JPH08101714A - Guidance device for flying body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide the guidance device for the flying body which is relatively simple in facility and accurately guide the flying body along a guidance path and facilitate the change of guidance paths. CONSTITUTION: Guidance signal transmitters 13A and 13B are provided at a high and a low position outside the guide area 11 for the flying body 15; and the guidance signal transmitter 13A at the high position sends a guidance signal from above to scan the guidance area and the guidance signal transmitter 13B on the low position sends a guidance signal from beside to scan the guidance area. Then a guide path is determined with the guidance signals from the two guidance signal transmitters 13A and 13B and the automatic steering device for the flying body 15 is automatically controlled with the guidance signal that a detection device 16 detects, thereby placing the flying body under an unmanned guidance. The guidance path can be changed only by changing the scanning ranges of the two guidance signal transmitters, the directions of the guidance signals, etc.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a guide device for a flying vehicle using a highly directional guide signal such as a light beam,
For example, the present invention relates to an aircraft guidance device suitable for causing an unmanned aircraft working in a limited area to fly along a desired path.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one method for guiding a moving body such as an automated guided vehicle, a guiding device has been proposed which guides the moving body along a preset path by scanning a light beam such as a laser beam. The proposed guiding devices include, for example, the following (i) and (ii). (i) A plurality of laser beam emitting devices are arranged along a preset guide path, and the laser beam emitted by these laser beam emitting devices is tracked by a light receiver mounted on the moving body while moving the moving body. Device for guiding (for example, JP-A-5
7-64818). (ii) A laser beam emitting device is mounted on a moving body, a plurality of corner cubes (reflecting devices) are arranged along a preset guide path, and a laser beam is radiated toward these corner cubes. A device for guiding a moving body while capturing reflected light (see, for example, JP-A-59-68693).

[0003]

In the device (i) described above, it is necessary to dispose a plurality of expensive laser beam emitting devices along the guide route, and the laser beam emitting device can be arranged to change the guide route. However, there is a drawback that it is necessary to change the equipment, and the equipment becomes large in size, which makes it difficult to change the guide route. Above (ii)
The device is extremely complicated in direction control by calculating the angle of reflected light to guide the moving body so that it does not deviate from the guide path, and the change of the guide path requires relocation of each corner cube. The corner cube has a drawback that it interferes with the work performed by the moving body. (I) and
The device (ii) is suitable for guiding a moving object along a one-dimensional guiding path, but is suitable for guiding a flying object flying along a two-dimensional or three-dimensional guiding path. Absent. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a guide device for an aircraft which does not have the above-mentioned drawbacks of the guide devices (i) and (ii), in other words, the equipment is relatively simple, An object of the present invention is to provide a guide device for an aircraft that can accurately guide along a guide route and can easily change the guide route.

[0004]

The present invention employs the following structure as means for solving the above-mentioned problems. According to the configuration of the present invention, the detection device provided on the aircraft detects the guidance signal from the guidance signal emitting device, and the guidance device of the aircraft controls the automatic steering device of the aircraft by the guidance signal. Guidance signal emitting devices are provided at high and low positions outside the area, and the guidance signal emitting device at a high position emits a guidance signal from above to scan the inside of the guidance region. The guidance signal is emitted from the side to scan the guidance area, the guidance route is determined by the guidance signals from the two guidance signal emission devices, and the automatic steering device of the air vehicle is automatically determined by the guidance signal detected by the detection device. The vehicle guidance device is characterized in that the vehicle is guided unmanned along a guidance path. In the embodiments described below, a laser beam is used as the guidance signal for the flying object. However, as the guidance signal for the flying object, in addition to the laser beam, infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, visible rays, long sound waves, and other directional signals may be used. Higher signals can be used.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Prior to the description of the embodiments of the present invention, a guide device for a moving body related to the present invention will be described. First of mobile
2 to 5, a conveyor device 2 composed of a belt conveyor is arranged along a short side of a rectangular work area 1, and a laser beam scanning device 3 is arranged on the conveyor device 2. The laser beam scanning device 3 is mounted and moved by the operation of the drive motor 4 of the carrying device 2 along the short side of the work area 1. Note that, instead of the conveyor device 2 composed of a belt conveyor, for example, a rail is laid along the short side of the work area 1, a drive chain is provided along the rail, and a carriage is mounted on the rail. The carriage may be provided with a laser beam scanning device, and the laser beam scanning device may be moved along the rail by movement of the drive chain. The laser beam scanning device 3 is configured, for example, with a built-in scanning device that uses a laser beam emitting device and a reflecting mirror, and extends from an upper position away from the surface of the work area 1 toward the guide surface GP of the work area 1. It is designed to emit a laser beam. That is, the laser beam scanning device 3 scans the laser beam RB from one end (near end) to the other end (far end) of the working region 1 along the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transport device 2.
Can be scanned.

