JP2024043080A - Calibration device, storage device and calibration method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a calibration device, a storage device and a calibration method which can easily perform calibration work.SOLUTION: A calibration device 1 is a calibration device 1 for calibration of a flight body 200, and includes a mounted part 3 having a mounted surface 31 where the flight body 200 is mounted, a holding part 4 for holding the flight body 200 on the mounted part 3, an attitude changing part 5 which can change the attitude of the mounted part 3 between a horizontal state where the mounted surface 31 is along a horizontal plane (XY plane) and an upright state where it is in a vertical direction (Z direction), a first rotation mechanism 6 for rotating the mounted part 3 with a first axis R1 perpendicular to the mounted surface 31 as a center, and a second rotary mechanism 7 for rotating the mounted part 3 with a second axis R2 along the mounted surface 31 as a center.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a calibration device, a storage device, and a calibration method.

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, it is known that unmanned flying vehicles (eg, drones) are used for transporting cargo, inspecting structures, and the like. In order to fly accurately, such flying objects need to correctly recognize the direction. Therefore, a drone equipped with a magnetic orientation sensor has been proposed as a flying object (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the drone described in Patent Document 1, compass calibration is performed when changing the flying location in order to cope with the influence of magnetism.

JP 2022-093201 A

In order to calibrate a drone (flying object) as described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary for an operator to hold the flying object and change the attitude of the flying object according to a predetermined procedure. Become. However, when the flying object is used for inspecting structures, etc., the flying object may be stored in a location away from the operator, which may make it difficult to perform the calibration work.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a calibration device, a storage device, and a calibration method that can easily perform calibration work.

In order to achieve the above object, a calibration device according to the present invention is a calibration device for calibrating a flying object, which includes a mounting part having a mounting surface on which the flying object is mounted; , a holding part for holding the flying object on the mounting part, and a posture of the mounting part between a horizontal state where the mounting surface is along a horizontal plane and an upright state along the vertical direction. a first rotation mechanism that rotates the placed part around a first axis perpendicular to the placed surface; The device is characterized by comprising a second rotation mechanism that rotates the mounting portion around an axis.

In the calibration device according to one aspect of the present invention, a first unit including the placement part, the attitude changing part, the first rotation mechanism, and the second rotation mechanism, and a first unit fixed to a predetermined bottom part. and a second unit connected to the first unit; and a horizontal drive section that moves the first unit horizontally with respect to the second unit.

On the other hand, a storage device according to the present invention is a storage device that stores the flying object and includes the above-described calibration device and a hangar that stores the calibration device, the hangar being formed on the side. The second unit is fixed to the bottom part of the hangar, and the horizontal drive section moves the first unit, so that the flying object is stored in the hangar. , and a state in which the flying object is located outside the hangar.

On the other hand, a calibration method according to the present invention is a calibration method in which the flying object is calibrated by the above-described calibration device, wherein the mounting section is set in the horizontal state and the first rotating mechanism is operated by the first rotating mechanism. The apparatus is characterized in that the placed part is rotated, the placed part is brought into the upright state by the attitude changing part, and the placed part is rotated by the second rotation mechanism.

The calibration device, storage device, and calibration method of the present invention make it easy to perform calibration work.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a state in which a flying object is accommodated in a storage device including a calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an aircraft is ready to take off and land in a storage device equipped with a calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the posture of a mounting portion is changed in the calibration device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a state in which an aircraft 200 is housed in a storage device 100 that includes a calibration device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 200 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the device can take off and land, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the calibration device 1, and FIG. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a calibration device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a calibration device 1 for calibrating a flying object 200, and is a calibration device 1 for calibrating a flying object 200. The mounting part 3 having a surface 31, the holding part 4 for holding the flying object 200 on the mounting part 3, and the mounting surface 31 in a horizontal state along a horizontal plane (XY plane) and in a vertical direction ( a posture changing unit 5 that can change the posture of the placed part 3 between an upright state along the Z direction); , and a second rotation mechanism 7 that rotates the placement part 3 around a second axis R2 along the placement surface 31.

