JP7063578B2 - Flight equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flight device.

In recent years, so-called drones have become widespread. Such a flight device can fly autonomously according to a flight program in which a flight path and a flight altitude are set in advance. The flight device detects flight conditions such as flight attitude and flight altitude by using internal sensors such as an acceleration sensor and a barometric pressure sensor. The flight device achieves self-sustaining flight by controlling the propulsive force of the thruster based on the detected flight conditions.

However, the barometric pressure sensor, which is an internal sensor, is easily affected by the external environment such as wind and barometric pressure. In addition, the acceleration sensor, which is an internal sensor, needs to integrate the acceleration in two steps in order to detect the altitude. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately detect the flight altitude even if an internal sensor is used. And, in the case of an internal sensor, even if it can detect a mere flight altitude, it is difficult to grasp the detailed terrain and the shape of obstacles around the flight device, and it is difficult to move along slopes and complicated steps. Have difficulty. Furthermore, the flight altitude detected by these sensors does not take into account the flight attitude of the flight device.

Japanese Patent No. 6054796

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flight device capable of detecting an accurate flight altitude regardless of the flight attitude and capable of flying along a slope or a complicated step.

In the invention according to claim 1, the distance measuring unit detects the distance from the machine body to a surrounding object as a temporary objective distance. The distance correction unit corrects the temporary objective distance detected by the distance measurement unit based on the attitude of the aircraft detected by the attitude detection unit. As a result, the distance correction unit calculates the correction objective distance, which is an accurate distance to the object. The flight control unit controls the thruster by using the flight attitude of the aircraft detected by the attitude detection unit and the corrected objective distance. As a result, the flight control unit controls the independent flight of the aircraft based on the corrected objective distance corrected by the attitude, not the temporary objective distance from the aircraft to the object. Therefore, it is possible to detect an accurate flight altitude regardless of the flight attitude, and it is possible to fly along a slope or a complicated step.

Block diagram showing the configuration of the flight apparatus according to the first embodiment Schematic diagram showing the schematic appearance of the flight apparatus according to the first embodiment. Schematic diagram seen from the direction of arrow III in FIG. Schematic diagram showing the change in attitude of the flight device according to the first embodiment Schematic diagram for explaining the influence of the change in attitude on the objective distance in the flight apparatus according to the first embodiment. A block diagram showing the calculation of the corrected objective distance from the temporary objective distance in the flight apparatus according to the first embodiment, and the processing of setting the average distance, the maximum distance, and the minimum distance. Schematic diagram showing definitions of set range, detection range, average distance, maximum distance and minimum distance in the flight apparatus according to the first embodiment. Schematic diagram showing an example of using the control by the average distance in the flight apparatus according to the first embodiment. Schematic diagram showing an example of using the control by the maximum distance in the flight apparatus according to the first embodiment. Schematic diagram showing an example of using the minimum distance control in the flight apparatus according to the first embodiment. Schematic diagram showing the flow of processing in the flight apparatus according to the second embodiment. Schematic diagram for explaining the processing in the flight apparatus according to the second embodiment. Schematic diagram for explaining an example of changing the target distance with time in the processing in the flight apparatus according to the second embodiment. Schematic diagram showing the flow of processing in the flight apparatus according to the third embodiment. Schematic diagram for explaining the processing in the flight apparatus according to the third embodiment. Block diagram showing the configuration of the flight apparatus according to the fourth embodiment Schematic diagram showing a flight device according to another embodiment

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of the flight device will be described with reference to the drawings. In the plurality of embodiments, substantially the same constituent parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
(First Embodiment)
The flight device 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has an airframe 11, an arm 12, and a thruster 13. The aircraft 11 is provided at or near the center of gravity of the flight device 10. The arm portion 12 extends radially from the machine body 11. The thruster 13 is provided at the tip of the arm portion 12. The flight device 10 is not limited to a configuration in which the arm portion 12 extends radially from the airframe 11, but may have an arbitrary configuration such as a configuration in which a plurality of thrusters 13 are provided in the circumferential direction of the annular body 11. The number of arms 12 and thrusters 13 can be arbitrarily set as long as they are two or more.

Each of the thrusters 13 has a motor 14, a propeller 15, and a servomotor 16. The motor 14 is a drive source for driving the propeller 15. The motor 14 operates using, for example, a battery 17 housed in the machine body 11 as a power source. The propeller 15 is rotationally driven by the motor 14. The servomotor 16 changes the pitch of the propeller 15 through a pitch changing mechanism (not shown). By changing the pitch of the propeller 15 by the servomotor 16, the magnitude and direction of the propulsive force are changed while maintaining the rotation. The thruster 13 generates propulsive force by rotationally driving the propeller 15 by the motor 14 and changing the pitch of the propeller 15 by the servomotor 16. The flight device 10 flies by the propulsive force generated by the thruster 13.

