JP2015196600A - Material management system and transport robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To autonomously transport an object according to an instruction from a user.SOLUTION: An object management system comprises a transport robot 1002 and a shelf robot 1001. The transport robot 1002 comprises: an input interface 1022 for receiving a transport request from a user, which includes at least one of a request to transport an object received from the user to the shelf robot and a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user; a first communication circuit 1026 for sending a notification based on the transport request to the shelf robot 1001; and a movement mechanism 1028 for moving the transport robot 1002 to the shelf robot 1001. The shelf robot 1001 comprises: a second communication circuit 1046 for receiving the notification; and a conveyor mechanism 1048 for delivering the object associated with the transport request to and from the transport robot 1002.

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a system, an apparatus, and a control method for realizing a service for managing and transporting an object in a building.

  In recent years, a plurality of devices in a building are connected to a network, and it has become possible to control these devices using computing resources on the cloud. Convenience of life is improved by performing fine control according to the life state of the user. However, the management of things such as carrying things and putting things away often requires the user to move their hands, leaving room for improvement in convenience.

  On the other hand, autonomous mobile robots such as cleaning robots have become popular in the past few years. With the advent of home appliances that move around in the house, there is an increased possibility of providing users with new functions that cannot be realized with conventional home appliances. Recently, research on transport robots that take objects according to user's instructions using the ability to move autonomously has been made.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a robot that manages and carries an object. Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanism in which a shelf having a movable part moves a requested object to a discharge port and passes it to a transport robot.

JP 2004-231357 A

  The present disclosure provides a system that realizes the transportation and storage of objects more efficiently by reducing the burden of managing the objects and transporting the objects by the user.

  An object management system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a transport robot that transports an object and a shelf robot that stores the object. The transport robot sends a transport request including at least one of a request for transporting an object delivered from a user to the shelf robot and a request for transporting an object stored in the shelf robot to the user from the user. An input interface to receive, a first communication circuit that transmits a notification based on the transport request to the shelf robot after the input interface has received the transport request, and after the first communication circuit transmits the notification, A moving mechanism for moving the transport robot to the shelf robot. The shelf robot is configured to store a second communication circuit that receives the notification transmitted from the first communication circuit, and an object related to the transport request after the second communication circuit receives the notification. A conveyor mechanism that moves from a position to a delivery position with the transport robot, or receives an object related to the transport request from the transport robot and moves it to a predetermined storage position.

  The above aspect may be realized by a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium. Alternatively, it may be realized by any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

  According to this indication, according to a user's directions, what a conveyance robot requires can be conveyed autonomously. Thereby, comfortable and efficient conveyance of an object is realizable.

It is a figure showing the example of whole composition of the thing management system in an embodiment of this indication. (A) and (b) show an example of a request from a user, (c) shows a configuration example of a delivery port in a shelf robot, (d) shows an example in which an object is stored in a case, (E) has shown the example of a structure of the back surface of a shelf robot. It is a 1st figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a shelf robot. (A)-(c) has shown the process of moving articles | goods from one shelf to a delivery port. It is a 2nd figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a shelf robot. (A)-(c) has shown the process of moving articles | goods from one shelf to a delivery port. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a transport robot 1002 and a shelf robot 1001. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conveyance robot. It is a figure which shows an example of the information stored in request history DB. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a shelf robot 1001. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the information stored in storage thing information DB. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations of the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 when the transport time of the transport robot is longer than the discharge time of the shelf robot. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing operations of the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 when the transport time of the transport robot is shorter than the discharge time of the shelf robot. It is a flowchart which shows the process until the conveyance robot 1002 moves to a user's side, and receives a user's request | requirement. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the transport robot 1002 transmits a request from the user to the shelf robot 1001 and starts moving. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in which the shelf robot 1001 discharges an object in response to an instruction from the transport robot 1002. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation in which the transport robot 1002 moves to the shelf robot 1001, delivers an object, and returns to the user. It is a figure which shows an example of the kind of floor in the movement path | route of the conveyance robot 1002, and a movement path | route. It is a figure which shows the table which recorded the fluctuation | variation of the road surface, the presence or absence of another robot, and the presence or absence of another human or an animal for every kind of floor. It is a figure which shows that the risk of falling, the allowable vibration, the moving speed in the shelf robot 1001, and the moving speed of the transport robot 1002 differ depending on the transported object. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in which the movement route calculation part 1109 in the transport robot 1002 calculates movement time. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a discharge time calculation unit 1204 in the shelf robot 1001 calculates a discharge time. 10 is a flowchart showing processing for changing the internal arrangement of storage items in the shelf robot 1001, based on information indicating the position and state of the user acquired by the transport robot 1002. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the sensor apparatus 1300 provided in the exterior of the conveyance robot. It is a figure which shows the structural example in case some of the some shelves 1008 in the shelf robot 1001 are provided with the function which performs cooperation with a food processing or a delivery trader. It is a flowchart showing a process in which the transport robot 1002 transports an object to the shelf robot 1001 and the shelf robot 1001 stores the object in response to a request from the user. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of the function when managing valuables. It is a flowchart which shows the example of a process in the case of managing valuables. It is a figure which shows the example of a design of the conveyance robot. (A), (b) shows an example of a design having a storage area for placing an object to be transported, and (c), (d) shows an example of a design that can cover the storage area with a lid. ing. It is a figure which shows an example of the dimension of the conveyance robot. (A)-(d) is a front view, a left side view, a rear view, and a top view, respectively. It is a figure which shows the other example of the design of the conveyance robot. It is a figure which shows the structural example in the case of performing positioning of the conveyance robot 1002 at the time of article delivery using a dedicated sensor.

  Before describing specific embodiments of the present disclosure, an overview of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

  The present disclosure includes the object management system and the transport robot described in the following items.

