ES2958408A1 - METHOD FOR PERFORMING TASKS ON AN UNMANNED VEHICLE OBJECT AND SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for performing tasks on an object (1), which may be an object of known position and shape, which is implemented with an unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) that comprises a base surface displacement vehicle (2) , which can be a land vehicle (UGV) or aquatic vehicle (USV) and at least one aerial type host vehicle (UAV) (3), materially connected by means for the transmission of electrical energy (9, 10) and, in its case, data (8, 10). Having previously designed an air route based on a three-dimensional digital model of an object equal to the one on which the tasks will be carried out, this route is housed in the base vehicle (2), which transmits it to the guest (3). . The base vehicle (2) moves on the surface while the host vehicle (3) takes off from it and, powered by the base vehicle (2), carries out its inspection route, acquires data and transmits it to it by optical cable ( 8, 10) to the host vehicle (2), which processes them and sends them to an external computing system.

Description

DESCRIPTION

METHOD FOR PERFORMING TASKS ON AN OBJECT AND SYSTEM

UNMANNED VEHICLES

TECHNIQUE SECTOR

The invention belongs to the sector of unmanned vehicles and refers to a method for carrying out tasks on an object (1), which is put into practice by a system that comprises an unmanned base vehicle for surface movement (2). and at least one unmanned aerial type host vehicle (3), physically connected to the base vehicle (2).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Unmanned aerial vehicles (also called drones or UAVs, from the English Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) can be of very varied configurations. The most common for non-military uses is the multirotor type drone, that is, with several propellant arms. Due to its hovering capability, this is the type used in certain tasks, for example, inspection, such as the inspection of infrastructure for the detection of material defects. Even if the tasks are carried out in reduced spatial areas, drones present the problem of their limited autonomy, because the aircraft must perform complex maneuvers, remain in static flight, capture data (for example, photographs or video), or in sometimes process them on board, all of which consumes a lot of energy.

Solutions have been described consisting of an unmanned aircraft hosting smaller ones, serving as a launch platform or providing some type of logistical support, so that the auxiliary vehicles will carry out shorter flights or require less equipment on board, all of which which provides them with energy savings. For example, in US2019112049A1 Portable launch system (TOP FLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.), 04/18/2019, whose object is a first aircraft that houses a second aircraft, both unmanned, the second aircraft being launched to perform landing tasks. meteorological data once the first aircraft has reached a certain point during its flight.

In the examples known in the state of the art, the base vehicle is also an unmanned aircraft, so the problem of limited operational autonomy continues to arise.

As a solution to the above, this patent proposes a method for performing tasks on an object (1) and an unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) configured for the execution of the method. The unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) comprises a base vehicle (2), which moves on the surface and can be equipped with a large battery capacity. The base vehicle (2) is physically connected, by means of wiring (10), to at least one host vehicle (3), which is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) (3) whose power comes from the battery (7) of the base vehicle (2), which allows its operational autonomy to be extraordinarily increased. The material link by means of cable (10) between both means that the at least one host vehicle (3) can be considered an operating arm of the base vehicle (2), rather than an aircraft with its own autonomy, so that the sum of Both vehicles (2, 3) produce a synergy that increases the operating autonomy of the at least one unmanned aircraft (3), its mobility in complex areas, its sensor and actuator loading capacity and its digital data processing capacity. .

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the invention refers to a method for carrying out tasks on an object (1), a method that is put into practice by a set of unmanned vehicles (2, 3) that comprises a base vehicle for movement in surface (2) and at least one aerial type host vehicle (3), the method comprising the steps defined in claim 1. Other preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

A task should be understood as any action performed by the vehicle system (2, 3) with respect to the object (1) on which the method is implemented. The tasks may be related, for example, to the inspection of the object (1), meaning the verification of its condition, for example, for the detection of material defects (such as cracks in the fuselage of an aircraft or in plates of a photovoltaic park), or to control its status (such as controlling the degree of growth of a vertical crop or the stock of a warehouse). Another purpose of the tasks may be to alter the physical state of the object (1), for example, repair or cleaning tasks.

