Control apparatus of unmanned autonomous operating vehicle

摘要

In an apparatus for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating lawn mower blades, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire such that the vehicle is controlled to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire to mow lawn using the blades and to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery, a distance from the area wire is detected based on the detected intensity of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensors, and a different one of returning trajectories defined along the area wire in advance with respect to distances from the area wire is selected, whenever the vehicle is to be returned.

主权项

1. An apparatus for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating an operating machine, prime movers for driving wheels, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire, the unmanned autonomous operating vehicle being controlled in an operating mode, to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire through wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine and in a return mode, to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery,
wherein the apparatus comprises: a distance detector adapted to detect a distance from the area wire based on the intensity of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensors; a memory adapted to store a plurality of returning trajectories set along the area wire in the operating area in advance, distances from the area wire to the plurality of returning trajectories being different from each other; a returning trajectory selector adapted to select one of the plurality of returning trajectories stored in the memory each time a control mode of the unmanned autonomous operating vehicle is changed from the operating mode to the return mode; and a running controller adapted to control the prime mover so that the unmanned autonomous operating vehicle runs along the returning trajectory selected by the returning trajectory selector, wherein the returning trajectory selector selects one of the plurality of returning trajectories such that a distance from the area wire to the returning trajectory increases each time the control mode is changed from the operating mode to the return mode.