JP7768384B2 - Path planning device and path planning method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a path planning device and a path planning method for generating a path plan for heavy equipment performing utility pole construction work.

Utility pole construction work is carried out by operators operating heavy machinery. The relevant work procedures are shown in Figure 1. First, a worker conducts a site survey to determine the location of utility poles and other equipment, as well as the location where the utility poles will be erected (51). Based on the site survey, the worker creates a construction plan for how the heavy machinery should be operated (52). The worker gives instructions to the heavy machinery operator on how to operate the heavy machinery (53), and the operator operates the heavy machinery according to the worker's instructions (54).

Depending on the work environment at the site, it was necessary to change the location of the heavy equipment or the position of the utility poles, thereby changing the route plan for the heavy equipment.

"Getting Started with Path Planning for Autonomous Mobile Systems in MATLAB," https://www.mathworks.com/content/dam/mathworks/mathworks-dot-com/images/events/matlabexpo/jp/2017/d2-path-planning-trajectory-CONTROL.pdf

In this type of utility pole construction work, skill is required to plan the route for determining where to place heavy machinery and where to lay the utility poles to be erected, and this planning relies heavily on the experience and intuition of skilled workers.

The present disclosure aims to provide a path planning device and a path planning method that can generate efficient path plans without relying on the skills of the operator.

In the disclosed route planning device and route planning method, multiple pole erection construction patterns similar to the equipment position read by the sensor are selected and output to the worker, who then selects the one that is closest to the equipment position on site, and a route plan is generated based on the selected pole erection construction pattern.

Specifically, the present disclosure provides:
an acquisition unit that acquires the equipment position from a sensor that scans the surroundings, and further acquires the input pole position, heavy equipment position, and position where the utility pole is to be laid down;
A selection unit that selects and outputs a plurality of pole erection construction patterns similar to the acquired equipment position from a plurality of pole erection construction patterns that are previously owned, and acquires a specified pole erection construction pattern from the selected plurality of pole erection construction patterns;
a planning unit that corrects the acquired equipment position based on the equipment position of the designated pole erection construction pattern, calculates an intermediate posture of the route from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down using the corrected equipment position, the acquired pole erection position, the heavy equipment position, and the position where the utility pole is laid down, and generates a route plan from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down and the intermediate posture;
A path planning device comprising:

The present disclosure provides:
The planning unit outputs the calculated intermediate posture, acquires a corrected intermediate posture, and generates a route plan from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid and the corrected intermediate posture.

Specifically, the present disclosure provides:
The path planning device
an acquisition step of acquiring the equipment position from a sensor that scans the surroundings, and further acquiring the input pole position, heavy equipment position, and position where the utility pole is to be laid down;
A selection step of selecting and outputting a plurality of pole erection construction patterns similar to the acquired equipment position from a plurality of pole erection construction patterns held in advance, and acquiring a specified pole erection construction pattern from the selected plurality of pole erection construction patterns;
a planning step of correcting the acquired equipment position based on the equipment position of the specified pole erection construction pattern, calculating an intermediate posture of the route from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down using the corrected equipment position, the acquired pole erection position, the heavy equipment position, and the position where the utility pole is laid down, and generating a route plan from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down and the intermediate posture;
This is a route planning method that executes the above.

The present disclosure provides:
The planning step is characterized in that the calculated intermediate posture is output, a corrected intermediate posture is obtained, and a route plan is generated from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid and the corrected intermediate posture.

Specifically, the present disclosure provides:
This is a program for causing a computer to function as the above-described route planning device.

The inventions disclosed above can be combined as much as possible.

The route planning device and route planning method disclosed herein enable efficient route plans to be generated without relying on the skills of the operator.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a related heavy machine. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a route planning device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a route planning method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pole erection construction pattern. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating details of an example of a pole erection construction pattern. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of mapping of a work area. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a route planning device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a route planning method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating correction of an intermediate posture. FIG.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown below. These implementation examples are merely illustrative, and the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Note that components with the same reference numerals in this specification and drawings are considered to be identical to each other.

The configuration of the path planning device disclosed herein is shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2, the path planning device 10 includes an acquisition unit 11 that acquires equipment positions from a sensor that scans the surrounding area and further acquires the input pole position, heavy equipment position, and utility pole laying position; a selection unit 12 that selects and outputs multiple pole construction patterns similar to the acquired equipment position from multiple pre-owned pole construction patterns and acquires a specified pole construction pattern from the selected multiple pole construction patterns; and a planning unit that corrects the acquired equipment position based on the equipment position of the specified pole construction pattern, calculates intermediate postures of the route from the heavy equipment position via the utility pole laying position to the pole position using the corrected equipment position and the acquired pole position, heavy equipment position, and utility pole laying position, and generates a path plan from the heavy equipment position to the pole position via the utility pole laying position and intermediate postures.

