JPWO2019168052A1 - Drone, its control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drone with high safety. SOLUTION: Flight means 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b, and a flight control section 23 for operating the flight means. A crash determination unit 251, which detects a crash, an airbag 50 that is deployed by enclosing gas, and an airbag deployment that deploys the airbag based on the crash determination unit detecting the crash. Drone with part 26 and. [Selection diagram] Fig. 6

Description

The present invention relates to a flying body (drone), in particular, a drone with improved safety, a control method therefor, and a program.

The application of small helicopters (multicopters) generally called drones is progressing. One of its important fields of application is spraying chemicals such as pesticides and liquid fertilizers on farmland (field) (for example, Patent Document 1. In Japan, where farmland is smaller than in the US and Europe, manned airplanes and helicopters are There are many cases where the use of drones is suitable.

With technologies such as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic-Global Positioning System), it became possible for a drone to accurately know its absolute position in centimeters during flight. Even in a farmland with a narrow and complicated terrain typical of the above, it is possible to autonomously fly with minimal manual operation and to efficiently and accurately apply a drug.

On the other hand, there were cases in which it was hard to say that safety considerations were sufficient for autonomous flight drones for agricultural drug spraying. A drone loaded with medicines weighs several tens of kilograms, which could have serious consequences in the event of an accident such as falling onto a person. In addition, the drone operator is usually not an expert, so a fool-proof mechanism is necessary, but the consideration for this was insufficient. Until now, there have been drone safety technologies that are premised on human control (for example, Patent Document 2, in particular, addressing safety issues peculiar to autonomous flight drones for drug spraying for agriculture). There was no technology for that.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-120151 Patent publication gazette JP, 2017-163265, A

Provides a drone (aircraft) that can maintain high safety even during autonomous flight.

In order to achieve the above object, a drone according to an aspect of the present invention is developed by enclosing a flight means, a flight control section that operates the flight means, a crash determination section that detects a crash, and gas. And an airbag deployment section that deploys the airbag based on the crash determination section detecting the crash.

When the altitude of the drone is higher than the first altitude, which is measured when the crash determination unit detects a crash, the airbag deployment unit is configured to measure the altitude of the drone. It may be deployed.

When the altitude of the drone is higher than the second altitude, which is measured when the crash determination unit detects a crash, the altitude of the drone is higher than a second altitude. The airbag may be deployed based on the fact that the vehicle falls after the crash and the altitude becomes equal to or lower than the second altitude.

The second altitude may be determined based on the falling speed of the drone.

The airbag deployment unit further includes a collision determination unit configured to detect that the drone is colliding with an obstacle, and the airbag deployment unit deploys the airbag based on the collision determination unit detecting a collision of the drone. It may be allowed to.

The drone may be capable of receiving an emergency stop command transmitted from an operating device operated by a user, and the airbag deployment unit may deploy the airbag based on the emergency stop command. ..

When the vehicle crashes due to an emergency stop intentionally performed by the flight control unit, the airbag deployment unit may deploy the airbag based on an emergency stop signal transmitted from the flight control unit. Good.

The center of gravity of the drone may be biased toward the bottom surface side in a flight state, and the airbag may be deployed on the bottom surface side of the drone.

A drug control unit for controlling whether or not to discharge the drug from the drone to the outside is further provided, and the drug control unit stops the discharge of the drug based on the fall determination unit detecting the fall. It may be one.

Further, a drone control method according to another aspect of the present invention is developed by enclosing gas, a flight control unit, a flight control unit that operates the flight unit, a crash determination unit that detects a crash, and gas. An airbag and a method of controlling a drone, comprising: an airbag deployment section that deploys the airbag based on the crash determination section detecting the crash; and a step of operating the flying means, The method includes detecting a crash of the drone, and deploying the airbag based on detecting the crash of the drone.

The method may further include a step of measuring the altitude of the drone, and a step of deploying the airbag when the altitude of the drone measured when detecting the crash of the drone is higher than a first altitude. ..

Measuring the altitude of the drone; and when the altitude of the drone measured when detecting the crash of the drone is higher than a second altitude, the drone falls downward after the crash, and the altitude is the second The method may further include the step of deploying the airbag based on the altitude becoming lower than or equal to the altitude.

The second altitude may be determined based on the falling speed of the drone.

The method may further include detecting a collision of the drone with an obstacle and deploying the airbag based on detecting the collision of the drone.

The method may further include the steps of receiving an emergency stop command transmitted from an operating device operated by the user, and deploying the airbag based on the emergency stop command.

The method may further include deploying the airbag based on an emergency stop signal transmitted from the flight control unit.

A drug control unit that controls whether or not a drug is ejected from the drone to the outside may be further included, and a step of stopping the ejection of the drug based on the detection of the fall may be further included.

In addition, a drone control program according to another aspect of the present invention is a flight means, a flight control section that operates the flight means, a crash determination section that detects a crash, and an air that is deployed by enclosing gas. A drone control program comprising a bag and an airbag deployment unit for deploying the airbag based on the crash determination unit detecting the crash, and a flight control command for operating the flight means, The computer is caused to execute a crash detection command for detecting the crash of the drone and an airbag deployment command for deploying the airbag based on the detection of the crash of the drone.