In a first stage, the method comprises that the base unmanned vehicle (2) moves along a route substantially defined by the area occupied by the object (1) on the surface on which it is located. Thus, if it is an inspection task that has as its object an airplane (1), the base vehicle (2) will move substantially within the area occupied by the airplane (1) on the ground on which it is parked, which may include both following its lateral contour and entering areas that are under the fuselage and wings. In the example of inspection tasks to detect defects in solar panels in a photovoltaic park, or in cleaning or repair tasks of such panels, the base vehicle (2) will travel through the corridors of the photovoltaic park, which delimit the area in which that the panels are located on the ground, and can also enter areas below said panels. Or if, in another of the examples mentioned, the task consists of controlling stock in a warehouse, the route of the base vehicle (2) will be substantially along the aisles of the warehouse.

The base vehicle (2) can have its route programmed in advance, so it would operate in autonomous mode. The programming of this route is conventional, especially taking into account that, generally, the land route of the base vehicle (2) will be composed of different predictable trajectories. It is also possible for an operator to drive the base vehicle (2) in person using a remote control device. In both cases, it must be understood that the movement of the base vehicle (2) can be continuous, or can include stops along its route, previously scheduled or at the discretion of the human pilot.

A second stage comprises that the at least one aerial type host vehicle (3) takes off from the base vehicle (2) to carry out an aerial route, carrying out at least one task in relation to the object during the course of the route. (1), for example, when it is an inspection, it will carry out at least one data collection task.

The at least one aerial vehicle (3) can be piloted in person, by a human pilot who, equipped with a remote control device, is on site and who may be the same one in charge of directing the base vehicle in person ( 2). In-person piloting has the disadvantages of its higher cost and the risk of collision due to human error with the inspected object, which can be very harmful if it is, for example, the fuselage of an airplane (1).

To overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, in one embodiment the at least one aerial vehicle (3) is not piloted in person, but rather operates in autonomous mode. In one way of carrying out this operation in autonomous mode, the aerial vehicle (3) will be transmitted the orders for its adequate spatial positioning, according to known techniques. This transmission will be made from the base vehicle (2) or from a computer system external to the base vehicle (2).

In another embodiment, the flight in autonomous mode is carried out according to a pre-programmed route, which is known in the art. In one example, the programmed route for the at least one host vehicle (3) is hosted in a computer system on board the base vehicle (2), from where the route is transmitted to the at least one host vehicle (3). In an alternative embodiment, the programmed route for the at least one host vehicle (3) is hosted in a computer system external to the base vehicle (2), normally under the control of the entity in charge of the tasks. In this case, the method includes the step of transmitting said route to the base vehicle (2), so that it in turn can transmit it to at least one host vehicle (3).

The operation of drones (3) in autonomous flight according to a pre-programmed route poses problems, derived from the fact that, as obstacles of all kinds may occur on the route, the aircraft (3) must normally be equipped with electronic components that provide it with capabilities such as detect-avoid obstacles autonomously and detect-act, that is, detect the points or elements in which an action is required (for example, image capture). These components, on the one hand, increase the energy consumption of the drone (3), which, in the present invention, is alleviated by the electrical power connection (9, 10) between the base vehicle (2) and the aerial vehicle. (3) and on the other hand, they increase the weight and size of the drone (3), which makes its maneuverability difficult.

To solve the problem posed, in one embodiment the method is implemented in an object of known position and shape. “Object of known position and shape” means an object whose location and spatial layout are unique. This can be an object with a fixed and immovable location, for example, an infrastructure, such as a specific gas pipeline or photovoltaic park, which cannot change location. It may also be a mobile object, such as a certain model of airplane (1), since when produced in series, all models will be identical, so the shape of the object will be known. To ensure that the position of these objects is also known, when the method is implemented on them, a step of the method will consist of placing it in a predetermined location in the place where the tasks are going to be performed. In this same case of object (1) of known shape but mobile position, alternatively its position can be achieved by establishing in the object (1) one or more location points with respect to which the at least one is spatially located. a host vehicle. Likewise, certain structures located inside production sites will be considered to be objects of known position and shape, for example, walls dedicated to vertical crops within a specific agricultural holding. The predetermined volume that, within a warehouse, is likely to be occupied by the boxes where stocks of raw materials or manufactured products are stored, will also be considered an object of known position and shape. This is because, although the number of boxes may vary, the volume that all of them can occupy is known in advance.

