 22 a of the rear wheel 22. Further, between the sprocket 21b of the front wheel 21 and the sprocket 22b of the rear wheel 22, for example, a belt 23 provided with protrusions that mesh with the sprockets 21b and 22b is wound. Similarly, a sprocket 31b is provided on the axle 31a of the left front wheel 31, and a sprocket 32b is provided on the axle 32a of the rear wheel 32. A belt 33 having the same structure as the belt 23 is wound around the belt.

Accordingly, the right and left front wheels and the rear wheels (21 and 22, 31 and 32) are connected and driven by the belts (23 and 33), and therefore, one of the wheels may be driven. In the first embodiment, the front wheels 21 and 31 are driven. When one wheel 21 and 31 is a driving wheel, the other wheel 22 and 32 functions as a driven wheel that is driven without slipping by belts 23 and 33 that are power transmission members.
As a power transmission member for connecting and driving the front wheel and the rear wheel, in addition to the sprockets 21b and 31b and the belts 23 and 33 provided with protrusions meshing with the sprockets 21b and 31b, for example, the sprockets 21b and 31b and the sprockets are used. Chains that mesh with 21b and 31b may be used. Furthermore, if slip is acceptable, a pulley having a large friction and the belts 23 and 33 may be used as a power transmission member. However, the power transmission member is configured so that the rotational speeds of the driving wheel and the driven wheel are the same.
3A and 3B, the front wheels (21, 31) correspond to drive wheels, and the rear wheels (22, 32) correspond to driven wheels.

  Two motors, an electric motor 41R for driving the right front and rear wheels 21 and 22 and an electric motor 41L for driving the left front and rear wheels 31 and 32, are provided on the front wheel side of the bottom surface 15 of the chassis body 11. It has been. A gear box 43R is provided as a power transmission mechanism between the motor shaft 42R of the right electric motor 41R and the axle 21a of the right front wheel 21. Similarly, a gear box 43L is provided as a power transmission mechanism between the motor shaft 42L of the left electric motor 41L and the axle 31a of the left front wheel 31. Here, the two electric motors 41R and 41L are arranged in parallel so as to be symmetrical with respect to the center line CL in the traveling direction (arrow A direction) of the chassis body 11, and the gear boxes 43R and 43L are also respectively electric motors. 41R and 41L are disposed on the left and right outer sides.

  The gear boxes 43R and 43L are composed of a plurality of gears, shafts, and the like, and are assembly parts that transmit the power from the electric motors 41R and 41L to the axles 21a and 31a that are output shafts by changing the torque, the rotation speed, and the rotation direction. Yes, it may include a clutch that switches between transmission and disconnection of power. The pair of rear wheels 22 and 32 are pivotally supported by bearings 44R and 44L, respectively, and the bearings 44R and 44L are disposed close to the right side surface 12R and the left side surface 12L of the bottom surface 15 of the chassis body 11, respectively. Yes.

  With the above configuration, the right and left front and rear wheels 21 and 22 and the left and right front and rear wheels 31 and 32 can be driven independently. That is, the power of the right electric motor 41R is transmitted to the gear box 43R via the motor shaft 42R, and the rotational speed, torque, or rotational direction is changed by the gear box 43R and transmitted to the axle 21a. Then, the front wheel 21 is rotated by the rotation of the axle 21a, and the rotation of the axle 21a is transmitted to the rear axle 22a via the sprocket 21b, the belt 23, and the sprocket 22b, thereby rotating the rear wheel 22. Transmission of power from the left electric motor 41L to the front wheels 31 and the rear wheels 32 is the same as the operation on the right side described above.

<Flow of Obstacle Detection Processing According to Embodiment 1 of the Present Invention>
Next, based on FIGS. 4-10, the flow of the obstruction detection process which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the LIDAR detection area SA of the autonomous vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view in which a part AR of the detection area SA in FIG. 4 is enlarged. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of obstacle detection processing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which obstacles OB1 and OB2 in a predetermined detection area SA are detected from the autonomous vehicle 1.
Here, it is assumed that the autonomously traveling vehicle 1 stops when the obstacle OB1 or OB2 enters the range of the stop line SL.