When the altitude of the drone measured when detecting the crash of the drone is higher than the first altitude, the computer is caused to execute an altitude measurement command for measuring the altitude of the drone, and the computer is instructed to deploy the airbag. It may be executed.

When the altitude of the drone measured when the crash of the drone is detected is higher than the second altitude by causing the computer to execute an altitude measurement command for measuring the altitude of the drone, the drone falls downward after the crash, The computer may be caused to execute an instruction to deploy the airbag based on the altitude becoming equal to or lower than the second altitude.

The second altitude may be determined based on the falling speed of the drone.

A collision detection command for detecting that the drone is colliding with an obstacle, and a command for deploying the airbag based on the detection of the collision of the drone may be further executed by the computer. ..

The computer may further execute an instruction to receive an emergency stop command transmitted from an operating device operated by the user and an instruction to deploy the airbag based on the emergency stop command.

The computer may further execute an instruction to deploy the airbag based on an emergency stop signal transmitted from the flight control unit.

The computer may be caused to further execute an instruction to stop the ejection of the medicine based on the detection of the fall.
The computer program can be provided by being downloaded via a network such as the Internet, or can be provided by being recorded in various computer-readable recording media such as a CD-ROM.

Provides a drone (aircraft) that can maintain high safety even during autonomous flight.

It is a top view which concerns on embodiment of the drone which concerns on this invention. It is a front view of the said drone. It is a right view of the said drone. It is an example of an overall conceptual diagram of a drug spraying system using the example of the drone. It is a schematic diagram showing the control function of the Example of the said drone. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state where an airbag included in the drone is deployed. FIG. 6 is a right side view showing a state where the airbag is deployed. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a configuration of the drone for allowing the drone to deploy an airbag. 7 is a flowchart in which the drone detects a crash of the drone by a detection unit included in the drone and deploys an airbag. 7 is a flowchart of the drone detecting a collision of the drone by a detection unit of the drone and deploying an airbag. It is another embodiment of the drone which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is a bottom view which shows a mode that the airbag of a drone is deploying. It is a right view which shows a mode that the airbag of the said drone is deploying.

Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The figures are all examples.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of a drug spraying drone 100 according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view (viewed from the traveling direction side), and FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof. In the specification of the present application, the drone means any power means (electric power, prime mover, etc.), control method (whether wireless or wired, and whether it is an autonomous flight type or a manual control type). Instead, it refers to all aircraft with multiple rotors.

Rotators 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b) (also called rotors) are means for flying the drone 100. Yes, considering the balance of flight stability, airframe size, and battery consumption, it is desirable to have 8 aircraft (4 sets of two-stage rotary blades).

The motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b are rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-. 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b is a means for rotating (typically an electric motor, but may be a motor, etc.), one for each rotor It is desirable that the The upper and lower rotor blades (eg 101-1a and 101-1b) and their corresponding motors (eg 102-1a and 102-1b) in one set are for drone flight stability etc. It is desirable that the axes be collinear and rotate in opposite directions. Although some rotor blades 101-3b and the motor 102-3b are not shown, their positions are self-explanatory, and if there is a left side view, they are at the positions shown. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, it is desirable that the radial member for supporting the propeller guard provided so that the rotor does not interfere with foreign matter has a structure in which the propeller guard is not horizontal but is in the shape of a tower. This is for promoting the buckling of the member to the outside of the rotor blade at the time of collision and preventing the member from interfering with the rotor.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, feet 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, 107-4 that support the aircraft when placed on land are provided on the lower side of the drone 100. The feet 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, 107-4 are rod-shaped members that extend from the lower surface of the drone 100 toward the ground on land. The feet 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, 107-4 are respectively arranged at substantially the center of rotation of the rotary blades 101 that are paired with each other and share the rotation axis, and are four in the present embodiment. ..

The medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 are means for spraying the medicine downward, and are preferably provided in four units. In the specification of the present application, the term “medicine” generally refers to pesticides, herbicides, liquid fertilizers, insecticides, seeds, and liquids or powders applied to fields such as water.

The drug tank 104 is a tank for storing the drug to be sprayed, and is preferably provided at a position close to the center of gravity of the drone 100 and a position lower than the center of gravity from the viewpoint of weight balance. The drug hoses 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, 105-4 are means for connecting the drug tank 104 and each drug nozzle 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and are rigid. It may be made of the above-mentioned material and also have a role of supporting the medicine nozzle. The pump 106 is a means for discharging the medicine from the nozzle.

