JP7478182B2 - Guidance System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a guidance system that includes an unmanned aerial vehicle and a manned guided vehicle.

Manned guided vehicles used in factories and warehouses are configured to operate when operated by an operator. An example of a manned guided vehicle is a forklift. The forklift is configured to use forks to handle cargo.

Incidentally, a guidance system is known that includes an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of hovering, a manned guided vehicle, and a management device that controls the unmanned aerial vehicle (see Patent Document 1, etc.).

The unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with a projector that projects a guidance image onto the road surface. The guidance image is, for example, an arrow pointing in a specific direction, and is projected onto the road surface in front of the manned guided vehicle. This allows an operator operating the manned guided vehicle to be guided to the loading position by checking the guidance image.

However, in conventional guidance systems, a single unmanned aerial vehicle guides a manned guided vehicle, which creates the problem that it is difficult for the operator of the manned guided vehicle to intuitively recognize the distance and direction to the loading position.

JP 2020-52629 A

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a guidance system that uses an unmanned aerial vehicle to guide a manned transport vehicle and allows the operator to intuitively recognize the distance and direction to the loading position.

In order to solve the above problems, the guidance system according to the present invention comprises:
A guidance system including a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles capable of hovering, a manned guided vehicle, and a management device,
The unmanned aerial vehicle has a projection unit that projects light or an image or both;
The management device includes a storage unit that stores a facility map and a loading/unloading position;
a route determination unit that determines a route for guiding the manned guided vehicle to the loading position based on a position of the manned guided vehicle, the loading position, and a facility map;
A location determination unit that determines the location of each unmanned aerial vehicle on the determined route,
The multiple unmanned aerial vehicles are characterized by hovers at their locations and projecting light, images, or both to guide the manned transport vehicle.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
The placement determination unit determines placement positions so that the horizontal distances between the multiple unmanned aerial vehicles are constant.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
The placement determination unit determines placement positions so that the heights of the multiple unmanned aerial vehicles are uniform.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
There are multiple manned transport vehicles,
The placement determination unit determines routes so that the routes of a plurality of manned guided vehicles do not overlap.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The projection control unit causes the projection unit to project different colors of light or images depending on the bending position, loading and unloading position, and other positions on the route.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The projection control unit causes the projection unit to project different sizes of light or images, or different shapes of light or images, depending on bending positions, loading and unloading positions, and other positions on the route.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The projection control unit causes the multiple projection units to project blinking images continuously and smoothly.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The projection control unit stops the projection of the unmanned flying object when it comes within a predetermined distance from the manned guided vehicle.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The placement determination unit determines a placement position so that the unmanned aerial vehicle is placed at a height of a placement position of the load;
The projection unit is configured to be capable of projecting downward and upward,
The projection control unit causes the projection unit to project upward when the height of the placement position is equal to or lower than a predetermined height.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
A projection control unit determines the size of the light or the image, or both, or the shape of the light or the image, or both, depending on the projection target.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a speaker;
The management device further includes a voice control unit,
The voice control unit causes the speaker to notify either or both of the bent position and the loading position.

The guidance system preferably comprises:
The projection control unit does not project the image onto an unmanned flying object within a predetermined distance from the manned guided vehicle,
The audio control unit issues an alert through a speaker of the unmanned aerial vehicle that is not performing projection.

The above guidance system allows the operator to intuitively recognize the distance and direction to the loading position.

1A and 1B show a guidance system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the guidance system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged perspective view of the unmanned aerial vehicle shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the guidance system shown in FIG. 1 . A shows an example of a light image projected onto an unmanned aerial vehicle, and B shows an example of another light image projected onto an unmanned aerial vehicle. A illustrates another example height for the unmanned air vehicle shown in FIG. 1A, and B illustrates yet another example height for the unmanned air vehicle. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating yet another example of the height of the unmanned air vehicle shown in FIG. 1A.

Below, an embodiment of a guidance system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are mutually orthogonal.

