GUIDING APPARATUS FOR UNMANNED MOVABLE BODIES

Abstract: The movable body (1) is equipped with a camera (6), light sources (7), wheels (4L) driven by motors with pulse encoders, a rate gyro, a CPU (11), a battery (12) and an aerial (13). The body travels along a designated line (16) by dead reckoning. Multiple signs (8) made of reflective object are arranged intermittently along a reference line (15) in such a way that at least two signs are in the view area of the camera. The actual position and posture of the body (1) are determined based on the identifications of the signs, which are then used to correct the estimated position and posture by dead reckoning.

Description: The present invention relates to a guidance system for an unmanned movable body so as to guide the latter or correct its position using visual recognizing means. Heretofore, as a method of bringing an unmanned vehicle to its destination along a predetermined movement passage, a guiding method with the aid of dead reckoning is known which is carried out by estimating the existent position of the vehicle with the aid of a moving direction detector and a movement length measuring instrument and then automatically steering the vehicle so as to pass through previously designated passing points on a predetermined passage. A drawback inherent to this method consists in that there occurs an error in respect of an estimated position of the vehicle due to ruggedness on the road surface or slippage of the vehicle, resulting in the vehicle failing to exactly pass through the predetermined passing points. Accordingly, in order to obviate the above-mentioned drawback, there have been already made various proposals as noted below as to a method of placing suitable ground marks on the movement passage in a spaced relation and intermittently correcting the estimated position of the vehicle by detecting the ground marks from the vehicle side. Japanese patent application JP-A-57-182209 discloses a travelling error display system of a conventional unmanned conveying vehicle with a position display plate provided with two return reflective plates, which have a predetermined distance from a reference route of the unmanned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle is provided with a position display plate detector having a turnable light emitting unit and a photodetecting sensor. To determine position of the unmanned vehicle the travelling distance is measured as well as the angle to the desired reference route by measuring the angle between the position display plate detector and the position display plate at two positions of the vehicle. For instance, Japanese patent Application NO. 204915/1982 discloses a technical concept that a light reflector is disposed on the side surface of an object serving as a target, a light emitting element and a light receiving element constituting one pair are mounted on an unmanned vehicle and the latter is caused to turn about a fixed point located in the proximity of the aforesaid target until the vehicle assumes a posture at which the light receiving element receives the highest intensity of light from the light reflector whereby a posture of the vehicle is controlled properly. However, the method as disclosed in the above fails to detect the ground marks due to disturbance during movement of the unmanned movable vehicle because a sensor adapted to detect the ground marks has a narrow detection range. Further, Japanese Patent Application No. 199007/1982 proposes another technical concept that a plurality of environmental matters such as wood, building or the like are utilized as marks for measuring not only the position of an unmanned vehicle but also the position of a manned vehicle. Also this method has problems that means for discriminating the environmental matter such as wood, building or the like requires a remarkably high production cost and therefore the method cannot be put in practical use at present. A method for updating in a wheeled vehicle steered by dead reckoning is known from EP-A-0 050 101, in which it is disclosed that in a vehicle, which calculates its own position on the basis of distances determined by rolling-off measurement, the error in position determination will increase gradually and necessitate updating. The floor is provided with markings, which are observed by an optical detector mounted transversely in the vehicle, and linear signals are obtained. At least two different measurements are carried out of the position of a first marking in relation to the vehicle, and the distance travelled by the vehicle between the measurements is measured. From these three measured distances, the angle between the vehicle and the marking can be determined. An additional marking forming an angle with the first marking makes it possible to determine the position in the direction of movement of the vehicle as well. This method needs two measurements or alternatively two linear markings to update position and attitude data evaluated by dead reckoning. According to this alternative the optical detector detects the different distances of the two straight line