In this embodiment, the invention proposes to design the route taking into consideration the aforementioned circumstance that the route will be carried out with respect to an object of known position and shape. In one way of designing a route, first, a three-dimensional model of the object to be inspected is obtained, for which a known possibility in the art is to scan a reference object (for example, an airplane of the same model, or the structure specific in question) with devices such as a LIDAR sensor, sensors or photogrammetric cameras. The scanning operation results in a cloud of points from which the three-dimensional model of the object is generated. Said three-dimensional model is the one that will be taken as a basis to configure the route, through steps consisting of detecting the object from the cloud of points, calculating stopping points of the host vehicle (3) at points in the cloud of points associated with elements of the object, convert the stop points into a sequence of spatial positioning points or waypoints and program tasks (for example, data collection) associated with all or some of the waypoints, thus configuring a programmable route. Conveniently, the route can be used as many times as it is necessary to inspect the same object (for example, for successive maintenance of the same infrastructure, or of the same aircraft model that has served as the basis for the design of the route). Patent document WO2022/023594 “Infrastructure inspection system and procedure” (ARBOREA INTELLBIRD, S.L.), 02/03/2022, describes how to obtain a navigation route for an unmanned aircraft operating in autonomous mode taking an infrastructure as a reference , which is applicable to the present patent, since an infrastructure is an object of known position and shape.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the additional step of receiving the base vehicle (2) the data acquired by the at least one host vehicle (3) during the execution of its air route.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the additional step of processing the base vehicle (2) the data acquired by the at least one host vehicle (3). The concentration of processing capabilities in the base vehicle (2) allows the drone (3) to be freed from the complex electronic devices that would be required if it were to be equipped with on-board processing capacity.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the additional step of the base vehicle (2) transmitting to an external computing system the data resulting from the processing of the data it has received from the at least one host vehicle (3).

In a second aspect, the object of the invention is an unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) that comprises a base surface displacement vehicle (2) and at least one aerial type host vehicle (3).

Unmanned vehicles are those that do not have a human pilot on board. These vehicles can be piloted by a human pilot in person, who has the vehicle in his field of vision (VLOS piloting, Visual Line of Sight), without prejudice to being helped by sensors on board the vehicle that allow him to maintain awareness. positioning of the aircraft at times when it may be out of its field of vision. Unmanned vehicles can also be piloted by a human pilot located remotely from the vehicle, an operation that is carried out through the images and positioning data transmitted by the vehicle; or they can operate autonomously.

Base surface displacement vehicle (2) should be understood as both an unmanned ground vehicle (2) (known as UGV, Unmanned Ground Vehicle), and an aquatic surface vehicle (USV, Unmanned Surface Vehicle or unmanned aquatic surface vehicle, as opposed to the so-called UUV, Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, not included in this patent). Both types of vehicles are suitable for integration into the unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) of the patent, while a higher platform (4) can be enabled in them that can serve as a base for at least one aerial unmanned vehicle. (3).

The base vehicle (2) and the at least one aerial vehicle (3) maintain a relationship of dependency that, in one embodiment, takes the form of a material connection through means for the transmission of electrical energy (9, 10). In this way, the at least one host vehicle (3) receives its power from the base vehicle (2), so it does not need a battery installation, which allows its construction to be simplified and its size reduced. This vehicle system is configured to execute the steps of the method of claim 1.

In another embodiment, the connection between both types of vehicles (2, 3) also includes means for data transmission (8, 10), with which the at least one host vehicle receives (3) and transmits data through of the direct connection (10) with the base vehicle (2), so the vehicles (2, 3) do not need to operate in environments where there is a Wi-Fi connection and they do not even need to be connected by radio. This vehicle system (2, 3) is configured to execute the method steps of claims 1 to 10.

In one embodiment, the unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) equipped with a double power and data connection (10) comprises a computer system external to the base vehicle (2), configured to communicate with the base vehicle (2). ).

Said computing system can be a portable telecommunications device, that is, a smart mobile phone (smartphone), tablet, laptop or any other type of portable device that allows telematic communication, including via Wi-Fi or wireless personal area networks. (WPAN) in accordance with the Bluetooth® standard or other radio communication systems. Likewise, the computer system external to the base vehicle can be a remote server with telematic communication capacity. This system can be configured to communicate directly with the base vehicle (2), with the portable telecommunications device or with both.

Finally, the present invention relates to a software package containing an operating system and a computer program comprising instructions for the vehicle system (2, 3) to execute the claimed method. Another object of the invention is a computer-readable medium that has said computer program stored.

