JP6937706B2 - Road inspection vehicle, road inspection method, and road inspection system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a traveling road inspection vehicle for inspecting a traveling road of a roller coaster, a traveling road inspection method, and a traveling road inspection system.

The rails and other running paths of roller coasters installed in amusement parks are regularly inspected and inspected by human eyes for defects such as scratches, cracks, wear, and paint peeling. This inspection of the roller coaster track is a dangerous work due to aerial work, and it takes time because the inspection range is wide not only on the upper surface of the rail but also on the lower surface and the joint of the rail.

Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which pressurized air is sealed in a hollow portion of a rail, and a decrease in the pressure of the pressurized air during a predetermined inspection time is detected to detect a crack in the rail.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-249416

However, in the case described in Patent Document 1, even if the presence or absence of a crack can be detected, the location of the crack cannot be specified, and the paint on the rail may be peeled off, scratched, or the joint may be inspected. Since it cannot be done, there is a problem that inspections and inspections due to human work at heights are not eliminated.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, eliminate the work at heights by humans, and safely inspect and inspect the roller coaster track.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a roadway inspection vehicle that self-propells on a roller coaster roadway.
A drive unit that controls the drive to drive and stop the road inspection vehicle,
At least an imaging unit that captures a road image of the roller coaster road.
A position detection unit that detects the vehicle position, which is its own position on the roller coaster road, and
A power supply unit that supplies electric power to the drive unit, the image pickup unit, and the position detection unit is provided .
The imaging unit provides a traveling road inspection vehicle characterized by having an upper imaging unit that images the roller coaster traveling path from above and a lower imaging unit that images the roller coaster traveling path from below. ..

With this configuration, it is possible to safely inspect and inspect the roller coaster runway without having to work at heights by humans. General amusement vehicles on roller coasters are not self-propelled, but are configured to tow to a high place and then slide freely to return to the starting position, but it is necessary for the road inspection vehicle to self-propell. It can be quickly moved to or stopped at the inspection site.

The configuration may include a transmission unit capable of wirelessly transmitting the traveling road image and the vehicle position captured by the imaging unit.

With this configuration, the roller coaster road can be inspected and inspected at a place such as the ground away from the vehicle.

The configuration may include a drive unit and a reception unit capable of receiving a control signal for the image pickup unit.

With this configuration, the drive unit and the image pickup unit can be controlled at a place such as the ground away from the road inspection vehicle.

Based on the road image, at least an inspection unit for inspecting defects in the roller coaster road is provided, the receiving unit can receive a control signal for the inspection unit, and the transmitting unit receives the inspection result by the inspection unit. It may be configured so that it can be transmitted.

With this configuration, it is possible to immediately inspect the captured traveling road image for defects and transmit the result, so that it is not necessary for a person to perform a visual inspection while looking at the image.

The drive unit may be configured to enable the traveling road inspection vehicle to travel forward or backward and to control the speed during traveling.

With this configuration, it is possible to move the traveling path at an arbitrary speed to an appropriate inspection location for the convenience of inspection and inspection.

The drive unit drives at least the front wheels or the rear wheels.
The front wheel or the rear wheel has a pressing means for pressing the upper wheel and the lower wheel in the direction in which the rail is sandwiched, so that the traveling road inspection vehicle can travel on the roller coaster traveling road by itself.
When the capacity of the power supply unit for driving the drive unit is exhausted, the release means for releasing the pressing between the upper wheel and the lower wheel releases the pressing of the pressing means to inspect the traveling path. The vehicle may be configured to freely slide on the roller coaster track by its own weight.

With this configuration, even if the electric power from the power supply unit is cut off due to some influence, the road inspection vehicle can be returned to a low altitude position or a start position that can be recovered by free sliding. In other words, if free gliding is started at the highest altitude position on the roller coaster track, it can be returned to the start position, but if free gliding is started from a higher altitude position other than the highest altitude position, either of them will be collected. It can be returned to the lowest possible altitude.

The position detection unit may be configured to detect the distance from the start position on the roller coaster road.

With this configuration, the vehicle position on the roller coaster road can be easily specified.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a traveling road inspection method for a roller coaster traveling road.
The drive unit mounts an image pickup unit, a drive unit, a power supply unit, a transmission unit, and a position detection unit that detects a vehicle position that is its own position on the roller coaster travel path. It is driven and self-propelled, and at least the traveling road image of the roller coaster traveling road is imaged by the imaging unit, and the traveling road image and the vehicle position are sequentially wirelessly transmitted from the transmitting unit to the display device, and a defect is possible. The process of grasping the potential defect location and the process of grasping the potential defect location,
An inspection step in which the vehicle is self-propelled while detecting the vehicle position to the defect possibility position, the defect possibility position is imaged again, and wirelessly transmitted from the transmission unit to the display device for inspection. , Run ,
The imaging unit provides a traveling road inspection method characterized in that the roller coaster traveling path is imaged from above and the roller coaster traveling path is imaged from below.

With this configuration, it is possible to safely inspect and inspect the roller coaster runway without having to work at heights by humans.