FIG. 4 shows an overall conceptual diagram of a system using an example of a drug spraying application of the drone 100 according to the present invention. This figure is a schematic diagram and the scale is not accurate. The pilot 401 is a means for transmitting a command to the drone 100 by the operation of the user 402 and displaying information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, drug amount, battery level, camera image, etc.). Yes, and may be realized by a portable information device such as a general tablet terminal that runs a computer program. Although it is desirable that the drone 100 according to the present invention be controlled to perform autonomous flight, it is desirable to be able to perform manual operation during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in an emergency. In addition to the portable information device, you may use an emergency operating device (not shown) that has a function dedicated to emergency stop (a large emergency stop button, etc. so that the emergency operating device can respond quickly in an emergency). It is desirable that it is a dedicated device equipped with). It is desirable that the pilot 401 and the drone 100 perform wireless communication by Wi-Fi or the like.

The field 403 is a rice field, a field, or the like to which the drug is sprayed by the drone 100. Actually, the topography of the farm field 403 is complicated, and there are cases where the topographic map cannot be obtained in advance or the topographic map and the situation at the site are inconsistent. Normally, the farm field 403 is adjacent to a house, a hospital, a school, another crop farm field, a road, a railroad, and the like. In addition, there may be obstacles such as buildings and electric wires in the field 403.

The base station 404 is a device that provides a master device function of Wi-Fi communication and the like, and it is desirable that the base station 404 also functions as an RTK-GPS base station and can provide an accurate position of the drone 100 (Wi-Fi Communication master unit function and RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices). The farm cloud 405 is typically a group of computers operated on a cloud service and related software, and is preferably wirelessly connected to the controller 401 by a mobile phone line or the like. The farming cloud 405 may analyze the image of the field 403 captured by the drone 100, grasp the growing condition of the crop, and perform a process for determining a flight route. Further, the drone 100 may be provided with the stored topographical information of the field 403 and the like. In addition, the history of the drone 100 flight and captured images may be accumulated and various analysis processes may be performed.

Usually, the drone 100 takes off from a landing point 406 outside the field 403 and returns to the landing point 406 after spraying a drug on the field 403 or when it becomes necessary to replenish the drug or charge the battery. The flight route (intrusion route) from the landing point 406 to the target field 403 may be stored in advance in the farm cloud 405 or the like, or may be input by the user 402 before the start of takeoff.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the control function of the embodiment of the drug spraying drone according to the present invention. The flight controller 501 is a component that controls the entire drone, and specifically may be an embedded computer including a CPU, memory, related software, and the like. The flight controller 501, based on the input information received from the controller 401 and the input information obtained from various sensors described later, via the control means such as ESC (Electronic Speed Control), the motor 102-1a, 102-1b , 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b are controlled to control the flight of the drone 100. The actual rotation speed of the motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b is fed back to the flight controller 501 to perform normal rotation. It is desirable to have a configuration that can monitor whether or not the Alternatively, the rotary blade 101 may be provided with an optical sensor or the like so that the rotation of the rotary blade 101 is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The software used by the flight controller 501 is preferably rewritable through a storage medium or the like for function expansion/change, problem correction, or the like, or through communication means such as Wi-Fi communication or USB. In this case, it is desirable to protect by encryption, checksum, electronic signature, virus check software, etc. so that rewriting by unauthorized software is not performed. In addition, a part of the calculation process used by the flight controller 501 for control may be executed by another computer existing on the controller 401, the farm cloud 405, or another place. Since the flight controller 501 is highly important, some or all of its constituent elements may be duplicated.

The battery 502 is a means of supplying power to the flight controller 501 and other components of the drone and is preferably rechargeable. The battery 502 is preferably connected to the flight controller 501 via a power supply unit including a fuse or a circuit breaker. The battery 502 is preferably a smart battery that has a function of transmitting its internal state (amount of stored electricity, accumulated usage time, etc.) to the flight controller 501 in addition to a power supply function.

The flight controller 501 communicates with the controller 401 via the Wi-Fi slave unit function 503 and further via the base station 404, receives a necessary command from the controller 401, and transmits necessary information to the controller. It is desirable to be able to send to 401. In this case, it is desirable to encrypt the communication so as to prevent illegal acts such as interception, spoofing, and hijacking of equipment. The base station 404 preferably has an RTK-GPS base station function in addition to a Wi-Fi communication function. By combining the signal from the RTK base station and the signal from the GPS positioning satellite, the GPS module 504 can measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of about several centimeters. Since the GPS module 504 is highly important, it is desirable to duplicate and multiplex it. Also, in order to cope with the failure of a specific GPS satellite, each redundant GPS module 504 should use another satellite. It is desirable to control.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the acceleration of the drone body (further, a means for calculating the velocity by integrating the acceleration), and is preferably a 6-axis sensor. The geomagnetic sensor 506 is a means for measuring the direction of the drone body by measuring the geomagnetism. The atmospheric pressure sensor 507 is a means for measuring atmospheric pressure, and can indirectly measure the altitude of the drone. The laser sensor 508 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone body and the ground surface by utilizing the reflection of laser light, and it is preferable to use an IR (infrared) laser. The sonar 509 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone body and the ground surface by utilizing the reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected depending on the drone's cost goals and performance requirements. Further, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the tilt of the machine body, a wind force sensor for measuring wind force, and the like may be added. Moreover, it is desirable that these sensors be duplicated or multiplexed. If there are multiple sensors for the same purpose, the flight controller 501 may use only one of them, and if it fails, switch to an alternative sensor. Alternatively, a plurality of sensors may be used simultaneously, and if the measurement results do not match, it may be considered that a failure has occurred.

