JP2022143589A - Autonomous type flight body, and autonomous control method and autonomous controller therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an autonomous type flight body which enables precise attitude control in a low sky, and consequently, can perform stable unmanned flight required in applications such as disaster recovery and the like.SOLUTION: An autonomous control type air ship 10 comprises, as a propulsion engine, forward/reverse rotatable rotary wings 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D, 17 at tips of main wings 12A, 12B, on a side face of a body air sac and at a stern. Further, the air ship comprises a rotary wing for attitude control on top faces of the main wings 12A, 12B and side faces of rudders 23A, 23B on a ship main side and a stern side, and balance air sacs 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B at left and right front and rear parts of the body air sac. By controlling the rotary wing, the rudder and the balance air sac while associating them with each other on the basis of positional information and meteorological information that are obtained from a positional information receiver 30 and an external sensor 31, an attitude of the autonomous control type air ship 10 can be held with extremely high accuracy even during low attitude flight.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention is an autonomous flying object such as an autonomously controlled airship, which realizes precise attitude control at low altitudes and enables stable unmanned flight by predicting the flight conditions of the course, and an autonomous control method thereof. and autonomous control devices.

Due to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, lightning strikes, and fires, as well as man-made accidents, some of the base stations of mobile communication systems may become unable to communicate. As a result, the number of operating base stations is reduced, and the area (coverage area) in which terminal devices can communicate with the base stations is reduced. In addition, as the number of terminal devices per base station increases, the communication line becomes congested and the load on the base station increases. In such a case, it is necessary to quickly restore the base station in order to ensure communication of terminal devices in the disaster area.

Airships that can fly with buoyant gas such as helium gas and can be loaded with equipment to approach disaster sites are effective as means of transportation in such restoration work. Unmanned flight of airships is often required in disaster recovery applications. In order to enable unmanned flight, it is necessary to fly while automatically maintaining the attitude of the airship even at low altitudes.

As a method for maintaining the attitude of an airship, a technique has been developed that uses air supply means for supplying air to the inside of the hull and pressure control means for driving the air supply means (see, for example, Patent Document 1). . In the technique described in Patent Document 1, these pressure control means and air supply means are movably arranged outside the airship. As a result, the internal pressure of the hull can be controlled based on the information on the air inside the hull and the information on the outside air, so that the pressure of the airship can be managed and the attitude can be maintained.

Furthermore, air currents outside the airship are constantly changing, and in order to control the attitude of the airship, it is necessary to cope with such changes in weather conditions. Therefore, a technique has been developed for estimating the wind speed and wind direction around the airship and controlling the control device according to the information (see Patent Document 2, for example). As a result, it is possible to automatically maintain a fixed point over the ground in both calm and strong winds.

JP 2005-280438 A JP-A-2005-145090

However, as described above, when an airship approaches a disaster site or the like, it flies at a low altitude, so more precise attitude control is required. The technique described in Patent Document 1 controls only the pressure of the floating gas, and it is difficult to perform precise attitude control of the airship at low altitudes.

Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, the wind speed and wind direction in the surrounding area at that time are estimated, and the airship is controlled based on the information. However, when the airship travels at low altitudes, it is affected by changes in terrain, etc., so the surrounding air currents change rapidly. Control based solely on current information cannot select an appropriate flight route in response to such abrupt changes.

Thus, it is extremely difficult for an airship using conventional technology to precisely control its attitude and to select a flight route in response to constantly changing ambient air currents. For this reason, it has not been possible to realize advanced level unmanned flight of airships, which is required for various uses such as when a disaster occurs.

The present invention was made under the circumstances described above, and by enabling precise attitude control at low altitudes and selection of an appropriate flight route, stable unmanned flight required for use in times of disaster, etc. is realized. The purpose is to provide an autonomous flying object that can A further object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous flying object capable of more precise attitude control by predicting the weather conditions at the flight point after a predetermined time has passed.

In addition, the present invention provides an autonomous control method and an autonomous control apparatus for an autonomous flying object that enables precise attitude control at low altitudes and selection of an appropriate flight route for the autonomous flying object, and enables stable unmanned flight. intended to provide

In order to achieve the above object, the autonomous flying object according to the first aspect of the present invention includes:
an aircraft main body having left and right main wings and left and right tail wings provided with rudders;
a propulsion rotary wing provided on the stern of the aircraft body and on the left and right main wings and capable of forward and reverse rotation;
Left and right main wing upper surface control rotors provided on the upper surfaces of the left and right main wings;
side propulsion rotors provided on both sides of the aircraft body and capable of forward and reverse rotation;
a bow-side rudder and a stern-side rudder provided on the bow side and the stern side of the lower surface of the aircraft main body;
bow control rotors and stern control rotors provided on the sides of the bow rudder and the stern rudder;
a balance adjustment body provided on the left and right side surfaces of the aircraft main body for adjusting the balance of gravity;
gravity balance control means for controlling the balance adjuster;
a power supply source that supplies power to rotate the propulsion rotor, the main wing upper surface rotor, the side propulsion rotor, the bow control rotor, and the stern control rotor;
Rotation control means for controlling rotation by adjusting supply from the power supply source;
rudder control means for controlling the tail rudder and the bow and stern rudders;
Prepare.

The rotation shafts of the propulsion rotors provided on the left and right main wings may be rotatable by 90 degrees or more with respect to the left and right main wing surfaces.

The left and right main wing upper surface rotors, the bow control rotor, and the stern control rotor have a plurality of propellers that rotate independently, and the propulsive force generated by the rotation of some propellers among the plurality of propellers is the remaining propellers. It may be in the opposite direction to the propulsive force due to the rotation of the propeller.

The autonomous flying object is an airship,
the aircraft main body and the left and right gravity balance adjusters are air sacs filled with a buoyant gas;
The gravity balance control means may control air pressure inside the aircraft main body and the left and right gravity balance adjusters.

Further, a position information receiver for receiving position information from a satellite positioning system is provided, and control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means is executed based on the position information. good too.

Furthermore, an external sensor for measuring wind direction, wind speed and air temperature is provided, and control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means is executed based on the measured values of the external sensor. You can do it.

Furthermore, an anemometer for measuring the wind speed in the traveling direction is provided, and control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means is executed based on the measured value of the anemometer. may be

Furthermore, it is equipped with an analysis device that uses artificial intelligence,
forming a three-dimensional matrix with a predetermined interval from the position information acquired by the position information receiver;
By forming a four-dimensional matrix to which the time axis calculated from the flight speed is added using the analysis device, information on the direction of travel may be predicted and the optimum flight route may be calculated.

Control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means may be executed based on the calculated optimum flight path.

In order to achieve the above object, a method for controlling an autonomous flying object according to a second aspect of the present invention includes:
retrieving recorded surveillance data of a plurality of flights corresponding to the autonomous vehicle type and at least one route; and inferring a flight pattern of the autonomous vehicle from the recorded surveillance data. calculating a reconstructed flight route using the inferred flight pattern; and combining the reconstructed flight route with the flight pattern corresponding to a particular autonomous vehicle type and route. selecting a data set containing and applying a machine learning algorithm to obtain a correlation function between states and operations of the autonomous air vehicle;
repeatedly reading data from onboard sensors of the autonomous air vehicle; obtaining real-time autonomous air vehicle states from the on-board sensor data; and using the correlation function to obtain real-time autonomous air vehicle states. and performing the determined action on the autonomous vehicle;
Prepare.