In the inspection step, at least a defect in the roller coaster road may be inspected.

With this configuration, at least defects in the roller coaster track can be inspected.

In the defect possibility position grasping step, in addition to the image of the roller coaster running path, the joint portion of the roller coaster running path may also be imaged.

With this configuration, it is possible to inspect and inspect defects by imaging the joints of the roller coaster road.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a roadway inspection system for a roller coaster roadway.
A drive unit that performs drive control for self-propelling itself, at least an imaging unit that captures a travel path image of the roller coaster driveway, and a position detection unit that detects a vehicle position that is its own position on the roller coaster driveway. A road inspection vehicle equipped with a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits the travel road image and the vehicle position, and a power supply unit.
It includes a ground receiving unit that receives the travel road image and the vehicle position wirelessly transmitted by the transmission unit, and a display device having a display unit that can display the received travel road image and the vehicle position .
The imaging unit provides a traveling road inspection system characterized by having an upper imaging unit that images the roller coaster traveling path from above and a lower imaging unit that images the roller coaster traveling path from below. ..

With this configuration, it is possible to safely inspect and inspect the roller coaster runway without having to work at heights by humans.

The display device may be provided with a storage unit that stores the traveling road image and the vehicle position received by the ground receiving unit.

With this configuration, the driving road image and the vehicle position by the driving road inspection vehicle are stored in the storage unit of the display device, and the driving road image and the vehicle position are visually inspected and inspected by a person at another time zone. Therefore, it is easy to set up the work, and it is possible to perform a plurality of inspections and inspections based on the same travel path image and vehicle position.

The display device is provided with a driving unit and a ground transmitting unit capable of wirelessly transmitting a control signal to the imaging unit, and the traveling road inspection vehicle is provided with a receiving unit capable of receiving the control signal. May be good.

With this configuration, it is possible to control the road inspection vehicle on the ground to inspect and inspect the roller coaster road.

The configuration may include a server transmission unit that transmits the travel path image received by the ground reception unit and the vehicle position to the server.

With this configuration, it is possible to inspect and inspect the roller coaster road at a place such as a business office far from the amusement park.

The roadway inspection vehicle, the roadway inspection method, and the roadway inspection system of the present invention can safely inspect and inspect the roller coaster roadway without human work at heights.

It is a figure which looked at the traveling road inspection vehicle in Example 1 of this invention from the front. It is a figure which looked at the traveling road inspection vehicle in Example 1 of this invention from the side. It is a control system block diagram of the roadway inspection vehicle in Example 1 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the roadway inspection system in Example 1 of this invention. It is a control system block diagram of the roadway inspection vehicle in Example 2 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the roadway inspection system in Example 2 of this invention. It is a control system block diagram of the roadway inspection vehicle in Example 3 of this invention.

Example 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a front view of the roadway inspection vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the roadway inspection vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a control system block diagram of the road inspection vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of the roadway inspection system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

(Road inspection vehicle)
The structure of the roadway inspection vehicle 100 in the first embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the roadway inspection vehicle 100, the carriage 62 is supported by the carriage mounting portion 61, and the carriage mounting portion 61 is supported by four wheel portions. The wheel portion includes a left side portion of the front wheel, a right portion of the front wheel, a left portion of the rear wheel, and a right portion of the rear wheel. The drive unit 82 drives the left side rail 1L and the right rail 1R of the roller coaster track 1 on the left side of the front wheel and the right side of the front wheel, and the left side of the rear wheel and the right side of the rear wheel rotate along the left side rail 1L and the right side rail 1R. It has a structure that allows it to travel.

The left side portion of the front wheel has an upper left upper front wheel 11 rotating along the left rail 1L, a lower left lower front wheel 12, and a left side front wheel 13. The left front wheel upper axle 51, which is an axle that supports and rotates the left upper front wheel 11, is rotatably supported by the left front wheel upper inner wheel bearing 31 and the left front wheel upper outer wheel bearing 34. Further, the left front wheel lower axle 52, which is an axle that supports and rotates the left lower front wheel 12, is rotatably supported by the left front wheel lower inner wheel bearing 32 and the left front wheel lower outer wheel bearing 35. Then, the left front wheel upper inner wheel bearing 31 and the left front wheel lower inner wheel bearing 32 are urged in a direction approaching each other by the spring 33, so that the left upper front wheel 11 and the left lower front wheel 12 move the left rail 1L up and down. It is configured to be driven and rotated by the driving unit 82 (see FIG. 3) while being pressed from the bearing.

The left front wheel side axle 53, which is the axle that rotates the left front wheel 13, is rotatably supported by the left front wheel upper outer wheel bearing 34 and the left front wheel lower outer wheel bearing 35, and the left front wheel 13 is the left rail 1L. Is configured to rotate while pressing from the outside. In the first embodiment, in order for the left front wheel 13 to press the left rail 1L from the outside, the left front wheel upper inner wheel bearing 31 and the left front wheel upper outer wheel bearing 34, and the left front wheel lower inner wheel bearing The 32 and the lower left front wheel lower outer wheel bearing 35 are urged in a direction approaching each other by a spring (not shown).