The flight device 10 includes a control unit 20. The control unit 20 is housed in the airframe 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 20 includes a control calculation unit 21 and is connected to the storage unit 22. Further, the control unit 20 includes a posture detection unit 23, a flight control unit 24, a distance measurement unit 25, and a distance correction unit 26. The control calculation unit 21 is composed of a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM (not shown). The control calculation unit 21 is connected to the battery 17 and the motor 14 and the servo motor 16 of each thruster 13. The control calculation unit 21 realizes the attitude detection unit 23, the flight control unit 24, the distance measurement unit 25, and the distance correction unit 26 by software by executing the computer program stored in the ROM. The attitude detection unit 23, the flight control unit 24, the distance measurement unit 25, and the distance correction unit 26 may be realized in terms of hardware, or may be realized by cooperation between hardware and software. The storage unit 22 is connected to the control calculation unit 21 and has, for example, a non-volatile memory. The storage unit 22 may be shared with the ROM and RAM of the control calculation unit 21. The storage unit 22 stores a preset flight plan as data. The flight plan includes the flight route and altitude at which the flight device 10 flies.

The attitude detection unit 23 detects the flight attitude of the aircraft 11. Specifically, the attitude detection unit 23 is connected to an acceleration sensor 31, an angular velocity sensor 32, a geomagnetic sensor 33, a GPS sensor 34, and an altitude sensor 35. The acceleration sensor 31 detects the acceleration applied to the airframe 11 in three three-dimensional axial directions of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the airframe 11. The angular velocity sensor 32 detects the angular velocity applied to the airframe 11 in three three-dimensional axial directions. The geomagnetic sensor 33 detects geomagnetism in three three-dimensional axial directions. The GPS sensor 34 receives a GPS signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. The altitude sensor 35 detects the atmospheric pressure.

The attitude detection unit 23 detects the flight attitude and flight speed of the aircraft 11 from the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 31, the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor 32, and the geomagnetism detected by the geomagnetic sensor 33. Further, the attitude detection unit 23 detects the flight position of the aircraft 11 from the GPS signal detected by the GPS sensor 34. The attitude detection unit 23 identifies the flight position and flight speed of the aircraft 11 using the output values of the acceleration sensor 31, the angular velocity sensor 32, and the geomagnetic sensor 33 and the output values of the GPS sensor 34. Further, the posture detection unit 23 also determines the posture of the machine body 11, that is, the rotation angle of the machine body 11 about the yaw axis, the roll axis, and the pitch axis from the output values of the acceleration sensor 31, the angular velocity sensor 32, and the geomagnetic sensor 33. To identify. Further, the attitude detection unit 23 detects the altitude above sea level based on the atmospheric pressure detected by the altitude sensor 35. In this way, the attitude detection unit 23 not only detects the flight attitude of the aircraft 11, but also detects the flight speed, the flight position, and the flight altitude as the flight state.

The distance measuring unit 25 is connected to a LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) 36. The distance measuring unit 25 may be connected to the camera 37 in addition to the LIDAR 36. The LIDAR 36 is provided on the outside of the airframe 11 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and detects the distance to the object 40 around the airframe 11. The LIDAR 36 is not limited to the example provided above the machine body 11 as shown in FIG. 2, and may be provided at an arbitrary position such as the side or the lower side of the body 11 or the arm portion 12 or the thruster 13.

The LIDAR 36 has an irradiation unit (not shown) that irradiates the laser beam, and a light receiving unit (not shown) that receives the laser beam reflected by the object 40 around the machine body 11. The LIDAR 36 detects the distance to the surrounding object 40 based on the time from the irradiation of the light to the light reception by receiving the light emitted from the irradiation unit (not shown) by the light receiving unit (not shown). The LIDAR 36 detects the distance to the object 40 at a plurality of points in the preset setting range A. In this case, the LIDAR 36 may be either a multi-point ranging type or a scanning ranging type. The multipoint ranging type LIDAR36 simultaneously detects the distance to the object 40 at a plurality of points in the set range A. The scanning distance measuring type LIDAR 36 detects the distance to the object 40 one by one within a predetermined period in the set range A. The distance measuring unit 25 is not limited to the LIDAR 36, and may be connected to a camera 37 or a sonar (not shown). When the camera 37 is connected to the distance measuring unit 25, the distance to the surrounding object 40 is detected using the image taken by the camera 37. Further, when the sonar is connected to the distance measuring unit 25, the distance to the surrounding object 40 is detected by using the reflection of the sound wave emitted from the sonar. As described above, the distance measuring unit 25 can measure the distance to the object 40 around the machine body 11 not only by measuring the optical distance but also by, for example, image analysis or an acoustic method. The distance measuring unit 25 outputs the distance to the detected object 40 as a temporary objective distance Dt to the control calculation unit 21.

