JP7008999B2 - Driving route generation system, driving route generation method, and driving route generation program, and drone - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a driving route generation system, a driving route generation method, a driving route generation program, and a drone.

The application of small helicopters (multicopters) generally called drones is advancing. One of the important application fields is spraying chemicals such as pesticides and liquid fertilizers on farmland (fields) (for example, Patent Document 1). In relatively small farmlands, it is often appropriate to use drones instead of manned planes and helicopters.

Technologies such as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic --Global Positioning System) have made it possible for drones to accurately know the absolute position of their aircraft in centimeters during flight. Even in a farmland with a typical narrow and complicated terrain, it is possible to fly autonomously with a minimum of manual maneuvering and to spray chemicals efficiently and accurately.

On the other hand, there were cases where it was difficult to say that safety was sufficiently taken into consideration for autonomous flying drones for spraying chemicals for agriculture. Drones loaded with drugs weigh several tens of kilograms, which can have serious consequences in the event of an accident such as falling onto a person. In addition, since the drone operator is not usually an expert, a foolproof mechanism is necessary, but consideration for this was insufficient. Until now, there have been drone safety technologies that are premised on maneuvering by humans (for example, Patent Document 2), but in particular, they address safety issues peculiar to autonomous flying drones for spraying chemicals for agriculture. There was no technology to do this.

In addition, there is a need for a method for automatically generating a driving route for a drone to fly autonomously. Patent Document 3 discloses a traveling route generation system that generates a reciprocating traveling path for reciprocating traveling in a field and a circular traveling path for reciprocating along the outer peripheral shape. This system is supposed to be a ground-based machine such as a seedling planting device.

Patent Document 4 discloses a traveling route generation device that generates a route when the outline of the field has a recess locally inserted inside. Patent Document 5 discloses an autonomous travel route generation system that generates a travel route that bypasses obstacles existing in the travel region.

Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-120151 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-163265 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-117566 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-116614 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-204061

Provided is an operation route generation system that generates an operation route capable of efficiently performing movement control by autonomous operation between a departure / arrival point of a mobile device and a predetermined point in a work target area.

In order to achieve the above object, the operation route generation system according to one aspect of the present invention is an operation route generation system that generates an operation route of a drone that arrives and departs at a departure / arrival point outside the target area and moves in the target area. Therefore, based on the acquired coordinate information of the target area, an in-area route generation unit that generates an in-area operation route in the target area, and a predetermined connection point between the departure / arrival point and the in-area operation route. The departure / arrival route generation unit includes a departure / arrival route generation unit that generates a departure / arrival route connecting the two, and an interruption point storage unit that stores the coordinates of the point where the drone interrupted the flight on the operation route in the area. If the flight was interrupted during the previous flight, the departure / arrival route is generated using the coordinates of the flight interruption point stored in the interruption point storage as the connection point, and if the flight was not interrupted during the previous flight, A departure / arrival route is generated using the coordinates of the end points of the operation route in the area as the connection points.

The in-area route generation unit may generate the in-area operation route in an area in the target area excluding the inaccessible prohibited area determined based on the information on the position and shape of the obstacle.

The departure / arrival route generation unit may generate the departure / arrival route in an area other than the entry prohibited area, which is determined based on the information on the position and shape of the obstacle.

The departure / arrival route generation unit determines whether or not the virtual line segment defined between the departure / arrival point and the connection point is in the entry prohibited area, and the virtual line segment is in the entry prohibited area. In some cases, a departure / arrival route that bypasses the restricted area may be generated.

The departure / arrival route generation unit may generate a departure / arrival route via the end point of the operation route in the area.

The departure / arrival route generation unit includes a relay route connecting the connection point and the connection point on the operation route in the area, and an end point of the operation route in the area, and is a route generated along a part of the operation route in the area. , And the route connecting the end point of the operation route in the area and the departure / arrival point may be connected to generate the departure / arrival route.

The departure / arrival route information may include three-dimensional coordinates from the start point to the end point, and at least one piece of information on flight speed, flight acceleration, and position and speed of turning.

The departure / arrival route generation unit may generate the departure / arrival route for flying the drone at an altitude such that the downdraft generated during the flight of the drone does not cause the crops growing in the target area to fall down.

The departure / arrival route generation unit may be mounted on the drone, and the intra-area route generation unit may be mounted on a server device connected to the drone via a network.

The departure / arrival route generation unit and the intra-area route generation unit may be mounted on the drone.

In order to achieve the above object, the operation route generation method according to another aspect of the present invention is an operation route generation method for generating an operation route of a mobile device that arrives and departs at a departure / arrival point outside the target area and moves within the target area. That is, between the step of generating an in-area operation route in the target area based on the acquired coordinate information of the target area and the departure / arrival point and a predetermined connection point on the in-area operation route. Includes a step to generate a landing route that connects the two.

In the step of generating the departure / arrival route, if the flight is interrupted during the previous flight, the departure / arrival route is generated using the coordinates of the flight interruption point as the connection point, and the flight is not interrupted during the previous flight. May generate a departure / arrival route with the coordinates of the end points of the operation path in the area as the connection points.

In order to achieve the above object, the operation route generation program according to still another aspect of the present invention arrives and departs at a departure / arrival point outside the target area, and generates an operation route of a mobile device moving in the target area. In the program, a command to generate an in-area operation route in the target area based on the acquired coordinate information of the target area, and a predetermined connection point between the departure / arrival point and the in-area operation route. Have the computer execute an instruction to generate an arrival / departure route that connects the two.
The computer program can be provided by downloading via a network such as the Internet, or can be recorded and provided on various computer-readable recording media such as a CD-ROM.

In order to achieve the above object, the drone according to still another aspect of the present invention is a drone capable of flying along a driving path generated by a driving route generation system, and the driving route generation system is any one of the above. It is an operation route generation system according to.