The invention described here allows a splitting of complementary tasks between the base surface displacement vehicle (2) and the at least one aerial type host vehicle (3), which reinforces the efficiency of the whole when, as proposed here, it is used. for carrying out tasks on objects (1): the routes of the base vehicle (2) consume relatively little energy, as they are carried out on the surface, whether terrestrial or aquatic, instead of in the air. There being no significant size limitations, a base vehicle (2) can be chosen equipped with the number or power of batteries (7) that give it operational autonomy, and consequent power capacity for at least one host vehicle (3), as large as desired. On the other hand, by taking its power, and, in one embodiment, being able to receive the data directly from the base vehicle (2), the at least one host vehicle (3) will not need batteries or complex positioning sensors and its control unit. control will be smaller and simpler than that of a vehicle that would have to be used in such tasks without the help of a base vehicle. This allows the use of small host vehicles (3), with greater maneuverability and lower risk of damage to the inspection object in case of accidental contact. Furthermore, the aerial vehicle (3) can be provided with a wide range of sensors to carry out the assigned tasks, without impairing its operational autonomy, because the extra power that this entails will be taken from the base vehicle (2). The material link between both types of vehicles (2, 3) and their ability to operate in simultaneous movement limit the radius of action of the drones (3) to the length of the cable that joins them to the base vehicle (2), which due to The combination of simultaneous movements of both vehicles (2, 3) can be very limited in extent, which does not pose risk problems for air traffic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description, a set of drawings is included, which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, represent the following:

Figure 1.- Top view of a system composed of a base vehicle for movement on the ground surface and two aerial type host vehicles carrying out tasks related to the inspection of an aircraft.

Figure 2.- Same system and object as the previous figure, in a side view.

Figure 3.- Longitudinal section of a system composed of a base unmanned vehicle for movement on the earth's surface, with two aerial-type host vehicles represented in flight.

Figure 4.- Base vehicle for movement on the earth's surface with two aerial-type host vehicles coupled in their corresponding cavities.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the object of the present invention is a method for carrying out tasks on an object (1), which is implemented by an unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) that comprises a base vehicle for surface movement ( 2) and at least one aerial type host vehicle (3).

The method can be carried out on objects of the type that have been described in the preceding section, among them, conventional manned aircraft, whether passenger, cargo or military. These aircraft are subject to exhaustive maintenance programs, which include visual inspections of their fuselage and wings carried out by certified inspectors, in addition to additional inspections that the aircraft operator's mechanics may perform. These tasks are very onerous for the companies, due to the cost of specialized personnel and the time in which the aircraft must remain inoperative. The present invention can be advantageously applied to this type of tasks. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, which is schematically illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the tasks that are part of the method are inspection tasks and the object on which they are carried out is a commercial airliner airplane (1). certain manufacturer and model.

Since all examples of the same model will be identical, it is an object (1) of known shape, in the sense given to this expression in the present patent. However, since it is a mobile object (1), its spatial location will not always be the same. In order for the specific aircraft instance (1) on which the method is to be implemented to be an object (1) with a known position, the aircraft (1) will be located in a pre-established position at the place where the inspection is carried out, for which purpose marks will have been made on the ground to indicate the position that the front and rear wheels should occupy. All inspections carried out on that same airplane (1) or on other units of the same model will require that the airplane (1) be parked in the same position at the same inspection location. Alternatively, when operations are not going to be carried out at said fixed parking point, two points will be marked on the aircraft (1), on the nose and at the end of a wing, configured so that the drones can be spatially located with respect to them. . This marking operation is carried out by known means, such as a sensor (for example, LIDAR laser for point measurement), or by placing at the aforementioned points, for the sole purposes of the inspection, visual marks detectable by computer vision (for example , removable stickers containing a QR code).

At an earlier moment in time, on the same or another unit of the same airplane model (1), the necessary operations will have been carried out to design a route adapted to the specific shape of that airplane model (1), operations that have been explained previously in this document. Therefore, the route that the guest aerial vehicles (3) are going to take is already programmed in advance of the execution of the tasks.