In this way, the left upper front wheel 11 and the left lower front wheel 12 press the left rail 1L from above and below, and the left side front wheel 13 presses the left rail 1L, so that the roller coaster runs against the roller coaster track 1. Even if the road inspection vehicle 100 is turned upside down or in a state where the left side or the right side is facing upward, the road inspection vehicle 100 can be driven while firmly maintaining the positional relationship with the left rail 1L without rattling. .. Further, the stopped state can be maintained by the pressing force of the left upper front wheel 11 and the left lower front wheel 12 except when traveling.

Further, the right side portion of the front wheel has a right upper front wheel 21, a right lower lower front wheel 22, and a right side lower front wheel 23 that rotate along the right rail 1R. The right front wheel upper axle 54, which is an axle that supports and rotates the right upper front wheel 21, is rotatably supported by the right front wheel upper inner wheel bearing 41 and the right front wheel upper outer wheel bearing 44. Further, the right front wheel lower axle 55, which is an axle that supports and rotates the right lower front wheel 22, is rotatably supported by the right front wheel lower inner wheel bearing 42 and the right front wheel lower outer wheel bearing 45. Then, the right front wheel upper inner wheel bearing 41 and the right front wheel lower inner wheel bearing 42 are urged by a spring 43 in a direction approaching each other, and the right upper front wheel 21 and the right lower front wheel 22 press the right rail 1R from above and below. However, it is configured to be driven and rotated by the drive unit 82.

The right front wheel side axle 56, which is an axle that supports and rotates the right front wheel 23, is rotatably supported by the right front wheel upper outer wheel bearing 44 and the right front wheel lower outer wheel bearing 45, and the right front wheel 23 is supported by the right front wheel 23. It is configured to rotate while pressing the right rail 1R from the outside. In the first embodiment, in order for the right side front wheel 23 to press the right rail 1R from the outside, the right front wheel upper inner wheel bearing 41 and the right front wheel upper outer wheel bearing 44, and the right front wheel lower inner wheel bearing The 42 and the lower right front wheel lower outer wheel bearing 45 are urged in a direction approaching each other by a spring (not shown).

In this way, the right upper front wheel 21 and the right lower front wheel 22 press the right rail 1R from above and below, and the right side front wheel 23 presses the right rail 1R, so that the roller coaster runs against the roller coaster track 1. Even when the road inspection vehicle 100 is turned upside down or in a state where the right side is facing downward, the road inspection vehicle 100 can be driven while firmly maintaining the positional relationship with the right rail 1R without rattling. Further, the stopped state can be maintained by the pressing force of the right upper front wheel 21 and the right lower front wheel 22 except when traveling.

Further, in the first embodiment, each wheel is made of rubber having a large frictional force in order to improve the holding force of each wheel for each rail at the time of stopping. As a result, in addition to the pressure on the rails between the wheels, this frictional force makes it possible to maintain the stopped state at the time of stopping.

The same configuration applies to the left side of the rear wheel. That is, the left side of the rear wheel has a left upper rear wheel 14, a left lower lower rear wheel 15, and a left side rear wheel 16 that rotate on the left rail 1L, and each rotates while pressing the left rail 1L. However, since it has the same configuration as the left side of the front wheel, the description thereof will be omitted. However, the left upper rear wheel 14 and the left lower rear wheel 15 are not driven by the drive unit 82 and only rotate.

Since the right side of the rear wheel has the same configuration as the right side of the front wheel, the description thereof will be omitted, but the upper left rear wheel (not shown) and the lower left rear wheel (not shown) are driven by the drive unit 82. It only rotates while pressing the right rail 1R.

In the first embodiment, the pressing of the left upper front wheel 11 and the left lower front wheel 12 on the left rail 1L and the pressing of the right upper front wheel 21 and the right lower front wheel 22 on the right rail 1R are configured by a spring force. However, it is not necessarily limited to this and can be changed as appropriate for convenience. For example, the left upper front wheel 11, the left lower front wheel 12, the right upper front wheel 21, and the right lower front wheel 22 may be configured to include a magnet and press against the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R by magnetic force.

Further, in the first embodiment, the left side portion of the front wheel and the right portion of the front wheel are used as driving wheels, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and can be changed as appropriate for convenience. For example, the left side of the rear wheels and the right side of the rear wheels may be the drive wheels, or the left side of the front wheels, the right side of the front wheels, the left side of the rear wheels, and the right side of the rear wheels may all be the drive wheels.

Here, the definition of a roller coaster track in the present invention refers to a rail and a rail cradle that supports the rail. In the first embodiment, two rails (left rail 1L and right rail 1R) are provided, but the number of rails may be one or three or more. If the number of rails changes, the number of wheels may be changed. Further, in the first embodiment, the cross section of the rail has a circular shape, but the cross-sectional shape may be a square, a rectangle, or a polygon.

