JP7313250B2 - Bottom shape measuring device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bottom shape measuring device.

2. Description of the Related Art Accurate measurement of the bottom shape of the seabed, lakebed, riverbed, and the like is required during dredging and construction of structures on the seabed, lakebed, riverbed, and the like.
As a water bottom shape measuring device, a technology has been proposed in which a sonar is placed underwater from an observation ship via a support frame, and the shape of the water bottom is generated as water bottom shape information indicated by coordinate positions on the earth based on the three-dimensional shape information of the water bottom measured by the sonar and the positioning information measured by the GPS positioning device mounted on the observation ship (see Patent Document 1).
In the conventional technology described above, in order to correct the measurement error caused by the shaking of the observation ship due to waves, a three-dimensional position sensor is provided on the observation ship side to acquire the three-dimensional position of the observation ship, and a total station is provided on the ground side, the position of the observation ship is measured by the total station to obtain positioning data, and the three-dimensional position of the observation ship and the positioning data are used to correct the bottom shape information.

However, in the above-described prior art, in the first place, in order to obtain the bottom shape information, it is necessary to have a survey ship and a person with a ship license to operate the survey ship, and the equipment cost and operation cost are high.
In addition, devices such as a three-dimensional position sensor and a total station are required to correct measurement errors caused by the shaking of the observation ship due to waves, and arithmetic processing is required to correct the measurement errors, which is disadvantageous in terms of simplifying the configuration and reducing costs.
Therefore, the present applicant has already proposed a water bottom shape measuring device that is advantageous in reducing various costs associated with using an observation ship by generating water bottom shape information, which is a three-dimensional shape of the water bottom, by positioning a three-dimensional shape measuring unit suspended from an unmanned aircraft underwater.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-30340

By the way, when an unmanned airplane flies with its rotor rotated by electric power of a battery mounted on it, or when the rotor is rotated by an internal combustion engine (engine) mounted on it that operates on fossil fuel, the flight time and flight distance are restricted by the capacity of the battery or fossil fuel.
In particular, when flying an unmanned aerial vehicle with the three-dimensional shape measuring unit suspended, the weight of the three-dimensional shape measuring unit is added to the unmanned aerial vehicle, which may reduce flight time and distance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bottom shape measuring apparatus that is advantageous in efficiently generating bottom shape information.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a water bottom shape measuring apparatus for measuring the shape of a water bottom, comprising: an unmanned flying object that is remotely controlled; a casing suspended from the unmanned flying object via a wire; a floating body that provides buoyancy to the casing; a buoyancy control unit that controls the buoyancy of the floating body; A positioning unit that measures the position of the unmanned air vehicle based on a positioning signal received from an on-board positioning satellite and generates positioning information, and a water bottom shape information generating unit that generates the shape of the water bottom as water bottom shape information indicated by coordinate positions on the earth based on the three-dimensional shape information and the positioning information.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the floating body expands and contracts when gas is supplied to and discharged from the inside thereof, and is composed of a bag whose buoyancy is adjusted by the volume of the gas therein, and the buoyancy control section comprises a gas supply section that supplies the gas to the bag and a gas discharge section that discharges the gas filled in the bag.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the gas supplied from the gas supply unit to the bag is air above water.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the gas supplied from the gas supply unit to the bag is gas in a cylinder housed in the housing.
In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the bag is provided outside the housing, and further includes a bag protection case that covers the entirety of the bag in an inflated state and is formed to allow water to enter and exit.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the housing is configured to allow water to enter and exit, and the bag body is provided inside the housing.
Further, according to the present invention, the floating body is composed of a ballast tank in which buoyancy is adjusted by supplying and discharging gas and water therein, opening and closing valves are provided in upper and lower portions of the ballast tank, respectively, and the buoyancy control unit is configured including the opening and closing valve.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the buoyancy control section includes a cylinder for supplying gas to the inside of the ballast tank.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the casing is watertight, and the ballast tank is composed of the casing.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the buoyancy control by the buoyancy control section is such that the buoyancy is applied to the floating body so as to position at least a part of the housing above the water surface.

According to the present invention, a three-dimensional shape measuring unit suspended from an unmanned flying object is positioned underwater to measure the three-dimensional shape of the water bottom to generate three-dimensional shape information.
Therefore, since a survey ship equipped with a sonar as in the past is not required, a survey ship and a person with a ship license to operate the survey ship are required, which is advantageous in terms of reducing equipment costs and operating costs. In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle that supports the three-dimensional shape measurement unit is not affected by waves, and does not require equipment for correcting the shaking of the observation ship as in the past, which is advantageous in terms of simplifying the configuration and reducing costs.
In addition, since a floating body that gives buoyancy to the housing that accommodates the three-dimensional shape measuring unit is provided and the buoyancy of the floating body is controlled, the weight of the housing that is applied to the unmanned flying body can be reduced by the amount of the buoyancy of the floating body when the unmanned flying body floats the housing on the water surface and moves along the water surface.
Therefore, it is advantageous in suppressing the consumption of batteries or fossil fuels required for flight of the unmanned flying object, in securing flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object, in generating bottom shape information over a wide range, and in efficiently generating water bottom shape information.
In addition, if the floating body is constructed of a bag that expands and contracts when gas is supplied to and discharged from its interior, and the buoyancy is adjusted by the volume of the gas therein, the configuration is simplified and it is advantageous in reducing the load on the unmanned aerial vehicle.
In addition, if the gas supplied from the gas supply unit to the bag body is air above the water, there is no need to prepare a new gas such as a special gas for each measurement, which is advantageous in reducing the operation cost of the bottom shape measuring apparatus.
In addition, if the gas supplied from the gas supply unit to the bag body is the gas in the cylinder housed in the housing, a hose for taking in the air above the water is not required, which is advantageous in suppressing the air resistance of the hose that occurs when the unmanned aerial vehicle moves in the air. It is advantageous in doing so.
In addition, when a bag body protection case is provided which covers the entire inflated bag body and is formed so that water can flow in and out, the bag body is prevented from interfering with rocks, structures, etc. and being damaged, which is advantageous in terms of protecting the bag body.
In addition, when the housing is configured to allow water to enter and exit, and the bag is provided inside the housing, the bag is prevented from interfering with rocks, structures, etc. and being damaged without providing a bag protection case, which is advantageous in protecting the bag.
Also, if the floating body is composed of a ballast tank in which the buoyancy is adjusted by supplying and discharging gas and water, it is advantageous in simplifying the configuration and reducing the load on the unmanned air vehicle.
Further, when the buoyancy control unit includes a cylinder that supplies gas to the inside of the ballast tank, when discharging water from the ballast tank and generating buoyancy by the ballast tank, it is sufficient to introduce the air supplied from the cylinder into the ballast tank. Therefore, it is not necessary to raise the unmanned flying object, raise the entire underwater part to the air, and discharge the water from the ballast tank, which is advantageous in suppressing the consumption of batteries or fossil fuels required for flight of the unmanned flying object, in securing the flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object, in generating the bottom shape information of the water bottom over a wide range, and in efficiently generating the water bottom shape information.
In addition, if the ballast tank is composed of a housing through which water flows in and out, it is advantageous in terms of simplification of the structure and cost reduction.
In addition, if the buoyancy control unit controls the buoyancy so as to give the buoyancy to the floating body so that at least a part of the housing is positioned above the water surface, the water resistance acting on the housing can be suppressed compared to the case where the unmanned flying body moves along the water surface with the entire housing positioned underwater.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a bottom shape measuring device according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a measurement state in which the underwater section is placed underwater by the unmanned air vehicle; 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of an underwater part of a bottom shape measuring device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the bottom shape measuring device of the first embodiment; It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a bottom shape measuring device of a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the underwater part of the bottom shape measuring device of the second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a view taken along the line AA in FIG. 7; 9 is a flow chart showing the operation of the bottom shape measuring device of the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a bottom shape measuring device according to a third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the underwater part of the bottom shape measuring device of the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a bottom shape measuring device according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an underwater portion of a bottom shape measuring apparatus according to a fourth embodiment;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a water bottom shape measuring apparatus 10A of this embodiment includes a management device 12, an unmanned flying vehicle 14, and an underwater section 16A.
The management device 12 is provided on the ground in the vicinity of a sea, river, lake, or the like to measure the shape of the water bottom 46 (see FIG. 2).
The management device 12 includes a remote operation command section 12A, a management device side communication section 12B, a map database section 12C, a display section 12D, a management device side flight control section 12E, a bottom shape information generation section 12F, an information processing section 12G, a storage section 12H, and an output section 12I.

