JP2019089361A - Method of controlling unmanned air vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable an unmanned air vehicle to safely and efficiently fly while securing a flight distance and flight time.SOLUTION: An unmanned air vehicle 3 comprises: a flight control device; an annular ring body in which a part of a ring can be opened and closed; a current generating device; a ring opening/closing device; and a power supply device. The power supply device of one unmanned air vehicle is electrically connected via a cable C to the power supply device of another unmanned air vehicle in order to be in a power supply capable state. Two unmanned flight bodies perform formation flight while maintaining the above described state to approach an overhead wire 2, open a part of the respective annular ring while flying to accommodate the overhead wire inside the respective ring bodies, close a part of the respective rings while flying, supply a thrust generator or the flight control device with power which is based on current generated in a conductive coil according to electromagnetic induction action of current flowing in the overhead wire, and fly along the overhead wire while the overhead wire is accommodated inside the ring.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a control method of an unmanned air vehicle.

  Patent Document 1 "provides a transportation system using an unmanned air vehicle which has enhanced the convenience by extending the range in which it can deliver by breaking restrictions such as distance and time," "receive power supply and three-dimensional. A transport system using a movable unmanned air vehicle, wherein the unmanned air vehicle flies while mounting a container for storing a load to be transported, and the container supplies power to the unmanned air vehicle. The storage unit for storing the storage unit is provided, and the storage unit provided in the container is charged at the relay base when not moving.

  Patent Document 2 "provides an overhead electric wire inspection system and method using an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of automatically performing an inspection of a tree approaching an overhead electric wire, etc.", "of an overhead electric wire while autonomously flying An unmanned helicopter equipped with a flight control system for flying to an inspection point and an information collecting system for collecting various information including images of the inspection point and distance measurement data, controlling the flight of the unmanned helicopter, and various kinds from the unmanned helicopter A three-dimensional image created by creating a three-dimensional image from an image of inspection points and distance measurement data collected by a control center equipped with a flight control and information collection system that collects and processes information, and an information collection system of an unmanned helicopter Processing means, and checking means such as approaching trees to check whether there is an abnormality in the overhead wire at the check point based on the processed three-dimensional image and Various data used for inspection in close trees such inspection means comprises a stored memory. Is described as ".

  Patent Document 3 "takes out the induction current from the overhead wire flowing to the ground wire of the overhead wire, performs direct current conversion to charge the storage battery, and uses the storage battery as a power source", "for the ground wire of the overhead wire A current transformer with a ground wire as a primary winding is provided for current extraction, and the current transformer is provided in a long shape along the ground wire to take out the induction current of the overhead wire flowing through the ground wire. ing.

  Patent Document 4 relates to a power supply CT configured to include a core into which a distribution line is inserted and a secondary winding (a primary winding corresponds to a distribution line to be measured) wound around the core. Have been described.

  According to Patent Document 5, "power is supplied to a plurality of drones using a feeding cable to a drone group constituted by a plurality of drones", and "a drone group is driven by controlling drive of motor means. A plurality of drone capable of attitude control and a wired cable connecting multiple drones in a network by connecting adjacent drone of multiple drone to one another, and one end to at least one drone of the plurality of drone It has a feed cable to be connected and a power supply means connected to the other end side of the feed cable and disposed on the ground.In the drone group, a plurality of drone are driven from the power supply means through the feed cable and the wired cable. Power is supplied from the power supply means to each drone. "

  Non-Patent Document 1 describes a “drone highway concept” that supports a safe flight of a drone by creating a three-dimensional map based on position and height data such as transmission towers and overhead wires.

  Non-Patent Document 2 describes a power supply device for an aeronautical fault lamp utilizing an induced current flowing in an overhead ground line.

JP, 2017-105242, A JP 2005-265699 A JP-A-49-95159 JP 2004-103791 JP 2017-52389 A "ITmedia NEWS", [online], 19:35 on March 29, 2017, "Drone highway to prevent a collision with the overhead electric wire To jointly develop TEPCO and Zenrin", Tokyo Electric Power Holdings Ltd. Zenrin, [2017 September 15 Search], Internet <URL: http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1703/29/news146.html> “Electric Science Journal B,” “Development of a power supply unit for aeronautical obstacle lights using induced current flowing in an overhead ground line”, published on Dec. 19, 2008, Vol. 121, No. 8, Yamaguchi, Osamu Naganuma, Matsuoka Masanori, Seiji Takano, Tsuyoshi Maezaki, Kazuyuki Tomonaga, Hiroshi Nakamura, The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan, Optoelectronics Tokyo Electric Power Company

  As described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when using an unmanned air vehicle (drone, etc.) for services such as transportation system and overhead wire inspection, the flight distance and flight time are determined by the capacity and weight of the power storage device (battery). It becomes an issue that is limited. Recently, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, a "drone highway concept" has been proposed that allows a drone to fly safely and reliably to a destination by using an overhead wire as a "guidepost". However, in this case, how to supply power to the unmanned air vehicle during long distance flight becomes a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of such background, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a control method of an unmanned air vehicle capable of flying safely and efficiently while securing a flight distance and flight time.

