JP2020121669A - Flying robot - Google Patents

Abstract

To make a hand mechanism less likely to affect the flight performance of a flying robot, in the flying robot having the hand mechanism.SOLUTION: A flying robot includes a body, a promoting portion that has a plurality of promotion units for generating promotion force by driving a rotor, the plurality of promotion units provided on the body, a hand mechanism that has at least two finger portions attached to a base portion so as to open/close, and a control portion that controls the opening/closing action of the at least two finger portion in the hand mechanism. The flying robot is configured to fly by the promoting portion. While the hand mechanism does not grip an object during the flight of the flying robot, the control portion maintains the hand mechanism in an open state where the at least two finger portions are expanded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a flying robot provided with a hand mechanism for gripping an object.

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles have been used for various purposes and are being actively developed. Examples of the unmanned aerial vehicle include an unmanned helicopter that is radio-controlled and a so-called drone. Then, a technique has been developed in which such a drone is provided with a hand mechanism that imitates the structure of a human hand for gripping an object (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP, 2008-8320, A

By providing a flying robot such as a drone with a hand mechanism, various objects can be grasped, and the flying robot has both a grasping action and a flying action, and its usefulness is enhanced. On the other hand, in general, the hand mechanism needs to perform an operation of gripping an object by opening a finger portion for gripping the object in the operation of gripping the object. Then, the hand mechanism itself has a certain size in order to improve the accessibility to the object during the gripping operation, and the hand mechanism itself may adversely affect the flight performance of the flying robot. .. In particular, during flight of the flying robot or at the timing of its takeoff and landing, there may be some obstacles around it, which may cause contact or collision with the hand mechanism. Further, due to the size of the hand mechanism, a certain resistance to the flight of the flying robot may occur, and thus the stability of the flight may be impaired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for a flying robot having a hand mechanism, in which the hand mechanism hardly affects the flight performance of the flying robot.

In the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the flying robot of the present invention is in a state in which the fingers constituting the hand mechanism are expanded when the object is not gripped by the hand mechanism during the flight. Adopted the configuration. This makes it possible to avoid interference between the fingers of the hand mechanism and the objects existing around the flying robot as much as possible.

More specifically, the present invention has a body and a plurality of propulsion units that generate propulsive force by driving a rotary wing, and the plurality of propulsion units can be opened and closed by a propulsion unit provided in the body and a base unit. A flying robot configured to include a hand mechanism having at least two finger portions attached to a head and a control unit that controls opening/closing operations of the at least two finger portions in the hand mechanism, and configured to be flyable by the propulsion unit. When the flying robot is in flight and the object is not gripped by the hand mechanism, the controller causes the hand mechanism to open the at least two finger portions in a predetermined open state. To maintain.

In a flying robot having a hand mechanism, the hand mechanism hardly affects the flight performance of the flying robot.

It is a 1st figure which shows schematic structure of the flight robot which concerns on embodiment. It is a 1st figure which shows schematic structure of the hand mechanism mounted in the flight robot which concerns on embodiment, especially the state when a hand mechanism is performing a closing operation. It is a 2nd figure which shows schematic structure of the hand mechanism mounted in the flight robot which concerns on embodiment, especially the state when a hand mechanism is performing closing operation. It is a 1st figure which shows schematic structure of the hand mechanism mounted in the flight robot which concerns on embodiment, especially the state when a hand mechanism is performing opening operation. It is a 2nd figure which shows schematic structure of the hand mechanism mounted in the flight robot which concerns on embodiment, especially the state when a hand mechanism is performing opening operation. It is a figure which shows the structure of the transmission mechanism incorporated in the hand mechanism which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the sensor structure for detecting the opening degree of the hand mechanism which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the transition of holding|grip of an object by opening/closing operation of the hand mechanism which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows arrangement|positioning of the pressure sensor provided in the hand mechanism which concerns on embodiment. It is the functional block diagram which imaged the functional part formed in the flight robot which concerns on embodiment. It is the figure which showed the process in which the flight robot which concerns on embodiment hold|maintains a target object by the hand mechanism, and the said flight robot reaches the state hung on the target object. 5 is a flowchart of control related to a hand mechanism performed during flight of the flying robot according to the embodiment. It is a 2nd figure which shows schematic structure of the flight robot which concerns on embodiment. It is a 3rd figure which shows schematic structure of the flight robot which concerns on embodiment.

In the flight robot of the present embodiment, the propulsive force for flight is generated by the plurality of propulsion units included in the propulsion unit provided in the body. Each of the propulsion units has a rotary vane, and the rotational force of the rotary vanes determines the propulsive force of the propulsion unit. Preferably, the propulsive power of each of the propulsion units is independently controllable. Arrangement of the plurality of propulsion units on the body can be designed arbitrarily. The flight state (up, down, turning, etc.) of the flying robot is controlled by the balance of the propulsive forces of the propulsion units provided in the body. The plurality of propulsion units provided in the body may all be of the same type, or may be of different types.

