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EP-4390595-B1 - WORKING ROBOT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

EP4390595B1EP 4390595 B1EP4390595 B1EP 4390595B1EP-4390595-B1

Inventors

  • HIRAKI, HIDENORI
  • NAKATSUGI, KOICHI
  • ISHII, MIHO
  • KOSHIKAWA, YOSHIHARU

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20210830

Claims (9)

  1. A working robot management system (1) configured to manage motions of a plurality of working robots (10, 101, 102) performing work while autonomously traveling on a field (F), the working robot management system (1) comprising: a motion information sharing part (P3) configured to allow sharing of information about the motions of the working robots (10, 101, 102); and a motion control part (P1) configured to control the motions of the working robots (10, 101, 102) based on the information shared by the motion information sharing part (P3), wherein the working robot management system (1) controls a second working robot (102) of the working robots (10, 101, 102) which performs a different kind of work than at least a first working robot (101) based on information about a motion of the first working robot (101); the motion control part (P1) causes the second working robot (102) to perform its work linked with the work performed by the at least first working robot (101); wherein the motion control part (P1): causes the second working robot (102) to perform its kind of work in a place where at least the first working robot (101) has done its different kind of work, or causes the second working robot (102) to follow a traveling route through which at least the first working robot (101) has traveled and to perform its different kind of work.
  2. The working robot management system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the motion information sharing part (P3) allows sharing of information about work schedules of the working robots (10, 101, 102).
  3. The working robot management system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the motion information sharing part (P3) allows sharing of at least one of information about the work of the working robots (10, 101, 102) and information about conditions of the working robots (10, 101, 102).
  4. The working robot management system (1) according to claim 3, wherein the information about the work of the working robots (10, 101, 102) is virtually generated based on position information.
  5. The working robot management system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the motion information sharing part (P3) has a screen to display shared information to a user.
  6. The working robot management system (1) according to claim 5, wherein the screen is configured to allow information on the screen being viewed by a user, and the screen is configured to allow motions of the working robots (10, 101, 102) being set by the user.
  7. The working robot management system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one of the working robots (10, 101, 102) is a working robot for collecting target objects on the field (F), and the second working robot (102) is a working robot to perform other maintenance work on the field (F).
  8. The working robot management system (1) according to claim 7, wherein the other maintenance work is mowing work.
  9. The working robot management system (1) according to claim 7, wherein the other maintenance work is cleaning work on the field (F).

Description

Technical field The present invention relates to a working robot management system. Background art Conventionally, as a working robot configured to perform work on a field while autonomously traveling on the field, there have been known a robot mower configured to perform lawn mowing work, and a robot picker configured to collect balls on the field (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-176116 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-151083). US 2018/0275679 A1 discloses a robot management system for a swarm of robots assigned to different tasks. If one of the robots fails to finish its work, another robot is elected by the robot management system to finish the work of the failing robot. US 2021/0053229 A1 discloses, in one embodiment, scout robots to travel among a plurality of plants and capture sensor data about said plants. The sensor data is analysed so that other robots can be instructed to perform agricultural tasks on these plants. JP 2020-42600 A discloses a robot management system for coordinating a plurality of robots that all can perform security and cleaning (or transporting, etc.) tasks at the same time. For example, while cleaning, these robots perform observation tasks to identify, e.g., moving objects that should not be in the area to be cleaned. If a robot has identified such object, the robot management system then coordinates the plurality of robots such that at least some of these robots can be switched into a special state, e.g., a state where their cleaning task is interrupted to account for the new situation. Summary of Invention Problem to be solved by the invention As to the above-described working robot, when a plurality of working robots perform the work on a field, it naturally has to be considered to set working routes for the plurality of working robots not to collide with one another. However, in order to allow the plurality of working robots to perform the individual work smoothly, it is necessary not only to simply prevent the collision, but also to consider an effect of the work of a working robot on the work of other working robots. In addition, in the case where the plurality of working robots perform the work on the field, it is assumed that a charging base is shared between them. However, in this case, when a working robot uses the shared facility, other working robots cannot use that, and therefore must have a waiting time. Consequently, it is necessary to adjust the schedule of using the shared facility to be efficiently performed the work by the plurality of working robots. The present invention has been achieved to solve the above-described problems. Therefore, an object of the invention is, for the case where the plurality of working robots perform the work on the field, to allow the plurality of working robots smoothly and efficiently perform individual work, and to allow the plurality of working robots to accomplish the work, in consideration of an effect of the work of one working robot on the work of the other working robot. Solution to Problem To achieve the above-described object, the invention provides a working robot management system according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims. Effect of the invention According to the invention having the above-described features, it is possible to allow a plurality of working robots to smoothly and efficiently perform individual work, when the plurality of working robots perform the work on a field. Also, it is possible to allow linkage operation of the plurality of working robots, in consideration of an effect of the work of one working robot on the work of other working robots. Brief Description of Drawings Fig. 1 illustrates an arrangement of a working robot management system according to an embodiment of the invention;Fig. 2 illustrates the configuration of the working robot management system according to an embodiment of the invention;Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the system configuration of the working robot management system according to an embodiment of the invention;Fig. 4 illustrates the functions (program configuration) of a control unit of the working robot management system;Fig. 5 illustrates an example of stacking shared information in a motion information sharing part;Fig. 6 illustrates an example of linkage operation of a plurality of working robots;Fig. 7 illustrates shared information for performing the example of linkage operation illustrated in Fig. 6;Fig. 8 illustrates an example of the linkage operation (shared information) of the plurality of working robots;Fig. 9 illustrates an example of the linkage operation of the plurality of working robots ((a) illustrates an example of working in different work areas, and (b) illustrates an example of working in work areas including an overlapping part); andFig. 10 illustrates an example of the linkage operation of the plurality of working robots. Description of Embodim