  In order to achieve the above object, one of the present inventions is a thrust generator, a flight control device for controlling the thrust generator, an annular ring body capable of opening and closing a part of the ring, and the ring body A current generating device having a conductive coil wound around the ring, a ring switching device for opening and closing a part of the ring of the ring body, electric power based on current generated in the conductive coil as the thrust generating device or the flight control device A control method of a unmanned aerial vehicle having a power supply unit for supplying power to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the power supply unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle of one of the unmanned aerial vehicles comprising two unmanned aerial vehicles The two unmanned air vehicles are electrically connected via a cable so as to be able to supply power to the supply device, and the two unmanned air vehicles fly in formation and approach an overhead wire while maintaining the above state, While their Opening a portion of the rings of the ring body to accommodate overhead wires inside each of the rings, closing portions of the respective rings while flying, and electromagnetics of current flowing through the overhead wires Supplying the power to the thrust generating device or the flight control device based on the current generated in the conductive coil by induction action; flying along the overhead wire with the overhead wire housed inside the ring To do.

  According to the present invention, since power based on the current generated in the conductive coil by the electromagnetic induction action of the current flowing through the overhead wire is supplied to the thrust generator or flight control device, power can be supplied from the overhead wire while flying. , Can extend the flight distance and time of two unmanned air vehicles. Therefore, for example, two unmanned aerial vehicles can be made to fly over a long distance or a long time without accessing a charging station or the like, and work such as inspection of transmission and distribution facilities can be performed efficiently. In addition, if the buoyancy is lost due to insufficient storage of the storage device (battery) or failure or if a gust of wind occurs, the ring body is applied to the overhead wire, so two unmanned flying vehicles fall or deviate from the flight route. It is possible to prevent two flight vehicles from flying safely. If the power of one unmanned air vehicle is insufficient, power can be supplied from the other unmanned air vehicle. In addition, by flying a plurality of unmanned air vehicles, many tasks can be efficiently performed at one time. Thus, according to the present invention, an unmanned air vehicle can be made to fly safely and efficiently while securing the flight distance and flight time.

  Another one of the present inventions is the control method of the above-mentioned unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein, when flying along the overhead electric wire with the overhead electric wire housed inside the ring, the two unmanned flight When the thrust of one of the unmanned air vehicles of the body is lost, the other unmanned air vehicle further executes the step of pulling the unmanned air vehicle through the cable.

  According to the present invention, even when the thrust of one unmanned air vehicle is lost, flight can be continued by the other unmanned air vehicle, and services such as inspection of transmission facilities can be performed efficiently.

  Another one of the present inventions is the control method of the above-mentioned unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein, when flying along the overhead electric wire with the overhead electric wire housed inside the ring, the two unmanned flight When the thrust of one of the unmanned air vehicles in the body is lost, a part of the ring of the ring of each of the unmanned air vehicles is opened to open the two unmanned air vehicles to the overhead wire And leaving the other unmanned air vehicle while suspending the one unmanned air vehicle.

  According to the present invention, even if the thrust of one unmanned air vehicle is lost, the unmanned air vehicle can be safely recovered by the other unmanned air vehicle.

  Another one of the present inventions is the control method of the above-mentioned unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein each of the two unmanned aerial vehicles is from the power supply device of one unmanned aerial vehicle to the other of the unmanned aerial vehicle Power is supplied to the ring switchgear.

  According to the present invention, even when the other unmanned air vehicle can not supply power to its own ring switching device, power can be supplied from one unmanned air vehicle to the ring opening and closing device of the other unmanned air vehicle. Therefore, the other unmanned air vehicle can be released from the overhead wire, and the other unmanned air vehicle can be reliably recovered.

  Another one of the present inventions is the control method of the above-mentioned unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises an imaging device for photographing the surroundings, and the unmanned aerial vehicle accommodates an overhead wire inside the ring. The step of photographing the overhead wire is further performed while flying in the above state.

  Another one of the present inventions is a control method of the above-mentioned unmanned air vehicle, wherein the current generator is configured using a feedthrough current transformer.

  Another one of the present inventions is a control method of the above-mentioned unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein one of the two unmanned aerial vehicles is a pedestal portion provided with the flight control device, and the pedestal portion from the pedestal portion A plurality of arms extending in a predetermined length in the outer peripheral direction of the part and provided with the thrust generating device, and a plurality of leg supports provided extending downward of the pedestal portion, the current generating device comprising A part of the ring is provided downward in a space surrounded by the plurality of leg supports.

  Another one of the present inventions is a control method of the above-mentioned unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein one of the two unmanned aerial vehicles is a pedestal portion provided with the flight control device, and the pedestal portion from the pedestal portion A plurality of arms extending in a predetermined length in the outer peripheral direction of the part and provided with the thrust generating device, the current generating device providing a part of the ring upward above the pedestal part Be

  Another one of the present inventions is a control method of the above-mentioned unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle has a pedestal portion provided with the flight control device, and a predetermined length from the pedestal portion to the outer peripheral direction of the pedestal portion. Of the unmanned air vehicle, and a plurality of arms provided with the thrust generating device and a plurality of leg supports provided extending below the pedestal, the unmanned one of the two unmanned aerial vehicles The current generator of the flying object is provided in a space surrounded by the plurality of leg struts with a part of the ring facing downward, and the other of the unmanned flying vehicles among the two unmanned flying vehicles is provided The current generator is provided above the pedestal with a part of the ring facing upward.

  According to the present invention, for example, a wide range can be photographed by an imaging device mounted on each unmanned air vehicle, and a large amount of information can be acquired efficiently.

  Another one of the present inventions is a control method of the above-mentioned unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the power supply device supplies a power storage device for supplying power to the thrust generator or the flight control device, and a current generated in the conductive coil. And a charge control device for supplying power based on the power storage device to the power storage device.