[Item 1]
A transport robot that transports things,
A shelf robot to store things,
An object management system comprising:
The transport robot is
An input interface that accepts from the user a transportation request including at least one of a request to transport an object delivered from a user to the shelf robot and a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user;
A first communication circuit for transmitting a notification based on the transport request to the shelf robot after the input interface has received the transport request;
A movement mechanism for moving the transport robot to the shelf robot after the first communication circuit transmits the notification;
Have
The shelf robot is
A second communication circuit for receiving the notification transmitted from the first communication circuit;
After the second communication circuit receives the notification, the object related to the transport request is moved from the storage position of the object to the delivery position with the transport robot, or the object related to the transport request from the transport robot. A conveyor mechanism for receiving and moving to a predetermined storage position;
Having
Material management system.
[Item 2]
The transport robot further includes a first control circuit that controls the first communication circuit and the moving mechanism,
The shelf robot further includes a second control circuit for controlling the second communication circuit and the conveyor mechanism,
When the transport request includes a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user,
The one control circuit includes:
Causing the first communication circuit to transmit the notification;
The transport robot moves to the shelf robot, and after the object related to the transport request is passed from the shelf robot to the transport robot, the transport robot is controlled to move to the user,
The second control circuit controls the conveyor mechanism to move the object related to the transport request from the storage position to the delivery position after the second communication circuit receives the notification.
Item management system according to item 1.
[Item 3]
The first control circuit calculates a movement route and a movement time to the shelf robot,
The second control circuit calculates a delivery time required from the time when the second communication circuit receives the notification until the object related to the transport request is moved to the delivery position, and information indicating the delivery time is obtained. To the second communication circuit,
The first control circuit compares the movement time with the delivery time after the first communication circuit receives the information indicating the delivery time from the second communication circuit, and the movement time is the delivery time. The movement mechanism is controlled so as to delay the start of movement to the shelf robot by a time corresponding to the difference between the movement time and the delivery time.
Item management system according to item 2.
[Item 4]
The first control circuit causes the first communication circuit to transmit information indicating the travel time;
After the second communication circuit receives the information indicating the travel time, the second control circuit compares the travel time with the delivery time, and when the delivery time is shorter than the travel time, Controlling the conveyor mechanism to delay the start of movement of the object by a time corresponding to the difference between the movement time and the delivery time;
Item management system according to item 3.
[Item 5]
The shelf robot has at least one shelf having a function of processing stored items,
The second control circuit calculates the delivery time including the time required for processing the object when the object related to the transport request is stored in the shelf.
Item management system according to item 3 or 4.
[Item 6]
The first control circuit performs the movement of the transport robot based on map information in which an uneven state of a floor surface and presence / absence of a person, an animal, or another robot other than the user are recorded for each area of the floor surface. 6. The object management system according to any one of items 3 to 5, wherein a route and the moving speed are determined.
[Item 7]
Before the input interface accepts the transportation request, the first control circuit includes detection information output from a sensor that detects the state of the user, an object related to a past transportation request, and a user state at the time of the request. On the basis of the history information recording the correspondence relationship, and predicting an object that is required to be transported, causing the first communication circuit to transmit information about the predicted object,
The second communication circuit controls the conveyor mechanism so that when the second communication circuit receives information about the object, the object is moved in advance from the storage position to a position closer to the delivery position. To
Item management system in any one of item 2-6.
[Item 8]
8. The object management system according to item 7, wherein when the input interface receives the transport request, the first control circuit adds information related to the transport request and the state of the user to the history information.
[Item 9]
9. The object management system according to item 7 or 8, wherein the sensor is provided outside the transport robot and transmits the detection information to the transport robot.
[Item 10]
Item management system of item 7 or 8 in which said conveyance robot has said sensor.
[Item 11]
The shelf robot has a plurality of shelves including a delivery shelf having a structure that allows a carrier to take in and out of goods,
The conveyor mechanism moves, among the items stored on the plurality of shelves, a product whose frequency of the transportation request is lower than a predetermined frequency to the delivery shelf,
The second communication circuit transmits a delivery request to an external warehouse to the server of the carrier for the object.
Item management system in any one of items 1-10.
[Item 12]
When the transport request includes a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user,
The second control circuit controls the conveyor mechanism so as to pass the object to the transport robot only when a predetermined condition associated with the object is satisfied.
Item management system in any one of item 2-11.
[Item 13]
The predetermined condition is obtaining approval of a specific person other than the user,
The second control circuit inquires of the information device that the person has whether to permit the transportation request, and waits for the transportation robot while making the inquiry, in order to obtain the person's approval. To instruct
Item management system of item 12.
[Item 14]
The shelf robot is
A delivery port for delivering the object to and from the transport robot;
Multiple shelves to store things,
Have
The conveyor mechanism moves the object between one of the plurality of shelves and the delivery port;
Item management system in any one of item 1-13.
[Item 15]
A transport robot used in an object management system comprising a transport robot for transporting an object and a shelf robot for storing the object,
An input interface that receives from the user a transport request including a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user;
After the input interface accepts the transportation request, a notification based on the transportation request is transmitted to the shelf robot, and after the shelf robot receives the notification, an object related to the transportation request is delivered to the transportation robot. A communication circuit that receives information indicating a delivery time required to move to a position;
A movement mechanism for moving the transport robot to the shelf robot after the communication circuit transmits the notification;
A control circuit for controlling the communication circuit and the movement mechanism, calculating a movement route and a movement time to the shelf robot, comparing the movement time and the delivery time, and comparing the movement time with the delivery time. A control circuit that controls the moving mechanism so as to delay the start of movement to the shelf robot by a time according to the difference between the moving time and the delivery time,
A transport robot comprising:

  Hereinafter, more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment)
The present embodiment relates to an object management system in which a transport robot transports and manages an object in cooperation with a shelf robot in accordance with a user instruction.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the overall configuration of the object management system of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the object management system of this embodiment includes a shelf robot 1001 that stores objects and a transport robot 1002 that transports objects. The shelf robot 1001 has at least one area (referred to as “shelf”) for storing items in the housing and a transfer port 1003 for transferring items to and from the transport robot 1002. The transport robot 1002 receives a request for transporting an object from the user, moves to the shelf robot 1001, and delivers the object to and from the shelf robot 1001. As shown in FIG. 1A, the transport robot 1002 can transport items stored in the shelf robot 1001 to the user in response to a request from the user. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, an item received from the user can be transported to the shelf robot 1001 in response to a request from the user.

  FIG. 1C shows a configuration example of the delivery port 1003 in the shelf robot 1001. This delivery port 1003 enables delivery of objects to and from the transport robot 1002 using the belt mechanism 1010. The belt mechanism 1010 includes a belt, a roller and a motor (not shown), and can pass an object to the transport robot 1002 and receive an object from the transport robot 1002. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the belt mechanism 1010 delivers an object to and from the transport robot 1002 by inserting the belt into a cavity provided in the chest of the transport robot 1002.

  A mechanism for delivering an object between the shelf robot 1001 and the transport robot 1002 is not limited to the belt mechanism 1010. For example, the shelf robot 1001 or the transport robot 1002 may be configured to deliver an object using a hook or a manipulator (arm). Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 1D, a part or all of the objects may be stored in the tray 1011. By performing delivery in units of the tray 1011 having a fixed shape, it is possible to realize safe delivery of goods with a simple mechanism.

  FIG. 1E schematically shows an example of a mechanism on the back surface of the shelf robot 1001. In this example, the shelf robot 1001 has a rail 1005 on the back surface and an article moving device 1004 that moves on the rail 1005. Thereby, an object stored in the shelf can be moved to the delivery port 1003, an object can be moved from the delivery port 1003 to an arbitrary storage location, or the arrangement of the items in the storage location can be changed. it can. Other mechanisms such as a belt may be used instead of the rail as long as the movement of the article inside the shelf can be realized. The shelf robot 1001 may include a mechanism for moving the article to a place other than the back surface. In the present specification, a mechanism for moving an object in the shelf robot 1001 and delivering the object to and from the transport robot 1002 is referred to as a “conveyor mechanism”.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the operation of the conveyor mechanism on the back surface of the shelf robot 1001 in more detail. Here, an example using an article moving apparatus 1004 similar to the example of FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the shelf robot 1001 has 12 areas arranged in 3 rows and 4 columns, and one of them (2 rows and 4 columns) is a delivery port 1003. Eleven areas other than the delivery port 1003 are areas (shelves) for storing items. FIGS. 2A to 2C show, as an example, a process of moving an object (in this example, scissors) stored in the shelf 1008 in the first row and second column to the delivery port 1003 in the second row and fourth column. Is shown. 2A shows an initial state, FIG. 2B shows a moving state, and FIG. 2C shows a state where the movement is completed. In this manner, the article moving device 1004 can arbitrarily move the article between the plurality of shelves 1008 and the delivery port 1003.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view for explaining an example of an operation when an object is stored and stored in the tray 1011. FIGS. 3A to 3C show a process of moving the tray 1011 stored in the second row and second column shelf to the second row and fourth column delivery port 1003 as an example. 3A shows the initial state, FIG. 3B shows the moving state, and FIG. 3C shows the state where the movement is completed and the tray 1011 is about to be stored in the delivery port 1003. The article moving apparatus 1004 in this example moves the contents together with the tray. Thereby, it is realizable with a simpler mechanism than moving only articles | goods independently.

  In the above example, the shelf robot 1001 has 12 areas of 3 rows and 4 columns (11 shelves and one delivery port), but the number of areas and the manner of arrangement are arbitrary. The shelf robot 1001 only needs to have at least one region for storing things. Moreover, the delivery port 1003 does not need to be the same shape as another shelf. Instead of providing the delivery port 1003, a conveyor mechanism such as the article moving device 1004 may be configured to deliver an object directly to the transport robot 1002 or receive an object directly from the transport robot 1002.

  A transport robot 1002 shown in FIG. 1 has a voice recognition function. A request (hereinafter referred to as a “transport request”) related to transporting an object is received from the user 1006 by voice interaction with the user. When the transport robot 1002 accepts the transport request, the transport robot 1002 performs an operation of taking the requested object from the shelf robot 1001 or putting the object into the shelf robot 1001. The interaction with the user is not limited to voice, but may be performed by gesture recognition or a method that cooperates with an information terminal such as a smartphone. As a simpler mounting method, a method may be used in which a display is provided on the transport robot 1002, an article list is displayed thereon, and a user selects an article by touching a display location of the desired article. In this specification, such a component that receives a transportation request from a user is referred to as an “input interface”. The input interface may be, for example, a microphone that realizes voice recognition, a motion sensor that realizes gesture recognition, a communication interface with an information terminal such as a smartphone, or a display having a touch screen for displaying an article list.

