JP-2026076064-A - Guide member and route setting method

JP2026076064AJP 2026076064 AJP2026076064 AJP 2026076064AJP-2026076064-A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a guide member for easily setting a route for an automated vehicle. [Solution] The symbolic guide rail 1, which is a guide member for setting a route for an automated vehicle, includes an information providing unit 14 that provides information to the vehicle side representing the configuration of the route ahead, a magnetic generating unit including individualized magnetic pieces 15 that can be used to identify the position of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the route, and a predetermined shaped part 13 that exhibits a predetermined shape determined for each configuration of the route. By installing it on the road surface on which the vehicle moves, it is possible to make the vehicle travel in accordance with the configuration of the route related to the shape of the predetermined shaped part 13. [Selection Diagram] Figure 1

Inventors

安藤孝幸
沼野貴之
浦川一雄
山本道治

Assignees

愛知製鋼株式会社

Dates

Publication Date: 20260511
Application Date: 20241023

Claims (11)

A guide member for setting a route for an automated vehicle, wherein the vehicle can travel according to information provided by the infrastructure. An information providing unit that provides the vehicle with information representing the characteristics of the path ahead, A magnetic generating unit including one or more individualized magnets that can be used to determine the position of a vehicle in the longitudinal direction of a path, It includes a predetermined shaped part that exhibits a predetermined shape defined for each type of route, A guide member that, when installed on a road surface, ground, or floor surface on which a vehicle moves, can cause the vehicle to travel in a manner corresponding to the path configuration related to the shape of the predetermined shaped part.
The information providing unit is a guide member configured using at least one of the one or two or more magnets of the magnetic field generating unit.
In claim 1, the information providing unit is a guide member which is a wireless communication tag that receives power from the vehicle and transmits the information.
In claim 1, the magnetic field generating unit includes at least two magnets, and each of the at least two magnets is configured such that the vehicle can magnetically detect the lateral deviation of the vehicle relative to each magnet. A guide member capable of determining the direction of travel of a vehicle based on the lateral deviation of the vehicle relative to each of the magnets.
In claim 1, the magnetic field generating unit includes at least three magnets arranged in a straight line, and each of the at least three magnets is configured such that the vehicle can magnetically detect the lateral deviation of the vehicle relative to each magnet. A guide member capable of determining whether a vehicle is moving in a straight line based on the lateral deviation of the vehicle relative to each magnet.
In any one of claims 1 to 5, the linear shape includes a linear portion on which the magnetic generating portion is arranged, A guide member installed in a straight section of the aforementioned route so that the straight section is aligned with the direction of the route.
The guide member according to claim 6 includes at least a corner guide member installed in a straight section preceding a corner in the path, wherein the predetermined shaped portion of the corner guide member is formed by bending from the straight section, and the corner guide member exhibits a J-shape or L-shape.
The guide member according to claim 6 includes at least a guide member for a stopping point installed in a straight section preceding a stopping position in the path, wherein the predetermined shaped portion of the guide member for the stopping point is formed perpendicular to the straight section, and the guide member for the stopping point has a T-shape.
The guide member according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined shape exhibited by the predetermined shaped portion is a shape representing the configuration of the path.
A method for setting a route for an automated vehicle, wherein the vehicle is able to travel according to information provided by the infrastructure. An information providing unit that provides the vehicle with information representing the characteristics of the path ahead, A magnetic generating unit including one or more fragmented magnets that can be used to determine the position of a vehicle in the longitudinal direction of a route, It has a predetermined shaped part that exhibits a predetermined shape defined for each type of route, By utilizing a guide member that can drive a vehicle according to the configuration of the forward path relating to the shape of the predetermined shaped part, A route setting method for setting a route for an automated vehicle by installing the guide member on the road surface, ground, or floor surface on which the vehicle travels.
In claim 10, there are multiple types of guide members, each with a different shape for the predetermined shaped portion, A route setting method for setting a route for an automated vehicle by installing a guide member having a predetermined shape that corresponds to the predetermined route, among the multiple types of guide members, in front of a point where the desired configuration of the route is to be set.