The flow rate sensor 510 is a means for measuring the flow rate of the medicine, and is preferably provided at a plurality of places on the path from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzle 103. The liquid shortage sensor 511 is a sensor that detects that the amount of the medicine has become equal to or less than a predetermined amount. The multi-spectral camera 512 is a means for photographing the field 403 and acquiring data for image analysis. The obstacle detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting a drone obstacle. Since the image characteristics and the orientation of the lens are different from those of the multispectral camera 512, it is desirable that the obstacle detection camera 513 be a device different from the multispectral camera 512. The switch 514 is a means for the user 402 of the drone 100 to make various settings. The obstacle contact sensor 515 is a sensor for detecting that the drone 100, in particular, its rotor or propeller guard portion has come into contact with an obstacle such as an electric wire, a building, a human body, a tree, a bird, or another drone. .. The cover sensor 516 is a sensor that detects that the operation panel of the drone 100 and the cover for internal maintenance are open. The drug injection port sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the injection port of the drug tank 104 is open. These sensors may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated or multiplexed. In addition, a sensor may be provided at the base station 404 outside the drone 100, the controller 401, or another place, and the read information may be transmitted to the drone. For example, a wind sensor may be provided in the base station 404, and information regarding wind force/wind direction may be transmitted to the drone 100 via Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 sends a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the medicine ejection amount and stop the medicine ejection. It is desirable that the current status of the pump 106 (for example, the number of revolutions) is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The LED 107 is a display means for informing the drone operator of the status of the drone. Display means such as a liquid crystal display may be used instead of or in addition to the LEDs. The buzzer 518 is an output means for notifying a drone state (especially an error state) by a voice signal. The Wi-Fi slave device function 519 is an optional component for communicating with an external computer or the like, for example, for software transfer, in addition to the controller 401. In addition to or in addition to the Wi-Fi cordless handset function, other wireless communication means such as infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection May be used. The speaker 520 is an output means for notifying the drone state (particularly, the error state) by the recorded human voice, synthesized voice, or the like. Depending on the weather conditions, it may be difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 in flight, and in such a case, it is effective to communicate the situation by voice. The warning light 521 is a display means such as a strobe light that informs the drone state (particularly an error state). These input/output means may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated/multiplexed.

For a drone flying over the sky, it is desirable to have a configuration capable of preventing harm to a person or the like even when the drone collides with a person or the like below the drone when the drone crashes. Specifically, it is desirable to provide an airbag that detects the crash of the drone and deploys it at the bottom of the drone.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the drone 100 according to the present invention includes an airbag 50.

The airbag 50 is contracted and stored inside the drone 100 during normal use. The airbag 50 is fixed to the drone 100. The fixing position of the airbag 50 is fixed below the center of the drone 100 in the vertical direction. That is, as described above, the center of gravity of the drone 100 is biased to the bottom side in the flight state, and the airbag 50 is deployed to the bottom side of the drone 100. According to this configuration, the center of gravity of the drone 100 is closer to the bottom surface, and it becomes easy to reach the surface of the ground while maintaining the flight direction during a crash. Since the drone 100 approaches the ground surface from the side of the deployed airbag 50, the airbag 50 can mitigate the impact of a collision with a person or the like on the surface of the ground.

The airbag 50 is deployed so as to cover the bottom surface of the drone 100. The airbag 50 has a vent in a portion fixed to the drone 100, and is deployed by enclosing gas from the vent. Gas can be enclosed in the airbag 50 by an appropriate method. The airbag 50 may be configured to be deployed instantaneously in order to prevent a collision between the aircraft and a person when the drone 100 crashes. For example, by disposing the explosive at a position communicating with the ventilation port and igniting the explosive, gas can be instantly sealed in the airbag 50.

The airbag 50 has a shape in which a part of a sphere is linearly cut when the airbag 50 is deployed, and is fixed to the drone 100 so that the spherical surface faces the lower side of the drone 100. The airbag 50 is inflated to the outside of the drone 100 in the left-right direction with respect to the four legs 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, 107-4 of the drone 100. Further, the most protruding portion of the airbag 50 is inflated below the tips of the feet 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, 107-4. This is to prevent the tips of the legs 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, 107-4 from colliding with a person or the like when the drone 100 crashes.

As shown in FIG. 9, a drone 100 according to the present invention includes rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b. Motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b, flight control unit 23, information acquisition unit 24, determination unit 25 and An airbag deployment unit 26 and a drug control unit 30 that controls the amount of drug discharged from the drone 100 are provided. In the following description, the reference numerals of the rotor and the motor may be omitted.