As shown in FIG. 5, the point SP is detected for each pitch angle PA by horizontally scanning the laser beam LL for each predetermined frequency.
In the first embodiment, the laser beam LL is irradiated on a horizontal plane having a height of about 70 cm from the floor surface, and detects an obstacle OB up to about 25 m.

  Next, a specific flow of the obstacle detection process according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S1 of FIG. 6, the control unit 100 scans the laser beam LL (step S1).

Next, in step S2 of FIG. 6, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the measurement point SP is detected (step S2).
Specifically, when the laser beam LL from the light emitting unit hits the target and the light receiving unit receives the reflected light reflected from the target, the control unit 100 detects the point SP at the point where the target hits the target. Shall be.
Further, the control unit 100 calculates the distance L to the measuring point SP based on the time required for the reciprocation of the laser light LL until it is reflected from the light emitting unit and received by the light receiving unit.
The control unit 100 also stores the distance L from the distance detection unit 12 to each measurement point SP in the storage unit.

  In step S2, when the measurement point SP is not detected (when the determination in step S2 is No), the control unit 100 repeats the process of step S1 (step S1).

  On the other hand, when the measurement point SP is detected (when the determination in step S2 is Yes), the control unit 100 determines in step S3 whether or not the measurement point SP is an isolated point IP (step S3).

Here, whether there survey point SP ₁ Do isolated point IP, determines on whether other stations SP ₂ is present within a predetermined distance from stations SP _1.
Specifically, 1 compares the pitch adjacent measurement points SP ₁ and measurement point SP distance L1 and L2 of up to _2, the difference in the distances LD = | L1-L2 | is within the predetermined distance It is determined by whether or not
If within the predetermined distance from stations SP1 other stations SP ₂ does not exist, the control unit 100 determines that an isolated point IP the survey point SP _1.
In FIG. 5, isolated points IP ₁ and IP ₂ are detected.

When the measurement point SP is determined to be the isolated point IP in Step S3 (when the determination in Step S3 is Yes), the control unit 100 determines that the measurement point SP is noise in Step S4 (Step S4).
In this way, even if particles such as rain, fog, and snow are detected by the laser light LL, they are excluded from the detection target as noise.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S3 that the measurement point SP is not the isolated point IP (when the determination in step S3 is No), the control unit 100 is within the predetermined distance range in step S5. A mark (label LB) is attached to a set of the measurement points SP including the measurement points SP1, SP2, etc., and the size is calculated (step S5).

  In the example of FIG. 5, a set of six non-isolated measuring points SP is detected and labeled LB.

  Next, in step S6 of FIG. 6, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the size of the label LB is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value (step S6).

In the first embodiment, the control unit 100 calculates the label size LS based on the following equation.
Label size LS = distance value L × tan (pitch angle PA) × number of measuring points SP

For example, when the pitch angle PA is 1 °, and a label is attached to a set of six measurement points SP at a distance of 100 mm, the label size LS is
LS = 100 × 0.0175 × 6 = 10.5
It becomes.

In step S6, when the size of the label LB is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value (when the determination in step S6 is Yes), the control unit 100 determines in step S7 that the label LB is a detection target label (step S6). S7).
Thereafter, the control step 100 makes a determination in step S9 (step S9).

On the other hand, when the size of the label LB is not equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value (when the determination in step S6 is No), the control unit 100 determines in step S8 that the label LB is a non-detection target label (step S8). ).
Thereafter, the control step 100 makes a determination in step S9 (step S9).

Next, in step S9, the control unit 100 determines whether or not a detection target label has entered the detection area SA or the stop line SL (step S9).
When the detection target label enters the detection area SA or the stop line SL (when the determination in step S9 is Yes), the control unit 100 decelerates or stops the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 in step S11 (step S11). .

  For example, the control unit 100 decelerates the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 when the detection target label enters the detection area SA, and depresses the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 when the detection target label enters the stop line SL. Stop.

  Thereafter, the control unit 100 repeats the process of step S1 (step S1).