Further, the flying robot includes a hand mechanism having at least two fingers. These finger portions are attached to the base portion, and parameters such as the structure, shape, and size of the finger portions are appropriately designed according to the size and shape of the object assumed to be gripped by the hand mechanism. The finger portion of the hand mechanism may be configured to open and close the base portion to the extent that the object can be grasped and released, and the number of joints in the finger portion can also grasp the object. It can be set as appropriate in consideration. The control unit controls the opening/closing operation of the finger portion by the hand mechanism. The control unit preferably controls the opening/closing operation of the fingers of the hand mechanism in consideration of the situation where the flying robot is placed, the action of the hand mechanism on the object, and the like.

Here, since the hand mechanism is originally for gripping the object as described above, it is configured so that the object can be accessed. On the other hand, by designing the hand mechanism from this perspective, the hand mechanism is likely to interfere with obstacles and the ground existing around the flight robot during its flight, which threatens the flight performance of the flight robot. There is a risk. As described above, in the flying robot that flies with the propulsive force of the propulsion unit, the hand mechanism that enhances the application force of the flying robot may have some influence on the flight performance. Therefore, in the above flying robot, when the flying robot is in flight and it is not necessary to grasp the target object, the control unit opens and closes the fingers of the hand mechanism so that the fingers are maintained in a predetermined open state. Control movements. The predetermined open state is a state in which a part of the base portion is exposed by expanding the finger portion with respect to the base portion. Therefore, in the predetermined open state, the fingers lie on the base and the height of the hand mechanism can be reduced.

As a result, the hand mechanism placed in the predetermined open state is less likely to interfere with obstacles and the like present around the flying robot during flight, and the flight performance of the flying robot can be stabilized. Further, in the predetermined open state, the height of the hand mechanism is reduced, so that the air resistance received by the hand mechanism during flight can be reduced. This may make the flight performance of the flying robot more suitable.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in the present embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the invention to these unless otherwise specified.

<Embodiment>
FIG. 1 shows a flying robot 50 of this embodiment. The flying robot 50 has a plurality of propulsion units 53. In the example shown in FIG. 1, four propulsion units 53 are mounted, but as long as the flight robot 50 can fly, the number of propulsion units 53 is not limited to four as long as it is plural. .. The propulsion unit 53 has a propeller 51, which is a rotary blade, and an actuator 52 for rotationally driving the propeller 51. The propulsion units 53 mounted on the flying robot 50 are all units of the same type, but the actuators 52 in each propulsion unit 53 can be independently controlled. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately control the propulsive force obtained by each propulsion unit 53, and thus it is possible to appropriately control the flight attitude, the flight speed, and the like of the flying robot 50.

Here, the flying robot 50 has a body 55 substantially in the center thereof, and a propulsion unit 53 is provided on the tip side of the body 55 via a bridge 54 radially from the body 55. The four propulsion units 53 are arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the body 55. Further, the body 55 is equipped with a battery for supplying drive power to the actuator 52 of each propulsion unit 53, a control device for controlling power supply from the battery to the actuator 52, and the like. Further, as will be described later, another battery for supplying electric power for the hand mechanism 1 mounted on the flying robot 50, the pressure sensor 16, the variable resistor 15 and the like, and a control device for controlling these are also mounted on the body 55. ing.

Further, four leg portions 56 extend from below the body 55, and a grounding portion 57 is provided at each tip. The ground contact part 57 is a part that contacts the ground when the flying robot 50 contacts the ground and supports the flying robot 50 itself.

Then, the hand mechanism 1 is installed below the body 55 of the flying robot 50. In the flying robot 50, “front” of the hand mechanism 1 matches “lower” of the flying robot 50. Further, the hand mechanism 1 is directly installed on the body 55, and the relative position of the hand mechanism 1 with respect to the body 55 is not changed. The details of the hand mechanism 1 installed in the flying robot 50 will be described below.

2 is a perspective view from the front of the hand mechanism 1, particularly a perspective view from the front when the fingers 2 and 3 are in the closed state, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view from which the fingers 2 and 3 are in the closed state. It is a perspective view from the back of the hand mechanism 1 in the case. Further, FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the front of the hand mechanism 1 when the fingers 2 and 3 are in the maximum open state, and FIG. 5 is a case where the fingers 2 and 3 are in the maximum open state. It is a perspective view from the back of the hand mechanism 1. Here, the closed state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a state in which the fingers 2 and 3 are closed by the driving of the motor 12, and a holding space 20 for holding an object is formed between both fingers. It is in a state of being. The gripping space 20 can change according to the shape, structure, size, etc. of the object to be gripped. The maximum open state shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is a state in which the fingers 2 and 3 are opened to the maximum by the drive of the motor 12. The configuration of the hand mechanism 1 will be described below.

