JP2019130927A - Robot aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a robot aircraft capable of stably maintaining a distance between a vertical plane of a structure being a work object and a machine body.SOLUTION: A robot aircraft comprises: a horizontal rotary blade; an advance control part which is a blade plate member for receiving an exhaust stream of the horizontal rotary blade and changing the wind direction thereof; and a plurality of rotors arranged to protrude outside of a horizontal direction from a shank. When a direction where a plurality of wheels protrude from the shank is a front direction, an opposite direction thereof is a rear direction, a direction horizontally orthogonal to the front/rear direction is a lateral direction, and a direction vertically crossing the front/rear direction is a vertical direction, the advance control part can change the wind direction of the received exhaust stream to the rear side, in the robot aircraft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to unmanned aerial technology.

  In recent years, improvements in sensors and software used for attitude control and autonomous flight of unmanned aerial vehicles have advanced, and the performance and operability of unmanned aerial vehicles have improved dramatically. In particular, multi-copters flying with multiple fixed-pitch propellers have a simpler rotor structure than helicopters, and are easier to design and maintain, so applications for various missions in a wide range of industrial fields are being studied. .

JP 2011-123006 A

  An aircraft such as a multicopter has a problem that it is difficult to stabilize the position of the aircraft compared to a vehicle placed on the ground due to its nature of moving in the air. For example, when a wall surface inspection or painting of a structure is performed using a multicopter, it is necessary to fly it at a constant speed while keeping the distance between the airframe and the wall surface constant. Such maneuvering requires extremely advanced maneuvering skills. In particular, turbulent flow is likely to occur near bridge girders and buildings, and it is not realistic to overcome this with only maneuvering skills. The multicopter needs to tilt the body (rotation surface of the rotor) when moving horizontally or canceling disturbances such as wind. It is not easy to simultaneously press the wheel against the wall surface, move, and deal with disturbances by simply tilting the aircraft.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle that can stably maintain a distance between a vertical plane of a structure to be worked and a fuselage.

  In order to solve the above problems, an unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention includes a horizontal rotor, a forward control unit that is a blade member that receives an exhaust flow of the horizontal rotor and changes its wind direction, and a horizontal outer side from the trunk. A plurality of rotating bodies arranged so as to project to the front, a direction in which the plurality of rotating bodies project from the body portion is the front, the opposite direction is the rear, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is horizontal When the direction perpendicular to the direction and the front-rear direction is the up-down direction, the forward movement control unit can receive the exhaust flow and change the wind direction rearward.

  The forward control unit, which is a wing plate member, receives the exhaust flow of the horizontal rotary blade and changes its wind direction backward, whereby thrust including forward components is generated in the forward control unit. Rather than tilting the rotating surface of the horizontal rotor, it is possible to press the rotating body against a vertical surface such as the wall surface of the structure while keeping the aircraft level by advancing the aircraft with the thrust generated by the advance control unit. In addition, the application of the horizontal rotor can be limited to control other than pitch (elevator).

  The forward control unit is rotatable about the shaft part around the shaft part, and the forward control unit moves the wind direction of the exhaust flow received by the forward control unit backward at a predetermined arrangement angle. It is preferable to change.

  When the forward movement control unit is a movable member, it is possible to adjust the generation / stop of forward thrust and the strength thereof, and to more efficiently press the rotating body against the wall surface or the like.

  The unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention includes a plurality of the forward control units, and the plurality of forward control units have a symmetric axis about a straight line passing back and forth through the center of the trunk when viewed in plan. As for, it is preferable to arrange | position in the position and direction which become line symmetry.

  By generating forward thrust using a plurality of forward control units, the direction and strength of the thrust can be adjusted more flexibly. Further, by arranging these forward control units symmetrically, it is possible to more easily and intuitively maneuver the aircraft using the forward control unit.

  Further, the unmanned aircraft of the present invention includes an inertial measurement device, an altitude sensor, and a flight control means, and the forward control unit is disposed at a substantially center in the front-rear direction of the trunk part or behind the center, The flight control means is configured to automatically adjust the output of the horizontal rotary wing so as to restore the aircraft horizontally while maintaining the flight altitude when the inertial measurement device detects an unintended aircraft inclination. It is good.

