Autonomous cart

An autonomous cart that autonomously travels within a designated area, the autonomous cart comprising:

• an obstacle detecting member having a planar obstacle-detection region that has a two-dimensional planar shape and is scanned with laser beam to detect an obstacle, the obstacle detecting member configured to output detection information that includes an obstacle position and obstacle luminance wherein the obstacle position is a position of the obstacle within the planar obstacle-detection region and the obstacle luminance is luminance of the obstacle;
• a plurality of wheels;
• a driving member configured to drive at least one of the wheels;
• a storing section;
• and
• a control section configured to control the driving member, wherein
• the storing section is configured to store designated area map information that indicates a position of a preliminarily known obstacle within the designated area,
• at least one command member to which a command for the control section is assigned is included in the obstacle and is disposed within the designated area at a position where execution of the command is desired,
• the control section is configured to receive the detection information from the obstacle detecting member,
• the control section is configured to determine a current position of the autonomous cart within the designated area, based on the detected obstacle position and the designated area map information stored in the storing section,
• the control section is configured to control the driving member based on the designated area map information and the current position of the autonomous cart to cause the autonomous cart to autonomously travel while avoiding the obstacle within the designated area, and
• the control section is configured to follow the command assigned to the command member that is detected by the control section based on the obstacle luminance in the detection information provided from the obstacle detecting member.