The distance correction unit 26 corrects the temporary objective distance Dt detected by the distance measuring unit 25 to calculate the corrected objective distance D, which is an accurate distance to the object 40. The aircraft 11 takes various flight attitudes during flight. That is, the in-flight aircraft 11 does not necessarily maintain a horizontal attitude as shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, and as shown by the broken line in FIG. 4, any one of the yaw axis, the roll axis, and the pitch axis 1 It is in a complex rotational posture with respect to one or more axes. Since a device for measuring the distance to the object 40, such as the LIDAR 36, is generally fixed to the machine body 11, the posture changes together with the machine body 11. Therefore, the distance to the object 40 detected by the distance measuring unit 25 is affected by the flight attitude of the aircraft 11. That is, the distance detected by the LIDAR 36 includes a minute error due to the inclination of the machine body 11. Therefore, the distance correction unit 26 corrects the distance detected by the distance measurement unit 25 as the temporary objective distance Dt based on the flight attitude of the aircraft 11 detected by the attitude detection unit 23. As a result, the distance correction unit 26 calculates the accurate distance to the object 40 in consideration of the flight attitude of the aircraft 11 as the correction objective distance D.

The flight control unit 24 controls the flight state of the aircraft 11 by the automatic control mode. The flight control unit 24 may set a manual control mode for controlling the flight state of the aircraft 11 by using an input device (not shown) operated by the operator. The automatic control mode is a flight mode in which the aircraft 11 is allowed to fly autonomously regardless of the operation of the operator. In the automatic control mode, the flight control unit 24 automatically controls the flight of the aircraft 11 according to the flight plan stored in the storage unit 22. That is, in this automatic control mode, the flight control unit 24 corrects the flight state of the aircraft 11 detected by the attitude detection unit 23 and the temporary objective distance Dt to the object 40 detected by the distance measurement unit 25. The propulsive force of the thruster 13 is controlled based on D. As a result, the flight control unit 24 automatically flies the aircraft 11 according to the flight plan regardless of the operation of the operator.

Next, the processing of the distance correction unit 26 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 5, the distance measuring unit 25 detects the distance from the machine body 11 to the object 40 as a temporary objective distance Dt. The distance measuring unit 25 outputs the detected temporary objective distance Dt to the distance correction unit 26 through the control calculation unit 21. In addition, the attitude detection unit 23 detects the flight attitude of the aircraft 11. The attitude detection unit 23 outputs the detected flight attitude as attitude information Ia to the distance correction unit 26 through the control calculation unit 21. As described above, the distance measuring unit 25 detects the distance from the machine body 11 to the object 40 as the temporary objective distance Dt in the setting range A. The temporary objective distance Dt measured by the distance measuring unit 25 does not take into consideration the flight attitude such as the inclination of the airframe 11. Therefore, depending on the posture of the machine body 11, the temporary objective distance Dt, which is the distance from the machine body 11 to the object 40, differs from the corrected objective distance D, which is the actual distance from the machine body 11 to the object 40.

As shown in FIG. 6, the distance correction unit 26 uses the temporary objective distance Dt acquired from the distance measurement unit 25 and the attitude information Ia acquired from the attitude detection unit 23 to correct the temporary objective distance D to correct the temporary objective distance D. calculate. At this time, the distance correction unit 26 corrects the temporary objective distance Dt detected at a plurality of points in the set range A with the attitude information Ia, and calculates the corrected objective distance D at those plurality of points.

Further, the distance correction unit 26 may not only set the setting range A in the plane direction as shown in FIG. 7, but also set the detection range B in the direction of detecting the distance. That is, the distance correction unit 26 may set the detection range B between the minimum detection distance dn close to the machine 11 and the maximum detection distance df far from the machine 11. The distance correction unit 26 calculates the correction objective distance D in this detection range B. When the object 40 does not exist around the machine body 11, the corrected objective distance D may become infinite. As described above, the excessive correction objective distance D is unnecessary for controlling the machine body 11. Further, the airframe 11 flies while maintaining a predetermined distance set in advance from the object 40. Therefore, as a general rule, the corrected objective distance D, which is the distance between the machine 11 and the object 40, does not become less than a predetermined distance. Therefore, by setting the detection range B, the unnecessary correction objective distance D is excluded from the calculation target. The minimum detection distance dn and the maximum detection distance df can be arbitrarily set according to the flight conditions of the aircraft 11 and the like. In this case, the minimum detection distance dn corresponds to a predetermined distance secured between the machine body 11 and the object 40.

