Patent Application
20240199321
The present disclosure relates to a movable waste box as an autonomously-movable moving body, a waste collection system including the movable waste box, and a supervision apparatus which controls the movable waste box.
In conventional technology, there is disclosed a waste collection management system including an acquiring unit which acquires request information regarding a waste collection request from a user, a determining unit which determines the presence or absence of an addressing moving body which can address the request information, a generating unit which generates a dispatch instruction for dispatching the addressing moving body to a collection point based on the request information when the addressing moving body is present, and a guiding unit which guides the addressing moving body to the collection point based on the dispatch instruction and causes the addressing moving body to perform collection of target waste as a target for a collection request. Here, the addressing moving body is a waste collection vehicle and automatic driving vehicle (for example, Patent Literature 1).
In the system of Patent Literature 1, in response to the request information from the user, a collection moving body for waste collection as an automatic driving vehicle is dispatched. However, in a place such as a tourist site or theme park, when waste such as a vacant PET bottle is desired to be thrown away, it is burdensome to take the trouble to call a waste collection vehicle, a wait time is also a nuisance, and the eyes of the surrounding people are also annoying. Thus, when waste is desired to be thrown away, a situation is preferable in which a movable waste box is making the rounds to allow waste to be thrown away.
An object of the present disclosure is to save the trouble of having to call a collection moving body for collecting waste and then wait for arrival of the collection moving body.
The present disclosure relates to a moving body to collect waste. The moving body according to the present disclosure, includes:
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to save the trouble of having to call a collection moving body for collecting waste and then wait for arrival of the collection moving body.
In the description and the drawings of the embodiments, the same components and corresponding components are provided with the same reference character. Description of the components provided with the same reference character is omitted or simplified as appropriate. In the following embodiments, a “unit” may be read as a “circuit”, “step”, “procedure”, “process”, or “circuitry” as appropriate.
A waste collection system 1000 of Embodiment 1 is described with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In
The unified sensor unit 180 includes the GNSS antenna 605, the cameras 181, the sonar 182, the millimeter wave radar 183, the LiDAR 184, a GNSS positioning device 185, and a sensor fusion unit 186. The unified sensor unit 180 is a unit which measures data for the movable waste box 100 to autonomously move. As illustrated in
The control device 110 is a device which controls autonomous movements of the movable waste boxes 100 and also supports waste collection to the waste boxes 120. The control device 110 includes the movement control unit 111, a storage device 112, a waste extracting unit 113, and a waste amount control unit 114. The movement control unit 111 has unified information 188 inputted from the unified sensor unit 180. Based on the unified information 188, the path information 201a held in the storage device 112, and an instruction from the supervision apparatus 200, the movement control unit 111 generates autonomous movement control information 111a for the autonomous movement device 170 to cause any movable waste box 100 to autonomously move. The waste extracting unit 113 extracts waste by using the sensor group. Waste extraction will be described further below. The waste amount control unit 114 monitors the accommodation capacity of waste of the separate waste box 121, the separate waste box 122, and the separate waste box 123. The storage device 112 has stored therein a high-precision map received from the supervision apparatus 200 and point-group data measured by the LiDAR 184, and has them held in a high-precision map and point-group database (high-precision map/point-group DB) 119. Also, the storage device 112 has stored therein learned model 113a and the path information 201a received from the supervision apparatus 200. The storage device 112 is implemented by an auxiliary storage device 930A.
The autonomous movement device 170 causes any movable waste box 100 to autonomously move based on the autonomous movement control information 111a. Specifically, the autonomous movement device 170 causes the movable waste box 100 to autonomously move by controlling a traveling mechanism included in the movable waste box 100, such as a motor or steering mechanism not illustrated in the drawings. Note that each movable waste box 100 has a battery as a motive power source and each movable waste box 100 is so called an electric automobile.
The control device 110 includes the movement control unit 111, the waste extracting unit 113, and the waste amount control unit 114 as functional components. The functions of the movement control unit 111, the waste extracting unit 113, and the waste amount control unit 114 are implemented by a control program 110a.