The flight control unit 23 is a functional unit that controls the rotation speed and rotation direction of the rotary blades by controlling the motor, and causes the drone 100 to fly within the section intended by the user 402. Specifically, the flight control unit 23 is a CPU implemented by a microcomputer or the like, and is realized by the flight controller 501 together with the medicine control unit 30. The flight control unit 23 transmits the command value of the rotation speed of each motor for each motor. The command value of the rotation speed of each motor is calculated from the flight route planned based on the input section information. The planning of the flight route and the calculation of the command value are performed on the farm cloud 405 shown in FIG. 4, and are transmitted to the flight control unit 23 via the controller 401.

Further, the flight control unit 23 controls the takeoff and landing of the drone 100.

Further, the flight control unit 23 controls evacuation behavior. The evacuation action includes, for example, a normal landing operation, an aerial stop such as hovering, and an “emergency return” of immediately moving to a predetermined return point by the shortest route. The predetermined return point is a point stored in the flight control unit 23 in advance, for example, a point at which the flight has taken off. The predetermined return point is, for example, a land point where the user 402 can approach the drone 100, and the user 402 can inspect the drone 100 reaching the return point or manually carry it to another place. can do.

Further, the evacuation action may be a “normal return” in which the route is optimized to move to a predetermined return point. The optimized route is, for example, a route calculated by referring to the route in which the medicine is sprayed before receiving the normal return command. For example, the drone 100 moves to a predetermined return point while spraying the drug via a route that has not yet sprayed the drug.

Further, the evacuation action includes an “emergency stop” in which all the rotor blades are stopped and the drone 100 is dropped downward from the place.

The information acquisition unit 24 is a functional unit that acquires necessary information in order to determine whether or not the drone 100 is in a situation where an airbag should be deployed. The information acquisition unit 24 includes an altitude measurement unit 241, a crash information acquisition unit 242, and a collision information acquisition unit 243.

The altitude measuring unit 241 may measure the airframe altitude using a plurality of sensors. A combination of sonar, infrared laser, barometric pressure sensor, accelerometer (preferably using a 6-axis gyro sensor), GPS (preferably using RTK-GPS method) may be used for altitude measurement. In this case, measuring instruments and sensors may be multiplexed in case of failure.

In addition, a plurality of methods may be used together. For example, sonar can make accurate measurements when the field is on the ground, but it is difficult to make accurate measurements when the field is on the water surface (in this case, an infrared laser is appropriate). Because there is a weak point. Further, when a disturbance of GPS radio waves, an abnormality of a base station, or the like occurs, even if the signals are multiplexed, it causes an overall failure, so other measuring means may be provided.

The crash information acquisition unit 242 is a functional unit that acquires information necessary for determining whether or not the drone 100 has crashed, that is, is in a free fall. The crash information acquisition unit 242 measures the altitude of the drone 100 and calculates the speed of change of altitude, similar to the altitude measurement unit 241, for example. Further, the crash information acquisition unit 242 may acquire the acceleration in the height direction from the measurement value of the acceleration sensor included in the drone 100.

In addition, the crash information acquisition unit 242 receives a signal regarding the emergency stop from the flight control unit 23 and crashes the drone 100 when free fall due to an emergency stop intentionally performed by the flight control unit 23 of the drone 100. You may acquire the information to that effect. The intentional emergency stop is, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the control of the motor or when it is determined that it is impossible to evacuate by normal landing by detecting strong wind, it is usually due to an obstacle being caught. For example, when it is determined that it is impossible to evacuate by landing.

Further, the crash information acquisition unit 242, if the drone 100 is free fall based on the emergency stop command input to the emergency operating device 10 or the pilot 401 by the user 402, from the emergency operating device 10 or the pilot 401. The information indicating that the drone 100 will crash may be acquired by receiving the information of.

The collision information acquisition unit 243 is a functional unit that acquires information necessary to determine whether or not the drone 100 has collided with an obstacle. When the drone 100 collides with an obstacle, it is highly likely that the drone 100 will crash, so by detecting the collision and using it to determine whether or not the airbag 50 needs to be deployed, the drone 100 can be crashed more safely. it can.

The collision information acquisition unit 243 includes, for example, a microswitch or a pressure detection element such as a piezo element. In this case, it is preferable that the collision information acquisition unit 243 be installed in the propeller guard unit located on the outermost peripheral portion of the drone 100. The collision information acquisition unit 243 may be provided in each of the upper and lower propeller guards of the counter rotating rotor. Multiple sensors for each direction may be provided around the propeller guard, but by providing a sensor at the part where the propeller guard connects with the body of the aircraft, one sensor can detect contact in multiple directions. May be.

In addition, the collision information acquisition unit 243 may acquire information regarding a collision by using an acceleration sensor included in the drone 100. When the drone 100 comes into contact with an obstacle, the drone 100 experiences acceleration in the direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle comes into contact in a short time. The acceleration sensor measures the acceleration with a precision capable of measuring the rapid acceleration in the short time.

The determination unit 25 is a functional unit that determines whether to deploy the airbag 50 based on information from the altitude measurement unit 241, the crash information acquisition unit 242, and the collision information acquisition unit 243. The determination unit 25 includes a crash determination unit 251, a collision determination unit 252, and an airbag deployment determination unit 253.