The distance correction unit 26 calculates the correction objective distance D as described above, and sets the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3, respectively, as shown in FIG. That is, the distance correction unit 26 sets the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 by using the correction objective distances D at a plurality of points in the setting range A. The average distance D1 is an average value of the corrected objective distances D at a plurality of points in the set range A. The maximum distance D2 is the distance at which the corrected objective distance D becomes the maximum among the corrected objective distances D at a plurality of points in the set range A. Further, the minimum distance D3 is a distance at which the corrected objective distance D is the minimum among the corrected objective distances D at a plurality of points in the set range A. In this way, the distance correction unit 26 sets the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 from the correction objective distances D at the plurality of points detected in the setting range A. Then, the distance correction unit 26 outputs the set average distance D1, maximum distance D2, and minimum distance D3 to the flight control unit 24. The flight control unit 24 controls the thruster 13 based on the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 acquired from the distance correction unit 26, and controls the propulsion force generated by the thruster 13 and the flight of the aircraft 11.

The flight control unit 24 controls the thruster 13 while appropriately selecting the optimum set value for control from the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 set as described above. In this case, the flight control unit 24 does not always control the thruster 13 using only one of the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3. That is, the flight control unit 24 sequentially selects a distance suitable for flight control from any of the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3, based on a preset flight plan. Hereinafter, the control using the average distance D1, the control using the maximum distance D2, and the control using the minimum distance D3 will be described.

(Control by average distance D1)
As shown in FIG. 8, the structure 41 such as a building or a bridge, which is an example of the object 40, does not always have a flat surface facing the machine body 11. That is, the structure 41 may have a complicated shape due to its own shape or an accessory 42 such as various devices such as lighting. When the aircraft 11 flies along the structure 41 having such a complicated shape, the flight control unit 24 controls the flight of the aircraft 11 using the average distance D1.

If the average distance D1 is not used, the airframe 11 will change altitude in response to the complex shape of the structure 41. That is, when the flight control unit 24 performs simple control corresponding to the distance to the structure 41 including the accessory 42, the aircraft 11 flying along the structure 41 corresponds to the complicated shape of the structure 41. It becomes a rough flight in which the flight altitude changes finely.

On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, the flight control unit 24 controls the airframe 11 based on the average distance D1, so that the airframe 11 flies without reacting to the complicated shape of the structure 41 including the accessory 42. do. Therefore, a smooth and stable flight is maintained without causing a small change in altitude of the aircraft 11.

(Control by maximum distance D2)
As shown in FIG. 9, the structure 41 such as a building or a bridge, which is an example of the object 40, does not always have a flat surface facing the machine body 11. That is, the structure 41 may have a local protrusion 43. When the aircraft 11 flies along the structure 41 having such a protrusion 43, the flight control unit 24 controls the flight of the aircraft 11 using the maximum distance D2.

When the maximum distance D2 is not used, the machine body 11 changes its altitude in response to the protrusion 43 of the structure 41. That is, when the flight control unit 24 performs simple control corresponding to the distance to the structure 41, the aircraft 11 flying along the structure 41 greatly changes the altitude at the position corresponding to the protrusion 43. Become.

On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, the flight control unit 24 controls the airframe 11 based on the maximum distance D2, so that the airframe 11 flies without reacting with the local protrusion 43 of the structure 41. Therefore, stable flight is maintained without causing a large change in altitude of the aircraft 11.

(Control by minimum distance D3)
As shown in FIG. 10, the structure 41 such as a building or a bridge, which is an example of the object 40, does not always have a flat surface facing the machine body 11. That is, the structure 41 may be discontinuous at the end of the wall 44 or the like, and a large gap may occur between the maximum distance D2 and the minimum distance D3. When the aircraft 11 flies along such a structure 41, the flight control unit 24 controls the flight of the aircraft 11 using the minimum distance D3.

If the minimum distance D3 is not used, the structure 41 may be too close. That is, when the flight control unit 24 performs simple control corresponding to the distance to the structure 41, the aircraft 11 flying along the structure 41 will be too close to the structure 41 depending on the location.
On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, the flight control unit controls the aircraft 11 based on the minimum distance D3, so that the aircraft 11 maintains the minimum distance D3 and flies without being too close to the structure 41. .. Therefore, interference between the airframe 11 and the structure 41 is avoided, and stable flight is maintained.

Further, the flight control unit 24 may be configured to control the aircraft 11 by using the minimum distance D3 when the minimum distance D3 becomes smaller than the preset approach value N. As a result, the aircraft 11 and the object 40 are prevented from further approaching each other with the approach value N as the lower limit.

(Maximum detection distance df)
By the way, the maximum detection distance df is not limited to a fixed value, but may be a variable value. That is, the flight control unit 24 excludes from the corrected objective distance D an excessive distance in which the distance from the minimum distance D3 is equal to or greater than the set distance dt among the plurality of set corrected objective distances D. In this case, the maximum detection distance df corresponds to the position where the distance from the minimum distance D3 is the set distance dt. The set distance dt can be arbitrarily set according to the performance of the machine body 11 and the LIDAR 36. As a result, when the object 40 does not exist in the setting range A, or when the distance from the machine 11 is large even if the object 40 exists, this excessive distance is excluded from the target of the data on which the control is based.