It is possible to generate an operation route capable of efficiently performing movement control by autonomous operation between the departure / arrival point of the mobile device and a predetermined point in the work target area.

It is a top view which shows the 1st Embodiment of the drone which concerns on this invention. It is a front view of the above-mentioned drone. It is a right side view of the above drone. It is a rear view of the above-mentioned drone. It is a perspective view of the said drone. It is the whole conceptual diagram of the drug spraying system which the said drone has. It is a schematic diagram showing the control function of the said drone. It is an overall conceptual diagram which shows the state of the operation path generation apparatus which concerns on this invention, and the state of the base station, the actuator, the drone, and the field surveying apparatus which are connected with a network. It is a functional block diagram of the said operation path generation apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of the field which the operation route generation apparatus generates an operation path, the entry prohibition area determined in the vicinity of the field, and the movable area generated in the field. It is a schematic diagram which shows the departure / arrival route generated by the departure / arrival route generation part of the drone in more detail. It is a schematic diagram which shows in more detail another embodiment of the departure / arrival route generated by the departure / arrival route generation unit. It is a schematic diagram which shows still another embodiment of the departure / arrival route generated by the departure / arrival route generation part in more detail. It is a flowchart in which the departure / arrival route generation part determines the start point and the end point of the departure / arrival route. It is a flowchart in which the departure / arrival route generation unit generates a departure / arrival route based on the information of the entry prohibited area.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. All figures are illustrations. In the following detailed description, certain details are given for illustration purposes and to facilitate a complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, embodiments are not limited to these particular details. Also, for the sake of simplification of the drawings, well-known structures and devices are shown schematically.

In the present specification, the drone is regardless of the power means (electric power, prime mover, etc.) and the maneuvering method (wireless or wired, autonomous flight type, manual maneuvering type, etc.). It refers to all aircraft with multiple rotor blades. The drone is an example of a mobile device, and can appropriately receive information on a driving route generated by the driving route generating device according to the present invention and fly along the driving route.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also referred to as rotors) are It is a means for flying the Drone 100, and is equipped with eight aircraft (four sets of two-stage rotor blades) in consideration of the balance between flight stability, aircraft size, and battery consumption.

Motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b have rotary blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101- It is a means to rotate 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (typically an electric motor, but it may be a motor, etc.), and one machine is provided for one rotary blade. Has been done. The motor (102) is an example of a propulsion device. The upper and lower rotors (eg 101-1a and 101-1b) in one set and their corresponding motors (eg 102-1a and 102-1b) are for the stability of the drone's flight, etc. The axes are on the same straight line and rotate in opposite directions. Although some rotor blades 101-3b and motor 102-3b are not shown, their positions are self-explanatory and are in the positions shown if there is a left side view. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the radial member for supporting the propeller guard provided so that the rotor does not interfere with foreign matter has a rather wobbling structure rather than a horizontal structure. This is to encourage the member to buckle to the outside of the rotor blade in the event of a collision and prevent it from interfering with the rotor.

The drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 are means for spraying the drug downward and are provided with four machines. In the specification of the present application, a drug generally refers to a liquid or powder sprayed in a field such as a pesticide, a herbicide, a liquid fertilizer, an insecticide, a seed, and water.

The medicine tank 104 is a tank for storing the medicine to be sprayed, and is provided at a position close to the center of gravity of the drone 100 and at a position lower than the center of gravity from the viewpoint of weight balance. The drug hoses 105-1, 105-2, 1053, 105-4 are means for connecting the drug tank 104 and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and are rigid. It may be made of the above-mentioned material and also serve to support the drug nozzle. The pump 106 is a means for discharging the drug from the nozzle.

FIG. 6 shows an overall conceptual diagram of a system using an example of the drug spraying application of the drone 100 according to the present invention. This figure is a schematic diagram, and the scale is not accurate. The operation device 401 is a means for transmitting a command to the drone 100 by the operation of the user 402 and displaying information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, amount of drug, remaining battery level, camera image, etc.). Yes, it may be realized by a portable information device such as a general tablet terminal that runs a computer program. The drone 100 according to the present invention is controlled to perform autonomous flight, but may be capable of manual operation during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in an emergency. In addition to mobile information devices, an emergency operation device (not shown) that has a function dedicated to emergency stop may be used (the emergency operation device has a large emergency stop button, etc. so that it can respond quickly in an emergency. It may be a dedicated device equipped with). The actuator 401 and the drone 100 perform wireless communication by Wi-Fi or the like.

The field 403 is a rice field, a field, or the like that is the target of chemical spraying by the drone 100. In reality, the terrain of the field 403 is complicated, and the topographic map may not be available in advance, or the topographic map and the situation at the site may be inconsistent. Normally, the field 403 is adjacent to a house, a hospital, a school, another crop field, a road, a railroad, or the like. In addition, obstacles such as buildings and electric wires may exist in the field 403.

The base station 404 is a device that provides a master unit function for Wi-Fi communication, etc., and may also function as an RTK-GPS base station so that it can provide an accurate position of the drone 100 (Wi-). The base unit function of Fi communication and the RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices). The farming cloud 405 is typically a group of computers operated on a cloud service and related software, and may be wirelessly connected to the actuator 401 by a mobile phone line or the like. Further, the farming cloud 405 may be composed of hardware such as a server device connected to the drone 100 via a network. The farming cloud 405 may analyze the image of the field 403 taken by the drone 100, grasp the growing condition of the crop, and perform a process for determining the flight route. In addition, the topographical information of the stored field 403 may be provided to the drone 100. In addition, the history of the flight and shot images of the drone 100 may be accumulated and various analysis processes may be performed.