  The transport request includes at least one of a request for transporting an object delivered from the user to the shelf robot 1001 and a request for transporting an object stored in the shelf robot 1001 to the user. Therefore, the transportation request may include both of the above two types of requests. In that case, the transport robot 1002 delivers an object delivered from the user to the shelf robot 1001 and receives an object related to the transport request from the shelf robot 1001 and delivers it to the user.

  Thus, this system implement | achieves the operation | movement which brings an object in accordance with a user's instruction | indication by cooperation with the shelf robot 1001 and the conveyance robot 1002.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the object management system of the present embodiment. Solid arrows in the figure represent the flow of electrical signals. The transport robot 1002 includes an input interface 1022 that receives a transport request from a user, a first communication circuit 1026 that communicates with the shelf robot 1001, a moving mechanism 1028 that moves the transport robot 1002, a first communication circuit 1026, and a moving mechanism 1028. And a first control circuit 1024 for controlling.

  The first communication circuit 1026 is a circuit that performs wireless communication with other devices such as the shelf robot 1001. The first communication circuit 1026 transmits a notification based on the transport request to the second communication circuit 1046 in the shelf robot 1001 after the input interface 1022 receives the transport request.

  The moving mechanism 1028 includes wheels and a motor, for example, and is configured to move the transport robot 1002. The moving mechanism 1028 moves the transport robot 1002 to the shelf robot 1001 after the notification is transmitted by the first communication circuit 1026. Note that “move to the shelf robot” means to move to a position where an object can be delivered to and from the shelf robot 1001. Therefore, when the delivery robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 are separated from each other, the delivery robot 1002 does not necessarily have to be moved to the vicinity of the shelf robot 1001. In this embodiment, the moving mechanism 1028 is a mechanism that moves the casing of the transport robot 1002 itself. However, the present invention is not limited to such a mechanism, and the moving mechanism 1028 itself may be configured to move separately from the main body to carry and transfer objects.

  The first control circuit 1024 is a processor that controls the operation of the transport robot 1002. The first control circuit 1024 can be realized by, for example, a combination of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory storing a program. Alternatively, a dedicated circuit configured to be able to execute various operations described later may be used. The first control circuit 1024 is electrically connected to other components and controls them.

  The shelf robot 1001 includes a second communication circuit 1046 that communicates with the first communication circuit 1026, a conveyor mechanism 1048 that moves objects within the housing, and a second control circuit 1044 that controls the second communication circuit 1046 and the conveyor mechanism 1048. have.

  The second communication circuit 1046 is a circuit that performs wireless communication with other devices such as the transport robot 1002. The second communication circuit 1046 is configured to receive a notification based on the transport request from the first communication circuit 1026.

  The conveyor mechanism 1048 is a drive mechanism that moves an object in the shelf robot 1001 as described above. The conveyor mechanism 1048 delivers an object related to the transportation request to and from the transportation robot 1002. That is, the object related to the transport request is moved from the storage position of the object to the delivery position with the transport robot 1002, or the object related to the transport request is received from the transport robot 1002 and moved to a predetermined storage position. Here, the “storage position” means a position where the article is stored before a transportation request is issued. In the present embodiment, the “storage position” is the position of the shelf in which the item is stored. The “delivery position” means a position where an object is delivered between the shelf robot 1001 and the transport robot 1002 and its vicinity. In the present embodiment, the “delivery position” is the position of the delivery port 1003. In the present embodiment, the fact that the conveyor mechanism 1048 moves the object related to the transport request to the delivery port 1003 is expressed as “discharge”.

  The second control circuit 1044 is a processor that controls the operation of the shelf robot 1001. Similar to the first control circuit 1044, the second control circuit 1044 can be realized by, for example, a combination of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory storing a program. Alternatively, a dedicated circuit configured to be able to execute various operations described later may be used. The second control circuit 1044 is electrically connected to other components and controls them.

  The transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 may include components other than those shown in FIG. For example, a recording medium (memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.) for recording various programs and databases, a display for displaying information about stored items, a component such as a camera or sensor for detecting the surrounding environment or user status Can be included.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a more specific configuration example of the transport robot 1002 in the present embodiment. The transport robot 1002 in this example includes a distance image sensor 1100, a speaker 1120, and a recording medium 1025 in addition to the components described above. The distance image sensor 1100 acquires three-dimensional shape information of the surrounding environment of the transport robot 1002. The recording medium 1025 stores a request history database (DB) 1103 for recording transportation request history information, and a home map database 1110 for storing home map information.

  The first control circuit 1024 includes a user position estimation unit 1101, a request reception unit 1102, a movement control unit 1105, a movement time comparison determination unit 1106, a self-position estimation unit 1107, a user behavior estimation unit 1108, and a movement route. And a calculation unit 1109. These functional units may be realized by physically separated circuit parts in the first control circuit 1024, or may be realized by the first control circuit 1024 executing a predetermined computer program.

  The user position estimation unit 1101 estimates the position of the user from information on the three-dimensional shape of the surrounding environment obtained from the distance image sensor 1100. Similarly, the self-position estimation unit 1107 estimates the position of the transport robot 1002 itself from the surrounding environment information and the in-home map information stored in the in-home map DB 1110. The user position estimation unit 1101 and the self-position estimation unit 1107 can grasp the positional relationship between the user and the transport robot 1002.

  The request reception unit 1102 stores, in the request history DB 1103, information related to the transportation request received from the user through voice interaction using the input interface 1022 including the microphone and the speaker 1120. More specifically, when receiving a transport request, the request receiving unit 1102 associates the situation at that time with the request content and stores the request in the request history DB 1103. When receiving a transportation request, the request reception unit 1102 causes the first communication circuit 1026 to transmit a notification based on the transportation request.

  The movement control unit 1105 moves the transport robot 1002 to a target position by controlling a moving mechanism 1028 including wheels and a motor. The movement control unit 1105 can be realized by, for example, a known motor driver. The movement route calculation unit 1109 calculates (estimates) the movement route from the home map information and the destination. When the transport request includes a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot 1001 to the user, the travel time comparison / determination unit 1106 determines the timing for starting the travel by the travel mechanism 1028. More specifically, a time (referred to as “delivery time” or “ejection time”) in which the shelf robot 1001 prepares and moves the object relating to the transport request to the delivery position (in this example, the position of the delivery port 1003). The time required for the transport robot 1002 to move to the shelf robot 1001 (referred to as “movement time”) is compared. When the travel time is shorter than the delivery time, the travel time comparison / determination unit 1106 moves the shelf robot 1001 only for a time corresponding to the difference between the travel time and the delivery time (typically, the same time as the difference). The movement control unit 1105 is instructed to delay the start. Thereby, the timing of movement of the moving mechanism 1028 is controlled. In order to realize such control, the movement time comparison determination unit 1106 acquires information indicating the delivery time from the shelf robot 1001 via the first communication circuit 1026. On the other hand, the moving time comparison / determination unit 1106 transmits information indicating the moving time to the shelf robot 1001 via the first communication circuit 1026 so that the same control can be executed by the shelf robot 1001.

  The in-home map information stored in the in-home map DB 1110 is a floor plan represented by two-dimensional coordinate values of floor plan of the home, information placed in the home room, and uneven surface information of the floor. Information associated with each area. The in-home map information may include information in which the uneven state of the floor and the presence or absence of a movable object such as a person other than the user, an animal such as a pet, or another robot are recorded for each area of the floor. Here, each area is one area when the entire floor is divided into a plurality of areas. The shape of each area can be, for example, a rectangular region having a side length of several centimeters to several meters. In order to achieve smooth movement, it is also possible to include three-dimensional information in the home map information. The home map can be created using a known method such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping). The uneven state of the floor surface can be detected using a vibration sensor (not shown), for example.

  Even if a map is not used, the self-position, the user position, and the shelf robot position can be grasped by the surrounding environment recognition by the distance image sensor 1100 or other sensors if the space is highly visible. It is also possible to move by setting an optimum route based on the detection results of these sensors. For example, a known method such as the A * method or the Dijkstra method can be used for setting the route. By applying the A * method, Dijkstra method, or the like to a region in the house excluding areas where movable objects and obstacles exist, the shortest route that can be safely transported can be estimated.