A detection device 6 is provided on the upper surface of a moving body 5 such as an unmanned truck that performs work while moving in the work area 1.
Is installed. The detection device 6 is configured by arranging a plurality of (five in the drawing) laser detectors in a line in a direction (width direction) orthogonal to the traveling direction of the moving body. The moving body 5 includes an automatic steering device. This automatic steering device detects the laser beams RB ₁ and RB ₂ based on the signal from the detection device 6 so that the guiding laser beam RB always reaches the center of the detection device 6, that is, as shown in FIG. When it hits the laser detector away from the center of the device 6,
The steering system of the moving body 5 is automatically controlled so that the laser beams RB ₁ and RB ₂ hit the laser detector at the center of the detector 6.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the carrier device 2 is stopped, the laser beam scanning device 3 follows the vertical plane of the carrier device 2 in a direction orthogonal to the carrier direction (that is, the Y direction in the drawing). To scan the scanning range. When the scanning of the laser beam RB reaches the far end or the near end of the scanning range, it is moved in the carrying direction (that is, the X direction in the drawing) by the carrying device 2, and the laser beam scanning device 3 emits the laser beam. The beam RB is moved in the X direction while being fixed to the far end or the near end, and the moving body 5 is moved to 90
The laser beam RB is scanned so as to change the direction. That is, in the carrier device 2 of the first guiding device, the laser beam scanning device 3 is provided with S1, S2 of FIG.
The drive motor 4 is configured to be intermittently driven so as to stop at the positions S3, S4, S5, and S6, respectively, and when the transport device 2 is stopped at each of the positions S1 to S6, the laser beam scanning device 3 operates. Laser beam R in Y direction
When B is scanned and the transport device 2 is transported (moved), the laser beam scanning device 3 moves while the laser beam RB is fixed at the near end portion or the far end portion, and scans the laser beam RB in the X direction. In this way, as shown by the chain line A in FIG. 2, the movable body 5 can be guided so as to reciprocate while making an S-shaped U-turn in the rectangular work area 1. Therefore, the first guiding device is extremely suitable for guiding a moving body such as a tractor in a limited area having a relatively simple shape such as a rice field, a field, and a construction site.

A second guiding device for a moving body is shown in FIGS.
The laser beam scanning device 3 mounted on the carrier device 2 is shown in FIG. The laser beam RB can be scanned so as to draw a loop or curve in addition to a straight line toward the GP. Scanning such as drawing a loop or a curve can be easily realized by using a device such as the invention described in JP-A-58-86605 and JP-A-58-86606 by the present inventor. You can According to the second guiding device, the motor 4 is driven to drive the transport device 2
By moving the laser beam manipulating device 3 along the line and causing the laser beam RB to scan in a loop at the stop position, as shown by the symbol B in FIG. The moving body can be guided along the route.