The processor 910A is a device which executes the control program 110a. The control program 110a is a program which implements the functions of the movement control unit 111, the waste extracting unit 113, and the waste amount control unit 114. The processor 910A is an IC (Integrated Circuit) which performs arithmetic process. Specific examples of the processor 910A are a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).
Specific examples of the main storage device 920A are an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The main storage device 920A retains arithmetic operation results of the processor 910A.
The auxiliary storage device 930A is a non-volatile storage device which retains data. A specific example of the auxiliary storage device 930A is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Also, the auxiliary storage device 930A may be a portable recording medium such as an SD (registered trademark) (Secure Digital) memory card, NAND flash, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). The auxiliary storage device 930A has stored therein the high-precision map and point-group database 119, the learned model 113a, the path information 201a, and the control program 110a.
The input interface 940A is a port to which data is inputted from each device. To the input interface 940A, the unified sensor unit 180 is connected. The output interface 950A is a port to which various devices are connected and through which data is caused by the processor 910A to be outputted to various devices. To the output interface 950A, the autonomous movement device 170 is connected. The communication interface 960A is a communication port for the processor to communicate with another device. To the communication interface 960A, a communication device 190 is connected. Via the communication device 190, the control device 110 communicates with the supervision apparatus 200. Specifically, with the communication device 190 communicating with a communication device 210, which will be described further below, included in the supervision apparatus 200, communication between the control device 110 and the supervision apparatus 200 is established.
The control device 110 may include a plurality of processors which replace the processor 910A. The plurality of these processors share execution of the control program 110a. As with the processor 910A, each processor is a device which executes the control program 110a. Data, information, signal values, and variable values to be used, processed, or outputted by the control program 110a are stored in the main storage device 920A, the auxiliary storage device 930A, or a register or cache memory in the processor 910A.
The control program 110a is a program which causes a computer to perform each process, each procedure, or each step acquired by reading the “unit” of each of the movement control unit 111, the waste extracting unit 113, and the waste amount control unit 114 as a “process”, “procedure”, or “step”.
Also, a control method is a method to be performed by the control device 110 as a computer executing the control program 110a. The control program 110a may be provided as being held in a computer-readable recording medium or may be provided as a program product.
The supervision apparatus 200 includes the path information generating unit 201 and a moving body monitoring unit 202 as functional components. The functions of the path information generating unit 201 and the moving body monitoring unit 202 are implemented by a supervision program 200a. The supervision program 200a is executed by the processor 910B. An auxiliary storage device 930B has stored therein the supervision program 200a. The supervision program 200a is a program which causes a computer to perform each process, each procedure, or each step acquired by reading the “unit” of each of the path information generating unit 201 and the moving body monitoring unit 202 as a “process”, “procedure”, or “step”. Also, an infection method is a method to be performed by the supervision apparatus 200 as a computer executing the supervision program 200a. The supervision program 200a may be provided as being held in a computer-readable recording medium or may be provided as a program product. To the communication interface 960B, the communication device 210 is connected. The supervision apparatus 200 communicates with the control device 110 via the communication device 210. The communication device 210 is illustrated also in
The operation of the movable waste box 100 is specifically described below.
The movable waste box 100 illustrated in
Normally, the movable waste box 100 autonomously travels at a speed equal to or slow than 6 km per hour. For example, the movable waste box 100 travels at a speed between 1 km per hour and 2 km per hour. However, the speed of autonomous traveling is simply an example. The speed of the movable waste box 100 by autonomous traveling is not limited. The waste box 120 is a waste box which accepts waste a person who is present, partway on a path, on the path or along the path has. The movable waste box 100 travels at a low speed between 1 km per hour and 2 km per hour, and collects waste partway on a traveling path. Thus, it is possible to beautify the tourist site 400 without obstructing the tourist 410.
