JP2019059326A - Unmanned flight vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To replace a battery without landing.SOLUTION: An autonomously flyable unmanned flight vehicle 1 comprises: a first main battery 30A being a power source of an unmanned flight vehicle 1; main battery separation means separating a first main battery 30A by descending the first battery 30A while maintaining an altitude of the unmanned flight vehicle 1; main battery replacement means pulling up a charged second main battery 30B from a charging station 200 instead of the separated first main battery 30A and electrically connecting the second main battery 30B to a body while maintaining the altitude of the unmanned flight vehicle 1; and an auxiliary battery 32 supplying electric power to the unmanned flight vehicle 1 while cutting off the electric connection of the body of the unmanned flight vehicle 1, the first main battery 30A and the second main battery 30B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to unmanned air vehicles.

  Conventionally, the use of a small unmanned air vehicle (also called "drone") has been proposed. A technique for taking an image using such a drone has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). When the drone flies with power from the battery, it is necessary to charge the battery before the remaining battery level falls below a predetermined amount. In this regard, a noncontact charging system has been proposed (e.g., Patent Document 2).

JP, 2006-27331, A

  By the way, in order to charge in the above-mentioned non-contact charge system, a drone needs to land on a charge station. In order for the drone to land, it is necessary to control to lower the altitude while decelerating propeller rotation, but this control also requires skill in manual operation, complicated control in autonomous flight, and successful landing. It is not always the case.

  The present invention is an attempt to solve such a problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an unmanned air vehicle capable of battery exchange without landing.

  A first invention is an unmanned flight vehicle capable of autonomous flight, and lowering the first main battery while maintaining the altitude of the first main battery, which is a power source of the unmanned air vehicle, and the unmanned air vehicle. The main battery detaching means for detaching the first main battery, and the charged second main battery from the charging station in place of the detached first main battery while maintaining the altitude of the unmanned air vehicle Main battery exchange means for pulling up and electrically connecting the second main battery to the main body, and electrical connection between the main body of the unmanned air vehicle and the first main battery and the second main battery are disconnected And an auxiliary battery for supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect of the invention, the unmanned air vehicle lowers the first main battery while maintaining the altitude, detaches the first main battery, and replaces the detached first main battery. The charged second main battery may be pulled up from a charging station, and the second main battery may be electrically connected to the main body. The auxiliary battery can supply power to the main body while the electrical connection between the main body of the unmanned air vehicle and the first main battery and the second main battery is disconnected. This makes it possible to replace the battery without landing.

  According to a second aspect of the invention, in the configuration of the first aspect, the main battery detaching means comprises position judging means for judging whether the unmanned air vehicle has reached a predetermined position above the charging station. Controlling the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle to lower the first main battery to a predetermined position of the charging station and release the first main battery, the main battery replacement means being The unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to control the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle to lift the second main battery.

  According to a third invention, in the configuration of the first invention, the unmanned air vehicle has an auxiliary battery charging means for electrically connecting the pulled-up second main battery and the auxiliary battery and charging the auxiliary battery. is there.

  According to a fourth invention, in the configuration of the first invention, the unmanned air vehicle has an image acquisition means, and the main battery lowering means and the main battery exchange means are images obtained by the image acquisition means. The unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to control the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle based thereon.

  According to a fifth invention, in the configuration of the first invention, when the auxiliary battery is electrically connected to the main body, the first main battery is connected to the main body, and It is an unmanned aerial vehicle having connection adjusting means for adjusting the electrical connection between the auxiliary battery and the main body so as to overlap when the two main batteries are connected to the main body.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the first aspect, the wire includes a wire for detachably fixing the first main battery and the second main battery, and a reel capable of winding and delivering the wire; The battery detaching means lowers the first main battery fixed to the tip of the wire by rotating the reel and lengthening the length of the wire hanging from the main body, and the main battery replacing means An unmanned aerial vehicle configured to pull up the second main battery by fixing the second main battery to the tip of the wire, rotating the reel, and winding up the wire. .

  According to the present invention, battery replacement can be performed without landing.

It is the schematic which shows the unmanned air vehicle etc. which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of a unmanned air vehicle. It is the schematic which shows a battery storage part. It is the schematic which shows a part of battery storage part. It is the schematic which shows a part of battery storage part. It is the schematic which shows a part of battery storage part. It is the schematic which shows the structure of a charge station. It is a figure which shows the functional block of a unmanned aerial vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a unmanned aerial vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a unmanned aerial vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the operation | movement of a unmanned air vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the operation | movement of a unmanned air vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the operation | movement of a unmanned air vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the operation | movement of a unmanned air vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the operation | movement of a unmanned air vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the operation | movement of a unmanned air vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the operation | movement of a unmanned air vehicle.