  The user behavior estimation unit 1108 estimates the user behavior from information on the user posture and the surrounding environment acquired by the distance image sensor 1100. The requested object and the movement of the user can be predicted according to the user's posture and the state of the user estimated from the surrounding environment. For example, from the distance image information acquired by the distance image sensor 1100, the user's state such as whether the user is standing, sitting or sleeping and whether the place is a living room or a kitchen It is possible to grasp the environment. The user behavior estimation unit 1108 estimates that an object requested in the past under the same condition is highly likely to be requested this time, and predicts an article that can be requested. By performing such prediction, it is possible to move to the user at a more comfortable timing, or to have the shelf robot 1001 prepare an object in advance.

  For example, before the input interface 1022 accepts a transportation request, the user behavior estimation unit 1108 correlates the detection information output from the distance image sensor 1100 with an object related to a past transportation request and the state of the user at the time of the request. Based on the history information recorded, the object required to be transported is predicted. Then, the information about the predicted object is transmitted to the first communication circuit 1026. As a result, it is possible to control the shelf robot 1001 so that an object expected to be requested in advance is brought close to the delivery port 1003.

  The object management system may include two or more shelf robots 1001. In that case, for efficient arrangement of objects, the objects may be moved in advance between the plurality of shelf robots by the transport robot 1002.

  Each time the request reception unit 1102 receives a transportation request, the request reception unit 1102 associates the user state estimated by the user behavior estimation unit 1108 with the request content and saves it in the request history DB 1103. As a result, the request history DB 1103 accumulates information related to the transportation request and the state of the user at the time of the request. When the user behavior estimation unit 1108 recognizes a state close to the user state stored in the request history DB, the request reception unit 1102 displays the content of the request made when the user state has been in the past in the shelf robot 1001. Notify The shelf robot 1001 can reduce the time for carrying the article to the delivery port 1003 by moving the notified product to the delivery port 1003 in advance.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table configuration of the request history DB. The request history DB in this example records the date and time when the transportation request is received, the location, the user's posture, and the requested article name. Information recorded in the request history DB may be different from that shown in FIG. For example, information for identifying a user may be added, or date and time information may be omitted. The position where the transport robot 1002 accepts the request and the position of the user may be separately recorded in detail.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a more detailed configuration of the shelf robot 1001. The shelf robot 1001 includes a recording medium 1045 in addition to the components shown in FIG. The recording medium 1045 stores a stored item information database (DB) 1207. The second control circuit 1044 includes a drive control unit 1203, a discharge time calculation unit 1204, a discharge time comparison / determination unit 1205, and a storage location management unit 1206. These functional units may be realized by physically separated circuit parts in the second control circuit 1044, or may be realized by the second control circuit 1044 executing a predetermined computer program.

  The second communication circuit 1201 receives a notification based on the transport request from the user transmitted from the transport robot 1002. At this time, information on the travel time estimated by the transport robot 1002 is also received. The discharge time calculation unit 1204 calculates the time (discharge time) required to move the object related to the transport request from the shelf 1008 to the delivery port 1203. The discharge time comparison / determination unit 1205 calculates the start time of the discharge operation by comparing the discharge time with the movement time of the transport robot 1002. The storage location management unit 1206 stores a storage location (for example, a shelf number) of an item in the shelf robot 1001, information for identifying an item (for example, an item name or an article code), and notes for storage (for example, “refrigerated storage”). )) In association with each other and recorded in the stored item information DB 1207.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table configuration of the stored item information DB. The stored item information DB 1206 in this example includes information on shelf numbers, article names, and notes at the time of storage. The information recorded in the stored item information DB may be different from that shown in FIG. For example, information such as the number of articles and fragility may be included.

  Next, operations of the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 will be described. First, an operation when the transport robot 1002 receives a request for transporting an object stored in the shelf robot 1001 to the user will be described. At this time, the operation start timing of each robot is adjusted based on the difference between the movement time of the transport robot 1002 and the discharge time of the shelf robot 1001.

  FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing operations of the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 in this case. Here, it is assumed that the movement time is longer than the discharge time.

  First, the transport robot 1002 receives an instruction from the user to pick up items stored in the shelf robot 1002 (step S1001). Then, the transport robot 1002 calculates the movement time required to reach the shelf robot 1001 from the current position (step S1002). Next, the transport robot 1002 sends information related to the article requested by the user to the shelf robot 1001 and inquires about the time required to discharge the object. At this time, information indicating the travel time calculated in step S1002 is also transmitted.

  When the shelf robot 1001 receives the transport request notification, the shelf robot 1001 calculates the discharge time (step S1003). Thereafter, information indicating the discharge time is transmitted to the transport robot. The transport robot 1002 compares the discharge time with its own travel time and calculates the time difference (step S1004). Similarly, the shelf robot 1001 also compares the movement time with its own discharge time and calculates the time difference.

  In this sequence example, the discharge time is longer than the movement time. For this reason, the transport robot 1002 stands by in the vicinity of the user for a time corresponding to the difference between these times. By keeping the transport robot 1002 as close to the user as possible for as long as possible, it is possible to quickly respond to user's mistakes and reconsideration. Furthermore, by staying near the user for a long time, it is possible to maintain a sufficiently high level of sound reaching the microphone. For this reason, the accuracy of voice recognition can be increased.

  While the transport robot 1002 waits, the shelf robot 1001 starts a discharge process for moving an object from the shelf 1008 to the delivery port 1003 (step S1005). The transport robot 1002 starts to move when a standby time obtained by subtracting the travel time of the transport robot 1002 from the discharge time has elapsed (step S1006). As a result, the delivery of the shelf robot 1002 is completed and the delivery robot 1002 arrives in front of the delivery port almost simultaneously with preparation for delivery. When the transport robot 1002 arrives, delivery of the article is performed (step S1007). When receiving the article, the transport robot 1002 starts moving again and delivers the article to the user (step S1008).

  In this way, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the operating time of the shelf robot 1001 and the operating time of the transport robot 1002 are communicated with each other, and the transport robot 1002 is as close to the user as much as possible for the time corresponding to the difference between these times. Stay long. Thereby, a change of a user's request | requirement can be responded | swiftly and the convenience can be improved.

  FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram when the discharge time is shorter than the movement time. Description of matters common to FIG. 9 is omitted. In this example, since the discharge time is shorter than the movement time, the shelf robot 1001 waits for a time corresponding to the difference between these times. That is, the discharge start timing (S1005) of the shelf robot 1001 is later than the movement start timing (S1006) of the transport robot 1002. If the waiting time is made to coincide with the difference between the movement time and the discharge time, the discharge of the shelf robot 1002 is completed almost simultaneously with the arrival of the transport robot 1002 in front of the transfer port 1003.

  As described above, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the operation time of the shelf robot 1001 and the operation time of the transport robot 1002 are communicated with each other, and the shelf robot 1001 starts the discharge process for a time corresponding to the difference between these times. Delay. Thereby, since the notification of the request | requirement from the conveyance robot 1002 can be received as long as possible, the convenience can be improved. Furthermore, when there is a change or cancellation request of an item to be transported from the user while the shelf robot 1001 is on standby, unnecessary operations can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of damage accompanying the movement of the article and the waste of power consumption.

  Next, more detailed operations of the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing until the transport robot 1002 moves near the user and accepts the user's request. Hereinafter, the operation of each step will be described in order.

  (S1101) The user position estimation unit 1101 acquires the position information of the user based on the information output from the distance image sensor 1100. Here, instead of using the distance image sensor 1100, a sensor or a camera provided outside the transport robot 1002 may be used. For example, user position information can be acquired from a sensor provided on a wall surface, a wearable device of a user, a smartphone sensor, a camera mounted on a television, or the like. In that case, the transport robot 1002 receives and uses user position information from such an external sensor.

  (S1102) The self-position estimation part 1107 estimates a self-position from the in-home map information and the surrounding environment information (for example, point cloud) acquired from the sensor. A known technique such as the above-mentioned SLAM can be used for estimation of the position of itself.

  (S1103) The movement route calculation unit 1109 calculates a standby location from the map and the position information of the user, and compares it with its own position. If the position information based on the comparison result is substantially the same position, the process waits on the spot and proceeds to step S1105. If the position information according to the comparison results is different, the process proceeds to step S1104.

  (S1104) The movement route calculation unit 1109 calculates the movement route to the standby location, and the movement control unit 1105 instructs the movement mechanism 1028 to move to the standby location. As described above, the route search algorithm such as the A * method or the Dijkstra method can be used for calculating the movement route.

