JP4334483B2 - Flight control robot - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a flight control robot capable of performing control of an aircraft.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various aircraft including passenger planes have been provided with an automatic pilot device called an auto pilot. This type of autopilot is generally operated by a pilot's switch operation during a predetermined period after takeoff and before landing. During this operation, a computer is used in accordance with changes in the attitude of the aircraft after grasping the motion state of the aircraft. The steering device is operated and the aircraft is advanced in a desired direction using the navigation device. In recent years, an automatic flight control device (auto flight control device) in which such an automatic control device is further combined with a general indicating instrument, navigation device, instrument landing device, automatic thrust adjustment device (auto throttle system), and the like. System) is also known.

  The conventional automatic control device or automatic flight control device as described above is incorporated in advance on the aircraft side, and is activated and stopped based on the judgment of the pilot. That is, the conventional automatic control device or automatic flight control device is basically designed on the assumption that the pilot always takes at least part of the control of the aircraft. Therefore, in the event that some trouble occurs in the elements on the aircraft side, such as various sensor groups and navigation devices, or if the pilot cannot control the aircraft for some reason, the autopilot device or the automatic flight control device is completely It becomes difficult to function. For this reason, in order to ensure safe flight of the aircraft, when the pilot cannot control the aircraft due to some reason, or when the aircraft's motion state is not provided to the pilot due to a malfunction of the aircraft itself Even if it exists, it is necessary to be able to carry out the operation of the aircraft by some means.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a flight control robot that can autonomously control an aircraft and can contribute to safe flight of the aircraft.

  A flight control robot according to the present invention is a flight control robot capable of performing control of an aircraft, and includes a plurality of operation means capable of operating aircraft control members and control switches, and sensors provided in the aircraft. A sensor group that detects the motion state of the aircraft independently of the group; and a control unit that controls the operation unit based on a detection signal of the sensor group, and the aircraft is set in the cockpit of the aircraft in place of the pilot. It is characterized in that the maneuvering can be performed autonomously.

  This flight maneuvering robot operates completely independently from a general autopilot device incorporated in advance on the aircraft side. In other words, this flight control robot has a sensor group that can detect the motion state of the aircraft independently of the sensor group provided in the aircraft, and can itself grasp the motion state of the aircraft such as posture and speed. . Further, the flight control robot includes a plurality of operation means that can operate a steering member such as a steering wheel, a throttle lever, and a pedal, a control switch, and the like, and a control means that controls the operation means based on a detection signal of the sensor group. And. Therefore, if the pilot is unable to control the aircraft for some reason, or if the aircraft itself malfunctions and the pilot is no longer provided with the aircraft motion status, this flight control robot is set in the aircraft cockpit. Then, instead of the pilot, the flight control robot can continue to control the aircraft. As a result, according to this flight control robot, it is possible to ensure a safe flight of the aircraft even when it is difficult for the pilot to control.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the flight control robot of the present invention has a function of giving information related to control to the pilot when the aircraft is controlled by the pilot.

  If a flight control robot with such a function is installed in an appropriate location on an aircraft, it is possible to give information on the aircraft's motion status, etc., ascertained by the flight control robot using its own sensor group. Become. This makes it possible to give information regarding aircraft operation to the pilot in an advisory manner even if there are any problems with aircraft-side elements such as various sensor groups and navigation devices. It is possible to secure a good flight.

  Furthermore, the flight control robot according to the present invention may further include communication means independent of the aircraft, and the control means communicates with the ground side control system using the communication means, and the aircraft is operated according to instructions from the control system. It is preferable to be steerable.

  In this way, by ensuring that the flight control robot can be supported or remotely controlled by the ground side control system, it is possible to ensure a safe flight of the aircraft in cases where pilot control becomes difficult. Is possible.

  The flight control robot according to the present invention is preferably configured as a humanoid robot.