In the first embodiment described above, the distance measuring unit 25 detects the distance from the machine body 11 to the surrounding object 40 as the temporary objective distance Dt. The distance correction unit 26 corrects the temporary objective distance Dt detected by the distance measurement unit 25 based on the attitude of the aircraft 11 detected by the attitude detection unit 23, that is, the attitude information Ia. As a result, the distance correction unit 26 calculates the correction objective distance D, which is an accurate distance to the object 40. The flight control unit 24 controls the thruster 13 by using the flight attitude of the aircraft 11 detected by the attitude detection unit 23 and the corrected objective distance D. As a result, the flight control unit 24 controls the independent flight of the aircraft 11 based on the corrected objective distance D corrected by the attitude, not the temporary objective distance Dt from the aircraft 11 to the object 40. Therefore, it is possible to detect an accurate flight altitude regardless of the flight attitude, and it is possible to fly along a slope or a complicated step.

Further, in the first embodiment, the distance correction unit 26 sets the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 from the calculated correction objective distance D. Then, the flight control unit 24 controls the flight of the aircraft 11 by using one or more of the set average distance D1, maximum distance D2, and minimum distance D3. As a result, the flight control unit 24 secures the distance between the machine body 11 and the object 40 without being affected by the shape of the target structure 41, the incidental objects 42, the protrusions 43, and the like. Therefore, it is possible to control the flight of the airframe 11 without causing a small change or a large change in the flight altitude, and it is possible to maintain a stable flight.

In the first embodiment, the flight control unit 24 controls the thruster 13 based on the minimum distance D3 when the minimum distance D3 becomes smaller than the approach value N. As a result, the aircraft 11 does not come closer than the approach value N. Therefore, excessive approach between the airframe 11 and the object 40 is avoided, and the safe and stable flight of the airframe 11 can be maintained.

In the first embodiment, the corrected objective distance D in which the distance from the machine body 11 becomes excessive is excluded. The object 40 located at a position excessively far from the aircraft 11 is not only unnecessary for controlling the flight, but may interfere with the flight of the aircraft 11 that tracks the object 40. That is, if the distance including the object 40 far from the machine 11 is used, there is a risk of losing sight of the object 40 close to the machine 11 that should be tracked originally. Therefore, the corrected objective distance D in which the distance from the machine 11 becomes excessive is excluded from the control of the machine 11. Therefore, the airframe 11 can fly stably while following the object 40.

(Second Embodiment)
The control of the flight apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described.
The physical configuration of the flight device 10 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. The flight device 10 of the second embodiment has different control details from the first embodiment.
The flow of control of the flight control unit 24 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The flight control unit 24 executes the following processing when controlling the flight of the aircraft 11 at the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3. The flight control unit 24 periodically calculates the corrected objective distance D to the object 40, for example, every few milliseconds (S101). Then, the flight control unit 24 sets the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 from the calculated corrected objective distance D (S102). The calculation of the corrected objective distance D and the setting of the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The flight control unit 24 calculates the difference between the average distance D1 and the maximum distance D2 set in S102 as the difference X1 (S103). The difference X1 is calculated as, for example, the absolute value of the difference between the average distance D1 and the maximum distance D2. Similarly, the flight control unit 24 calculates the difference between the average distance D1 and the minimum distance D3 set in S102 as the difference X2 (S104). The difference X2 is calculated as, for example, the absolute value of the difference between the average distance D1 and the minimum distance D3.

The flight control unit 24 determines whether or not the difference X1 calculated in S103 is larger than the set value A1 (S105). The set value A1 is set in advance as an arbitrary value according to the performance of the aircraft 11, the conditions of the flight plan, the shape of the object 40, and the like. When the flight control unit 24 determines in S105 that the difference X1 is equal to or less than the set value A1 (S105: No), the flight control unit 24 determines whether or not the difference X2 calculated in S104 is larger than the set value A2 (S106). Similar to the set value A1, the set value A2 is set as an arbitrary value in advance according to the performance of the aircraft 11, the conditions of the flight plan, the shape of the object 40, and the like. In this case, the set value A1 and the set value A2 may be the same value or may be different values.