The base unit 10 is one of the basic members that make up the hand mechanism 1, and provides a place for installing the components of the hand mechanism 1. In the present specification, the relative parts of the hand mechanism 1 are defined based on the base part 10. For example, the side of the base portion 10 facing the gripping space 20 is defined as “front”, and the opposite side is defined as “rear”. Therefore, FIGS. 2 and 4 are perspective views when the hand mechanism 1 is viewed from the front, and FIGS. 3 and 5 are perspective views when the hand mechanism 1 is viewed from the rear. 2 and 4, the upper side of the drawings is defined as “upper” of the hand mechanism 1, and the lower side thereof is defined as “lower” thereof. In addition, in FIGS. 3 and 5, the display of the hand mechanism 1 is upside down as compared with FIGS. 2 and 4, and the upper side of the figure is “lower” of the hand mechanism 1 and the lower side is “upper” thereof. Please note that Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, “front” of the hand mechanism 1 corresponds to “lower” of the flying robot 50.

The hand mechanism 1 includes a finger portion 2 formed of a pair of finger plates 2a and 2b rotatably attached to the base portion 10 and a pair of finger plates 3a and 3b also rotatably attached to the base portion 10. Formed finger portion 3. In detail, the finger portion 2 is attached to the rotary shaft 4 rotatably arranged with respect to the base portion 10 so that one finger plate 2a is arranged above the base portion 10, and the other is arranged. The finger plate 2b is attached to the rotating shaft 4 so as to be arranged below the base portion 10. That is, the pair of finger plates 2a and 2b are attached to the rotary shaft 4 so as to sandwich the base portion 10 from the vertical direction. Further, the finger plates 2a, 2b are formed by flat concave plates that are curved in a generally concave shape, and when the hand mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 2 is in the closed state, the respective tip ends 2c of the finger plates 2a, 2b. 2d are located substantially in the front center of the base portion 10. Then, the finger plates 2a and 2b are connected by the connecting member 2e at the substantially central positions of their respective concave shapes, so that the rigidity of the finger portion 2 is increased.

Similarly, the finger portion 3 is attached to the rotary shaft 5 rotatably arranged with respect to the base portion 10 so that one finger plate 3a is arranged above the base portion 10, and the other is provided. The finger plate 3b is attached to the rotary shaft 5 so as to be arranged below the base portion 10. That is, the pair of finger plates 3a and 3b are attached to the rotary shaft 5 so as to sandwich the base portion 10 from the vertical direction. Further, the finger plates 3a and 3b are also formed of flat concave plates that are curved in a substantially concave shape, like the finger plates 2a and 2b. Then, in the closed state of the hand mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 2, the respective tip ends 3c, 3d of the finger plates 3a, 3b are overlapped with the respective tip ends 2c, 2d of the finger plates 2a, 2b, so that the base portion 10 is substantially closed. It is located in the front center. Then, the finger plates 3a and 3b are connected by the connecting member 3e at the substantially central positions of their respective concave shapes, whereby the rigidity of the finger portion 3 is increased.

Here, the rotary shaft 4 to which the finger plates 2 a and 2 b are connected is connected to the transmission mechanism 30 arranged in the base portion 10. The transmission mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The upper stage (a) of FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the transmission mechanism 30, and the lower stage (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in the upper stage (a). Schematically, the transmission mechanism 30 has a mechanism that transmits the driving force input to the input unit 30a to the output unit 30b and outputs the driving force to the outside. In the present embodiment, the driving force input to the input unit 30a is the driving force by the motor 12, and the driving force is input to the transmission mechanism 30 via the worm 33 connected to the output shaft of the motor 12. .. The motor 12 is attached to the flange portion formed on the base portion 10 near the input portion 30a.

The transmission mechanism 30 has a case 32, and constituent members such as a shaft 31, a worm 33, and a worm wheel 34 are provided inside the case 32. The worm wheel 34 fixed to the shaft 31 is engaged with the worm 33. The shaft 31 is rotatably supported by the rotation support member 35 with respect to the case 32. Further, the shaft 31 has a hollow portion 36 as shown in FIG. 6, in which the rotary shaft 4 is fitted and fixed. Therefore, when the driving force is input from the motor 12 via the worm 33, the driving force is output to the rotary shaft 4 along with the rotation of the shaft 31 together with the worm wheel 34. Therefore, the shaft 31 corresponds to the output portion 30b of the transmission mechanism 30. The rotation support member 35 is a member that can support axial, radial, and moment loads acting on the shaft 31, and a cross roller bearing can be exemplified.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the rotating shaft 4 is also provided with a pinion 6, and the pinion 6 is rotated as the rotating shaft 4 rotates. The rotary shaft 5 to which the finger plates 3a and 3b forming the finger portion 3 are connected is rotatably supported by a rotation support member (not shown) arranged in the base portion 10. The rotation shaft 5 is provided with a pinion 7 that meshes with the pinion 6. Therefore, when the pinion 6 is rotated along with the rotation of the rotating shaft 4, the rotating shaft 5 is rotated via the pinion 7.