The roller coaster track 1 on which the track inspection vehicle 100 travels has a configuration in which the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R on which the wheels rotate are supported by a substantially Y-shaped rail receiving portion 4. The rail receiving portion 4 is bolted to the roadway mounting base 2 by the joint portion 3. The runway mounting base 2 is fixed to the ground. The left rail 1L, the right rail 1R, the rail receiving portion 4, the joint portion 3, and the track mounting base 2 are all painted to prevent rust.

In the first embodiment, the rail receiving portion 4 has a substantially Y-shape, but the shape is not necessarily limited to this, and a rail receiving portion 4 having an appropriately optimum shape can be adopted for convenience. For example, it may have a substantially I-shape, or it may have another shape.

An imaging unit 71 is provided in front of the carriage 62 of the traveling road inspection vehicle 100, and at least an image of the traveling road of the roller coaster traveling road 1 can be captured. Further, an imaging unit 72 for imaging the lower surface of the left rail 1L is provided on a portion protruding outside the left front wheel lower inner wheel bearing 32 on the left side of the front wheel, and an imaging unit 73 for imaging the lower surface of the right rail 1R is provided on the right side of the front wheel. It is provided in a portion protruding to the outside of the right front wheel lower inner wheel bearing 42.

In the first embodiment, the imaging unit 71 is provided on the front side of the bogie 62 and is configured to image the upper surfaces of the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R of the roller coaster traveling path 1, but this is not necessarily the case. It is not limited and can be changed as appropriate for convenience. For example, the image pickup unit 71 may be provided on the rear side of the bogie 62, or the image pickup section 71 may provide the rail receiving portion on the roller coaster track 1 in addition to the upper surfaces of the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R on the roller coaster track 1. 4 may be imaged, or the joint 3 may be imaged in addition to the roller coaster track 1. Further, the lens magnification and the imaging direction may be changed so that a necessary portion can be imaged as appropriate.

Further, in the first embodiment, the imaging unit 71 is configured to image the upper surfaces of both the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. For example, an imaging unit that images the upper surface of the left rail 1L and an imaging unit that images the upper surface of the right rail 1R may be provided.

Further, in the first embodiment, the imaging unit 72 is provided on the left side of the front wheel, and the imaging unit 73 for imaging the lower surface of the right rail 1R is provided on the right side of the front wheel. It is possible. For example, the imaging unit 72 may be provided on the left side of the rear wheel, and the imaging unit 73 for imaging the lower surface of the right rail 1R may be provided on the right side of the rear wheel. The image pickup unit 71, the image pickup section 72, and the image pickup section 73 may capture at least an image of the travel path that is the upper and lower surfaces of the rail of the roller coaster travel path 1.

Here, it is known that defects such as paint peeling, scratches, cracks, chips, and wear are likely to occur in the portion of the rail on which each wheel travels. Therefore, the imaging directions and magnifications of the imaging unit 71, the imaging unit 72, and the imaging unit 73 are adjusted so that the portions where the wheel marks remain on the upper, lower, and outer side portions of the rail are always imaged. Further, in order to facilitate imaging of the portion where the wheel marks on the side surfaces of the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R remain, the imaging unit 72 and the imaging unit 73 may be provided so as to be capable of imaging in the obliquely inward direction.

The roller coaster runway 1 and the joint portion 3 are required to be regularly inspected and inspected for defects such as scratches, cracks, wear, and paint peeling. In the past, people walked on the roller coaster track 1 to perform visual inspections, but this is a dangerous task due to aerial work, and the inspection range is wide, not only on the upper surface of the rail but also on the lower surface and joints of the rail. It took a long time to work.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the roadway inspection vehicle 100 is able to self-propell on the roller coaster roadway 1 and image the roadway image by the imaging units 71 to 73, and perform inspection and inspection. In addition to eliminating on-site work, inspection work can be performed quickly.

FIG. 3 shows a control system block diagram of the road inspection vehicle 100. The image pickup units 71, 72, and 73 are each composed of a CCD camera and a lens so as to capture a traveling road image. In addition, a lighting unit may be provided if necessary. The captured travel path image can be transmitted via the transmission unit 81 and the antenna 91.

The drive unit 82 can drive and control the motor to drive the left upper front wheel 11, the left lower front wheel 12, the right upper front wheel 21, and the right lower lower front wheel 22 to drive the road inspection vehicle 100 at an arbitrary speed. The roller coaster track 1 has sharp turns and descents, but drive control for the left upper front wheel 11 and the left lower front wheel 12 and the right upper front wheel so that the vehicle can travel at an arbitrary speed in these parts as well. The drive control for the 21 and the lower right front wheel 22 is individually performed by a separate motor, and the speed can be controlled for each.

The roadway inspection vehicle 100 can be driven by selecting forward or backward by the drive control of the drive unit 82. In some cases, the position requiring attention where defects frequently occur on the roller coaster road 1 is empirically known. In such a case, it is possible to select forward or reverse to efficiently drive the vehicle to a position requiring attention. In addition, the position detection unit 86 is provided so that the roadway inspection vehicle 100 can recognize the vehicle position, which is its own position, when it has arrived at the caution position.