  When the forward control unit receives the exhaust flow of the horizontal rotary blade and changes its wind direction backward, the negative pressure generated on the lower surface side of the forward control unit generates a forward thrust and is lowered by resistance to the exhaust flow. It also generates thrust. The resultant force of these thrusts pulls the forward control section diagonally forward and downward. At this time, if the forward control unit is disposed at a substantially center in the front-rear direction of the body part or behind the center, the forward control part pulled by the resultant force and the moment generated in the shaft part are It acts to lower the position of the aft (rear end) side than the neck (front end) side. The flight control means controls the horizontal rotary wing so that the lift on the aft side is relatively higher than that on the nose side in order to maintain the level of the aircraft and the flight altitude with respect to this attitude change. By controlling the horizontal rotary wing in this manner, the aircraft is further thrust forward. Thereby, the rotating body is strongly pressed against the wall surface or the like.

  The plurality of rotating bodies are preferably rotatable by a driving source.

  When the rotating body is a drive wheel, the rotating body can be driven to travel on the surface of the structure. And in this invention, since a rotary body is pressed against a wall surface etc. by the advance control part, the use of a horizontal rotary blade can be narrowed down only to attitude control of an airframe.

  Further, it is preferable that the plurality of rotating bodies protrude forward and upward from the body portion.

  By projecting the plurality of rotating bodies forward and upward from the trunk portion, it is possible to move while maintaining a constant distance from the ceiling surface of the structure as well as the vertical surface.

  Further, when the plurality of rotating bodies is a first rotating body set, a second rotating body set that is another plurality of rotating bodies that protrudes upward from the body portion is provided behind the first rotating body set. The machine body has a frame that is a frame body in which a rod-like body is assembled in a polygonal shape having an even number of sides that are hexagons or more in plan view, and the first rotating body set is It is attached to both ends of the rod-shaped body constituting one side of the frame, and the second rotating body set is attached to both ends of the rod-shaped body constituting a side opposite to the one side. Is preferred.

  Compared to the case of using a rectangular frame by attaching the first rotating body group and the second rotating body group to both ends of one side of the polygon having an even number of sides of 6 or more and both ends of the opposite side. The outer dimensions of the airframe can be kept small, and the work on the ceiling surface can be performed more stably by being supported at least at four points with respect to the ceiling surface.

  Further, the advance control unit has a blade shape in which the cross-sectional shape in the plate thickness direction is a blade shape in which the plate thickness on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the cross section is thick and the wall thickness on the other end side is thin. The one end side is preferably disposed above the other end side.

  In the case where the forward control unit has a wing shape, if the upper surface of the forward control unit receives the exhaust flow and flows backward, negative pressure is generated on the lower surface of the forward control unit. By utilizing this negative pressure, a forward thrust can be effectively generated.

  The unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention includes a plurality of the horizontal rotary wings, and the plurality of horizontal rotary wings are provided as a set of two horizontal rotary wings that are coaxially arranged vertically. It is good.

  By arranging the horizontal rotary blades vertically, it is possible to increase lift while suppressing an increase in the horizontal dimension of the airframe.

  The unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention further includes a rotation control unit that is a blade member that receives the exhaust flow of the horizontal rotary wing and changes the wind direction to the right direction or the left direction, and the rotation control unit includes a shaft portion. The shaft can be rotated around the shaft portion as a center, and the rotation control unit may be arranged on the front side or the rear side of the center of the body portion in the front-rear direction.

  By performing yaw control of the airframe by the rotation control unit that is the slat member, it is possible to cope with disturbance in the yaw direction without tilting the airframe.

  Further, the unmanned aircraft of the present invention includes a plurality of the rotation control units, and the plurality of rotation control units are point-symmetric with respect to the center of the trunk when viewed in plan. It is preferable to arrange | position in the position and direction which become.

  By performing yaw control of the airframe using a plurality of forward control units, the strength of thrust in the yaw direction can be adjusted more flexibly. Further, by arranging these rotation control units symmetrically, the yaw operation using the rotation control unit can be performed more easily and intuitively.

  Thus, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention, it is possible to stably maintain the distance between the vertical plane of the structure to be worked and the aircraft.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the multicopter concerning embodiment. It is a top view of the multicopter of FIG. It is the side view which looked at the multicopter of Drawing 1 from the A direction. It is a schematic diagram which shows the mode of the wall surface running of a multicopter. It is a side perspective see-through | perspective view which shows rotation operation | movement of an advance control part. It is a side view schematic diagram which shows the thrust generation | occurrence | production principle by a forward drive control part. It is a schematic diagram explaining the principle by which forward thrust is strengthened by a flight control means. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of a multicopter. It is a top view schematic diagram of a multicopter provided with a rotation control part. It is a planar view schematic diagram which shows the modification of a flame | frame.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The following embodiment is an example of a multicopter that applies a paint or a chemical to a wall surface (vertical surface / ceiling surface) of a structure such as a bridge or a building.