The crash determination unit 251 determines whether or not the airbag 50 of the drone 100 should be deployed based on the result acquired by the crash information acquisition unit 242. The crash determination unit 251 determines whether the drone 100 has crashed based on the information acquired by the crash information acquisition unit 242 that the drone 100 is moving downward at a predetermined speed or acceleration during normal flight or hovering. Yes” The fall acceleration of the drone 100 at the time of a crash is expected to be a value obtained by adding the influence of the air resistance of the drone 100 to the gravitational acceleration. Therefore, the range of acceleration determined by the crash determination unit 251 as “falling” may be a value stored in the crash determination unit 251 in advance. In addition, the range of the acceleration determined to be “falling” may be appropriately corrected based on the wind speed information acquired by an appropriate method.

The collision determination unit 252, based on the information acquired by the collision information acquisition unit 243, that the object contacts the drone 100 and a predetermined acceleration is generated in the drone 100 due to the collision, “the drone 100 is colliding with an obstacle. Is determined.

The airbag deployment determination unit 253 refers to the altitude of the drone 100 measured by the altitude measurement unit 241 when it is determined that the drone 100 has crashed or collided. When the altitude of the drone 100 when the drone 100 crashes or collides is higher than a predetermined altitude (hereinafter, also referred to as “first altitude”), the airbag deployment determination unit 253 generates an airbag deployment signal, The information is transmitted to the airbag deployment unit 26. When the altitude of the drone 100 when the drone 100 crashes or collides is equal to or lower than the first altitude, the airbag deployment determination unit 253 does not generate an airbag deployment signal and the airbag 50 is not deployed. This is because when the altitude at which the drone 100 starts to fall is equal to or lower than the first altitude, the degree of impact generated by the falling drone 100 colliding is small, and it is not necessary to deploy the airbag 50.

When the altitude of the drone 100 when the drone 100 crashes or collides is higher than the first altitude, the airbag deployment determination unit 253 causes the airbag 100 to fall until the drone 100 reaches a predetermined second altitude. The deployment signal may not be transmitted to the airbag deployment unit 26. This is because if the airbag 50 is deployed at an altitude higher than the second altitude, a large air resistance is generated, the drone 100 rotates or reverses, and the possibility of colliding with a person or the like at a place other than the airbag 50 increases.

If the altitude of the drone 100 when the drone 100 crashes or collides is higher than the second altitude, the airbag deployment determination unit 253 causes the drone 100 to fall downward after the crash and the altitude measured by the altitude measurement unit 241. The air bag deployment signal is transmitted to the air bag deployment unit 26 based on the fact that the vehicle has become lower than the second altitude.

The second altitude may be a predetermined fixed value or a varying value calculated based on the falling speed of the drone 100. Further, the degree of impact generated by hitting a person or the like on the ground surface varies depending on the mass of the drone 100, and thus may be a value that varies depending on the mass of the drone 100. Alternatively, the falling speed of the drone 100 may be measured and the second altitude may be corrected based on the falling speed.

The drug control unit 30 is a control unit that controls the amount or timing of spraying the drug solution from the drug tank 104. For example, somewhere in the path from the drug tank 104 to each drug nozzle 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, an opening/closing means for opening and closing the drug solution path is provided, and the drug control unit 30 is Alternatively, various emergency operations may be performed after the release of the drug solution is blocked by the opening/closing means. Further, the medicine control unit 30 may stop the pump 106 before executing the evacuation action. This is because if the drug is sprayed on a flight route different from the normal time, the spray amount becomes excessive, or the drug is sprayed to a place where it should not be sprayed.

When the crash determination unit 251 or the collision determination unit 252 detects a crash or collision of the drone 100, the crash determination unit 251 or the collision determination unit 252 generates a drug stop signal and transmits the drug stop signal to the drug control unit 30. To do. When the drug stop signal is transmitted, the drug control unit 30 stops the spraying of the drug.

The crash determination unit 251 or the collision determination unit 252 determines whether the drone 100 crashes or collides with the altitude change, acceleration, threshold values for various values such as contact detection, and the airbag deployment determination unit 253 determines that the airbag 50 should be deployed. The threshold value of the altitude to be set may be a fixed threshold value stored in advance in the drone 100, or may be a changing threshold value that is changed according to the situation. In the case of the changing threshold value, it may be automatically changed by an appropriate configuration connected to the drone 100 wirelessly or by wire, or may be manually changed by the user 402.

The determination unit 25 may determine the crash or collision based on the measurement result at a certain time point to be measured, and the altitude at which the airbag 50 is deployed, or may be determined based on the measurement results of the past multiple times. Good.

The determination unit 25 displays the fact that a crash or a collision has been detected on the control unit 401 monitored by the user 402 by an appropriate communication means included in the drone 100. Further, the determination unit 25 may display on the controller 401 that the airbag 50 will be deployed or that the airbag 50 will be deployed after a predetermined time. In addition, the determination unit 25 may be configured to display that the drone 100 has crashed or collided by a display unit included in the drone 100, for example, an LED.