markings, which are not parallel to each other. Detecting along a line transverse to the marking lines different distances of the markings are obtainable and used to update current data obtained by dead reckoning. These methods may cause problems if the detecting line of the optical detector is parallel or nearly parallel to one of the markings, since this would affect the recognizability of the different markings and especially the distance measurement. The object of the present invention is to provide a guidance system for an unmanned movable body which assures that a plurality of ground marks can be reliably detected with the aid of visual recognizing means having a wide visual field. The present invention provides a guidance system as set forth in claims 1 and 6. The invention thus provides a guidance system in which the ground marks can be placed easily and moreover position correction can be highly exactly achieved at an inexpensive cost. A plurality of sets of at least two ground marks having a retro-reflectivity or light emitting property are placed on the movement passage of the unmanned movable body along a reference passage. The unmanned movable body includes visual recognizing means for momently calculating the existent position and attitude of the unmanned movable body, for instance, in accordance with a guidance method on the basis of dead reckoning or the like and steering it under proper control with reference to the thus calculated values. Coordinate positions of the aforesaid ground marks are previously stored in memory means. Detecting means obtain angles of the unmanned movable body relative to the aforesaid reference passage and a distance from a line segment which extends through the unmanned movable body to perpendicularly intersect the reference passage to the unmanned moving body with reference to at least the two ground marks which have been recognized by the aforesaid visual recognizing means. Then the existent position and attitude of the unmanned movable body is detected with reference to the thus obtained declination angle, displacement and distance as well as the content stored in the aforesaid memory means. Guiding position correcting means correct properly the position and attitude of the unmanned movable body which have been calculated in accordance with the aforesaid guidance method or the like with reference to the thus detected position and attitude whereby the position and attitude of the unmanned movable body are corrected intermittently. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a perspective view, a side view and a plan view of an unmanned movable mody of which movement is guided by means of an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a view illustrating a geometrical relation between coordinates on a camera and coordinates on the ground surface. Figs. 5 and 6 are an illustrative view for obtaining a displacement, an angle and distance of the unmanned movable body relative to the ground mark, respectively. Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of arrangement for controlling the apparatus in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a graph illustrating a manner of variation of a value K. Fig. 9 is a view exemplifying a system for producing a speed command signal. Fig. 10 is a view exemplifying a manner of guiding the movement of the unmanned movable body relative to a reference passage in accordance with other guiding system. Fig. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of arrangement for controlling the movement of the unmanned movable body in the case where the guiding system as shown in Fig. 10 is employed. Figs. 12 and 13 are a view exemplifying a manner of determining another reference passage in accordance with the guiding system as shown in Fig. 10, respectively. Now, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are a perspective view, a front view and a side view each of which illustrates an unmanned movable body 1 of which movement is guided by means of a guidance system in accordance with an embodiment or the present invention. As will be apparent from the drawings, the movable body 1 is provided with casters 3 on both the sides of the forward and rearward parts of a housing 2 and moreover it is provided with driving wheels 4R and 4L on both the sides of the central part of the housing 2. The driving wheels 4R and 4L are adapted to be rotated by means of motors M R and M L which are separately mounted in the interior of the housing 2. An ITV camera 6 serving as visual recognizing means is mounted on a supporting stand 5 which is projected upwardly of the fore part of the housing 2 and light emitters 7 are arranged on both the sides of the camera 6. The camera 6 is mounted on the supporting stand 5 so as to have a certain angle of declination which is suitably determined in such a manner that a predetermined range of the road surface located forwardly of the housing 2 is included within the visual field of the camera 6, and the light emitters 7 are mounted so as to lighten the visual field of the camera 6. The motors M R and M L are equipped with pulse generators 9R