Furthermore, an anemometer for measuring the wind speed in the traveling direction is provided, and control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means is executed based on the measured value of the anemometer. may be

Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, a control device for an autonomous flying object according to a third aspect of the present invention includes:
Equipped with analysis equipment using artificial intelligence,
forming a three-dimensional matrix with a predetermined interval from the position information acquired by the position information receiver;
By forming a four-dimensional matrix to which the time axis calculated from the flight speed is added using the analysis device, information on the direction of travel is predicted and the optimum flight path is calculated.

Control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means may be executed based on the calculated optimum flight path.

Emitting electromagnetic waves in the direction in which the autonomous flying object is scheduled to fly, receiving the scattered waves in the atmosphere, and determining the Doppler shift amount of the frequency between the emitted electromagnetic waves and the scattered electromagnetic waves in the direction of the radiation axis. a measurement unit that measures the remote wind speed of
a rudder for controlling the lift force of the autonomous flying object;
Based on the measurement results of the measurement unit, when it is found that the autonomous flying object is subject to a gust, an angle of attack with a small lift inclination is calculated, and the lift is controlled so that the lift does not change. a control calculation unit that calculates an angle;
may be provided.

Control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means may be executed based on the calculated optimum flight path.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an autonomous flying object capable of precise attitude control at low altitudes and selection of an appropriate flight route, and capable of stable unmanned flight required in applications such as when a disaster occurs. Further, according to the present invention, an autonomous flying object capable of more precise attitude control is realized by predicting the weather conditions at the flight point after a predetermined time has passed. In addition, according to the present invention, an autonomous control method and an autonomous control of an autonomous flying object that enables precise attitude control at a low altitude and selection of an appropriate flight route for the autonomous flying object, and enables stable unmanned flight. equipment can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating advantages and applications of an autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 1 of an autonomous flying object of the present invention; 1 is a plan view (a) and a left side view (b) showing the overall structure of an autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a front view (a) of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment as seen from the bow side, and a rear view (b) as seen from the stern side; FIG. FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of EV wings provided on left and right main wings of Embodiment 1, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing in more detail the generation of airflow by the EV wings provided on the main wings of the autonomously controlled airship of the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4A is an enlarged view showing the position of a shielding plate that shields the EV wing of Example 1, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged view showing a method of shielding. 2 is a plan view showing forward airflow (a) and stop airflow (b) by propulsion wings provided at the tip of a main wing of the autonomously controlled airship of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an ascending air current (a) and a descending air current (b) caused by rotating the propulsion wings provided at the tip of the main wing of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1 by 90 degrees; 4 is a left side view showing an enlarged view of EV wings provided on the front and rear rudders of the autonomously controlled airship of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4A is a bottom view (a) showing four right and left balance adjustment air sacs provided on the lower surface of the main body air sac of the autonomously controlled airship of Embodiment 1, and an explanatory diagram (b) showing a balance adjustment method. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of selecting a flight route based on collection of peripheral data in the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing second attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing third attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1; 4 is a schematic diagram showing a matrix used for control using artificial intelligence of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating quantification of the degree of influence used to form the matrix of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating quantification of the degree of influence used to form the matrix of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating weather satellite data used to form the matrix of Example 1; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for applying the flight impact level obtained in Example 1 to the vertical axis matrix; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for applying the flight impact level obtained in Example 1 to the vertical axis matrix; 4 is a schematic diagram showing acquisition of data in the vertical direction inside and outside the observation area in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for applying the flight impact level obtained in Example 1 to the horizontal axis matrix; 4 is a diagram showing a three-dimensional matrix used for flight route selection in the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a three-dimensional matrix used for flight route selection in the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram collectively showing the analysis procedure of various information values collected in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view and a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of an autonomously controlled airship according to a second embodiment of the autonomous flying object of the present invention; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a float block that constitutes an autonomously controlled airship according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 2; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at three locations of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 2; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the block configuration of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 2; FIG. 11 is a front view showing the overall configuration of an autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 3 of the autonomous flying object of the present invention; FIG. 12A is a plan view and (b) a front view showing only the body portion of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 3; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of an autonomously controlled airship of Example 3; FIG. 11 is a bottom view showing the overall configuration of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 3;

An autonomous aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention is an aircraft body having main wings and a tail, in which rotary wings for propulsion are provided on the stern, the main wings, and both side surfaces of the aircraft body. A rudder is attached to the lower surface of the main body on the bow and stern sides. Furthermore, the rudder on the upper surface of the main wing and the lower surface of the aircraft main body are provided with rotary wings for controlling the attitude of the aircraft main body, and the left and right sides are provided with balance adjusters for adjusting the gravity balance.

The autonomous flying object according to the present embodiment can maintain a stable attitude even when flying at low altitudes by simultaneously controlling the rotor, rudder, and balance adjuster. Here, the balance adjuster is used to adjust the gravity balance of the flying object body to prevent the attitude of the flying object body from being disturbed. Preferably, the balance adjusters are provided on the left and right sides of the aircraft main body, and are further provided on the left and right front (ship owner side) and rear (stern side) sides, respectively.

For example, a pair of left and right air sacs filled with a buoyant gas can be used as the balance adjuster. Also, as the balance adjuster, a method of changing the position of the center of gravity by moving the position of the container having weight within the adjuster can be used. Containers with weight are for example containers filled with liquid. As the liquid, a nonflammable liquid such as water, or a cylinder filled with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, or the like liquefied under high pressure can be used.

The autonomous flying object according to the present embodiment can be based on, for example, an airship using buoyant gas. An airship as an autonomous aircraft consists of a main body consisting of a buoyant air sac containing air, main and tail wings attached to the main body air sac, and propulsion rotor blades provided on the stern, main wings, and both sides of the main body. and rudders attached to the bow and stern undersides of the tail and main body envelopes. The rudder on the upper surface of the main wing and the lower surface of the main air bladder are equipped with rotary wings for controlling the attitude of the airship, and the left and right sides are equipped with air bladders for balance adjustment as balance adjustment bodies for adjusting the gravity balance.

An airship having such a configuration can maintain a stable attitude even when flying at low altitudes by simultaneously controlling the rotor blades, rudder, and balance adjustment bladders. Furthermore, this airship can autonomously control its attitude and select an appropriate flight route by collecting information using various sensors and measuring instruments and equipping it with analysis means for analyzing the information. can. That is, such an airship becomes an autonomously controlled airship capable of unmanned flight through automatic control of its attitude and direction.

A bag-like container made of an airtight material that can contain a buoyant gas is used as an air sac that constitutes the main body of the airship. The air sac of a conventional airship is formed in the shape of a bag that expands into the shape of the airship body when filled with a buoyant gas. The air sac may be in the form of an integral bag without internal partition walls, or the interior may be divided into a plurality of chambers by partition walls. As the airtight material capable of trapping gas, an airtight synthetic resin (plastic) sheet, synthetic resin film, or synthetic fiber (plastic fiber) woven fabric or the like can be used. From the viewpoint of enabling the autonomously controlled airship to fly over long distances, it is preferable to use a material that is airtight, lightweight, and strong. Examples of such materials include ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) films (for example, Kuraray Co., Ltd.'s product name "EVAL", etc.), synthetic fiber cloth made of polyester fibers, and the like. Helium, for example, can be used as the buoyant gas filled in such an air sac.

Alternatively, a structure in which an air bag is formed by housing a plurality of blocks made of an airtight material and filled with a buoyant gas inside an outer membrane having the shape of an airship body may be employed. Such a block is constructed using a membranous material, such as an EVOH film, having airtightness, light weight, and strength, like the air sac described above. In such a structure, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of blocks three-dimensionally inside the outer membrane having the shape of the airship body. including) is preferably retained. As such a rigid linear member, a metal pipe having both lightness and strength, such as an aluminum alloy pipe or a titanium alloy pipe, is preferably used.