The remote operation command unit 12A generates flying object operation command information for remotely operating the unmanned flying object 14 by an operator operating an operation member such as a joystick.
Further, the remote operation command unit 12A generates operation command information for the positioning unit 14D for starting or stopping the operation of the positioning unit 14D mounted on the unmanned air vehicle 14 by the operator operating an operation member such as an operation button.
Further, the remote operation command section 12A generates underwater section operation command information for remotely operating the underwater section 16A by the operator operating an operation member such as a joystick.
The management device-side communication unit 12B communicates with the unmanned flying object 14 via the wireless network N, transmits flying object operation command information and positioning unit 14D operation command information to the unmanned flying object 14, and receives image information, positioning information, and three-dimensional shape information transmitted from the unmanned flying object 14. Reference numeral 1202 in the figure denotes an antenna of the management device-side communication unit 12B.
Image information, positioning information, and three-dimensional shape information will be described in detail later.
The management device side communication section 12B communicates with an underwater section side control section 26 of an underwater section 16A, which will be described later, via the unmanned air vehicle 14 via the wireless line N, and transmits underwater section operation command information to the underwater section side control section 26.

The map database unit 12C stores map information including seas, rivers, lakes, etc. for which the shape of the water bottom 46 is to be measured.

The display unit 12D displays the image information and the three-dimensional shape information received by the management device side communication unit 12B.
Therefore, the operator can remotely operate the unmanned flying object 14 based on the image information and the three-dimensional shape information displayed by the display unit 12D.
Further, the display unit 12D is configured to read and display the map information stored in the map database unit 12C based on the positioning information received by the management device side communication unit 12B, and to display the current position of the unmanned air vehicle 14 on the map displayed on the display screen of the display unit 12D.
Therefore, the operator can remotely operate the unmanned flying object 14 based on the map displayed by the display unit 12D and the current position of the unmanned flying object 14. FIG.

The management device-side flight control unit 12E automatically flies the unmanned air vehicle 14 along the flight route based on the positioning information received by the management device-side communication unit 12B and a predetermined flight route instead of remote control by an operator.
That is, based on the map information in the map database unit 12C, a flight course is set such that the unmanned aircraft 14 flies along the sea bed 46 to be measured, the management device side flight control unit 12E generates aircraft operation command information based on the positioning information and the flight course, the aircraft operation command information is transmitted from the management device side communication unit 12B to the aircraft side communication unit 14A via the wireless line N, and the aircraft operation command information is given to the aircraft side flight control unit 14C. The unmanned air vehicle 14 can be automatically controlled.

The bottom shape information generation unit 12F generates the shape of the bottom 46 as bottom shape information represented by coordinates on the earth, in other words, represented by three-dimensional coordinates, based on the three-dimensional shape information and positioning information received by the management device side communication unit 12B.

The information processing unit 12G generates a cross-sectional view, a perspective view, a contour map, and the like showing the shape of the bottom 46 by performing arithmetic processing on the bottom shape information.
In this embodiment, the display unit 12D displays the bottom shape information by displaying a cross-sectional view, a perspective view, a contour map, etc. showing the shape of the bottom 46 generated by the information processing unit 12G.

The storage unit 12H stores the bottom shape information generated by the bottom shape information generation unit 12F, and the sectional view, perspective view, contour map, etc. showing the shape of the bottom 46 generated by the information processing unit 12G.
The output unit 12I outputs the bottom shape information, cross-sectional view, perspective view, contour map, etc. stored in the storage unit 12H. For example, it records the bottom shape information and diagrams on a semiconductor recording medium such as a memory card, transmits the bottom shape information and diagrams to a terminal device via a network, or prints the bottom shape information and diagrams on a paper medium using a printer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the unmanned aircraft 14 includes an aircraft main body 18, a plurality of rotors 20 provided in the aircraft main body 18, a plurality of motors (not shown) provided for each rotor 20 to rotationally drive the rotors 20, and a battery (not shown) for supplying power to the motors.
In the present embodiment, the case where the unmanned flying object 14 rotates the rotor 20 by the electric power of the battery will be described, but the present invention is of course applicable even if the unmanned flying object 14 rotates the rotor 20 by an engine that operates on fossil fuel.
As shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned aircraft 14 includes an aircraft-side communication unit 14A, an imaging unit 14B, an aircraft-side flight control unit 14C, and a positioning unit 14D.

The aircraft-side communication unit 14A communicates with the management-apparatus-side communication unit 12B of the management device 12 via a wireless line N. The aircraft-side communication unit 14A transmits image information captured by the imaging unit 14B, positioning information generated by the positioning unit 14D, and three-dimensional shape information generated by a three-dimensional shape measurement unit 24 mounted on the underwater unit 16A, which will be described later, to the management-apparatus-side communication unit 12B. It receives underwater part operation instruction information. Reference numeral 1402 in the figure denotes an antenna of the aircraft-side communication section 14A.

The image capturing unit 14B captures an image of the surroundings of the unmanned air vehicle 14 and generates image information.
The aircraft-side flight control unit 14C causes the unmanned aircraft 14 to fly by controlling the rotation of each rotor 20 based on the aircraft operation command information transmitted from the management device-side communication unit 12B to the aircraft-side communication unit 14A via the wireless line N.
The positioning unit 14D measures the position of the unmanned flying object 14 based on positioning signals received from positioning satellites mounted on the flying object main body 18 and generates positioning information.
Such positioning satellites are used in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Quasi-Zenith Satellite (QZSS), etc. One of the positioning satellites used in these survey systems may be used, or two or more positioning satellites may be used in combination.