(Configuration overview)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a multicopter 10 that is an unmanned aerial vehicle of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the multicopter 10. FIG. 3 is a side view of the multicopter 10 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow A. "Vertical" in the following description, "vertical", and "vertical" are, each means a direction parallel to the drawn Z-axis of the coordinate axes in the figure, "upper" and Z ₁ side, Z ₂ side Is “down”. “Horizontal” means a plane parallel to the XY plane indicated by the same coordinate axis. Further, “side” of the multicopter 10 means a direction from the multicopter 10 toward the outside in the horizontal direction. Of the side of the multirotor 10, the term "longitudinal" means the direction parallel to the X axis of the coordinate axes, the X ₁ side "front", the X ₂ side and "rear". Similarly, “left and right” means a direction parallel to the Y axis of the same coordinate axis, where the Y ₁ side is “right” and the Y ₂ side is “left”. The “horizontal rotary blade” referred to in the present invention refers to a rotary blade whose axial direction of the rotary shaft extends vertically and whose surface direction of the rotary surface is horizontal.

  The multicopter 10 of this example mainly includes a frame 12 that is a body portion of a fuselage, a rotor 60 that is a horizontal rotary blade, a wind direction control unit 80 that is a blade member that controls the wind direction of the exhaust flow of the rotor 60, and the frame 12. The wheel 70 is a rotating body projecting forward and backward and upward, a liquid tank 191, which is a coating device for a wall surface, a pump device 192, and a roller 193.

(flame)
The frame 12 of this example is a plurality of pipes 121 that are cylindrical rod-shaped bodies, a joint member 122 that connects these pipes 121, a center hub 123 that is arranged at the center of the frame 12, and a center of the frame 12 that is the same. A tank base 124 and a landing leg 125 attached to the bottom of the frame 12 and projecting downward from the frame 12 are provided. Each member constituting the frame 12 is made of a lightweight and high-strength CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) pipe material or plate material, which maximizes the loading capacity of the machine body. Note that, in addition to the pipe 121 of the present embodiment, a rod material, an elongated plate material, or the like can be used for the rod-shaped body of the present invention. The material of the rod-shaped body is not limited to CFRP, but it is desirable to use a light weight and high strength material.

  The center hub 123 is composed of two flat plate members that are arranged side by side in parallel with their plate surfaces facing up and down. A flight controller FC, which will be described later, is attached to the center hub 123. The tank base 124 is made of a single flat plate material, and the tank base 124 is disposed below the center hub 123 and in parallel with the center hub 123. A liquid tank 191 and a pump device 192 are attached to the tank base 124. The center hub 123 and the tank base 124 are coupled by pipes 121 that vertically penetrate these four corners in plan view.

  The frame 12 includes an outer frame portion 12a in which pipes 121 are assembled in an octagonal shape in plan view, arm portions 12b and 12c that are pipes 121 extending horizontally from the center hub 123 and the tank base 124 in the front-rear and left-right directions, and the tank base 124. And a reinforcing portion 12d for supporting The arm portion 12b extending from the center hub 123 is connected to the outer frame portion 12a, and the arm portion 12c extending from the tank base 124 is connected to each of the arm portions 12b via pipes 121 that are vertically arranged in the vicinity of their tips. It is connected to the vicinity of the tip of the pipe 121. The reinforcing portion 12d is connected to four sides different from the four sides of the outer frame portion 12a to which the arm portion 12b is connected. The landing leg 125 is attached to the tip of each pipe 121 of the arm portion 12 c and the bottom surface of the tank base 124.

(Rotor)
The rotor 60 of this example has a fixed pitch propeller mounted on the output shaft of a brushless motor. The rotor 60 is attached to each pipe 121 constituting the arm portions 12 b and 12 c of the frame 12. The rotors 60 attached to the arm portions 12b and 12c are arranged coaxially in the vertical direction. The multicopter 10 of this example is an octacopter having a total of eight rotors 60, including four pairs of two rotors 60 arranged coaxially. In the multicopter 10 of this example, the two rotors 60 are arranged coaxially, so that the lift of the airframe is increased while suppressing an increase in the horizontal dimension of the airframe.