Figure 1 shows a guidance system S according to one embodiment of the present invention, where A is a side view and B is a plan view. Also, Figure 2A is a perspective view of the guidance system S shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the guidance system S. As shown in Figures 1 and 2A, the guidance system S includes a manned guided vehicle 1, an unmanned aerial vehicle 2 (2a, 2b, 2c), and a management device 3. Although seven unmanned aerial vehicles 2 are shown in Figure 1, the number of unmanned aerial vehicles in the present invention is not limited to this. A load W to be transported by the manned guided vehicle 1 is placed on the shelf R1. The position where the load W is placed, or the position where the load W will be placed, corresponds to the "loading position" of the present invention.

The manned guided vehicle 1 is a forklift operated by an operator O, but this is merely an example and the manned guided vehicle 1 according to the present invention is not limited to this forklift. For example, the manned guided vehicle 1 may be a manned/unmanned forklift that has an unmanned mode in which it operates autonomously and a manned mode in which it operates by the operation of the operator O. The manned guided vehicle 1 is configured to be able to communicate with the management device 3.

The manned guided vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 10 and a fork 11 arranged at the front of the vehicle body 10. An operator O scoops up a load W with the fork 11 and transports it. As shown in FIG. 3, the manned guided vehicle 1 further includes a position detection unit 12. The position detection unit 12 detects the position of the manned guided vehicle 1 and transmits the detected position of the manned guided vehicle 1 to the management device 3.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is an aerial vehicle commonly referred to as a drone, and includes a main body 20, four propellers 21 arranged on all four sides of the main body 20, and a power unit (not shown) that rotates the propellers 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 further includes a flight control unit 22, a memory unit 23, a projection unit 24, and a speaker 25. The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is configured to be able to communicate with the management device 3.

The flight control unit 22 detects the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 using publicly known technology and controls the rotation of the propeller 21 to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to the placement position received from the management device 3 or to hover at the placement position.

The memory unit 23 stores guidance images for guiding the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. As shown in FIG. 1B, the guidance images include a first image D1 indicating the direction in which the manned guided vehicle 1 travels, a second image D2 indicating the position where the manned guided vehicle 1 turns (corresponding to the "bending position" of the present invention) and the traveling direction, and a third image D3 indicating the loading position. Hereinafter, the first, second and third images D1, D2 and D3 may be collectively referred to as guidance images D. The "loading position" in the present invention means the position where the manned guided vehicle 1 stops and loads. The arrows of the first and second images D1 and D2 indicate the traveling direction, and the arrow of the third image D3 indicates the direction of the loading position. It is preferable that the shapes, sizes and colors of the first, second and third images D1, D2 and D3 are different from each other, but for example, any of the shapes, sizes and colors may be different. The first, second and third images D1, D2 and D3 in this embodiment are composed of circles of different colors and arrows of different colors arranged within the circles.

The memory unit 23 further stores voice V for guiding the operator O. The voice V includes "○ meters away," "Turn left ahead," "Destination ahead," "Obstacle ahead," "Please be careful," etc.

In this embodiment, the projection unit 24 is configured by a projector. The projection unit 24 is disposed on the underside of the main body 20, and projects a guidance image D downward, as shown in Figs. 1A and 2A. The projected guidance image D is displayed on the road surface, as shown in Fig. 1B. In this embodiment, the projection unit 24 projects the guidance image D directly below the unmanned aerial vehicle 2.

The speaker 25 is located on the main body 20 and outputs a voice V to the operator O.

The management device 3 is, for example, a server computer, and has a storage means and a calculation means (not shown). The storage means stores a program for causing the server computer to function as the management device 3 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the management device 3 includes a memory unit 30, a route determination unit 31, a placement determination unit 32, a projection control unit 33, and an audio control unit 34.