The bottom shape information generator 12F may be provided in the unmanned flying object 14, and the bottom shape information generated by the bottom shape information generating unit 12F may be transmitted to the management device 12 remote from the unmanned flying object 14 via the wireless line N.
However, as in the present embodiment, if the water bottom shape information generating unit 12F is provided in the management device 12 remote from the unmanned flying object 14 and the water bottom shape information generating unit 12F generates the water bottom shape information based on the three-dimensional shape information and the positioning information supplied via the wireless network N, the power saving and weight reduction of the unmanned flying object 14 can be achieved compared to the case where the unmanned flying object 14 is provided with the water bottom shape information generating unit 12F. The flight duration of the body 14 can be secured, and therefore, the three-dimensional shape of the water bottom 22 in a wider range can be measured by one flight of the unmanned air vehicle 14, which is advantageous in improving the efficiency of the measurement.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the underwater section 16A includes a housing 22, a three-dimensional shape measuring section 24, an underwater section side control section 26, a pump 28, a gas discharge valve 30, a floating body 32, and an underwater section battery (not shown).
The housing 22 is watertight, and houses the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24, the underwater controller 26, the pump 28, the gas discharge valve 30, and the underwater battery.

The housing 22 is suspended from the aircraft body 18 via a wire 34, moves with the aircraft body 18 as the aircraft body 18 flies, and is positioned in the air or in the water.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the present embodiment, the housing 22 has a cylindrical shape and includes a disk-shaped bottom wall 2202, a cylindrical side wall 2204 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall 2202, and a disk-shaped upper wall 2206 connecting the upper end of the side wall 2204.
Four hanging hooks 2210 are provided on the top wall 2206 near the outer circumference at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.
In this embodiment, one wire 34 is suspended from the aircraft main body 18, the lower part of the wire 34 branches into four branched portions 3402, and these branched portions 3402 are coupled to respective hanging hooks 2210.
The shape of the housing 22 is not limited to a columnar shape, and may be any shape such as a square columnar shape, a polygonal columnar shape, or a spherical shape.

The floating body 32 gives buoyancy to the housing 22 .
In the present embodiment, the floating body 32 is configured by a bag body 36 that expands and contracts when air as gas is supplied and discharged, and whose buoyancy is adjusted by the volume of the gas (air) inside.
The bag body 36 is formed of an elastic rubber film, and in the present embodiment, is formed in an annular shape along the outer periphery of the side wall 2204 of the housing 22, that is, it extends along the periphery of the housing 22 and has a uniform circular cross section.
3 and 4 show the bag body 36 in an inflated state, and the bag body 36 extends over the entire circumference of the housing 22 in the inflated state.
The bag body 36 is fixed to the side wall 2204 of the housing 22 via the mounting members 38 at a plurality of points on the inner peripheral portion thereof.
A gas supply port 3602 to which air is supplied by the pump 28 and a gas discharge port 3604 to which air is discharged through the gas discharge valve 30 are provided at the inner peripheral portion of the bag body 36 .
In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a bag protection case 40 is provided that covers the entirety of the inflated bag 36 and that allows water to enter and exit. The bag protection case 40 is attached to the side wall 2204 of the housing 22.
The bag protection case 40 is made of, for example, a wire mesh or a sheet metal with a large number of holes.
By providing such a bag body protection case 40, the bag body 36 is prevented from interfering with rocks, structures, etc. and being damaged, and the bag body 36 is protected.

The three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 is mounted on the bottom wall 2202 inside the housing 22 and measures the three-dimensional shape of the water bottom 46 with the housing 22 positioned underwater to generate three-dimensional shape information.
As the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24, a sonar using ultrasonic waves 50 or a laser measuring machine using laser light 52 can be used.
In this case, the bottom wall 2202 is formed with a window through which the ultrasonic wave 50 or the laser beam 52 is transmitted.
The sonar irradiates the water bottom 46 with ultrasonic waves 50, receives reflected waves from the water bottom 46, and generates three-dimensional shape information based on the received waves.
The sonar may be one that scans (scans) a single beam of ultrasonic waves 50 toward the water bottom 46, or one that simultaneously irradiates a plurality of spread beams of ultrasonic waves 50 (multi-beam) toward the water bottom 46. Various conventionally known sonars can be used as such sonars.

If the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 includes a sonar that irradiates the water bottom 46 with the ultrasonic waves 50, receives the reflected waves from the water bottom 46, and generates three-dimensional shape information based on the received waves, it is advantageous in obtaining accurate three-dimensional shape information without being affected by the transparency of water such as seas, lakes, and rivers, and in ensuring the accuracy of the water bottom shape information obtained by the water bottom shape information generating unit 12F.

The laser measuring machine irradiates the bottom of water 46 with laser light, receives reflected light reflected from the bottom of water 46, and generates three-dimensional shape information based on the received reflected light.
As a laser measuring machine, a conventionally known single laser beam 52 that scans (scans) toward the water bottom 46 can be used.
In addition, a green laser is often used as the laser beam 52 used for shape measurement. This is because the green laser is less likely to be absorbed by water and reliably reaches the water bottom 46, and the intensity of the reflected light from the water bottom 46 can be ensured.

When the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 includes a laser measuring machine that irradiates the water bottom 46 with the laser light 52, receives the light reflected from the water bottom 46, and generates three-dimensional shape information based on the received reflected light, the laser light 52 does not pass through the interface between the air (atmosphere) and the water surface 48, so that the laser light 52 is prevented from scattering at the interface and the amount of light is reduced. This is advantageous in obtaining bottom shape information for a large bottom 46 .

The underwater unit-side control unit 26 is connected to the aircraft-side communication unit 14A via a wired line or wireless line (not shown).
The underwater section control section 26 supplies the three-dimensional shape information measured by the three-dimensional shape measurement section 24 to the aircraft side communication section 14A, and controls the three-dimensional shape measurement section 24, the pump 28, and the gas discharge valve 30 based on the underwater section operation command information transmitted from the remote control command section 12A via the management device side communication section 12B, the wireless line N, and the aircraft side communication section 14A.