In the following description, the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction, the directions along the horizontal plane and orthogonal to each other are referred to as the X direction and the Y direction, and the upper and lower sides in the Z direction are sometimes simply referred to as upper and lower.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the calibration device 1 is part of a storage device 100 that stores an aircraft 200. That is, the storage device 100 includes the calibration device 1 and the hangar 20. The driving method of the flying object 200 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of unmanned flight, and may be a small helicopter (so-called drone) or an object that flies by means other than a propeller. good.

The storage device 100 is installed in a location where it is difficult for a worker to permanently stay or move, such as in a mountainous area, for example. By remotely controlling the flying object 200 equipped with a camera or the like, information on power transmission and distribution equipment can be obtained from a remote location.

The calibration device 1 includes a first unit 10A, a second unit 10B, a horizontal drive section, a control section that controls each section, and a communication section.

The first unit 10A includes a main body frame 2, a mounting section 3, a holding section 4, an attitude changing section 5, a first rotation mechanism 6, and a second rotation mechanism 7.

The main body frame 2 includes a bottom portion 21 having a rectangular frame along the XY plane, and a pair of upright portions 22 extending upward from the bottom portion 21 . The bottom portion 21 has a pair of sides along the X direction and a pair of sides along the Y direction. The pair of upright portions 22 are provided on each of a pair of sides of the bottom portion 21 along the X direction, and are provided facing each other in the Y direction.

The receiving portion 3 is formed, for example, in a disk shape, one surface of which becomes the receiving surface 31. The size of the receiving portion 3 may correspond to a specific flying object, or, if there is a possibility that multiple types of flying objects may be placed on it, it may be the size corresponding to the largest flying object.

The holding part 4 is provided on the mounting surface 31 to hold the flying object 200 on the mounting surface 3, and is in a holding state in which the flying object 200 is held and in which the flying object 200 can take off and land. It is configured to be switchable between a non-holding state and a non-holding state. The holding part 4 may hold the leg part of the flying object 200 (the part extending toward the outer circumferential side and having a propeller at the tip) by, for example, a part protruding in an arc shape from the mounting surface 31. Well, the form is not particularly limited.

The posture changing section 5 includes a frame section 51 that holds the placement section 3 and a drive section 52 that rotationally drives the frame section 51 .

The frame portion 51 is formed into a rectangular shape having a pair of sides along the X direction and a pair of sides along the Y direction, and each of the pair of sides along the It is rotatably supported by the upper end of the upright portion 22 . That is, the frame-shaped portion 51 is rotatable around the axis R0 along the Y direction. At this time, the range of motion of the frame-shaped portion 51 may be at least 90 degrees.

The drive unit 52 is a linearly movable unit such as an air compressor or a linear actuator, and has one end connected to one of the sides of the frame portion 51 along the Y direction, and the other end connected to the Y side of the bottom portion 21. It is connected to the other side along the direction. In the X direction, the axis R0 and the position where one end of the drive section 52 is connected to the frame section 51 are misaligned, and as shown in FIGS. The portion 51 is configured to rotate. Note that the mechanism for causing rotation in the posture changing unit 5 is not limited to this, and a motor may be used.

As the frame portion 51 rotates around the axis R0 as described above, the placement portion 3 supported by the frame portion 51 is placed in a horizontal state with the placement surface 31 along the XY plane (Fig. 3 ) and an upright state (FIG. 4) in which the mounting surface 31 is along the YZ plane (that is, along the vertical direction).

The first rotation mechanism 6 is supported by the frame portion 51 and includes, for example, a motor. The first rotation mechanism 6 rotates the placement part 3 about a first axis R1 orthogonal to the placement surface 31. When the mounting surface 31 is in a horizontal state along the XY plane, the first axis R1 is along the Z direction, and when the mounting surface 31 is in an upright state along the YZ plane, the first axis R1 is is along the X direction. Moreover, it is preferable that the first axis R1 passes through the center of the disk-shaped mounting portion 3.

The second rotation mechanism 7 is supported by the frame portion 51 and includes, for example, a motor. The second rotation mechanism 7 rotates the placement part 3 about a second axis R2 along the placement surface 31. When the mounting surface 31 is in a horizontal state along the XY plane, the second axis R2 is along the X direction, and when the mounting surface 31 is in an upright state along the YZ plane, the second axis R2 is is along the Z direction. Further, it is preferable that the second axis R2 passes over the disk-shaped mounting section 3, but it may be slightly deviated from the mounting section 3 in the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 31.