The movable waste box 100 has a human sensor which detects a movement of a person. As a human sensor, the sensor group the unified sensor unit 180 has can be used. When the human sensor detects a state in which a person approaches any movable waste box 100, the movement control unit 111 causes the speed of the movable waste box 100 to be decreased. That is, as illustrated in
The speed reduction instruction may be a stop instruction. In the case of the stop instruction, the speed control unit 171 stops the movement of the movable waste box 100.
Also, when the sensor group as a human sensor detects a state in which a person is going away from any movable waste box 100, the movement control unit 111 causes the speed of the movable waste box 100 to be increased. In this case, the movement control unit 111 transmits, to the autonomous movement device 170, autonomous movement control information 111a including a speed increase instruction. The speed control unit 171 follows the speed increase instruction to increase the speed of the movable waste box 100. For example, when the movable waste box 100 is traveling at 0 to 1 km/h per hour at normal times, the speed is decreased so that the movable waste box 100 is caused to travel at 1 to 2 km/h per hour at normal times.
Since the movable waste box 100 changes its speed with a person approaching or going away, there is an effect that the tourists 410 can easily throw waste away.
The control device 110 has a plurality of pieces of path information stored in the storage device 112. In
For example, when the separate waste box 121 for collecting burnable waste has waste exceeding a threshold amount of accommodatable waste, the movement control unit 111 selects the path information 201b, and makes the rounds of the path 402 (
<Use of Learned Model 113a>
The movable waste box 100 as a moving body includes the cameras 181 as an image-taking device which takes an image of the vicinity. The auxiliary storage device 930A of the control device 110 has held therein the learned model 113a. The learned model 113a is a model for extracting waste from an image on which waste appears. The waste extracting unit 113 of the control device 110 extracts waste by using the learned model 113a from the image taken by any camera 181 and, when waste is extracted, outputs a waste extraction signal.
The waste extracting unit 113 transmits, as a waste extraction signal, an extraction notification that waste has been extracted to the supervision apparatus 200 which manages the movable waste box 100. Specifically, the waste extracting unit 113 transmits an extraction notification to the supervision apparatus 200 via the communication interface 960A. The extraction notification includes a waste extraction time and a waste extraction location. A supervision station, not illustrated in the drawings, having the supervision apparatus 200 can notify an administrator of the tourist site 400 that waste has been extracted.
Alternatively, as illustrated in
As described above, since the control device 110 extracts waste by using the learned model 113a, waste can be efficiently collected.
Note that the learned model 113a is generated by the path information generating unit 201 of the supervision apparatus 200. The path information generating unit 201 learns images of waste by, for example, supervised learning, and generates the learned model 113a. The generated learned model 113a is held in the auxiliary storage device 930A of the control device 110.
<Identification of Person with Waste>
Also, the learned model 113a may be able to extract a person such as a tourist 410b having waste illustrated in
If collection of waste from the person having waste has been confirmed by the sensor group, the movement control unit 111 causes the movable waste box 100 to be returned to the original path. Specifically, if collection of waste from the person having waste has been confirmed by the sensor group, the movement control unit 111 generates autonomous movement control information 111a for making an instruction of returning to the original path for output to the autonomous movement device 170.
In this manner, since the movable waste box 100 approaches the person having waste, the person having waste can easily throw waste away, and beautification of the tourist site 400 is improved.
The movable waste box 100 includes a waste box monitoring device which monitors the waste box 120. The waste box monitoring device can be implemented by the sensor group such as the cameras 181, the sonar 182, the millimeter wave radar 183, and the LiDAR 184. For example, as a waste box monitoring device, as illustrated in
Upon determining that there is any waste with its position changed from the inside of the waste box 120 to the outside of the waste box 120, the waste extracting unit 113 transmits an alert notification to the supervision apparatus 200 which manages the movable waste box 100. The alert notification includes a time and location of detection of the waste drop. The supervision station where the supervision apparatus 200 is present notifies the administrator of the tourist site 400 of the details of the alert notification. With this, beautification of the tourist site 400 is improved.