  In addition, although the multicopter 10 of this example is provided with many rotors 60 in order to obtain the lift which conveys heavy goods, such as the liquid agent tank 191, the number of the horizontal rotary blades of this invention is according to the use of an unmanned aircraft. You may change suitably. The number of rotors 60 may be reduced as compared with the present example, and a configuration of hexacopters (6 units), quadcopters (4 units), and tricopters (3 units) may be used. Conversely, the number of rotors 60 may be increased as compared with the present example. . Further, the propeller of the rotor 60 does not always need to be a fixed pitch propeller, and a variable pitch propeller may be adopted. For example, it is possible to adopt a configuration of one main rotor and tail rotor of a variable pitch propeller, or a configuration of only one set of counter rotating propellers.

(Wheel)
The multicopter 10 has four wheels 70 attached to the outer frame portion 12a. A CFRP disk material is used for the wheel 70 of this example, and the shape corresponding to the rim, spoke, and hub is formed by removing the meat from the disk material. All of these wheels 70 are arranged in such a direction that the axis is parallel to the left-right direction.

  The wheel 70 of this example is coaxially disposed on the front side of the frame 12, and is coaxially disposed on the rear side of the frame 12 and the first rotating body set 70 a that is a pair of wheels 70 protruding forward and upward from the frame 12. 12 and a second rotating body set 70b which is a pair of wheels 70 projecting rearward and upward.

  Moreover, each wheel 70 of this example is a drive wheel which has the motor 71 which is a drive source. Thereby, it is possible to travel on the wall surface using the wheels 70. In addition, it is not essential that each wheel 70 is provided with a drive source, and wall surface travel may be performed by the rotor 60 and the forward movement control unit 80a. In this example, by adopting a DC motor as a driving source for each wheel 70, the power transmission mechanism from the driving source to the wheel 70 is simplified, and the rotational speed of the wheel 70 and the control of forward / reverse rotation are controlled. Although simplified, an engine may be mounted instead of the motor 71 if necessary.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the multi-copter 10 running on the wall surface. The multicopter 10 of the present example includes the first rotating body group 70a and the second rotating body group 70b, so that the multicopter 10 moves while keeping the distance from the ceiling surface HS constant as well as the vertical surface VS of the structure C. It is also possible to do. In addition, although the 2nd rotary body group 70b of this example protrudes back also from the flame | frame 12, the same function can be acquired as long as it protrudes upwards from the flame | frame 12. FIG.

  Moreover, in the multicopter 10 of this example, the 1st rotary body group 70a is provided in the both ends of the pipe 121 which comprises the edge of the front edge of the outer frame part 12a, and comprises the edge | side of the rear edge of the outer frame part 12a The second rotating body set 70b is provided at both ends of the pipe 121 to be performed. Thereby, compared with the case where a rectangular-shaped frame is used, the external dimension of the airframe is restrained small.

  The “rotary body” of the present invention is not limited to the form of the wheel 70 of the present example. The “rotating body” of the present invention is not limited as long as it can rotate at least the peripheral surface portion in contact with the vertical surface or ceiling surface of the structure. For example, an endless track called a crawler or a crawler track or a fixed rim It may be a mechanism for rotating the belt attached to the belt.

(Wind direction control unit)
FIG. 5 is a side perspective view showing the turning operation of the forward movement control unit 80a which is a kind of the wind direction control unit 80. The forward control unit 80a is a slat member that receives the exhaust flow f of the rotor 60 and changes the wind direction rearward. The forward control unit 80a in FIG. 5 is a view of the forward control unit 80a on the left side of the multicopter 10 as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an initial position of the forward movement control unit 80a. The forward movement control unit 80a in the initial position is arranged with the tip t directed vertically downward. FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a state where the tip t of the forward movement control unit 80a is tilted rearward.

  The forward control unit 80a in the initial position does not hinder the flow of the exhaust flow f, and the shadow of the exhaust flow f on the wind direction is minimized. When the front end t of the advance control unit 80a is directed to the rear side, that is, in an angle range where the front end t of the advance control unit 80a is directed rearward from the vertically lower side and the upper surface of the advance control unit 80a is not horizontal. The advance controller 80a changes the exhaust flow f of the rotor 60 backward.

  When the forward movement control unit 80a changes the exhaust flow f of the rotor 60 rearward, a thrust including a forward component is generated in the forward movement control unit 80a. By using this thrust, the multicopter 10 of this example uses the first rotating body set 70a on the vertical plane VS of the structure C while maintaining the level of the airframe without tilting the airframe (the rotating surface of the rotor 60). It is possible to press.