The second unit 10B includes a plurality of legs 8 placed and fixed on the bottom surface 203 of the hangar 20, and a frame 9 provided on the legs 8. The frame portion 9 is formed into a rectangular shape and has a pair of sides along the X direction and a pair of sides along the Y direction. A portion of the frame portion 9 along the X direction is slidably connected to each portion of the bottom portion 21 along the X direction. That is, the portions of the frame portion 9 and the bottom portion 21 along the X direction are configured in a rail shape. This allows the first unit 10A and the second unit 10B to move relative to each other in the X direction.

The horizontal drive unit moves the first unit 10A in the X direction relative to the second unit 10B, and may be composed of, for example, an air compressor or a linear actuator. This makes it possible to switch between a state in which the main frame 2 and the frame portion 9 are arranged so as to overlap in the Z direction (Figure 1) and a state in which they are misaligned in the X direction (Figure 2).

The control section controls each drive section (drive section 52, first rotation mechanism 6, second rotation mechanism 7) in the calibration device 1, and may be configured by, for example, a microcomputer. Note that the control section that controls each section of the storage device 100 may also serve as the control section of the calibration device 1.

The communication unit is capable of receiving at least a signal from an external device, and preferably is capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the external device. The signal received by the communication section is transmitted to the control section. Note that the communication unit may be one that performs wireless communication or may be one that performs wired communication. Further, the communication unit of the storage device 100 may also serve as the communication unit of the calibration device 1.

The portions of the calibration device 1 that constitute the frame (particularly the main body frame 2, the frame portion 51, and the frame portion 9) are preferably made of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum or aluminum alloy. Thereby, communication errors can be suppressed when the calibration device 1 and the aircraft 200 wirelessly communicate with external devices.

The hangar 20 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped box, and has a storage space inside that can store the flying object 200. The hangar 20 has an opening 201 formed on one side in the X direction (the side toward which the first unit 10A moves), and the opening 201 is provided with an opening/closing part 202.

The opening/closing part 202 may be, for example, a shutter, a door, etc., and can be opened/closed by remote control. Further, the drive unit for opening and closing the opening/closing unit 202 may be linked to the horizontal drive unit in the calibration device 1. That is, the first unit 10A may be moved by the driving force for opening and closing the opening/closing section 202.

Here, a calibration method for calibrating the flying object 200 using the calibration device 1 provided in the storage device 100 will be described. Note that the calibration may be performed every time before the flight object 200 takes off, or may be performed at an appropriate timing.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, when the flying object 200 is on standby, the opening/closing section 202 is closed, the first unit 10A and the second unit 10B overlap in the Z direction, and the Section 3 is in a horizontal state. At this time, the flying object 200 is held on the mounting section 3 by the holding section 4 . A calibration start signal is transmitted when a worker located remotely from the storage device 100 operates a remote controller. Upon receiving the calibration start signal, the storage device 100 opens the opening/closing section 202 so that the first unit 10A and the aircraft 200 can pass through the opening 201.

When the calibration device 1 receives the calibration start signal, the control unit moves the first unit 10A in the X direction using the horizontal drive unit, so that the aircraft 200 is stored in the hangar 20 (FIG. 1). From there, the state is changed to a state in which the aircraft 200 is located outside the hangar 20 (FIG. 2) (horizontal movement step).

After the horizontal movement step, the control section causes the first rotation mechanism 6 to rotate the placed portion 3 in the horizontal state (first calibration step). During this rotation, the flying object 200 performs calibration. After the first calibration process, the control unit causes the attitude changing unit 5 to switch the placed part 3 from a horizontal state to an upright state (first attitude changing process), and causes the second rotation mechanism 7 to switch the placed part 3 from a horizontal state to an upright state. The mounting section 3 is rotated (second calibration step). During this rotation, the flying object 200 performs calibration. In the first and second calibration steps described above, it is sufficient to rotate the mounting portion 3 by at least 360 degrees.