The position detection unit 86 is configured to measure the number of rotations of the left upper front wheel 11 and the right upper front wheel 21 to measure the distance on the roller coaster road 1 from the start point. Then, the measured distance is reset by giving a trigger from the outside at the starting point. As a result, when the traveling road inspection vehicle 100 travels along the roller coaster traveling road 1, the distance thereof can be measured and the vehicle position can be detected. The detected vehicle position is transmitted from the transmission unit 81 together with the sequential travel path image.

The image pickup units 71, 72, 73, the transmission unit 81, the drive unit 82, and the position detection unit 86 are each supplied with the necessary power by the power supply unit 83 composed of batteries. The battery of the power supply unit 83 is configured to be able to be charged in advance, and the capacity capable of taking a track image and transmitting it together with the vehicle position by making at least one round of the roller coaster track 1 is stored. It is configured so that it can be done.

However, in case the power is consumed more than expected due to the influence of an unexpected accident, an alarm can be transmitted when the stored amount becomes less than a predetermined 10%. If the alarm cannot be responded to and the amount of electricity stored is insufficient to drive the drive unit 82, the pressure on each rail of each wheel is automatically released and the weight of the road inspection vehicle 100 is reduced. It can be freely slid with and returned to a low recoverable position on the roller coaster track 1. To release the pressure on each rail of each wheel, for example, an electromagnet is provided on the springs 33, 43, etc. that urge each wheel in the direction approaching the rail, and the electromagnet is used while power is being supplied. The plates are in close contact with each other and the springs 33, 43, etc. are compressed to maintain the urging force. It may be configured so that the urging force is released.

In the first embodiment, the power supply unit 83 is composed of a battery, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. For example, electric power may be supplied to the power supply unit 83 by contact or non-contact from a rail, an overhead wire, or the like.

Further, in the first embodiment, the captured travel road image and the vehicle position are transmitted, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and changes can be made as appropriate. For example, the travel road inspection vehicle 100 may be provided with a storage unit, and the travel road image captured in the storage unit may be stored together with the vehicle position. Then, the stored travel road image and the vehicle position may be read out when the travel road inspection vehicle 100 returns to the start point.

(Road inspection system)
FIG. 4 shows a conceptual diagram of the roadway inspection system according to the first embodiment. The travel road image and the vehicle position wirelessly transmitted from the travel road inspection vehicle 100 are received by the ground display device 400. Specifically, it is received by the ground receiving unit 401 of the display device 400 and displayed on the display unit 404 including a personal computer. The transmitted track images are the track image of the upper surface of the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R by the imaging unit 71, the track image of the lower surface of the rail 1L by the imaging unit 72, and the track image of the lower surface of the rail 1R by the imaging unit 73. There are images, but they are distinguished by ID. In the display unit 404, all of these traveling road images can be displayed on one screen, or each traveling road image can be switched and displayed one by one.

By visually observing the track image displayed on the display unit 404, it is possible to inspect and inspect defects in the roller coaster track 1 centered on the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R while staying on the ground. can. If defects such as scratches, cracks, wear, and paint peeling are visually recognized, the position of the possibility of defect is grasped from the vehicle position displayed on the display unit 404. Then, in order to inspect the state of the grasped defective position in more detail, the roadway inspection vehicle 100 is run again to the defective position.

Further, the display device 400 may be provided with a storage unit that stores the travel path image received by the ground reception unit 401 and the vehicle position. As a result, the traveling road image by the traveling road inspection vehicle 100 can be stored in the storage unit of the display device 400, and the traveling road image can be visually inspected and inspected by a person at another time zone. It is easy to set up the work, and it is possible to perform multiple inspections and inspections based on the same track image and vehicle position.

As shown in FIG. 4, the display device 400 may be provided with a server transmission unit 403 to transmit the received travel path image and vehicle position information to the server wirelessly or by wire. This makes it possible to carry out inspections and inspections in an office far away from the roller coaster, but it is not essential and may be provided as needed.

(Road inspection method)
In the above-mentioned driving road inspection system, a road road inspection method for inspecting and inspecting the roller coaster road 1 will be described.

First, the defect possibility position grasping step is executed. That is, the travel path inspection vehicle 100 is positioned at the start position of the roller coaster travel path 1 and the measured value of the position detection unit 86 is reset. This reset may be performed by providing a switch on the position detection unit 86 and operating the switch, but in the first embodiment, the roller coaster travel path 1 is performed when the travel path inspection vehicle 100 is located at the start position. The trigger plate provided in the vehicle is configured to automatically operate the switch provided in the traveling road inspection vehicle 100.

Next, the roadway inspection vehicle 100 is self-propelled along the roller coaster roadway 1 at an arbitrary speed, and the roadway images captured by the imaging units 71, 72, and 73 are visually inspected and inspected by the display unit 404. do. The vehicle position, which is the traveling position of the traveling road inspection vehicle 100, is always displayed on the display unit 404. The imaging unit 71 images the upper surface of the left rail 1L, the upper surface of the right rail 1R, and the rail receiving unit 4, the imaging unit 72 images the lower surface of the left rail 1L, and the imaging unit 73 images the lower surface of the right rail 1R. ..