Alternatively, as illustrated in
Note that a waste drop determination can be made as follows.
The waste extracting unit 113 can detect a waste drop from a weight sensor installed in the waste box 120.
In
The waste extracting unit 113 can detect waste by making a comparison between a high-precision map as a three-dimensional map and information about a point group in real time acquired by the LiDAR 184 (point-group database). This process can be used for any waste dropped on roads in general. By further using the learned model 113a, when an image corresponding to a difference in the point group is present, the waste extracting unit 113 may determine whether data of the point group represents waste.
As a waste box monitoring device, the weight sensor 130 which detects the weight of waste for each separate waste box may be arranged inside the device of the movable waste box 100. Also, an infrared sensor or the like which detects, for each separate waste box, the height of waste accumulated inside the waste box or the position of waste positioned at the highest may be arranged on a back surface of a ceiling part of the movable waste box 100. If waste of part of separate waste increases based on the detection result of the weight sensor 130, the infrared sensor, or the like, after the capacity of another separate waste box is detected, the capacity of the separate waste box with increased waste is increased. Specifically, the process is as follows. As illustrated in
The operation of the waste collection system 1000 is described below, with attention being paid to the supervision apparatus 200.
The movable waste box 100 illustrated in
The path information generating unit 201 generates path information based on streams of people in an area such as the tourist site 400 where the movable waste box 100 is scheduled to move. Human stream information 13 indicating streams of people can be acquired from the street camera 310 illustrated in
The path information generating unit 201 may generate path information based on a facility including the shops 320 arranged in an area where the movable waste box 100 is scheduled to move. Specifically, in
The auxiliary storage device 930B has stored therein waste emission information indicating waste emission situations at a plurality of locations in the area where the movable waste box 100 is scheduled to move. The path information generating unit 201 may generate path information based on the waste emission information stored in the auxiliary storage device 930B. With the path information generating unit 201 referring to the waste emission information and generating path information including locations with large emission amounts of waste, waste can be efficiently collected. The waste emission information has recorded thereon, for example, a waste emission amount with respect to time for each location. The path information generating unit 201 can acquire the waste emission information from a device outside the supervision apparatus 200. The waste emission information includes, as described above, time information indicating a time when waste is emitted. With this, path information effective for waste collection can be generated.
Note that note that, for generation of path information, a learned model for generating path information may be used. Specifically, the process is as follows. By taking, as training data, at least any of the image taken by the street camera 310 illustrated in
<Coverage of Tourist Site 400 with Plurality of Movable Waste Boxes 100>
As illustrated in
As the accommodation capacity of waste in the waste box 120 exceeds a threshold value, the movable waste box 100 transmits an excess signal to the supervision apparatus 200.
When receiving the excess signal, the path information generating unit 201 transmits a movement destination instruction for making an instruction of a movement destination to a transmission moving body, which is the movable waste box 100 transmitting the excess signal, to cause the transmission moving body to move to the movement destination. For example, the movement destination is a storage warehouse 340 illustrated in
To replace the transmission moving body by the movable waste box 100 different from the transmission moving body, the path information generating unit 201 transmits path information identical to the path information transmitted to the transmission moving body to the different movable waste box 100. With this, the transmission moving body filled with waste can be changed to the different movable waste box 100.
The supervision apparatus 200 has the moving body monitoring unit 202 that monitors the movement state of the movable waste box 100 to control the movement state of the movable waste box 100 based on the monitoring result. Position information on which monitoring is based is transmitted from the movable waste box 100. The position information is associated with a presence time and a presence position. From the position information and the movable waste box 100 the image of which was taken by the street camera 310, the moving body monitoring unit 202 can control the movement state of the movable waste box 100. In this manner, by remotely controlling the movable waste box 100, the tourist site 400 can be efficiently beautified.
According to the waste collection system 1000 of Embodiment 1, the movable waste box 100 as an automatic traveling vehicle equipped with a waste box itself is caused to travel along the movement path of the tourists 410, and thus it is possible to save the tourists 410 trouble of finding a waste box, and improve beautification of the tourist site 400.