Normally, the drone 100 takes off from the departure / arrival point 406 outside the field 403 and returns to the departure / arrival point 406 after spraying the chemicals on the field 403 or when replenishment or charging of the chemicals is required. The flight route (invasion route) from the departure / arrival point 406 to the target field 403 may be stored in advance in the farming cloud 405 or the like, or may be input by the user 402 before the start of takeoff.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram showing a control function of an embodiment of the drug spraying drone according to the present invention. The flight controller 501 is a component that controls the entire drone, and may be an embedded computer including a CPU, memory, related software, and the like. The flight controller 501 uses the input information received from the controller 401 and the input information obtained from various sensors described later, and the motors 102-1a and 102-1b via a control means such as ESC (Electronic Speed Control). , 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b to control the flight of the drone 100. The actual rotation speeds of the motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b are fed back to the flight controller 501, and normal rotation is performed. It is configured so that it can be monitored. Alternatively, the rotary blade 101 may be provided with an optical sensor or the like so that the rotation of the rotary blade 101 is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The software used by the flight controller 501 can be rewritten through a storage medium or the like for function expansion / change, problem correction, etc., or through communication means such as Wi-Fi communication or USB. In this case, protection is performed by encryption, checksum, digital signature, virus check software, etc. so that rewriting by unauthorized software is not performed. Further, a part of the calculation process used by the flight controller 501 for control may be executed by another computer located on the controller 401, on the farming cloud 405, or elsewhere. Due to the high importance of the flight controller 501, some or all of its components may be duplicated.

The battery 502 is a means of supplying power to the flight controller 501 and other components of the drone and may be rechargeable. The battery 502 is connected to the flight controller 501 via a fuse or a power supply unit including a circuit breaker or the like. The battery 502 may be a smart battery having a function of transmitting the internal state (charge amount, total usage time, etc.) to the flight controller 501 in addition to the power supply function.

The flight controller 501 communicates with the operation device 401 via the Wi-Fi slave unit function 503 and further via the base station 404, receives necessary commands from the operation device 401, and receives necessary information from the operation device 401. Can be sent to 401. In this case, the communication may be encrypted so as to prevent fraudulent acts such as interception, spoofing, and device hijacking. The base station 404 has the function of an RTK-GPS base station in addition to the communication function by Wi-Fi. By combining the signal from the RTK base station and the signal from the GPS positioning satellite, the GPS module 504 makes it possible to measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of several centimeters. Since the GPS module 504 is so important, it may be duplicated / multiplexed, and each redundant GPS module 504 should use a different satellite to cope with the failure of a specific GPS satellite. It may be controlled.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the acceleration of the drone body in three directions orthogonal to each other (further, a means for calculating the velocity by integrating the acceleration). The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the change in the attitude angle of the drone aircraft in the above-mentioned three directions, that is, the angular velocity. The geomagnetic sensor 506 is a means for measuring the direction of the drone aircraft by measuring the geomagnetism. The barometric pressure sensor 507 is a means for measuring barometric pressure, and can also indirectly measure the altitude of the drone. The laser sensor 508 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone aircraft and the ground surface by utilizing the reflection of the laser light, and may be an IR (infrared) laser. The sonar 509 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone aircraft and the ground surface by utilizing the reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone. In addition, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the inclination of the airframe, a wind power sensor for measuring wind power, and the like may be added. Further, these sensors may be duplicated or multiplexed. If there are multiple sensors for the same purpose, the flight controller 501 may use only one of them and switch to an alternative sensor if it fails. Alternatively, a plurality of sensors may be used at the same time, and if the measurement results do not match, it may be considered that a failure has occurred.

The flow rate sensor 510 is a means for measuring the flow rate of the drug, and is provided at a plurality of locations on the route from the drug tank 104 to the drug nozzle 103. The liquid shortage sensor 511 is a sensor that detects that the amount of the drug has fallen below a predetermined amount. The multispectral camera 512 is a means of photographing the field 403 and acquiring data for image analysis. The obstacle detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting a drone obstacle, and is a different device from the multispectral camera 512 because the image characteristics and the orientation of the lens are different from those of the multispectral camera 512. The switch 514 is a means for the user 402 of the drone 100 to make various settings. The obstacle contact sensor 515 is a sensor for detecting that the drone 100, in particular, its rotor or propeller guard part, has come into contact with an obstacle such as an electric wire, a building, a human body, a standing tree, a bird, or another drone. .. The cover sensor 516 is a sensor that detects that the operation panel of the drone 100 and the cover for internal maintenance are in the open state. The drug inlet sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the inlet of the drug tank 104 is in an open state. These sensors may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated or multiplexed. Further, a sensor may be provided at the base station 404, the actuator 401, or some other place outside the drone 100, and the read information may be transmitted to the drone. For example, a wind sensor may be provided at the base station 404 to transmit information on the wind and wind direction to the drone 100 via Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 sends a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the drug discharge amount and stop the drug discharge. The current status of the pump 106 (for example, the number of revolutions) is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The LED 107 is a display means for informing the drone operator of the state of the drone. As the display means, a display means such as a liquid crystal display may be used instead of the LED or in addition to the LED. The buzzer 518 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state) by an audio signal. The Wi-Fi slave unit function 519 is an optional component for communicating with an external computer or the like for transferring software, for example, in addition to the controller 401. Instead of or in addition to the Wi-Fi handset function, other wireless communication means such as infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection. You may use it. The speaker 520 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state) by means of a recorded human voice, synthetic voice, or the like. Depending on the weather conditions, it may be difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 in flight. In such cases, voice communication is effective. The warning light 521 is a display means such as a strobe light for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state). These input / output means may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated / multiplexed.

The drone 100 takes off from the departure / arrival point 406, flies to a predetermined point in the field 403, flies in the field 403 along the operation route in the area described later, and then flies from the predetermined point in the field 403 to the departure / arrival point 406. And return. Therefore, the drone 100 automatically generates an operation route from the departure / arrival point 406 to a predetermined point in the field 403 and from the predetermined point to the departure / arrival point 406 in addition to the operation route in the area in the field 403. Need to move. The predetermined point in the field 403 is a point on the in-area operation route, and is a point connecting the out-of-area operation route and the in-area operation route (hereinafter, also referred to as “connection point”).