The control unit then switches the placement unit 3 from an upright position to a horizontal position (second position change process) using the attitude change unit 5, releases the holding unit 4 from holding the aircraft 200, and makes the aircraft 200 ready to take off. After the aircraft 200 has taken off, the first unit 10A may be stored in the hangar 20 or may wait outside the hangar 20. When the returning aircraft 200 is placed on the placement unit 3, the control unit causes the holding unit 4 to hold the aircraft 200, and stores the aircraft 200 in the hangar 20 by moving the first unit 10A using the horizontal drive unit.

The control unit performs each of the above steps according to a predetermined procedure. At this time, the first and second calibration steps are performed continuously for a predetermined period of time, and the next step is started after the steps are completed. When the calibration device 1 is used to calibrate multiple types of flying objects, the first and second calibration steps are performed for the maximum estimated time required for each calibration.

Note that the calibration device 1 may communicate with the flying object 200, or may obtain information that the calibration has been completed in the flying object 200, and may end the first and second calibration steps.

In the above, the holding unit 4 releases its hold just before the flying object 200 takes off, but the holding unit 4 only needs to hold the flying object 200 at least in the upright state and in the transition state between the upright state and the horizontal state, and the timing of the release can be set appropriately.

As described above, according to the calibration device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the attitude of the flying object 200 can be changed by the attitude change unit 5, and the first rotation mechanism 6 and the second rotation mechanism 7 Since the mounting part 3 on which the flying object 200 is mounted can be rotated, the operations necessary for calibrating the flying object 200 can be realized by remote control, and the calibration work can be easily performed. can do.

Further, the calibration device 1 is stored in the hangar 20 having an opening 201 formed on the side, and the first unit 10A is movable in the horizontal direction relative to the second unit 10B, so that the aircraft 200 can be stored in the hangar. It is possible to switch between a state in which the device is stored in 20 and a state in which it is located outside. Thereby, an existing warehouse or the like having an opening on the side can be used as the hangar 20.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes other configurations that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the present invention also includes the following modifications. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the calibration device 1 is stored in the hangar 20 that has the opening 201 formed on the side, but the calibration device 1 is stored in the hangar that has an opening on the top surface. May be stored. With such a configuration, horizontal movement is not required when the aircraft starts. That is, the horizontal drive section can be omitted.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the calibration device according to the above embodiments of the present invention, and can be applied to all aspects included in the concept of the present invention and the scope of the claims. including. Moreover, each structure may be selectively combined as appropriate so as to achieve at least some of the problems and effects described above. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc. of each component in the above embodiments may be changed as appropriate depending on the specific usage of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Calibration device, 3... Placed part, 31... Placed surface, 4... Holding part, 5... Attitude changing part, 6... First rotation mechanism, 7... Second rotation mechanism, 10A... 1 unit, 10B... second unit, 20... hangar, 201... opening, 203... bottom part, 100... storage device

Claims (4)

A calibration device for calibrating a flying object,
a mounting section having a mounting surface on which the flying object is mounted;
a holding part for holding the flying object on the mounting part;
an attitude changing unit capable of changing the attitude of the placement part between a horizontal state in which the placement surface is along a horizontal plane and an upright state in which the placement surface is in a vertical direction;
a first rotation mechanism that rotates the placement part around a first axis perpendicular to the placement surface;
A calibration device comprising: a second rotation mechanism that rotates the mounting section around a second axis along the mounting surface. a first unit including the mounting section, the attitude changing section, the first rotation mechanism, and the second rotation mechanism;
a second unit fixed to a predetermined bottom part and connected to the first unit;
The calibration device according to claim 1, further comprising a horizontal drive section that moves the first unit horizontally relative to the second unit. A storage device for storing the flying object, comprising the calibration device according to claim 2 and a hangar for storing the calibration device,
The hangar has an opening formed laterally,
The second unit is fixed to the bottom part of the hangar,
The horizontal drive section moves the first unit to switch between a state in which the flying object is stored in the hangar and a state in which the flying object is located outside the hangar. storage device. A calibration method for calibrating the flying object using the calibration device according to claim 1 or 2,
rotating the loaded part by the first rotation mechanism with the loaded part in the horizontal state;
The position changing unit brings the placed part into the upright state,
A calibration method comprising rotating the mounting portion by the second rotation mechanism.

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