  In addition, the subject which this application discloses, and its solution method are clarified by the column of the form for inventing, and drawing.

  According to the present invention, the unmanned air vehicle can be made to fly safely and efficiently while securing the flight distance and flight time.

It is a front view of a drone. It is the perspective view which looked at the unmanned aerial vehicle from the front slanting upper part. It is a figure explaining the structure and principle of an electric current generator. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions (block diagram) of an unmanned aerial vehicle, and a transmitter. It is a figure which shows the function (software structure) with which a control circuit is provided. It is a figure which shows the structure (hardware structure) of a charge control apparatus. It is a figure explaining the connection relation of the electric power supply apparatus of two unmanned air vehicles. It is a figure which shows a mode that the charge control apparatus of the own machine and the charge control apparatus of another machine were connected by the cable. It is a figure explaining the procedure which accommodates an overhead wire inside a ring while a drone flies. It is a figure which shows a mode that an overhead wire is accommodated in a ring body and it couple | bonds with an overhead wire in the state in which two unmanned aerial vehicles were connected by the cable. It is a figure which shows a mode that the unmanned aerial vehicle is charging a battery, inspecting an overhead electric wire. It is a flow chart explaining flight control processing. It is a figure which shows a mode that the unmanned aerial vehicle with which flight thrust is maintained continues flight, pulling the unmanned aerial vehicle which has lost flight thrust and is suspended to the overhead wire. It is a figure which shows a mode that the other unmanned air vehicle with which flight thrust is maintained suspends the unmanned air vehicle which lost flight thrust, and brings it home. It is a figure which shows the other structure of a unmanned air vehicle. The unmanned air vehicle provided with the current generator at the lower part and the unmanned air vehicle provided at the upper with the current generator are electrically connected by a cable, each ring body is connected to the overhead electric wire, and both are formation-flyed FIG.

  Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention will be described. In the following description, the same or similar components may be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof may be omitted.

  FIGS. 1 and 2 show the appearance of the unmanned air vehicle 3 described as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of the unmanned air vehicle 3, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the unmanned air vehicle 3 as viewed obliquely from the front and above. The unmanned air vehicle 3 checks transmission and distribution equipment (for example, performs state diagnosis of overhead cables, power transmission towers, power poles, etc. (checks of scratches, arc marks, bird damage, presence of approaching trees, etc.).

  The unmanned air vehicle 3 is, for example, a multicopter (bicopter, tricopter, quadcopter, hexacopter, octocopter, etc.), a helicopter, an airplane, a flight robot or the like. In the following description, the unmanned air vehicle 3 is assumed to be a quadcopter capable of flying by remote control and capable of autonomous flight with an autonomous control mechanism. In this embodiment, two unmanned air vehicles 3 having the configuration described below are formed as a formation flight.

  The unmanned aerial vehicle 3 extends horizontally at angles of 45 °, 135 °, 225 °, and 315 ° from the pedestal portion 31 and the pedestal portion 31 as the basic skeleton (frame), respectively. And a leg 33 (including a leg support 331 and a horizontal leg 332 described later, also referred to as a skid) provided to extend downward (-z direction) of the pedestal 31. . The arm 32 and the leg 33 are configured using, for example, a tubular (cylindrical, square tubular or the like) or a truss-like member. These are made of, for example, resin, metal or the like.

  The pedestal portion 31 has a structure (two upper and lower stages in this example) having a plurality of plates in the vertical direction (z-axis direction). The leg 33 is fixed to the lower end of the leg support 331 and two leg supports 331 extending downward by a predetermined length while extending from the pedestal 31 in the left and right direction (± x axis direction) respectively, and a horizontal leg 332 extending in a predetermined length (for example, a length in the front-rear direction (y-axis direction) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 3) in the y-axis direction.

  A flight control device 250 and an imaging device 282 are provided in the upper stage of the pedestal portion 31. In the lower part of the pedestal portion 31, a battery 260 (power storage device), a charge control device 82 described later, and the like are provided. These are fixed to the pedestal portion 31 using, for example, a double-sided tape, a surface fastener, a screw or the like.

  In the vicinity of the end of each of the four arms 32, a power motor 255 (a thrust generating device) is provided with the direction of the rotation axis thereof directed in the vertical direction (z-axis direction). A propeller 271 (rotor) is attached to the rotation shaft of each power motor 255. A motor control device 254 is connected to each power motor 255.

  Below the pedestal portion 31, a space S surrounded by the lower portion of the pedestal portion 31 and the two leg supports 331 is formed, and a current generator 41 and a ring opening / closing device 42 are provided in the space S. There is.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the structure and principle of the current generator 41. As shown in FIG. The current generator 41 constitutes, together with the charge control unit 82 and the battery 260, a power supply unit 240 for supplying drive power to each component of the unmanned air vehicle 3.

  As shown in the figure, the current generator 41 includes an annular (ring-shaped) ring body 411 made of a magnetic material, and a conductive coil 412 wound along the ring body 411. Both ends of the conductive coil 412 are connected to the input terminal of the charge control device 82.

  The ring body 411 is coupled to the overhead wire 2 so that the overhead wire 2 is penetrated and accommodated in the hole 415 inside the ring. In a state in which the ring body 411 is coupled to the overhead wire 2, a current (induced current) is generated in the conductive coil 412 by the electromagnetic induction action by the current flowing through the overhead wire 2, and this current is input to the charge control device 82.