In the first embodiment, the imaging unit 71 is configured to image the upper surface of the left rail 1L, the upper surface of the right rail 1R, and the rail receiving unit 4, but the image is not necessarily limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. .. For example, the imaging unit 71 may be configured to image the joint portion 3 in addition to the upper surface of the left rail 1L, the upper surface of the right rail 1R, and the rail receiving portion 4. In that case, the imaging direction and the imaging magnification of the imaging unit 71 may be changed when traveling at a certain position of the joint portion 3.

If you recognize defects such as scratches, cracks, wear, paint peeling, etc. on the upper or lower surface of the left rail 1L and the right rail 1R, or if you recognize that there is a risk of defects, the roller coaster running of the road inspection vehicle 100 at that time Grasp the vehicle position, which is the position of the road 1. The vehicle position can be grasped by displaying the transmitted measured value of the position detection unit 86 on the display unit 404.

In the first embodiment, it was decided to grasp the position of the defect or the position where there is a possibility of the defect. And may be stored in the above-mentioned storage unit of the display device 400. In that case, after the traveling road inspection vehicle 100 makes one round and returns to the starting point, the stored vehicle position and the traveling road image may be read out and reconfirmed.

Next, the inspection step is executed. That is, when the roadway inspection vehicle 100 makes one round and returns to the start position, the roadway inspection vehicle 100 is driven to a position of the detected defect or a position where there is a possibility of a defect and stopped. If the speed at this time is made higher than that in the process of grasping the possibility of defect position, the position of possible defect can be reached quickly. Then, the traveling road image captured by the imaging unit 71, 72, or 73 is confirmed to determine whether or not the defect is present and the type of the defect. Then, when it is determined that the defect is true, the position of the defect and the type of the defect are stored in the display device 400. The memorized position of the defect and the type of the defect can be referred to in the next inspection and inspection.

Then, if repair is necessary, a person performs the necessary repair work at the position of the detected defect. If repair is not necessary, inspection and inspection will be completed. It should be noted that simple repairs, such as paint peeling, may be performed by providing a painting device such as a spray on the carriage 62 of the roadway inspection vehicle 100 and operating a switch from the display device 400.

In the first embodiment, the roadway inspection vehicle 100 first makes one round of the roller coaster roadway 1 at an arbitrary speed to grasp the presence or absence of defects, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this and changes may be made as appropriate. It is possible. For example, if a location where a defect is likely to occur is specified in advance, the roadway inspection vehicle 100 is self-propelled to the position of the location without making one round, and the inspection and inspection of the location are focused on. Alternatively, the relevant part may be inspected and inspected intensively in the process of making one round.

In the first embodiment, the roller coaster runway can be safely inspected and inspected by eliminating the work at heights by humans. Even if it is not possible to determine whether or not the vehicle is defective or repair is required only from the travel path image displayed on the display unit 404, it is possible to minimize the work at height by a person. In addition, the roadway inspection vehicle 100 is self-propelled to take an image, so that the inspection and inspection can be performed quickly. Further, since the display unit 404 can be visually inspected by a plurality of people, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not the display unit 404 is defective. Further, by storing the image of the defect, it can be used as a reference when there is a similar defect, and the inspection accuracy can be improved.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the traveling road inspection vehicle that self-propells on the roller coaster traveling road, the driving unit that performs the drive control for traveling and stopping the traveling road inspection vehicle, and at least the roller coaster traveling Power is supplied to an imaging unit that captures a road image, a position detecting unit that detects a vehicle position that is its own position on the roller coaster traveling road, a driving unit, the imaging unit, and the position detecting unit. The roller coaster track can be safely inspected and inspected by eliminating the need for human work at heights by means of a track inspection vehicle equipped with a power supply unit.

Further, in the first embodiment, it is a traveling road inspection method of a roller coaster traveling road.
The drive unit mounts an image pickup unit, a drive unit, a power supply unit, a transmission unit, and a position detection unit that detects a vehicle position that is its own position on the roller coaster travel path. It is driven and self-propelled, and at least the traveling road image of the roller coaster traveling road is imaged by the imaging unit, and the traveling road image and the vehicle position are sequentially wirelessly transmitted from the transmitting unit to the display device, and a defect is possible. The process of grasping the potential defect location and the process of grasping the potential defect location,
An inspection step in which the roadway inspection vehicle is self-propelled while detecting the vehicle position up to the defect possibility position, the defect possibility position is imaged again, and wirelessly transmitted from the transmission unit to the display device for inspection. The roller coaster track can be safely inspected and inspected by eliminating the need for human work at heights by the track inspection method characterized by executing.

