JP2020117099A - Water surface floating facility - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a water surface floating facility composed to have a water surface floating facility or a structure capable of further facilitating taking-off and landing of an aircraft such as a drone.SOLUTION: A water surface floating facility is characterized by including: a tabular base having a top surface where a flying body can take off and land and a bottom surface; at least three telescopic arms provided on the bottom surface of the base and capable of expanding and contracting in the axial direction; floaters provided on respective bottom ends of the telescopic arms, floating on a water surface, and supporting the base on the water; a sensor provided on the base and measuring a gradient of the top surface of the base; and a control device for controlling the degree of expansion/contraction of the telescopic arm so that the top surface of the base maintains a horizontal state according to measured values of the gradient of the top surface of the base from the sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to floating equipment on the water.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a water surface of an aircraft such as a helicopter, there are a fixed water surface that is fixed to the bottom of the water and a floating water surface that floats above the water surface by buoyancy. The floating type landing place on the water has an advantage that it is movable, but there is a problem that the landing place sways and the upper surface of the landing place is inclined due to the influence of waves. If it is not possible to maintain the horizontal state of the top of the landing area, it will be difficult for the aircraft to land and land.

Therefore, a floating heliport capable of suppressing the swaying of a floating water landing site has been developed (for example, see Patent Document 1). This floating heliport includes a float, a heliport body provided on the float, a plurality of screws, and a horizontal detection unit. The horizontal detection unit measures the inclination of the upper surface of the heliport body. The plurality of screws are controlled based on the measured inclination. The water heliport is configured to return the upper surface of the heliport body horizontally by the controlled propulsive force of the screws.

However, in recent years, as the use of aircraft such as drones has become active, there is a demand for floating floating landing and landing sites that allow easier landing and landing of aircraft.

JP-A-4-50093

It is an object of the present invention to provide a water floating facility capable of more easily landing and landing an aircraft such as a drone, and a water floating facility configured to provide a structure.

Such an object is achieved by the present invention of the following (1) to (7).
(1) A plate-shaped base having an upper surface and a lower surface on which an aircraft can land and land,
At least three telescopic arms that are provided on the lower surface of the base and that can extend and contract in the axial direction;
A floater provided at the lower end of each of the telescopic arms, floating on the water surface, and supporting the base on the water,
A sensor provided on the base for measuring the inclination of the upper surface of the base,
According to a measured value of the inclination of the upper surface of the base from the sensor, a controller for controlling the degree of expansion and contraction of the extendable arm so that the upper surface of the base is kept horizontal. Floating equipment.

(2) The base has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view,
The water floating equipment according to (1) above, wherein the telescopic arms include the four telescopic arms provided at respective corners of the base.

(3) The sensor is a tilt sensor that measures the inclination of the upper surface of the base, a level sensor that measures the distance between the base and the water surface, a 3D area sensor that stereoscopically measures the condition of the surrounding water surface, The above (1) or (2) including any one of an imaging device that captures an ambient environment as an image, a position of the floating equipment on the water, a positioning device that measures altitude, and an azimuth sensor that measures azimuth, or any combination thereof. Water floating equipment described.

(4) The water floating equipment according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the telescopic arm is driven by any one of electric power, hydraulic pressure, pneumatic pressure, or any combination thereof.

(5) The above-mentioned floating facility includes any one of a storage battery, a wind power generation facility, a solar power generation facility, and a wave power generation facility or any combination thereof as a power source of the telescopic arm, the sensor, and the control device. The floating facility above water according to any one of (1) to (4) above.

(6) The waterborne floating facility according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the flying body is a drone.