and 9L such as pulse encoder or the like adapted to output pulse signals in response to rotation of the motors M R and M L . Further, the movable body 1 is provided with a direction detector 10 such as rate gyro or the like means for detecting the direction of movement of the movable body 1, a CPU 11 for controlling the movement of the movable body 1 and processing images, a battery 12 and a sending and receiving antenna 13. A plurality of ground marks 8 placed on the road surface are adapted to function as a sign for the purpose of guiding the movement of the movable body 1. In the illustrated embodiment, a glass ball having a retro-reflectivity, that is, a nature of allowing light to be reflected in the same direction as that of incident light is employed for the ground marks 8. The ground marks 8 are placed in a spaced relation along a moving passage of the movable body 1 in such a manner as to constitute one set with two or more ground marks, and a line extending through a series of ground marks 8 functions as a reference line 15 for the movable body 1. It should be noted that a distance between the adjacent ground marks 8 is so determined that at least two ground marks 8 are included within the visual, field of the camera 6. Here, description will be made below as to a principle for calculating a position of the movable body 1 relative to the ground mark 8 (identified by a combination of a displacement d, an angle  and a distance ℓ ) while seizing the ground mark 8 with the use of the camera 6. When X and Y coordinates are established with respect to the ground surface and moreover x and y coordinates are established with respect to an image surface Q of the camera 6, as shown in Fig. 4, there is existent a geometrical relation between a coordinate point M on the ground surface and a coordinate point m on the image surface Q corresponding to the aforesaid coordinate point M. Accordingly, if the point coordinate m on the image surface Q is detected, the coordinate point M on the ground surface can be obtained and moreover an angle γ formed between a line segment M m and the ground surface as well as an angle β (azimuth angle) formed between a line segment M m which appears by projecting the aforesaid line segment M m onto the ground surface and the aforesaid Y-axis are obtained too. Incidentally, in the drawing a point C is representative of a lens main point in the camera 6. The coordinates X and Y on the ground surface are established on the assumption that a point where a perpendicular extending through the point C intersects the ground surface is represented by a coordinate original point O, and the Y-coordinate coincides with the direction of movement of the movable body 1. Next, consideration is taken as to the case where coordinate points M₁ and M₂ on the ground surface are included within the visual field of the camera 6, as shown in Fig. 5. An angle γ₁ and an azimuth angle β₁ with respect to the coordinate point M₁ as well as an angle γ₂ and an azimuth angle β₂ with respect to the coordinate point M₂ are obtainable from coordinate points m₁ and m₂ (not shown) on the image surface Q of the camera 6 corresponding to the aforesaid coordinate points M₁ and M₂ in the samne manner as mentioned above. If the coordinate points M₁ and M₂ are obtained, an angle  formed between a line segment (reference passage) 15 extending through the coordinate points M₁ and M₂ and the Y-axis as well as a length d of the perpendicular extending from the original point O to the reference passage 15 can be calculated in accordance with the following formulas (1) and (2). where h is representative of a distance between point C and point O. Further, a distance ℓ₁ between a foot point N of the perpendicular extending from point O and the coordinate point M₁ and a distance ℓ₂ between the foot point N and the coordinate point M₂ on the reference passage 15 can be calculated in accordance with the following formulas (3) and (4) with reference to the geometrical relation as shown in Fig. 6. When it is considered that the coordinate points M₁ and M₂ are representative of the position where the ground mark 8 is located, it follows that the angle  is representative of an angle of the movable body 1 relative to a line segment extending between the adjacent ground marks 8, the distance d is representative of a displacemewnt (displacement in the transverse direction) of the movable body 1 relative to the aforesaid line segment and the distances ℓ₁ and ℓ₂ are representative of a distance of movement of the movable body 1 to the ground marks M₁ and M₂ along the reference passage 15, respectively. The above description is intended to explain a principle for detecting a position of the movable body 1 relative to the ground mark 8 and an attitude angle of the movable body 1 relative to the reference passage 15. In the following embodiments, this principle is applied to correction of the position and the attitude of the movable body when movement of the movable body is guided along a predetermined movement passage in accordance with an evaluation navigation method. Now, description will be made below as