When the flight control unit 24 determines in S106 that the difference X2 is equal to or less than the set value A2 (S106: No), the aircraft 11 uses either the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, or the minimum distance D3 calculated in S102. Is controlled (S107). That is, when it is determined in S106 that the difference X2 is the set value A2 or less, the difference X1 is the set value A1 or less, and the difference X2 is the set value A2 or less. That is, neither the maximum distance D2 nor the minimum distance D3 has a large deviation from the average distance D1. When there is no large discrepancy between the maximum distance D2 and the minimum distance D3 and the average distance D1, the flight control unit 24 determines either the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, or the minimum distance D3 calculated in S102. It is used to control the aircraft 11 according to the flight plan.

On the other hand, when the flight control unit 24 determines in S105 that the difference X1 is larger than the set value A1 (S105: Yes), or when it determines in S106 that the difference X2 is larger than the set value A2 (S106: Yes). , The aircraft 11 is controlled using the average distance D1 set in S102 (S108). That is, when the difference X1 is determined to be larger than the set value A1 in S105, or when the difference X2 is determined to be larger than the set value A2 in S106, the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 is between the average distance D1. There is a divergence in.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when a large step 45 is generated in the object 40 such as the boundary of the structure 41, the measurement point far from the machine 11 or the measurement point close to the machine 11 as the machine 11 moves. Gradually decreases. In such a case, if the machine body 11 is controlled by using the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3, a large change in altitude will be caused at this step 45. Therefore, when the deviation between the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 and the average distance D1 becomes large, the flight control unit 24 controls the aircraft 11 using the average distance D1. As a result, the aircraft 11 gradually changes its altitude before reaching the step 45 of the structure 41, and a large change in altitude at the step 45 is avoided.

When the flight control unit 24 switches to the average distance D1 in S108 for control, the flight control unit 24 may switch over time during the set time T. That is, when the flight control unit 24 switches from the state of controlling the aircraft 11 based on the maximum distance D2 to the state of controlling the aircraft 11 based on the average distance D1, during the set time T as shown in FIG. The distance to be secured between the machine 11 and the object 40 is gradually changed. Similarly, when switching from the control of the aircraft 11 based on the minimum distance D3 to the control of the aircraft 11 based on the average distance D1, the flight control unit 24 gradually changes the distance to be secured during the set time T.

In the second embodiment, the flight occurs when the difference X1 between the average distance D1 and the maximum distance D2 becomes larger than the set value A1, or when the difference X2 between the average distance D1 and the minimum distance D3 becomes larger than the set value A2. The control unit 24 controls the flight of the aircraft 11 using the average distance D1. Therefore, when a large step 45 is generated in the object 40 such as the boundary of the structure 41, the altitude of the machine body 11 changes little by little before reaching the step 45. Therefore, a large change in altitude of the aircraft 11 can be avoided, and stable flight can be maintained.

Further, in the second embodiment, when the control of the aircraft 11 is switched from the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 to the average distance D1, the flight control unit 24 gradually switches over time during the set time T. As a result, when the distance to the object 40 to be used for control changes from the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 to the average distance D1, the aircraft 11 further reduces abrupt changes, that is, abrupt changes in flight altitude. .. Therefore, a large change in altitude of the aircraft 11 can be further avoided, and stable flight can be maintained.

(Third Embodiment)
The control of the flight apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described.
The physical configuration of the flight device 10 of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. The flight device 10 of the third embodiment has different control details from the first embodiment.
The flow of control of the flight control unit 24 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The flight control unit 24 executes the following processing when controlling the flight of the aircraft 11 at the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3. The flight control unit 24 periodically calculates the corrected objective distance D to the object 40, for example, every few milliseconds (S201). Then, the flight control unit 24 sets the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 from the calculated corrected objective distance D (S202). The calculation of the corrected objective distance D and the setting of the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The flight control unit 24 controls the aircraft 11 based on the set maximum distance D2 or minimum distance D3 (S203).

When the aircraft 11 is controlled using the maximum distance D2 set in S203, the flight control unit 24 determines whether or not the detection point P1 that detects the maximum distance D2 is on the outer edge of the set range A ( S204). The flight control unit 24 detects the distance from the aircraft 11 to the object 40 at a plurality of points set in the set range A. Therefore, the flight control unit 24 determines whether or not the detection point P1 that has detected the maximum distance D2 is on the outer edge of the set range A with respect to the maximum distance D2 set in S203.

As shown in FIG. 15, when the aircraft 11 is flying along the flat surface of the structure 41, the corrected objective distances D calculated for the plurality of points are substantially the same. That is, when the aircraft 11 is flying along the flat surface of the structure 41, the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3 are all substantially the same values. On the other hand, when the machine 11 reaches the step 45 of the structure 41 or the boundary portion where the structure 41 is interrupted as shown in FIG. 12 described in the second embodiment, the correction is made at any of the plurality of points. The objective distance D cannot be calculated. That is, the correction objective distance D is calculated at a point located on the outer edge among a plurality of points included in the setting range A. Conversely, when the point where the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 is calculated is on the outer edge of the setting range A among the plurality of points included in the setting range A, the aircraft 11 is at the boundary portion of the structure 41. It means that. Therefore, the flight control unit 24 determines whether or not the detection point P1 having the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 is on the outer edge of the set range A.