(7) A plate-shaped base having an upper surface and a lower surface configured to provide a structure,
At least three telescopic arms that are provided on the lower surface of the base and that can extend and contract in the axial direction;
A floater provided at the lower end of each of the telescopic arms, floating on the water surface, and supporting the base on the water,
A sensor provided on the base for measuring the inclination of the upper surface of the base,
According to a measured value of the inclination of the upper surface of the base from the sensor, a controller for controlling the degree of expansion and contraction of the extendable arm so that the upper surface of the base is kept horizontal. Floating equipment.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the floating floating equipment which can perform the landing and landing of aircrafts, such as a drone, more easily, and the floating floating equipment comprised so that a structure may be provided can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a water floating facility of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining the action and effect of the floating equipment on the water of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the control of the telescopic arm in the first embodiment of the floating floating equipment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a second embodiment of the floating facility on the water according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating control of the telescopic arm and the position holding device in the second embodiment of the floating facility according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating control of the telescopic arm and the position holding device in the third embodiment of the floating floating equipment according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the floating facility on the water of the present invention will be described in detail based on a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a water floating facility of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the control of the telescopic arm in the first embodiment of the floating floating equipment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the floating facility 100 floats on the sea surface S. The floating floating facility 100 includes a base 1, a telescopic arm 2, a floater 3, a sensor 4, a control device 5 (see FIG. 3), and a power source 6. Hereinafter, each component will be described. Examples of the flying body include aircraft such as helicopters, flying boats, and drones. The above-mentioned floating facility 100 of the present invention may be configured so that an aircraft can take off and land, or can be configured to provide a structure. In the following, a case where the waterborne floating facility 100 is configured so that a flying body takes off and land and the flying body is a drone will be described as an example.

The base 1 has a plate shape and has an upper surface 11 and a lower surface 12. In other words, the base 1 has a substantially square shape in plan view and has four corners. A drone will land and land on the upper surface 11 of the base 1.

The constituent material, dimensions, and the like of the base 1 are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set according to the type of flying body. For example, the constituent material of the base 1 may be synthetic resin, metal, wood, or the like. Such a base 1 functions not only as a place for landing and departure of drones, but also as a place for installing the components of the floating floating equipment 100. With regard to the latter function, not only the upper surface 11 of the base 1 but also the lower surface 12 and the side surfaces can be used as the installation locations of the components of the floating floating equipment 100. Furthermore, when the base 1 has an internal space, the internal space may be used as an installation place.

The shape of the base 1 is not particularly limited, but its plan view shape is preferably line-symmetrical or point-symmetrical, and more preferably point-symmetrical. This makes it easy to uniformly arrange the telescopic arms 2 in the plane direction of the base 1.

The extendable/contractible arm 2 is configured to be extendable/contractible in the axial direction thereof, and is driven by any one of electric power, hydraulic pressure, pneumatic pressure, etc., or any combination thereof. In the present embodiment, the telescopic arm 2 includes a first telescopic arm 21, a second telescopic arm 22, a third telescopic arm 23, and a fourth telescopic arm 24.

Each of the telescopic arms 21 to 24 has a quadrangular prism shape, one end thereof is connected to a corner portion of the base 1, and the other end faces the sea surface S. That is, the telescopic arms 21 to 24 are arranged substantially evenly in the plane direction of the base 1 and extend so as to be orthogonal to the plane direction of the base 1. The shape of each telescopic arm 21-24 is not particularly limited, and may be a columnar shape or the like.

Further, each of the expandable arms 21 to 24 is configured to expand and contract by the first to fourth actuators 21a to 24a, respectively. The extendable length of the extendable arm 2 is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set depending on the size, buoyancy, strength, etc. of the entire floating facility 100. The floater 3 is provided at the lower end of each of the telescopic arms 21 to 24.

The floater 3 floats on the sea surface S and supports the base 1 and the telescopic arm 2 on the sea surface S. The floater 3 only needs to have buoyancy and strength capable of sufficiently supporting the floating facility 100 on the water, and its shape, constituent materials, dimensions, etc. are not particularly limited. For example, although the floater 3 of the present embodiment has a plate shape, it may have a hemispherical shape or the like.