Advantages of such a structure in which a plurality of blocks are combined to form an airship body are that the airship can be easily transported and the manufacturing process can be simplified. In particular, with regard to transportation of the airship, it is difficult to transport the airship to the take-off point in a state where the airship body, which is an integral air sac, is filled with a buoyant gas due to its size. However, by dividing the airship body into a plurality of small blocks in this way, it can be easily transported by a truck or the like. In addition, since such a small block has a small volume even when filled with buoyant gas, it is easier to secure a storage space than an integrated airship body. Furthermore, even if the size of the airship changes, the airship body can be formed by using the same blocks and simply changing the number of blocks used. That is, since the same block can be used regardless of the size of the airship, the manufacturing process can be standardized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In order to enable long-distance unmanned flight for such autonomous airships, synthetic resin sheets that are airtight, lightweight, and strong are used as materials for air sacs filled with buoyant gas. Material is preferably used. Such a material is preferably used not only for the main bladder but also for the balance adjusting bladder. It is preferable that the air bags for balance adjustment are provided not only on the left and right sides of the main body air bag, but also on the left and right sides of the ship and the stern side. Helium, for example, can be used as the buoyant gas that is filled in the main bladder and the balance adjustment bladder.

The autonomous flying object according to the present embodiment is a new aircraft logistics system that combines a buoyant airship and a lift aircraft. In order to realize vertical take-off and landing flight, horizontal flight, and fixed-point flight, it is necessary for such an autonomous flying object to be equipped with a space power plant that can produce a large amount of electrical energy. In order to stabilize this function, it is equipped with a weather analysis artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as "flying body AI") that predicts the weather, avoids dangerous natural phenomena, and autonomously navigates to a safe route. Controlling the moving parts of the flying object based on the data judged by the flying object AI is called "aircraft AI attitude control". By grasping and predicting weather data in advance through AI attitude control of the aircraft, it is possible to detect danger and enable safe and secure autonomous flight. In this way, the autonomous flying object according to this embodiment contributes to the unmanned aerial vehicle industry.

The radio of the aircraft is divided into two systems, the external radio system of the ship and the internal radio system of the ship. The ship's external radio system receives meteorological satellite data directly (backup function in the event of a ground network failure), GNSS (QZS: Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite, GPS: American Positioning Satellite, GALILEO: EU Positioning Information Satellite, GLONASS: Russia Positioning information satellite) reception constitutes a spatially mobile reference point, satellite communication transmission and reception (vessel supplementary position information backup line, remote control backup line, image backup line), land wireless two-way line (permitted wireless line, Wi- Fi lines, radio control lines, mobile lines, etc., require an environment where remote control can be performed even if they are autonomous. Communication prevents hacking.

In order to allow self-recovery, the ship's internal radio circuit system has three lines connecting the control unit and the operating unit, the sensor and the central unit, and the lines connecting the ship's external radio system equipment and the control unit (communication with the power supply line, fiber optic network communications, wireless network communications) are provided. Basically, even in the case of communication with power supply, two optical fiber systems (method of dividing power supply and countermeasures against failure), and wireless line, biometric authentication & identification scramble communication prevents hacking.

Hereinafter, embodiments of an autonomous flying vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following examples are intended to further illustrate the present invention by specific examples, and the present invention is not limited to the content of the examples.

[Example 1]
First, an autonomous control airship as an autonomous flying object according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The autonomously controlled airship 10 according to the first embodiment is an autonomous flying object capable of precise attitude control and appropriate flight route selection in unmanned low-altitude flight.

First, advantages and applications of the autonomously controlled airship 10 according to the first embodiment compared with conventional airships will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining advantages and applications of the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment. Techniques using airships as a means of transporting heavy objects have been developed in the past. However, since conventional airships ascend and descend while moving in the same horizontal direction as airplanes during takeoff and landing, an airfield with a runway longer than a certain length is required.

On the other hand, the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment has not only air sacs filled with buoyant gas, but also rotor blades for ascending and descending on the upper surface and tip of the main wing, as described below. there is As a result, a greater ascending force can be obtained, and a descending force can be generated by the rotor blades for vertical landing. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, after the cargo W1 is loaded, it rises vertically to reach the flight altitude, and then it flies horizontally to reach the destination. Then, it descends vertically by using the descending force of the rotary blades and unloads the article W1 to the destination. In this manner, the autonomously controlled airship 10 of Example 1 can perform ascent, level flight to the destination, and descent without using a runway. In addition, hovering can be performed by controlling the rotor blades, and it is possible to maintain position while maintaining attitude in the air. Therefore, fixed point flight can also be performed. Such excellent features are commonly provided in the autonomously controlled airships 100 and 150 of Examples 2 and 3, which will be described later.

Next, the specific structure of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. FIG. 2 is (a) a plan view and (b) a left side view showing the overall structure of an autonomously controlled airship 10 as an autonomous flying object according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows (a) a front view of the autonomously controlled airship 10 according to the first embodiment as seen from the bow side, and (b) a rear view of the autonomously controlled airship 10 as seen from the stern side.

As shown in the plan view of FIG. 2( a ), the autonomously controlled airship 10 according to the first embodiment includes a main air bag 11 filled with a buoyant gas as an aircraft main body, and air bags on the left and right sides of the main air bag 11 . It has main wings 12A and 12B and four tail wings including left and right tail wings 16A and 16B. Propulsion rotor blades 17, 15A and 15B capable of forward and reverse rotation are provided at the stern of the main body air sac 11 and at the tips 14A and 14B of the left and right main wings 12A and 12B.

Here, the tip portions 14A and 14B are attached to the main wings 12A and 12B so as to be rotatable 360 degrees around the horizontal axis extending in the lateral direction of the main body bladder 11 . Therefore, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 8, by rotating the tip portions 14A and 14B by 90 degrees with respect to the main wings 12A and 12B, the ejection ports of the propulsion rotor blades 15A and 15B are directed directly upward or It can be directed downwards. Note that the tip portions 14A and 14B may not be rotatable 360 degrees with respect to the main wings 12A and 12B. It may be rotatable by 90 degrees in one or both directions.

Further, main wing upper surface control rotor blades 13A and 13B are provided on the upper surfaces of the main wings 12A and 12B. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 6, the main wing upper surface control rotor blades 13A and 13B are provided with a rotor blade shield plate that covers them. A receiver 30 for receiving communication radio waves such as weather information transmitted from a meteorological satellite is attached to the upper surface of the main bladder 11, and a bow portion of the main bladder 11 is provided for collecting forward weather data. A sensor 33 is attached.

In addition, the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment has left and right sides of the main airbag 11, as shown in the left side view of FIG. 2(b), the front view of FIG. 3(a), and the rear view of FIG. The side surfaces 14C and 14D are also provided with side propelling rotors 15C and 15D. These side propulsion rotor blades are also capable of normal rotation and reverse rotation, like the propulsion rotor blades 17, 15A, and 15B. Wind pressure is generated backward by rotating these rotor blades forward, and the autonomously controlled airship 10 moves forward. On the other hand, when these rotor blades are reversed, wind pressure is generated forward, which can brake the autonomously controlled airship 10 that is sailing.

Further, the stern propulsion rotor blade 17 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3(b) has a configuration in which the wind pressure outlet can be directed vertically by a bending structure (not shown). Therefore, the stern of the main body bladder 11 can be moved up and down by rotating the ejection port of the propulsion rotor blade 17 vertically upward or downward. By adding the control of raising and lowering the stern, it becomes possible to perform the attitude control of the autonomously controlled airship 10 more precisely.