The waste collection system 1000 of Embodiment 2 is described with reference to
The human stream information generating unit 203 generates the human stream information 13 based on information such as external input information or sensing information of a sensor X. The sensor X will be described further below.
The human stream information generating unit 203 can generate the human stream information 13 from image information, position information of a person, and speed information of a person acquired by the sensor X mounted on the movable waste box 100 or the sensor X provided outside the movable waste box 100. The “sensor X provided outside the movable waste box 100” means the sensor X not mounted on the movable waste box 100.
The sensor X is described.
The sensor X is configured of one or plurality of the following (1) to (6):
Note that the movable terminal is a terminal device.
Other than the vicinity of the shops 320, the street camera 310 may be arranged at a location such as (1) to (4) below:
As illustrated in
Also, the human stream information generating unit 203 can generate the human stream information 13 based on the position information and the speed information acquired by the movable terminal owned by the tourist.
Also, by using at least any of the following (1), (2), and (3), the human stream information generating unit 203 can measure the number of theme-park users (tourists) at a theme park per unit time and can find the human stream information 13 from the number of people for each moving body or each location.
In the following, the operation of the path information generating unit 201 of Embodiment 2 in cooperation with the human stream information generating unit 203 is described.
For example, the path information generating unit 201 refers to the set priorities and sets path information as a passage route of the movable waste box 100 so that the number of passages of the overcrowded path of the movable waste box 100 increases per unit time or per use time of a facility the tourists use or the number of passages of the undercrowded path decreases per unit time or per use time.
In the waste collection system 1000 of Embodiment 2, the supervision apparatus 200 includes the human stream information generating unit 203 which generates the human stream information 13. And, the path information generating unit 201 generates path information by using the human stream information 13 generated by the human stream information generating unit 203. Thus, the human stream information is generated inside the waste collection system 1000, and path information is generated from the human stream information generated inside the waste collection system 1000. Therefore, correct human stream information necessary for the waste collection system 1000 can be quickly acquired. Also, since path information is generated from the human stream information that is correct for the waste collection system 1000, efficient waste collection can be made. Also, the degree of satisfaction of tourists on a waste emission side is improved.
The waste collection system 1000 of Embodiment 3 is described with reference to
The system configuration of the waste collection system 1000 of Embodiment 3 is identical to that of
In Embodiment 3, the movable waste box 100 and the supervision apparatus 200 issue an alert in accordance with the weight of waste or the capacity of waste of the movable waste box 100. The movable waste box 100 includes a movement-side alert unit 115 which issues an alert. The supervision apparatus 200 includes a supervision-side alert unit 204 which issues an alert. As illustrated in
The movement-side alert unit 115 issues an alert based on the detection result of the sensor which detects at least any of the weight or the accommodation capacity of waste accumulated in the waste box.
The movement-side alert unit 115 acquires detection information of the weight of waste measured by the weight sensor 150 from the weight sensor 150 or detection information of the accommodation capacity of waste measured by the accommodation capacity sensor 140 from the accommodation capacity sensor 140. The movement-side alert unit 115 determines based on the acquired detection information whether the weight or capacity of waste has a value equal to or larger than an allowable value. If the value of the weight or capacity of waste exceeds the allowable value, the movement-side alert unit 115 outputs an alert sound indicating that the waste box is full to a loudspeaker, not illustrated, connected to the output IF 960A, or sound or display to a display device, not illustrated, connected to the output IF 960A.
When the weight of waste or the capacity of waste exceeds the allowable value, the movement-side alert unit 115 transmits a full signal indicating that the waste box is filled with waste to the supervision apparatus 200. Upon receiving the full signal, although not illustrated in the drawings, the supervision-side alert unit 204 issues an alert message and an alert sound to a monitoring monitor screen of the supervision system or a loudspeaker of the supervision system.