When the flight control unit 24 determines that the detection point P1 is on the outer edge of the set range A (S204: Yes), the flight control unit 24 controls the aircraft 11 using the average distance D1 set in S202 (S205). That is, when it is determined that the detection point P1 is on the outer edge of the set range A, the aircraft 11 is flying at the boundary portion of the structure 41. In this case, if the flight of the airframe 11 is controlled by using the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3, a large change in the distance from the airframe 11 to the structure 41 occurs immediately after the airframe 11 passes the boundary portion. Therefore, the flight altitude of the aircraft 11 will change significantly. On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, by controlling the flight of the airframe 11 using the average distance D1, when the airframe 11 passes the boundary portion, the distance between the airframe 11 and the structure 41 is reduced. It is controlled by the gradually changing average distance D1. As a result, the flight altitude of the aircraft 11 does not change significantly immediately after the aircraft 11 has passed the boundary portion.

On the other hand, when the flight control unit 24 determines that the detection point P1 is not on the outer edge of the set range A (S204: No), it returns to S201 and uses the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 set in S202 of the aircraft 11. Control. That is, the flight control unit 24 continues the flight while maintaining the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 from the aircraft 11 to the structure 41.

In the third embodiment, the flight control unit 24 determines whether or not the detection point P1 for detecting the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3 used for flight is on the outer edge of the set range A. Then, when the flight control unit 24 determines that the detection point P1 is on the outer edge of the set range A, the flight control unit 24 controls the aircraft 11 using the maximum distance D2 or the minimum distance D3, and controls the aircraft 11 using the average distance D1. Change to. As a result, when there is a discontinuous boundary portion in the structure 41 such as the step 45, the distance between the aircraft 11 and the structure 41, that is, the flight altitude of the aircraft 11 is set at the boundary portion such as the step 45 of the structure 41. It changes little by little before it reaches. Therefore, a large change in altitude of the aircraft 11 can be avoided, and stable flight can be maintained.

(Fourth Embodiment)
The control of the flight apparatus according to the fourth embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 16, the flight device 10 according to the fourth embodiment includes a switching unit 50. The switching unit 50 switches whether the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, or the minimum distance D3 is set as the distance to the object 40 used by the flight control unit 24.
In the case of the first to third embodiments described above, the flight control unit 24 controls the flight of the aircraft 11 according to the flight plan stored in the storage unit 22. When the flight of the aircraft 11 is automatically controlled by the flight control unit 24 in this way, the flight control unit 24 sets an average distance D1, a maximum distance D2, or a minimum distance D3 based on a preset flight plan. Decide which one to use. That is, the flight control unit 24 determines which of the set average distance D1, maximum distance D2, or minimum distance D3 is adopted as the distance to the object 40 to be controlled by the aircraft 11 according to the flight plan. Is automatically switched.

On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, the switching unit 50 is provided. The switching unit 50 forcibly changes the distance used by the flight control unit 24 to control the aircraft 11 to either the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, or the minimum distance D3. That is, when the flight control unit 24 controls the aircraft 11 using either the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, or the minimum distance D3 according to the flight plan, the flight control unit 50 is operated to control the flight control unit. The distance adopted by 24 is changed to another value.

For example, when it is not preferable to fly according to the flight plan such as in an emergency or under severe weather phenomenon, by operating the switching unit 50, the flight control unit 24 adopts the distance according to the selection by the switching unit 50. Control the aircraft 11. This improves the safety and stability of the airframe 11. The switching unit 50 is composed of, for example, a mechanical switch provided on the machine body 11 or a remote control device (not shown). In addition, the switching unit 50 may have an arbitrary configuration as long as the distance adopted by the flight control unit 24 can be changed, such as software control.

In the fourth embodiment, the switching unit 50 is provided. As a result, the distance used for controlling the aircraft 11 by the flight control unit 24 is switched to any of the average distance D1, the maximum distance D2, and the minimum distance D3, regardless of the preset flight plan. Therefore, the safety and stability of the airframe 11 can be further improved.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention described above is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the gist thereof.
In the plurality of embodiments described above, the case where the airframe 11 maintains a distance from the object 40 above it has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 17, the flight control unit 24 may control the case of maintaining the distance from the object 40 on the side of the aircraft 11 in the same manner as in the above embodiment. Further, as a matter of course, the flight control unit 24 may control the case where the distance from the object 40 below the aircraft 11 or the ground is maintained in the same manner as described above.

The present disclosure has been described in accordance with the examples, but it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and structures. The present disclosure also includes various variations and variations within a uniform range. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one element, more, or less, are within the scope and scope of the present disclosure.