  The forward movement control unit 80a of this example is a flat plate member having a rectangular plate surface, and is rotatably supported by a bearing unit 82 suspended from the arm unit 12b. A servo motor 81 for rotating the shaft portion 821 of the forward movement control portion 80a is fixed to the bearing portion 82 (see FIG. 1), and the forward movement control portion 80a of this example is rotated around the shaft portion 821 by the servo motor 81. Move. Thereby, it is possible to adjust the generation / stop of the forward thrust and the strength thereof by the forward movement control unit 80a, and more efficiently press the first rotating body assembly 70a against the vertical plane VS. It is possible.

  The forward control unit 80a of this example is arranged at a position and orientation that are line symmetric with respect to a straight line L passing through the center of the frame 12 in the front-rear direction when the frame 12 is viewed in plan (see FIG. 2). . That is, the forward movement control unit 80a is arranged symmetrically. More specifically, the multicopter 10 of this example includes two forward control units 80a, and these forward control units 80a are respectively disposed below the left and right rotors 60 supported by the arm portion 12b. Yes. The multicopter 10 of this example can adjust the direction and strength of thrust more flexibly by generating forward thrust using these two forward control units 80a. Further, since these forward control units 80a are arranged symmetrically, it is possible to more easily and more intuitively maneuver the aircraft using the forward control unit 80a.

The forward control unit 80a of the present example is disposed in a direction in which the axis thereof is horizontal and parallel to the left-right direction, and is disposed substantially at the center of the multicopter 10 in the front-rear direction.
Here, as long as the forward movement control unit 80a is provided symmetrically, the above-described effect can be obtained even if the axis is not horizontally arranged and the axis is arranged in a direction not parallel to the left-right direction. The same effect can be obtained. Further, it is not always necessary that there are two forward control units 80a. For example, even if only one forward control unit 80a is provided under the rotor 60 on the front side or the rear side of the frame 12, a forward effect can be obtained.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing the principle of thrust generation by the forward movement control unit 80a of this example. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing the pressure distribution on the surface of the forward movement control unit 80a. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating the thrust generated in the forward movement control unit 80a.

  The forward movement control unit 80a has a blade shape in which the cross-sectional shape in the plate thickness direction (the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft portion 821) is thick at one end side in the longitudinal direction of the cross section and the wall thickness at the other end is thin. It is arrange | positioned so that the thick one end side may become above the other end side.

When the cross section of the forward control unit 80a has a blade shape, when the surface on the upper side of the forward control unit 80a flows the exhaust flow f backward, the surface on the lower side of the forward control unit 80a A negative pressure corresponding to the angle of attack d of the forward movement control unit 80a is generated. The negative pressure generates a resultant force F including forward thrust F ₁ as a component. By utilizing this thrust F _1, it is possible to advance the multirotor 10 effectively.

Incidentally, the forward control unit 80a of the present embodiment, although the efficiency of generation of the thrust F ₁ is enhanced by cross-section is airfoil shaped, forward controller 80a may be other shapes. If it is a wing plate member that can change the exhaust flow of the horizontal rotary blade to the rear, for example, even if it is a flat plate having a uniform thickness, it is possible to generate a forward thrust.

  Further, the forward movement control unit 80a of the present example can be structurally rotated so that the tip t thereof is directed forward. When the forward movement control unit 80a is rotated in this manner, the rearward thrust is generated in the multicopter 10. Further, the turning mechanism of the forward movement control unit 80a is not essential, and may be fixed in a state where the tip t is tilted rearward like the forward movement control unit 80a of FIG.

As described above, the multicopter 10 of this example advances the airframe with the thrust F ₁ generated by the forward movement control unit 80a, so that the first rotating body is placed on the vertical surface VS of the structure C while keeping the airframe horizontal. The set 70a can be pressed, and the distance between the vertical plane VS and the aircraft can be stably maintained.

  In this example, the forward movement control unit 80a is disposed directly below the rotor 60. However, the forward movement control unit 80a only needs to be positioned to receive the exhaust flow of the rotor 60, and the positional relationship between the forward movement control unit 80a and the rotor 60. Is not limited to this example.

