Murata Machinery, Ltd.

Shoji Tanaka

Tsuyoshi Nakano

Hideo Shitamoto

Hiroaki Ohmatsu

Masaomi Iida

Yoshinori Itou

A recess detection device includes a reference value decision processor that extracts, from distance image information, pieces of reference information respectively corresponding to reference regions at different positions within a detection range with a distance from a three-dimensional sensor being within a predetermined range, and determines a reference value based on the reference information, and a presence identification processor that extracts, from the distance image information, pieces of comparison information respectively corresponding to comparison regions within the same detection range, respectively, derives comparison values based on the respective pieces of comparison information, and indicates a presence of a recess when a difference between the reference value and the comparison value exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Recess detection device, transport device, and recess detecting method

In a method and device for creating a moving route of a mobile body, a moving route that is appropriately shifted right or left with respect to a passage is created. The moving route creating method and device create a reference route on a passage present on an environment map representing an environment in which an autonomous mobile body moves, set a widthwise-shift attribute as an attribute region that is independent from the environment map, and create a traveling schedule for autonomous movement of the autonomous mobile body by shifting the reference route right or left based on the widthwise-shift attribute.

Moving route creating method and moving route creating device

In an autonomously traveling floor washer, a position estimating unit estimates position data. When a manual operation teaching mode is being executed, a taught data obtaining unit obtains taught position data and a taught cleaning condition at a taught data obtaining time. A cleaning schedule generation unit generates a cleaning schedule. When an autonomous cleaning mode is executed, a cleaning reproduction unit calculates and outputs a reproduced travel control command and a reproduced cleaning condition in an elapsed time based on the cleaning schedule. An elapsed time determining unit determines the taught data obtaining time and the elapsed time.

Autonomously traveling floor washer, cleaning schedule data structure, storage medium, method for creating cleaning schedule, and program

An autonomous traveling vehicle is controlled to faithfully reproduce a planned traveling route and to autonomously travel. The autonomous traveling vehicle includes a platform, a traveling unit, a teaching unit, a curvature calculation unit, and a control parameter adjustment unit. The traveling unit is mounted on the platform and controls the platform to travel. In a teaching travel mode, the teaching unit acquires subgoal points. The teaching unit stores planned traveling route data as an aggregate of the subgoal points. The curvature calculation unit calculates and stores a key curvature radius. In a reproduction travel mode, the control parameter adjustment unit adjusts a control parameter to determine an direction angle feedback control amount of the traveling unit based on the key curvature radius calculated by the curvature calculation unit.

Autonomous traveling vehicle and reproduction travel method

An autonomous moving body executes a mode in which an autonomous moving body: outputs a motor control amount from travel commands input by an operator; estimates the position of the autonomous moving body on an environment map, obtains position information of obstacles near the autonomous moving body, associates position information of the obstacles with times that the position information of the obstacles were obtained, stores the same in the storage unit as environment map restoration data, generates a travel schedule, and stores the same in the storage unit. In a replication mode, the autonomous moving body estimates the position of the autonomous moving body on the environment map, obtains position information of the obstacles near the autonomous moving body, reads the environment map restoration data that corresponds to the estimated position of the autonomous moving body, updates the environment map, creates a control amount for the motor, so as to travel on the updated environment map in accordance with the schedule, and inputs the same to the travel unit.

Autonomous moving body

An electronic controller defining an autonomous mobile device includes a self-location estimation unit to estimate a self-location based on a local map that is created according to distance/angle information relative to an object in the vicinity and the travel distance of an omni wheel, an environmental map creation unit to create an environmental map of a mobile area based on the self-location and the local map during the guided travel with using a joystick, a registration switch to register the self-location of the autonomous mobile device as the position coordinate of the setting point when the autonomous mobile device reaches a predetermined setting point during the guided travel, a storage unit to store the environmental map and the setting point, a route planning unit to plan the travel route by using the setting point on the environmental map stored in the storage unit, and a travel control unit to control the autonomous mobile device to autonomously travel along the travel route.

Autonomous mobile device

An autonomous mobile body includes a storage unit arranged to store a size Dof the autonomous mobile body, a laser range sensor arranged to acquire obstacle information, an obstacle identification unit arranged to identify, based on the acquired obstacle information, edge points indicating positions of both ends of a region in which an interfering obstacle exists, the both ends being both ends on a plane parallel or substantially parallel to a passage plane in a direction which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a moving target direction of the autonomous mobile body, a direction setting unit arranged to set a pull-off direction based on the size Dof the autonomous mobile body and the edge points, and a mobile controller arranged and programmed to control the autonomous mobile body to move toward the pull-off direction.

Autonomous mobile body

An autonomous mobile device that moves while autonomously avoiding zones into which entry should be avoided even if no obstacle exists therein includes a laser range finder that acquires peripheral obstacle information, a storage unit that stores an environment map that shows an obstacle zone where an obstacle exists, and a no-entry zone map which shows a no-entry zone into which entry is prohibited, a self-location estimation unit that estimates the self-location of a host device by using the obstacle information acquired by the laser range finder and the environment map, and a travel control unit that controls the host device to autonomously travel to the destination by avoiding the obstacle zone and the no-entry zone based on the estimated self-location, the environment map, and the no-entry zone map.

An autonomous mobile device is capable of taking action that is suitable to execute a task in accordance with a given situation includes and executes a predetermined task upon autonomously moving to a destination. The autonomous mobile device includes a storage unit that stores an environment map, a laser range finder that acquires peripheral obstacle information, an unknown information identification unit that identifies unknown obstacle information from the peripheral obstacle information, an assessment information acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of types of assessment information including movement information, relative position information, and attribute information that are related to the unknown obstacle, when the unknown obstacle information is identified, and a scenario selection unit that selects, based on the assessment information, one action scenario among a plurality of action scenarios including an action scenario which is defined to execute the task and is other than an action scenario to cancel or continue the execution of the task.

An environmental map correction device that acquires an environmental map that matches an actual ambient environment includes a conversion unit arranged to convert object existence probability information of respective grids configuring a global map into image information (shading information of a black and white image), a display unit arranged to display a global map image based on the converted image information, an operation input unit arranged to receive a correcting operation from a user, a correction unit arranged to correct the global map image displayed by the display unit according to the correcting operation by the user, and an inversion unit arranged to acquire a corrected global map by inverting the corrected global map image (shading information) into the object existence probability information.

Environmental map correction device and autonomous mobile device

A route planning device that is capable of comprehending, in advance, a route clearance at a pass-through point on a planned travel route, includes a global map acquisition unit arranged to generate a global map showing an obstacle area in which an obstacle exists, an extended area generation unit arranged to generate an extended obstacle area and three extended area by extending stepwise an outline of the obstacle area contained in the global map, an integrated map generation unit arranged to generate an integrated map by superposing for integration of the extended obstacle area with the three extended areas; a movable area extraction unit arranged to extract a movable area from the integrated map and thinning the same, and a route planning unit arranged to acquire a route clearance at a sub goal according to the extended areas on the integrated map to which the sub goal on the travel route belongs, upon planning the travel route from the thinned movable area.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Shoji Tanaka