The pump 28 constitutes a gas supply section that supplies gas to the bag body 36 and has a gas suction port 2802 and a gas discharge port 2804 .
As shown in FIG. 3, the gas suction port 2802 is connected to one end 4202 of the air intake hose 42 that extends through the housing 22 and along the wire 34. As shown in FIG. 2, the other end 4204 of the hose 42 is provided to be positioned in the air while the housing 22 is in the water, and the hose 42 is attached to the wire 34 at a plurality of intermediate points in the extending direction via fittings (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 3 , the gas discharge port 2804 communicates with the gas supply port 3602 of the bag body 36 .
Therefore, by operating the pump 28 under the control of the underwater section side control unit 26, the air in the air, that is, the air above the water is supplied from the pump 28 to the bag body 36 through the hose 42, whereby the bag body 36 is filled with air, thereby expanding the bag body 36 and generating buoyancy by the floating body 32.
By applying such buoyancy to the housing 22, the load of the housing 22 applied to the unmanned air vehicle 14 via the wire 34 can be reduced by the buoyancy.
Also, by adjusting the amount (volume) of air filled in the bag body 36 by the pump 28 , the buoyancy can be adjusted, so that at least part of the housing 22 can be positioned above the water surface 48 .

One end of the gas discharge valve 30 communicates with the gas discharge port 3604 of the bag body 36, and the other end of the gas discharge valve 30 is connected to the gas discharge pipe 44 that passes through the upper wall 2206 of the housing 22 and communicates with the outside of the housing 22. The opening and closing of the gas discharge valve 30 is controlled by the control of the underwater section side control section 26.
Further, when air is supplied to the bag body 36 by the pump 28, the gas discharge valve 30 is closed so that the air in the bag body 36 does not leak.
Further, when the gas discharge valve 30 is opened while the air-filled floating body 32 is positioned in the water, the air inside the bag body 36 is discharged to the outside of the bag body 36 through the gas discharge port 3604, the gas discharge valve 30, and the gas discharge pipe 44 by the water pressure applied to the bag body 36, whereby the bag body 36 contracts, and therefore the buoyancy acting on the housing 22 by the floating body 32 becomes almost zero.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, a buoyancy control section that controls the buoyancy of the floating body 32 is configured by the pump 28 (gas supply section) and the gas discharge valve 30 (gas discharge section).
The underwater part battery supplies electric power for driving the three-dimensional shape measuring part 24 , the underwater part side control part 26 , the pump 28 and the gas discharge valve 30 .

Next, the operation of the bottom shape measuring device 10A will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.
It is assumed that the unmanned air vehicle 14 has been placed in a predetermined standby location in advance.
First, the operator operates the remote operation command section 12A of the management device 12 to give an underwater section control command to the underwater section side control section 26 to operate the pump 28 to fill the floating body 32 with air (step S10).
Next, the operator operates the remote command unit 12A of the management device 12 to fly the unmanned flying object 14 from a predetermined standby location, and while viewing the image information around the unmanned flying object 14 displayed on the display unit 12D, flies the unmanned flying object 14 toward the sea, lake, or river whose bottom shape is to be measured (step S12).

Then, when the unmanned flying object 14 reaches above the water surface 48 such as the sea, lake, river, etc., the unmanned flying object 14 is lowered toward the water surface 48 while visually recognizing the image information around the unmanned flying object 14 displayed on the display part 12D, and the underwater part 16A is moved from the air to the water surface 48 and hovered to maintain the state (step S14).
In the underwater section 16A, the buoyancy of the floating body 32 acts on the housing 22, causing the housing 22 to float on the water surface 48 and a part of the housing 22 to be positioned on the water surface 48 (step S16).
Then, the operator operates the remote control unit 12A of the management device 12 to fly the unmanned air vehicle 14 toward the measurement point of the sea, lake, or river where the shape of the anhydrous bottom is to be measured, and tow the underwater section 16A toward the measurement point with the housing 22 floating on the water surface 48 (step S18).
Here, the underwater section 16A is towed to the measurement point by the unmanned flying object 14 via the wire 34, with a portion of the housing 22 positioned above the water surface 48. At this time, the weight of the underwater section 16A added to the unmanned flying object 14 is almost zero, and the weight of the underwater portion 16A added to the unmanned flying object 14 is significantly greater than when the underwater portion 16A suspended from the unmanned flying object 14 by the wire 34 is positioned in the air. will be mitigated.
Strictly speaking, since the underwater part 16A is towed by the unmanned flying object 14 with the housing 22 floating on the water surface 48, water resistance acting on the underwater part 16A is applied to the unmanned flying object 14 via the wire 34, but the resistance is greatly reduced compared to the weight applied to the unmanned flying object 14 when the underwater part 16A suspended from the unmanned flying object 14 by the wire 34 is positioned in the air.

Next, when the operator visually recognizes the image information around the unmanned flying object 14 displayed on the display unit 12D and the housing 22 reaches above the measurement point, the unmanned flying object 14 hovers at that position and maintains that state (step S20).
Then, the operator operates the remote operation command unit 12A of the management device 12 to give an underwater part control command to the underwater part side control part 26 to open the gas discharge valve 30, whereby the air inside the bag 36 is discharged to the outside of the bag 36 by the water pressure, so that the buoyancy of the floating body 32 acting on the housing 22 becomes almost zero (step S22).
The operator operates the remote command unit 12A of the management device 12 while viewing the image information around the unmanned flying object 14 displayed on the display unit 12D, thereby lowering the unmanned flying object 14 toward the water surface 48 and positioning the underwater portion 16A at a predetermined depth from the water surface 48. Then, the unmanned air vehicle 14 is hovered and maintained (step S24).

Next, the operator operates the remote operation command unit 12A of the management device 12 to give operation command information for the positioning unit 14D to the positioning unit 14D, and to give underwater operation command information to the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24, thereby starting the operations of the positioning unit 14D and the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 (step S26).
As a result, the positioning information generated by the positioning unit 14D and the three-dimensional shape information generated by the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 are transmitted from the unmanned air vehicle 14 to the bottom shape information generating unit 12F of the management device 12 via the wireless network N (step S28), and the bottom shape information generating unit 12F generates bottom shape information (step S30).
Furthermore, while viewing the image information displayed on the display unit 12D, the cross-sectional view, perspective view, contour map, etc. showing the shape of the water bottom 46, the operator operates the remote control command unit 12A to fly the unmanned air vehicle 14 along the water surface 48 and move the measurement point so that the shape of the water bottom 46 whose shape has not yet been measured can be measured (step S32).
Then, the operator visually checks the image information displayed on the display unit 12D, the cross-sectional view, the perspective view, the contour map, etc. showing the shape of the bottom 46, and determines whether or not the measurement has been completed over the entire area of the bottom 46 whose shape is to be measured (step S34).
If step S34 is negative, the process returns to step S28 and similar operations are performed.
If step S34 is affirmative, by operating the remote operation command unit 12A of the management device 12, an underwater unit control command is given to the underwater unit side control unit 26 to operate the pump 28 to fill the floating body 32 with air (step S36), and the buoyancy of the floating body 32 floats the underwater unit 16A so that at least a part of the housing 22 is positioned above the water surface 48 (step S38).
Then, the operator operates the remote control unit 12A of the management device 12 to fly the unmanned air vehicle 14 toward the water surface 48 of the sea, lake, or river near the standby location and tow the underwater section 16A (step S40).
Here, as in step S18, the underwater section 16A is towed by the unmanned flying object 14 via the wire 34 with the housing 22 floating on the water surface 48 and a portion of the housing 22 positioned above the water surface 48. Therefore, the weight of the underwater section 16A applied to the unmanned flying object 14 becomes almost zero, and the water resistance applied to the underwater section 16A applied to the unmanned flying object 14 is reduced.
Then, when the underwater part 16A reaches a place on the water surface 48 near the standby place, the operator raises the unmanned flying object 14 by remote control, raises the underwater part 16A from the water surface 48 into the air, and flies the unmanned flying object 14 toward a predetermined waiting place while visually confirming the image displayed on the display part 12D, and lands at the waiting place (step S42).
Then, the bottom shape information of the entire region of the bottom 46 stored in the storage unit 12H is output from the output unit 12I (step S44), and a series of measurement operations is completed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 is positioned underwater to measure the three-dimensional shape of the water bottom 46 and generate three-dimensional shape information, the positioning unit 14D measures the position of the unmanned air vehicle 14 and generates positioning information, and the water bottom shape information generating unit 12F generates the shape of the water bottom 46 as the water bottom shape information indicated by the coordinate position on the earth based on the three-dimensional shape information and the positioning information.
Therefore, since a survey ship equipped with a sonar as in the past is not required, a survey ship and a person with a ship license to operate the survey ship are required, which is advantageous in terms of reducing equipment costs and operating costs.
In addition, the unmanned flying object 14, which suspends the housing 22 containing the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 via the wire 34, is located above the water surface 48 away from the water surface 48, so that it is not affected by the waves.