<Example of Obstacle Detection Processing According to Embodiment 1 of the Present Invention>
Next, an example of the obstacle detection process according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
7-9 is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the obstruction detection process which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 7 to 9, (A) is an example of the measurement point SP detected by the distance detection unit 12, and (B) is a difference between the distance of the measurement point SP and the distance between the adjacent measurement points SP. It is a table | surface which shows a relationship. Moreover, FIG. 10 is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the detection result of the distance detection part 12 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of a threshold value table showing the relationship between the distance of the measuring point SP and the threshold value Th. Moreover, FIG. 12 is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the obstruction detection process of Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 13 is a graph showing an example of a threshold value table showing the relationship between the distance of the measuring point SP and the threshold value Th.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when a plurality of measurement points SP are detected by the distance measurement sensor, the control unit 100 stores the distance Ln of each measurement point SP in the storage unit.
Here, “index” in the table of FIG. 7B corresponds to the index of each station SP in FIG. 7A, and “distance” in the table of FIG. 7B represents each station SP. It shows the distance _{L n.}

In the example of FIG. 7, the distance of the station SP _n is “3010” (unit is mm, the same applies hereinafter), the distance of the station SP _{n + 1} is “3000”, and the distance of the station SP _{n + 2} is “3010”.

Next, the control unit 100 obtains a difference in distance between adjacent measurement points SP from the distance of each measurement point SP.
In FIG. 8 (B), the difference LD _n of the distance measurement point SP _n and stations _{SP n + 1} is "10", the difference _{LD n + 1} of the distance measurement point _{SP n + 1} measurement point _{SP n + 2} is "10", measurement point SP The distance difference LD _{n + 2} between _{n + 1} and the measuring point SP _{n + 3} is “10”, and is described in the items “n”, “n + 1”, and “ _{n + 2} ” of “index” in the table, respectively.

  Next, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the distance difference LD of each measurement point SP is larger than a predetermined threshold value Th, and stores the measurement point SP larger than the threshold value Th as a boundary point in the storage unit. Let

In the table of FIG. 9B, when the threshold Th is 20, the distance difference LD larger than the threshold Th is circled.
In the example of FIG. 9B, the distance differences “2020” (n + 3), “4000” (n + 4), “2800” (n + 6), “3300” (n + 7), and “1990” (n + 8) are from the threshold Th. Therefore, the measurement points SP _{n + 3} , SP _{n + 4} , SP _{n + 6} , SP _{n + 7} and SP _{n + 8} corresponding to these are the boundary points of the labels.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 9 (A), labels LB1 to LB3 are attached to the set of station points SP _{n to} SP _{n + 3} , the set of station points SP _{n + 5} and SP _{n + 6} , and the group of station points SP _{n + 9 to} SP _{n + 10} , respectively. The other measurement points SP _{n + 4} , SP _{n + 7} , SP _{n + 8} are determined as isolated points IP _{n + 4} , IP _{n + 7} , IP _{n + 8} , respectively.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the detection result of the distance detection unit 12 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 10, the central square frame indicates the autonomous traveling vehicle 1.
Further, the inverted U-shaped frame surrounding the periphery of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 is a stop line SL indicating a line that serves as a guide for stopping the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 when an obstacle enters the frame.
Further, a long and thin inverted U-shaped frame surrounding the stop line SL is a deceleration line RL indicating a line serving as a reference for decelerating the autonomous vehicle 1 when an obstacle enters the frame.

A set WL of the measurement points SP connected in a straight line in the upper right part of FIG. 10 is a wall.
On the other hand, a set FG of the measurement points SP can be confirmed immediately in front of the autonomous vehicle 1, but this is noise generated by the reflection of the laser beam by the fog.

In general, particles such as rain, fog, and snow tend to be detected by the distance detector 12 by reflecting laser light as the distance is shorter.
Therefore, the control unit 100 may erroneously determine the set of detected measurement points SP caused by these particles as an obstacle, and the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 may stop.

This problem is particularly likely to occur when the label threshold Th is fixed to a constant value (= 20) as shown in FIG.
Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, the threshold value Th that varies depending on the distance L of the measuring point SP is adopted in the first embodiment.

  As a specific method, the threshold Th is set to be small for the measurement points SP that are equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance.