A sensor 4 is provided on the upper surface 11 of the base 1. The sensor 4 has a function of measuring the state of the base 1. In the present embodiment, the sensor 4 is the tilt sensor 41 that measures the tilt degree (tilt angle) of the upper surface 11 of the base 1. The inclination sensor 41 may always measure the inclination or may measure the inclination at a predetermined interval.

Further, the sensor 4 includes a level sensor that measures the distance between the base 1 and the water surface, a 3D area sensor that stereoscopically measures the condition of the surrounding water surface, an imaging device that captures the surrounding environment as an image, and a floating floating equipment 100. It may be a positioning device that measures the position and the altitude of the base 1 (for example, the altitude above sea level), or an azimuth sensor that measures the azimuth. Further, the sensor 4 may be any combination of these. An example of the positioning device is RTKGPS (Real-Time Kinematic GPS).

The position at which the sensor 4 is installed is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, the lower surface 12 of the base 1, a corner of the base 1, or a built-in portion of the base 1. The detection signal output from the sensor 4 is transmitted to the control device 5.

The control device 5 is connected to the sensor 4 and also to the telescopic arm 2 via the actuator 2a. The control device 5 calculates the optimal expansion/contraction degree of each of the telescopic arms 21 to 24 based on the information (measured value) from the sensor 4. The control device 5 is configured to control the telescopic arm 2 based on the calculation result.

When the sensor 4 is composed of a combination of a plurality of sensors, the control device 5 can judge a plurality of measured values in a composite manner and perform a calculation for controlling the state of the floating floating equipment 100. For example, when the sensor 4 is a combination of the tilt sensor 41, the barometer, and the GPS, the control device 5 controls the tilt degree from the tilt sensor 41 and the altitude information from the barometer (for example, the upper surface 11 of the base 1). Calculation for determining the sea level) and the position information from the GPS in a composite manner and maintaining the position of the floating floating equipment 100 while keeping the upper surface 11 of the base 1 in a stable (horizontal) horizontal state. It can be performed.

The above-mentioned floating facility 100 on the water further includes the power source 6. In the present embodiment, the power source 6 is a storage battery provided on the upper surface 11 of the base 1. The telescopic arm 2, the sensor 4, and the control device 5 can be driven by the electric power from the storage battery. The power source 6 is not limited to the storage battery, and may be any one of wind power generation equipment, solar power generation equipment, and wave power generation equipment, or any combination thereof. The floating facility 100 on the water may be connected to an external power cable. In this case, it is possible to omit the installation of the power source 6 in the floating floating equipment 100.

Next, the operation and effect of the floating floating equipment 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining the action and effect of the floating equipment on the water of the present invention. The dotted line indicated by the symbol L in FIG. 2 is a reference plane indicating a state where the sea surface S is not undulating (a state where there is no wave).

In the floating floating equipment 100 of the present embodiment, the measurement of the tilt sensor 41, the calculation of the control device 5 based on the measurement result (measured value), and the control of the expansion/contraction degree of the telescopic arm 2 based on the calculation result are short-time. It is repeated at high speed.

Specifically, the inclination sensor 41 measures the inclination of the upper surface 11 of the base 1 at regular intervals. On the other hand, the control device 5 calculates the optimal degree of expansion/contraction of the telescopic arm 2 based on the degree of inclination of the upper surface 11 of the base 1 measured by the inclination sensor 41. Further, the control device 5 operates the actuators 21a to 24a in accordance with the calculation result to control the degree of expansion and contraction of the telescopic arms 21 to 24, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows a state where the sea surface S is undulating. Due to the undulations of the sea surface S, the upper surface 11 of the base 1 is inclined. The tilt sensor 41 measures this tilt, and the measured value is transmitted to the control device 5. The control device 5 calculates the degree of expansion/contraction of the telescopic arms 21 to 24 so that the upper surface 11 of the base 1 is in a horizontal state based on the information (measured value) from the tilt sensor 41. As a result of the calculation, the control device 5 extends the telescopic arms 21 and 24 and contracts the telescopic arms 22 and 23 with respect to the reference plane L. As a result, the upper surface 11 of the base 1 can maintain the horizontal state. This allows the drone to land and land more easily.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the floating floating equipment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a second embodiment of the floating facility on the water according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating control of the telescopic arm and the position holding device in the second embodiment of the floating facility according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the water floating equipment 100A of the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the water floating equipment 100 of the first embodiment, and the description of the same matters will be omitted.