As described above, in the hand mechanism 1, the finger 2 (finger plates 2a, 2b) is rotated about the rotary shaft 4 directly driven by the motor 12, and the rotary shaft 5 is driven by the rotation. The finger 3 (finger plates 3a, 3b) is rotated as a driven shaft. As a result, the operation of the motor 12 realizes the opening/closing operation of the hand portion having the fingers 2 and 3. Further, in the transmission mechanism 30, a relatively large reduction gear ratio between the worm 33 and the worm wheel 34 can be secured. For example, it is preferable to set the reduction ratio to about 1/32 to 1/50. Therefore, even if the motor 12 is downsized, it is possible to transmit a sufficient torque to each of the fingers to realize the opening/closing operation of the fingers 2 and 3.

Further, since the transmission mechanism 30 uses the worm 33 and the worm wheel 34, it is possible to generate a relatively large predetermined frictional force between them. As described above, since the worm 33 is connected to the input unit 30a side of the transmission mechanism 30 and the worm wheel 34 is connected to the output unit 30b side of the transmission mechanism 30, the above-mentioned predetermined frictional force causes the rotation shaft 4, 5 functions as a holding force for holding the relative positional relationship between the finger portions 2 and 3 so as not to rotate carelessly, in other words, to prevent the finger portions 2 and 3 from being displaced carelessly. .. Therefore, in order for the motor 12 to rotate the fingers 2 and 3, it is necessary to input a driving force exceeding the predetermined frictional force to the transmission mechanism 30. The details of the holding force (predetermined frictional force) in the transmission mechanism 30 will be described later.

Here, the base unit 10 is provided with a sensor mechanism for detecting the opening degree of the hand mechanism 1. The opening degree of the hand mechanism 1 is a parameter indicating the degree of opening of the fingers 2 and 3, and is associated with the rotation angles of the rotation shafts 4 and 5. The sensor mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 7. As shown in these drawings, a pinion 13 is further provided below the base portion 10 with respect to the rotary shaft 5 that is a driven shaft. In FIG. 7, the upper side is “lower” of the base portion 10, and the lower side is “upper” of the base portion 10. A variable resistor 15 is installed in the base portion 10 in the vicinity of the rotary shaft 5, and further engages with the pinion 13 with respect to the rotary shaft 15a whose variable resistance can be adjusted by rotating. A pinion 14 is provided. Therefore, when the rotary shaft 4 and the rotary shaft 5 are rotated by the operation of the motor 12, the rotary shaft 15a of the variable resistor 15 is rotated through the pinions 13 and 14, and the resistance value detected by the variable resistor 15 is changed. Will be done. With such a configuration, the resistance value detected by the variable resistor 15 is associated with the rotation angle of the rotary shafts 4, 5, that is, the opening degree of the hand mechanism 1. Therefore, the resistance value is used. It is possible to detect the opening degree of the hand mechanism 1.

The opening/closing operation of the hand mechanism 1 configured as described above will be described. As described above, in the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fingers 2 and 3 of the hand mechanism 1 are in the closed state. On the other hand, in the state shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fingers 2 and 3 of the hand mechanism 1 are in the maximum open state, that is, in the maximum open state. The maximum open state is formed by driving the fingers 2 and 3 by the motor 12 so that the detected resistance value of the variable resistor 15 described above becomes a resistance value corresponding to the opening degree in the maximum open state. .. In this maximum open state, the tips 2c, 2d of the finger plates 2a, 2b are located on a straight line connecting the position of the rotating shaft 4 and the position of the rotating shaft 5 on the rotation surfaces of the fingers 2, 3. In addition, the tips 3c and 3d of the finger plates 3a and 3b are located. That is, the opening degree of the hand mechanism 1 is 180 degrees. At this time, the tips 2c, 2d, 3c, 3d of the respective finger plates reach the position retracted from the front end face 11 of the base portion 10, that is, the position rearward from the front end face 11.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like, in the maximum open state, the front end surface 11 of the base portion 10 is exposed to the most front side in front of the hand mechanism 1. By forming such a maximum open state, when the object is positioned in front of the hand mechanism 1 and is to be grasped by the finger portions 2 and 3, each finger portion is rotated from the surroundings with respect to the object. Since the objects can be brought close to each other, they are less likely to be affected by the shape and structure of the object. This contributes to the improvement of the gripping ability of the hand mechanism 1.

Next, the gripping operation of the object 45 by the hand mechanism 1 will be described based on FIG. FIG. 8 sequentially shows four processes that the hand mechanism 1 follows when gripping the target object 45. The uppermost stage (a) shows a state in which the object 45 is located in front of the hand mechanism 1 in the maximum open state.