  FIG. 12 shows an example in which the threshold Th is set to 20 for a station SP with a distance of more than 4 m, while the threshold Th is set to 8 for a station SP with a distance of 4 m or less.

In the table of FIG. 12B, the threshold Th is set to 8 for the determination of the measuring point SP with a distance of 4 m or less, and therefore corresponds to the distance difference “10” (n, n + 1, n + 2) that was not detected in the example of FIG. The measurement points SP _n , SP _{n + 1} and SP _{n + 2 to be used} are also boundary points.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 12 (A), measurement points _SP n labels LB1 set of _{to SP n + 3} is removed, stations _SP n _{to SP n + 3} is an isolated point, respectively _IP n ~ which constituted the label LB1 It is determined as IP _{n + 3} .

  As described above, by not changing the threshold Th at a predetermined distance and changing the threshold Th depending on the distance L, it is possible to prevent a specific noise such as rain, fog, and snow from being mistaken as an obstacle.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the threshold value Th may be changed stepwise according to the distance of the measuring point SP.
In FIG. 13, the threshold value Th changes smaller as the distance between the measurement points SP is shorter. Conversely, the threshold value Th may change more as the distance between the measurement points SP is shorter.
Further, the threshold Th may be made small or large at an arbitrary distance.

For example, in the case of fog, in particular, a characteristic is known that a fog with a distance of 700 mm is easily reflected by the laser beam LL, and a strip-shaped measuring point SP is easily detected at this distance.
Therefore, by adopting a threshold table having a threshold Th smaller than the average interval between the detected fog particles at a distance of 700 mm, fog noise is less likely to be detected. Can be realized.

  In addition, you may make it make the traveling control system (management server etc.) of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 perform the obstacle determination program which performs said obstacle determination method.

  In this way, a finer threshold value can be set, so that it is possible to prevent a specific noise such as rain, fog, and snow from being mistaken as an obstacle more flexibly.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, based on FIGS. 14-17, an example of the obstruction detection process which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention is demonstrated.
FIG. 14 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 illustrating an example of a measurement point detected by scanning with laser light when an isolated point exists in front of the label. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a measurement point detected by scanning with laser light in the previous frame of FIG. Moreover, FIG. 16 is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the detection result of the distance detection part which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of obstacle detection processing according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

In the first embodiment, the control unit 100 refers to a predetermined reference value and determines whether or not the size of the label LB is a detection target label (see steps S6 to S8 in FIG. 6).
However, if it is determined whether or not the label is a detection target label based only on the size of the label LB, a false detection occurs when the label LB is divided into two labels LB1 and LB2 due to the presence of the isolated point IP as shown in FIG. There is a fear.

FIG. 16 shows an example of the detection result of the distance detection unit 12 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
A concentric circle shows the standard of the distance (pitch width 1m) from the center autonomous vehicle 1.
As shown in FIG. 16, a straight wall WL is detected near the left side 6 m of the autonomous vehicle 1.
On the other hand, the car CAR is also detected in the vicinity of 5 to 6 m on the right side of the autonomously traveling vehicle 1, but in reality, it is detected in a divided manner due to the influence of the snow SN in which one car is scattered in front. .
The size of one piece of the divided car CAR is about 1.7 m.

  In the example of FIG. 16, a fragment of the divided car CAR is detected. As shown in FIG. 14, the sizes of the labels LB1 and LB2 divided by the presence of the isolated point IP are based on a predetermined reference value. Is also small, labels LB1 and LB2 may be determined as non-detection target labels.

  As described above, when fog or the like is generated in front of an obstacle, there is a problem that an obstacle behind is not detected as an object to be detected.

  Therefore, in order to avoid such a problem, in the second embodiment, the influence of temporary noise is excluded by determining whether or not there is a detection target label at the same position one frame before.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a flow of obstacle detection processing according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
The processes in steps S11 to S17 and S19 to S21 in FIG. 17 correspond to the processes in steps S1 to S7 and S8 to S10 in FIG.
Here, the determination in step S18 not described in FIG. 6 will be described.