  Hereinafter, modes (hereinafter, embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail. In the following description, the same reference numeral is given to the same configuration, and the description will be omitted or simplified. The description of the configurations that can be appropriately implemented by those skilled in the art will be omitted, and only the basic configuration of the present invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the continuous flight system according to the present embodiment includes an unmanned air vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as “drone 1”), a base station 100 capable of communicating with the unmanned aircraft 1, and a charging station 200. Have. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can receive and measure positioning radio waves from a plurality of navigation satellites. The navigation satellites are, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and quasi-zenith satellites. The drone 1 is an example of an unmanned air vehicle capable of autonomous flight.

The base station 100 transmits a wireless signal to the drone 1 to control the drone 1. The drone 1 is
Conduct missions to continue for a predetermined time. The mission is, for example, the discovery of victims in mountainous areas and the observation of volcanoes. In the example shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that a mission (mission) for observing the crater 500a of the mountain 500 in the long term is performed in a mountainous area. The charging station 200 is disposed, for example, 500 meters (m) away from the crater 500a. The charging station 200 is configured to be able to automatically charge a battery used by the drone 1.

  The drone 1 is capable of autonomous flight, and observes the crater 500a according to the program. The unmanned vehicle 1 moves above the charging station 200 when the remaining battery capacity falls below a predetermined amount, and with the hovering state, lowers the battery currently in use to the charging station, and the charging station 200 is charged. The battery is pulled up and electrically connected to the drone 1. The drone 1 receives the power supply from the auxiliary battery and maintains the hovering state during the battery replacement.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the drone 1 has a housing 8. In the housing 8, a computer that controls each part of the unmanned aircraft 1, an autonomous flight device, a wireless communication device, a positioning device using a positioning radio wave from a navigation satellite, an inertial sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, and the like are arranged.

  The battery storage unit 10 is disposed below the housing 8. A camera 14 is disposed in the battery storage unit 10 via a fixing device 12. The fixing device 12 is a three-axis fixing device (so-called gimbal) capable of minimizing blurring of a captured image by the camera 14 and controlling the optical axis of the camera 14 in an arbitrary direction.

  A round bar-like arm 2 is connected to the housing 8 and the battery storage unit 10. A motor 4 is connected to each arm 2 and a propeller 6 is connected to each motor 4.

  The arm 2 is made of, for example, a carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and is configured to be lightweight while maintaining its strength.

  As shown in FIG. 3, side members 24A and 24B and upper members 26A and 26B are disposed in the battery storage portion 10. Side members 24A and 24B are physically connected by upper members 26A and 26B. A door 28A that can be opened and closed in the direction of the arrow X1 is connected to the side member 24A. Connected to the side member 24B is a door 28B which can be opened and closed in the direction of the arrow X2. Description of the configuration of the motor, the hinge, and the like that enables opening and closing of the door portion 28A and the door portion 28B will be omitted. The reel 20 is rotatably fixed to the side members 24A and 24B. The description of a motor, a bearing, etc. for fixing in a rotatable state is omitted. The wire 22 is wound around the reel 20. The reel 20 is an example of a reel that winds and stores the wire 22. The wire 22 is an example of a wire for detachably fixing the battery 30.

  A battery 30A is disposed between the side members 24A and 24B. The battery 30A and a battery 30B described later are examples of a main battery. The main battery connected to the drone 1 is an example of a first main battery. The charged main battery disposed in the charging station 200 is an example of a second main battery. The battery 30A and the battery 30B are collectively referred to as "battery 30" or "main battery".

  An auxiliary battery 32 is disposed on the upper member 26A. The auxiliary battery 32 is an example of an auxiliary battery. The auxiliary battery 32 is configured to supply power to the drone 1 while the electrical connection between the main body of the drone 1 and the battery 30 is disconnected. The battery capacity of the auxiliary battery 32 is smaller than the battery capacity of the main battery. For this reason, the auxiliary battery 32 is lighter than the main battery.

  In the present specification, the “main body of the drone 1” means a configuration other than the battery 30. When the battery 30 is disposed between the side members 24A and 24B, the door portions 28A and 28B are closed as shown in FIG. 3 to fix (accommodate) the battery 30. At this time, the terminal of the battery 30 and the terminal of the upper member 26A are electrically connected (see FIG. 4).