As shown in FIGS. 2(b), 3(a) and 3(b), on the lower surface of the main body envelope 11 of the autonomously controlled airship 10, a bow rudder 23A and a stern rudder 23B are provided on the bow side and the stern side, respectively. is provided. A bow control rotor 24A and a stern control rotor 24B are provided on the sides of the bow rudder 23A and the stern rudder 23B, respectively. The direction of travel of the autonomously controlled airship 10 is adjusted by operating the rudders 23A, 23B. Further, by rotating the rotor blades 24A and 24B, the horizontal displacement of the autonomously controlled airship 10 is corrected.

As shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 3(a) and (b), below the left and right side surfaces of the main body air sac 11 are four left and right balance adjustment air sacs 21A and 21B for adjusting the gravity balance. , 22A and 22B are provided. These balance adjusting air sacs 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B are controlled by a control device 31 attached to the lower surface of the main air sac 11 so as to adjust the gravitational balance of the main air sac 11. As shown in FIG. This further improves the accuracy of attitude control of the autonomously controlled airship 10 .

Power is supplied from a storage battery 32 as a power supply source to the propulsion rotors, main wing upper surface rotors, side propulsion rotors, bow control rotors, and stern control rotors to rotate each rotor. In addition, the control device 31 not only controls the balance adjustment bladders 21A, 21B, 22A, and 22B as balance adjustment bodies, but also controls the supply of electric power from the storage battery 32 to control the rotation of each rotor blade. do. In addition, controller 31 also controls the actuation of the tail rudder, bow and stern rudder.

According to the above description, the main body envelope 11 of the autonomously controlled airship 10 corresponds to the main body of the flying object according to the present invention, which has left and right main wings 12A and 12B and left and right tail wings 16A and 16B with rudders. Further, the propulsion rotor blades 17, 15A, 15B correspond to the propulsion rotor blades capable of forward and reverse rotation provided at the stern of the main air bladder 11 and the tips 14A, 14B of the left and right main wings 12A and 12B. . Further, the propulsion rotor blades 15A and 15B correspond to the propulsion rotor blades provided on the left and right main wings 12A and 12B, the rotation axes of which can rotate 90 degrees or more with respect to the left and right main wing surfaces.

Further, the main wing upper surface control rotor blades 13A and 13B correspond to the main wing upper surface control rotor blades provided on the upper surfaces of the left and right main wings 12A and 12B in the present invention, and the side propulsion rotor blades 15C and 15D correspond to the main air bag 11. It corresponds to the side propulsion rotor body that is provided on both sides of the and can be rotated forward and reversed. The bow rudder 23A and the stern rudder 23B correspond to the bow rudder and the stern rudder provided on the bow side and stern side of the lower surface of the main body bladder 11 in the present invention.

The bow control rotor 24A and the stern control rotor 24B correspond to the bow control rotor and the stern control rotor provided on the sides of the bow rudder 23A and stern rudder 23B in the present invention. The four balance adjustment air sacs 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the main body air sac 11 and correspond to balance adjustment bodies for adjusting the gravity balance. The control device 31 corresponds to gravity balance control means for controlling the balance adjuster in the present invention.

Furthermore, the storage battery 32 corresponds to a power supply source that supplies power to rotate the propulsion rotors, main wing upper surface rotors, side propulsion rotors, bow control rotors, and stern control rotors in the present invention. . Further, the control device 31 corresponds to rotation control means for controlling rotation by adjusting supply from a power supply source. The control device 31 corresponds to rudder control means for controlling the tail rudder and the bow and stern rudders.

Next, a method of attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 14. FIG. FIG. 4 is (a) an enlarged view of EV wings provided on the left and right main wings of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment, and (b) an explanatory view showing generation of airflow by the EV wings. FIGS. 5A to 5D are explanatory diagrams showing in more detail the generation of airflow by the EV wings provided on the main wings of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment.

Of the main wing top surface control rotor blades 13A and 13B shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 4(a), FIG. 4(b) is a further enlarged view of the main wing top surface control rotor blade 13A on the starboard side. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the main wing upper surface control rotor 13A is composed of three starboard front rotors 40Aa and three starboard rear rotors 40Ab. The propellers 41Aa and 41Ab of the starboard front rotor blade 40Aa and the starboard rear rotor blade 40Ab are slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The direction of inclination is alternately reversed between the propeller 41Aa and the propeller 41Ab among the six propellers. That is, the inclination direction of the propeller 41Aa with respect to the horizontal plane is opposite to the inclination direction of the propeller 41Ab.

In this way, in the main wing upper surface control rotor blades 13A and 13B, the inclinations of the propellers constituting them (propellers 41Aa and 41Ab on the starboard side) are opposite to each other with respect to the horizontal plane. The flow of wind when it hits is controlled in the direction that controls the attitude. That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the wind hits the main wing upper surface control rotor 13A, the propeller 41Aa generates a downward airflow 42Aa, and the propeller 41Ab generates an upward airflow 42Ab.

5, in a starboard front rotor 40Aa in which the propeller 41Aa is inclined at an angle α with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in FIG. ), when the wind is received from the front of the main wing, the speed of the upper main wing airflow exceeds the speed of the lower main wing airflow, so a downward airflow is generated, and the propeller 41Aa rotates in the direction to raise the main wing.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5(c), in the starboard rear rotor blade 40Ab in which the propeller 41Ab is inclined in the opposite direction by an angle β with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in FIG. 5(d) When the wind is received from the front of the main wing, the speed of the upper main wing airflow is lower than the speed of the lower main wing airflow, so an upward airflow is generated and the propeller 41Ab rotates in the direction to lower the main wing.

That is, in the main wing upper surface rotor blades 13A and 13B, the driving force due to the rotation of the propeller 41Ab is in the opposite direction to the driving force due to the rotation of the propeller of the propeller 41Ab. Therefore, the main wing upper surface rotor blades 13A and 13B have a plurality of propellers that rotate independently, and the propulsive force due to the rotation of some propellers out of the plurality of propellers is in the opposite direction to the propulsive force due to the rotation of the remaining propellers. It corresponds to the left and right main wing upper surface rotor blades. For the bow control rotor 24A and the stern control rotor 24B, as with the main wing upper surface rotors 13A and 13B, the propulsive force due to the rotation of the three propellers is in the opposite direction to the propulsive force due to the rotation of the other three propellers. It has a configuration that is

Since wind pressure is applied to these main upper surface rotor blades 13A and 13B, especially when the autonomously controlled airship 10 is traveling horizontally, energy consumption due to resistance may increase. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a rotor blade shielding plate is provided that can shield the main wing upper surface rotor blades 13A and 13B as necessary. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(a), on the starboard side, a starboard front rotor blade shielding plate 44Aa and a starboard rear rotor blade shielding plate 44Ab are provided. The starboard front rotor shielding plate 44Aa and the starboard rear rotor shielding plate 44Ab are opened and closed in the directions shown in FIG. 6(b). As a result, the energy consumption due to the wind pressure can be greatly reduced when the autonomously controlled airship 10 is traveling horizontally.

Next, a method for accelerating and decelerating the autonomously controlled airship 10 during navigation will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing (a) forward airflow and (b) stop airflow by the propulsion wings provided at the tip of the main wing of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7(a), when the propulsion wings 15A and 15B at the tips of the left and right main wings 12A and 12B are rotated forward, a wind pressure of 45A is generated in the rear, and the navigation of the autonomously controlled airship 10 is accelerated. . On the other hand, if the propulsion wings 15A and 15B at the tips of the left and right main wings 12A and 12B are reversed as shown in FIG. The brakes are applied and the cruising speed is reduced.

