JP2022095361A - Unmanned flying object - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an unmanned flying object movable in a stable posture and changeable in direction during moving with respect to an upper structure.SOLUTION: An unmanned flying object 10 comprises; a main body part 12; lifting-power generating means 13 that generates lifting power; an information obtaining part 16 that obtains information on at least above the main body part 12; travelling means 20 that can travel while being made to contact a structure S positioned over the main body part 12, by lifting power applied by the lifting-power generating means 13; and propulsion-power generating means 22 that generates propulsion power in a horizontal direction with the travelling means 20 contacting the structure S. The travelling means 20 has a driving wheel 20a that aids propulsion power generated by the propulsion-power generating means 22 and a steering wheel 20b that sets a direction of movement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an unmanned air vehicle including a lift generating means.

Conventionally, in the investigation and inspection of tunnels or bridges, the ground penetrating radar system is used to investigate the concrete thickness, cavities, and reinforcing bar conditions. In such surveys, aerial work platforms and temporary scaffolding are used to perform measurements manually or by installing special jigs.

In the ground penetrating radar system, the antenna and the controller are manufactured individually, and these antennas and the controller are connected by a cable to transmit and receive electric power and data. At the time of measurement, a minimum of four people are required, including a person who operates an antenna, a measurer who operates a controller, a vehicle operator, and a work assistant for measurement support.

Therefore, in recent years, a method of reducing the number of personnel is used by mounting a measuring device on an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone so that the operator of the unmanned aerial vehicle becomes a measuring member as it is. That is, the information acquisition unit is provided in the main body of the unmanned aircraft, and the unmanned aircraft is moved along the structural unit such as the investigated unit to acquire the information of the structural unit by the information acquisition unit.

At that time, in order to stabilize the attitude of the unmanned flying object with respect to the structural portion, a mechanism that contacts the structural portion is known to be projected from the upper part of the main body portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

However, in the case of this configuration, when moving the unmanned aircraft, the propulsive force in the front-rear direction is generated by changing the rotation speed of the rotary blades located in the front-rear direction, so that the main body moves in the front-rear direction. The part leans forward. Therefore, it becomes difficult to maintain the measuring device mounted on the main body in a posture parallel to the structural part, and the accuracy of information acquisition by the measuring device is lowered.

In this regard, an unmanned air vehicle traveling along the structural portion by a driving wheel in contact with the upper structural portion is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

However, in the case of this configuration, since a pair of front and rear drive wheels are pressed against the structural portion for traveling, it is not easy to change the direction during traveling. In this respect, for example, it is conceivable to change the direction by changing the rotation speed of the rotary blades located diagonally to the main body of the unmanned flying object, but when it is in contact with the structural part by the drive wheel, its grip force. However, it is not easy to change direction.

JP-A-2015-223995 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-21178

As described above, it is desired that the upper structural portion can be moved in a stable posture and can easily change the direction during movement.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned air vehicle capable of moving in a stable posture and easily changing direction during movement with respect to an upper structural portion. ..

The unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1 is described by a main body portion, a lift generating means for generating lift, an information acquisition unit for acquiring at least information above the main body portion, and a lift applied by the lift generating means. The traveling means is provided with a traveling means capable of traveling in contact with a structural portion located above the main body portion and a propulsive force generating means for generating a propulsive force in a horizontal direction while the traveling means is in contact with the structural portion. The means includes a drive wheel that assists the propulsive force of the propulsive force generating means, and a steering wheel that sets the traveling direction.

The unmanned vehicle according to claim 2 is the unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is a non-driven driven wheel.

The unmanned vehicle according to claim 3 is the unmanned vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information acquisition unit includes a housing forming at least a part of the outer shell, and the drive wheels are within the width of the housing. The steering wheel is located on one side in a predetermined direction with respect to the housing, and the steering wheel is located on the other side in the predetermined direction with respect to the housing within the width of the housing.