Subsequently, in the state shown in (b), the object 45 is in contact with or in the vicinity of the front end face 11 of the base portion 10. The contact of the object with the front end face 11 may be detected by using the detection values of the plurality of pressure sensors 16 arranged on the front end face 11 as shown in FIG. 9. In the configuration shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of pressure sensors 16 are provided in series along the arrangement of the finger 2 (corresponding rotating shaft 4) and the finger 3 (corresponding rotating shaft 5) in the hand mechanism 1. The output of each pressure sensor 16 is output in a state in which it can be determined from which pressure sensor the output is. By arranging the plurality of pressure sensors 16 in this way, the relative positional relationship between the base portion 10 and the object 45 can be grasped. Therefore, if the target object 45 is displaced from the approximate center of the front end surface 11 of the base unit 10, the position and posture of the hand mechanism 1 are adjusted to adjust the base unit 10 and the target object 45. Can be adjusted to a relationship suitable for the gripping operation. The number of pressure sensors 16 provided on the front end face 11 may be one. Further, even when such a pressure sensor 16 is not arranged on the base portion 10, the positional relationship between the object 45 and the base portion 10 may be adjusted by using an image pickup device such as a camera installed outside. ..

When the positional relationship between the object 45 and the base portion 10 is adjusted in this way, subsequently, as shown in (c), the motor 12 operates to close the fingers 2 and 3. Then, finally, as shown in the lowermost stage (d), the object 45 is formed by the fingers 2 and 3 and the front end surface 11 of the base 10.
Hold it to wrap it. As described above, in the maximum open state shown in (a) and (b), the tips 2c, 2d, 3c, and 3d of the finger plates are at positions retracted from the front end surface 11 of the base portion 10, and thus (d) It is possible to grip the target object 45 in a state in which the shape and the like of the target object 45 are less likely to be affected as shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in (d), when the target object is gripped by the finger portions 2 and 3, the target object 45 is pressed against the front end surface 11 of the base portion 10 by the gripping force received from the finger portions 2 and 3. Become. That is, the target object 45 is gripped by the contact with the fingers 2 and 3 and the front end surface 11. At this time, when one or a plurality of pressure sensors 16 are arranged on the front end face 11, it is possible to detect the pressure received from the target object 45 by gripping the front end face 11. Therefore, based on the detection value of the pressure sensor 16, It can be determined whether or not a gripping force suitable for gripping the target object 45 is applied to the target object 45.

As described above, according to the hand mechanism 1, the target object can be suitably gripped and the gripping ability is high. The driving force of the motor 12 is transmitted to the fingers 2 and 3 via the transmission mechanism 30. As described above, a predetermined frictional force is generated between the worm 33 and the worm wheel 34 inside the transmission mechanism 30. Occurs, and it functions as a holding force that suppresses relative displacement between the input unit 30a and the output unit 30b of the transmission mechanism 30. Therefore, even if the power supply to the motor 12 is stopped while the object 45 is gripped as shown in FIG. 8D, the fingers 2 and 3 maintain their positions (gripping positions) by the holding force. It becomes possible to do. In particular, even when the power supply is stopped and a maximum load is applied to the fingers 2 and 3 while gripping an object with the maximum load that can be gripped, which is set in the hand mechanism 1, It is preferable to adjust the holding force of the transmission mechanism 30, that is, a predetermined frictional force between the worm 33 and the worm wheel 34 so that the grip position is maintained. As a result, it is possible to avoid the possibility of dropping the object 45 due to the stop of power supply to the motor 12.

In the hand portion of the hand mechanism 1 described above, the finger portion 2 is formed by the two finger plates 2a and 2b, and the finger portion 3 is formed by the two finger plates 3a and 3b. Instead of this, the number of finger plates forming each finger portion of the hand portion may be different for each finger portion. For example, the finger 2 may remain formed with two finger plates, while the finger 3 may be formed with one finger plate. In this case, when the hand mechanism 1 is in the closed state, the finger plate of the finger portion 3 may be arranged so as to fit between the two finger plates of the finger portion 2.

<Control part of the flying robot 50>
Next, a control configuration of the flying robot 50 will be described based on FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing each functional unit included in the body 55. Specifically, the body 55 has a control device 200 for performing operations of the flying robot 50, that is, flight control related to flight by the propulsion unit 53, gripping control by the hand mechanism 1, and the like. The control device 200 is a computer having an arithmetic processing unit and a memory, and has a flight control unit 210 and a hand control unit 211 as functional units. Each functional unit is formed by executing a predetermined control program in the control device 200.