  In step S16 of FIG. 17, when the size of the label LB is not equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value (when the determination in step S16 is No), the control unit 100 determines the size of the label LB in step S18. It is determined whether there is a detection target label at the same position more than the lower limit value and one frame before (step S18).

When the size of the label LB is equal to or larger than a predetermined lower limit and there is a detection target label at the same position one frame before (when the determination in step S18 is Yes), the control unit 100 determines that the label LB in step 17 Is determined as a detection target label (step S17).
On the other hand, if the size of the label LB is equal to or larger than the predetermined lower limit and there is no detection target label at the same position one frame before (when the determination in step S18 is No), the control unit 100 The label LB is determined to be a non-detection target label (step S19).

In the first embodiment, the previous frame is referred to. However, the frame is not limited to the previous frame, and any past frame (for example, 2 frames or 5 frames before) or any past frames. (For example, 1 to 5 frames before) may be referred to.
In the determination in step S18, a condition that the size of the label LB is equal to or larger than a predetermined lower limit value is included in order to exclude isolated points.

  In the second embodiment, since the scanning frequency of the laser beam LL is 15 Hz and one frame is approximately 66.7 ms, when the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 travels at a low speed, the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 is displaced during one frame. The effects of doing so are considered negligible.

  However, when the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 travels at a high speed or an obstacle moves, the detection target label is displaced during one frame. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the range of “same position” is widened. I'm taking it.

Therefore, how much the range of the “same position” should be set may be appropriately changed according to the situation.
Further, the range of “same position” may be appropriately shifted in consideration of the traveling speed and direction of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1.

  In addition, you may make it make the traveling control system (management server etc.) of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 perform the obstacle determination program which performs said obstacle determination method.

  In this way, it is determined whether or not each point SP is an isolated point IP from the difference in distance between the point SPs. If the point SP is not an isolated point IP, the label LB is attached to the set of the point SPs and the size is set. Evaluate and refer to the information of any past frame to determine whether the label LB is a detection target label, thereby efficiently discriminating noise and obstacles created by particles such as rain, fog, and snow It becomes possible to do.

(Embodiment 3)
In the first embodiment, the threshold Th is changed according to the distance of the station SP. However, the change of the threshold Th according to the distance of the station SP is only in the case of bad weather such as rain, fog, and snow. It is not necessary to change the threshold Th according to the distance of the measuring point SP until the weather is fine.

  Further, in the second embodiment, in order to solve the problem that an obstacle is not detected due to the influence of noise generated by particles such as rain, fog, and snow, a set of measurement points SP is referred to by referring to information of an arbitrary past frame. However, when the weather is fine, the influence of noise generated by particles such as rain, fog, and snow is eliminated.

  Therefore, in the third embodiment, it is determined whether or not the set of the measurement points SP is an obstacle according to the weather and precipitation state of the traveling region of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1.

  Specifically, weather information obtained by analyzing images obtained by the monitoring camera 60, the CCD camera 73, and the like is acquired, and a threshold table corresponding to the weather is employed.

  Further, the threshold table may be switched according to the weather information acquired by the weather forecast, or the threshold table may be manually switched by the user.

  In addition, the threshold table corresponding to not only differences in rain, fog, snow, etc., but also depending on whether the fog is dense (whether it is dense fog) or an area with a lot of grass or swamp may be switched.

For example, when the monitoring camera 60 detects rain, the control unit 100 employs a threshold table corresponding to rain to perform obstacle detection processing.
Further, when the monitoring camera 60 detects that the weather has changed from rain to snow or fog, the control unit 100 performs an obstacle detection process by switching to a threshold table corresponding to snow or fog.

  In addition, even when the fog is the same, when the dense fog is detected, the control unit 100 may switch to the threshold value table corresponding to the dense fog.

  In addition, when it is determined from the area information that the travel area is a grass dense area, the control unit 100 may switch the threshold table according to the grass density.

  Moreover, when the traveling region is a region where there are many swamps and fog is likely to occur, the control unit 100 may switch to a threshold table corresponding to the swamps and fog.