Further, in the present embodiment, the floating body 32 that gives buoyancy to the housing 22 that accommodates the three-dimensional shape measuring section 24 is provided, and the buoyancy of the floating body 32 is controlled.
Therefore, when the unmanned flying object 14 floats the housing 22 on the water surface 48 and moves along the water surface 48, the weight of the housing 22 applied to the unmanned flying object 14 can be reduced by the buoyancy of the floating body 32, so the load on the unmanned flying object 14 can be reduced compared to the case where the underwater part 16A including the housing 22 is positioned in the air by the unmanned flying object 14.
Therefore, it is advantageous in suppressing the power consumption of the battery required for the flight of the unmanned flying object 14, in securing the flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object 14, in generating the bottom shape information of the water bottom 46 over a wide range, and in efficiently generating the water bottom shape information.

In the present embodiment, the floating body 32 expands and contracts when gas is supplied to and discharged from the interior thereof, and the buoyancy is adjusted according to the volume of the gas therein. The buoyancy control unit is composed of a gas supply unit that supplies gas to the bag 36 and a gas discharge unit that discharges the gas filled in the bag 36. This simplifies the configuration and is advantageous in reducing the load on the unmanned flying object 14.
In addition, in the present embodiment, since air above water is used as the gas, there is no need to prepare a new gas such as a special gas for each measurement, which is advantageous in reducing the operating cost of the bottom shape measuring apparatus 10A.

In addition, the buoyancy control by the buoyancy control section may give the floating body 32 such buoyancy that the entire housing 22 remains in the water.
However, if, as in the present embodiment, the buoyancy control unit controls the buoyancy so that at least a portion of the housing 22 is positioned above the water surface 48, the buoyancy is applied to the floating body 32. This is more advantageous in reducing the load on the unmanned flying object 14 because the water resistance acting on the housing 22 can be suppressed compared to the case where the unmanned flying object 14 moves along the water surface 48 while the entire housing 22 is positioned underwater.
Therefore, the power consumption of the battery required for the flight of the unmanned flying object 14 is suppressed, which is more advantageous in ensuring the flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object 14, and in generating the bottom shape information of the water bottom 46 over a wide range, and in efficiently generating the water bottom shape information.

In this embodiment, the bag 36 is provided outside the housing 22 , but the bag 36 may be provided inside the housing 22 .
In that case, it is necessary to provide a hole in the wall portion constituting the housing 22 so that water can flow inside and outside the housing 22, and to cover the three-dimensional shape measuring section 24, the underwater section side control section 26, and the pump 28 inside the housing 22 in a watertight manner so that they do not come into contact with water.
Even with this configuration, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and it is advantageous in protecting the bag 36 without providing the bag protection case 40 .

(Second embodiment)
Next, a bottom shape measuring apparatus 10B according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG.
In the following embodiment, the same parts and members as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted, and the different parts will be mainly described.
In the first embodiment, the floating body 32 is expanded and contracted by supplying and discharging air (gas) into and out of the bag body 36, and the buoyancy is adjusted by the volume of the air (gas) inside.

As shown in FIG. 6, the configurations of the management device 12 and the unmanned air vehicle 14 are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted and the underwater section 16B will be described.
The underwater section 16B includes a housing 22, a three-dimensional shape measuring section 24, an underwater section side control section 26, a water circulation valve 56, a gas circulation valve 58, a ballast tank 54 (floating body 32), and an underwater section battery (not shown).
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the housing 22 is configured to be watertight, and the three-dimensional shape measuring section 24, the underwater section side control section 26, and the underwater section battery are accommodated inside the housing 22. A floating body 32 is provided outside the housing 22, and the housing 22 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the floating body 32 is composed of a ballast tank 54 in which buoyancy is adjusted by supplying and discharging gas and water.
The ballast tank 54 is made of a hard material that does not deform under water pressure when placed in water. As such a hard material, various conventionally known materials such as metal materials and synthetic resin materials can be used.
The ballast tank 54 is formed in an annular shape over the entire outer periphery of the side wall 2204 of the housing 22, that is, extends along the periphery of the housing 22 and has a uniform cross section.
The ballast tank 54 includes a cylindrical inner peripheral wall portion 5402 having an inner diameter overlapping with the side wall 2204 of the housing 22, an upper wall portion 5404 extending radially outward from the ballast tank 54 from the upper end of the inner peripheral wall portion 5402, a lower wall portion 5406 extending radially outward from the ballast tank 54 from the lower end of the inner peripheral wall portion 5402, and the upper wall portion 5404 and the lower wall portion 5406. When the ballast tank 54 is broken in a cross section including the central axis of the ballast tank 54, the outer peripheral wall 5408 forms a convex curved surface radially outward of the ballast tank 54.
The ballast tank 54 is attached with its inner peripheral wall portion 5402 overlapping the side wall 2204 of the housing 22 .

A first on-off valve 58 is provided on the upper wall portion 5404 of the ballast tank 54 , and a second on-off valve 56 is provided on the lower wall portion 5406 of the ballast tank 54 .
Specifically, one end 5802 of the first on-off valve 58 communicates with the gas flow port 5412 of the ballast tank 54, and the other end 5804 of the first on-off valve 58 is open to the outside of the ballast tank 54 above the ballast tank 54.
One end 5602 of the second on-off valve 56 communicates with the water flow port 5410 of the ballast tank 54 , and the other end 5604 of the second on-off valve 56 is open to the outside of the ballast tank 54 at the bottom of the ballast tank 54 .