Next, a method for ascending and descending the autonomously controlled airship 10 during navigation will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view showing (a) ascending and (b) descending with the propulsion wings provided at the tip of the main wing of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment directed vertically. As described above, the tips 14A, 14B can be rotated 360 degrees about the horizontal axis with respect to the main wings 12A, 12B. Therefore, by rotating the tip portions 14A and 14B by 90 degrees with respect to the main wings 12A and 12B, the ejection ports of the propulsion rotor blades 15A and 15B can be directed directly upward or downward. As shown in FIG. 8(a), when the nozzles of the propulsion rotors 15A and 15B are rotated downward, wind pressure is generated downward, and the autonomously controlled airship 10 can be raised. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8(b), when the nozzles of the propulsion rotor blades 15A and 15B are rotated forward, wind pressure is generated upward, causing the autonomous control airship 10 to move. can be lowered.

Next, a method for controlling the left and right navigation directions of the autonomously controlled airship 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a left side view showing an enlarged view of EV wings provided on the front and rear rudders of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, on the lower surface of the main body envelope 11 of the autonomously controlled airship 10, a bow rudder 23A is provided on the bow side, and a stern rudder 23B is provided on the stern side. Further, as shown in the enlarged view, a bow control rotor 24A is provided on the side surface of the bow rudder 23A, and a flap 28A is rotatably attached to the rear end of the bow rudder 23A. Similarly, a stern control rotor 24B is provided on the side of the stern rudder 23B, and a flap 28B is rotatably attached to the rear end of the stern rudder 23B. By rotating the flaps 28A and 28B of these rudders 23A and 23B in the horizontal direction, the traveling direction of the autonomously controlled airship 10 can be changed. Further, by rotating the rotor blades 24A and 24B on the sides of these rudders 23A and 23B, wind pressure is generated in the side direction of the main air sac 11, so that the left and right positions and the traveling direction of the autonomous control airship 10 can be finely adjusted. can. As a result, the horizontal positional deviation of the autonomously controlled airship 10 is corrected, and the attitude is controlled.

Furthermore, in these rotor blades 24A and 24B, not only two types of propellers rotate like the main wing upper surface control rotor blades 13A and 13B explained in the enlarged view of FIG. The entire rotor blades 24A, 24B with propellers rotate left and right by 90 degrees in the planes of the side surfaces of the rudders 23A, 23B, respectively. In addition, the rotors 24A, 24B also rotate with respect to the sides of the rudders 23A, 23B so that their entirety is parallel to the left and right main wings of the autonomously controlled airship 10 . This rotation of the entire rotor 24A, 24B in and out of the plane of the side of the rudder 23A, 23B can exert a downward force on the autonomously controlled airship 10 . As a result, it is possible to prevent the autonomously controlled airship 10 from deviating in altitude due to excessive lift acting on it, and to control its position and attitude.

Next, a method for controlling the balance of the main bladder 11 of the autonomously controlled airship 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is (a) a bottom view showing four left and right balance adjustment air sacs provided on the lower surface of the main body air sac of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment, and (b) an explanatory diagram showing a method of balance adjustment. .

As shown in the bottom view of FIG. 10(a), on the lower surface of the main body air bladder 11 of the autonomous control airship 10, four left and right balance adjustment air bladders 21A, 21B, 22A, and 22B are attached. By adjusting the filling amount of helium gas in these balance adjusting air sacs 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, it is possible to eliminate imbalance of the main body air sac 11 caused by external air flow, external air temperature, atmospheric pressure changes, and the like. can. As shown in FIG. 10(b), the filling amount of helium gas in the balancing bladders 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B is controlled by the controller 31. As shown in FIG.

Next, an overview of the method by which the autonomously controlled airship 10 automatically selects a flight route in unmanned flight will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of selecting a flight route based on collection of peripheral data in the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the autonomously controlled airship 10 forms a matrix from various information collected about its surroundings as it navigates. As information, the receiver 30 mounted on the top of the autonomous control airship 10 receives weather information and location information transmitted from meteorological satellites such as MICHIBIKI, and a sensor attached to the bow of the main bladder 11. For example, forward weather data by 33 is used. The forward weather data from the sensor 33 includes airflow, temperature, air pressure, humidity, and the like.

Peripheral information of the autonomously controlled airship 10 is formed based on the data collected in real time by the sensor 33 in this way. A reference position information matrix indicated by a solid line is formed from the position information of the autonomously controlled airship 10 . On the other hand, based on the position information acquired from the weather satellites by the receiver 30, a weather satellite information matrix indicated by a one-dot chain line is formed. A safe route is predicted by analyzing these surrounding information, the reference position information matrix, and the weather satellite information matrix. In this manner, the autonomously controlled airship 10 navigates along a safe route predicted using various on-board route control functions. By performing this prediction process at regular time intervals and sailing while correcting the course of the autonomously controlled airship 10, stable unmanned flight becomes possible. Specific contents of the various route control functions installed will be described later with reference to FIGS. 15 to 25. FIG.

Next, a specific example of a method for controlling the balance of the main bladder 11 of the autonomously controlled airship 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14. FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a second example of attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship of the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a third example of attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 shows a case where the information processing device of the autonomously controlled airship 10 according to the first embodiment predicts that a wind with a wind pressure of X m/S will blow from the port side. In order to prevent the starboard from tilting due to the wind pressure from the port side, as shown in FIG. The rotor blade 13B is rotated in a direction to generate an upward propulsive wind. As a result, as shown in Fig. 12, even if a wind with a wind pressure of X m/S blows from the port side, a rising force acts on the starboard side, canceling out the tilt of the starboard side due to the wind pressure, and the left and right main wings remain horizontal. kept in In this manner, the attitude of the autonomously controlled airship 10 can be stably maintained.

FIG. 13 shows a case where the information processing device of the autonomously controlled airship 10 according to the first embodiment predicts that a wind with a wind pressure of X m/S will blow obliquely below the owner. In order to prevent the stern from tilting due to receiving wind pressure from below the bow, as shown in FIG. Rotate in the direction that generates the wind. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, even if a wind with a wind pressure of X m/S blows obliquely from below the owner, a force to raise the stern acts to cancel the inclination of the stern caused by the wind pressure, and the main body air sac The front and rear of 11 are kept horizontal. In this manner, the attitude of the autonomously controlled airship 10 can be stably maintained.

FIG. 14 shows a case where the information processing device of the autonomously controlled airship 10 according to the first embodiment predicts that the main body bladder 11 will descend due to changes in atmospheric pressure or temperature around the autonomously controlled airship 10 . . As shown in FIG. 14, the left and right main wing upper surface rotors 13A and 13B are rotated in a direction to generate a downward propelling wind in order to prevent the main body air sac 11 from falling due to changes in air pressure and temperature. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14, even if there is a force that lowers the main body air sac 11 due to a change in ambient air pressure or temperature, a force that raises the main body air sac 11 acts, resulting in a change in air pressure or temperature. The descent of the main body bladder 11 is prevented, and the original altitude is maintained. In this manner, the attitude of the autonomously controlled airship 10 can be stably maintained.

Next, a specific autonomous attitude control method in the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 25. FIG. The autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment is characterized by being able to navigate while selecting a safer route with higher accuracy by using artificial intelligence in the control device.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a matrix used for controlling the autonomously controlled airship 10 of Example 1 using artificial intelligence. As shown in FIG. 15, in the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment, a matrix indicating latitude/longitude/altitude/elevation is used to select a flight route using artificial intelligence.