(Painting equipment)
Since the multicopter 10 of this example is used for painting a wall surface, painting equipment (liquid agent tank 191, pump device 192, and roller 193) is mounted, but the use of the unmanned aircraft of the present invention is suitable for painting. Is not limited. For example, a camera may be mounted instead of a painting device to take a picture of a wall surface, or a unit that performs a hammering test on the wall surface with a hammer may be installed. In addition, it is conceivable to attach some device or instrument to the wall surface, draw a mark, a dot or a line on the wall surface, and irradiate the wall surface with infrared rays, lasers, ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or the like.

(Flight function)
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the multicopter 10. The flight function of the multicopter 10 is mainly configured by a flight controller FC, a receiver 32, a rotor 60, an ESC 601 (Electric Speed Controller) that controls the rotation speed of the rotor 60, and a battery 90 that supplies power to these. Yes. Hereinafter, the basic flight function of the multicopter 10 will be described.

  As described above, each rotor 60 is constituted by a brushless motor (hereinafter simply referred to as “motor”) and a fixed pitch propeller attached to the output shaft thereof. The ESC 601 is connected to the motor of the rotor 60, and rotates the rotor 60 at a speed instructed from the flight controller FC.

  The flight controller FC includes a control device 20 that is a microcontroller. The control device 20 includes a CPU 21 that is a central processing unit, and a memory 22 that includes a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, and a flash memory.

  The flight controller FC further includes a flight control sensor group S including an IMU 25 (Inertial Measurement Unit), a GPS receiver 26, an altitude sensor 27, and an electronic compass 28, which are connected to the control device 20. Has been.

  The IMU 25 is a sensor that detects the inclination of the airframe of the multicopter 10, and mainly includes a triaxial acceleration sensor and a triaxial angular velocity sensor. A barometric pressure sensor is used for the altitude sensor 27 of this example. The altitude sensor 27 calculates the altitude above sea level (altitude) of the multicopter 10 from the detected barometric altitude. As another aspect of the altitude sensor 27, for example, a method of obtaining a ground altitude by directing a distance measuring sensor using, for example, a laser, infrared rays, or ultrasonic waves to the ground surface is conceivable. A triaxial geomagnetic sensor is used for the electronic compass 28 of this example. The electronic compass 28 detects the azimuth angle of the nose of the multicopter 10. The GPS receiver 26 is precisely a navigation satellite system (NSS) receiver. The GPS receiver 26 obtains the current longitude and latitude values from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or the Regional Navigational Satellite System (RNSS). With these flight control sensor groups S, the flight controller FC can acquire position information of its own aircraft, including the longitude and latitude of the aircraft, altitude, and azimuth of the nose, in addition to the tilt and rotation of the aircraft. Has been.

  In addition, although the flight control sensor group S of this example is set as the structure for outdoor, the multicopter 10 may fly indoors. For example, beacons for transmitting radio signals are arranged at predetermined intervals in a facility, the relative distance between the multicopter 10 and each beacon is measured from the radio wave intensity of signals received from these beacons, and the multicopter in the facility is measured. It is conceivable to specify 10 positions. Alternatively, it is also possible to mount a separate camera on the multicopter 10 and detect a characteristic location in the facility by image recognition from surrounding video captured by the camera, and specify the position in the facility based on this. Similarly, a distance measuring sensor using laser, infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, or the like is separately mounted to measure the distance between the floor surface (or ceiling surface) or wall surface in the facility and the multicopter 10, and the multi-copter 10 in the facility is measured. The position of the copter 10 may be specified.

  The control device 20 has a flight control program FS that is a program for controlling the attitude and basic flight operation of the multicopter 10 during flight. The flight control program FS adjusts the rotational speed of each rotor 60 based on the information acquired from the flight control sensor group S, and causes the multicopter 10 to fly while correcting the posture and position disturbance of the airframe.

  Here, when the IMU 25 detects an unintended inclination of the aircraft, the flight control program FS automatically adjusts the output of the rotor 60 so as to restore the aircraft horizontally while maintaining the flight altitude at that time.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle that the forward thrust of the aircraft is increased by the flight control program FS. As described above, the forward movement control unit 80a of the present example is disposed substantially at the center of the multicopter 10 in the front-rear direction. Varying the wind direction behind the forward control unit 80a is receiving the exhaust flow f of the rotor 60, the negative pressure generated on the lower surface side of the forward control section 80a, together to generate a thrust force F ₁ to the front, the exhaust stream thrust F ₂ downward by resistance to f also generate. The resultant force F of these thrusts pulls the forward movement controller 80a diagonally downward in the forward direction (FIGS. 6B and 7A).