  (S1105) The input interface 1022 waits for a transportation request from the user. At this time, interaction with the user can be performed by cooperating with a voice recognition means, a gesture, a smartphone, or the like (remote controller). If there is no request, the process returns to step S1101 to adjust its own position. If there is a request, the process proceeds to step S1106.

  (S1106) The request reception unit 1102 determines whether the received request is a request for bringing an object or a request for storing an object. In the case of a request to store an object, the process proceeds to A1 shown in FIG. In the case of a request to bring an object, the process proceeds to step S1107.

  (S1107) The request receiving unit 1102 confirms the location of the requested object by inquiring the shelf robot 1001. The shelf robot 1001 refers to the stored item information DB 1207, confirms the presence or absence of the requested item, and notifies the transport robot 1002 of the result. At this time, instead of using the stored item information DB 1207, a common storage on the cloud may be used, or the processing may be simplified by having the transport robot 1002 have a copy of the management information inside. If the location cannot be confirmed, the process proceeds to step S1108.

  (S1108) The request reception unit 1102 notifies the user via the speaker 1120 that the shelf robot 1001 does not store the requested object. This notification may be not only a voice notification using the speaker 1120 but also a character notification using a display.

  If the location of the requested object can be confirmed in step S1107, the process is terminated, and the process proceeds to the process shown in FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating processing in which the transport robot 1002 transmits a request from the user to the shelf robot 1001 and starts moving. Hereinafter, the operation of each step will be described in order.

  (S1201) The request reception unit 1102 stores information indicating the user request content in the request history DB 1103. The information stored here may be information indicating the ID, the name of the requested object, the position where the request is received, the position of the user, and the state of the user, for example.

  (S1202) The movement route calculation unit 1109 calculates a movement route from the self position information and the position information of the shelf robot 1001 on the map. As described above, the route search algorithm such as the A * method or the Dijkstra method can be used for calculating the movement route.

  (S1203) The travel time comparison / determination unit 1106 calculates the travel time based on the calculated travel route. At this time, the travel time may be calculated on the assumption that the travel speed is constant, or the travel time may be calculated assuming different travel speeds depending on the situation. For example, the moving speed may be changed according to the characteristics of the floor surface on the route, or the moving speed may be changed according to the fragility of the object being transported.

  (S1204) The first communication circuit 1026 notifies the shelf robot 1001 of information indicating the request contents and information indicating the movement time.

  (S1205) The first communication circuit 1026 waits for the discharge time information from the shelf robot 1001. If there is no contact, the standby is continued, and if information is received, the process proceeds to step S1206.

  (S1206) The movement time comparison / determination unit 1106 compares the discharge time with its own movement time, and determines whether the movement time is equal to or longer than the discharge time (movement time ≧ discharge time). If the determination result is YES, the process proceeds to step S1208, and if the determination result is NO, the process proceeds to step S1207.

  (S1207) The transport robot 1002 stands by without moving for a time corresponding to the difference between the moving time and the discharging time (discharge time−moving time), and waits for a further request from the user. At this time, the user may be notified that the request has been received normally. For example, a mark indicating that the shelf robot 1001 is in operation may be displayed on the display, or a sound indicating completion of reception may be output from a speaker. Thereby, the user's anxiety about whether the reception of the request has been normally performed can be eliminated. If there is no further request in step S1207, the process proceeds to step S1208. If there is a request, the process proceeds to B1 shown in FIG. When receiving a new request, the transport robot 1002 updates the previous request with the new request. The new request may be a cancellation request. When a new request is issued, the shelf robot 1001 stops the operation started by the previous request and starts an operation for satisfying the new request.

  (S1208) The moving mechanism 1028 starts moving toward the shelf robot 1001. The movement is performed according to the route calculated by the movement route calculation unit 1109. The moving speed may be changed according to the state of the floor and the characteristics of the object to be transported.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in which the shelf robot 1001 discharges an object in response to an instruction from the transport robot 1002. Hereinafter, the operation of each step will be described in order.

  (S1301) The second communication circuit 1046 waits for a notification from the transport robot 1002 (information related to the user's transport request and travel time). When there is no notification, the standby is continued, and when the notification is received, the process proceeds to step S1302.

  (S1302) The discharge time calculation unit 1204 calculates the movement route from the place of the article requested by the user to the delivery port 1003 in the shelf robot 1001, and calculates the time required for discharge, that is, the discharge time. The location of the requested article can be specified from the information stored in the stored item information DB 1207. The discharge time can be calculated from the distance from the requested article location to the delivery port 1003 and the moving speed of the conveyor mechanism 1048. The speed of movement can be determined according to the required property of the article (risk of falling or tilting, etc.).

  (S1303) The discharge time comparison / determination unit 1205 compares the discharge time with the movement time of the transport robot 1002, and determines whether or not the discharge time is equal to or longer than the movement time (movement time ≦ discharge time). If the determination result is YES, the process moves to step S1305. If the determination result is NO, the process proceeds to step S1304.

  (S1304) The shelf robot 1001 stands by without moving for a time corresponding to the difference between the movement time and the discharge time (movement time-discharge time), and waits for a further request from the transport robot 1002. If there is a request, the process proceeds to B2, and the process of step S1302 is executed again. If there is no request and the time elapses, the process proceeds to step S1305.

  (S1305) The drive control unit 1202 and the conveyor mechanism 1048 move the object to the delivery port 1003.

  As described above, when the discharge time of the shelf robot 1001 is shorter than the movement time of the transport robot 1002, the shelf robot 1001 waits for the start of processing for a time corresponding to the difference between the movement time and the discharge time. Thereby, there exists an effect that it can respond quickly to a change and cancellation of a user's demand. Furthermore, since useless operation can be prevented, the safety of the article can be ensured and the power consumption can be reduced.

  Note that the standby time in the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 does not need to exactly match the difference between the movement time and the discharge time. An arbitrary waiting time can be set as appropriate according to the difference between these times. Communication between the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 may be performed directly using a communication method such as a wireless LAN, or may be performed via a cloud server on the Internet. Such a cloud server may store at least one of the request history DB 1103, the home map DB 1110, and the stored item information DB 1207.

  In this embodiment, both the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 perform time comparison and standby determination, but only one of the robots may perform these processes.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an operation in which the transport robot 1002 moves to the shelf robot 1001, delivers an object, and returns to the user. Hereinafter, each step will be described in order.

  (S1401) The transport robot 1002 moves toward the shelf robot 1001. At this time, the transport robot 1002 moves on the route determined by the movement route calculation unit 1109. The route may be changed by detecting a change in state on the route during movement.

  (S1402) The shelf robot 1001 determines whether the transport robot 1002 has arrived in front of the transfer port 1003. This determination can be performed by, for example, a sensor (not shown) included in the shelf robot 1001. When the sensor detects that the transport robot 1002 is in front of the transfer port 1003, it is determined that it has arrived. If the transport robot 1002 has not arrived, the transport robot 1002 continues to move and the shelf robot 1001 continues to detect. If the transport robot 1002 has arrived, the process proceeds to step S1403.

  (S1403) The transport robot 1002 determines whether the ejection of the shelf robot 1001 has been completed. This determination can be made, for example, when the distance image sensor 1100 detects that an object is present at the transfer port 1003. If the ejection has not been completed, the transport robot 1002 stands by on the spot. If the ejection has been completed, the process proceeds to step S1404.

  (S1404) The conveyor mechanism 1048 moves the object to the transport robot 1002. The transport robot 1002 detects that an object has been placed in its own delivery port (in the example illustrated in FIG. 1, a cavity provided in the chest of the transport robot 1002), for example, by a sensor (not illustrated). Such a sensor can be, for example, an infrared sensor, an image sensor, or a weight sensor.

  (S1405) The transport robot 1002 moves near the user. The route at this time may be the same as the route when moving to the shelf robot 1001 or may be different. Since there is a possibility that the position of the moving object or the user is different from when moving to the shelf robot 1001, more reliable operation can be realized if the movement route is searched again.

  (S1406) When the transport robot 1002 reaches the vicinity of the user, the transport robot 1002 notifies the user of the arrival. This notification can be done, for example, by voice or sound from a speaker, or light from a display or indicator.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the confusion caused by the interaction with the user as much as possible, and to realize the transportation of the object using time effectively.