In one embodiment, the inspection method is carried out using an unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) that comprises a base surface displacement vehicle, specifically, an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) (2). Two aerial type host vehicles (3) depend on this base vehicle (2). This set of aerial type host vehicles (3) would operate in a coordinated manner, which in the state of the art is known as swarm flight. Using several aerial vehicles (3) allows tasks to be distributed among them, providing them with different types of sensors. Depending on the volume of the object (1) on which the tasks are carried out or due to logistical needs, with respect to the same object (1) two or more unmanned vehicle systems (2, 3) may be used. For the purposes of this patent, “unmanned vehicle system” (2, 3) should be understood as a base surface displacement vehicle (2) to which at least one aerial type host vehicle (2) is connected. The use of additional base vehicles (2), with any number of host vehicles (3) connected to them, will not mean that the configuration of the vehicle system (2, 3) has changed, but rather that several systems (2, 3) are being used. 3) simultaneously.

In the embodiment exemplified here, the base vehicle (2) operates in autonomous mode according to a route that has been entered into its control unit previously and that has been designed in the manner described exemplarily. In another embodiment, the base vehicle (2) can be directed in person using a remote or cable control.

The route to be taken by the aerial type vehicles (3) may be housed in the control unit of the base vehicle (2). Thus, when the time comes when the inspection operations must begin, said route will be transmitted to the host vehicles (3) by the base vehicle (2). In another example of embodiment, the inspection route may be hosted in a computer system external to the base vehicle (2), under the control of the entity responsible for the maintenance of the aircraft (1), in which case, when the time for the start of operations, the route will be transmitted to the base vehicle (2) from the computer system, via Wifi or radio.

Once the plane (1) is located in the place where the inspection is going to be carried out, the operator of the maintenance entity will determine the moment at which the execution of the method should begin. Once it begins, two types of movement of the unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) will occur: on the one hand, the base vehicle (2) will travel along a surface route, in this case land, substantially within the area that the aircraft (1) occupies on the ground on which it is parked, which may include both following its lateral contour and entering areas that are under the fuselage and wings. And the aerial guest vehicles (3) will take off from the base vehicle (2) to carry out their corresponding air route in the vicinity of the airplane (1). Both types of movements can be simultaneous, so that, while the base vehicle (2) moves, the guest vehicles (3) take off and carry out their route. Or they can be carried out at successive moments, so that, while the base vehicle (2) moves to an intermediate point on its route, the guest vehicles (3) remain static in the base vehicle (2), from which they take off when the base vehicle (2) stops at intermediate points.

The data that the guest vehicles (3) acquire as they carry out their route are received in the base vehicle (2). In an exemplary embodiment, this transmission-reception is in real time. In other embodiments, it can be done by dumping data once the guest vehicles (3) have returned to the base vehicle (2).

In one embodiment, the base vehicle (2) performs on-board processing tasks on the data received from the host vehicles (3). The degree of processing of the material received will be greater or lesser depending on the preferences of the person responsible for the service. Thus, the base vehicle (2) can issue a complete report or pre-process the information. In one embodiment, the result of the processing and analysis tasks is collected in an encoded file, establishing alerts and positions of the detected anomalies. Once the processing assigned to the base vehicle (2) is completed, the encoded file is transmitted to the external computer system. In this way, it is avoided having to send all the data acquired by the host vehicles (3) to said computer system, which would involve a huge volume of information.

The described method can be implemented to perform any tasks that are performed with respect to an object. Thus, the method is susceptible to application in tasks of inspection and maintenance of crop trays in vertical crops, which is why it would be an example of carrying out tasks in relation to an object of known position and shape. In one mode of implementation of the method for this type of task, the base surface displacement vehicle is a UGV, which moves along a pre-programmed route through the corridors between the support structures of the trays.

Two unmanned aircraft take off from the UGV to carry out pre-programmed routes, their tasks including moving along the contour of the successive vertical trays to, with the help of specific sensors such as multispectral cameras, verify the status of both the crops and the elements. structural. The collected data is transmitted through the cable to the base vehicle, which processes it and transmits it to an external computer system located in the production plant.

In another example, the method is implemented in relation to stock control tasks in a logistics warehouse. Control by people is expensive and limits the possibilities of high storage of the boxes containing the stock. Using the claimed method, the base surface movement vehicle would also be a UGV, which moves along a pre-programmed route through the corridors along which the box stacking structures are aligned. Two drones take off from the UGV to carry out pre-programmed routes, their tasks including moving along the contour of the structures to, with the help of specific sensors, such as barcode or QR readers, read the codes on the boxes. Carrying out the task using the proposed system makes it possible to solve box height limitations, simply by providing drone power cables of the necessary length. The data collected is transmitted through the cable to the base vehicle, which processes it, generating inventory lists that are transmitted to a computer system located in the logistics warehouse offices.