  The charge control device 82 converts alternating current input through the conductive coil 412 into direct current and uses it as a charging current of the battery 260. Such a configuration of the current generator 41 can also be realized, for example, using an existing feed-through CT (power transformer (Current Transformer)) for power supply (for example, Patent Documents See Patent Document 2).

  The inner surface of the ring body 411 is made of a material having a small coefficient of friction with the overhead wire 2. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 3 can fly (move) along the overhead wire 2 while the ring body 411 is coupled to the overhead wire 2. Although the shape of the ring body 411 is not necessarily limited, for example, it is preferable to make it the shape (for example, ring shape, elliptical ring shape, etc.) which does not produce friction easily with the overhead electric wire 2 accommodated in a ring.

  FIG. 4 shows the hardware configuration (block diagram) of the unmanned air vehicle 3 and the transmitter 6 used by the user. As shown in the figure, the unmanned air vehicle 3 includes a flight control device 250, a thrust generator 270, a power supply device 240 (current generator 41, charge controller 82, battery 260), a ring opening and closing device 42, and an imaging device. It has 282. The components of the unmanned air vehicle 3 (a thrust generator 270, a flight controller 250, a ring opening and closing device 42, and an imaging device 282) operate with the power supplied from the power supply device 240. The drive power may be supplied to each of the above-described configurations from the battery 260 or directly from the charge control device 82.

  The thrust generator 270 includes a motor controller 254 and a power motor 255. A motor control device 254 (also referred to as an ESC (Electronic Speed Controller), an amplifier or the like) controls the rotation of the power motor 255 by, for example, control of the magnitude of the electrical resistance value or PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. The motor controller 254 generates thrust for flight. The control circuit 251 controls the rotation speed of each of the plurality of power motors 255 based on the information input from the various sensors 253 to operate (posture (pitch, roll, yaw), move (advances) of the unmanned air vehicle 3. , Backward movement, left and right movement, up and down) etc.). The power motor 255 is an electric motor, for example, a brushless motor. The thrust generator 270 may be an engine (internal combustion engine).

  The flight control device 250 includes a control circuit 251, a wireless communication device 252, various sensors 253, various interfaces (hereinafter referred to as various I / Fs 258), and a communication circuit 259.

  The control circuit 251 includes a processor (CPU, MPU or the like) and a storage device (RAM, ROM, NVRAM, external storage or the like), and functions as an information processing apparatus. The control circuit 251 may be realized, for example, as a microcomputer (microcomputer) by integrally packaging a processor and a storage element.

  The various sensors 253 include, for example, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor), a three-axis acceleration sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a depth camera (Time of Flight (TOF) camera, stereo camera, laser radar ( LiDAR: Laser imaging Detection and Ranging, infrared depth sensor, ultrasonic sensor, etc., GPS signal (GPS: Grobal Positioning System) receiver (hereinafter also referred to as GPS), pressure-sensitive sensor, infrared sensor, etc.

  The gyro sensor outputs, for example, a signal indicating an angular velocity of inclination and rotation of the unmanned air vehicle 3 in front, rear, left, and right. The three-axis acceleration sensor detects, for example, the acceleration of the unmanned air vehicle 3 (acceleration in each of front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions). The barometric pressure sensor outputs a signal indicating the barometric pressure. The information of the barometric pressure sensor is used, for example, when obtaining the altitude, the elevating speed and the like of the unmanned air vehicle 3. The magnetic sensor outputs, for example, a signal indicating the direction in which the aircraft axis of the unmanned air vehicle 3 is currently facing.

  The ultrasonic sensor outputs, for example, a signal indicating the distance between the unmanned air vehicle 3 and surrounding objects (transmission and distribution equipment, obstacles, ground, etc.). The depth camera outputs information indicating the distance to an object present around the unmanned air vehicle 3.

  The GPS signal receiver (GPS) outputs information indicating the current position of the unmanned air vehicle 3. For example, the current position of the unmanned air vehicle 3 can be specified in real time with an error of about several centimeters by using the GPS signal transmitted from the Quasi-Zenith satellite received by the GPS signal receiver (GPS) .

  The pressure sensor is provided, for example, at a predetermined position of the leg 33 of the unmanned air vehicle 3, and outputs a signal indicating that a predetermined portion of the unmanned air vehicle 3 has touched another object. The unmanned air vehicle 3 detects, for example, that it has touched an external object such as a power transmission facility based on a signal of a pressure sensor, and performs flight control for avoiding the object or leaving the object.

  The wireless communication device 252 wirelessly communicates directly or indirectly with the transmitter 6 present at a remote location. The wireless communication device 252 receives the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitter 6 and inputs the content of the received wireless signal to the control circuit 251. The transmitter 6 may be provided with a video reception display device (FPV (First Persons View) device or the like) for displaying the video sent from the unmanned air vehicle 3 in real time.

  The various I / F 258 is an interface for receiving information from the user and providing information to the user, and includes, for example, a push button, a switch, a touch panel, an LED, a speaker, and the like.

  The communication circuit 259 is a circuit (SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), I2C (I2C) for communicating with other components of the unmanned air vehicle 3 (motor control device 254, charge control device 82, ring opening and closing device 42, imaging device 282, etc.). Inter-Integrated Circuit), RS-232C, USB (Universal Serial Bus), etc.).