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the upper members 26A and 26B and the battery 30. As shown in FIG. The upper surface 30 u of the battery 30 is formed with a semicircular portion 30 e for engaging with the hook-shaped tip 22 a of the wire 20. Terminals 30 a, 30 b, 30 c and 30 d are formed on the upper surface 30 u of the battery 30. The terminals 30a and the like engage with the terminals 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d formed on the lower surface 26As of the upper member 26A, respectively, to ensure electrical and physical connection. Dummy terminals 31 a, 31 b, 31 c and 31 d are formed on the upper surface 30 u of the battery 30. The dummy terminals 31a and the like are engaged with the dummy terminals 27a, 27b, 27c and 27d formed on the lower surface 26Bs of the upper member 26B, respectively, to ensure physical connection. Dummy terminal 31
A and the like and the dummy terminals 27a and so on are configured to balance each other so that the posture of the battery 30 maintains a horizontal state when the battery 30 is stored in the battery storage unit 10.

  A method of lowering the battery 30A will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In the state where the battery 30A is fixed to the battery storage unit 10 (see FIG. 5A), the door portions 28A and 28B are opened (see FIG. 5B). Subsequently, the reel 20 rotates in the direction to feed the wire 22, the physical and electrical connection between the battery 30A and the upper member 26A is released, and the physical connection between the battery 30A and the upper member 26B is released. (See FIG. 6 (a)). When the reel 20 delivers the wire 22, the weight of the battery 30A physically connects the terminals 30a and the like of the battery 30A and the dummy terminals 31a and the terminals 26a and the like of the upper member 26A and the dummy terminals 27a and the like of the upper member 26B. Is released. When the reel 20 further delivers the wire 22, the battery 30A is exposed from the battery storage 10 (see FIG. 6 (b)). In FIG. 6B, the battery 30A is suspended from the wire 22 in a state in which the hook-like tip 22a formed at the tip of the wire 22 and the semicircular portion 30e of the battery 30A are engaged.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the battery disposition areas 204A and 204B are formed in the main body 202 of the charging station 200. When the battery 30 is placed in the battery placement areas 204A and 204B, the battery 30 is charged in a dielectric manner, that is, in a contactless charging manner. In FIG. 7, the battery placement area 204A is empty, and the charged battery 30B is placed in the battery placement area 204B. Note that, unlike the present embodiment, terminals for charging may be provided in both the charging station 200 and the battery 30, and a contact type charging method may be adopted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the drone 1 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 50, a storage unit 52, a wireless communication unit 54, a satellite positioning unit 56, an inertia sensor unit 58, an image processing unit 60, a main battery unit 62, an assistance A battery unit 64, a reel control unit 66, and a drive control unit 68 are provided.

  The drone 1 can communicate with the base station 100 by the wireless communication unit 54. The drone 1 receives an instruction such as start from the base station 100 by the wireless communication unit 54.

  The unmanned vehicle 1 can measure the position of the unmanned vehicle 1 itself by the satellite positioning unit 56 and the inertial sensor unit 58. The satellite positioning unit 56 basically receives radio waves from four or more navigation satellites and measures the position of the drone 1. The navigation satellites are, for example, GPS satellites or / and quasi-zenith satellites.

  The inertial sensor unit 58 integrates the movement of the drone 1 from the departure point by, for example, an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor to measure the position of the drone 1. The position information of the drone 1 itself is used for determination of the movement path of the drone 1 and for autonomous movement, and for linking image data taken by the image processing unit 60 with coordinates (position) .

  The unmanned aircraft 1 can operate the fixing device 12 and the camera 14 by the image processing unit 60 so that an external image in any direction can be acquired. The image processing unit 60 is an example of an image acquisition unit.

  The drone 1 controls the power supply from the battery 30 by the main battery unit 62. The drone 1 controls the power supply from the auxiliary battery 32 by the auxiliary battery unit 64.

  The drone 1 controls the rotation of the reel 20 by the reel control unit 66.

  The drone 1 controls the rotation of each motor 4 connected to each propeller 6 by a drive control unit 68, and controls attitude such as vertical movement, stop in the air, and inclination.

  The storage unit 52 includes various data and programs necessary for autonomous movement such as data indicating a movement plan for autonomously moving from a departure point to a target position, information indicating the topography of the planned work area, the shape and the position of a structure, In addition to the position and structure of the charging station 200, the following programs are stored.