Further, in the first embodiment, the roller coaster roadway inspection system is used.
A drive unit that performs drive control for self-propelling itself, at least an imaging unit that captures a travel path image of the roller coaster driveway, and a position detection unit that detects a vehicle position that is its own position on the roller coaster driveway. A road inspection vehicle equipped with a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits the travel road image and the vehicle position, and a power supply unit.
It is provided with a ground receiving unit that receives the traveling road image and the vehicle position wirelessly transmitted by the transmitting unit, and a display device having a display unit that can display the received traveling road image and the vehicle position. The track inspection system, which is characterized by this, makes it possible to safely inspect and inspect the roller coaster track by eliminating human work at heights.

Example 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a control system block diagram of the traveling road inspection vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of the roadway inspection system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the second embodiment, the driving unit and the receiving unit capable of receiving the control signal for the imaging unit are provided in the road inspection vehicle, and the ground transmitting unit capable of wirelessly transmitting the control signal to the receiving unit is used as the display device. It differs from Example 1 in that it is provided.

As shown in FIG. 5, the roadway inspection vehicle 200 includes a receiving unit 84 connected to the antenna 91. The antenna 91 is a transmission / reception antenna capable of transmitting the information input from the transmission unit 81 and outputting the received information to the reception unit 84. The drive unit 82 and the image pickup units 71, 72, and 73 are controlled by the control signal received by the reception unit 84.

Specifically, the received control signal controls the forward, reverse, and stop operations and the forward or reverse speed of the drive unit 82. In addition, it is possible to release the pressure on the rails of all the wheel portions and instruct the return to the recoverable low altitude position or the start position by free sliding. Further, the imaging direction and the imaging magnification can be controlled with respect to the imaging units 71, 72, and 73.

This control signal is transmitted from the ground transmission unit 502 provided in the display device 500 (see FIG. 6). That is, if there is a part that needs to be carefully observed during the visual inspection and inspection of the display unit 404, the roadway inspection vehicle 200 is moved forward, backward, or stopped by operating the switch of the display unit 404, and the relevant part is restarted. Is imaged. In addition, the imaging directions and imaging magnifications of the imaging units 71, 72, and 73 are changed by operating the switch of the display unit 404 to inspect and inspect the locations where there is a risk of defects in detail.

In the second embodiment, the image pickup direction and the image pickup magnification of the image pickup units 71, 72, and 73 are controlled by the control signal received by the receiver unit 84, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this and may be appropriately changed for convenience. It is possible. For example, the amount of light and the color of the illumination unit may be controlled.

In this way, by operating switches from the display device on the ground to transmit various control signals to the roadway inspection vehicle for control, the roller coaster roadway can be inspected and inspected flexibly and with high accuracy. Can be done.

Example 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a control system block diagram of the traveling road inspection vehicle according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

The third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in that the traveling road inspection vehicle is provided with at least an inspection unit for inspecting defects on the roller coaster traveling road based on the traveling road image.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the traveling road inspection vehicle 300, the traveling road images captured by the imaging units 71, 72, and 73 are input to the inspection unit 85. The inspection unit 85 automatically performs a defect inspection based on the input travel path image. Defect inspection is performed by a known method such as boundary extraction, area extraction, area counting, or color discrimination for each imaging of a predetermined area. When the defect inspection is completed, the transmission unit 81 transmits information such as the presence / absence of the defect, the type of the defect, the vehicle position, the time, and the image pickup unit ID together with the traveling road image.

In the display device, a person definitely determines whether or not the defect is present based on the received information such as the travel road image, the presence or absence of the defect, the type of the defect, the vehicle position, the time, and the image pickup unit ID. As a result, if it is difficult to determine whether or not it is a defect, by carrying out the above-mentioned inspection process, the relevant part is carefully inspected based on the road image displayed on the display device and the inspection result of the inspection unit 85. , Perform an inspection. That is, even in the inspection process, the inspection unit 85 can carry out a defect inspection.

Further, the receiving unit 84 can receive the control signal for the inspection unit 85 wirelessly transmitted from the ground transmitting unit 502. This control signal selects an inspection method to be executed by the inspection unit 85. For example, color discrimination is selected when the inspection of paint peeling is prioritized, and boundary detection is selected when the inspection of cracks is prioritized. You can also choose to perform these techniques at the same time.

As a result, automatic inspection by the inspection unit 85 can be performed instead of visual inspection and inspection by a person, so that highly accurate inspection and inspection can be performed quickly and unmanned.

The roadway inspection vehicle, the roadway inspection method, and the roadway inspection system according to the present invention can be widely used in the field of roller coaster roadway inspection such as an amusement park.