As for measurement of the accommodation capacity by the accommodation capacity sensor 140 which detects an accommodation capacity, the accommodation capacity can be estimated from an estimated capacity acquired by multiplying the uppermost height of waste by the surface area of the waste box from an image of the inside of the waste box. Alternatively, an optical sensor may be provided on an upper inner surface of the inside of the waste box and, when the optical sensor detects waste, it may be detected that the accommodation capacity is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value. In this case, the optical sensor corresponds to the capacity sensor.
In the waste collection system 1000 of Embodiment 3, the control device 110 includes the movement-side alert unit 115 which issues an alert. Also, the supervision apparatus 200 includes the supervision-side alert unit 204 which issues an alert. Thus, since the user such as a tourist using the movable waste box 100 can know that the waste box is filled with waste, the possibility of throwing waste away into the movable waste box 100 is decreased. Thus, the aesthetic appearance of the movable waste box 100 can be maintained. Also, the waste accommodation capability of the movable waste box 100 can be protected from overflowing. Also, the administrator on a supervision apparatus 200 side which manages the movable waste box 100 can know that the movable waste box 100 is filled with waste. Thus, with the path information generating unit 201 generating a return path and transmitting the return path to the control device 110 of the movable waste box 100 filled with waste, the movable waste box 100 can be caused to be returned to a garage.
Embodiment 4 is described with reference to
In response to speech information from the tourist 410 generated by the speech response unit 205, the path information generating unit 201 generates a path through which the movable waste box 100 moves toward the tourist 410 who made a speech. With reference to
At step S101, the tourist 410 presses a call button, not illustrated in the drawing, of the owned movable terminal. When the call button is pressed, the movable terminal generates call information for calling the movable waste box 100, and transmits, to the supervision apparatus 200, call information including the call information and a call position, which is the terminal position of the movable terminal when the call button is pressed.
At step S102, in the supervision apparatus 200, the communication device 210 receives the call information via the network 330. The call information includes a time. The time is the time of generation of the call information. Based on the call position, the speech response unit 205 identifies the current position of the movable waste box 100 subjected to dynamic monitoring by the supervision apparatus 200. The speech response unit 205 inputs, to the path information generating unit 201, the call position and the identified current position of the movable waste box 100.
At step S103, the path information generating unit 201 generates the path information 201a from a path connecting the call position and the current position of the movable waste box 100. The path information generating unit 201 transmits the generated path information 201a to the movable waste box 100 via the communication device 210.
At step S104, in the movable waste box 100, the communication device 190 receives the path information 201a via the network 330. In the movable waste box 100, the movement control unit 111 follows the path information 201a to cause a return to the original path via the call position.
The control device 110 of the movable waste box 100 includes the interactive unit 116. In the movable waste box 100, based on the process result of the interactive unit 116, speech occurrence information may be transmitted to the speech response unit 205 of the supervision apparatus 200. This process is described with reference to
At step S201, the interactive unit 116 receives a voice by audio from the tourist 410 passing in the vicinity of the movable waste box 100. When a voice occurs, the interactive unit 116 performs a voice recognition process on voice information acquired by a sound pickup microphone 191 mounted on the movable waste box 100. Based on the result of the voice recognition process, the interactive unit 116 determines whether the tourist 410 has an intention or desire of throwing waste away. If determining that the tourist 410 has an intention or desire of throwing waste away, the interactive unit 116 estimates an emitting direction of voice of the tourist 410 detected by the sound pickup microphone 191. The interactive unit 116 generates voice occurrence information including the estimated voice emitting direction, a voice occurrence time, and the current position of the movable waste box 100, and transmits the voice occurrence information via the communication device 190.
At step S202, the speech response unit 205 inputs the emitting direction of voice and the current position of the movable waste box 100 of the voice occurrence information to the path information generating unit 201.
