Pallet detection device, forklift, pallet detection method, and program

A pallet detection method, comprising:

• acquiring point cloud data indicating a point cloud measured by a two-dimensional distance measurement device on a depth map;
• detecting a straight line corresponding to a front surface of a pallet based on the point cloud in a region presumed to include the front surface of the pallet in the point cloud data;
• detecting a line segment indicating the front surface of the pallet based on the straight line;
• and
• acquiring position and orientation of the pallet based on the line segment,
• wherein the detecting the straight line includes
• acquiring one or more straight line candidates as candidates for the straight line,
• assigning, for each of the one or more straight line candidates, a score to the point cloud so that points in front of the straight line candidate at a specified distance or more are assigned with a score with a constant whose priority in selection is lower than the rest of points, and
• selecting the straight line from the one or more straight line candidates based on a score accumulated value obtained by accumulating the score for the point cloud in the region presumed to include the front surface of the pallet.

A program configured to cause a computer to execute:

• a process of acquiring point cloud data indicating a point cloud measured by a two-dimensional distance measurement device on a depth map;
• a process of detecting a straight line corresponding to a front surface of a pallet based on the point cloud in a region presumed to include the front surface of the pallet in the point cloud data;
• a process of detecting a line segment indicating the front surface of the pallet based on the straight line;
• and
• a process of acquiring position and orientation of the pallet based on the line segment,
• wherein the process of detecting the straight line includes acquiring one or more straight line candidates as candidates for the straight line, assigning, for each of the one or more straight line candidates, a score to the point cloud so that points in front of the straight line candidate at a specified distance or more are assigned with a score with a constant whose priority in selection is lower than the rest of points, and selecting the straight line from the one or more straight line candidates based on a score accumulated value obtained by accumulating the score for the point cloud in the region presumed to include the front surface of the pallet.