The route planning method of the present disclosure is shown in Figure 3. In Figure 3, the route planning method of the present disclosure comprises an acquisition step 21, a selection step 22, and a planning step 23. The following description will be given with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

(Acquisition step)
A sensor (not shown) that scans the work area scans equipment such as utility poles and power lines to identify the equipment location. The acquisition unit 11 of the path planning device 10 acquires the equipment location from the sensor. Once the sensor scans the equipment and identifies the equipment location, the equipment location can be acquired without human intervention. The worker inputs the pole erection position within the work area, the heavy equipment position where the heavy equipment will be placed, and the position where the utility pole will be laid out. The acquisition unit 11 of the path planning device 10 acquires the input pole erection position, heavy equipment position, and position where the utility pole will be laid out.

(Selection step)
The selection unit 12 has in advance a plurality of pole erection construction patterns representing expected equipment locations. From among the many pole erection construction patterns, the selection unit 12 selects and outputs a plurality of pole erection construction patterns similar to the equipment location acquired from the sensor. An example of a pole erection construction pattern possessed by the selection unit 12 is shown in Figure 4, and details of the pole erection construction pattern are shown in Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 4, even if existing utility poles are scanned in the same way, the placement of power lines and the presence or absence of guy lines differ depending on their function. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, construction patterns may also be classified based on the relative position of the cable and road and the pole position. The selection unit 12 stores in advance many pole construction patterns that represent expected equipment locations, and selects multiple pole construction patterns that are similar to the equipment location obtained from the sensor.

The worker selects from the multiple selected pole construction patterns the one that is closest to the equipment location on site. With the worker's intervention, an accurate route plan can be generated according to the actual equipment location on site.

(Planning step)
The planning unit 13 modifies the equipment position acquired from the sensor based on the equipment position of the pole erection construction pattern specified by the worker. Since the equipment position identified by the sensor does not sufficiently correspond to the type of equipment or the relevance of the equipment, the planning unit 13 modifies the equipment position acquired from the sensor based on the equipment position of the pole erection construction pattern specified by the worker. Conversely, the equipment position acquired from the sensor may be modified using the equipment position of the pole erection construction pattern specified by the worker or information on the pole erection position acquired from the worker.

The planning unit 13 maps the revised equipment position, the pole erection position, the heavy equipment position, and the position where the utility pole will be laid down, obtained from the worker, onto a map of the work area. An example of work area mapping is shown in Figure 6. In Figure 6, 31 is the equipment position, 32 is the pole erection position, 34 is the heavy equipment position, and 35 is the position where the utility pole will be laid down. The planning unit 13 calculates the intermediate postures of the route from the heavy equipment position 34 in Figure 6 to the pole erection position 32, via the position 35 where the utility pole will be laid down. Next, a route plan is generated from the heavy equipment position 34 to the pole erection position 32, via the position 35 where the utility pole will be laid down and the intermediate postures. The intermediate postures are the coordinates of the intermediate points connecting the route traveled by the heavy equipment from the heavy equipment position 34, via the position 35 where the utility pole will be laid down, to the pole erection position 32. The intermediate postures may be pre-specified coordinates or may be determined based on rules.

Path planning using random sampling techniques is one route search method. Specific examples include RRT (Rapidly Exploring Random Tree) and RRT* (Rapidly Exploring Random Tree Star).

An example of a generated route plan is shown in Figure 7. In Figure 7, 31 is the equipment position, 32 is the pole position, 34 is the heavy equipment position, 35 is the position where the utility pole is laid down, and 36 is the intermediate posture. A route plan has been generated from the heavy equipment position 34 to the pole position 32 via the position 35 where the utility pole is laid down and the intermediate posture 36. Calculating the intermediate postures to be passed through makes it easier to generate a route plan.

Once the worker obtains the route plan, he or she operates the heavy machinery based on this route plan. The heavy machinery operates according to the worker's operations (26 in Figure 3).

The configuration of another path planning device is shown in Figure 8. In the path planning device of Figure 8, the acquisition unit 11 and selection unit 12 have the same configurations as the path planning device of Figure 2. As shown in Figure 8, the planning unit 13 outputs the calculated intermediate posture, acquires the corrected intermediate posture, and generates a path plan from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid and the corrected intermediate posture.