The connection points are, for example, the start and end points of work such as chemical spraying or monitoring in the field 403. In addition, the connection point includes an interruption point at which work is interrupted in the event that the battery runs out or the sprayed drug runs out. Further, the connection point includes a break point where the work is interrupted by a command from the user 402.

Since the coordinates of the connection point differ depending on the progress of the work, it is difficult to generate the driving route between the departure / arrival point 406 and the connection point in advance before the flight of the drone 100. Also, regarding the departure / arrival point 406, the departure / arrival that was originally planned due to the situation at the site such as an obstacle such as a car being placed at the departure / arrival point 406 that was originally planned when the drone 100 was to be placed. It may not be possible to take off from point 406. Therefore, the driving route between the departure / arrival point 406 and the connection point is generated by the drone 100. Further, since the operation route in the area does not change depending on the progress of work or the situation at the site, it is generated in advance by the operation route generation device. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the calculation processing load of the drone 100 by causing an external device other than the drone 100 to generate the operation route in the field, which can be generated in advance and has a large calculation processing load. In addition, by letting the drone 100 generate the operation route between the departure / arrival point 406 and the connection point, which changes according to the situation, the time generated by communication with the external device can be saved, and entry / exit to / from the field 403 can be performed. It can be done smoothly.

As shown in FIG. 8, the operation route generation device 1 is connected to the drone 100, the operation device 401, the base station 404, and the field survey device 2 via the network NW. The operation route generation device 1 may have its function on the farming cloud 405, or may be a separate device. The field is an example of the target area. Drone 100 is an example of a mobile device. Further, instead of the configuration in which each configuration is connected via the network NW, the drone 100 may have a configuration in which the operation route generation device 1 is provided. In particular, the departure / arrival route generation unit 61 (see FIG. 8) and the in-area route generation unit (see FIG. 9), which will be described later, may be mounted on the drone 100. Further, the field surveying device 2 may have a configuration in which the operation route generation device 1 is provided. At least, the driving route generation device 1 and the drone 100 constitute the driving route generation system 1000.

The field surveying device 2 is a device having a function of a mobile station of RTK-GPS, and can survey the coordinate information of the field. The field surveying device 2 is a small device that can be held and walked by the user, for example, a rod-shaped device. The field surveying device 2 may be a wand-like device having a length sufficient for the user to stand upright and hold the upper end portion with the lower end touching the ground. The number of field surveying devices 2 that can be used to read the coordinate information of a certain field may be one or a plurality. According to the configuration that can measure the coordinate information about one field by a plurality of field surveying devices 2, a plurality of users can each hold the field surveying device 2 and walk in the field, so that the surveying work can be performed. It can be completed in a short time.

In addition, the field surveying device 2 can measure information on obstacles in the field. Obstacles include walls, slopes, utility poles, power lines, etc. where the drone 100 is at risk of collision, and various objects that do not require chemical spraying or monitoring.

The field surveying device 2 includes an input unit 201, a coordinate detection unit 202, and a transmission unit 203.

The input unit 201 has a configuration provided at the upper end of the field surveying device 2, and is, for example, a button that accepts a user's press. The user presses the button of the input unit 201 when measuring the coordinates of the lower end of the field surveying device 2.

Further, the input unit 201 is configured to be able to distinguish whether the input information is the coordinates relating to the outer circumference of the field or the coordinates of the outer circumference of the obstacle. Further, the input unit 201 can input the coordinates of the outer circumference of the obstacle in association with the type of the obstacle.

The coordinate detection unit 202 is a functional unit capable of detecting the three-dimensional coordinates of the lower end of the field surveying device 2 by appropriately communicating with the base station 404.

The transmission unit 203 is a functional unit that transmits the three-dimensional coordinates of the lower end of the field surveying device 2 at the time of the input to the actuator 401 or the operation route generation device 1 via the network NW based on the input to the input unit 201. be. The transmission unit 203 transmits the three-dimensional coordinates together with the pointed order.

In the process of reading the coordinate information of the field, the user moves the field with the field surveying device 2. First, the three-dimensional coordinates of the field are acquired. The user points by the input unit 201 at the end point or the end side of the field. Next, the user points by the input unit 201 at the end point or the end side of the obstacle.

The pointed and transmitted three-dimensional coordinates on the end points or edges of the field are received by the operation route generation device 1 by distinguishing between the three-dimensional coordinates of the outer periphery of the field and the three-dimensional coordinates of the obstacle. Further, the pointed three-dimensional coordinates may be received by the receiving unit 4011 of the actuator 401 and displayed by the display unit 4012. Further, the operation device 401 determines whether the received three-dimensional coordinates are suitable as the three-dimensional coordinates of the outer periphery of the field or the obstacle, and if it is determined that re-surveying is necessary, the operator re-examines the user through the display unit 4012. You may be prompted to survey.

In addition, the field surveying apparatus 2 may acquire the position and the outer edge shape of the field and the obstacle by taking an image and analyzing the image instead of the configuration of acquiring the position and the outer edge shape by the coordinate information. In this case, the input unit 201 is an image pickup unit, and may be a camera capable of capturing a still image or a moving image, or may be a stereo camera or a 360 ° camera. Further, the field surveying device 2 may acquire the position and shape of an obstacle by a sonar or a range measuring device using a radar wave.

As shown in FIG. 9, the operation route generation device 1 includes a target area information acquisition unit 10, a movement permission area generation unit 20, an area formulation unit 30, an in-area route generation unit 40, and a route selection unit 50.

The target area information acquisition unit 10 is a functional unit that acquires information on three-dimensional coordinates transmitted from the field surveying device 2.

