JPH01304507A - Unmanned carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure an effective work area for an unmanned carrier by applying the switch control to the obstacle detecting range of an obstable sensor in accordance with the traveling speed of the unmanned carrier. CONSTITUTION:An unmanned carrier 1 contains an obstacle detecting range deciding part 5 which applies the comparing arithmetic to the drive data on the carrier set previously based on the drive detecting signals detected by a speed detecting device 4 as well as a decelerating point detecting device 3 which detects a decelerating point for command of the deceleration. While an obstacle detecting range switch means 6 switches the obstacle detecting range of an infrared-ray sensor 7 based on the deciding result of the part 5. Then the part 5 decides the switch or non-switch of the detecting range based on the drive data stored in a driving data memory part. Thus the detecting range is switched. When the sensor 7 detects an obstacle in a due range, a detecting signal is sent to a driving control part and the carrier 1 is urgently stopped. While the drive of the carrier 1 is continued in case the part 5 decides the non-switch of the detecting range.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle, and more particularly to a harmful object detection device for an automatic guided vehicle.

(Prior Art) Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional automated guided vehicle. In the figure, (1) is driven by drive wheels (2) under control from a travel control unit (not shown). In the automatic guided vehicle, infrared sensors (7) are provided on each side of the automatic guided vehicle (1) in the traveling direction as obstacle detection means for detecting obstacles within a predetermined detection range. This infrared sensor
When (7) detects an obstacle within a certain detection range, an obstacle detection signal S1 is sent from the infrared sensor (7) to the unillustrated travel control section to stop the automatic guided vehicle from traveling. There is.

Therefore, when the automatic guided vehicle (1) performs transportation work to each predetermined station in a specific work area, equipment, walls, etc. in the work area are placed in advance outside the obstacle detection range of the infrared sensor (7). has been done.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional automated guided vehicles are configured as described above,
If there is equipment or walls within the obstacle detection range of the infrared sensor around the station where the automated guided vehicle works, the automated guided vehicle will detect these equipment or walls as obstacles and be forced to stop unnecessarily. There was a problem in that the station had to be placed far away from the preset obstacle detection range of the infrared sensor, avoiding placing it near equipment or walls, which required wasted work space. .

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to improve the efficiency of the work area by variably controlling the obstacle detection range of the obstacle detection unit in an automatic guided vehicle according to the vehicle speed. The aim is to obtain an automated guided vehicle with high operating efficiency.

(Means for Solving the Problems) An automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention includes an obstacle detection range determination unit that determines the obstacle detection range of an obstacle detection sensor based on a travel signal from a travel detection device, and The obstacle detection range switching control section controls the obstacle detection range based on the judgment result of the detection range judgment section, so that the obstacle detection range can be variably controlled according to the vehicle speed. .

[Effect]

In the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, when a running signal is sent from the running detection device to the obstacle detection range judgment unit, the obstacle detection range of the obstacle detection sensor is changed based on the judgment result of the obstacle detection range judgment unit. By controlling the automatic guided vehicle, an obstacle is detected within a detection range according to the vehicle speed, and the movement of the automatic guided vehicle is stopped.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the control of obstacle detection in the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of switching the obstacle detection range of the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall arrangement of components of an automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention.

In the figure, the automatic guided vehicle according to the present embodiment includes a deceleration point detection device (3) that is installed on a running road and detects a deceleration point that instructs the automatic guided vehicle (1) to decelerate, and a drive wheel (2).
Based on the travel detection signals respectively detected by the speed detection device (4) that detects the speed of Obstacle detection range switching means includes an object detection range judgment section (5) and switches the obstacle detection range of the infrared sensor (7) based on the judgment result of the obstacle detection range judgment section (5). Equipped with an infrared sensor detection range switching device (6).

Next, the operation will be explained. When the automated guided vehicle (1) stops at a station, in step 1 the deceleration point detection device (
3) to detect the deceleration point, and the speed detection device (
4) detects the speed of the drive wheel (2), and sends each deceleration start signal and speed signal to the obstacle detection range determination section (5) (step 2). Here, based on the above-mentioned signals, the obstacle detection range determining section (5) judges whether or not to switch the obstacle detection range based on the travel data set in advance in the travel data storage section, and switches the obstacle detection range. If it is determined that there is, this determination result is sent to the infrared sensor detection range switching device (6) (step 3
), the detection range of the infrared sensor (7) is switched in step 4. When this infrared sensor (7) detects an obstacle within its obstacle detection range, the obstacle detection signal is sent to the travel control section and the automatic guided vehicle is brought to an emergency stop (step 5). In addition, in step 2, if the obstacle detection range determination unit (5) determines that there is no switching of the obstacle detection range, this determination result is sent to the travel control unit, and the automatic guided vehicle (1) travels. is carried out continuously.

Therefore, when the vehicle speed is high, a wider detection range is calculated, and when the vehicle speed is low, a narrower detection range is calculated, and when the speed is ;, the detection range is also flat. Note that here, the obstacle detection range determination section (5) continues to instruct the infrared sensor detection range switching device (6) to determine the detection range based on the determination result.

As mentioned above, the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention is configured so that when the automatic guided vehicle decelerates, the obstacle detection range gradually narrows depending on the speed, and when the automatic guided vehicle stops, the detection range becomes 7. The station can be placed near a wall or other external equipment.

Although an infrared sensor is used as the obstacle detection means in the above embodiment, the sensor is not limited to this, and any sensor whose detection range can be switched by an obstacle detection range switching device may be used. It goes without saying that a sensor or the like may also be used.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, since the obstacle detection range of the obstacle detection sensor is controlled to be switched according to the vehicle speed, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the work area and to achieve unmanned operation with high operation efficiency. This has the effect of providing transport vehicles.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the control of an obstacle detection device for an automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the obstacle detection range switching operation for the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the overall arrangement of the components of the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional automatic guided vehicle. (3)...Deceleration point detection device, (4)...Speed detection device, (5)...Obstacle detection range judgment unit, (6)...Infrared sensor detection range switching device, (7)...・
...Infrared sensor. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or equivalent parts. Agent Masuo Oiwa Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an automatic guided vehicle equipped with an obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle near the direction of travel and a travel control means for controlling travel based on an obstacle detection signal from the obstacle detection means, the automatic guided vehicle is decelerated. Detection of obstacles based on travel data preset based on a travel detection means that detects a point and a speed of an automatic guided vehicle, and a deceleration point detection signal and a speed detection signal from this travel detection means. An automatic guided vehicle comprising: an obstacle detection range determining means for determining the range; and an obstacle detection range switching means for switching the obstacle detection range of the obstacle detecting means based on the determination result. .