The unmanned aircraft according to claim 4 is the unmanned aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the information acquisition unit includes a housing guard that protects the housing against the structural unit.

The unmanned vehicle according to claim 5 is the unmanned vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the drive wheels are front wheels, the steering wheels are rear wheels, and the propulsive force generating means is in the forward direction. Propulsive force is generated.

The unmanned vehicle according to claim 6 is the unmanned vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a plurality of drive wheels are arranged and only one steering wheel is arranged.

The unmanned air vehicle according to claim 7 is the unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information acquisition unit can adjust the position in the vertical direction with respect to the main body unit.

The unmanned air vehicle according to claim 8 is the unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a plurality of lift generating means are arranged so as to surround the main body portion, and the lift generating means is protected against obstacles. It is further provided with a guard member to be used.

According to the present invention, it is possible to move with respect to the upper structural portion in a stable posture, and it is easy to change the direction during movement.

It is a side view which shows the unmanned flying body of one Embodiment of this invention. Same as above. It is a front view of an unmanned aircraft. Same as above. It is a rear view of an unmanned aircraft. It is explanatory drawing of the investigation system including the unmanned aircraft as above.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, 10 indicates an unmanned flying object. The unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is called a drone, a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), or the like. The unmanned aircraft 10 includes a main body 12. The main body 12 constitutes the central portion of the unmanned aircraft 10.

The unmanned aircraft 10 includes a lift generating means 13 for generating lift. The lift generating means 13 has a function of floating (hovering) the unmanned flying object 10 by applying a lifting force that balances the gravity acting on the unmanned flying object 10. The lift generating means 13 is, for example, a rotary wing (horizontal rotary wing) having a rotation axis along the vertical direction and being rotationally driven by a motor, and applies lift to the main body portion 12 by rotation. A plurality of lift generating means 13 are provided. The lift generating means 13 is preferably evenly or substantially evenly arranged around the main body 12. That is, a plurality of lift generating means 13 are arranged so as to surround the periphery of the main body portion 12. Preferably, the lift generating means 13 are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the main body 12 when viewed from above or below.

In the present embodiment, the lift generating means 13 is attached to the arm portion 14 formed on the main body portion 12. The arm portion 14 extends horizontally from the main body portion 12. A guard member 15 that protects the lift generating means 13 against obstacles is attached to the arm portion 14. The guard member 15 extends outward with respect to the lift generating means 13. The guard member 15 extends outward from the operating range of the lift generating means 13. That is, in the present embodiment, the guard member 15 is located outside the rotation range of the rotary blade forming the lift generating means 13.

Further, in the present embodiment, the unmanned aircraft 10 includes an information acquisition unit 16. The information acquisition unit 16 acquires at least the information on the upper side of the main body unit 12. The information acquisition unit 16 is located above the main body unit 12. In the present embodiment, the information acquisition unit 16 is positioned so as to project above the main body unit 12. In the illustrated example, the information acquisition unit 16 is mounted on a support member 18 supported on the upper part of the main body unit 12 via a frame 17 which is a support body. Not limited to this, the information acquisition unit 16 may be housed in the main body unit 12.

In the present embodiment, the information acquisition unit 16 includes a housing 16a and a detection unit 16b arranged inside the housing 16a. The housing 16a forms at least a part of the outer shell of the information acquisition unit 16. In the present embodiment, the housing 16a is formed in a rectangular box shape, and forms the outer shells of at least the upper surface portion, the front surface portion, the rear surface portion, and both side surface portions of the information acquisition portion 16. Further, the upper surface portion of the housing 16a is formed in a flat shape. Hereinafter, for the sake of clarity, the direction indicated by the arrow FR in FIG. 1 is defined as the forward direction, the direction indicated by the arrow RR is defined as the rear direction, and the direction intersecting or orthogonal to the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the housing 16a is longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction.