  The battery 260 is, for example, a lithium polymer secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor (electric double layer capacitor), a lithium ion secondary battery or the like. The voltage between terminals of the battery 260 is notified from the charge control device 82 to the control circuit 251, and the control circuit 251 grasps the remaining amount of the battery 260 based on the voltage between terminals.

  The ring opening / closing device 42 controls opening / closing of the ring body 411 when attaching the ring body 411 to the overhead wire 2 (one of the rings of the ring body 411 for inserting and removing the overhead wire 2 into and out of the ring hole 415 of the ring body 411). It includes a mechanism (a servomotor controlled by the control circuit 251, a mechanical opening / closing mechanism, etc.) for performing opening / closing control of the introduction port 416 provided in the unit. In this example, the ring body 411 is formed of a pair of left and right semicircular members, and the ring opening / closing device 42 forms the introduction port 416 of the overhead wire 2 below the ring body 411 by splitting the ring body 411 into two. Structure.

  The imaging device 282 communicates with, for example, a camera (video camera or digital camera), a camera control mechanism, a gimbal (biaxial gimbal, triaxial gimbal, etc.) for keeping the photographing direction of the camera constant, and a ground station. Communication devices and the like. The imaging device 282 captures an image of an object that is an inspection target (the overhead wire 2, a transmission tower, or the like), and wirelessly transmits the captured image (image data) to the ground station. In the ground station, for example, the image received from the unmanned air vehicle 3 is analyzed by image processing, AI (Artificial Intelligence), etc. to grasp the state of the inspection object. The photographing device 282 may have a function of recording (recording) a photographed video (video data) on a recording medium.

  FIG. 5 shows functions (software configuration) of the control circuit 251. As shown in the figure, the control circuit 251 includes an attitude control unit 511, a steering control unit 512, a flight control unit 513, a ring opening / closing device control unit 515, and an imaging device control unit 516. These functions are realized, for example, by the processor of the control circuit 251 reading and executing a program stored in the storage device of the control circuit 251.

  As shown in the figure, the control circuit 251 stores map information 531 and a flight path 532. The map information 531 includes three-dimensional map information. The flight route 532 includes information indicating a route (a route including an inspection route) connecting the departure point to the final landing point.

  The attitude control unit 511 controls the attitude of the unmanned air vehicle 3 by controlling the motor control device 254 (power motor 255) according to the signals input from the various sensors 253.

  The steering control unit 512 controls the motor control device 254 (power motor 255) according to the signal input from the wireless communication device 252, and controls the operation (movement, rotation, rise, fall, etc.) of the unmanned air vehicle 3. .

  The flight control unit 513 controls the thrust generator 270 based on the information acquired from the various sensors 253 to perform autonomous flight control of the unmanned air vehicle 3. This autonomous flight control may be performed automatically or semi-automatically using, for example, AI technology. At the time of passive control such as manual control, the flight control unit 513 controls the thrust generating device 270 in accordance with the instruction from the transmitter 6 received by the wireless communication device 252, and thereby the flying attitude and operation of the unmanned air vehicle 3 Control.

  The flight control unit 513 performs unmanned flight along a preset flight path (a departure point, an inspection route, and a flight path connecting each landing point) based on signals (for example, GPS signals) input from various sensors 253. Make the body 3 fly. The flight path may be manually set or automatically set using AI technology or the like. In addition, the flight control unit 513 grasps the distance between the overhead electric wire 2 with high accuracy and in real time based on the signals input from the various sensors 253.

  The ring opening / closing device controller 515 controls the opening / closing of the ring opening / closing device 42 (for example, controls the servomotor of the ring opening / closing device 42).

  The photographing device control unit 516 controls the operation (the start and stop of photographing, photographing direction, zoom magnification control, and the like) of the photographing device 282.

  FIG. 6 shows the detailed configuration of the charge control device 82 shown in FIG. As also shown in FIG. 4, the charge control device 82 is a charge control device for another unmanned air vehicle 3 (hereinafter also referred to as another aircraft) when the two unmanned air vehicles 3 perform formation flight described later. It has a function to communicate with 82 and a function to supply the power of the battery 260 of its own device to another device. As shown in FIG. 6, the charge control device 82 includes a charge control circuit 811 and a communication circuit 812.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the connection relationship of the power supply devices 240 of the two unmanned air vehicles 3 (own aircraft and other aircraft). As shown in the figure, the charge control device 82 of the own machine and the charge control device 82 of another machine are electrically connected by a cable (hereinafter referred to as a cable C) including a control / communication line and a power supply line. It is done. In the present embodiment, formation flight is performed while the two unmanned air vehicles 3 are connected by the cable C in this manner. The cable C is preferably made of a flexible material in order to reduce the influence on flight control and attitude control of the unmanned air vehicle 3. Also, as described later, the cable C is not easily cut so that the other unmanned air vehicle 3 can suspend the unmanned air vehicle 3 when the unmanned air vehicle 3 loses thrust due to an obstacle or the like. It is preferable to have sufficient strength. The cable C may be covered with, for example, a cover such as a bellows hose in order to reduce damage to the cable C and prevent the cable C from touching other objects and damaging other objects.

