Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Nobutoshi Tsujimoto

Takurou Miyamoto

Fumihiro Matsuura

Norito Fujihara

Masahiro Sakakibara

Hiroki Osawa

Takahiro Ueno

Hiroto Isome

There is provided a technique capable of easily realizing control to cause an autonomous travel device to perform a predetermined operation at a predetermined position on a travel route. An autonomous travel device () is an autonomous travel device that travels along a line () placed on a travel route, and includes a detecting unit (line sensor ()) that detects the line (), and a control unit that controls an operation of the autonomous travel device () on the basis of a detection result from the detecting unit. The control unit determines a width (W) of the line () on the basis of the detection result from the detecting unit. If the determined width (W) of the line () is smaller than a predetermined reference width, the control unit causes the autonomous travel device () to perform a travel operation of traveling along the line (). On the other hand, if the determined width (W) of the line () is larger than or equal to the predetermined reference width, the control unit causes the autonomous travel device () to perform a predetermined operation different from the travel operation.

Autonomous travel device and autonomous travel system

A coupling device that couples with a cart includes a coupling portion that couples with the cart, a base portion that guides the coupling portion, and a driving motor that drives the coupling portion. The driving motor drives and controls the coupling portion so as to be changeable among a first state in which the coupling portion is housed, a second state in which the coupling portion is capable of coupling with the cart, and a third state in which the coupling portion couples with the cart. With the coupling portion and a side frame of the cart facing each other, the coupling portion changes from the second state to the third state, thereby causing the coupling portion and the side frame to be coupled to each other.

Coupling device, automatic towing vehicle, and automatic towing system

A coupling device includes a coupling device body that includes a coupling pin. The coupling pin projects upward from the coupling device body. The coupling device body includes a support mechanism that supports the coupling pin so as to be freely movable in the direction of one line in a horizontal plane. The coupling device is included in the carrier. During coupling between the carrier and a carried object, the coupling pin is freely movable in the direction of at least one line in the horizontal plane and enabled to smoothly move to a position at which the coupling is performed.

Coupling device, carrier, and carrying system

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Nobutoshi Tsujimoto