A third guiding device for a moving body is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
As shown in FIG. 3, a carrier device 2 having wires or rails is arranged vertically along one side of a wall of a building 9 such as a building, and the laser beam scanning device 3 is attached to the carrier device 2. Then, the laser beam scanning device 3 emits and scans the laser beam RB toward the guide surface GP along the wall of the building 9 from a position distant outward from the surface of the wall.
In the third guiding device, the moving body 5 equipped with a device that is attracted to a wall surface and moved is scanned by the laser beam RB while the laser beam scanning device 3 is being carried by the carrying device 2 to thereby scan the building structure. It is possible to reciprocate along the wall surface of 9 through a guide path indicated by a chain line C. As a result, it is possible to perform work such as wall painting, finishing, and window cleaning of the building 9 using the moving body 5.

The fourth guiding device for a moving body is a guiding device shown in FIG. 10 and applied to guiding a movable moving body 5. In the fourth guiding device, the base of a relatively long support 8 is mounted on the transfer device 2, the laser beam scanning device 3 is installed at the tip of the support 8, and the transfer device 2 in which the support 8 is erected by driving the motor 4 is moved. Then, the laser beam scanning device 3 is moved, and the laser beam RB is scanned from the upper part of the support column 8 toward the lower guide surface GP, thereby guiding the moving body 5 flying in a limited space. Has become. Fourth
The guidance device of 1 can be installed in a field, a field, a test site, or the like to guide a flying vehicle 5 such as an unmanned helicopter or a radio-controlled helicopter to perform work such as spraying pesticides. Since the first to fourth guiding devices for the moving body move one laser beam scanning device 3, the equipment for unmanned guiding the moving body along a two-dimensional complex path can be simplified. can do.

The embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, and in addition to the laser beam scanning device for performing the two-dimensional guidance in the fourth guiding device, a laser beam for mainly controlling the height direction is also provided. This is an example of a case where a scanning device is provided and a flying moving body is guided along a desired path. The carrier device 12 is provided along one side of the guidance region 11 where the flying body 15 flies three-dimensionally. As the carrier device 12, for example, the same one as the carrier device 2 used in the first to fourth guiding devices can be used. On the carrier device 12,
A laser beam scanning device 13 in which the base of a relatively long support 18 is attached, and a guide signal emitting device is formed at the tip of the support 18.
A is mounted, and the drive device 14 is driven to move (for example, intermittently move) the carrier device 12 on which the support column 18 is erected, and the laser beam scanning device 13A is moved to support the support column 18.
The laser beam RB1 can be scanned downward from above. As the column 18, for example, the same column as the column 2 used in the fourth guiding device can be used. As the laser beam scanning device 13A, for example,
The same laser beam scanning device 3 as that used in the fourth guiding device or the second guiding device can be used.

A laser beam scanning device 13B, which constitutes an induction signal emitting device, is attached to the lower portion of the column 18 so that the laser beam RB2 can be horizontally scanned from the lower portion of the column 18. As the laser beam scanning device 13B, for example, a device similar to the laser beam scanning device 3 used in the first or third guiding device can be used. As the flying body 15, for example, a helicopter-type flying body that can fly unrestrictedly in a limited space is used. Flying body 15
The detection device 16 is attached to the upper side of the. Detection device 1
6, the laser beams RB1 and RB2 emitted from the laser beam scanning devices 13A and 13B are detected (received).
Use what you can. For example, the same device as the detection device 16 used in the first to fourth guidance devices can be used. Further, the flying body 15 is provided with an automatic steering device that controls the flight direction and the like based on the detection signal detected by the detection device 16. In the guiding device 10 of the embodiment, the laser beam scanning device 13A at a high position emits a guiding signal from above to scan within a predetermined area, and the laser beam scanning device 13 at a low position.
B emits an induction signal from the outside into a predetermined area for scanning, and when the scanning in the area is completed, the laser beam scanning devices 13A and 13B are sequentially moved to the next area by the carrier device 12, The inside of the area is scanned so that all the guiding areas can be scanned.