The flight control unit 210 is a functional unit that controls the propulsion unit 53 to generate a propulsive force for the flight when the flying robot 50 flies. The flight control unit 210 controls the propulsive forces of the four propulsion units 53 based on information related to the flight state of the flying robot 50 and environmental information detected by a sensor (not shown). The environmental information is detected by an angular velocity of the body 55 detected by a gyro sensor corresponding to three axes (not shown) (yaw axis, pitch axis, roll axis) or an acceleration sensor corresponding to the three axes not shown. The information about the inclination of the body 55 and the like can be illustrated. The flight control unit 210 uses the environmental information acquired from these sensors to feedback-control the inclination of the body 55 of the flying robot 50 so that it is in a state suitable for the flight. Further, the environment information may include an azimuth which is the direction of the body 55 in the absolute coordinate system when the direction of the earth axis is used as a reference, and the azimuth can be detected by the azimuth sensor.

Here, when the body 55 of the flying robot 50 is moved back and forth and left and right, the flight control unit 210 lowers the rotation speed of the actuator 52 of the propulsion unit 53 in the traveling direction, and the propulsion unit on the opposite side to the traveling direction. By increasing the rotation speed of the actuator 52 of 53, the body 55 of the flying robot 50 takes a forward leaning posture with respect to the traveling direction and travels in the desired direction. When the body 55 of the flying robot 50 is rotationally moved, the flight control unit 210 outputs the rotation direction of the propeller 51 based on the rotation direction of the body 55 of the flying robot 50. For example, when the body 55 of the flying robot 50 is rotated to the right, the flight controller 210 lowers the output of the actuator 52 corresponding to the propeller 51 rotating to the right and corresponds to the propeller 51 rotating to the left. Increase the output of the actuator 52.

Next, the hand control unit 211 is a functional unit for controlling the opening/closing operation of the hand mechanism 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the hand control unit 211 controls the opening/closing operation of the fingers 2 and 3 of the hand mechanism 1 in order to hold the target object 45 with the hand mechanism 1. At this time, the hand control unit 211 issues a drive command to the motor 12 while confirming the opening degree of the hand mechanism 1 based on the detection signal from the variable resistor 15. Further, the hand control unit 211 issues a drive command to the motor 12 while confirming the position of the object 45 with respect to the hand mechanism 1, particularly the base unit 10, based on the detection signal from the pressure sensor 16.

Further, the hand control unit 211 and the flight control unit 210 can operate in cooperation with each other by exchanging signals with each other. As a result, the flight control unit 210 can control the plurality of propulsion units 53 so as to control the relative position of the hand mechanism 1 with respect to the object 45 so that the hand mechanism 1 can appropriately grip the object. A mode of cooperation between the hand control unit 211 and the flight control unit 210 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, as shown in (a) of FIG. 11, while the flight robot 210 is flying by the flight controller 210, the object 59 is arranged in front of the hand mechanism 1 so as not to come into contact with the ground contact portion 57, and the hand control is performed. The object 211 is gripped by the hand mechanism 1 by the part 211. At this time, the flight control unit 210 performs flight (hovering) for maintaining the position and orientation of the flying robot 50 in order to appropriately perform the gripping by the hand mechanism 1. When the hand controller 1 completes the gripping of the target object 59 by the hand mechanism 1, the flight controller 210 controls the flying robot 50 to fall around the target object 59 while the hand mechanism 1 grips the target object 59. Thus, the outputs of the four propulsion units 53 are adjusted (states (b) and (c) of FIG. 11).

Finally, as shown in FIG. 11D, with the hand mechanism 1 gripping the target object 59, the flight robot 50 is suspended from the target object 59. In this state, the power supply to the motor 12 in the hand mechanism 1 is stopped. However, as described above, in the transmission mechanism 30 mounted on the hand mechanism 1, the holding force due to a predetermined frictional force causes the finger 2 and the finger 3 to move relative to each other even when the weight of the flying robot 50 is applied to the hand mechanism. It works so that the physical relationship does not change. As a result, even if the power supply to the motor 12 is stopped, the hand mechanism 1 does not open due to the weight of the flying robot 50, and thus the flying robot 50 can be preferably prevented from falling. Further, although the flying robot 50 has a battery inside, its electric power capacity is limited. Therefore, it is stored in the battery that the power supply to the motor 12 can be stopped while it is suspended from the object 59. It contributes to curbing the waste of electricity.

Here, in the form shown in FIG. 11, the flying robot 50 is finally suspended from the object 59, but as an alternative aspect, the flying robot 50 in flight grips the object while flying. Even when the flying robot 50 flies to another place while holding the object (substantially as shown in FIG. 11A), the hand control unit 211 and the flight control unit 210 Will be coordinated. In addition, in this embodiment, since the hand mechanism 1 is directly installed on the body 55 as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to bring the center of gravity of the object closer to the center of gravity of the flying robot 50 during flight. It is considered that this greatly contributes to the stability improvement when the flying robot 50 flies while holding the object.