As shown in FIG. 10, the movement permission area generation unit 20 designates the movement permission area 80i in which the drone 100 moves in the field 403 based on the three-dimensional coordinates acquired by the target area information acquisition unit 10. The movement permission area generation unit 20 has an entry prohibited area determination unit 21 and a movement permission area determination unit 22.

The entry prohibited area determination unit 21 is based on the three-dimensional coordinates of the obstacle 81a, 82a, 83a, 84a, 85a acquired by the target area information acquisition unit 10 and the type of the obstacle, and the entry prohibited area 81b of the drone 100 is used. , 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b is a functional part that determines. The no-entry area 81b, 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b is an area including the obstacle 81a, 82a, 83a, 84a, 85a and the area around the obstacle. The no-entry area 81b, 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b is an area having a three-dimensional spread defined in the horizontal direction and the height direction, and is centered on, for example, an obstacle 81a, 82a, 83a, 84a, 85a. It is a rectangular parallelepiped area drawn in. The no-entry area 81b, 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b may be a spherical region drawn around an obstacle. Since the drone 100 flies in the air, it is possible to fly over the obstacle depending on the size of the obstacle in the height direction. Due to the size of the obstacle in the height direction, the structure that does not consider the sky above the obstacle as an inaccessible area enables efficient flight in the field without excessively detouring the obstacle.

The distance from the outer edge of the obstacle to the outer edge of the restricted area 81b, 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b is determined by the type of obstacle 81a, 82a, 83a, 84a, 85a. The greater the risk of a collision with the drone 100, the greater the distance from the outer edge of the obstacle to the outer edge of the no-entry areas 81b, 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b. For example, in the case of a house, the range of 50 cm from the outer edge of the house is set as the no-entry area, while the range of 80 cm from the outer edge of the electric wire is set as the no-entry area. In the case of electric wires, in addition to the failure of the drone 100, events such as power transmission failure and destruction of electric wires may occur at the time of collision, so it is considered that the risk at the time of collision is higher. The no-entry area determination unit 21 stores in advance an obstacle table in which the type of obstacle and the size of the no-entry area are associated with each other, and determines the size of the no-entry area according to the type of obstacle to be acquired. do.

The movement permission area determination unit 22 is a functional unit that determines the movement permission area 80i. Regarding the plane direction of the movement permission area 80i, it is assumed that the coordinates on the plane acquired by the target area information acquisition unit 10 of the field 403 are at the outer peripheral position of the field 403. Regarding the height direction of the movement permission area 80i, the movement permission area determination unit 22 guarantees safety when controlling the height of the crop and the flight in the height direction coordinates acquired by the target area information acquisition unit 10. The possible margins are summed to determine the height range of the permitted movement area 80i. The movement permission area determination unit 22 determines the movement permission area 80i by removing the entry prohibited areas 81b, 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b from the inner area surrounded by the three-dimensional coordinates.

The in-area route generation unit 40 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is a functional unit that generates an in-area driving route 80r that comprehensively flies within the movement permission area 80i in the movement permission area 80i.

The in-area operation route 80r is, for example, an outer peripheral route that goes around the outer peripheral area defined along the outer edge of the movement permission area 80i, a round-trip route that reciprocates and scans the inner area defined inside the outer peripheral area, and an outer peripheral area. When the outer edge for partitioning is defined as a convex polygon, it has a deformed area path that reciprocates and scans a deformed area protruding outward from the convex polygon. The start point and end point of the in-area operation route 80r are generated at the outer edge of the movement permission area 80i and at a point close to the departure / arrival point 406. That is, the start point and the end point of the in-area operation path 80r are generated at the end of the outer peripheral path or the irregular area path. The start point and the end point of the in-area operation route 80r may be the same point or different points.

The in-area route generation unit 40 shown in FIG. 10 may be capable of generating a plurality of types of operation routes in the route generation target area. The route selection unit 50 can select which operation route the in-area operation route 80r is to be determined. The user may visually determine a plurality of generated driving routes to determine the driving route.

Further, the route selection unit 50 may be able to input priority information by the user. For example, the user inputs to the controller 401 which of the working time, the battery consumption of the drone 100, and the drug consumption is the highest priority. Further, the actuator 401 may be capable of inputting an index to be given the second priority. The route selection unit 50 selects an operation route that best matches the input priority among the plurality of operation routes. According to this configuration, it is possible to efficiently generate a route according to the user's policy.

As shown in FIG. 8, the drone 100 generates a departure / arrival route 41r (hereinafter, also referred to as “departure / arrival route 41r”) between the departure / arrival point 406 (see FIG. 10) and the predetermined connection point P1. It has a generator 61. The departure / arrival route generation unit 61 includes a current location acquisition unit 610, a departure / arrival point storage unit 611, an interruption point storage unit 612, a connection point determination unit 613, an entry prohibited area acquisition unit 614, and a departure / arrival route determination unit 615.

The current location acquisition unit 610 is a functional unit that acquires the current position coordinates of the drone 100. The current location acquisition unit 610 may acquire the position coordinates of the drone 100 by combining the signal of the RTK base station and the signal from the GPS positioning satellite by using the GPS module 504 included in the drone 100.

The departure / arrival point storage unit 611 is a functional unit that stores the position coordinates of the departure / arrival point 406 of the drone 100. The position coordinates of the departure / arrival point 406 are the coordinates of the first end point of the generation departure / arrival path 41r, that is, the start point or the end point. The departure / arrival point storage unit 611 stores the position coordinates at the time when the drone 100 takes off, which is acquired by the current location acquisition unit 610.