  As described above, the flight maneuvering robot according to the present invention is capable of autonomously maneuvering the aircraft and can contribute to the safe flight of the aircraft.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a flight control robot according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a flight control robot according to the present invention. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the flight control robot 1 is applied to the aircraft 100. First, an aircraft 100 to which the flight control robot 1 of the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The aircraft 100 includes a steered wheel 102a, a throttle lever 102b, and a rudder control pedal 102c (all of which are shown in FIG. 2). A steering member 102 operated by a pilot, a steering switch 104 including various switches operated by a pilot when, for example, performing insertion and removal of legs and flaps, and the control system 200 on the ground side. And a communication device 106 for communicating with. The steering member 102, the steering switches 104, and the communication device 106 are connected to the flight control computer 110, respectively.

  The flight control computer 110 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, storage device, input / output interface, and the like. The flight control computer 110 includes a steering actuator (hydraulic actuator) 112 for operating an elevator, a rudder, and the like, and a propulsion device 114 such as a reciprocating engine or a jet engine via a control unit (not shown). Is connected. The flight control computer 110 is also connected to a sensor group 116 composed of a plurality of sensors for detecting aircraft attitudes such as pitch, roll, and yaw, and aircraft motion states such as aircraft speed and acceleration.

  During navigation of the aircraft 100, the flight control computer 110 is given a steering command from the pilot via the steering member 102 and the steering switches 104, and in some cases, a command signal is also given from the ground-side control system 200. . When the flight control computer 110 receives a steering command from a pilot or the like, the flight control computer 110 calculates a required steering amount, propulsive force, or the like based on a signal from the sensor group 116, and the steering actuator 112 or the propulsion device 114. Is given a command signal. Thereby, aircraft 100 is controlled to a desired motion state.

  On the other hand, the flight control robot 1 according to the present invention is configured as a so-called humanoid robot as shown in FIG. 2, and is basically seated in the cockpit of the aircraft 100 as shown in FIG. It operates in the state. The flight control robot 1 corresponds to a left arm 2 corresponding to a human left hand, a right arm 4 corresponding to a human right hand, a left leg 6 corresponding to a human left leg, and a human right leg as operation means. It has a right leg 8 and a manipulator 10.

  The left arm 2 is driven by a left arm actuator 2a (see FIG. 1), and the right arm 4 is driven by a right arm actuator 4a (see FIG. 1). Similarly, the left leg 6 is driven by a left leg actuator 6a (see FIG. 1), and the right leg 8 is driven by a right leg actuator 8a (see FIG. 1). Further, the manipulator 10 also includes an actuator (not shown) as driving means. These left arm actuator 2a, right arm actuator 4a, left leg actuator 6a, right leg actuator 8a and manipulator 10 are each connected to a control computer 12 as shown in FIG. It is controlled by the computer 12.

  The control computer 12 also includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, storage device, input / output interface, and the like. The control computer 12 is connected to a communication device 14 that can communicate with the ground-side control system 200. The flight control robot 1 has a sensor group 16 independent of the sensor group 116 of the aircraft 100 described above, and the sensor group 16 is also connected to the control computer 12. The sensor group 16 includes a plurality of sensors that detect aircraft attitudes such as pitch, roll, and yaw, and aircraft motion states such as aircraft speed and acceleration.

  The ROM of the control computer 12 stores various control programs for the flight control robot 1, and the storage device stores various data such as route data, flight destinations, and alternative airfields. Then, the control computer 12 gives a command signal to the actuators 2a, 4a, 6a, 8a and the manipulator 10 based on a signal from the sensor group 16 or a command signal from the control system 200 on the ground side according to the control program. Furthermore, in the flight control robot 1 of the present embodiment, the ROM or storage device of the control computer 12 has a diagnostic program used for fault diagnosis of the aircraft 100, a pilot support program used when giving pilot information to the pilot, etc. Is stored.

  The flight maneuvering robot 1 configured as described above operates completely independently of the aircraft 100 or an automatic piloting device such as a general auto pilot incorporated in the aircraft 100 in advance. That is, the flight control robot 1 includes the sensor group 16 that can detect the motion state of the aircraft 100 independently of the sensor group 116 provided in the aircraft 100, and the motion of the aircraft 100 such as the attitude and speed itself. The state can be grasped. The left and right arms 2 and 4, the left and right legs 6 and 8, and the manipulator 10 are controlled by the control computer 12 so as to operate the steering member 102, the steering switches 104, and the like. Therefore, when the pilot cannot control the aircraft 100 for some reason, or when the aircraft 100 itself malfunctions and the movement state of the aircraft 100 is no longer provided to the pilot, the flight control robot 1 is used for the aircraft 100. If set in the cockpit, the flight maneuvering robot 1 can continue to control the aircraft 100 instead of the pilot.