to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to Fig. 7 which is a block diagram illustrating how to control the movement of the movable body. Refering to Fig. 7, a movement distance detector 20 detects movement distances L R and L L of the movable body 1 by counting the number of pulses transmitted from the pulse generators 9R and 9L fitted to the driving wheels 4R and 4L with the use of counters 21 and 22 and the thus detected movement distance L R and L L are inputted into the CPU 11. In this case, the CPU 11 uses an average value of values counted by both the counters 21 and 22 as distance data in order to obtain a movement distance of the central position of the movable body 1. The direction detector 10 is a rate gyro which obtains the direction of movement of the movable body 1, for instance, by detecting an extent of variation in direction of the movement and then integrating the results of detection, and the thus detected direction of movement of the movable body is inputted into the CPU 11. The CPU 11 evaluates an existent coordinate position of the movable body 1 with reference to data concerning movement distance and data concerning direction of the movement both of which are momently inputted thereinto from the movement distance detector 20 and the direction detector 10 and then detects an extent of displacement stay from the predetermined movement passage 16 (see Fig. 1) and an attitude angle of the movable body 1 whereby movement of the movable body 1 is so controlled that the movable body 1 moves along the predetermined movement passage 16. As shown in Fig. 8, the CPU 11 includes a program for producing a speed command V R by adding a value K to a moving speed command V for the moving body 1 and producing a speed command V L by subtracting a value K from the aforesaid moving speed command V, and the thus produced commands V R and V L are added to servo amplifiers 25 and 26 via D/A converters 23 and 24. The aforesaid value K varies with respect to ΔV = (dr - d) + C(  r -  ) (C ; constant) in such a fashion as shown in Fig. 9. Accordingly, in the case where both difference between a predetermined displacement dr and an actual displacement d and difference between a target declination angle  r and an actual declination angle  are small and ΔV has a value within an insensible zone D as shown in Fig. 9, the result is that K = O is established and thereby speed commands as represented by V R = V and V L = V are produced whereby the driving wheels 4R and 4L are rotated at the same rotational speed and thereby the movable body 1 is caused to move linearly. Further, in the case where ΔV assumes a positive value more than the value within the insensible zone D, the result is that V R > V L is established. Thus, the right-hand driving wheel 4R is rotated at a rotational speed higher than that of the left-hand driving wheel 4L and thereby the movable body 1 is steered to move in the leftward direction. On the contrary, in the case where ΔV assumes a negative value more than the value within the insensible zone D, the result is that V R < V L is established. Thus, the moving body 1 is steered to move in the right-hand direction. It should be noted that a steering angle increases as an absolute value of ΔV increases. On the other hand, a video signal outputted from the camera 6 is binary-coded in an A/D converter 27 and thereafter it is written into a frame memory 28. At every time when one figure section is produced, the content stored in the frame memory 28 is introduced into the CPU 11. Accordingly, when the movable body 1 approaches in the proximity of the ground mark 8 as it moves, the ground mark 8 is seized as a bright point-shaped figure image by means of the camera 6 due to the fact that the ground mark 8 is formed by a glass ball having a retro-reflectivity. Then, the CPU 11 recognizes a plurality of ground marks 8 (for instance, 2 to 3 ground marks) existent within the visual field of the camera 6 with reference to data concerning the bright point-shaped figure image stored in the frame memory 28 and selects two ground marks 8 among the plurality of ground marks, for instance, two ground marks from those located in the proximity of the movable body. Then, the CPU 11 obtains coordinate points M₁ and M₂ on the ground surface with respect to two ground marks, calculates a declination angle γ₁ and an azimuth angle β₁ with respect to coordinate point M₁ as well as a declination angle γ₂ and an azimuth angle β₂ with respect to the coordinate point M₂ and then executes operations as shown in the formulas (1), (2), (3) and (4) to obtain a declination angle  , a displacement d and distance ℓ₁ and ℓ₂ of the movable body 1. Positional coordinates of each of the ground marks 8 are previously stored in a ground mark position memory 29, as in shown 7, and the CPU 11 obtains the existent coordinate position and attitude of the movable body 1 with reference to the declination angle  , the displacement d and the distances ℓ₁ and ℓ₂ of the movable body 1 obtained in the above-described manner and the coordinate position of the ground mark 8 read out from the coordinate