In addition, when the user 402 acquires the information of the drone 100 using the eyewear-type wearable terminal, it may be displayed or projected on the screen of the eyewear. In addition, when the user 402 acquires the information of the drone 100 by the earphone type wearable terminal, the user 402 may notify by sound.

(Flow in which a drone detects a crash and deploys an airbag)
As shown in FIG. 9, first, the drone 100 starts normal flight or hovering as planned (step S1). The crash information acquisition unit 242 of the drone 100 acquires information about the crash of the drone 100 such as altitude change and acceleration, and the crash determination unit 251 determines whether or not the drone 100 has crashed (step S2).

When the fall is not detected, the operation returns to step S1 and the normal flight is continued. When the crash determination unit 251 detects the crash of the drone 100, the drug control unit 30 stops the drug spraying when the drug is sprayed (step S3). Note that the steps S1 and S2 may be executed when the drug is not sprayed, such as during hovering immediately after the start of flight. If the drug is not sprayed, step S3 is omitted.

The airbag deployment determination unit 253 refers to the measurement value of the altitude measurement unit 241, and determines whether the altitude is higher than the first altitude (step S4). When the altitude of the drone 100 is lower than or equal to the first altitude, the airbag deployment unit 26 does not deploy the airbag 50. The drone 100 will fall freely and reach the surface of the earth.

If the altitude is higher than the first altitude, the altitude measurement unit 241 repeatedly measures the altitude during the free fall of the drone 100 (step S5), and the airbag deployment determination unit 253 determines whether the altitude is the second altitude or less. (Step S6). When the altitude becomes equal to or lower than the second altitude, the airbag deployment determination unit 253 generates an airbag deployment signal and transmits it to the airbag deployment unit 26. The airbag deployment unit 26 that has received the airbag deployment signal deploys the airbag 50 (step S7).

(Flow in which the drone 100 detects a collision and deploys the airbag 50)
As shown in FIG. 10, first, the drone 100 starts normal flight or hovering as planned (step S11). The collision information acquisition unit 243 of the drone 100 acquires information about the collision, such as the altitude change and acceleration of the drone 100, the measurement value of the contact detection sensor, and the collision determination unit 252 determines whether the drone 100 collides with an obstacle. Is determined (step S12).

If no collision is detected, the process returns to step S11 to continue normal flight. When the collision determination unit 252 detects the collision of the drone 100, the drug control unit 30 stops the drug spraying when the drug is sprayed (step S13). The steps S11 to S12 may be executed when the drug is not sprayed, for example, during hovering immediately after the start of flight. If the drug is not sprayed, step S13 is omitted.

The airbag deployment determination unit 253 refers to the measurement value of the altitude measurement unit 241, and determines whether the altitude is higher than the first altitude (step S14). When the altitude of the drone 100 is lower than or equal to the first altitude, the airbag deployment unit 26 does not deploy the airbag 50. The drone 100 will fall freely and reach the surface of the earth.

If the altitude is higher than the first altitude, the altitude measurement unit 241 repeatedly measures the altitude during the free fall of the drone 100 (step S15), and the airbag deployment determination unit 253 determines whether the altitude is the second altitude or less. (Step S16). When the altitude becomes equal to or lower than the second altitude, the airbag deployment determination unit 253 generates an airbag deployment signal and transmits it to the airbag deployment unit 26. The airbag deployment unit 26 that has received the airbag deployment signal deploys the airbag 50 (step S17).

(Second embodiment)
The second embodiment of the drone according to the present invention will be described focusing on the parts different from the first embodiment described above. The drone of the second embodiment differs from the drone of the first embodiment in that it has a fixed wing.

As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the drone 200 has a housing 201 extending in the traveling direction and fixed wings 202 that are orthogonal to the housing 201 and are arranged substantially symmetrically in the left and right directions.

The drone 200 has a control unit and a functional unit for causing the drone 200 to fly inside the housing 201 and on the bottom surface side in a flying state. According to this configuration, the center of gravity of the drone 200 is closer to the bottom surface, and it becomes easier to reach the surface of the ground while maintaining the direction of flight during a crash.

In the case 201 of the drone 200, an airbag 150 is arranged in the lower front part of the joint with the fixed wing 202. The airbag 150 is arranged so as to be deployable so as to protect the front end of the housing 201 in the traveling direction and a part of the bottom surface continuous with the front end. In the case of the drone 200 having the fixed wing 202, there is a high possibility of reaching the ground surface from the front and bottom in the traveling direction at the time of a crash. Therefore, in the drone 200 configured such that the airbag 150 is deployed at the above-described position, the airbag 150 can reduce the impact at the time of a collision with a person or the like existing on the ground.

The drone 200 having the fixed wing 202 is more energy-saving and can fly for a longer time than the drone 100 having the rotary wing, and thus is useful as a drone for surveillance, for example. The drone 200 is expected to fly at a higher altitude than the drone 100. Further, the drone 200 is assumed to be lighter than the drone 100 in the embodiment. Therefore, the altitude threshold for deploying the airbag 150 may be higher than that of the drone 100. The threshold may be set, for example, between 5 meters and 10 meters.