1: Roller coaster track 1L: Left rail 1R: Right rail
2: Roadway mounting base 3: Joint part 4: Rail receiving part
11: Left upper front wheel 12: Left lower front wheel 13: Left side front wheel
14: Left upper rear wheel 15: Left lower rear wheel 16: Left side rear wheel
21: Right upper front wheel 22: Right lower front wheel 23: Right side front wheel
31: Left front wheel upper inner car bearing 32: Left front wheel lower inner car bearing 33: Spring
34: Left front wheel upper outer wheel bearing 35: Left front wheel lower outer wheel bearing
39: Left rear wheel upper outer wheel bearing 40: Left rear wheel lower outer wheel bearing
41: Right front wheel upper inner car bearing 42: Right front wheel lower inner car bearing 43: Spring
44: Right front wheel upper outer wheel bearing 45: Right front wheel lower outer wheel bearing
51: Left front wheel upper axle 52: Left front wheel lower axle 53: Left front wheel side axle
54: Right front wheel upper axle 55: Right front wheel lower axle 56: Right front wheel side axle
61: Bogie mounting part 62: Bogie
71: Imaging unit 72: Imaging unit 73: Imaging unit
81: Transmission unit 82: Drive unit 83: Power supply unit
84: Receiver 85: Inspection 86: Position detector 91: Antenna
100: Road inspection vehicle 200: Road inspection vehicle 300: Road inspection vehicle
400: Display device 401: Ground receiver
403: Server transmitter 404: Display
500: Display device 502: Ground transmitter

Claims (14)

It is a road inspection vehicle that runs on a roller coaster road.
A drive unit that controls the drive to drive and stop the road inspection vehicle,
At least an imaging unit that captures a road image of the roller coaster road.
A position detection unit that detects the vehicle position, which is its own position on the roller coaster road, and
A power supply unit that supplies electric power to the drive unit, the image pickup unit, and the position detection unit is provided .
The image pickup unit includes an upper image pickup unit that images the roller coaster travel path from above and a lower image pickup unit that images the roller coaster travel path from below . The traveling road inspection vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitting unit capable of wirelessly transmitting the traveling road image and the vehicle position captured by the imaging unit. The traveling road inspection vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a driving unit and a receiving unit capable of receiving a control signal for the imaging unit. Based on the road image, at least an inspection unit for inspecting defects in the roller coaster road is provided, the receiving unit can receive a control signal for the inspection unit, and the transmitting unit receives the inspection result by the inspection unit. The traveling road inspection vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle can be transmitted. The traveling road inspection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the driving unit enables the traveling road inspection vehicle to travel forward or backward, and can control the speed during traveling. The drive unit drives at least the front wheels or the rear wheels.
The front wheel or the rear wheel has a pressing means for pressing the upper wheel and the lower wheel in the direction in which the rail is sandwiched, so that the traveling road inspection vehicle can travel on the roller coaster traveling road by itself.
When the capacity of the power supply unit for driving the drive unit is exhausted, the release means for releasing the pressing between the upper wheel and the lower wheel releases the pressing of the pressing means to inspect the traveling path. The travel path inspection vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is allowed to freely slide on the roller coaster travel path by its own weight. The travel road inspection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the position detection unit detects a distance from a start position on the roller coaster travel path. It is a road inspection method for roller coaster roads.
The drive unit mounts an image pickup unit, a drive unit, a power supply unit, a transmission unit, and a position detection unit that detects a vehicle position that is its own position on the roller coaster travel path. It is driven and self-propelled, and at least the traveling road image of the roller coaster traveling road is imaged by the imaging unit, and the traveling road image and the vehicle position are sequentially wirelessly transmitted from the transmitting unit to the display device, and a defect is possible. The process of grasping the potential defect location and the process of grasping the potential defect location,
An inspection step in which the vehicle is self-propelled while detecting the vehicle position to the defect possibility position, the defect possibility position is imaged again, and wirelessly transmitted from the transmission unit to the display device for inspection. , Run ,
The image pickup unit is a traveling road inspection method characterized in that the roller coaster traveling path is imaged from above and the roller coaster traveling path is imaged from below. The roadway inspection method according to claim 8, wherein in the inspection step, at least a defect in the roller coaster roadway is inspected. The traveling road inspection method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein in the defect possibility position grasping step, in addition to the image of the roller coaster traveling path, the joint portion of the roller coaster traveling path is also imaged. It is a road inspection system for roller coaster roads.
A drive unit that performs drive control for self-propelling itself, at least an imaging unit that captures a travel path image of the roller coaster driveway, and a position detection unit that detects a vehicle position that is its own position on the roller coaster driveway. A road inspection vehicle equipped with a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits the travel road image and the vehicle position, and a power supply unit.
It includes a ground receiving unit that receives the travel road image and the vehicle position wirelessly transmitted by the transmission unit, and a display device having a display unit that can display the received travel road image and the vehicle position .
The image pickup unit includes an upper image pickup unit that images the roller coaster travel path from above and a lower image pickup unit that images the roller coaster travel path from below . The traveling road inspection system according to claim 11, wherein the display device is provided with a storage unit that stores the traveling road image and the vehicle position received by the ground receiving unit. The display device is provided with a driving unit and a ground transmitting unit capable of wirelessly transmitting a control signal to the imaging unit, and the traveling road inspection vehicle is provided with a receiving unit capable of receiving the control signal. The traveling road inspection system according to claim 11 or 12. The traveling road inspection system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising a server transmitting unit that transmits the traveling road image received by the ground receiving unit and the vehicle position to a server.

Images