  Returning to FIG. 6, the charge control circuit 811 includes a circuit for efficiently charging the battery 260 of the own device and another device, a monitoring circuit of the voltage between the terminals of the battery 260 of the own device and the other device, various protection circuits, etc. Prepare. The charge control circuit 811 efficiently receives the received power to the battery 260 of the own machine or the other machine while monitoring the voltage between the terminals of the battery 260 of the own machine or the other machine so that the battery 260 of the own machine or the other machine is Charge. The charge control circuit 811 charges the battery 260 of the own device or another device while performing, for example, control of a CVCC (Constant Voltage. Constant Current) method. The charge control circuit 811 charges the battery 260 of its own device or another device with the power supplied from the current generator 41. The charge control circuit 811 can also charge the battery 260 of another device with the power of the battery 260 of the own device.

  The communication circuit 812 communicates with the communication circuit 259 of the flight control device 250 of its own aircraft and the charge control device 82 of another aircraft. The charge control circuit 811 transmits information of the battery 260 of the own device or another device to the control circuit 251 via the communication circuit 812. Further, the charge control circuit 811 obtains the voltage between the terminals of the battery 260 of another device via the communication circuit 812.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which the charge control device 82 of the own device and the charge control device 82 of another device are connected by the cable C. In order to suppress the influence of one unmanned air vehicle 3 on the flight control and attitude control of the other unmanned air vehicle 3, it is preferable to keep the cable C in a non-tension state all the time while the unmanned air vehicle 3 is flying. For example, each unmanned air vehicle 3 performs precise position control using the information of the various sensors 253, so that the formation flight can be performed with the cable C slackened.

[Connection with overhead wire]
The two unmanned aerial vehicles 3 fly in formation while maintaining the state of being connected by the cable C, approach the overhead wire 2 from above the overhead wire 2, and put the overhead wire 2 in the hole 415 of the ring of each ring 411 Retain and combine with the overhead wire 2 while maintaining formation flight.

  FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the procedure for accommodating the overhead electric wire 2 inside the ring body 411 while each of the two unmanned air vehicles 3 is flying. The unmanned air vehicle 3 first approaches the overhead wire 2 from above as shown in (a). Subsequently, as shown in (b), the unmanned aerial vehicle 3 opens a part of the ring of the ring 411 and descends, and accommodates the overhead wire 2 in the hole 415 of the ring 411. Then, the unmanned air vehicle 3 closes the ring body 411 and couples with the overhead wire 2 as shown in (c).

  As shown in FIG. 10, the two unmanned aerial vehicles 3 fly while being connected by the cable C and approach the overhead wire 2, and accommodate the overhead wire 2 in the ring body 411 and couple to the overhead wire 2 .

  As shown in FIG. 11, after the two unmanned aerial vehicles 3 are coupled to the overhead wire 2, the overhead wire 2 is extended while charging the battery 260 with the current generated by the electromagnetic induction action by the current flowing through the overhead wire 2. It flies along the direction to go out, and checks the overhead electric wire 2 grade (for example, photography of the power transmission and distribution equipment which is the inspection object, and the surrounding condition).

  During the formation flight along the overhead wire 2, the two unmanned air vehicles 3 are located at appropriate distances from the overhead wire 2 and the distance to other aircraft based on the information obtained from the various sensors 253 respectively. Control in real time to become

  As described above, since the inner surface of the ring body 411 is made of a material having a small coefficient of friction with the overhead wire 2, the two unmanned air vehicles 3 can move smoothly along the overhead wire 2. it can. In the state where the two unmanned air vehicles 3 are coupled to the overhead wire 2 in this manner, for example, even if the buoyancy is lost or the gust blows due to a shortage or failure of the battery 260, the ring body 411 is applied to the overhead wire 2. Because it is hanging, it does not fall off or deviate from the flight route.

  As the two unmanned air vehicles 3 approach the transmission transmission tower or the like as they interfere with the flight, they each reverse the procedure shown in FIG. Disconnect from the wire 2

[Flight control processing]
FIG. 12 is a flow chart for explaining the process (hereinafter referred to as flight control process S1200) performed by the two unmanned air vehicles 3 connected by the cable C in formation flight for inspection. The flight control processing S1200 will be described below with reference to FIG.

  As shown in the figure, first, at the departure place, the two unmanned air vehicles 3 store the flight path 532 by the user's registration operation or the like (S1211), and the battery 260 is utilized using the charging facility provided on the ground. Charge (pre-flight charge) (S1212). In setting of the flight path 532, the user sets an interval between the two unmanned air vehicles 3 during formation flight.

  Subsequently, the two unmanned air vehicles 3 take off the departure place while forming a formation flight while being connected by the cable C, and start formation formation flight along the flight path 532 (S1213). During flight, each unmanned aerial vehicle 3 grasps its current position in real time based on the information of various sensors 253 such as GPS, and determines whether or not it approaches the overhead electric wire 2 (S1214). For example, when the distance between the current position and the overhead wire 2 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the two unmanned air vehicles 3 are determined to approach the overhead wire 2.

  When it is determined that the two unmanned air vehicles 3 approach the overhead wire 2 (S1214: YES), the ring body 411 is coupled to the overhead wire 2 according to the above-described procedure shown in FIG. 9 (S1215).

  Subsequently, the two unmanned air vehicles 3 start flying along the overhead wire 2 based on the information acquired from the various sensors 253, and check the transmission and distribution facilities (photographing of the overhead wire 2 and the photographed image (video data , Etc.) is started (S1216). At this time, for example, by setting the imaging device 282 so that the imaging ranges of the two unmanned air vehicles 3 are different from each other as much as possible so that the wide area can be imaged simultaneously, the imaging time is shortened and efficiency is increased. I can shoot well.