In the drawing, 10 is a flight device, 11 is an airframe, 13 is a thruster, 23 is an attitude detection unit, 24 is a flight control unit, 25 is a distance measurement unit, 26 is a distance correction unit, 40 is an object, and 50 is a switching unit. ..

Claims (6)

An airframe (11) having a thruster (13) that generates propulsive force,
The attitude detection unit (23) that detects the flight attitude of the aircraft (11), and
A distance measuring unit (25) that detects the distance from the aircraft (11) to the surrounding object (40) at a plurality of points within a preset setting range as a temporary objective distance, and
The temporary objective distance detected by the distance measuring unit (25) is corrected based on the attitude of the aircraft (11) detected by the attitude detecting unit (23), and is the distance to the object (40). A distance correction unit (26) that calculates the correction objective distance, and
A flight control unit (24) that controls the thruster (13) based on the flight attitude detected by the attitude detection unit (23) and the corrected objective distance calculated by the distance correction unit (26).
Equipped with
The distance correction unit (26) calculates the correction objective distance at a plurality of points from the aircraft (11) to the object (40), and at the same time, the maximum distance at which the correction objective distance becomes maximum, the correction objective distance. Set the minimum distance at which is the minimum, and the average distance, which is the average value of the corrected objective distances at a plurality of points.
The flight control unit (24) controls the thruster (13) using any one or more of the maximum distance point, the minimum distance point, and the average distance.
When the difference between the maximum distance and the average distance, or the difference between the minimum distance and the average value becomes larger than a preset value, the flight control unit (24) has the thruster (24) based on the average distance. A flight device that controls 13) . An airframe (11) having a thruster (13) that generates propulsive force,
The attitude detection unit (23) that detects the flight attitude of the aircraft (11), and
A distance measuring unit (25) that detects the distance from the aircraft (11) to the surrounding object (40) at a plurality of points within a preset setting range as a temporary objective distance, and
The temporary objective distance detected by the distance measuring unit (25) is corrected based on the attitude of the aircraft (11) detected by the attitude detecting unit (23), and is the distance to the object (40). A distance correction unit (26) that calculates the correction objective distance, and
A flight control unit (24) that controls the thruster (13) based on the flight attitude detected by the attitude detection unit (23) and the corrected objective distance calculated by the distance correction unit (26).
Equipped with
The distance correction unit (26) calculates the correction objective distance at a plurality of points from the aircraft (11) to the object (40), and at the same time, the maximum distance at which the correction objective distance becomes maximum, the correction objective distance. Set the minimum distance at which is the minimum, and the average distance, which is the average value of the corrected objective distances at a plurality of points.
The flight control unit (24) controls the thruster (13) using any one or more of the maximum distance point, the minimum distance point, and the average distance.
The flight control unit (24) is a flight device that controls the thruster (13) based on the average distance when the set maximum distance or the minimum distance is on the outer edge of the set range. An airframe (11) having a thruster (13) that generates propulsive force,
The attitude detection unit (23) that detects the flight attitude of the aircraft (11), and
A distance measuring unit (25) that detects the distance from the aircraft (11) to the surrounding object (40) at a plurality of points within a preset setting range as a temporary objective distance, and
The temporary objective distance detected by the distance measuring unit (25) is corrected based on the attitude of the aircraft (11) detected by the attitude detecting unit (23), and is the distance to the object (40). A distance correction unit (26) that calculates the correction objective distance, and
A flight control unit (24) that controls the thruster (13) based on the flight attitude detected by the attitude detection unit (23) and the corrected objective distance calculated by the distance correction unit (26).
Equipped with
The distance correction unit (26) calculates the correction objective distance at a plurality of points from the aircraft (11) to the object (40), and at the same time, the maximum distance at which the correction objective distance becomes maximum, the correction objective distance. Set the minimum distance at which is the minimum, and the average distance, which is the average value of the corrected objective distances at a plurality of points.
The flight control unit (24) controls the thruster (13) using any one or more of the maximum distance point, the minimum distance point, and the average distance.
A flight device further comprising a switching unit (50) for switching whether the maximum distance, the minimum distance, or the average distance is set as the distance to the object used by the flight control unit (24). The one according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the flight control unit (24) controls the thruster (13) based on the minimum distance when the minimum distance becomes smaller than a preset approach value. Flight equipment. The flight control unit (24) is preset when the corrected objective distance, which is a reference for controlling the thruster (13), switches between the maximum distance, the minimum distance, and the average distance. The flight device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is switched over time during a set time. The flight control unit (24) excludes from the corrected objective distance an excessive distance in which the distance from the minimum distance is equal to or larger than the preset set distance among the set corrected objective distances, and the thruster (13). ). The flight device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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