In addition, the degree of change in the threshold Th according to the distance of the measuring point SP may be changed according to the weather information, the precipitation state, and the region information of the traveling region of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1.
For example, when the travel region is a region where there are many swamps and drizzle is likely to occur, the threshold value Th within the range of the distance at which the drizzle noise effect is large is reduced in order to reduce the drizzle noise effect. May be.

  In this way, more appropriate obstacle detection processing according to the weather information, precipitation state, and regional information of the travel region of the autonomous vehicle 1 can be performed.

(Embodiment 4)
In the fourth embodiment, encode signals based on the rotation angles of the electric motors 41R and 41L are counted by a counter.
When the autonomous vehicle 1 goes straight, the rotation angle of the front wheels 22 and 32 is proportional to the count number CN measured by the counter.
Therefore, when there is no slip effect between the front wheels 22 and 32 and the floor surface, the travel distance of the autonomous vehicle 1 is proportional to the rotation angle of the front wheels 22 and 32. The travel distance of the housing 2 can be estimated.

  It is also possible to estimate the rotation angle of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 from the difference between the counts CNR and CNL of the encode signals based on the rotation angles of the electric motors 41R and 41L, respectively.

  In the fourth embodiment, the path of the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 is predicted based on the count number CN of the encode signal, and changes in the positions of the measurement points SP around the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 are considered based on the prediction. The obstacle detection process may be performed.

  In this way, even when the autonomous traveling vehicle 1 moves at a high speed or when the scanning frequency of the laser light LL of the distance measuring sensor is low, an appropriate obstacle detection process can be performed.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention include combinations of any of the plurality of embodiments described above.
In addition to the embodiments described above, there can be various modifications of the present invention. These modifications should not be construed as not belonging to the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include the meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims and all modifications within the scope.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Autonomous traveling vehicle, 10: Electric chassis part, 11: Main part of a chassis, 12: Distance detection part, 12R: Right side surface, 12L: Left side surface, 13: Front surface, 14: Rear surface, 15: Bottom surface, 16: Housing space 17f, 17r: bumper, 18: cover, 21, 31: front wheel, 21a, 22a, 31a, 32a: axle, 21b, 22b, 31b, 32b: sprocket, 22, 32: rear wheel, 23, 33: belt, 31Wa, 32Wa: wheel main body, 31Wb, 32Wb: tire, 40: battery, 41R, 41L: electric motor, 42R, 42L: motor shaft, 43R, 43L: gear box, 44R, 44L: bearing, 50: lifting mechanism, 52: Boom, 53: Equilibrium, 60: Surveillance camera, 71: Wi-Fi antenna, 72: Warning light, 73: CCD camera, 7 4: GPS antenna, 100: Control unit, A, B: Arrow, AR: Part, CL: Center line, CN, CNR, CNL: Count number, CP: Center point, CR: Circular, G ₂₁ , G ₃₁ , G ₂₂ , G ₃₂ : grounding center point, IP, IP ₁ , IP ₂ : isolated point, L, L1, L2, Ln: distance, LB, LB1, LB2, LB3: label, LD, LD _n , LD _{n + 1} , LD _{n + 2:} difference in distance, LL: laser light, LS: label size, MP: midpoint, OB, OB1, OB2: obstacle, _{P 1:} the first axis, _{P 2:} the second axis, PA: pitch angle , R: radius, SA: detection area, SL: stop line, SP, SP ₁ , SP ₂ , SP _{n to} SP _{n + 8} : station, Th: threshold

Claims (13)