  Even when the unmanned air vehicle 3 loses the thrust necessary for the flight, the ring body 411 of the unmanned air vehicle 3 remains coupled to the overhead wire 2 even if some abnormality such as battery exhaustion or failure occurs during flight and the unmanned air vehicle 3 loses the thrust necessary for the flight. Because the unmanned air vehicle 3 is suspended from the overhead wire 2, the unmanned air vehicle 3 is suspended.

  As shown in FIG. 13, when one unmanned air vehicle 3 has some abnormality and the unmanned air vehicle loses the thrust necessary for flight, for example, the other unmanned air vehicle 3 whose flight thrust is maintained. Work on the transmission and distribution facilities by continuing the flight while pulling one unmanned air vehicle 3 while connecting with the unmanned air vehicle 3 suspended to the overhead wire 2 and the cable C Can be carried out continuously. In such a case, for example, the power supply device 240 of the other unmanned air vehicle 3 charges the unmanned air vehicle 3 by supplying power to the unmanned air vehicle 3 via the cable C. You may make it return to the state which can fly (it tries return).

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, in such a case, the other unmanned air vehicle 3 stops the inspection of the power transmission and distribution facility, releases the connection between the ring body 411 and the overhead wire 2, and is released from the overhead wire 2 Alternatively, one of the broken unmanned air vehicles 3 may be suspended and brought back to the landing site. In this case, it is also necessary to release the connection between the ring body 411 and the overhead wire 2 for one unmanned air vehicle 3, but the power necessary for this (power for moving the ring opening and closing device 42) and the transmitter Power for communicating with 6 (assuming remote control of the ring opening and closing device 42 from the transmitter 6) can also be supplied from the other unmanned air vehicle 3 via the cable C.

  Referring back to FIG. 12, during inspection, the two unmanned air vehicles 3 fly in formation along the overhead wire 2 and determine in real time whether or not the timing for leaving the overhead wire 2 has arrived (S1217). Note that the timing at which the flight from the overhead electric wire 2 occurs is, for example, when the unmanned air vehicle 3 approaches an obstacle (a power transmission tower, a difficult snowfall ring, a twist prevention damper, etc.) or It comes when the inspection of the inspection target section is completed.

  When the timing for separating from the overhead wire 2 arrives (S1217: YES), the two unmanned air vehicles 3 respectively open the ring body 411 and separate from the overhead wire 2 (S1218). If the timing to withdraw from the overhead wire 2 has not arrived (S 1217: NO), the two unmanned air vehicles 3 continue to fly along the overhead wire 2 as they are.

  Subsequently, the two unmanned air vehicles 3 determine whether or not a return timing has arrived (S1219). The return timing may be reached, for example, when all scheduled inspections have been completed, when any failure occurs, or when a return instruction is received from the ground station.

  If the return timing has not come (S1219: NO), the process returns to S1214, and the two unmanned air vehicles 3 continue the flight for inspection. If the return timing has come (S 1219: YES), the process proceeds to S 1220, and the two unmanned air vehicles 3 start the flight for return (S 1220), and when reaching the sky above the landing site for landing Control the vehicle and land on the landing site (S1221).

  As described above in detail, according to the configuration and method of the present embodiment, the unmanned air vehicle 3 can receive power supply from the overhead wire 2 while flying, and can extend the flight distance and flight time . Therefore, for example, the unmanned air vehicle 3 can be made to fly over a long distance or for a long time without accessing a charging station or the like, and work such as inspection of transmission and distribution facilities can be performed efficiently. In addition, when buoyancy is lost due to a shortage of remaining amount of battery 260 or failure or when a gust of wind occurs, ring body 411 is applied to overhead wire 2, so that unmanned air vehicle 3 may fall or deviate from the flight route. It is possible to prevent the unmanned air vehicle 3 from flying safely. As described above, according to the configuration and method of the present embodiment, it is possible to safely fly the unmanned air vehicle 3 while securing the flight distance and flight time.

  When the configuration and method of the present embodiment are applied to, for example, a "drone highway concept" that uses the overhead wire 2 as a "guide indicator", charging the battery 260 while flying along the overhead wire 2 Thus, the unmanned air vehicle 3 can be efficiently and safely flying far.

  If the power of one unmanned air vehicle 3 is insufficient, the other unmanned air vehicle 3 can supply power. Also, by forming a plurality of unmanned air vehicles 3 in formation flight, many tasks can be efficiently performed at one time. As described above, according to the configuration and method of the present embodiment, the unmanned air vehicle 3 can be made to fly safely and efficiently while securing the flight distance and flight time.

  The above description is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the gist thereof and includes the equivalents thereof. For example, the above embodiments have been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Further, with respect to a part of the configuration of the above-described embodiment, it is possible to add, delete, and replace other configurations.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the unmanned air vehicle 3 is configured to approach the overhead wire 2 from above and couple the ring body 411 to the overhead wire 2, for example, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the ring body 411 may be coupled to the overhead wire 2 by approaching the overhead wire 2 from below the overhead wire 2 while flying. In this way, for example, imaging can be performed from the lower side of the overhead wire 2.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the unmanned air vehicle 3 provided with the current generator 41 at the lower part and the unmanned air vehicle 3 provided with the current generator 41 at the upper part are electrically connected by the cable C. The ring body 411 may be coupled to the overhead wire 2 so that both of them can be formation-flyed. In this case, for example, the overhead electric wire 2 can be photographed from different directions by the photographing device 282 mounted on both, and a lot of information can be acquired efficiently.