The interruption point storage unit 612 is a functional unit that stores the coordinates of the point where the drone 100 interrupted the flight on the driving route 80r in the area. The drone 100 suspends flight, for example, when it detects that the battery has run out or the stored drug has run out, or if an abnormality has occurred in the drone 100 or the surrounding environment and it is not possible to continue flying within the movement permission area 80i. .. In addition, the drone 100 suspends flight by a command from the user 402. The interruption point storage unit 612 stores the position coordinates of the interruption point when the flight is interrupted, which is acquired by the current location acquisition unit 610.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the connection point determination unit 613 is a functional unit that determines the coordinates of the connection point P1. The coordinates of the connection point P1 are the coordinates of the second end point of the generated departure / arrival path 41r. The coordinates of the connection point P1 are determined by the coordinates of the current position of the drone 100 as the coordinates of the connection point P1 when the drone 100 is on the driving route 80r in the area within the movement permission area 80i.

When the drone 100 is at the departure / arrival point 406, the connection point P1 is, for example, the interruption point stored by the interruption point storage unit 612 in the previous flight. If the flight is interrupted during the previous flight, the connection point determination unit 613 determines the coordinates of the flight interruption point stored in the interruption point storage unit 612 as the connection point P1. If the flight has not been interrupted during the previous flight, the coordinates of the end points of the in-area driving path 80r are determined as the connection point P1.

The entry prohibited area acquisition unit 614 is a functional unit that acquires information on the entry prohibited area in the field 403, which is determined by the entry prohibited area determination unit 21 of the operation route generation device 1. Obstacles also need to avoid collisions in the generation of departure and arrival routes. According to the configuration of the entry prohibited area acquisition unit 614, a safe departure / arrival route can be generated based on the information of the entry prohibited area determined by the operation route generation device 1. The entry prohibited area acquisition unit 614 may determine the entry prohibited area independently of the operation route generation device 1 based on the coordinate information of the obstacle acquired by the field surveying device 2.

The departure / arrival route determination unit 615 is a functional unit that determines the departure / arrival route 41r based on information from the departure / arrival point storage unit 611, the interruption point storage unit 612, the connection point determination unit 613, and the entry prohibited area acquisition unit 614. The departure / arrival route determination unit 615 determines the end point, that is, the start point and the end point of the departure / arrival route 41r based on the information from the departure / arrival point storage unit 611, the interruption point storage unit 612, and the connection point determination unit 613.

Further, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 determines the departure / arrival route connecting the start point and the end point based on the coordinates of the start point and the end point and the information from the entry prohibited area acquisition unit 614. The departure / arrival route determination unit 615 defines, for example, a virtual line segment that linearly connects the departure / arrival point 406 and the connection point, that is, the start point or end point of the operation route 80r in the area, or the interruption point, and the virtual line segment is an entry prohibited area. Determine if it has invaded 81b-85b.

As shown in FIG. 11, for example, when the drone 100 is at the departure / arrival point 406 and the departure / arrival route 41r to the stop point P1 is generated, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 uses the virtual line segment 410r connecting the departure / arrival point 406 and the stop point P1. Is specified. If the virtual line segment 410r has not entered the intrusion prohibited area 81b-85b, the route along the virtual line segment 410 is determined as the departure / arrival route 41r.

For example, when the drone 100 is at the stop point P2 and the departure / arrival route 42r to the departure / arrival point 406 is generated, the virtual line segment 420r connecting the stop point P2 and the departure / arrival point 406 is specified. In this embodiment, the virtual line segment 420r invades the no-entry area 83b. Therefore, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 generates a detour 42r that bypasses the no-entry area 83b. The detour 42r is a route 421r along the virtual line segment with respect to the starting point of the departure / arrival route, that is, the route from the interruption point P2 to the intersection 421p where the virtual line segment 420r intersects the entry prohibited area 81b-85b. After the intersection 421p, a route 422r along the outer edge of the no-entry area 83b is generated. In this embodiment, a route 422r along a plane is generated for the outer edge of the no-entry area 83b, which flies without changing the height of the drone 100, but a route along the height direction is generated. May be good.

At a predetermined point on the route 422r, for example, at the inflection point 422p, the second virtual line segment 424r connecting to the departure / arrival point 406 is redefined, and the second virtual line segment 424r invades the intrusion prohibited area 81b-85b. If not, the remaining route 423r is generated along the second virtual line segment 424r. If the second virtual line segment 424r has entered the entry prohibited area 81b-85b, the route up to the intersection with the entry prohibited area 81b-85b shall be the route along the second virtual line segment 424, and the route will be entered after that intersection. Create a detour along the prohibited area 81b-85b and repeat thereafter. By connecting the routes 421r-423r generated in this way, a detouring departure / arrival route 42r is generated.

As shown in FIG. 12, instead of the above, after the intersection 421p between the virtual line segment 420r and the entry prohibited area 83b, the second path 432r along the outer edge of the entry prohibited area 83b intersects the virtual line segment 420r again. It may be generated up to the intersection point 423p. From the second intersection 423 to the end point of the departure / arrival route 43r, that is, from the departure / arrival point 406 in this embodiment, the route 433r along the virtual line segment 420r is used. If the entry prohibited area 81b-85b is invaded between the second intersection 423 and the end point of the departure / arrival route 43r, a route along the outer edge of the entry prohibited area 81b-85b is further created, and the process is repeated thereafter. By connecting the routes 421r, 432r and 433r generated in this way, a detouring departure / arrival route 43r is generated.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, an elongated no-entry area 86b is arranged along the outer edge of the movement permission area 80i. Instead of the above, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 may generate a departure / arrival route via the end point P5 of the in-area operation route 80r, that is, the start point or the end point. More specifically, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 generates a relay route 44r connecting the interruption point P4 and the connection point 441p on the in-area operation route 80r. Then, the departure / arrival route may be generated by connecting the route 801r and the relay route 44r, which include the end point P5 of the in-area operation route 80r and are generated along a part of the in-area operation route 80r. The connection point 441p is, for example, a point on the outer peripheral route, and the relay route 44r is generated in the inner area. Further, the connecting point 441p may be a point on the round-trip route of the inner area or the deformed area route of the deformed area, and the relay route 44r is a route connecting the predetermined connecting point 441p from the interruption point P4. May be good. The relay route 44r is a route that does not follow the in-area operation route 80r, and is, for example, the shortest route that linearly connects the interruption point P4 and the connection point 441p.