  The forward control section 80a pulled by the resultant force F and the moment generated in the shaft section 821 act to lower the position of the frame 12 on the aft (rear end) side than the nose (front end) side. (FIG. 7B). The flight control program FS controls the rotor 60 so that the lift on the aft side is relatively higher than that on the nose side in order to maintain the level of the aircraft and the flight altitude with respect to this attitude change. When the rotor 60 is controlled in this manner, a forward thrust is generated in the fuselage (FIG. 7C), whereby the first rotating body set 70a is firmly pressed by the vertical surface VS of the structure C. . In FIG. 7B, for the sake of convenience of explanation, a state in which the aircraft is tilted is depicted, but actually, the posture is returned to the horizontal state before the state of FIG. 7B is reached.

  As described above, according to the multicopter 10 of this example, the distance between the vertical plane VS that is the work target and the aircraft can be further increased by the standard function of the general flight controller FC including the IMU 25 and the altitude sensor 27. It can be stabilized.

  The control device 20 further includes an autonomous flight program AP that is a program for autonomously flying the multicopter 10. In the memory 22 of the control device 20, a flight plan FP, which is a parameter in which the destination of the multicopter 10, the longitude and latitude of the waypoint, the altitude and the speed during the flight, and the like are specified, is registered. The autonomous flight program AP can fly the multicopter 10 autonomously according to the flight plan FP using an instruction from the transmitter 31 or a predetermined time as a start condition.

  Thus, the multicopter 10 of this example is an unmanned aerial vehicle having an advanced flight control function. The function of the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention is not limited to the form of this example. For example, an aircraft in which some sensors are omitted from the flight control sensor group S, or an aircraft that does not have an autonomous flight function and can fly by only manual operation. Can also be used.

(Wall running function)
In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the movement of the multicopter 10 on the surface of the structure C is basically performed manually by the operator using the transmitter 31. In addition, for example, parameters such as the travel route and speed of the multicopter 10 on the surface of the structure C are set in the control device 20 in advance, and the function of causing the multicopter 10 to travel on the wall surface automatically or semi-automatically may be implemented. Good.

(Wind direction control unit drive function)
In this embodiment, control of the wind direction control part 80 (advance control part 80a) is performed automatically. Specifically, the advancing / retreating operation at a low speed is performed by the advancing control unit 80a, and the aircraft is tilted when moving at a high speed. Of course, the forward control unit 80a may be manually operated.

(Modification of wind direction control unit)
FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a modification of the wind direction control unit 80. In addition to the forward movement control unit 80a, the multicopter 10 of the present modification includes a rotation control unit 80b that is a blade member that receives the exhaust flow f of the rotor 60 and changes the wind direction to the right or left.

  The rotation control unit 80b is the same as the forward control unit 80a except that the rotation control unit 80b is different in arrangement and orientation on the frame 12 from the forward control unit 80a and can be rotated by the servo motor 81. The rotation control unit 80b of the present modification is disposed on the front side and the rear side of the frame 12, and the axes thereof are disposed horizontally and in a direction parallel to the front-rear direction.

  The multi-copter 10 of the present modification includes a rotation control unit 80b in addition to the forward movement control unit 80a, so that the wind direction control plate 80 controls not only forward (and rearward) movement but also the yaw direction. It is possible. Furthermore, according to the arrangement of the rotation control unit 80b of this modification, a roll (aileron) operation is also possible. This makes it possible to deal with disturbances such as wind while keeping the aircraft level without tilting the aircraft (the rotation surface of the rotor 60).

  In addition, the rotation control unit 80b of the present modification is disposed in a point-symmetric position and orientation with the center p of the frame 12 as the center of symmetry when the frame 12 is viewed in plan. More specifically, the multicopter 10 of the present modification includes two rotation control units 80b, and these rotation control units 80b are respectively disposed below the front and rear rotors 60 supported by the arm unit 12b. ing.

  The multicopter 10 of this modification can adjust the strength of thrust in the yaw direction more flexibly by performing yaw control of the airframe using these two rotation control units 80b. Further, since these rotation control units 80b are arranged point-symmetrically, the yaw operation using the rotation control unit 80b can be performed more easily and intuitively. It is not essential that a plurality of rotation control units 80b are mounted or that these rotation control units 80b are arranged point-symmetrically. As long as at least one rotation control unit 80b is arranged at a position biased to the front side or the rear side of the center of the frame 12 in the front-rear direction, a certain effect can be obtained.