  Then, the example of the calculation method of the movement time by the conveyance robot 1002 is demonstrated.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the movement route of the transport robot 1002 and the type of floor (tatami mat, flooring, carpet, etc.) in the movement route. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a table that records road surface fluctuations, presence / absence of other robots, and presence / absence of other humans or animals for each type of floor. The transport robot 1002 accumulates information as shown in FIG. 16 together with the above-described home map. The transport robot 1002 improves the calculation accuracy of the travel time by combining such information and the surrounding environment recognition. Movement time calculation is hindered by differences in floor patterns and road fluctuation patterns, the presence of animals such as pets and other people in the vicinity, and the presence of other robots in the vicinity. Consider the possibilities. In particular, it is necessary to consider the risk of falls and vibrations of objects being transported that are generated by objects moving around.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating that the risk of falling, the allowable vibration, the moving speed in the shelf robot 1001 and the moving speed of the transport robot 1002 differ depending on the transported object. In the example shown in the figure, scissors and mobile phones have a relatively high risk of falling, so that allowable vibration is large. Since the cup has a moderate risk of falling, the allowable vibration is also moderate. Since beer has a high risk of falling, the allowable vibration is small. Such information is stored in the recording medium 1025 as a list for each article.

  Thus, the fall risk and allowable vibration during movement differ depending on the type of the object. Therefore, the transport robot 1002 and the shelf robot 1001 change the calculation of the moving speed depending on the relationship between the object related to the transport and the surrounding environment such as the fluctuation of the road surface and the presence or absence of the moving object shown in FIG.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in which the movement route calculation unit 1109 in the transport robot 1002 calculates the movement time. Hereinafter, each process will be described in order.

  (S1501) Information on the risk of the object toppling over and information on allowable vibrations are acquired from the list.

  (S1502) Information on the pattern of the floor surface in the route is acquired from the route information and the floor surface information on the map.

  (S1503) The speed for each floor pattern on the path is calculated from the pattern of the floor, the presence or absence of people, animals, and other robots on the path, and the information on the risk of tipping over the object and allowable vibration. And determine the travel time.

Hereinafter, an example of a calculation formula for determining the moving speed will be described. In the present embodiment, first, a deceleration parameter K determined by an object to be transported and the surrounding environment is obtained, and a moving speed is determined by multiplying a predetermined maximum speed by an inverse number of the deceleration parameter K. That is, the moving speed is determined by the following equation.
Movement speed = Maximum speed x 1 / K

The deceleration parameter K is determined by the following equation.
Deceleration parameter (K)
= 1 + Presence of other robots × Risk of falling
＋ Existence of other humans and animals × Risk of falls
+ Floor fluctuation x Allowable vibration

  Here, each of the risk of falling, allowable vibration, and road surface fluctuation is represented by, for example, three levels (large, medium, and small), 2 for “large”, 1 for “medium”, If “small”, 0 is substituted. The presence / absence of other robots and the presence / absence of other humans / animals are assigned 1 if “present” and 0 if “not”. The travel time is calculated by dividing the travel distance by the travel speed.

  In this way, by adjusting the degree of deceleration from the maximum speed according to the transported object and the surrounding environment, the object can be transported to the user safely and at high speed. Further, the travel time and the effective standby time can be calculated based on the travel speed calculated in this way.

  The method for calculating the moving speed is not limited to the above method. For example, the deceleration parameter can be calculated using a calculation formula different from the above. Alternatively, the movement speed may be determined with reference to a table that defines the correspondence between the movement speed and the conditions of the surrounding environment.

  FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the discharge time calculation unit 1204 in the shelf robot 1001 calculates the discharge time. Hereinafter, each process will be described in order.

  (S1601) Information on the risk of falling of an object and allowable vibration is acquired from the list. Information on this list may be acquired from the transport robot 1002 or may be stored in the recording medium 1045 of the shelf robot 1001.

  (S1602) The route in the shelf robot 1001 is determined. This route may be, for example, a straight route from the storage position of the object related to the transport request to the delivery port 1003. When the conveyor mechanism 1048 has a structure that can move only in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction at a time, it may be the sum of the horizontal distance and the vertical distance from the storage position to the transfer port 1003. The method for determining the route in the shelf robot 1001 is not limited to a specific method.

(S1603) From the information on the risk of the object toppling and the allowable vibration, the moving speed is calculated by a predetermined formula and the discharge time is calculated. The moving speed can be determined, for example, by a value obtained by multiplying a predetermined maximum speed by the inverse of the deceleration parameter K. That is, the moving speed is determined by the following equation.
Movement speed = Maximum speed x 1 / K

The deceleration parameter K in this case can be calculated by the following equation, for example.
Deceleration parameter (K)
= 1 + 1 x risk of falling
+ 0.5 × allowable vibration

  Here, the “risk of falling” and “allowable vibration” may be numerical values such as large = 2, medium = 1, and small = 0 as described above. However, the method for determining the moving speed in the shelf robot 1001 is not limited to this example.

  Thus, by determining the moving speed of the object in the shelf robot 1001 in consideration of the risk of the object falling and the allowable vibration, the object can be moved safely and at high speed. An effective standby time can be calculated by estimating the discharge time based on the moving speed thus determined.

  Next, an operation for preliminarily arranging the stored items in the shelf robot 1001 in a preferable state according to the user's state will be described. This operation can be performed before a transport request is received from the user (for example, when the transport robot 1002 reaches the vicinity of the user in response to a call from the user).

  FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a process of changing the internal arrangement of the stored items in the shelf robot 1001 based on information indicating the position and state of the user acquired by the transport robot 1002. Hereinafter, each step will be described in order.

  (S1701) The user position estimation unit 1101 estimates the position of the user based on the information acquired from the distance image sensor 1100.

  (S1702) The user behavior estimation unit 1108 estimates the user state based on information indicating the user state (posture, facial expression, etc.) obtained from the distance image sensor 1100 and the user position information.

  (S1703) The request reception unit 1102 extracts similar conditions from the request history DB 1103 based on the user location information, time, and information indicating the user status.

  (S1704) The user behavior estimation unit 1108 determines whether there is a similar condition. If there is no similar condition, the process ends, and if there is, the process proceeds to step S1705.

  (S1705) The user behavior estimation unit 1108 extracts objects with similar conditions. Here, when there are a plurality of objects with similar conditions, all of these objects may be targeted for notification, or only the most frequent objects may be targeted for notification.

  (S1706) The request receiving unit 1102 moves the object under similar conditions to the storage location with a short discharge time, that is, the storage location closer to the delivery port 1003, with respect to the shelf robot 1001 via the first communication circuit 1026. Notify you.

  (S1707) The shelf robot 1001 moves the object related to the notification to a storage place with a short discharge time. The destination storage location can be selected from, for example, a shelf closest to the delivery port 1003 among the shelves that do not yet store the object.

  With the above operation, when the object moved near the delivery port 1003 is actually requested by the user, it can be quickly moved to the delivery port 1003. Thereby, the whole operation time can be shortened.

  In this embodiment, the transport robot 1002 includes the distance image sensor 1303. However, such a sensor may be provided outside the transport robot 1002. Hereinafter, such a configuration example will be described.

  FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a sensor device 1300 (hereinafter, also referred to as “environment side sensor”) provided outside the transport robot 1002. Such an environment side sensor 1300 can be installed on a wall surface or a ceiling, for example, or can be incorporated as a part of the shelf robot 1001. The environment side sensor 1300 replaces or supplements the sensor function of the transport robot 1002 itself.

  An environment side sensor 1300 shown in FIG. 21 includes a distance image sensor 1303, a communication circuit 1302, and a control circuit 1301. The control circuit 1301 includes a user position estimation unit 1304 and a user state estimation unit 1305. The user position estimating unit 1304 estimates the position of the user from the map information acquired via the communication circuit 1302 and the distance image information acquired from the distance image sensor 1303. Then, the user position information is transmitted to the transport robot 1002 via the communication circuit 1302. The user state estimation unit 1305 estimates the user state from the distance image information acquired from the distance image sensor 1303. Then, information indicating the estimated user state is transmitted to the transport robot 1002 via the communication circuit 1302.