The memory unit 30 stores a facility map, loading positions, and placement positions. The facility map includes the position of the shelf R, the height of the shelf R, the position of the passage, and the position of obstacles. The facility map also stores the width of the passage. In this embodiment, the management device 3 manages multiple manned guided vehicles 1, and the memory unit 30 stores the loading positions and placement positions for the multiple manned guided vehicles 1.

The route determination unit 31 determines the route (hereinafter simply referred to as the "route") that the manned guided vehicle 1 will take to the loading position based on the position of the manned guided vehicle 1, the loading position, and the facility map. The route determination unit 31 may, for example, determine the shortest route connecting the manned guided vehicle 1 and the loading position, or may determine the route taking into consideration the operator O's past travel route, the width of the road, and the condition of the road (such as steps). The route determination unit 31 also determines the route so that the routes of multiple manned guided vehicles 1 do not overlap. The route determination unit 31 may, for example, determine the route taking into consideration the time at which multiple manned guided vehicles 1 are traveling, or may update the route in real time based on the current positions of multiple manned guided vehicles 1.

The placement determination unit 32 determines the placement position of each unmanned aerial vehicle 2 on the determined route. More specifically, the placement determination unit 32 places the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 at each of the bend positions on the route and above the loading and unloading positions, and also places the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 above other positions. The placement determination unit 32 also determines the placement positions so that the horizontal distance Q1 between the multiple unmanned aerial vehicles 2 and the hovering height H (hereinafter simply referred to as "height H") are constant. It is preferable that the height H of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 be higher than the head position of the operator O so as not to obstruct the operator O's forward view. The horizontal distance Q1 between the unmanned aerial vehicles 2 may be fixed, for example, between 1 m and 10 m. In this embodiment, the horizontal distance Q1 is configured to be 5 m.

The projection control unit 33 projects the first, second and third images D1, D2, D3 shown in FIG. 1B onto the unmanned aerial vehicles 2 that are equally spaced at a predetermined distance Q1, as shown in FIG. 1A. This allows the guidance system S to display the guidance images D on the road surface at equal intervals at a predetermined distance Q2. Furthermore, since the guidance system S fixes the distance Q2 at a predetermined distance, the number of guidance images D allows the operator O to intuitively recognize the distance to the bending position and loading position.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the projection control unit 33 causes the projection unit 24 to project the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 according to the bend position, loading position, and other positions on the route. Since the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 have different colors, the guidance system S can allow the operator O to recognize the bend position and loading position by the color of the guidance image D displayed at each position, and can recognize each position more intuitively than guidance images D that simply have different shapes. In this embodiment, the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 corresponding to each position are stored in advance in the memory unit 23 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, so the projection control unit 33 controls the projection unit 24 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 arranged above the bend position, loading position, and other positions to project the guidance image D corresponding to each position.

The projection control unit 33 may also periodically flash the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 in a flowing manner in the travel direction, and guide the manned guided vehicle 1 using this flowing flashing effect. Alternatively, the projection control unit 33 may flash only the first image D1 in a flowing manner and leave the second image D2 and the third image D3 lit. Furthermore, the projection control unit 33 may flash only the second and third images D3. In this way, the projection control unit 33 can make the first, second, and third images D3 as a whole flash in a specific pattern, or light or flash the first, second, and third images D3 in different patterns, thereby allowing the operator O to intuitively recognize the direction of the route, the relative positions of each image, and the like.

The projection control unit 33 also sets up a no-image space Q3 several meters ahead of the manned guided vehicle 1, and does not project onto the unmanned aerial vehicle 2a above the no-image space Q3. This is to prevent the operator O from concentrating his gaze downward and becoming unable to see what is ahead. In other words, by setting up the no-image space Q3, the projection control unit 33 directs the operator O's gaze forward, improving safety during operation. Note that as the manned guided vehicle 1 moves, the no-image space Q3 also moves with it, so the projection control unit 33 further stops the projection of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 that is now positioned above the no-image space Q3.