  The storage unit 52 stores a position determination program, a main battery removal program, a main battery replacement program, an auxiliary battery charging program, and a connection adjustment program. The CPU 50 and the position determination program are an example of a position determination unit. The CPU 50 and the main battery detachment program are an example of a main battery detachment means. The CPU 50 and the main battery exchange program are an example of a main battery exchange means. The CPU 50 and the auxiliary battery charging program are an example of an auxiliary battery charging unit. The CPU 50 and the connection adjustment program are an example of connection adjustment means.

  When the drone 1 determines that the battery remaining amount of the battery 30A has become equal to or less than a predetermined amount, it moves toward the charging station 200, and the position determined by the satellite positioning unit 56 and the inertial sensor unit 58 by the position determination program is It is determined whether or not the predetermined position above the charging station 200 is at a predetermined position. The predetermined position is, for example, a position at an altitude of 5 m (meters) above the charging station 200. The predetermined amount or less of the battery remaining amount is defined as an amount of the battery remaining amount enough to reach the charging station 200 from the current position of the drone 1. For example, if the remaining battery capacity for reaching the charging station 200 from the current position of the drone 1 is 5% of the full charge, the remaining battery capacity is 35% or less in consideration of the effective utilization of the product life of the battery 30 If it is, it is determined that "the predetermined amount or less".

  The drone 1 separates the battery 30A from the main body of the drone 1 while maintaining the altitude of the drone 1 by the main battery removal program. The drone 1 operates the fixing device 12 so that the optical axis of the camera 14 is directed downward to confirm that the drone 1 is right above the central position 204Ac of the battery placement area 204A and maintain the position Then, the doors 28A and 28B are opened, the reel 20 is rotated, and the wire 22 is fed out. Then, the electrical and physical connection between the battery 30A and the upper member 26A is released and the physical connection between the battery 30A and the upper member 26B is released due to the weight of the battery 30A.

  The drone 1 adjusts the operations of the reel 20 and the motor 4 to separate the battery 30A from the wire 22 when confirming from the image of the camera 14 that the battery 30A is grounded to the battery placement area 204A. Specifically, the drone 1 sends the wire 22 slightly and moves the drone 1 slightly horizontally to release the engagement between the semicircular portion 30e of the battery 30A and the tip 22a of the wire 22. .

  When the drone 1 detaches the battery 30A, it moves over the charged battery 30B (see FIG. 7) disposed in the charging station 200 while maintaining the altitude of the drone 1 by the main battery replacement program. Do. The drone 1 refers to the image acquired by the camera 14 according to the position determination program, and determines whether the drone 1 has reached above the battery 30B.

  When it is determined that the drone 1 has reached the upper air of the battery 30B, the main battery replacement program stores the battery 30B in the main body of the drone 1 and electrically connects the battery 30B. The drone 1 checks the positional relationship between the tip 22a of the wire 22 and the semicircular portion 30e of the battery 30B in the image of the camera 14, while the reel 22 is engaged with the semicircular portion 30e. By adjusting the operation of the motor 20 and the motor 4, the battery 30B is engaged with the tip 22a. Specifically, the drone 1 winds up and delivers the wire 22 so that the tip 22a of the wire 22 is positioned between the semicircular portion 30e and the upper surface 30u of the battery 30B. And the semicircular portion 30 e of the battery 30 B and the tip 22 a of the wire 22 are engaged.

  When the drone 1 confirms that the semicircular portion 30e of the battery 30B and the tip 22a of the wire 22 are engaged by the image acquired by the camera 14, it rotates the reel 20 to wind the wire 22. , Raise the battery 30B. At this time, the drone 1 determines the attitude of the battery 30B based on the image acquired by the camera 14, and the attitude of the drone 1 etc. so that the battery 30B is accommodated between the side members 24A and 24B. Fine-tune the

  When the electrical connection and physical connection between the battery 30B and the upper member 26A and the physical connection between the battery 30B and the upper member 26B are completed, the unmanned vehicle 1 closes the doors 28A and 28B to open the battery 30B. It fixes to the battery storage part 10.

  In the above-described process, the drone 1 establishes the electrical connection between the main body of the drone 1 and the auxiliary battery 32 by the connection adjustment program, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the drone 1 and the battery 30A Release the electrical connection. The predetermined time is, for example, 2 seconds (s). Then, the power supply from the auxiliary battery 32 is started at the same time as the power supply from the battery 30A is stopped. Note that, unlike the present embodiment, the drone 1 may be configured to receive power supply from both the auxiliary battery 32 and the battery 30A in the above-described predetermined time.