position memory 29. Then, the thus obtained data are compared with the evaluated coordinate position and attitude obtained in response to detection output of the travelling distance detector 20 and the direction detector 10, and the evaluated position and attitude are corrected by driving the motors M R and M L under proper control with reference to the results of the aforesaid comparison. Thereafter, steering and controlling of the movable body 1 are achieved in accordance with the evaluation navigation method while the corrected position and attitude of the movable body 1 are maintained as initial state. Thus, according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, any ground mark can be not only reliably detected with the use of visual recognizing means having a wide visual field but also placement of the ground mark can be easily carried out. Accordingly, the position of the movable body can be corrected advantageously in terms of cost and at a high accuracy. Incidentally, in the above-described embodiment, glass balls having a returnable reflectivity are used as a ground mark 8. However, the present invention should not be limited only to this. Alternatively, corner cube prisum, adhesive tape having a returnable reflectivity in a predetermined form, light reflector usable for guide rail or the like may be employable in place of the glass ball. In the case where these ground marks are in use, they can be easily discriminated from other object appearing on a figure image when they have a predetermined shape. Further, it is possible to use a light emitting body such as LED, electric-light bulb, flurorescent lamp or the like as a ground mark 8, and in this case, the light emitters 7 employed for the illustrated embodiment are not required. Incidentally, when light emitters adapted to emit light having a specific wave length are used, disturbance can be removed by providing on the the visual recognizing side a filter through which light having the aforesaid specific wave length can pass. Similarly, disturbance can be removed by intermittently turning on the light emitter at a predetermined frequency by performing image processing with the use of frequency of the aforesaid intermittent turning-on on the visual recognizing side. After all, a variety of ground marks can be selectively used as a ground mark 8, as far as visual recognizing means can distinguish the ground mark 8 from other object. Accordingly, it suffices that ground marks most suitable for the moving atmosphere in which the movable body 1 moves are selected and used. Further, in the above-described embodiment the television camera 6 is used as visual recognizing means, but in the case where light emitters are employed for the ground marks 8, a two-dimensional semiconductor position detector (position sensor) can be also used as visual recognizing means. In the illustrated embodiment, steering and controlling of the movable body 1 are achieved in accordance with the evaluation navigation method. Further, according to the arrangement made in the above-described manner, it is possible to enable the movable body 1 to move along various passages by using as a reference the ground marks having a retro-reflectivity disposed intermittently along a predetermined reference passage for the purpose of guiding the movement of the movable body 1. Namely, a reference passage k₁ is constituted by a plurality of ground marks 8 as shown in Fig. 10. As is apparent from the drawing, the ground marks 8 are disposed intermittently along a movement passage of the movable body 1 and a line extending through the ground marks 8 functions as a reference passage k₁ relative to the movable body 1, as will be described later. A distance between the adjacent ground marks 8 is so determined that at least two ground marks are always included within the visual field of the camera 6. Namely, if a target displacement dr (or target distance dr and target angle  r) is preset with respect to each of sections Li, Li+1 , ----- on the passage and the movable body 1 is so steered that an actual displacement dr (or actual displacement dr and actual angle  r) of the movable body 1 with respect to each of the aforesaid sections coincides with a predetermined displacement dr (or predetermined displacement dr and predetermined angle  r) with respect to the aforesaid section, movement of the movable body 1 along various passages having a reference passage k₁ as a reference, for instance, a passage k₁' as shown in the drawing can be guided. Fig. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment for controlling the movement of the movable body under proper guiding in the above described manner, and a target displacement dr and a target angle  r to be assumed by the movable body 1 at each of positions are previously stored in a passage memory 30. For instance, in the case where a reference passage k₁ is constructed as shown in Fig. 10 by a series of ground marks 8, a plurality of target displacements dr (di, di+1, ------) and a plurality of target declination angles  r are stored with respect to positions Pi, Pi+1, ----r. Since each of the ground targets 8 is constituted by a glass ball having a retro-reflectivity, as mentioned above, it is seized as a bright point-shaped figure image by means of the camera 6. Then, the CPU 11 visually recognizes a plurality of ground marks 8 (for instance, 2 to 3 ground marks) existent within the visual field of the camera 6 with reference to the data concerning the bright point-shaped figure image stored in frame memory 28 and then selects two ground marks, for instance, adjacent two ground marks among these ground marks. Thereafter, coordinate points M₁ and M₂ on the ground surface shown in Fig. 5 are obtained with respect to the two ground marks as mentioned above, a declination angle γ₁ and an azimuth angle β₁ with respect to the coordinate point M₁ as well as a declination angle γ₂ and an azimuth angle β₂ are calculated and then operations as shown in the above-noted equations (1) , (2), (3) and (4) are executed whereby a declination angle  and a displacement d of the movable body 1 are obtained. The CPU 11 detects the position Pi, Pi+1, ----- by counting from output of the camera 6 the number of ground marks 8 which pass through each of above positions and then successively read from the memory 15 the target displacement dr and the target declination angle  r with respect to each of the positions. Then, speed commands V R and V L to be issued to the motors MR and ML are produced and outputted with reference to the read displacement dr and declination angle  as well as the detected actual displacement d and the actual angle  of the movable body 1 in the the above-described manner. When the guiding method as mentioned above is employed, in the case where the target displacements dr with respect to the positions Pi, Pi+1, Pi+2, ------- as shown in Fig. 10 are set in such a manner that di; ( > O), di + 1 ( > O) , di + 2 ( > O) and each of the target angles  r is set to  r = O , movement of the movable body 1 is so guided that a displacement of the movable body 1 amounts to di and a declination angle of the movable body 1 amounts to zero, for instance, within the section Li. Also in other sections, movement of the moving angle 1 is guided in the same manner. Accordingly, in the illustrated example a passage k₁ shown by dotted lines in the drawing becomes a movement passage of the movable body 1. Incidentally, when this guiding method is employed, it is possible to guide the movement of the movable body 1 along a passage K₂' shifted from the reference passage K₂ by a distance of d₄, as shown in Fig. 12. Further, it is naturally possible to guide the movement of the movable body along a passage K₃ identical to the reference passage K₃ as shown in Fig. 13. As is apparent from the above description, this embodiment offers an advantageous effect that movement of the movable body can be guided along various passages different from a reference passage by changing a target displacement or both a target displacement and a target angle with respect to each of the positions on the reference passage which is produced by a series of ground marks. In the above-described embodiment, a predetermined declination angle  r is fixedly set to  r + O. Alternatively, a proper amount of declination angle  r is set at each of the movement position in dependence on a shape of the passage along which movement of the movable body should be guided. Further, in the above-described embodiment, both the target displacement and target declination angle are specified. Alternatively, only the displacement dr may be specified. That is to say, it is also possible to obtain a value of the aforesaid K by allowing the CPU 11 to process ΔV = (dr - d) and guide the movement of the movable body 1 with the use of the thus obtained value of K. It should be noted that when both the displacement dr and the angle  r are specified, changing of the passage of the movable body can be achieved at a higher accuracy. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the positions Pi, Pi+i, ----- where the passage of movement of the movable body 1 varies are detected from the number of ground marks 8 which passes through each of the aforesaid positions. Alternatively, it is also possible that the ground marks relative to these positions are designed in a special form and their pattern is visually recognized in order that each of the positions is detected. Further, it is also possible to give information indicative of each of the positions from a sign post or the like means which is disposed sidewardly of the passage. Incidentally, in the case where changing of the passage is effected at the position where the movable body 1 moves from, for instance, the position Pi by a predetermined distance, the position where changing of the passage is achieved can be detected by counting the number of pulses outputted from the pulse generators 9R and 9L as shown in Fig. 1 with the use of pulse counters after the movable body 1 reached the position Pi. In this case, the CPU 11 uses an average value of the counted values of both the counters as distance data in order to obtain a movement distance of the central position of the movable body 1.