The route 45r from the end point P5 to the departure / arrival point 406 is the same route as when returning after finishing the work of the movement permission area 80i. The drone 100 that moves from the stop point P4 to the departure / arrival point 406 along this departure / arrival route has a relay route 44r in the inner area, a route 801r along a part of the operation route in the area from the connection point 441p to the end point P5, and the end point P5. From to the departure / arrival point 406, move along the route 45r. When moving from the departure / arrival point 406 to the stop point P4, move in the reverse order of the above. The route 801r may be in the same direction as the movement direction in the in-area operation route 80r, or may be in the opposite direction. By moving along the in-area driving route 80r, it is possible to utilize a route that has already been secured, and this safety does not matter in the direction of movement.

In the generation of the relay route 44r, if the entry prohibited area exists on the route that linearly connects the interruption point P4 and the connection point 441p, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 detours the access prohibited area. May be generated. Further, the connection point 441p may be set to another place. Further, the relay route 44r may not be generated and may move from the interruption point P4 to the end point P5 along the in-area operation route 80r.

According to this configuration, since the operation route during normal work is used in the movement of the movement permission area 80i, the calculation processing load for the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 to generate the route is reduced. In addition, the outer edge of the movement permission area 80i and the entry prohibited area located between the movement permission area 80i and the departure / arrival point 406 do not need to be calculated when the departure / arrival route is generated. Is further reduced. Furthermore, when moving outside the field, if the drone 100 moves on a route that has never been moved, there is a risk of causing anxiety to the user in terms of safety and the like. According to this configuration, since the operation route used during normal work is used when moving outside the field, the operation of the drone 100 becomes known to the user, and the user can be relieved.

Information on the departure and arrival routes 41r-43r includes three-dimensional coordinates from the start point to the end point, as well as information on flight speed, flight acceleration, and turning position and speed. The departure / arrival route determination unit 615 generates a departure / arrival route 41r-43r that causes the drone 100 to fly at an altitude and speed such that the downdraft generated during the flight of the drone 100 does not cause the crops growing in the field 403 to fall down. Specifically, the altitude of the drone 100 on the departure / arrival route 41r-43r is higher than the altitude on the in-area operation route 80r. Further, the speed of the drone 100 on the departure / arrival route 41r-43r is slower than the speed on the in-area operation route 80r. According to this configuration, it is difficult for the drone 100 to overturn the crop when flying on the departure / arrival route 41r-43r. The altitude of the drone 100 on the departure / arrival route 41r-43r may be sufficiently increased, and the speed may be equal to or higher than that of the in-area operation route 80r. According to this configuration, the drone 100 can be quickly evacuated from the field 403 and can reach a predetermined point in the field 403, so that the drone 100 can be quickly moved to the next operation.

A process of determining the start point and the end point of the departure / arrival route by each functional block of the departure / arrival route generation unit 61 will be described with reference to FIG. The generation of the departure / arrival route 41r is started, for example, during preparation for takeoff at the departure / arrival point 406, or when the drone 100 reaches the end point of the operation route 80r in the area or within a predetermined time before and after the arrival point. In addition, the generation of the departure / arrival route is started when the drone 100 runs out of medicine, the battery runs out, an abnormality is detected in and around the drone 100, or a work interruption order is given by the user.

First, the current location acquisition unit 610 acquires the current position coordinates of the drone 100 (S50). When the current location is within the range of the departure / arrival point 406 stored in the departure / arrival point storage unit 611 (S51), the departure / arrival route generation unit 61 determines the departure / arrival point 406 as the start point of the departure / arrival route (S52).

The connection point determination unit 613 determines whether or not the interruption point storage unit 612 has a record of the interruption point (S53). When there is a record of the break point, the connection point determination unit 613 determines the break point coordinates as the connection point (S54). That is, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 determines the interruption point as the end point of the departure / arrival route. Here, the method of determining the connection point in step S53 can be determined by the presence or absence of recording of the interruption point in the interruption point storage unit 612 as described above, but is based on the storage unit that stores the presence or absence of the interruption itself. It is also possible to determine whether or not there is an interruption. Further, it is also possible to make a judgment based on the information of the presence or absence of interruption input by the operator via the actuator 401.

If there is no record of the interruption point in step S52, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 determines the start point coordinates of the in-area operation route 80r as the end point of the departure / arrival route (S55).

When the current location of the drone 100 is outside the range of the departure / arrival point 406 in step S51, the departure / arrival route generation unit 61 determines whether or not the current location is the end point of the in-area operation route 80r (S56). If the current location is the end point of the in-area driving route 80r, the drone 100 may send a record to the farming cloud 405 through the network NW that the planned work in the field 403 has been completed (S57). If step S50 is started when the current location is at the end point of the operation route 80r in the area, the work completion record may be sent to the farming cloud 405 before step S50, and step S57. May be omitted.

If the current location is not the end point of the in-area driving route 80r, the current location acquisition unit 610 acquires the current position coordinates of the drone 100, and the interruption point storage unit records the position coordinates as the interruption point (S58).

The departure / arrival route determination unit 615 determines the current location as the start point of the departure / arrival route 41r and the departure / arrival point 406 as the end point (S59).

A process of determining the departure / arrival route by connecting the start point and the end point of the departure / arrival route by each functional block of the departure / arrival route generation unit 61 will be described with reference to FIG. After step S54, S55, or S56 shown in FIG. 14, the entry prohibited area acquisition unit 614 acquires information on the entry prohibited area, that is, three-dimensional coordinates from the operation route generation device 1 (S61).