A housing,
A travel drive unit that travels the housing;
A refusal sensor that scans around the housing;
A storage unit for storing a distance to a measuring point indicating a position of a target detected by the refusal sensor;
When a plurality of the measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, the size of the measurement point set including the plurality of measurement points whose difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value When the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, an obstacle determination unit that determines the measurement point set as one obstacle,
The travel device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value varies depending on a distance of the measurement point. A housing,
A travel drive unit that travels the housing;
A refusal sensor that scans around the housing;
A storage unit for storing a distance to a measuring point indicating a position of a target detected by the refusal sensor;
When a plurality of the measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, the size of the measurement point set including the plurality of measurement points whose difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value When the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, an obstacle determination unit that determines the measurement point set as one obstacle,
The storage unit stores position information of obstacles detected in the past,
The obstacle determination unit detects an obstacle at substantially the same position by scanning at a predetermined time in the past even if the size is less than the reference value and the size is not less than a predetermined lower limit value. If it is, the traveling device is characterized in that the station set is determined as an obstacle.   3. The travel according to claim 2, wherein the obstacle determination unit takes a range of the substantially same position as a predetermined range in consideration of a change in the position of the obstacle due to movement of the housing and the obstacle. apparatus.   The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the travel drive unit decelerates or stops the housing when the obstacle enters within a predetermined distance from the housing. The storage unit stores a threshold table indicating a relationship between the distance between the measurement points and a threshold,
The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the obstacle determination unit determines whether or not the measurement point set is an obstacle with reference to the threshold value table. A weather information acquisition unit for acquiring weather information of a traveling region around the housing;
The storage unit stores a plurality of threshold tables according to the weather information,
The travel device according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle determination unit switches the threshold table according to the weather information. Further comprising a detection sensor for detecting a precipitation state in a running area around the housing;
The storage unit stores a plurality of threshold tables according to the precipitation state,
The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the obstacle determination unit switches the threshold value table according to the precipitation state. A region information acquisition unit that acquires region information of a traveling region around the housing;
The storage unit stores a plurality of threshold tables according to the area information,
The travel device according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle determination unit switches the threshold value table according to the area information. A route prediction unit that performs a route prediction based on the speed and direction of the housing;
9. The obstacle determination unit according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle determination unit determines whether or not the station set is an obstacle in consideration of a change in position of the plurality of station points predicted based on the course prediction. The traveling device according to any one of the above. An obstacle determination method for a traveling device including a distance measuring sensor that scans the surroundings,
A storage step of storing a distance to a measuring point indicating a position of a target detected by the refusal sensor;
When a plurality of the measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, the size of the measurement point set including the plurality of measurement points whose difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value And when the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, an obstacle determination step of determining the measurement point set as one obstacle,
The obstacle determination method for a traveling device, wherein, in the obstacle determination step, the threshold value varies depending on a distance of the measurement point. An obstacle determination method for a traveling device including a distance measuring sensor that scans the surroundings,
A storage step of storing a distance to a measuring point indicating a position of a target detected by the refusal sensor;
When a plurality of the measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, the size of the measurement point set including the plurality of measurement points whose difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value And when the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, an obstacle determination step of determining the measurement point set as one obstacle,
In the storing step, position information of obstacles detected in the past is stored,
In the obstacle determination step, even if the size is less than the reference value, the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined lower limit value, and an obstacle is detected at substantially the same position by scanning at a predetermined time in the past. If so, the obstacle determination method for the traveling device is characterized in that the measurement point set is determined as an obstacle. An obstacle determination program executed by a traveling control system of a traveling device provided with a distance measuring sensor that scans the surroundings,
In the processor of the traveling control system,
A storage step of storing a distance to a measuring point indicating a position of a target detected by the refusal sensor;
When a plurality of the measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, the size of the measurement point set including the plurality of measurement points whose difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value When the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, an obstacle determination step for determining the measurement point set as one obstacle is executed,
In the obstacle determination step, the threshold value is different according to the distance of the measuring point. An obstacle determination program executed by a traveling control system of a traveling device provided with a distance measuring sensor that scans the surroundings,
In the processor of the traveling control system,
A storage step of storing a distance to a measuring point indicating a position of a target detected by the refusal sensor;
When a plurality of the measurement points are detected within a predetermined distance range from the distance measurement sensor, the size of the measurement point set including the plurality of measurement points whose difference in distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value When the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value, an obstacle determination step for determining the measurement point set as one obstacle is executed,
In the storing step, position information of obstacles detected in the past is stored,
In the obstacle determination step, even if the size is less than the reference value, the size is equal to or larger than a predetermined lower limit value, and an obstacle is detected at substantially the same position by scanning at a predetermined time in the past. If it is, an obstacle determination program for a traveling device, wherein the station set is determined as an obstacle.