Furthermore, when the flying robot 50 is flying by driving the propulsion unit 53 by the flight control unit 210, the hand control unit 211 controls the hand mechanism 1 so as to minimize the possible influence on the flight performance of the flying robot 50. Can be controlled. Therefore, the flight hand control, which is the control, will be described with reference to FIG. The flight hand control is realized by the flight control unit 210 and the hand control unit 211 in cooperation with each other. First, in S101, it is determined whether or not the flying robot 50 has started flying. For the determination, information related to the flight state of the flying robot 50 (the above environmental information) acquired by the flight control unit 210 and information related to the driving state of the propulsion unit 53 can be used. If an affirmative decision is made in S101, the operation proceeds to S102, and if a negative decision is made, this control is terminated.

Then, in S102, it is determined whether or not the flying robot 50 in flight needs to grip the object. The request for the gripping operation may be given to the flying robot 50 before the flight, or may be given to the flying robot 50 via wireless communication or the like during the flight. If an affirmative decision is made in S102, the operation proceeds to S107, and if a negative decision is made, the operation proceeds to S103.

First, the processing after S103 will be described. In S103, the hand control unit 211 sets the hand mechanism 1 to the maximum open state. The maximum open state is the open/closed state of the hand mechanism 1 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Then, as described above, in the maximum open state, the tips 2c, 2d, 3c, 3d of the finger plates of the fingers 2, 3 are placed at positions retracted from the front end face 11 of the base portion 10, and the base portion 10 The front end face 11 is exposed to the frontmost side. In the flying robot 50 shown in FIG. 1, the hand mechanism 1 is in the maximum open state, and the fingers 2 and 3 are in a state of being expanded along the bottom surface of the body 55. When the hand mechanism 1 of the flying robot 50 in flight is in the maximum open state in this way, the hand mechanism 1 has a shape along the body 55, so that air resistance to the flying robot 50 in flight can be reduced. In particular, when the flying robot 50 is flying toward the left side in the drawing in the state shown in FIG. 1, it is expected that the air resistance will be reduced more suitably.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, since the hand mechanism 1 is a manipulator device for gripping an object existing around the flying robot 50, the hand mechanism 1 is configured to be accessible to the object. This is an element necessary to achieve the original purpose of the hand mechanism 1, but on the other hand, in the flying robot 50, the hand mechanism 1 inadvertently interferes with surrounding obstacles during its flight. There is a risk. However, when the process of S103 is performed and the hand mechanism 1 is in the maximum open state, the height of the hand mechanism 1 from the bottom surface of the body 55 to which the hand mechanism 1 is attached becomes small, and the interference with an obstacle is prevented. It is easier to avoid. This is useful for stabilizing the flight performance of the flying robot 50.

Then, when the hand mechanism 1 is set to the maximum open state in S103, the power supply to the motor 12 of the hand mechanism 1 is stopped in S104. Here, as described above, in the transmission mechanism 30 mounted on the hand mechanism 1, a holding force due to a predetermined frictional force acts, so that the relative positional relationship between the fingers 2 and 3 even after the power supply is stopped. Does not change, and the maximum open state is maintained. As a result, the power consumption of the flying robot 50 is also appropriately suppressed.

Then, in S105, it is determined whether or not the flying robot 50 has landed and completed the flight. Information related to the flight state of the flying robot 50 can also be used for the determination. If an affirmative decision is made in S105, the operation proceeds to S106, and if a negative decision is made, the processing from S102 onward is repeated. In S106, the power supply is resumed to the motor 12 whose power supply has been stopped until then, and the hand mechanism 1 is placed in a standby state so that a predetermined operation (grip of an object, etc.) by the hand mechanism 1 can be performed. .. The standby state represents a state in which the hand mechanism 1 is operable in response to a drive command from the hand control unit 211.

When the affirmative determination is made in S102 described above and the process proceeds to S107, power supply is restarted to the motor 12, which has been stopped until then because of the required gripping operation. If the motor 12 has been supplied with power until then, the power supply state is maintained. When the process of S107 ends, the process proceeds to S105. As described above, in the present control, when it is not necessary to grip an object during the flight of the flying robot 50, the hand mechanism 1 is set to the maximum open state to avoid the interference between the obstacle and the hand mechanism 1, and during the flight. The air resistance of the vehicle will be reduced. Alternatively, before the flight robot 50 starts the flight, the hand mechanism 1 may be set to the maximum open state and then the flight may be started.

<Modification 1>
A first modified example of the hand mechanism 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The upper part (a) of FIG. 13 shows a schematic configuration of the flying robot 50, and the lower part (b) shows a state in which the flying robot 50 is hung on a rod-shaped object 75 by the hand mechanism 1. In this flying robot 50, the hand mechanism 1 is directly installed above the body 55. Therefore, the relative position of the hand mechanism 1 with respect to the body 55 is not changed. Even in such a form, the object 75 can be grasped by the hand mechanism 1 and the flight robot 50 can be suspended there. At that time, even if the power supply to the motor 12 is stopped, the gripped state by the hand mechanism 1 can be maintained as described above, and thus the drop of the flying robot 50 can be suppressed.