(Technically remarkable effect of the present invention)
With the drone according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drone that can maintain high safety even during autonomous flight.

Claims (25)

Means of flight,
A flight control unit for operating the flight means,
A crash determination unit that detects a crash,
An airbag that is deployed by enclosing gas,
An airbag deploying unit for deploying the airbag based on the crash determining unit detecting the crash,
Drone equipped with.
When the altitude of the drone is higher than the first altitude, which is measured when the crash determination unit detects a crash, the airbag deployment unit is configured to measure the altitude of the drone. The drone of claim 1, which deploys.
When the altitude of the drone is higher than the second altitude, which is measured when the crash determination unit detects a crash, the altitude of the drone is higher than a second altitude. The drone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the airbag is deployed based on that the altitude drops below the second altitude after the crash and the altitude becomes equal to or lower than the second altitude.
The drone according to claim 3, wherein the second altitude is determined based on a falling speed of the drone.
The airbag deployment unit further includes a collision determination unit configured to detect that the drone is colliding with an obstacle, and the airbag deployment unit deploys the airbag based on the collision determination unit detecting a collision of the drone. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:
The drone can receive an emergency stop command transmitted from an operating device operated by a user, and the airbag deployment unit deploys the airbag based on the emergency stop command. Drone according to any one of 5.
When the vehicle crashes due to an emergency stop intentionally performed by the flight control unit, the airbag deployment unit deploys the airbag based on an emergency stop signal transmitted from the flight control unit. The drone according to any one of 1 to 6.
The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the center of gravity of the drone is biased to the bottom surface side in a flight state, and the airbag is deployed to the bottom surface side of the drone.
A drug control unit for controlling whether or not to discharge the drug from the drone to the outside is further provided, and the drug control unit stops the discharge of the drug based on the fall determination unit detecting the fall. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
Means of flight,
A flight control unit for operating the flight means,
A crash determination unit that detects a crash,
An airbag that is deployed by enclosing gas,
An airbag deploying unit for deploying the airbag based on the crash determining unit detecting the crash,
A method of controlling a drone comprising:
Activating the flight means,
Detecting the crash of the drone,
Deploying the airbag based on detecting a crash of the drone;
Controlling drone, including.
11. The method further comprising: measuring the altitude of the drone; and deploying the airbag when the altitude of the drone measured when detecting the crash of the drone is higher than a first altitude. How to control the drone described.
Measuring the altitude of the drone; and when the altitude of the drone measured when detecting the crash of the drone is higher than a second altitude, the drone falls downward after the crash, and the altitude is the second The method for controlling a drone according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising the step of deploying the airbag based on a decrease in altitude.
The drone control method according to claim 12, wherein the second altitude is determined based on a falling speed of the drone.
14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: detecting that the drone collides with an obstacle, and deploying the airbag based on detecting the collision of the drone. The drone control method described in.
15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: a step of receiving an emergency stop command transmitted from a controller operated by a user; and a step of deploying the airbag based on the emergency stop command. How to control the drone described.
16. The drone control method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of deploying the airbag based on an emergency stop signal transmitted from the flight control unit.
17. The medicine control unit for controlling whether or not to discharge the medicine from the drone to the outside, further comprising a step of stopping the discharge of the medicine based on the detection of the fall. One of the drone control methods.
Means of flight,
A flight control unit for operating the flight means,
A crash determination unit that detects a crash,
An airbag that is deployed by enclosing gas,
An airbag deploying unit for deploying the airbag based on the crash determining unit detecting the crash,
A drone control program comprising:
Flight control instructions for operating the flight means,
A crash detection command to detect the crash of the drone,
An airbag deployment command for deploying the airbag based on detecting the crash of the drone,
Drone control program that causes a computer to execute.
When the altitude of the drone measured when detecting the crash of the drone is higher than the first altitude, the computer is caused to execute an altitude measurement command for measuring the altitude of the drone, and the computer is instructed to deploy the airbag. The drone control program according to claim 18, which is executed.
When the computer executes an altitude measurement command to measure the altitude of the drone, and the altitude of the drone measured when detecting the crash of the drone is higher than the second altitude, the drone falls downward after the crash, 20. The drone control program according to claim 18, which causes a computer to execute a command to deploy the airbag based on the altitude becoming equal to or lower than the second altitude.
The drone control program according to claim 20, wherein the second altitude is determined based on a falling speed of the drone.
The computer further causes a computer to execute a collision detection command for detecting that the drone has collided with an obstacle and a command for deploying the airbag based on the detection of the collision of the drone. 22. The drone control program according to any one of 21 to 21.
23. The computer further causing the computer to execute an instruction to receive an emergency stop command transmitted from an operating device operated by a user and an instruction to deploy the airbag based on the emergency stop command. Drone control program according to any one.
24. The drone control program according to claim 18, further causing a computer to execute an instruction to deploy the airbag based on an emergency stop signal transmitted from the flight control unit.
The drone control program according to any one of claims 18 to 24, further causing a computer to execute an instruction to stop the ejection of the medicine based on the detection of the crash.

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