The voice control unit 34 controls the speaker 25 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 arranged above the image-free space Q3 to notify the operator O of either or both of the bend position and the loading position, as well as other information. The voice V to be notified may be, for example, "Turn left 15 m ahead", "Destination 30 m ahead", "Obstacles ahead. Be careful", etc. The voice V may be generated by appropriately combining "○ m", "Turn left ahead", "Destination ahead", "Obstacles ahead", and "Be careful" stored in the memory unit 23. The guidance system S can make the operator O more intuitively aware of the bend position, loading position, etc. by notifying them with these voices V.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the role of each unmanned aerial vehicle 2 arranged by the arrangement determination unit 32 will be described again. The two unmanned aerial vehicles 2a in front of the manned guided vehicle 1 do not project a guidance image D, but guide the manned guided vehicle 1 by sound V. The unmanned aerial vehicles 2b arranged between the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and the bending position, and between the bending position and the loading position, project a first image D1 to guide the manned guided vehicle 1. The unmanned aerial vehicles 2c and 2d arranged at the bending position and the loading position, respectively, project second and third images D2 and D3 to indicate the bending position and the loading position, respectively, to guide the manned guided vehicle 1. Note that when the manned guided vehicle 1 passes under the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 has completed its role, and may be arranged at a new guidance position by the management device 3, or may head to a specified location for charging.

By being equipped with the above configuration, the guidance system S allows the operator O to intuitively recognize the distance and direction to the loading position. Moreover, the guidance system S positions the unmanned aerial vehicles 2 at fixed distances Q1, thereby displaying the guidance image D on the road surface at fixed distances Q2, thereby improving the visibility of the operator O. Furthermore, the guidance system S can be operated without making any particular changes to the configuration of a conventional manned guided vehicle.

Although the guidance system S according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the guidance system S according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the above embodiment may be modified as follows, and may be implemented in combination with the following modified examples.

(1) As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the guidance system S may project simple round light images D4, D5, D6 or arrow light images D7, D8, D9 as guidance images D onto the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 instead of the first, second, and third images D1, D2, D3. In this case, the guidance system S may vary the size, color, and shape of the light images according to the bend position, loading position, and other positions on the route, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B. In Figures 4A and 4B, the light images D4 and D7 indicate the travel direction, the light images D5 and D8 indicate the bend position and travel direction, and the light images D6 and D9 indicate the loading position and placement position, respectively.

(2) The guidance system S may place the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 at the height of the placement position, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A. In this case, the placement determination unit 32 determines the placement position so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is placed at the height of the placement position. Alternatively, the guidance system S may place the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 along a straight line L connecting the height of the operator O's face and the height of the placement position, for example, as shown in FIG. 5B. In this case, the placement determination unit 32 determines the placement position so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is placed at a height along the straight line L. By placing the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 in this manner, the guidance system S can allow the operator O to intuitively recognize the height of the placement position.

When the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is positioned in this manner, the guidance system S is unable to allow the operator O to recognize the guidance image D when the placement position is low, as the guidance image D is blocked by the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. Therefore, the guidance system S may be configured so that the projection unit 24 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 can project the guidance image D downward and upward, and when the height of the placement position is equal to or lower than a predetermined height, the projection control unit 33 controls the projection unit 24 to project the guidance image D toward the ceiling, as shown in FIG. 6A. The predetermined height may be, for example, 0.5 m to 1 m. In this case, the operator O can recognize the route direction, bend position, and loading position from the guidance image D projected onto the ceiling, and can recognize the height of the placement position from the height H of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2.

Furthermore, in order to prevent the operator O's line of sight from turning upward and becoming unable to see what is ahead, the guidance system S may set the distance of the no-image space Q3 even longer when projecting toward the ceiling, as shown in FIG. 6B. In this case, for example, a line-of-sight recognition unit that recognizes the angle of the operator O's line of sight may be further provided, and the projection control unit 33 may be configured to adjust the distance of the no-image space Q3 based on the angle of the operator O's line of sight. The line-of-sight recognition unit has a camera, and the camera may be disposed, for example, on the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, the manned transport vehicle 1, or the shelf R. In addition, the projection control unit 33 determines the size of the light or image, or both, or the shape of the light or image, or both, depending on the projection target. In other words, the projection control unit 33 may make the size and shape of the guidance image D projected onto the ceiling different from when projecting it onto the road surface.