(Modified frame)
FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing a modification of the frame 12. The outer frame portion 12a of the frame 12 in FIG. 10 is formed in a hexagonal shape in plan view. The multicopter 10 of this modification is provided with the first rotating body set 70a at both ends of the pipe 121 constituting the front edge side of the outer frame portion 12a, and the pipe constituting the rear edge side of the outer frame portion 12a. The second rotating body set 70 b is provided at both ends of 121. Thereby, compared with the case where a rectangular frame is used, the external dimension of the airframe is suppressed small. That is, if the shape of the outer frame portion 12a is assembled in a polygonal shape having an even number of sides that are hexagons or more in plan view, the first rotating body set 70a is attached to both ends of the rod-shaped body constituting one side of the frame. By attaching and attaching the second rotating body set 70b to both ends of the rod-like body constituting the opposite side, it is possible to obtain the effect of reducing the outer dimensions of the airframe.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, although the multicopter 10 of the above embodiment targets both the vertical surface VS and the ceiling surface HS of the structure C, the second rotating body set 70b is not provided, and only the vertical surface VS is the target. Good.

10 multicopter (unmanned aerial vehicle), 12 fuselage / frame, 12a outer frame, 121 pipe (rod-like body), FC flight controller, FS flight control program (flight control means), S flight control sensor group, 25 IMU (inertia) Measuring device), 27 altitude sensor, 60 rotor (horizontal rotating blade), 70 wheels, 70a first rotating body group, 70b second rotating body group, 71 motor (drive source), 80 wind direction control unit, 80a forward control unit, 80b Rotation control part, 81 Servo motor, 82 Bearing part, 821 Shaft part, f Exhaust flow, HS horizontal plane, VS vertical plane, C structure

Claims (11)

A horizontal rotor,
A forward control unit that is a slat member that receives the exhaust flow of the horizontal rotary blade and changes its wind direction;
A plurality of rotating bodies arranged so as to project outward from the body in the horizontal direction,
When the direction in which the plurality of rotating bodies protrude from the body portion is the front, the opposite direction is the rear, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is the left-right direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is the up-down direction,
The forward control unit can receive the exhaust flow and change the wind direction backward. The advance control unit is rotatable about the shaft portion around the shaft portion,
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the forward movement control unit changes a wind direction of the exhaust flow received by the forward movement control unit backward at a predetermined arrangement angle. A plurality of the forward control units;
The plurality of forward control units are arranged at positions and orientations that are line symmetric with respect to a straight line that passes back and forth through the center of the body part when viewed in plan. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2. An inertial measurement device;
An altitude sensor,
Flight control means,
The forward control unit is disposed at a substantially center or a rear side in the front-rear direction of the trunk part,
When the inertial measurement device detects an unintended aircraft tilt, the flight control means automatically adjusts the output of the horizontal rotor so as to restore the aircraft horizontally while maintaining the flight altitude at that time. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein   The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of rotating bodies are rotatable by a driving source.   The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of rotating bodies project forward and upward from the trunk portion. When the plurality of rotating bodies are the first rotating body group, a second rotating body group that is another plurality of rotating bodies protruding upward from the body portion is disposed behind the first rotating body group. Has been
The airframe has a frame which is a frame body in which a rod-like body is assembled in a polygonal shape having an even number of sides that are hexagons or more in plan view.
The first rotating body set is attached to both ends of the rod-shaped body constituting one side of the frame,
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the second rotating body set is attached to both ends of the rod-like body that constitutes a side opposite to the one side. The forward control unit has a blade shape in which the cross-sectional shape in the plate thickness direction is thicker at the one end side in the longitudinal direction of the cross-section and the thinner at the other end side,
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the forward control unit has the one end side disposed above the other end side. A plurality of the horizontal rotary blades;
9. The plurality of horizontal rotary blades are provided as a set of two horizontal rotary blades that are coaxially arranged in the vertical direction. Unmanned aircraft. A rotation control unit that is a slat member that receives the exhaust flow of the horizontal rotary blade and changes the wind direction to the right or left;
The rotation control unit is rotatable about the shaft portion around the shaft portion,
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the rotation control unit is disposed on a front side or a rear side of a center of the trunk portion in a front-rear direction. A plurality of rotation control units;
The plurality of rotation control units are arranged at positions and orientations that are point-symmetric with respect to the center of the body when the body is viewed in plan. The unmanned aircraft described.

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