The various numerical levels used to form such a matrix are described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. FIG. 16 and 17 are schematic diagrams for explaining the quantification of the degree of influence used to form the matrix shown in FIG. 15. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16(a), in order to quantify the level of wind speed as a factor affecting the aircraft, latitude, longitude, altitude, air current direction, cloud, temperature, rainfall, wind direction, wind speed, and barometric pressure measurements are used. From these data measurements, the wind speed level is expressed as the length of the arrow, and the wind direction angles north, south, east, west, and up and down as the direction of the arrow. These numerical levels are represented by three levels of "small", "medium" and "large" depending on the size of the arrow. Furthermore, as a result, the degree of influence level that affects the flight of the autonomously controlled airship 10 is represented by three levels of "small = blue", "medium = yellow", and "large = red" by the color of the arrow.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16(b), in order to quantify the level of rainfall as a factor affecting the flying object, information values such as latitude, longitude, altitude, airflow direction, cloud, temperature, rainfall, wind direction, Wind speed and barometric pressure measurements are used. From these data measurements, the rainfall level is expressed as the size of the droplets, and the wind direction angle indicating each rainfall direction of north, south, east, and west is expressed as the direction of the droplets. These numerical levels are represented by four levels of "rain amount 0" for white water droplets and "small", "medium", and "large" for blue water droplets depending on the size of the water droplets. Furthermore, as a result, depending on the color and size of the water droplets, the level of impact that affects the flight of the autonomously controlled airship 10 will be "light rain = small blue water droplets", "medium rain = medium yellow water droplets", and "heavy rain = large red water droplets". ” is expressed in three stages.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17(a), in order to quantify the azimuth levels of atmospheric pressure and airflow as factors affecting the aircraft, latitude/longitude, altitude, airflow direction, cloud/temperature , temperature, rainfall, wind direction, wind speed and wind pressure measurements are used. From the measurements of these data, the barometric airflow and the north, south, east, and west wind angles are expressed as the magnitude and direction of the arrows. These numerical levels are represented by three levels of arrow sizes: "high pressure = low", "medium pressure = medium", and "low pressure = high". Furthermore, as a result, the influence level affecting the flight of the autonomously controlled airship 10 is changed depending on the color and size of the arrows: "small = blue small arrow", "medium = yellow medium arrow", and "large = red large arrow". is expressed in three stages.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 17(b), in order to quantify the level of climate (weather/temperature) as a factor affecting the aircraft, latitude/longitude, altitude, air current direction, cloud/temperature , temperature, rainfall, wind direction, wind speed and wind pressure measurements are used. From these data measurements, the weather level is represented by the color of the left semicircle, the temperature level by the color of the right semicircle, and the north, south, east, and west wind angles as the directions of the arrows. The weather level is represented by the color of the left semicircle in three stages: "sunny = blue", "cloudy = white", and "rainy cloud = gray". Also, the temperature level is represented by the color of the right semicircle in two stages: "zero degrees or less = white + gray" and "zero degrees or less = yellow + white".

Acquisition of the weather satellite data used to form the matrix of FIG. 15 will now be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating weather satellite data used to form the matrix of FIG. Real-time data from weather satellites are broadcast hourly. Therefore, as indicated by the arrows in the left block of FIG. 18, data from the weather satellites can only be obtained at one hour intervals. However, by combining this with the prediction data from the "AI vertical axis time prediction application", it is possible to obtain data from the weather satellite five minutes later, as indicated by the arrow in the right block of FIG.

The procedure for applying the various flight impact levels quantified as described above to the matrix will now be described with reference to FIGS. 19-24. 19 and 20 are schematic diagrams showing the procedure for applying the flight impact level obtained as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 to the vertical axis matrix. As shown in the vertical direction of FIG. 19, the flight impact levels of "wind speed", "rainfall", "air pressure/airflow", and "weather/temperature" obtained above are relative to each other as "flight data". stored in Accumulated flight data is numerically analyzed in the vertical axis direction by the "aircraft AI analysis analysis vertical axis application", and the results are applied to the matrix as flight data for safe flight. Specifically, as shown in the rightmost column of FIG. 19, they are displayed as colored boxes forming a lattice matrix in the vertical direction.

Then, as shown in FIG. 20, the obtained colored boxes are inserted in the corresponding positions of the vertical grid matrix of the three-dimensional matrix shown in FIG. Influence lines are displayed in a vertical grid matrix along the colored boxes arranged in this way. The traveling direction of the autonomously controlled airship 10 is analyzed by confirming the matrix state in which the influence line is displayed. Furthermore, as shown in the matrix on the left side of FIG. 21, real-time spatial data observation is performed in the vertical direction at intervals of 5 seconds while the autonomously controlled airship 10 is in flight. Measurement data is acquired. On the other hand, as shown in the matrix on the right side of FIG. 21, in the vertical direction outside the observation area of the autonomously controlled airship 10, measurement data AI-predicted by the "aircraft AI virtual region vertical axis prediction application" is obtained. be.

Similarly, in the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. 22, each flight influence level of "wind speed", "rainfall", "air pressure/airflow" and "weather/temperature" is relative to each other as "flight data". accumulated. Accumulated flight data is numerically analyzed in the horizontal axis direction by the "aircraft AI analysis analysis horizontal axis application", and the results are applied to the matrix as flight data for safe flight. Specifically, as shown in the rightmost column of FIG. 22, they are displayed as colored boxes forming a grid-like matrix in the horizontal direction.

Furthermore, as shown in the three-dimensional matrix of FIG. 23, measurement data similarly AI-predicted by the "AI virtual region horizontal-axis prediction application" is also obtained outside the observation area in the horizontal direction of the autonomously controlled airship 10. be done. In this way, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, a three-dimensional matrix of the peripheral information of the autonomously controlled airship 10 based on the real-time observation data is formed.

In this way, as shown in FIGS. 15, 23 and 24, in the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment, the altitude at which the meteorological satellite can transmit accurate information and the altitude below that are determined. By dividing and processing, a method is used to improve the accuracy of position information acquisition when flying at low altitudes. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 15, 23, and 24, the autonomously controlled airship 10 employs an "AI virtual region prediction application" to form a three-dimensional matrix and predict weather conditions, etc. along the route. , adopts a method of selecting a safe route. This makes it possible to select a safe route without performing information processing using artificial intelligence when it is not necessary. FIG. 25 summarizes the procedure for analyzing various information values collected in the method for controlling the direction of travel of the autonomously controlled airship 10 described above.

[Example 2]
Next, the structure of an autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 26 to 28. FIG. The autonomously controlled airship 100 according to the second embodiment has basic functions and characteristics in common with the autonomously controlled airship 10 according to the first embodiment, but is considerably different in structure. Moreover, the autonomously controlled airship 100 of the second embodiment is mainly intended to transport heavy goods and the like compared to the autonomously controlled airship 10 . Therefore, both the size of the airship body and the weight that can be carried, ie the payload (carrying capacity), are becoming larger. The size of the autonomously controlled airship 100 according to the second embodiment corresponds to a range of 20m class to 40m class in terms of approximate length representing the size of the airship.

A specific structure of the autonomously controlled airship 100 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 26 is a longitudinal sectional view and a lateral sectional view showing the internal structure of the autonomously controlled airship 100 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 26, the external shape of the autonomously controlled airship 100 is similar to the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment. However, its interior has a double structure in which a plurality of buoyant blocks are stacked inside the hull corresponding to the main body of the air sac, and the whole is further covered with an external air sac. Each of the buoyant blocks has an independent space filled with helium gas, and the inside of the outer surface air sac containing a large number of these floatant blocks is also filled with helium gas. By filling helium gas inside the outer air sac of the autonomously controlled airship 100 in this manner, the air pressure inside the hull can be adjusted. In addition, since it has a hull balance adjustment function by adjusting the air pressure inside the hull, it is also effective for maintaining the aerial attitude of the autonomously controlled airship 100 .