Then, the information acquisition unit 16 reflects the electromagnetic wave from the detection unit 16b toward the inspection object via the upper surface portion which is the detection surface of the housing 16a, and detects the reflected wave at the position of the detection unit 16b. Then, in order to investigate the presence or absence and thickness of the void G (FIG. 4) in the concrete inside such as the ceiling surface of the object to be investigated, which is an artificial structure such as a tunnel or a bridge, that is, in the structural part S (inspected part). , A known underground radar antenna device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various sensors and cameras may be used.

Further, the information acquisition unit 16 can adjust the position in the vertical direction with respect to the main body unit 12. Therefore, the positions of the upper surface portion of the housing 16a and the detection portion 16b move up and down with respect to the main body portion 12. In the illustrated example, the information acquisition unit 16 moves up and down with respect to the support member 18. In the present embodiment, the information acquisition unit 16 can be adjusted so that the distance from the structural unit S is within a predetermined distance range (for example, 0.8 cm to 5.0 cm).

Preferably, the information acquisition unit 16 has a housing guard 16c that protects the housing 16a against the structural unit S. The housing guard 16c is arranged on the upper surface of the housing 16a. In the illustrated example, the housing guard 16c is located at the top of each of the four corners of the housing 16a. The housing guard 16c may be sled-shaped, but it is more preferable that the housing guard 16c is a wheel that can rotate in the front-rear direction. The housing guard 16c is a driven wheel that can rotate in contact with the structural portion S, and suppresses ground resistance to the structural portion S. The diameter of the housing guard 16c is set to, for example, 3 cm.

Further, the information acquisition unit 16 may include a storage unit for storing the acquired information. As the storage unit, a detachable one such as a USB memory is preferably used.

Further, the unmanned vehicle 10 includes a traveling means 20 capable of traveling the unmanned vehicle 10 or the main body 12. The traveling means 20 enables the unmanned flying object 10 to travel along the upper structural portion S by rotation.

The traveling means 20 has a driving wheel 20a and a steering wheel 20b.

The drive wheel 20a assists the movement of the unmanned vehicle 10 or the main body 12 by the propulsion force generating means 22 described later. The drive wheel 20a is driven by a drive means which is an actuator such as a motor. The drive wheel 20a is located at a position separated from the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16 on one side in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the drive wheels 20a are located forward and apart from the housing 16a. In the illustrated example, the drive wheels 20a are supported by the front end of the support member 18. That is, the drive wheel 20a is a front wheel. The drive wheel 20a is located outside the upper surface of the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16.

In the drive wheel 20a, the rotation shaft is located below the upper surface portion of the housing 16a, and the upper end portion protrudes above the upper surface portion of the housing 16a. The drive wheels 20a are preferably formed to have a large diameter. In the present embodiment, the drive wheel 20a is formed to have a diameter larger than that of the housing guard 16c of the information acquisition unit 16. In the illustrated example, the drive wheels 20a have a diameter equal to or larger than the height of the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16. Preferably, the outer periphery of the drive wheel 20a is formed of an elastic member such as a tire made of synthetic resin so that the drive wheel 20a can be elastically contacted with the structural portion S.

A plurality of drive wheels 20a are arranged in a direction intersecting the traveling direction, and in the present embodiment, they are arranged in pairs. In the present embodiment, the drive wheels 20a are arranged on both sides of the housing 16a with reference to the center line in the left-right direction. Further, the drive wheels 20a are arranged so as not to protrude outward from both side surface portions of the housing 16a. That is, the drive wheels 20a are arranged within the width of the housing 16a.

The steering wheel 20b sets the traveling direction of the unmanned vehicle 10 or the main body 12 by the propulsion force generating means 22. The steering wheel 20b is located at a position separated from the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16 on the other side in a predetermined direction. That is, the steering wheel 20b is on the opposite side of the drive wheel 20a with respect to the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16. In this embodiment, the steered wheels 20b are located rearward and distant from the housing 16a. Further, the steering wheel 20b is attached so as to be able to turn in the left-right direction with respect to the support shaft along the up-down direction. The turning of the steering wheel 20b is driven by a turning means which is an actuator such as a motor. The steered wheels 20b may be driven, but are preferably non-driven driven wheels. In the present embodiment, in the steering wheel 20b, the rotation about the rotation axis is the driven rotation, and the rotation around the support shaft is driven. In the illustrated example, the steered wheels 20b are supported by the rear end of the support member 18. That is, the steering wheel 20b is a rear wheel. The steering wheel 20b is located outside the upper surface of the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16.