As in the first embodiment, the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 is mounted on the bottom wall 2202 inside the housing 22, and measures the three-dimensional shape of the water bottom 46 with the housing 22 positioned underwater to generate three-dimensional shape information.

The underwater section control section 26 is connected to the aircraft side communication section 14A via a wired line or a wireless line, and supplies the three-dimensional shape information measured by the three-dimensional shape measurement section 24 to the aircraft side communication section 14A. control.

With the lower portion of the underwater section 16B positioned underwater, the first and second opening and closing valves 58 and 56 are opened under the control of the underwater section side control section 26, whereby water is introduced into the ballast tank 54 through the second opening and closing valve 56, and air is discharged into the water through the first opening and closing valve 58.
As a result, the interior of the ballast tank 54 is filled with water, and the buoyancy of the ballast tank 54 becomes almost zero.

Further, in a state in which the entire underwater section 16B is positioned in the air, the underwater section side control section 26 controls the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56 to open, whereby water is discharged from the ballast tank 54 through the second on-off valve 56, and air is introduced into the ballast tank 54 through the first on-off valve 58.
Here, by closing the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56, buoyancy is generated by the ballast tank 54 whose interior is filled with air.
Also, by adjusting the amount (volume) of air introduced into the ballast tank 54 , the buoyancy can be adjusted, so that at least part of the housing 22 can be positioned above the water surface 48 .
Therefore, in this embodiment, the buoyancy control section for controlling the buoyancy of the floating body 32 is configured to include the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56 .
The underwater part battery supplies electric power for driving the three-dimensional shape measuring part 24 , the underwater part side control part 26 , the first opening/closing valve 58 and the second opening/closing valve 56 .

Next, the operation of the bottom shape measuring device 10B will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.
It is assumed that the unmanned air vehicle 14 has been placed in a predetermined standby location in advance.
First, by operating the remote operation command unit 12A of the management device 12, the operator gives an underwater unit control command to the underwater unit control unit 26 to open both the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56 to discharge the water in the ballast tank 54, and then close both the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56 to keep the inside of the ballast tank 54 filled with air (step S100). If the inside of the ballast tank 54 is already filled with air, step S100 is omitted.

Next, the operator operates the remote command unit 12A of the management device 12 to fly the unmanned flying object 14 from a predetermined standby location, and fly the unmanned flying object 14 toward the sea, lake, or river whose bottom shape is to be measured while viewing the image information around the unmanned flying object 14 displayed on the display unit 12D (step S102).

Then, when the unmanned flying object 14 reaches above the water surface 48 such as the sea, lake, river, or the like, the unmanned flying object 14 is lowered toward the water surface 48 while visually recognizing the image information around the unmanned flying object 14 displayed on the display part 12D, and the underwater part 16B is moved from the air to the water surface 48 to hover and maintain the state (step S104).
Here, in the underwater section 16B, the buoyancy of the ballast tank 54 (floating body 32) acts on the housing 22, so that the housing 22 floats on the water surface 48 and a part of the housing 22 is positioned above the water surface 48 (step S106).
Then, the operator operates the remote control command unit 12A of the management device 12 to fly the unmanned air vehicle 14 toward the measurement point of the sea, lake, or river where the shape of the anhydrous bottom is to be measured, and tow the underwater section 16B toward the measurement point with the housing 22 floating on the water surface 48 (step S108).
Here, the underwater part 16B is towed to the measurement point by the unmanned flying object 14 via the wire 34 in a state where the housing 22 floats on the water surface 48 and a part of the housing 22 is positioned above the water surface 48. At this time, the weight of the underwater part 16B added to the unmanned flying object 14 is almost zero, and the underwater part 16B suspended from the unmanned flying object 14 by the wire 34 is added to the unmanned flying object 14 when it is positioned in the air. The weight will be greatly reduced.

Next, when the operator visually recognizes the image information around the unmanned flying object 14 displayed on the display unit 12D and the housing 22 reaches above the measurement point, the unmanned flying object 14 hovers at that position and maintains that state (step S110).
By operating the remote operation command unit 12A of the management device 12, the operator gives an underwater unit control command to the underwater unit side control unit 26 to open both the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56, whereby the air inside the ballast tank 54 is discharged from the first on-off valve 58 to the outside of the ballast tank 54, and the water is introduced into the ballast tank 54 from the second on-off valve 56, and eventually the air inside the ballast tank 54 is discharged. and the interior of the ballast tank 54 is filled with water. As a result, the buoyant force acting on the housing 22 becomes almost zero (step S112).
Then, the operator lowers the unmanned flying object 14 toward the water surface 48 by operating the remote control command unit 12A of the management device 12 while visually confirming the image information around the unmanned flying object 14 displayed on the display unit 12D. Then, the unmanned flying object 14 is hovered and maintained (step S114).