  Further, in the above embodiment, two unmanned air vehicles 3 are connected by a cable C for formation flight, but more unmanned air vehicles 3 may be connected via a cable C for formation flight.

  In addition, each of the configurations, function units, processing units, processing means, etc. described above may be realized by hardware, for example, by designing part or all of them with an integrated circuit. Each configuration, function, etc. described above may be realized by software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information such as a program, a table, and a file for realizing each function can be placed in a memory, a hard disk, a recording device such as a solid state drive (SSD), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

  In each of the above-mentioned drawings, control lines and information lines indicate what is considered to be necessary for explanation, and not all control lines and information lines on mounting are necessarily shown. For example, in practice it may be considered that almost all configurations are mutually connected.

  The arrangement of the various functional units in the embodiment described above is merely an example. The arrangement form of the various functional units can be changed to an optimum arrangement form in terms of hardware and software performance, processing efficiency, communication efficiency, and the like.

Reference Signs List 2 overhead electric wire, 3 unmanned aerial vehicle, 6 transmitter, C cable, 41 current generator, 42 ring switch, 82 charge controller, 240 power supply, 250 flight controller, 251 control circuit, 260 battery, 270 thrust Generating device, 282 imaging device, 411 ring body, 412 conductive coil, 415 hole, 416 introduction port, 513 flight control unit, 515 ring switching device control unit, 811 charge control circuit, 812 communication circuit, S1200 flight control processing

Claims (10)

A thrust generator,
A flight control device for controlling the thrust generator;
A current generating device having an annular ring body capable of opening and closing a part of the ring, and a conductive coil wound around the ring body;
A ring opening and closing device for opening and closing a part of the ring of the ring body;
A power supply device for supplying power based on a current generated in the conductive coil to the thrust generator or the flight control device;
A method of controlling a unmanned air vehicle comprising
Electrically connect the two unmanned aerial vehicles via cables so that the power supply of one unmanned aerial vehicle can supply power to the power supply of the other unmanned aerial vehicle And
The two unmanned air vehicles are
While flying in the above state, forming a flight and approaching an overhead wire,
Opening part of the rings of the respective ring bodies while flying to accommodate overhead wires inside the respective rings;
Closing a portion of each said ring while flying; and
Supplying the power based on the current generated in the conductive coil by the electromagnetic induction action of the current flowing through the overhead wire to the thrust generator or the flight control device;
Flying along the overhead wire with the overhead wire housed inside the ring;
How to control the unmanned air vehicle to perform. The control method of a unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
When flying along the overhead wire with the overhead wire housed inside the ring, the thrust of the unmanned flight vehicle of one of the two unmanned aerial vehicles is lost, Further performing the step of towing the unmanned air vehicle through the cable by the other unmanned air vehicle;
Control method of unmanned air vehicle. The control method of a unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
When flying along the overhead wire with the overhead wire housed inside the ring, the thrust of the unmanned flight vehicle of one of the two unmanned aerial vehicles is lost, Opening a portion of the ring of the ring body of each of the two unmanned aerial vehicles to release the two unmanned aerial vehicles from the overhead electric wire, and the other unmanned aerial vehicle operating the one unmanned aerial vehicle Step to fly while suspended,
A method of controlling an unmanned air vehicle, further performing: The control method of a unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
Each of the two unmanned aerial vehicles supplies power from the power supply device of one unmanned aerial vehicle to the ring open / close device of the other unmanned aerial vehicle.
Control method of unmanned air vehicle. A control method of an unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The unmanned air vehicle comprises an imaging device for imaging the surroundings,
The unmanned air vehicle further executes the step of photographing the overhead wire while flying with the overhead wire housed inside the ring.
Control method of unmanned air vehicle. A control method of an unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The current generator is configured using a feedthrough current transformer.
Control method of unmanned air vehicle. A control method of an unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
One of the two unmanned air vehicles is
A pedestal portion provided with the flight control device;
A plurality of arms extending from the pedestal in a circumferential direction of the pedestal by a predetermined length and provided with the thrust generator;
A plurality of leg supports provided extending downward of the pedestal;
Equipped with
The current generator is provided in a space surrounded by the plurality of leg supports with a part of the ring directed downward.
Control method of unmanned air vehicle. A control method of an unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
One of the two unmanned air vehicles is
A pedestal portion provided with the flight control device;
A plurality of arms extending from the pedestal in a circumferential direction of the pedestal by a predetermined length and provided with the thrust generator;
Equipped with
The current generator is provided above the pedestal with a portion of the ring facing upward.
Control method of unmanned air vehicle. A control method of an unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The unmanned air vehicle is
A pedestal portion provided with the flight control device;
A plurality of arms extending from the pedestal in a circumferential direction of the pedestal by a predetermined length and provided with the thrust generator;
A plurality of leg supports provided extending downward of the pedestal;
Equipped with
The current generator of the unmanned aerial vehicle of one of the two unmanned aerial vehicles is provided in a space surrounded by the plurality of leg struts with a part of the ring directed downward.
The current generator of the other unmanned air vehicle of the two unmanned air vehicles is provided above the pedestal with a part of the ring directed upward.
Control method of unmanned air vehicle. A control method of an unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The power supply device
A power storage device for supplying power to the thrust generator or the flight control device;
A charge control device for supplying power to the power storage device based on current generated in the conductive coil;
Further comprising
Control method of unmanned air vehicle.