In a substantially identical way, the method can be implemented to carry out inspection tasks in solar thermal and photovoltaic plants. In this embodiment, the base surface movement vehicle would also be a UGV, which moves along a pre-programmed route through the corridors defined by the rows of panels. Two drones take off from the base vehicle with the task of moving respectively along the bottom and top of the panels, scanning them with thermographic-radiometric sensors and a visible sensor. The acquired data and its associated position metadata are transmitted to the base vehicle where they are processed in real time by software to detect anomalies and create alerts that are sent to a computer system located in the solar plant control station. A third drone dependent on the same base vehicle carries out cleaning tasks on the upper face of the panels, for which purpose it is equipped with rotating brushes.

In a second aspect, the object of the present invention is an unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) that comprises a base surface displacement vehicle (2) and at least one aerial type host vehicle (3). To exemplify an embodiment of the vehicle system, Fig. 3 represents, in a longitudinal section, a ground-type base vehicle (2) connected to two unmanned aircraft (3).

A conventional UGV can be used as a land-type vehicle (2), powered by at least one electric or thermal motor that transmits its energy to wheels. The configuration of the vehicle (2) to suitably adapt it to the performance of the type of tasks in question can be carried out by the person skilled in the art.

In one embodiment of the UGV (2), a platform (4) is arranged in its upper part, which serves as a take-off and landing base for the host aircraft (3). The platform (4) has two cavities (5) configured to house two aerial-type host vehicles (3). The UGV (2) is equipped with a control unit (6) with a computer processing device, which includes a standard microcontroller, which manages the operation of the vehicle's engine. In one embodiment, the control unit of the base vehicle comprises a real-time processing and computing system that allows it to analyze the images and data transmitted by the host aircraft (3), using artificial intelligence resources, for example, computer vision and LIDAR and photogrammetric point cloud analysis.

The base vehicle (2) is equipped with one or more batteries (7), whose capacity will be selected based on criteria such as the level of processing that the control unit is going to perform or the foreseeable duration of the tasks to be carried out. to habitually dedicate the base vehicle (2).

In a preferred embodiment, the ground-type base vehicle (2) is materially connected to the two aerial vehicles (3) by means for both the transmission of electrical energy (9, 10) and for the transmission of data (8, 10). 10). To this end, two fiber optic cables (8) emerge from the control unit (6) and two electrical cables (9) emerge from the battery (7). Each pair of cables (8, 9) converges and joins into a single cable (10) that includes separate and insulated conduits for the electric current and for the optical fiber. Each of these two double cables (10) is connected to an aircraft (3), through separate holes made at the base of the cavities (5). The length of the connection cable (10) between the base vehicle (2) and each aerial vehicle (3) will be chosen based on factors such as the height of the object (1) on which the tasks are carried out or the extent of the area that the drones (3) have to cover. To manage the cables (10), two winding devices (11) are arranged on the platform, known in the state of the art, which allow the deployment and collection of the cables (10) as the aircraft (3) ) move away from or towards the base vehicle (2).

Fig. 4 shows the same vehicle system (2, 3) that has been described, in a three-quarter view showing the two aerial type host vehicles (3) coupled in their corresponding cavities (5) of the platform. top (4) of the base vehicle (2), with the cable winding devices (11) on said platform (4).

In the proposed embodiment, the aerial type host vehicles (3) are multirotor type drones, that is, those that comprise several rotors associated with separate propulsion motors. This type of configuration allows vertical landings and takeoffs and hovering, making this type the most suitable for carrying out the tasks of the claimed method. These aircraft (3) will be equipped with one or another navigation and data acquisition devices depending on the nature of the assigned task, this being an operation known to the person skilled in the art. For example, regarding navigation devices, the aircraft (3) are equipped with a satellite positioning system capable of connecting to various satellite networks, such as GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou or GALILEO. Likewise, they would be equipped with a basic obstacle detection and avoidance sensor. Additionally, the UAV is equipped with a high-precision positioning system, for example, an RTK (Real-Time Kinematics) type system. When the tasks are carried out in an enclosure, the positioning systems of the unmanned aircraft can be combined with positioning beacons that will be located in the enclosure.