  Next, the use procedure of the above-described flight control robot 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for causing the flight control robot 1 to control the aircraft 100 when the pilot cannot control the aircraft 100 for some reason. As shown in the figure, when it is determined that the pilot can no longer control the aircraft 100, the flight control robot 1 is set in the cockpit by the remaining occupant's hands (S10). In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the flying maneuvering robot 1, for example, the left arm 2 grips the steered wheel 102 a included in the maneuvering member 102 and the right arm 4 is a throttle included in the maneuvering member 102. The lever 102b is placed on the cockpit while being gripped. Further, the left leg 6 and the right leg 8 of the flight control robot 1 are placed on a rudder control pedal 102c included in the control member 102, as shown in FIG.

  When the flight control robot 1 is set in the cockpit, the power switch of the flight control robot 1 is turned on (when the power is not turned on), and the control computer 12 of the flight control robot 1 is held by itself. Failure diagnosis of the aircraft 100 is executed using a diagnostic program prepared in advance based on the signal from the sensor group 16 (S12). In this way, by making the flight control robot 1 perform failure diagnosis of the aircraft 100 at the time of setting in the cockpit, information related to the operating state of the aircraft 100 necessary for performing appropriate control is obtained. 1 can be given.

  When the failure diagnosis of S12 is executed, the control computer 12 of the flight control robot 1 selects an optimal program corresponding to the state of the aircraft 100 from the control programs prepared in advance, and the left arm 2 is selected according to the program. The autonomous control of the aircraft 100 is executed by controlling the right arm 4, the left leg 6, the right leg 8, and the manipulator 10 (S14). At this time, the control computer 12 of the flight control robot 1 basically acquires the motion state of the aircraft 100 based on the detection signal from the sensor group 16 that the flight control robot 1 has, and each actuator 2a, 4a, 6a, 8a and manipulator. A command signal to be given to 10 is generated.

  Here, even when the aircraft 100 is controlled by the flight control robot 1, it is necessary to operate the control switches 104 in addition to the operation of the steering wheel 102a, the throttle lever 102b, and the pedal 102c. However, unlike human hands, once the left and right arms 2 and 4 grip the steering wheel 102a and the throttle lever 102b, the gripping state is released, and the steering wheel 102a and the like can be gripped again. It is not easy, and it is not easy for the left arm 2 and the right arm 4 to operate the control switches 104. For this reason, in addition to the left and right arms 2 and 4, the flight maneuvering robot 1 is provided with a manipulator 10 exclusively for manipulating the maneuvering switches 104. The manipulator 10 is operated by the manipulator 10. Is done. Thus, by providing the manipulator 10 exclusively operated by the control switches 104 in the flight control robot 1, the operation patterns of the left arm 2 and the right arm 4 can be simplified and the respective operation ranges can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the control of the flight control robot 1 and ensure its operation.

  When the control of the aircraft 100 by the flight control robot 1 is started in S14, the control computer 12 determines whether or not the aircraft 100 is located in the control area of the ground-side control system 200 (S16). If it is determined that the aircraft 100 is not located within the control area of the ground-side control system 200 (No in S16), the control computer 12 continues the autonomous control of the aircraft 100 in S14.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S16 that the aircraft 100 has entered the control area of the ground-side control system 200 (Yes in S16), the control computer 12 of the flight control robot will communicate with the control system 200 via the communication device 14. Start communication. Then, the control computer 12 controls the left arm 2, the right arm 4, the left leg 6, the right leg 8, and the manipulator 10 while following the control program owned by itself and the instruction from the control system 200 (S18). That is, when the aircraft 100 enters the control area of the ground-side control system 200, the flight control robot 1 of the present embodiment communicates with the ground-side control system 200 using the communication device 14, and the control system 200 Pilot the aircraft 100 with assistance. As described above, the flight control robot 1 can be supported by the ground-side control system 200, so that it is possible to ensure a safe flight of the aircraft 100 in a case where pilot control becomes difficult. Is possible.