(3) The guidance system S may recognize the position of the manned guided vehicle 1 using a camera installed within the facility or a camera installed on the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. In this case, the manned guided vehicle 1 does not need to be equipped with a position recognition unit.

(4) The guidance system S may configure the guidance image D, for example, only with the first image D1, and allow the operator O to recognize the bending position and the loading position by flashing the first image D1 projected at the bending position and the loading position. Furthermore, the guidance system S may configure the sound V emitted by the speaker 25 with a buzzer, chime, etc., and notify the operator O of the bending position and the loading position by the sound V.

1 Manned guided vehicle 10 Vehicle body 11 Fork 12 Position detection unit 2 Unmanned aerial vehicle 20 Main body 21 Propeller 22 Flight control unit 23 Memory unit 24 Projection unit 25 Speaker 3 Management device 30 Memory unit 31 Route determination unit 32 Placement determination unit 33 Projection control unit 34 Voice control unit D1 First image D2 Second image D3 Third image H Hovering height L Straight line O Operator Q1 Horizontal distance between unmanned aerial vehicles Q2 Distance between guidance images Q3 Image-free space R Shelf S Guidance system V Voice W Load

Claims (12)

A plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles capable of hovering;
A manned transport vehicle,
A guidance system comprising:
The unmanned aerial vehicle has a projection unit that projects light or an image or both,
The management device includes:
A storage unit that stores a facility map and a loading/unloading position;
a route determination unit that determines a route for guiding the manned guided vehicle to the loading position based on a position of the manned guided vehicle, the loading position, and the facility map;
A placement determination unit that determines a placement position of each of the unmanned aerial vehicles on the determined route,
A guidance system characterized in that the multiple unmanned aerial vehicles hover at the deployment positions and project light, images, or both to guide the manned guided vehicle. The guidance system according to claim 1 , wherein the placement determination unit determines the placement positions so that horizontal distances between the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are constant. The guidance system according to claim 1 , wherein the placement determination unit determines the placement positions so that the heights of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are constant. The manned guided vehicle includes a plurality of vehicles,
2. The guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the route determination unit determines routes such that routes of the plurality of manned guided vehicles do not overlap each other. The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that the projection control unit causes the projection unit to project different colors of light or images depending on the bending position, the loading and unloading position, and other positions on the route. The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that the projection control unit causes the projection unit to project different sizes of light or images, or different shapes of light or images, depending on the bending position, the loading and unloading position, and other positions on the route. The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The guidance system according to claim 1 , wherein the projection control unit controls the plurality of projection units to project blinking lights continuously in a flowing manner. The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The guidance system according to claim 1 , wherein the projection control unit stops projection of the unmanned aerial vehicle when the unmanned aerial vehicle comes within a predetermined distance from the manned guided vehicle. The management device further includes a projection control unit,
The placement determination unit determines the placement position so that the unmanned aerial vehicle is placed at a height of a load placement position,
The projection unit is configured to be capable of projecting downward and upward,
The guidance system according to claim 1 , wherein the projection control unit causes the projection unit to project the image upward when the height of the placement position is equal to or lower than a predetermined height. The guidance system according to claim 9 , wherein the projection control unit determines a size of the light or the image, or both, or a shape of the light or the image, or both, depending on a projection target. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a speaker,
The management device further includes a voice control unit,
2. The guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the voice control unit causes a speaker to notify either or both of a bend position on the route and the loading and unloading position. The guidance system according to claim 11, characterized in that the voice control unit issues an alert through the speaker of the unmanned aerial vehicle that does not perform projection.

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