In the steering wheel 20b, the rotation axis is located below the upper surface portion of the housing 16a, and the upper end portion protrudes above the upper surface portion of the housing 16a. The steering wheel 20b is preferably formed to have a large diameter. In the present embodiment, the steering wheel 20b is formed to have a larger diameter than the housing guard 16c of the information acquisition unit 16. In the illustrated example, the steering wheel 20b has a diameter equal to or larger than the height of the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16. Further, the steering wheel 20b has a diameter equivalent to that of the driving wheel 20a. Further, the steering wheel 20b has a width equivalent to that of the driving wheel 20a. Preferably, the outer periphery of the steering wheel 20b is formed of an elastic member such as a tire made of synthetic resin so that the steering wheel 20b can be elastically contacted with the structural portion S.

The number of steering wheels 20b is smaller than that of the driving wheels 20a, and only one is arranged in this embodiment. In the present embodiment, the steering wheel 20b has a support shaft arranged on the center line in the left-right direction of the housing 16a. Further, the steering wheels 20b are arranged so as not to protrude outward from both side surface portions of the housing 16a. That is, the steering wheel 20b is arranged within the width of the housing 16a.

Further, the unmanned flying object 10 includes a propulsion force generating means 22 for moving the unmanned flying object 10 by generating a horizontal propulsive force in a state where the traveling means 20 is in contact with the structural portion S. The propulsion force generating means 22 is, for example, a rotary wing (vertical rotary wing) having a rotation axis along the front-rear direction and being rotationally driven by a motor. Is given. The propulsion force generating means 22 may be singular or plural. In the illustrated example, the propulsion force generating means 22 is attached to a leg portion 27 formed on the main body portion 12. The leg portion 27 is a portion to be installed with respect to the ground when the unmanned aircraft 10 is landed. The leg portion 27 extends downward from the main body portion 12. In the present embodiment, the legs 27 are arranged in pairs on the left and right, and the propulsive force generating means 22 is located on the beam member 27a connecting the legs 27. That is, in the present embodiment, the rotation axis of the propulsion force generating means 22 is located below the rotation axis of the lift generating means 13.

Further, the propulsive force generating means 22 is located on the other side in a predetermined direction with respect to the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16, or on the rear side in the present embodiment. That is, the propulsion force generating means 22 is located on the rear side, which is the same side as the steering wheel 20b, with respect to the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16. Therefore, the propulsion force generating means 22 is located below the steering wheel 20b.

Further, the unmanned aircraft 10 includes a control unit 29. The control unit 29 is arranged in the main body unit 12. The control unit 29 controls the lift generating means 13, the driving of the driving wheels 20a of the traveling means 20, the steering of the steering wheels 20b of the traveling means 20, and the operation of the propulsion force generating means 22. For example, the control unit 29 drives the lift generating means 13, the driving wheels 20a of the traveling means 20, and the traveling means 20 in response to the operation signal input via the predetermined controller C by the operator PO shown in FIG. Controls the steering of the steering wheel 20b and the operation of the propulsion force generating means 22. That is, the unmanned aircraft 10 is remotely controlled by the operator PO. The controller C is preferably capable of wireless communication with the control unit 29, but is not limited to this, and may be configured to perform wired communication with the control unit 29. When investigating a dark place such as the inside of a tunnel, the operator PO usually conducts the investigation together with the work assistant PA. The work assistant PA assists the operation of the unmanned flying object 10 by the operator PO, for example, by illuminating the unmanned flying object 10 and the structural portion S. In addition, the control unit 29 may control the operation of the information acquisition unit 16 or may have a function of storing or analyzing the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 16.