For the purposes of data acquisition, the aircraft (3) are equipped with peripheral devices, which in the embodiment example being described may include a high-resolution visible camera, a thermal imaging camera (in the case of inspections on aircraft fuselages, composite), a laser sensor to detect dents, photographic or video cameras, infrared thermal spectrum cameras or scanning LIDAR sensors, a laser for visible contrasting of irregularities, and a probe type sensor such as those carried on board the aircraft of the patent document EP3392652 A1 (ARBOREA INTELLBIRD SL), 10/24/2018 Method for inspecting materials and aircraft to implement said method, [0023], or ultrasonic type.

In one embodiment, the vehicle system (2, 3) comprises a computer system external to the base vehicle (2). This computing system can be a portable telecommunications device, be it a smart mobile phone (smartphone), tablet, laptop. In another embodiment, it may be a remote server, which according to an example of embodiment, comprises the following components: at least one circuit that integrates multicore processors, a motherboard, RAM memory units, storage media, a configured graphics card to process large volumes of information in the form of images; power supply, cooling means and network and communications card, for example a system based on router-type communication with a SIM card. An expert in the field, depending on foreseeable needs, will be able to configure said remote server with equipment of more or less capacity from among those available in the state of the art. In another embodiment, the computing system combines the aforementioned portable communication device and remote server.

The computer system external to the base vehicle (2) is configured to communicate with the base vehicle (2). This bidirectional communication can be carried out using Wi-Fi, wireless personal area networks (WPAN) according to the Bluetooth® standard or in real time using a low latency communication protocol, for example, a 5G communication protocol.

Claims (17)

1. Method for carrying out tasks on an object (1), which is carried out by means of an unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) that comprises a base surface displacement vehicle (2) and at least one host vehicle of type aerial (3) materially connected by means for the transmission of electrical energy (9, 10), the method comprising the following stages: to. Move the base vehicle (2) along a route substantially defined by the area occupied by the object (1) on the surface on which it is located. b. Take off the at least one host vehicle (3) from the base vehicle (2) to carry out an air route, which includes carrying out at least one task in relation to the object (1). 2. Method for performing tasks on an object (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one host vehicle (3) operates in autonomous mode according to a programmed route, the method comprising the additional steps of programming the route. that the at least one guest vehicle (3) must carry out and, prior to take-off, the base vehicle (2) transmits to the at least one guest vehicle (3) the air route that it must take. 3. Method for performing tasks on an object (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the programmed route for the at least one host vehicle (3) is hosted in a computer system external to the base vehicle (2), comprising the method is the step of transmitting said route to the base vehicle (2). 4. Method for performing tasks on an object (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that it is executed with respect to an object (1) of known position and shape. 5. Method for carrying out tasks on an object (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the route to be taken by the at least one host vehicle (3) for the inspection of an object (1) of known position and shape It has previously been designed from a three-dimensional model of the same object (1) or an identical object. 6. Method for carrying out tasks on an object (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises the additional step of locating the object (1) in a predetermined position in the place where the inspection is to be carried out. 7. Method for performing tasks on an object (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises the additional step of marking on the object (1) at least one point with respect to which the at least one host vehicle is spatially located. (3). 8. Method for performing tasks on an object (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the additional step of receiving the base vehicle (2) the data acquired by the at least one host vehicle (3) during the performance of tasks. your air route. 9. Method for performing tasks on an object (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises the additional step of processing the base vehicle (2) the data acquired by the at least one host vehicle (3). 10. Method for performing tasks on an object (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises the additional step that the base vehicle (2) transmits to an external computing system the data resulting from the processing of the data it has received from at least one host vehicle (3). 11. Unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) comprising a base surface displacement vehicle (2) and at least one aerial type host vehicle (3), characterized in that both vehicles (2, 3) are materially connected by means for the transmission of electrical energy (9, 10). 12. Unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) according to claim 11, characterized in that it is configured to execute the steps of the method of claim 1. 13. Unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) according to claim 11, characterized in that both vehicles are also physically connected by means for data transmission. 14. Unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) according to claim 13, characterized in that it is configured to execute the steps of the method of claims 1 to 10. 15. Unmanned vehicle system (2, 3) according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a computing system external to the base vehicle (2), the computing system being configured to communicate with the base vehicle (2). 16. Software set containing an operating system and a computer program comprising instructions for the vehicle system (2, 3) of claim 11 to execute the steps of the method of claim 1 or for the vehicle system ( 2, 3) of claim 13 execute the method steps of claims 1 to 10. 17. Computer readable medium that has stored the computer program of claim 16.