Next, the operator operates the remote operation command unit 12A of the management device 12 to give operation command information for the positioning unit 14D to the positioning unit 14D, and to give underwater operation command information to the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24, thereby starting the operations of the positioning unit 14D and the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 (step S116).
As a result, the positioning information generated by the positioning unit 14D and the three-dimensional shape information generated by the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 are transmitted from the unmanned air vehicle 14 to the bottom shape information generating unit 12F of the management device 12 via the wireless network N (step S118), and the bottom shape information generating unit 12F generates bottom shape information (step S120).
Furthermore, while viewing the image information displayed on the display unit 12D, the cross-sectional view, perspective view, and contour map showing the shape of the water bottom 46, the operator operates the remote control command unit 12A to fly the unmanned air vehicle 14 along the water surface 48 and move the measurement point so that the shape of the water bottom 46 that has not yet been measured can be measured (step S122).
Then, the operator visually checks the image information displayed on the display unit 12D, the cross-sectional view, the perspective view, the contour map, etc. showing the shape of the bottom 46, and determines whether or not the measurement has been completed over the entire area of the bottom 46 whose shape is to be measured (step S124).
If step S124 is negative, the process returns to step S118 and similar operations are performed.
If step S124 is affirmative, the unmanned air vehicle 14 is raised by operating the remote control command section 12A of the management device 12, and the entire underwater section 16B is raised into the air (step S126).
Here, since both the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56 are open, air is introduced into the ballast tank 54 from the first on-off valve 58, and water is discharged from the second on-off valve 56 to the outside of the ballast tank 54. When the ballast tank 54 is eventually filled with air, both the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56 are closed to fill the ballast tank 54 with air (step S1). 28).
Next, the operator operates the remote control unit 12A of the management device 12 to lower the unmanned flying object 14 toward the water surface 48, hover while moving the underwater unit 16B from the air to the water surface 48, and maintain that state (step S130).
Here, in the underwater section 16B, the housing 22 floats on the water surface 48 and a part of the housing 22 is positioned above the water surface 48 due to the buoyancy of the ballast tank 54 (floating body 32) acting on the housing 22.
Then, the operator operates the remote operation command unit 12A of the management device 12 to fly the unmanned flying object 14 toward the water surface 48 of the sea, lake, or river near the standby place and tow the underwater part 16B with the housing 22 floating on the water surface 48 (step S132).
Here, as in the case of step S108, the underwater section 16B is towed by the unmanned flying object 14 via the wire 34 with the housing 22 floating on the water surface 48 and a portion of the housing 22 positioned above the water surface 48. Therefore, the weight of the underwater section 16B applied to the unmanned flying object 14 becomes almost zero, and the resistance of water applied to the underwater section 16B applied to the unmanned flying object 14 is reduced.
Then, when the underwater part 16B reaches a place on the water surface 48 near the standby place, the operator raises the unmanned flying object 14 by remote control, raises the entire underwater part 16B from the water surface 48 into the air, and flies the unmanned flying object 14 toward a predetermined waiting place while visually confirming the image displayed on the display part 12D, and lands at the waiting place (step S134).
Then, the bottom shape information of the entire region of the bottom 46 stored in the storage unit 12H is output from the output unit 12I (step S136), and a series of measurement operations is completed.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is advantageous in reducing equipment costs and operating costs, as well as in simplifying the configuration and reducing costs.
Further, as in the first embodiment, the floating body 32 that gives buoyancy to the housing 22 that accommodates the three-dimensional shape measuring unit 24 is provided, and the buoyancy of the floating body 32 is controlled. This is advantageous in reducing the power consumption of the battery required for the flight of the unmanned flying object 14, in ensuring the flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object 14, in generating the bottom shape information of the water bottom 46 over a wide range, and in efficiently generating the water bottom shape information.
Further, as in the first embodiment, if the buoyancy control unit controls the buoyancy so that at least a part of the housing 22 is positioned above the water surface 48, the buoyancy is applied to the floating body 32. This is more advantageous in reducing the load on the unmanned flying vehicle 14 because the water resistance acting on the housing 22 can be suppressed compared to the case where the unmanned flying body 14 moves along the water surface 48 while the entire housing 22 is positioned underwater.
Therefore, the power consumption of the battery required for the flight of the unmanned flying object 14 is suppressed, which is more advantageous in ensuring the flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object 14, and in generating the bottom shape information of the water bottom 46 over a wide range, and in efficiently generating the water bottom shape information.

Further, in the present embodiment, the floating body 32 is composed of the ballast tank 54 whose buoyancy is adjusted by supplying and discharging gas and water to and from the inside of the ballast tank 54, and the first and second opening and closing valves are provided in the upper and lower portions of the ballast tank 54, respectively.
In addition, since the air intake hose 42 provided outside the housing, which is required in the first embodiment, is not necessary, it is advantageous in suppressing the air resistance of the hose 42 that occurs when the housing suspended from the unmanned aircraft 14 moves in the air.
Therefore, the power consumption of the battery required for the flight of the unmanned flying object 14 is suppressed, which is more advantageous in ensuring the flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object 14, and in generating the bottom shape information of the water bottom 46 over a wide range, and in efficiently generating the water bottom shape information.

In addition, in the second embodiment, since the air above the water is used as the gas, there is no need to prepare a special gas or the like, which is advantageous in reducing the operation cost of the bottom shape measuring apparatus 10B.

In the second embodiment, the case where the ballast tanks 54 are provided outside the housing 22 has been described, but the ballast tanks 54 may be configured with the housing 22 .
In that case, it is necessary to watertightly cover the three-dimensional shape measuring section 24, the underwater section side control section 26, and the underwater section side battery inside the housing 22 so that they do not come into contact with water.
Even with this configuration, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and the ballast tank 54 can be configured by the housing 22, which is advantageous in terms of simplification of the configuration and cost reduction.

(Third Embodiment)
Next, a bottom shape measuring apparatus 10C of a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG.
The third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in that the gas supplied from the gas supply unit to the bag body 36 is the gas in the cylinder 60 accommodated in the housing 22.
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the cylinder 60 is filled with, for example, compressed air as gas.
As shown in FIG. 11, cylinder 60 and bag 36 are connected by gas supply pipe 62 .
A gas supply valve 64 is provided in the gas supply pipe 62 , and the opening/closing of the gas supply valve 64 is controlled by the control of the underwater section side control section 26 .
Therefore, when the gas supply valve 64 is opened under the control of the underwater section side control unit 26, the gas in the cylinder 60 is supplied to the bag body 36 through the gas supply pipe 62, thereby filling the bag body 36 with air, thereby expanding the bag body 36 and generating buoyancy by the floating body 32.
Further, when air is supplied to the bag body 36, the gas discharge valve 30 is closed so that the air in the bag body 36 does not leak.
By applying such buoyancy to the housing 22, the load of the housing 22 applied to the unmanned air vehicle 14 via the wire 34 can be reduced by the buoyancy.
In addition, the buoyancy can be adjusted by adjusting the amount (volume) of air filled in the bag body 36 by the valve opening time of the gas supply valve 64, so that at least part of the housing 22 can be positioned above the water surface 48.
When the buoyancy of the floating body 32 is obtained, the gas supply valve 64 is closed under the control of the underwater section side control section 26 to prevent the bag body 36 from being filled with more air than necessary.

Further, when the gas discharge valve 30 is opened while the air-filled floating body 32 is positioned in the water, the air inside the bag body 36 is discharged to the outside of the bag body 36 through the gas discharge port 3604, the gas discharge valve 30, and the gas discharge pipe 44 by the water pressure applied to the bag body 36, whereby the bag body 36 contracts, and therefore the buoyancy acting on the housing 22 by the floating body 32 becomes almost zero.

Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the cylinder 60 and the gas supply valve 64 constitute the gas supply unit for supplying the gas to the bag body 36 .
Further, the gas discharge portion for discharging the gas filled in the bag body 36 is composed of the gas discharge valve 30 as in the first embodiment.
A series of measurement operations by the bottom shape measuring apparatus 10C of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment except that air is supplied from the cylinder 60 to the bag body 36, so description thereof will be omitted.

Also in such a third embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment is exhibited.
In addition, since the air intake hose 42 provided outside the housing 22, which is required in the first embodiment, is not necessary, it is advantageous in suppressing the air resistance of the hose 42 that occurs when the housing 22 suspended from the unmanned flying object 14 moves in the air, suppressing the power consumption of the battery of the unmanned flying object 14, ensuring the flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object 14, and generating the bottom shape information of the water bottom 46 over a wide range. This is even more advantageous in efficiently generating bottom shape information.
In addition to air, various conventionally known gases such as carbon dioxide gas can be used as the gas with which the cylinder 60 is filled.