Further, the unmanned aircraft 10 includes a power supply unit. The power supply unit serves as a power source for the lift generating means 13, the driving wheels 20a of the traveling means 20, the propulsion force generating means 22, and the control unit 29. Further, the power supply unit may be the power source of the information acquisition unit 16. The power supply unit may be a rechargeable secondary battery, a replaceable primary battery, or may take power from an external power source by wire. For example, the power supply unit is arranged in the main body unit 12 shown in FIG.

Then, when the unmanned air vehicle 10 moves in the air, it uses the propulsive force generated by the lift generating means 13 and / or the propulsive force generating means 22 controlled by the control unit 29, and front / rear, left / right, up / down. It is possible to move to.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the unmanned flying object 10 travels by the upward lift by the lift generating means 13, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, for example, when investigating the upper structural portion S. The drive wheel 20a and the steering wheel 20b of the means 20 are pressed against the structural portion S, and the propulsive force generated by the propulsive force generating means 22 is used to move along the structural portion S at a predetermined speed of, for example, about 4 km / h. The information acquisition unit 16 acquires the information of the structure unit S. When the propulsive force generated by the propulsive force generating means 22 is insufficient, the driving wheels 20a of the traveling means 20 are driven to assist the propulsive force. Further, when changing the direction during traveling, the steering wheel 20b of the traveling means 20 is turned along the turning axis, so that the direction can be easily changed with a relatively small turning radius.

That is, in the case of the present embodiment, when moving along the structural portion S, the propulsive force in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction caused by the difference in lift of the front-rear and left-right lift generating means 13, for example, the difference in the rotational speed of the rotary blade. The propulsive force is basically generated in the forward direction by the propulsive force generating means 22 and assisted by the drive wheel 20a as necessary. Therefore, the unmanned aircraft 10 basically moves forward. That is, the unmanned vehicle 10 moves along the structural portion S with the drive wheels 20a on the front side, turns the steering wheels 20b as necessary, and changes the forward direction by the propulsive force generated by the propulsive force generating means 22.

Therefore, for example, unlike the conventional case where the unmanned flying object 10 is moved along the structural portion S due to the difference in the rotational speed of the rotary blades, the main body portion 12 is not tilted back and forth with respect to the structural portion S, and has a simple configuration. Therefore, it is possible to move along the upper structural portion S while maintaining a stable posture with respect to the upper structural portion S, and it becomes easy to change the direction at the time of movement.

That is, when the traveling means 20 is pressed against the structural portion S by the lift generated by the lift generating means 13, the ground contact resistance is large, and the direction change is performed by controlling the rotation speed of the lift generating means 13 as in the conventional case. Not easy. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when moving along the structural portion S, the direction is basically changed by the steering wheel 20b, so that the direction can be easily changed and the direction is controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the lift generating means 13. Since conversion is basically not used, a simple configuration is sufficient for system control.

Therefore, when the information acquisition unit 16 for acquiring the information on the upper side of the main body unit 12 is provided, the information acquisition unit 16 can be moved along the structure unit S while maintaining the state of facing the structure unit S. The information of S can be accurately acquired by the information acquisition unit 16. That is, since the information acquisition unit 16 mounted on the unmanned vehicle 10 can investigate the structural unit S, it is not necessary to prepare a measurement vehicle, a high-altitude worker, a temporary scaffold, etc., as compared with the conventional measurement method. It enables reduction of personnel, time reduction, and cost reduction.

By using the steering wheel 20b as a non-driving driven wheel, an actuator such as a motor for driving the steering wheel 20b becomes unnecessary, and the unmanned vehicle 10 can be further simplified and lightened.