The guide device 10 of the embodiment emits a laser beam RB1 downward from the laser beam scanning device 13A at the upper end of the support column 18 to scan the carrier device 12 at the time of stopping and moving, and the laser beam RB1 is used. The guide signal is a factor that determines the planar shape of the guide path. Also,
The laser beam RB2 from the laser beam scanning device 13B at the lower part of the support column 18 is stopped and moved when the transport device 12 is stopped.
Is emitted to the side and scanned, and the guide signal by the laser beam RB2 becomes a factor that determines the side view shape (height) of the guide path. The guidance route of the flying body 15 is determined by the guidance signal from the laser beams RB1 and RB2. By changing the height of the laser beam RB2, the guide path becomes three-dimensional. Further, if the height of the laser beam RB2 is not changed at all, the guide path becomes two-dimensional. Therefore, according to the guidance device 10 of the embodiment, it is possible to guide the flying body 15 unmanned along the desired guidance route. The flying body guiding apparatus 10 of the embodiment includes a scanning range and a direction of the laser beam scanning apparatuses 13A and 13B, and a transportation apparatus 12.
It is possible to change the guide route of the flight vehicle simply by changing the amount of movement of the vehicle, and it is possible to economically perform unmanned guidance of the flight vehicle along the desired guide route. In the embodiment, two laser beam scanning devices 13 are provided on the carrier device 12 with different heights.
Although the example in which A and 13B are provided has been described, the two laser beam scanning devices 13A and 13B may not be provided on the transport device 12 and may not be moved.

[0014]

According to the control device for an aircraft of the present invention, the guidance signal emitting device is provided at each of the high position and the low position outside the guidance area of the flight device, and the guidance signal emitting device at the high position provides the guidance signal from above. To scan the inside of the guidance area, the guidance signal emitting device at the lower position emits the guidance signal from the side to scan inside the guidance area, and determines the guidance route by the guidance signals from the two guidance signal emitting devices. , The automatic steering device of the flying body is automatically controlled by the guidance signal detected by the detection device, and the flying body is guided unmanned along the guidance route. Can be guided to.
Further, the guidance signal emitting device is provided at each of the high position and the low position outside the guidance region of the flying object, and the guidance signal emitting device at the high position emits the guidance signal from above to scan the guidance region to scan the low position. The guide signal emitting device of FIG. 2 emits a guide signal from the side and scans the inside of the guide region, so that the guide signal emitting device does not interfere with the work performed using the flying body. According to the invention, the scanning range of the two guidance signal emitting devices,
Only by changing the direction of the guidance signal, the guidance route of the flight vehicle can be changed, and the unmanned guidance of the flight vehicle along the desired guidance route can be economically performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a moving body guiding apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first guiding device.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the guiding device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view illustrating how to guide the first guiding device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an outline of a guiding method of a first guiding device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a second guiding device.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the guiding device shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a third guiding device.

9 is a plan view of the guiding device shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a fourth guidance device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Guidance device 11 Guidance area 12 Conveying device 13A Laser beam scanning device 13B Laser beam scanning device 14 Drive motor 15 Moving body 16 Detecting device 18 Support RB1 Laser beam RB2 Laser beam

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A guide device for a flying body, wherein a detecting device provided on the flying body detects a guiding signal from a guiding signal emitting device and controls the automatic steering device for the flying body by the guiding signal.
Guidance signal emitting devices are provided at high and low positions outside the guidance area of the air vehicle, and the guidance signal emitting device at a high position emits a guidance signal from above to scan the guidance area and guide the low position. The signal emitting device emits a guide signal from the side and scans the inside of the guide area, the guide route is determined by the guide signals from the two guide signal emitting devices, and the automatic steering of the air vehicle by the guide signal detected by the detection device. An apparatus for guiding a vehicle, wherein the apparatus is automatically controlled and the vehicle is guided unmanned along a guidance path.