  Even with such a configuration, it is possible to predict the user's behavior and prepare the object in advance by estimating the user's state and transmitting the information to the transport robot 1002. Note that another type of sensor such as an image sensor or a laser range finder may be used instead of the distance image sensor 1303.

  Next, a configuration example in the case where the shelf robot 1001 has a function of processing stored items (mainly food) or cooperating with a carrier (delivery company) will be described.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in a case where some of the plurality of shelves 1008 in the shelf robot 1001 have a function of processing food or linking with a delivery company. In this example, the shelf robot 1001 has 20 areas of 4 rows and 5 columns, 19 of which are the shelves 1008 and 1 is the transfer port 1003.

  In this example, the second row and the first column are shelves for courier reception, and the second row and the second column are shelves for courier delivery. These two shelves can be opened and closed at the back, and a delivery company can deliver a courier and collect goods. In order to realize such a function, the shelf robot 1001 can be installed in a house wall, for example. The shelf robot 1001 used for such an application has a relatively large size (for example, the horizontal and vertical lengths are about 1 m to several m). Such a shelf can be used not only for home delivery but also for a service for transporting and storing items held by a user to an external warehouse such as a rental warehouse. For example, if a user places an item to be sent to an external warehouse on a delivery shelf, the delivery company can take out the product from the shelf at a predetermined timing and carry it to the warehouse for storage. The shelf robot 1001 may be configured to collect storage items that have not been used for a long period of time on a delivery shelf and automatically request delivery to a delivery company. In such a form, the conveyor mechanism 1048 moves, in a plurality of shelves 1008, a thing that is less frequently than a predetermined frequency to a delivery shelf in advance. The 2nd communication circuit 1046 transmits the delivery request to an external warehouse to the server (computer) of a carrier about the thing. Based on the delivery request that has arrived at the server, the carrier goes to the user's home to collect the goods, and transports the item related to the delivery request to the external warehouse. If the goods are moved between shelves at a time when there are few requests from the user, it is efficient.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 22, the shelf robot 1001 also includes a shelf (third row and second column) that has a function of heating stored items by a microwave oven, and a shelf (third row and third column) that has a function of refrigerated stored items. . Thus, the shelf robot 1001 may have a shelf having a function of heating or refrigeration of food and drink. In this specification, changing the state of the contents such as temperature and pressure by a process including heating or refrigeration is referred to as “processing”.

  In such a shelf robot 1001, the second control circuit 1044 estimates the above-described delivery time (or discharge time) by adding the time required for processing the stored item to the movement time. At this time, the time required for preparing an object varies depending on each function. For example, the set time for heating the microwave oven and the cooling time for the refrigerator vary depending on the requested article. For this reason, the shelf robot 1001 determines the time to be added according to the processing content. When the shelf is a refrigerator, the opening / closing time of the door is added to the processing time.

  Next, an operation in which the transport robot 1002 transports an object to the shelf robot 1001 will be described.

  FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the transport robot 1002 transports an object to the shelf robot 1001 and the shelf robot 1001 stores the object in response to a request from the user. This flowchart shows processing subsequent to A1 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, each process will be described in order.

  (S1801) The first control circuit 1024 in the transport robot 1002 recognizes an object related to the transport request based on the distance information (3D data) and the image information acquired by the distance image sensor 1100. The transport robot 1002 may recognize an object related to the transport request in a state where the user holds the object, or may recognize the object after the object is put in the storage area of the transport robot 1002. The first control circuit 1024 collates the item related to the transport request with the information on the stored item stored in the stored item information DB 1007 in the shelf robot 1001.

  (S1802) The first control circuit 1024 determines whether or not the article name has been acquired with an estimated accuracy of 50% or more as a result of the collation. If the estimation accuracy is 50% or more, the process proceeds to step S1806 for storage. If the estimation accuracy is less than 50%, the process proceeds to step S1803. Here, the determination is based on whether the estimation accuracy is 50% or more, but this is an example. For example, the determination may be made based on whether the estimation accuracy is 70% or more.

  (S1803) The first control circuit 1024 queries the user and acquires the name of the object. For example, the user is inquired about the name of the object by voice or display on a display. The user inputs the name of the object to the transport robot 1002 by a method such as voice, character input, or selection from the displayed candidates.

  (S1804) The first control circuit 1024 determines whether or not the input article name matches the article name registered in the stored item information DB 1007. If it is determined that it matches the registered article, the process proceeds to step S1806. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1805.

  (S1805) The first control circuit 1024 instructs the shelf robot 1001 to register the article relating to the transport request as a new article in the stored item information DB 1007. In response to this, the second control circuit 1044 in the shelf robot 1001 adds information on the article to the stored item information DB 1007.

  (S 1806) The transport robot 1002 moves to the shelf robot 1001.

  (S1807) The shelf robot 1001 receives an object from the transport robot 1002.

  FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining an example of functions when managing valuables. As shown in FIG. 24, when the shelf robot 1001 manages valuables such as a passbook, information indicating that may be managed as a flag. Specifically, a flag indicating whether the stored item is valuable or not may be recorded in the stored item information DB 1207. In particular, there are cases where valuables such as bankbooks should be made available only when the consent of the family is obtained. The transport robot 1002 may have a function of making an inquiry such as “Is it really okay?” Even if it does not require the consent of the family.

  FIG. 25 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing when managing valuables. Hereinafter, each process will be described in order.

  (S1901) The 2nd control circuit 1044 in the shelf robot 1001 confirms whether the thing which concerns on the conveyance request from a user is registered as a valuable. If it is not registered as a valuable item, the process advances to step S1905. If it is registered as a valuable item, the process proceeds to step S1902.

  (S1902) When the second control circuit 1044 notifies the transport robot 1002 of the discharge time, it notifies the waiting for communication. Receiving this notification, the transport robot 1002 does not start moving and stands by on the spot.

  (S1903) The second control circuit 1044 contacts a person other than the user designated in advance (in this example, a relative) and waits for a reply. This communication is performed by inquiring whether or not the transportation request is permitted to the information device owned by the person. If there is no reply, the system waits for a certain period of time, and the process is interrupted after the time has elapsed. If there is a reply, the process proceeds to step S1904.

  (S1904) The second control circuit 1044 confirms a reply from the relative. If the reply content is permitted, the process proceeds to step S1905. If the reply is rejected, the process is terminated.

  (S1904) The transport robot 1002 is notified that the approval has been obtained, and the process of moving to the shelf robot 1001 to transport the object to the user is continued.

  In this way, when the user requests removal of valuables, the transport robot 1001 waits until approval is obtained from a person other than the user. As a result, it is possible to prevent damage when an elderly person or the like is fraudulent and trying to take out valuables. Furthermore, in such a case, since the transport robot 1002 is long on the user side for the time required for inquiries to the family, etc., it is possible to respond quickly to changes in the user's request content, cancellation of the request, etc. Is possible.

  In the above example, the second control circuit 1044 controls the conveyor mechanism 1048 to deliver an object to the transport robot 1002 only when approval is obtained from a specific person other than the user. Such control may be performed based on other conditions. For example, in the form in which the transport robot 1002 makes an inquiry such as “Is it really okay?” By voice or display on the display in response to the transport request, the conveyor mechanism only when the user instructs the final determination of the transport request. 1048 may be driven. In this way, the second control circuit 1044 can control the conveyor mechanism 1048 to deliver the item to the transport robot 1002 only if certain conditions associated with the requested item are met.

  Next, an example of the design of the transport robot 1002 will be described.

  FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example of the design of the transport robot 1002. FIGS. 26A and 26B show examples of designs having a storage area for placing an object to be transported. FIGS. 26C and 26D show examples of designs that can cover the storage area with a lid. As in these examples, when not transporting an object, it is possible to cover the part into which the object is placed with a lid. These examples of the transport robot 1002 have an eye portion, and a sensor is mounted therein, and distance image sensing can be performed. It is also possible for a human to move the transport robot 1002 itself by a handle attached to the head.

  FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an example of dimensions of the transport robot 1002. FIGS. 27A to 27D are a front view, a left side view, a rear view, and a top view, respectively. The broken lines in FIGS. 27B and 27D indicate the position of the storage area. In this example, the diameter of the bottom surface is set to 30 cm so as not to disturb the house. The height is set so that when the user is sitting, it is easy to deliver and interact with objects. The lower height of the storage area is set to 45 cm, and the overall height is set to 85 cm. A portion (height 8 cm) in which the wheel is built is provided at the lower part of the housing. The shape when the storage area is viewed from the front is 20 cm square. These dimensions are examples, and the dimensions are not limited to this example.

  FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating another example of the design of the transport robot 1002. As in this example, it is also possible to design so that the transport robot 1002 is rounded so as to have a sense of familiarity. In the design example of FIG. 28, when the transport robot 1002 is viewed from the side, the ratio of the length of the lower side to the length of the upper side of the portion (storage unit) that stores the transported material is larger than that of the example of FIG. . With such a design, when the user looks into the storage unit from a position higher than the storage unit, it is easy to see what is in the storage unit. It is also easy to take out what is contained in the storage unit from a position higher than the storage unit. Here, when the shelf robot 1001 delivers the article stored in the shelf robot 1001 to the transport robot 1002, it is assumed that the article itself is delivered. On the other hand, it is also assumed that a box containing an article is stored in each shelf in the shelf robot 1001 and the box containing the article is passed to the transport robot 1002. In particular, when a box containing an article is delivered to the transport robot 1002, the ratio of the length of the lower side to the length of the upper side of the part for storing the transported object as shown in FIG. It becomes easy to transfer from the shelf robot 1001 to the transport robot 1002.

  FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in the case of positioning the transport robot 1002 at the time of article delivery using a dedicated sensor. The shelf robot 1001 in this example includes a transmitter 1401 that emits infrared light in the vicinity of the delivery port 1003. By capturing the infrared rays generated by the transmitter 1401 with a sensor mounted on the transport robot 1002, it is easy to perform accurate positioning.

  According to the system of this indication, according to a user's directions, since a conveyance robot can carry a thing to a shelf robot or a thing from a shelf robot to a user, the convenience of a user's home life increases.

1001 Shelf robot 1002 Transport robot 1003 Delivery port 1004 Article moving device 1005 Rail 1006 User 1008 Shelf 1010 Belt mechanism 1011 Tray 1022 Input interface 1024 First control circuit 1025 Recording medium 1026 First communication circuit 1028 Moving mechanism 1044 Second control circuit 1045 Recording Medium 1046 Second communication circuit 1048 Conveyor mechanism 1100 Distance image sensor 1101 User position estimation unit 1102 Request reception unit 1103 Request history DB
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1105 Movement control part 1106 Movement time comparison determination part 1107 Self-position estimation part 1108 User action estimation part 1109 Movement route calculation part 1110 Home map DB
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1120 Speaker 1202 Drive control part 1204 Discharge time calculation part 1205 Discharge time comparison determination part 1206 Storage location management part 1207 Storage thing information DB
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1300 Environment side sensor 1301 Control circuit 1302 Communication circuit 1303 Distance image sensor 1304 User position estimation part 1305 User state estimation part 1401 Transmitter

Claims (15)

A transport robot that transports things,
A shelf robot to store things,
An object management system comprising:
The transport robot is
An input interface that accepts from the user a transportation request including at least one of a request to transport an object delivered from a user to the shelf robot and a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user;
A first communication circuit for transmitting a notification based on the transport request to the shelf robot after the input interface has received the transport request;
A movement mechanism for moving the transport robot to the shelf robot after the first communication circuit transmits the notification;
Have
The shelf robot is
A second communication circuit for receiving the notification transmitted from the first communication circuit;
After the second communication circuit receives the notification, the object related to the transport request is moved from the storage position of the object to the delivery position with the transport robot, or the object related to the transport request from the transport robot. A conveyor mechanism for receiving and moving to a predetermined storage position;
Having
Material management system. The transport robot further includes a first control circuit that controls the first communication circuit and the moving mechanism,
The shelf robot further includes a second control circuit for controlling the second communication circuit and the conveyor mechanism,
When the transport request includes a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user,
The one control circuit includes:
Causing the first communication circuit to transmit the notification;
The transport robot moves to the shelf robot, and after the object related to the transport request is passed from the shelf robot to the transport robot, the transport robot is controlled to move to the user,
The second control circuit controls the conveyor mechanism to move the object related to the transport request from the storage position to the delivery position after the second communication circuit receives the notification.
The object management system according to claim 1. The first control circuit calculates a movement route and a movement time to the shelf robot,
The second control circuit calculates a delivery time required from the time when the second communication circuit receives the notification until the object related to the transport request is moved to the delivery position, and information indicating the delivery time is obtained. To the second communication circuit,
The first control circuit compares the movement time with the delivery time after the first communication circuit receives the information indicating the delivery time from the second communication circuit, and the movement time is the delivery time. The movement mechanism is controlled so as to delay the start of movement to the shelf robot by a time corresponding to the difference between the movement time and the delivery time.
The object management system according to claim 2. The first control circuit causes the first communication circuit to transmit information indicating the travel time;
After the second communication circuit receives the information indicating the travel time, the second control circuit compares the travel time with the delivery time, and when the delivery time is shorter than the travel time, Controlling the conveyor mechanism to delay the start of movement of the object by a time corresponding to the difference between the movement time and the delivery time;
The object management system according to claim 3. The shelf robot has at least one shelf having a function of processing stored items,
The second control circuit calculates the delivery time including the time required for processing the object when the object related to the transport request is stored in the shelf.
The object management system according to claim 3 or 4.   The first control circuit performs the movement of the transport robot based on map information in which an uneven state of a floor surface and presence / absence of a person, an animal, or another robot other than the user are recorded for each area of the floor surface. The thing management system in any one of Claim 3 to 5 which determines a path | route and the said moving speed. Before the input interface accepts the transportation request, the first control circuit includes detection information output from a sensor that detects the state of the user, an object related to a past transportation request, and a user state at the time of the request. On the basis of the history information recording the correspondence relationship, and predicting an object that is required to be transported, causing the first communication circuit to transmit information about the predicted object,
The second communication circuit controls the conveyor mechanism so that when the second communication circuit receives information about the object, the object is moved in advance from the storage position to a position closer to the delivery position. To
The object management system according to any one of claims 2 to 6.   The object management system according to claim 7, wherein when the input interface receives the transport request, the first control circuit adds information related to the transport request and the state of the user to the history information. .   The object management system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the sensor is provided outside the transport robot and transmits the detection information to the transport robot.   The object management system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the transport robot has the sensor. The shelf robot has a plurality of shelves including a delivery shelf having a structure that allows a carrier to take in and out of goods,
The conveyor mechanism moves, among the items stored on the plurality of shelves, a product whose frequency of the transportation request is lower than a predetermined frequency to the delivery shelf,
The second communication circuit transmits a delivery request to an external warehouse to the server of the carrier for the object.
The thing management system in any one of Claim 1 to 10. When the transport request includes a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user,
The second control circuit controls the conveyor mechanism so as to pass the object to the transport robot only when a predetermined condition associated with the object is satisfied.
The thing management system according to any one of claims 2 to 11. The predetermined condition is obtaining approval of a specific person other than the user,
The second control circuit inquires of the information device that the person has whether to permit the transportation request, and waits for the transportation robot while making the inquiry, in order to obtain the person's approval. To instruct
The object management system according to claim 12. The shelf robot is
A delivery port for delivering the object to and from the transport robot;
Multiple shelves to store things,
Have
The conveyor mechanism moves the object between one of the plurality of shelves and the delivery port;
The thing management system in any one of Claim 1 to 13. A transport robot used in an object management system comprising a transport robot for transporting an object and a shelf robot for storing the object,
An input interface that receives from the user a transport request including a request to transport an object stored in the shelf robot to the user;
After the input interface accepts the transportation request, a notification based on the transportation request is transmitted to the shelf robot, and after the shelf robot receives the notification, an object related to the transportation request is delivered to the transportation robot. A communication circuit that receives information indicating a delivery time required to move to a position;
A movement mechanism for moving the transport robot to the shelf robot after the communication circuit transmits the notification;
A control circuit for controlling the communication circuit and the movement mechanism, calculating a movement route and a movement time to the shelf robot, comparing the movement time and the delivery time, and comparing the movement time with the delivery time. A control circuit that controls the moving mechanism so as to delay the start of movement to the shelf robot by a time according to the difference between the moving time and the delivery time,
A transport robot comprising:

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