Based on the emitting direction of voice and the current position of the movable waste box 100, the path information generating unit 201 generates a stop-by path from the current position toward the emitting direction of voice. The path information generating unit 201 transmits the stop-by path via the communication device 210 to the movable waste box 100. In the movable waste box 100, the movement control unit 111 of the control device 110 changes the current movement path to the received stop-by path. The movement control unit 111 causes the movable waste box 100 to perform a turning motion toward the stop-by path. After the turning motion, the movement control unit 111 recognizes the person who is present in the emitting direction of voice based on the sensor information detected by at least one of the cameras, the sonar, the millimeter wave radar, the LiDAR, and so forth in the sensor group. The movement control unit 111 tracks the image of the recognized person, and proceeds toward the person being tracked.
Here, while following the stop-by path, the movement control unit 111 prioritizes the tracking motion. That is, assume that the movement control unit 111 determines that the movable waste box 100 is away a set distance or farther from the stop-by path by the tracking motion. In this case, the movement control unit 111 transmits the current position and the tracking direction to the supervision apparatus 200. In the supervision apparatus 200 receiving the current position and the tracking direction, the path information generating unit 201 updates the stop-by path, and transmits the updated stop-by path to the movable waste box 100.
Also, the interactive unit 116 may emit a response voice from a loudspeaker 192 toward the person being tracked. In this case, when a response is provided in response of the response voice from the presence direction of the person being tracked, the movement control unit 111 continues image tracking. Here, the movement control unit 111 may recognize a face image of the person being tracked and check whether the state of the mouth is changed by using facial expression recognition process. When recognizing the presence of a change, the movement control unit 111 may continue tracking. Also, by AI recognition, the movement control unit 111 may determine whether to continue tracking.
Also, at a stage in which the sensor group measures a distance from the person being tracked and the distance from the person being tracked is equal to or smaller than a set value, while causing the movable waste box 100 to perform a turning motion and stop, the movement control unit 111 may emit a voice of prompting the person being tracked to throw waste away from the loudspeaker 192. Emission from the loudspeaker may be performed by the interactive unit 116.
Note that as for image tracking, the movement control unit 111 may perform the tracking process by combining the detection results by the other sensors other than the cameras, such as the sonar, the millimeter wave radar, and the LiDAR. Also, in any of the following (1), (2), and (3), the interactive unit 116 emits a response voice for telling a return to the original path from the loudspeaker.
Thereafter, when the interactive unit 116 detects that a voice indicating an intention of a demand for throwing waste away has been emitted from a surrounding person, the interactive unit 116 transmits a signal indicating as such to the movement control unit 111. Upon receiving this signal, the movement control unit 111 continues the stop state of the movable waste box 100 as it is for the set time. Then, when confirming that no voice indicating an intention of a demand for throwing waste away has been emitted from a surrounding person, the interactive unit 117 transmits stop-by stop information indicating that a stop-by has ended and the current position to the speech response unit 205.
When the stop-by stop information and the current position are received, the path information generating unit 201 generates a return path for return to the original movement path from the received current position, and transmits the movement path to the movable waste box 100.
The control device 110 of the movable waste box 100 receives the return path via the communication device 190. The movement control unit 111 causes a return to the original movement path by following the return path. Upon confirming that the position of the movable waste box 100 has been returned on the original movement path or to an allowable range area set in advance and regarded as being on the original movement path, the movement control unit 111 restarts the movement on the original movement path.
In Embodiment 4, the control device 110 includes the interactive unit 116, and the supervision apparatus 200 includes the speech response unit 205. Thus, for the user of the movable waste box 100 such as the tourist 410, usability of the movable waste box 100 is improved. As a result, beautification of the environment where the movable waste box 100 is used is improved.
In the foregoing, Embodiment 1 to Embodiment 4 have been described.
Among these embodiments, two or more may be combined for implementation. Alternatively, among a plurality of technical matters included in one embodiment, one technical matter may be partially implemented. Alternatively, technical matters included in the respective embodiments may be partially combined for implementation.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-073009 | Apr 2021 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2022/010804 | 3/11/2022 | WO |