Further, instead of the cylinder 60, a gas generator shown below may be provided.
As the gas generator, for example, one that generates oxygen gas obtained by a chemical reaction generated by mixing a hydrogen peroxide solution and manganese dioxide powder can be used.
In this case, the gas generator may include a liquid metering device (dispenser) for discharging hydrogen peroxide liquid under the control of the underwater section side control section 26, a powder supply device for supplying manganese dioxide powder under the control of the underwater section side control section 26, and a closed container for mixing the hydrogen peroxide liquid discharged from the liquid metering section and the manganese dioxide powder supplied from the powder supply device, and the gas supply pipe 62 may be connected to the container.
By doing so, the oxygen gas generated by mixing the hydrogen peroxide solution and the manganese dioxide powder in the container can be supplied to the bag body 36 through the gas supply pipe 62 .

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a bottom shape measuring device 10D of a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG.
The fourth embodiment is a modification of the second embodiment, and differs from the second embodiment in that the buoyancy control section includes a cylinder 66 that supplies gas to the inside of the ballast tank 54.
As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the cylinder 66 is arranged inside the housing 22 and filled with compressed air as gas.
The cylinder 66 and the ballast tank 54 are connected by a gas supply pipe 68 .
A gas supply valve 70 is provided in the gas supply pipe 68 , and the opening/closing of the gas supply valve 70 is controlled by the control of the underwater section side control section 26 .

Therefore, in a state where the lower portion of the underwater section 16D is located underwater, the gas supply valve 70 is closed under the control of the underwater section side control section 26, and the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56 are opened, whereby water is introduced into the ballast tank 54 through the second on-off valve 56, and air is discharged into the water through the first on-off valve 58.
As a result, the interior of the ballast tank 54 is filled with water, and the buoyancy of the ballast tank 54 becomes almost zero.

Further, in a state in which the entire underwater section 16D is located underwater, the gas supply valve 70 is opened, the first opening/closing valve 58 is closed, and the second opening/closing valve 56 is opened under the control of the underwater section side control section 26, whereby the air supplied from the cylinder 66 is introduced into the ballast tank 54, and the water is discharged from the ballast tank 54 through the second opening/closing valve 56.
Here, by closing all of the gas supply valve 70, the first on-off valve 58, and the second on-off valve 56, buoyancy is generated by the ballast tank 54 filled with air.
Also, by adjusting the amount (volume) of air introduced into the ballast tank 54 , the buoyancy can be adjusted, so that at least part of the housing 22 can be positioned above the water surface 48 .
Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the buoyancy control section for controlling the buoyancy of the floating body 32 includes the cylinder 66 , the gas supply valve 70 , the first on-off valve 58 and the second on-off valve 56 .
A series of measurement operations by the bottom shape measuring apparatus 10D of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the second embodiment except that air is supplied from the cylinder 66 to the ballast tank 54, so description thereof will be omitted.

According to the fourth embodiment, the same effects as those of the second embodiment are of course obtained, and when the water is discharged from the ballast tanks 54 to generate buoyancy by the ballast tanks 54, it is sufficient to introduce the air supplied from the cylinders 66 into the ballast tanks 54. Therefore, unlike the second embodiment, it is not necessary to raise the unmanned air vehicle 14 to raise the entire underwater section 16D into the air to discharge water from the ballast tanks 54.
Therefore, the power consumption of the battery required for the flight of the unmanned flying object 14 is suppressed, which is more advantageous in ensuring the flight time and flight distance of the unmanned flying object 14, and in generating the bottom shape information of the water bottom 46 over a wide range, and in efficiently generating the water bottom shape information.
Also in the fourth embodiment, as in the third embodiment, as the gas filling the cylinder 66, various conventionally known gases such as carbon dioxide gas can be used in addition to air.
Also, instead of the cylinder 66, the gas generator described above may be provided.

In the embodiment, the case where the operator remotely controls the unmanned flying object 14 has been described, but as described above, the unmanned flying object 14 may be flown along a predetermined flight course by automatic control to obtain the bottom shape information of the water bottom 46 along the flight course.

10A, 10B, 10C, 10D Bottom shape measuring device 12 Management device 12A Remote operation command unit 12B Management device side communication unit 12C Map database unit 12D Display unit 12E Management device side flight control unit 12F Water bottom shape information generation unit 12G Information processing unit 12H Storage unit 12I Output unit 14 Unmanned aircraft 14A Aircraft side communication unit 14B Imaging unit 14C Aircraft side flight control unit 14 D Positioning units 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D Underwater unit 18 Aircraft body 20 Rotor 22 Housing 2202 Bottom wall 2204 Side wall 2206 Top wall 2210 Hanging hook 24 Three-dimensional shape measurement unit 26 Underwater unit side control unit 28 Pump (gas supply unit)
2802 gas suction port 2804 gas discharge port 30 gas discharge valve (gas discharge portion)
32 floating body 34 wire 3402 branch 36 bag 3602 gas supply port 3604 gas discharge port 38 mounting member 40 bag protection case 42 hose 44 gas discharge pipe 46 water bottom 48 water surface 50 ultrasonic wave 52 laser light 54 ballast tank 5402 inner peripheral wall portion 5404 upper wall portion 5406 lower wall portion 5408 outer peripheral wall portion 5410 water flow port 54 12 Gas flow port 58 First on-off valve 5802 One end 5804 Other end 56 Second on-off valve 5602 One end 5604 Other end 60 Cylinder 62 Gas supply pipe 64 Gas supply valve 66 Cylinder 68 Gas supply pipe 70 Gas supply valve N Wireless line

Claims (4)

A bottom shape measuring device for measuring the shape of a bottom,
a remotely controlled unmanned air vehicle;
a housing suspended from the unmanned air vehicle via a wire;
a floating body that imparts buoyancy to the housing;
a buoyancy control unit that controls the buoyancy of the floating body;
a three-dimensional shape measurement unit that is housed in the housing and measures the three-dimensional shape of the bottom of the water while the housing is positioned underwater to generate three-dimensional shape information;
a positioning unit that measures the position of the unmanned flying object based on a positioning signal received from a positioning satellite mounted on the unmanned flying object and generates positioning information;
a bottom shape information generating unit that generates the bottom shape as bottom shape information indicated by coordinate positions on the earth based on the three-dimensional shape information and the positioning information ;
The floating body is configured by a bag body that expands and contracts when gas is supplied and discharged to its interior, and whose buoyancy is adjusted by the volume of the gas therein,
The buoyancy control unit is
a gas supply unit that supplies the gas to the bag;
a gas discharge unit for discharging the gas filled in the bag,
The bag body is provided outside the housing,
Further comprising a bag protection case covering the entire inflated bag and allowing water to enter and exit,
A bottom shape measuring device characterized by: The gas supplied from the gas supply unit to the bag is air above water,
The bottom shape measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that: The gas supplied from the gas supply unit to the bag is gas in a cylinder housed in the housing,
The bottom shape measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that: The buoyancy control unit controls the buoyancy so as to provide the floating body with buoyancy that causes at least a portion of the housing to be above the water surface.
The bottom shape measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that:

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