The buoyant block in the second embodiment is a cuboidal block that is entirely made of an airtight sheet material and filled with a buoyant gas. As the airtight material, an airtight synthetic resin sheet, a synthetic resin film, a synthetic fiber woven fabric, or the like can be used. From the viewpoint of enabling the autonomously controlled airship 100 to fly over a long distance, it is preferable to use a material that is airtight, lightweight, and strong. Such airtight sheet materials include ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) films and the like. In the float block of Example 2, a product name "EVAL" (registered trademark) of Kuraray Co., Ltd., which is a type of EVOH film, is used.

The same characteristics are required for the airtight material that constitutes the outer surface envelope of the autonomously controlled airship 100 shown in FIG. Therefore, the same airtight sheet material as used for the float block can be used as the airtight material forming the outer surface air sac. In the autonomously controlled airship 100, an EVOH film "EVAL" (registered trademark) of Kuraray Co., Ltd. is also used for the outer air envelope. As shown in FIG. 26, inside this external envelope, from the bow to the stern of the autonomously controlled airship 100, buoyant blocks having external shapes corresponding to the respective shapes are loaded. As a specific arrangement, as shown in Fig. 27, 9 blocks in the bow, 27 blocks in the body of the hull, and 9 blocks + 1 block in the stern, for a total of 46 float blocks. .

The structure of this float block will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing a portion of a plurality of float blocks loaded inside the autonomously controlled airship 100. FIG. As described above, the levitation block is a rectangular parallelepiped block made of an airtight sheet material and filled with helium gas. Reinforced with parts. A titanium alloy pipe or the like is used as the rigid linear member. Since the rectangular parallelepiped framework is formed of rigid wire rods in this manner, the shape of the levitation block does not collapse even when the interior is filled with helium gas. Therefore, it becomes easy to insert and load the buoyant blocks into the autonomously controlled airship 100, and the floatable blocks can be arranged in a required three-dimensional structure.

Advantages of the structure in which a plurality of float blocks are combined to form the airship body of the autonomously controlled airship 100 are that the autonomously controlled airship 100 can be easily transported and the cost can be reduced. Regarding transportation in particular, in the autonomously controlled airship 10 having the air bag body 11 as in the first embodiment, when the air bag body 11 is filled with helium gas, it becomes quite large. Therefore, it cannot be loaded on a normal truck or the like, and it is difficult to transport it from the storage point to the takeoff point. However, if the airbag portion is composed of a plurality of small float blocks as in the autonomously controlled airship 100 of the second embodiment, the float blocks can be divided and easily transported by truck or the like. In addition, since such a small block has a small volume even when filled with buoyant gas, it is easier to secure a storage space than an integrated airship body.

In addition, since the airbag portion of the autonomously controlled airship 100 is composed of a plurality of buoyant blocks, even if the size of the airship changes, the airship can be composed of the same floatable blocks by changing the number of used buoyant blocks. That is, since the same float block can be used regardless of the size of the airship, the manufacturing process can be standardized, parts can be stored easily, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The autonomously controlled airship 100 uses 46 float blocks as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 and has a size of 20m class. Here, the length of the float block is about 5 m. Therefore, if 9 blocks×2 rows of 18 blocks are added to the 27 blocks that make up the ship's envelope portion of the autonomously controlled airship 100, one row is 5 meters long, resulting in a size of 30 meters. The payload is also increased by increasing the number of float blocks by 18. As described above, in the autonomously controlled airship 100 of the second embodiment, the air sac portion is composed of a plurality of float blocks, so that even if the size of the airship changes, the airship can be configured simply by changing the number of blocks used. be able to.

[Example 3]
Next, a specific structure of an autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 29 to 32. FIG. An autonomously controlled airship 150 according to the third embodiment is intended to carry a heavier object than the autonomously controlled airship 100 of the second embodiment. Accordingly, the size and length of the airship body has increased further, and the payload (carrying capacity) has also increased. As a specific application, for example, it is assumed that a hospital room (treatment equipment) for treating an injured person is transported as it is.

Even with the autonomous control airship 100 of the second embodiment, it is possible to transport the treatment equipment in the event of a disaster by transporting the component parts of the hospital room separately and assembling them at the disaster site where the treatment is to be performed. However, the autonomously controlled airship 150 of the third embodiment goes one step further, and aims to transport the patient to the disaster site in a state in which the hospital room can be used immediately without dividing it. For this reason, the autonomously controlled airship 150 has a size of approximately 60 m in length, which expresses the size of the airship, and has a payload of about 10 tons.

In order to realize this transport capability, the autonomously controlled airship 150 has a structure in which the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment and the autonomously controlled airship 100 of the second embodiment are combined. That is, as shown in FIG. 29, an autonomously controlled airship 150 is composed of a main body using many float blocks similar to those of the second embodiment, and a pair of airship parts attached to both sides of the main body. In other words, the autonomously controlled airship 150 of the third embodiment has a structure in which airships similar to the autonomously controlled airship 10 of the first embodiment are arranged on both wings of a levitation body similar to the autonomously controlled airship 100 of the second embodiment. It has become.

As shown in FIG. 29, the main body of the autonomously controlled airship 150 includes a large number of quadrangular prismatic air sacs (floating body blocks) that form the skeleton of the main body, an upper wind pressure suppressing air sac provided on the upper part of the main body, and a center of the main body. It has a control system space and a hangar space provided in the main body, and a lower wind pressure suppressing air sac provided in the lower part of the main body. The control system space accommodates a control device, a storage battery, and the like, which are used when goods and the like are stored in the hangar space.

As shown in (a) the plan view and (b) the front view of FIG. 30, the main body of the autonomously controlled airship 150 is constructed by stacking a large number of float blocks in three-dimensional directions. These float blocks are attached to a framework formed of rigid linear members stretched in three dimensions. As shown in the overall plan view of FIG. 31 and the overall bottom view of FIG. 32, the body portion is fixed to the pair of airship portions by joining these rigid linear members to the upper and lower surfaces of the pair of airship portions. It is Also, as shown in the overall plan view of FIG. 31 and the overall bottom view of FIG. are provided respectively.

As described above, the autonomously controlled airship 150 according to the third embodiment has a body portion configured by stacking a large number of levitation body blocks in a three-dimensional direction, and an airship portion having a propulsion engine and allowing the body portion to travel in the horizontal direction. It has As a result, the autonomously controlled airship 150 achieves a size corresponding to 60m class and a payload of approximately 10 tons.

Although the embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is capable of various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments and examples described above are for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The autonomously controlled airship and mobile reference point setting method of the present invention can be applied in various ways, and are extremely useful as means for maintaining the functions of communication facilities and securing communication means, especially in the event of a disaster.