Claims: A guidance system for controlling the steering of an unmanned movable body (1) moved on a ground surface based on dead reckoning, wherein the unmanned movable body (1) includes means (20) for measuring travelled distance of the unmanned movable body (1), means (10) for measuring travelling direction of the unmanned movable body (1), means (11) for calculating current position and attitude of the unmanned movable body (1) by dead reckoning based on the output of the travelling distance measuring means (20) and the travelling direction measuring means (10), visual means (6) for picking up image of marks (8, M1, M2), memory means (29), and guiding position correcting means (MR,ML) for controlling the steering and for correcting the current position and the current attitude of the unmanned movable body (1) evaluated by using the current position and the current attitude of the unmanned movable body (1) obtained by said calculating means (11) characterized in that plural sets of at least two marks (8) are disposed along a movement passage of the unmanned movable body (1) in a spaced relation with one set after another, said memory means (29) having coordinates of each of the marks (8, M1, M2) previously stored, said calculating means (11) a) obtains the effective position and attitude of the unmanned movable body (1) from said memory means (29), using the coordinates of two marks (8, M1, M2) whose image data are picked up by the visual means (6), the coordinates being evaluated on the basis of the angle () between a reference line (15) connecting the two marks (8, M1, M2) and a current travelling direction (y) of the unmanned movable body (1), the distance (d) between the reference line (15) and the unmanned movable body (1), and the distance (11, 12) from each of the marks (M1, M2) to a line passing through the unmanned movable body (1) and crossing the reference line (15) at the right angle, b) compares the calculated position and attitude of the unmanned movable body (1) obtained by dead reckoning with the data obtained from the memory means (29) and c) corrects position and attitude by controlling said guiding position correcting means (MR,ML). A guidance system for an unmanned movable body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marks (8) have a returnable reflective property, and the unmanned movable body (1) further comprises light emitting means (7) for illuminating a visual field of the visual means (6). A guidance system for an unmanned movable body as claimed in claim 1, the marks (8) have a luminous property. A guidance system for an unmanned movable body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual means (6) comprises a television camera. A guidance system for an unmanned movable body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual means (6) comprises a two-dimensional semiconductor position detector. A guidance system for controlling the steering of an unmanned movable body (1) based on image data obtained by picking up images of a plurality of marks (8, M1, M2) disposed along a predetermined reference passage (15) by visual means (6), wherein the unmanned movable body (1) includes means (20) for measuring travelled distance of the unmanned movable body (1), means (11) for calculating current position of the unmanned movable body (1) based on the output of the travelling distance measuring means (9R,9L,21,22), memory means (29) and guiding position correcting means (MR,ML) for controlling the steering of the unmanned movable body (1) and for correcting the current position and the current attitude of the unmanned movable body, characterized in that said memory means (30) store a value of target displacement (dr) between the reference passage (15) and the unmanned movable body (1), and a value of a target angle (r) between the reference passage (15) and a current travelling direction (y) of the unmanned vehicle with respect to each position (Pi, Pi+1, ...) of, the reference passage (15) divided in a plurality of unit sections (Li, Li+1 ...), within which at least two of the marks (8) fall into the visual field of the visual means (6), said calculating means (11) calculates the actual distance (di) and the actual angle () between the reference passage (15) and the unmanned movable body (1), and calculates a current position of the unmanned movable body (1) based on coordinates of the image data of two marks (8) picked up by the visual means (6), and detects the position (Pi, Pi+1, ...) by detecting in which unit section (Li, Li+1, ...) the unmanned movable body (1) is currently positioned by counting the number of the marks (8) in the image data picked up by the visual means (6), and said correcting means (MR, ML) controls the steering of the unmanned movable body (1) using data (dr,  r) read out from the memory means (30) as well as the calculated actual distance (d) and the actual angle ().

Inventors: HOSOI, MITSUO, KATO, ATSUHIKO, NAKANO, ICHIRO, SUZUKI, TORU
Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOMATSU SEISAKUSHO
Application year: 1987
Main classification: G05D1
IPC codes: G05D1, G01C21