Also in this modification, when the flying robot 50 is in flight and no gripping operation is required, the hand mechanism 1 is set to the maximum open state as shown in FIG. Since the shape is along the body 55, the air resistance to the flying robot 50 during flight can be reduced, and the height of the hand mechanism 1 can be reduced to easily avoid interference with surrounding obstacles.

<Modification 2>
A second modification of the hand mechanism 1 will be described based on FIG. The upper part (a) of FIG. 14 shows a schematic configuration of the flying robot 50, and the lower part (b) shows a state in which the hand mechanism 1 holds a rod-shaped object 65. In this flying robot 50, the hand mechanism 1 is attached to a body 55 via robot arms 60 and 61. The robot arms 60 and 61 are components that can be relatively displaced by joint parts (not shown), and can be realized by applying a known technique, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted. By attaching the hand mechanism 1 to the body 55 via the robot arms 60 and 61 in this manner, the relative position and posture of the hand mechanism 1 with respect to the body 55 can be changed, and the hand mechanism 1 can be more flexibly. It becomes possible to grip the target object 65.

Further, in the present modification, when the flying robot 50 is in flight and no gripping operation is required, the hand mechanism 1 is in the maximum open state with the robot arms 60 and 61 folded around the body 55. Thus, the hand mechanism 1 has a shape along the body 55. As a result, the air resistance to the flying robot 50 during flight can be reduced, and the height of the hand mechanism 1 can be reduced, which facilitates avoiding interference with surrounding obstacles.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Hand mechanism, 2... 3 finger parts, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b... finger plate, 10... base part, 11... front end surface, 12... motor, 16 ... Pressure sensor, 30... Transmission mechanism, 30a... Input part, 30b... Output part, 33... Worm, 34... Worm wheel, 50... Flying robot, 53...・Propulsion unit, 200... Control device, 210... Flight control unit, 211... Hand control unit

Claims (10)

Body and
A plurality of propulsion units that generate a propulsive force by driving the rotary blades, the plurality of propulsion units being a propulsion unit provided in the body;
A hand mechanism having at least two finger portions attached to the base portion so as to be openable and closable;
A control unit that controls the opening/closing operation of the at least two fingers in the hand mechanism;
And a flying robot configured to be capable of flying by the propulsion unit,
When the flying robot is in flight and the object is not gripped by the hand mechanism, the control unit maintains the hand mechanism in a predetermined open state in which the at least two fingers are expanded.
Flying robot. The control unit sets the at least two finger portions in the predetermined open state in which the finger portions are expanded along the body,
The flying robot according to claim 1. The hand mechanism is attached to the body via a robot arm having one or more joints,
The control section, in a state where the robot arm is folded around the body, sets the at least two finger portions in the predetermined open state in which the at least two finger portions are expanded along the body;
The flying robot according to claim 1. The predetermined open state is a maximum open state in which the respective tips of the at least two finger portions reach a position retracted from a predetermined portion of the base portion,
The flight robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The hand mechanism is
An actuator that supplies a driving force for the opening/closing operation of the at least two fingers,
A driving unit that inputs the driving force of the actuator to an input unit and outputs the driving force from the output unit to the at least two finger units;
Further has,
The transmission unit generates a predetermined holding force between the input unit and the output unit so that the predetermined open state is maintained even when the actuator is not operating,
The flight robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The hand mechanism is
An actuator that supplies a driving force for the opening/closing operation of the at least two fingers,
A drive unit for inputting the driving force of the actuator to the input unit and outputting the driving force from the output unit to the at least two finger units;
Further has,
The transmission unit generates a predetermined holding force between the input unit and the output unit so that the predetermined open state is maintained even when the actuator is not operating.
The flying robot according to claim 4. The hand mechanism is capable of gripping an object when the at least two fingers are in a predetermined closed state,
The transmission unit does not relatively displace the at least two fingers when the load from the object is applied to the at least two fingers in the predetermined closed state even when the actuator is not operating. So that the predetermined holding force is generated between the input unit and the output unit,
The flying robot according to claim 6. When the at least two finger portions are in the predetermined closed state, the state in which the object is grasped by the contact between the predetermined portion of the at least two finger portions and the base portion and the object is Formed,
At least one pressure sensor capable of detecting contact with the object is provided at the predetermined portion,
The flying robot according to claim 7. A plurality of the pressure sensors are provided in series in the predetermined portion along the row of the at least two finger portions of the base portion,
The flying robot according to claim 8. The transmission unit is
A worm that is the input unit,
A worm wheel that is engaged with the worm and is the output unit,
Including
The predetermined holding force is generated by the engagement between the worm and the worm wheel,
The flying robot according to any one of claims 5 to 9.

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