Description

This invention relates to a method for setting a route for an automated vehicle. Conventionally, a system has been known for automating logistics within facilities such as factories and warehouses, in which magnetic tape is laid along a route. In this system, transport vehicles travel along the magnetic tape while detecting it. (See, for example, Patent Document 1.) In recent years, there have been attempts to apply autonomous vehicles, which are typically used in factories and warehouses, to construction sites and agricultural areas such as orchards. For example, crawler-type vehicles (vehicles with continuous tracks) can navigate uneven terrain such as construction sites and orchards. If autonomous vehicle operation can be achieved in these areas, it would reduce the burden on workers and improve work efficiency. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-136900 A perspective view of the symbolic guide rail for the corner in Example 1.A perspective view of the magnet piece in Example 1.A perspective view of the vehicle carrying the transport box in Example 1.A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the vehicle in Example 1.A block diagram showing the configuration of the system for controlling the vehicle's movement in Example 1.A block diagram showing the combination of the magnetic sensor array and the information acquisition circuit in Example 1.A graph showing the distribution of magnetic intensity in the vehicle width direction in Example 1.A graph showing the change in the direction of propagation of the sum of magnetic measurement values by the magnetic sensor An in Example 1.A front view showing the symbolic guide rail (a) for the right corner and the symbolic guide rail (b) for the left corner in Example 1.An explanatory diagram showing the symbolic guide rail for the stopping point in Example 1.A perspective view of the marked symbolic guide rail in Example 1.An explanatory diagram of the path set by the symbolic guide rail in Example 1.An explanatory diagram of the installation position of the symbolic guide rail in Example 1.Front view of another symbolic guide rail in Example 1.A perspective view of the symbolic guide rail for straight-line movement in Example 1.Front view of three types of symbolic guide rails for corners in Example 2.A front view illustrating a symbolic guide rail for a corner in Example 3.A diagram showing a list of RFID numbers for the symbolic guide rails in Example 3. Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described using the following examples. (Example 1) This example illustrates a symbolic guide rail 1 for setting a route 5 for the automatic movement of vehicle 2, and a method for setting the route 5 using this symbolic guide rail 1. This will be explained using Figures 1 to 15. The symbolic guide rail 1 (Figure 1) is a guide member installed on the ground where the vehicle travels, assisting the automatic movement of the vehicle 2. The symbolic guide rail 1 can be used by the vehicle to determine its position along the longitudinal direction of the path, and is configured to provide the vehicle with path information representing the configuration of the path ahead. This example demonstrates the use of symbolic guide rails 1 to establish a path within an orchard. The vehicle used is a crawler-type vehicle (continuous track vehicle) capable of navigating uneven terrain within the orchard's pathways. This vehicle is equipped with an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and is capable of autonomous driving. The vehicle's configuration will be explained in detail later. The symbolic guide rail 1 in this example (Figure 1) is a rod-shaped molded product made from a composite material of, for example, plastic-based and wood-based raw materials. The symbolic guide rail 1 in this example has a rectangular cross-section with a width of 8 cm and a height of 4 cm, and a total length of approximately 70 cm. The symbolic guide rail 1 illustrated in Figure 1 is a symbolic guide rail for corners. The symbolic guide rail 1 for corners has a J-shaped curve at its tip. The symbolic corner guide rail 1 (Figure 1) is composed of a straight section 11 formed in a straight line and a predetermined shaped section 13 at the tip that is curved to form a J-shape. The shape of the predetermined shaped section 13 is determined for each type of path ahead. The predetermined shaped section 13 represents the type of path. For example, in the case of the symbolic corner guide rail 1 in Figure 1, the shape of the predetermined shaped section 13 is defined as a curved shape that symbolically represents the shape of the curve that forms the path. In this example, the symbolic guide rail 1 is installed such that, from the perspective of a vehicle approaching the symbolic guide rail 1, the straight section 11 is located on the side closer to the vehicle, and the predetermined shaped section 13 is located on the side further away. In the following explanation, the closer side will