10, 100, 150 Autonomous airship (autonomous flying object)
11, 101, 151 main body envelope (airship body)
12A, 12B, 102A, 102B, 152A, 152B Main wings 13A, 13B Main wing upper surface control rotors 14A, 14B Tip parts 14C, 14D Sides 15A, 15B, 17 Propulsion rotors 15C, 15D Side propulsion rotors 16A, 16B, 106A, 106B, 156A, 156B Tail 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B Balancing bladder 23A Bow rudder 23B Aft rudder 24A Bow control rotor 24B Stern control rotor 28A, 28B Flaps 30 Receiver 31 Controller 32 Storage battery 33 Sensor 40Aa Starboard front rotor 40Ab Starboard rear rotor 41Aa 41Ab Propeller 42Aa, 42Ab Airflow 43A Starboard shield control shaft 44Aa Starboard front rotor shield 44Ab Starboard rear rotor shield 45A, 45B, 45C, 45D Wind pressure W1 Conveyed object

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating advantages and applications of an autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 1 of an autonomous flying object of the present invention; 1 is a plan view (a) and a left side view (b) showing the overall structure of an autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a front view (a) of the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment as seen from the bow side, and a rear view (b) as seen from the stern side; FIG. FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of EV wings provided on left and right main wings of Embodiment 1, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing in more detail the generation of airflow by the EV wings provided on the main wings of the autonomously controlled airship of the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4A is an enlarged view showing the position of a shielding plate that shields the EV wing of Example 1, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged view showing a method of shielding. 2 is a plan view showing forward airflow (a) and stop airflow (b) by propulsion wings provided at the tip of a main wing of the autonomously controlled airship of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an ascending air current (a) and a descending air current (b) caused by rotating the propulsion wings provided at the tip of the main wing of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1 by 90 degrees; 4 is a left side view showing an enlarged view of EV wings provided on the front and rear rudders of the autonomously controlled airship of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4A is a bottom view (a) showing four right and left balance adjustment air sacs provided on the lower surface of the main body air sac of the autonomously controlled airship of Embodiment 1, and an explanatory diagram (b) showing a balance adjustment method. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of selecting a flight route based on collection of peripheral data in the autonomously controlled airship according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing second attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing third attitude control in the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1; 4 is a schematic diagram showing a matrix used for control using artificial intelligence of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating quantification of the degree of influence used to form the matrix of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating quantification of the degree of influence used to form the matrix of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating weather satellite data used to form the matrix of Example 1; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for applying the flight impact level obtained in Example 1 to the vertical axis matrix; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for applying the flight impact level obtained in Example 1 to the vertical axis matrix; 4 is a schematic diagram showing acquisition of data in the vertical direction inside and outside the observation area in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for applying the flight impact level obtained in Example 1 to the horizontal axis matrix; 4 is a diagram showing a three-dimensional matrix used for flight route selection in the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a three-dimensional matrix used for flight route selection in the autonomously controlled airship of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram collectively showing the analysis procedure of various information values collected in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view and a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of an autonomously controlled airship according to a second embodiment of the autonomous flying object of the present invention; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a float block that constitutes an autonomously controlled airship according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 2; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at three locations of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 2; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the block configuration of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 2; FIG. 11 is a front view showing the overall configuration of an autonomously controlled airship according to Embodiment 3 of the autonomous flying object of the present invention; FIG. 13A is a plan view and (b) a front view showing only the body portion of the autonomously controlled airship of Example 3;

Claims (15)

an aircraft main body having left and right main wings and left and right tail wings provided with rudders;
a propulsion rotary wing provided on the stern of the aircraft body and on the left and right main wings and capable of forward and reverse rotation;
Left and right main wing upper surface control rotors provided on the upper surfaces of the left and right main wings;
side propulsion rotors provided on both sides of the aircraft body and capable of forward and reverse rotation;
a bow-side rudder and a stern-side rudder provided on the bow side and the stern side of the lower surface of the aircraft main body;
bow control rotors and stern control rotors provided on the sides of the bow rudder and the stern rudder;
a balance adjustment body provided on the left and right side surfaces of the aircraft main body for adjusting the balance of gravity;
gravity balance control means for controlling the balance adjuster;
a power supply source that supplies power to rotate the propulsion rotor, the main wing upper surface rotor, the side propulsion rotor, the bow control rotor, and the stern control rotor;
Rotation control means for controlling rotation by adjusting supply from the power supply source;
rudder control means for controlling the tail rudder and the bow and stern rudders;
An autonomous flying vehicle with 2. The autonomous flying body according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axes of the propulsion rotors provided on the left and right main wings are rotatable by 90 degrees or more with respect to the left and right main wing surfaces. The left and right main wing upper surface rotors, the bow control rotors, and the stern control rotors have a plurality of independently rotating propellers, and the propulsive force generated by the rotation of some of the plurality of propellers is the remaining propellers. 3. The autonomous flying object according to claim 1, wherein the propulsive force is in the opposite direction to the propeller rotation. The autonomous flying object is an airship,
the aircraft main body and the left and right side balance adjustment bodies are air sacs filled with a buoyant gas;
4. The autonomous flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said gravity balance control means controls the air pressure inside said flying object main body and said left and right gravity balance adjusting bodies. Further comprising a position information receiver for receiving position information from a satellite positioning system, wherein control by said gravity balance control means and/or said rotation control means and/or said rudder control means is executed based on said position information. The autonomous flying vehicle according to any one of Items 1 to 4. Furthermore, an external sensor for measuring wind direction, wind speed and air temperature is provided, and control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means is executed based on the measured values of the external sensor. , an autonomous flying vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Furthermore, an anemometer that measures the wind speed in the traveling direction is provided, and control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means is executed based on the measured value of the anemometer. An autonomous flying vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Furthermore, it is equipped with an analysis device using artificial intelligence,
forming a three-dimensional matrix with a predetermined interval from the position information acquired by the position information receiver;
Any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein information on the direction of travel is predicted and an optimum flight path is calculated by forming a four-dimensional matrix to which a time axis calculated from the flight speed is added using the analysis device. The autonomous flying vehicle described in paragraph 1. 9. The autonomous flying object according to claim 8, wherein control by said gravity balance control means and/or said rotation control means and/or said rudder control means is executed based on said calculated optimum flight path. retrieving recorded surveillance data of a plurality of flights corresponding to the autonomous vehicle type and at least one route; and inferring a flight pattern of the autonomous vehicle from the recorded surveillance data. calculating a reconstructed flight route using the inferred flight pattern; and combining the reconstructed flight route with the flight pattern corresponding to a particular autonomous vehicle type and route. selecting a data set containing and applying a machine learning algorithm to obtain a correlation function between states and operations of the autonomous air vehicle;
repeatedly reading data from onboard sensors of the autonomous air vehicle; obtaining real-time autonomous air vehicle states from the on-board sensor data; and using the correlation function to obtain real-time autonomous air vehicle states. and performing the determined action on the autonomous vehicle;
A control method for an autonomous flying vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: Furthermore, an anemometer that measures the wind speed in the traveling direction is provided, and control by the gravity balance control means and/or the rotation control means and/or the rudder control means is executed based on the measured value of the anemometer. The method for controlling an autonomous flying object according to claim 10. Equipped with analysis equipment using artificial intelligence,
forming a three-dimensional matrix with a predetermined interval from the position information acquired by the position information receiver;
Any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein information on the direction of travel is predicted by forming a four-dimensional matrix to which a time axis calculated from the flight speed is added using the analysis device to calculate an optimum flight route. 1. A control device for an autonomous flying object according to item 1. 13. The control device for an autonomous flying object according to claim 12, wherein control by said gravity balance control means and/or said rotation control means and/or said rudder control means is executed based on said calculated optimum flight path. . Emitting electromagnetic waves in the direction in which the autonomous flying object is scheduled to fly, receiving the scattered waves in the atmosphere, and determining the Doppler shift amount of the frequency between the emitted electromagnetic waves and the scattered electromagnetic waves in the direction of the radiation axis. a measurement unit that measures the remote wind speed of
a rudder for controlling the lift force of the autonomous flying object;
Based on the measurement results of the measurement unit, when it is found that the autonomous flying object is subject to a gust, an angle of attack with a small lift inclination is calculated, and the lift is controlled so that the lift does not change. a control calculation unit that calculates an angle;
A control device for an autonomous flying vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: 15. The control device for an autonomous flying object according to claim 14, wherein control by said gravity balance control means and/or said rotation control means and/or said rudder control means is executed based on said calculated optimum flight path. .

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