By arranging the drive wheels 20a and the steering wheels 20b within the width of the housing 16a with respect to the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16, the portion protruding in the width direction of the housing 16a at the position of the information acquisition unit 16 is formed. Can be eliminated. Therefore, it is difficult to get caught in obstacles and the like, and it becomes possible to move in a narrow position. Further, by arranging the drive wheels 20a away from the housing 16a on one side in a predetermined direction and the steering wheels 20b away from the other side in the predetermined direction with respect to the housing 16a, the drive wheels 20a or the steering wheels are arranged. Compared to the case where 20b is attached to the housing 16a, even if the drive wheels 20a and the steering wheels 20b have large diameters, the amount of protrusion upward from the information acquisition unit 16 is reduced, and the information acquisition unit 16 is detected. The upper surface of the housing 16a, which is the surface, is not covered by the drive wheels 20a and the steering wheels 20b. Therefore, the large-diameter drive wheel 20a and the steering wheel 20b make it easier to get over protrusions and steps in the structure portion S, obtain stable running performance, and reduce the detection accuracy of the upper structure portion S by the information acquisition unit 16. I won't let you.

Further, since the propulsion force generating means 22 generates the propulsion force in the forward direction with the drive wheel 20a as the front wheel and the steering wheel 20b as the rear wheel, protrusions and steps in the structural portion S are formed in front of the unmanned vehicle 10. It will be easier to get over.

Further, by arranging a plurality of drive wheels 20a and arranging only one steering wheel 20b, the weight on the steering wheel 20b side can be reduced and the steering mechanism can be simplified. Further, when moving forward, the plurality of drive wheels 20a serve as guards against the protrusions and the like on the structure portion S, and the protrusions and the like are less likely to collide with the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16.

By protecting the housing 16a of the information acquisition unit 16 against the structure unit S by the housing guard 16c, it is possible to suppress damage to the information acquisition unit 16 due to protrusions or steps on the structure unit S. Further, by using the housing guard 16c as a wheel, the ground contact resistance to the structural portion S can be suppressed, and the vehicle can run more smoothly along the structural portion S.

Since the position of the information acquisition unit 16 can be adjusted in the vertical direction with respect to the main body unit 12, the distance of the information acquisition unit 16 from the structure unit S is appropriate for acquiring information according to the protrusions and steps of the structure unit S. Can be set to any distance.

Further, during flight or when moving along the structural portion S, the plurality of lift generating means 13 surrounding the main body portion 12 can be protected against obstacles by the guard member 15.

10 unmanned flying object
12 Main body
13 Lift generation means
15 Guard member
16 Information acquisition department
16a housing
16c housing guard
20 Traveling means
20a drive wheel
20b Steering wheel
22 Propulsive force generating means S structure

Claims (8)

With the main body
The lift generating means that generates lift and the lift generating means
At least an information acquisition unit that acquires information above the main unit,
A traveling means capable of traveling in contact with a structural portion located above the main body portion by the lift applied by the lift generating means.
The traveling means is provided with a propulsive force generating means for generating a propulsive force in the horizontal direction in a state of being in contact with the structural portion.
The traveling means
The drive wheels that assist the propulsive force by the propulsive force generating means,
An unmanned aircraft characterized by having a steering wheel that sets the direction of travel. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is a non-driven driven wheel. The information acquisition unit includes a housing that forms at least a part of the outer shell.
The drive wheels are located within the width of the housing and away from the housing on one side in a predetermined direction.
The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the steering wheel is located within the width of the housing and away from the housing on the other side in the predetermined direction. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the information acquisition unit includes a housing guard that protects the housing against the structural unit. The drive wheels are the front wheels,
The steering wheel is the rear wheel,
The unmanned aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the propulsion force generating means generates a propulsion force in a forward direction. Multiple drive wheels are arranged,
The unmanned aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein only one steering wheel is arranged. The unmanned aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information acquisition unit is vertically adjustable with respect to the main body unit. Multiple lift generating means are arranged around the main body.
The unmanned aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a guard member that protects the lift generating means against obstacles.

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