Another path planning method is shown in Figure 9. In the path planning method disclosed herein, the operations of the acquisition step 21 and selection step 22 are the same as those of the path planning method of Figure 3. In Figure 9, in planning step 23, the planning unit 13 calculates and outputs an intermediate posture as shown in Figure 10. In Figure 10, 31 is the equipment position, 32 is the pole position, 34 is the heavy equipment position, 35 is the position where the utility pole will be laid down, 36 is the intermediate posture, and 37 is the obstacle position. As shown in Figure 10, in the calculated intermediate posture, the heavy equipment will come into contact with obstacle position 37 in the actual work area. An obstacle refers to an object that impedes the movement of the heavy equipment, such as an installation on the road surface or a curb. The heavy equipment may come into contact with the equipment position. Furthermore, after the heavy equipment reaches position 35 where the utility pole will be laid down and grasps the utility pole to be erected, the grasped utility pole may come into contact with the obstacle position or the equipment position. Furthermore, the heavy equipment may come into contact with equipment position 31.

The worker then corrects one of the intermediate postures 36. The correction can be done by numerically inputting coordinates, by numerically inputting the direction and distance of movement, or by touching the screen. The planning unit 13 acquires the corrected intermediate posture and generates a route plan from the heavy equipment position 34 to the pole erection position 32 via the position 35 where the utility pole is laid and the corrected intermediate posture 36.

An example of a generated path plan is shown in Figure 11. In Figure 11, 31 is the equipment position, 32 is the pole erection position, 34 is the heavy equipment position, 35 is the position where the utility pole is laid down, and 36 is the intermediate posture. A path plan has been generated from the heavy equipment position 34 to the pole erection position 32 via the position where the utility pole is laid down 35 and the intermediate posture 36. By having the worker correct the intermediate posture, the path planning device 10 can generate a highly accurate path plan. After the worker inputs the corrected intermediate posture into the path planning device, the path planning device may output a recalculated intermediate posture and allow the worker to confirm it. If no correction is necessary, the path planning device 10 generates a path plan.

Once the worker obtains the route plan, he or she operates the heavy machinery based on this route plan. The heavy machinery operates according to the worker's operations (26 in Figure 9).

As described above, the path planning device and path planning method disclosed herein can generate efficient path plans without relying on the skills of the worker. Workers can clarify the path plan in advance, which can shorten the time required for pole erection work.

The route planning device disclosed herein can also be realized using a computer and a program, and the program that causes the computer to function as a route planning device can be recorded on a recording medium or provided via a network.

This disclosure can be applied to various industries, including the information and communications industry.

10: Path planning device 11: Acquisition unit 12: Selection unit 13: Planning unit 21: Acquisition step 22: Selection step 23: Planning step 31: Equipment position 32: Pole position 34: Heavy equipment position 35: Position where utility pole is laid down 36: Intermediate posture 37: Obstacle position

Claims (5)

an acquisition unit that acquires the equipment position from a sensor that scans the surroundings, and further acquires the input pole position, heavy equipment position, and position where the utility pole is to be laid down;
A selection unit that selects and outputs a plurality of pole erection construction patterns similar to the acquired equipment position from a plurality of pole erection construction patterns that are previously owned, and acquires a specified pole erection construction pattern from the selected plurality of pole erection construction patterns;
a planning unit that corrects the acquired equipment position based on the equipment position of the designated pole erection construction pattern, calculates an intermediate posture of the route from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down using the corrected equipment position, the acquired pole erection position, the heavy equipment position, and the position where the utility pole is laid down, and generates a route plan from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down and the intermediate posture;
A path planning device comprising:
The intermediate posture refers to the coordinates of the intermediate point along the path that the heavy equipment travels from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position, via the position where the utility pole is laid down. The path planning device described in claim 1, characterized in that the planning unit outputs the calculated intermediate posture, acquires a corrected intermediate posture, and generates a path plan from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid and the corrected intermediate posture. The path planning device
an acquisition step of acquiring the equipment position from a sensor that scans the surroundings, and further acquiring the input pole position, heavy equipment position, and position where the utility pole is to be laid down;
A selection step of selecting and outputting a plurality of pole erection construction patterns similar to the acquired equipment position from a plurality of pole erection construction patterns held in advance, and acquiring a specified pole erection construction pattern from the selected plurality of pole erection construction patterns;
a planning step of correcting the acquired equipment position based on the equipment position of the specified pole erection construction pattern, calculating an intermediate posture of the route from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down using the corrected equipment position, the acquired pole erection position, the heavy equipment position, and the position where the utility pole is laid down, and generating a route plan from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down and the intermediate posture;
A path planning method that performs
The intermediate posture refers to the coordinates of the intermediate point along the path that the heavy equipment travels from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position, via the position where the utility pole is laid down. The path planning method described in claim 3, characterized in that in the planning step, the calculated intermediate posture is output, a corrected intermediate posture is acquired, and a path plan is generated from the heavy equipment position to the pole erection position via the position where the utility pole is laid down and the corrected intermediate posture. A program for causing a computer to function as the route planning device according to claim 1.