The water floating facility 100</b>A shown in FIG. 4 is the same as the water floating facility 100 shown in FIG. 1 except that the position holding device 7 and the tilt sensor 41 and the positioning device 42 as the sensor 4 are included.

In the present embodiment, the position holding device 7 includes a mechanism having a thruster and a propeller, and is configured so that the floating floating facility 100A can hold its position. The number of such mechanisms is not particularly limited, and may be two or more. Further, the position holding device 7 is also configured so that the floating equipment 100A on the water can move and rotate (turn around) on the sea surface S. The position holding device 7 is connected to the control device 5 (see FIG. 5), and the control device 5 controls the position holding device 7. The control device 5 receives the information from the positioning device 42 in addition to the information from the tilt sensor 41.

The positioning device 42 can measure the position of the floating equipment 100A on the water and the altitude of the upper surface 11 of the base 1. As a result, the control device 5 controls the telescopic arm 2 so as to horizontally hold the upper surface 11 of the base 1 at a constant altitude, and the position holding device 7 so as to hold the floating floating equipment 100A at a predetermined position. Can be controlled. This allows the drone to land and land more easily.

FIG. 4 shows a scene in which a drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) D is about to land on the upper surface 11 of the floating floating facility 100A. Here, the unmanned aerial vehicle D has an automatic control function by GPS and operates so as to maintain its position and altitude. For this reason, in the conventional water surface landing area that shakes or moves under the influence of waves, the unmanned aerial vehicle D moves (flying) relative to the landing area even after landing (contacting) on the landing area. There is something to do.

On the other hand, in the water floating facility 100A of the present embodiment, the control device 5 controls the telescopic arm 2 so as to hold the upper surface 11 of the base 1 horizontally at a constant altitude, and moves the water floating facility 100A to a predetermined position. The position holding device 7 can be controlled to hold. Therefore, when the unmanned aerial vehicle D lands (contacts) on the upper surface 11 of the base 1, it is possible to prevent the unmanned aerial vehicle D from moving (flying) relative to the water floating facility 100A. Similarly, the takeoff of the unmanned aerial vehicle D from the upper surface 11 of the base 1 can be performed more easily.

Further, according to the above-mentioned water floating equipment 100A, since the upper surface 11 of the base 1 can be held horizontally at a constant altitude and the water floating equipment 100A can be held at a predetermined position, the following effects can be obtained. Can play. That is, even if the unmanned aerial vehicle D flies autonomously on the route of departure, stopover, and destination along the instructed route, the floating floating facility 100A is in that state (for example, position, altitude, and horizontal state). Since the unmanned aerial vehicle D can be held, the unmanned aerial vehicle D can suitably function as any of a starting point, a transit point, and a destination. That is, the water floating facility 100A can suitably function as a drone relay station.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the floating facility on the water of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating control of the telescopic arm and the position holding device in the third embodiment of the floating floating equipment according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the floating floating facility 100B of the third embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the floating floating facility 100A of the second embodiment, and the description of the same matters will be omitted.

The water floating facility 100B of the present embodiment is the same as the water floating facility 100A of the second embodiment, except that the sensor 4 further includes an azimuth sensor 43. The azimuth sensor 43 may be any one of a magnetic compass using geomagnetism, a gyro compass using a gyro, a radio compass using radio waves, or any combination thereof.