  The drone 1 also disconnects the electrical connection between the main body of the drone 1 and the auxiliary battery 32 after a predetermined time has elapsed after establishing the electrical connection between the main body of the drone 1 and the battery 30B. The predetermined time is, for example, 2 seconds (s). Then, the power supply from the auxiliary battery 32 is stopped, and at the same time the power supply from the battery 30 is started. Note that, unlike the present embodiment, the drone 1 may be configured to receive power supply from both the auxiliary battery 32 and the battery 30B in the above-described predetermined time.

  When the unmanned vehicle 1 starts receiving power supply from the battery 30B, the auxiliary battery charging program electrically connects the battery 30B and the auxiliary battery 32, and charges the auxiliary battery 32.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the drone 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 16. When the unmanned vehicle 1 starts moving (step ST1) and starts a mission such as photographing an image at a predetermined position (step ST2), the unmanned vehicle 1 determines whether the remaining battery amount is equal to or less than a predetermined amount (step ST3). When the unmanned vehicle 1 determines that the battery remaining amount is equal to or less than the predetermined amount, it moves above the charging station 200 which is the target position (step ST4), and determines whether it has reached above the target position (step ST5). . As shown in FIG. 11, if the drone 1 has reached above the target position, the drone 1 secures the electrical connection between the auxiliary battery 32 and the main body of the drone 1 (step ST6). As shown, the electrical connection with the battery 30 is released and lowered (step ST7). When the battery 30 is lowered, the optical axis of the camera 14 is directed downward, so that the positional relationship between the battery 30 and the battery placement area 204A can be determined by an image. The drone 1 determines whether the battery 30 is grounded to the battery placement area 204A (step ST8), and as shown in FIG. 13, if the battery 30 is grounded to the battery area 204A, as shown in FIG. Thus, the battery 30 is detached from the wire 20 (step ST9).

  Subsequently, when the drone 1 moves above the battery placement area 204B which is the replacement position (step ST10 in FIG. 10) and determines that the replacement position has reached above the sky (step ST11), as shown in FIG. The replacement charged battery 30B is fixed to the wire 22 (step ST12), and the wire 22 is wound up as shown in FIG. 16 (step ST13). When the UAV 1 determines that the electrical connection and physical connection and storage of the battery 30B are completed (step ST14), the power supply is switched from the auxiliary battery 32 to the battery 30 (step ST15), as shown in FIG. The optical axis of the camera 14 is moved horizontally from below to restart the mission (step ST16). During resumption of the mission, the drone 1 charges the auxiliary battery 32 (step ST17).

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, and the like as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved are included in the present invention.

1 Drone (Drone)
8 Case 10 Battery Storage 30A, 30B Battery 32 Auxiliary Battery 20 Reels 22 Wires 100 Base Station 200 Charging Station

Claims (6)

It is an unmanned air vehicle capable of autonomous flight,
A first main battery that is a power source of the unmanned air vehicle;
Main battery detaching means for lowering the first main battery and detaching the first main battery while maintaining the altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
A charged second main battery is pulled up from the charging station instead of the detached first main battery while maintaining the altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the second main battery is electrically connected to the main body Main battery replacement means,
An auxiliary battery for supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle while the electrical connection between the main body of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the first main battery and the second main battery is disconnected;
Unmanned air vehicle with. It has position determination means for determining whether the unmanned air vehicle has reached a predetermined position above the charging station,
The main battery detaching means is configured to control the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle to lower the first main battery to a predetermined position of the charging station and to detach the first main battery.
The main battery replacement means is configured to control the operation of the unmanned air vehicle to lift the second main battery.
The unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1. An auxiliary battery charging unit electrically connecting the raised second main battery and the auxiliary battery, and charging the auxiliary battery;
The unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1. The unmanned air vehicle has an image acquisition means,
The main battery lowering means and the main battery exchange means are configured to control the operation of the unmanned air vehicle based on an image acquired by the image acquisition means.
The unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1. When the auxiliary battery is electrically connected to the body, overlapping occurs when the first main battery is connected to the body and when the second main battery is connected to the body Connection adjustment means for adjusting the electrical connection between the auxiliary battery and the main body,
The unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1. A wire detachably fixing the first main battery and the second main battery;
A reel capable of winding and delivering the wire;
The main battery detaching means lowers the first main battery fixed to the tip of the wire by rotating the reel to lengthen the length of the wire hanging from the main body,
The main battery replacement means is configured to fix the second main battery to the tip of the wire, rotate the reel, and pull up the second main battery by winding the wire. ,
The unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1.