  The flight control robot 1 may be completely remotely controlled by the control system 200 from the time when the aircraft 100 enters the control area of the control system 200 on the ground side. Needless to say, even after the aircraft 100 enters the control area of the control system 200 on the ground side, the flight control robot 1 may continue the autonomous control of the aircraft 100 as it is.

  After the support of the flight control robot 1 by the control system 200 is started in S18, until it is determined that the aircraft 100 has landed and stopped (No in S20), the flight control robot 1 has its own control program and control. The aircraft 100 is operated while following the instructions from the system 200 (S18). Then, when the aircraft 100 is safely landed and stopped, the operation of the aircraft 100 by the flight control robot 1 is finished (Yes in S20).

  As described above, according to the flight control robot 1, it is possible to ensure a safe flight of the aircraft even when the pilot is difficult to control. Since the above-described flight control robot 1 is completely independent from the aircraft 100, it can be applied to an existing aircraft without any improvement on the aircraft side. Furthermore, in the future, it will be possible for the flight control robot 1 to play the role of co-pilot. And the above-mentioned flight control robot 1 can be used also in the following aspects.

  That is, the flight control robot 1 includes the sensor group 16 that can detect the motion state of the aircraft 100 independently of the sensor group 116 provided in the aircraft 100, and the motion of the aircraft 100 such as the attitude and speed itself. The state can be grasped. Therefore, when the pilot is mainly responsible for the operation of the aircraft 100, the flight control robot 1 uses its own sensor group 16 by setting the flight control robot 1 in an appropriate position such as one of the cockpits. It is possible to give information regarding the motion state of the aircraft 100 grasped in an advisory manner to the pilot.

  Under such an aspect, the above-described pilot support program is executed by the control computer 12 of the flight control robot 1. In this case, the information regarding the operation of the aircraft 100 acquired by the flight control robot 1 is given to the flight control computer 110 of the aircraft 100 via the communication devices 14 and 106, and the flight control computer 110 receives the information from the flight control robot 1. Information regarding the operation of the aircraft 100 is presented to the pilot via voice and images. This makes it possible to give information regarding the operation of the aircraft 100 to the pilot even if some trouble occurs in the elements on the aircraft 100 side such as the sensor group 116 of the aircraft 100 and the navigation device. It is possible to secure 100 safe flights well.

It is a control block diagram of the flight control robot by this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the flight control robot by this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the use procedure of the flight control robot by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 flight control robot, 2 left arm, 2a left arm actuator, 4 right arm, 4a right arm actuator, 6 left leg, 6a left leg actuator, 8 right leg, 8a right leg actuator, 10 manipulator, 12 control Computer, 14,106 Communication device, 16,116 Sensor group, 100 Aircraft, 102 Steering member, 102a Steering wheel, 102b Throttle lever, 102c Pedal, 104 Steering switch, 106 Communication device, 110 Flight control computer, 112 Steering Actuator, 114 propulsion device, 200 control system.

Claims (4)

A flight control robot capable of controlling an aircraft,
A plurality of operating means capable of operating the aircraft control members and control switches;
A sensor group for detecting a motion state of the aircraft independently of a sensor group provided in the aircraft;
Control means for controlling the operating means based on a detection signal of the sensor group,
The operation means includes
Left and right arms to operate the steering wheel and throttle lever,
A manipulator for operating the control switches,
Flying maneuver the robot, characterized in that the cockpit of the aircraft is autonomously capable of executing the maneuver before Symbol aircraft while being set in place of the pilot.   2. The flight control robot according to claim 1, wherein the flight control robot has a function of giving information regarding control to the pilot when the aircraft is controlled by a pilot. It further comprises communication means independent of the aircraft, and the control means communicates with a ground-side control system via the communication means, and the robot controls the aircraft according to an instruction from the control system. The flight control robot according to claim 1, wherein the flight control robot is possible.   The flight control robot according to claim 1, wherein the flight control robot is configured as a humanoid robot.

Images