In the present embodiment, the sensor 4 includes an azimuth sensor 43. Therefore, the control device 5 can control the position holding device 7 based on the azimuth information from the azimuth angle sensor 43 to rotate (turn around) the floating floating equipment 100B so as to face a predetermined azimuth. ..

The base 1 also rotates in accordance with the rotation of the floating equipment 100B on the water. Thereby, for example, one of the four sides of the base 1 can be directed in a predetermined direction (for example, the direction in which the unmanned aerial vehicle D is proceeding to land on the base 1). Therefore, it is possible to easily land the unmanned aerial vehicle D on the predetermined position of the base 1.

Although the water floating equipment of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each part that constitutes the floating equipment on the water can be replaced with an arbitrary structure that can exhibit the same function. In addition, any constituent may be added. Further, the present invention may be a combination of any two or more configurations (features) of the above embodiments.

Further, the floating facility on the water has been described as a floating facility floating on the surface of the sea, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be the surface of water such as a river or a lake. Further, the floating facility on the water may be diverted to a ship, a flying boat, or the like. Further, the floating facility on the water is not limited to the one for landing and landing of the air vehicle, and may be configured to have a structure such as a house, an office, a factory, a play facility or a power plant. Good.

In each embodiment, the case where there are four telescopic arms has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The number of telescopic arms is not particularly limited as long as it is three or more.

1... Base 2... Telescopic arm 21... 1st telescopic arm 22... 2nd telescopic arm 23... 3rd telescopic arm 24... 4th telescopic arm 2a... Actuator 21a... 1st actuator 22a... 2nd actuator 23a... 3rd actuator 24a... 4th actuator 3... Floater 4... Sensor 41... Tilt sensor 42... Positioning device 43... Azimuth angle sensor 5... Control device 6... Electric power source 7... Position holding device 11... Upper surface 12... Lower surface 100...water floating equipment 100A...water floating equipment 100B...water floating equipment S...sea surface L...reference surface D...unmanned aerial vehicle

Claims (7)

A plate-shaped base having an upper surface and a lower surface on which the aircraft can land and land;
At least three telescopic arms provided on the lower surface of the base and capable of telescopic in the axial direction;
A floater provided at the lower end of each of the telescopic arms, floating on the water surface, and supporting the base on the water,
A sensor provided on the base for measuring the inclination of the upper surface of the base,
According to a measured value of the inclination of the base upper surface from the sensor, a controller for controlling the expansion/contraction degree of the telescopic arm so that the base upper surface maintains a horizontal state. Floating equipment. The base has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view,
The water floating facility according to claim 1, wherein the telescopic arms include four telescopic arms provided at respective corners of the base. The sensor includes an inclination sensor that measures the inclination of the upper surface of the base, a level sensor that measures the distance between the base and the water surface, a 3D area sensor that stereoscopically measures the surrounding water surface, and a surrounding environment. The water floating facility according to claim 1 or 2, which includes any one of an image capturing device that is captured as an image, a position of the water floating facility, a positioning device that measures altitude, and an azimuth sensor that measures azimuth, or any combination thereof. The water floating facility according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the telescopic arm is driven by any one of electric power, hydraulic pressure, and pneumatic pressure, or any combination thereof. The water floating facility includes any one of a storage battery, a wind power generation facility, a photovoltaic power generation facility, and a wave power generation facility or any combination thereof as a power source of the telescopic arm, the sensor, and the control device. 5. The floating facility above water. The waterborne facility according to claim 1, wherein the flying body is a drone. A plate-shaped base having an upper surface and a lower surface configured to provide a structure,
At least three telescopic arms that are provided on the lower surface of the base and that can extend and contract in the axial direction;
A floater provided at the lower end of each of the telescopic arms, floating on the water surface, and supporting the base on the water,
A sensor provided on the base for measuring the inclination of the upper surface of the base,
According to a measured value of the inclination of the upper surface of the base from the sensor, a controller for controlling the degree of expansion and contraction of the extendable arm so that the upper surface of the base is kept horizontal. Floating equipment.

Images