The departure / arrival route determination unit 615 defines a virtual line segment between the departure / arrival point 406 and the connection point, that is, the start point or end point of the operation route 80r in the area, or the interruption point, and the virtual line segment is within the entry prohibited area 81b-85b. It is determined whether or not it is in (S62). When the virtual line segment is in the no-entry area 81b-85b, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 generates a departure / arrival route that bypasses the no-entry area 81b-85b (S63). When the virtual line segment is not in the entry prohibited area 81b-85b, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 determines the route along the virtual line segment as the departure / arrival route (S64).

Further, instead of step S62, the departure / arrival route determination unit 615 may generate a relay route connecting the connection point and the connection point on the operation route in the area. Further, if there is an entry prohibited area on the relay route, a route that bypasses the entry prohibited area may be generated, or another connection point may be specified and the relay route may be regenerated.

According to this configuration, an operation route that can move efficiently even during autonomous driving and can maintain high safety even when moving between a departure / arrival point of a mobile device and a predetermined point in a work target area is generated.

In this description, an agricultural chemical spraying drone has been described as an example, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to all machines that operate autonomously. It can also be applied to drones that fly autonomously, other than for agriculture. It can also be applied to machines that operate autonomously and are self-propelled on the ground.

(Technically significant effect of the present invention)
In the operation route generation system according to the present invention, an operation route capable of efficiently performing movement control by autonomous operation between a departure / arrival point of a mobile device and a predetermined point in a work target area is generated.

Claims (11)

It is a driving route generation system that generates a driving route of a drone that arrives and departs at a departure / arrival point outside the target area and moves in the target area.
An in-area route generation unit that generates an in-area operation route in the target area based on the acquired coordinate information of the target area.
A departure / arrival route generation unit that generates a departure / arrival route connecting the departure / arrival point and a predetermined connection point on the operation route in the area.
The drone is provided with an interruption point storage unit that stores the coordinates of the point where the flight was interrupted on the driving route in the area.
When the flight was interrupted during the previous flight, the departure / arrival route generation unit generates a departure / arrival route using the coordinates of the flight interruption point stored in the interruption point storage unit as the connection point.
If the flight was not interrupted during the previous flight, the departure / arrival route is generated using the coordinates of the end points of the operation route in the area as the connection point.
The departure / arrival route generated by the departure / arrival route generation unit when the flight is interrupted during the previous flight includes a first route connecting the departure / arrival point and the end point of the operation route in the area, and the end point of the operation route in the area. And a second route that connects the flight interruption point and is generated in an area within the target area.
Driving route generation system. The in-area route generation unit generates the in-area operation route in the area in the target area excluding the no-entry area determined based on the information on the position and shape of the obstacle.
The operation route generation system according to claim 1. The departure / arrival route generation unit generates the departure / arrival route in an area other than the no-entry area determined based on the information on the position and shape of the obstacle.
The operation route generation system according to claim 1 or 2. The departure / arrival route generation unit determines whether or not the virtual line segment defined between the departure / arrival point and the connection point is in the entry prohibited area, and the virtual line segment is in the entry prohibited area. In some cases, a departure / arrival route that bypasses the restricted area is generated.
The operation route generation system according to claim 3. The second route generated by the departure / arrival route generation unit includes a relay route connecting the flight interruption point and a point on the operation route in the area generated along the outer edge of the target area, and the point and the area. Includes a route that connects the endpoints of the internal operating route and is generated along a portion of the internal operating route.
The operation route generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The departure / arrival route information includes three-dimensional coordinates from the start point to the end point, and at least one piece of information on flight speed, flight acceleration, and position and speed of turning.
The operation route generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The departure / arrival route generation unit generates the departure / arrival route for flying the drone at an altitude such that the downdraft generated during the flight of the drone, which is higher than the operation route in the area, does not cause the crops growing in the target area to fall down. ,
The operation route generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . The departure / arrival route generation unit is mounted on the drone and is mounted on the drone.
The intra-area route generation unit is mounted on a server device connected to the drone via a network.
The operation route generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The departure / arrival route generation unit and the intra-area route generation unit are mounted on the drone.
The operation route generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . It is an operation route generation method for generating an operation route of a mobile device that arrives and departs at a departure / arrival point outside the target area and moves in the target area.
A step of generating an in-area operation route in the target area based on the acquired coordinate information of the target area, and
A step of generating a departure / arrival route connecting the departure / arrival point and a predetermined connection point on the operation route in the area, and
A step of storing the coordinates of the point where the drone interrupted the flight on the driving route in the area, and
A step of generating a departure / arrival route using the coordinates of the end points of the operation path in the area as the connection point when the flight is not interrupted at the time of the previous flight.
Including a departure / arrival route generation step of generating a departure / arrival route using the coordinates of the flight interruption point stored in the interruption point storage unit as the connection point when the flight is interrupted during the previous flight.
In the departure / arrival route generation step, the first route connecting the departure / arrival point and the end point of the operation route in the area, the end point of the operation route in the area, and the flight interruption point are connected and generated in the area in the target area. The arrival / departure route is generated as a route including the second route to be performed.
Driving route generation method. An operation route generation program that generates an operation route of a mobile device that arrives and departs at a departure / arrival point outside the target area and moves within the target area.
An instruction to generate an in-area operation route in the target area based on the acquired coordinate information of the target area, and
An instruction to generate a departure / arrival route connecting the departure / arrival point and a predetermined connection point on the operation route in the area, and
A command to store the coordinates of the point where the drone stopped flying on the driving route in the area, and
A command to generate a departure / arrival route using the coordinates of the end points of the operation path in the area as the connection point when the flight has not been interrupted during the previous flight.
When the flight is interrupted during the previous flight, the computer is made to execute an instruction to generate a departure / arrival route using the coordinates of the flight interruption point stored in the interruption point storage unit as the connection point .
The command to generate the departure / arrival route connects the first route connecting the departure / arrival point and the end point of the operation route in the area, the end point of the operation route in the area and the flight interruption point, and connects the area in the target area. The arrival / departure route is generated as a route including the second route generated in.
Driving route generation program.

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