JP7086144B2 - Mobiles, exploration surveyors and exploration survey methods - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a moving body capable of flying in the air and navigating on the water, an exploration surveying device including the moving body, and an exploration surveying method using the moving body.

Conventionally, as a mobile body capable of flying in the air and navigating on the water, there is a seaplane capable of taking off and landing on the water. In addition, even so-called drones, which are unmanned aerial vehicles, are known to be capable of flying in the air, moving on the water, and traveling on land.

Here, exploration surveys such as shallow surveys of lakes, ponds, rivers, seas, and harbors were carried out by humans using boats and underwater work by divers. Normally, sampling for water quality surveys and water volume surveys are also conducted.

However, such exploration surveys and surveys require a great deal of labor and time. In addition, depending on the terrain, it may be difficult to bring in a boat.

Patent Document 1 describes that a float (buoyant body) equipped with a hydrological survey device is suspended from an unmanned aerial vehicle operated by radio and suspended on water for exploratory surveying. Further, Patent Document 1 also describes extending a cable from an unmanned aerial vehicle and measuring the water depth.

Patent Document 2 describes sampling of a sample using an unmanned aerial vehicle. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle capable of flying in the air and sailing on the water.

JP-A-2019-77293 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-82417 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-24431

However, in Patent Document 1, since the unmanned aerial vehicle is operated by wireless operation, the work of exploration and surveying of the water area is troublesome. Further, the unmanned aerial vehicle shown in Patent Document 3 is not suitable for relatively long water navigation such as exploration and surveying of the bottom of the water.

The present invention provides a moving body that can be easily moved in the air and on the water and is suitable for land (waterside) and water area exploration surveys, and an exploration surveying device and an exploration survey method using this moving body. With the goal.

The present invention is a moving body capable of aerial flight and surface navigation, which is attached to a main body, a float attached below the main body and for floating on water, and a float attached to the periphery of the main body, and is attached to the vicinity of the main body to perform aerial flight and water navigation. The thrust source includes a thrust source that generates thrust for navigation, the thrust source includes a one-sided rotary wing arranged on one side in the front-rear direction of the main body, and the one- sided rotary wing is above the main body. A pair of standing portions facing each other in the left-right width direction extending in the left-right width direction, a shaft supported by the pair of standing portions and extending in the left-right width direction, a neck portion rotatably supported by the shaft in the front-rear direction plane, and the neck portion. The drive motor includes a drive motor provided on one side to rotate a rotary blade attached to the tip thereof and a counter weight provided on the other side of the neck portion, and the drive motor includes the shaft extending in the left-right width direction. It rotates to the center and can be set in the horizontal direction in which the rotary blade faces in the vertical direction and in the vertical direction in which the rotary blade faces in the front- rear direction.

A rotary motor provided on the counter weight to rotate the drive motor in a plane in the left-right width direction with the neck portion as a starting point is further included, and the rotary blade of the one-side rotary blade is used by using the rotary motor . When is set in the horizontal direction, the rotary blade of the one-side rotary blade can be rotated around an axis extending in the front-rear direction of the main body, and when the rotary blade of the one-side rotary blade is set in the vertical direction . The rotary blade of the one-side rotary blade can be rotated around an axis extending in the vertical direction of the main body, and the one-side rotary blade is set laterally during aerial flight, and the rotary motor is used to set the rotary blade laterally. A yawing moment is generated by rotating the one-side rotary wing around an axis extending in the front-rear direction of the main body, and the rotation is performed with the one-side rotary wing set in the vertical direction during water navigation. A yawing moment may be generated by rotating the one-sided rotary blade around an axis extending in the vertical direction of the main body by a motor .

Further, it includes a position detector that detects its own position, an orientation detector that detects an orientation, and a control unit that controls the thrust source, and the control unit detects the position detector and the orientation detector. The thrust source may be controlled based on the result.

Further, the present invention is a moving body capable of flying in the air and navigating on the water, and is attached to the main body, a float attached to the lower part of the main body to float on the water, and attached to the periphery of the main body to fly in the air. The thrust source includes a thrust source that generates a thrust for water navigation, a position detector that detects its own position, a direction detector that detects a direction, and a control unit that controls the thrust source. The one-sided rotary wing includes a one-sided rotary wing arranged on one side in the front-rear direction of the main body, and the one-sided rotary wing rotates about an axis extending in the left-right width direction of the main body, and the rotary wing rotates in the vertical direction. It can be set in the horizontal direction facing and the vertical direction facing the front-back direction, and the control unit controls the thrust source based on the detection results of the position detector and the directional detector, and the directional detector controls the thrust source . The gyro is included in the main body so as to be movable in three dimensions, the gyro is moved according to a predetermined three-dimensional trajectory, and the gyro is automatically calibrated by the output when the gyro is moved in three dimensions.

Further, the control unit includes a storage unit that stores a predetermined movement route including an aerial route and a water route, and the control unit determines its own position detected by the position detector and the direction detected by the direction detector. With reference to this, the thrust source may be controlled so as to autonomously fly the aerial route stored in the storage unit and autonomously navigate the water route stored in the storage unit.

Further, the present invention is an exploration and surveying device capable of flying in the air and navigating on the water, and is a float attached to the main body and below the main body to float on the water, and has a width of a central portion in a plan view. The float and the main body are large and tapered toward the front and rear, and the upper surface is straight in front view, the front end is retracted backward toward the bottom, and the rear end is retracted forward toward the bottom. Includes a thrust source mounted around the The one-sided rotary wing includes a one-sided rotary wing arranged on one side, and the one-sided rotary wing rotates about an axis extending in the left-right width direction of the main body, and the rotary wing rotates in the horizontal direction in which the rotary wing faces in the vertical direction and in the front-rear direction. It can be set in the vertical direction to face the direction, and the water bottom detector is arranged so as to penetrate the float and can move up and down, and protrudes into the water during the water bottom exploration to obtain the exploration survey result.

The water bottom detector includes a reference scale, and the water bottom detector may be calibrated at any time using the reference scale.

Further, it is preferable to include a ground surface detector that detects a ground surface position and a shallow water bottom position up to a predetermined water depth when flying on the aerial route, and obtain an exploration survey result by the ground surface detector.

In the exploration survey method using the above-mentioned exploration survey device, the movement route is determined based on the map information about the target area of the exploration survey, and the exploration survey device is moved along the determined movement route. Then, the detection results detected by the water bottom detector and the ground surface detector at that time are stored, and the shapes of the water bottom and the ground surface are obtained as the exploration survey results based on the stored detection results.

Using a plurality of the above-mentioned exploration surveying devices, the exploration survey results at the same time point can be obtained from the plurality of exploration surveying devices.

In the above-mentioned moving body, the float has a large central portion in a plan view and is tapered forward and backward, and in a front view, the upper surface is straight and the front end is retracted backward. The rear end should be retracted forward toward the bottom.

According to the present invention, the moving body can move in the air and on the water, and can effectively perform exploratory surveying on the land in and around the water area.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the whole operation of the exploration survey using the moving body which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the exploration surveying apparatus which is an example of a moving body. It is a front view which shows the appearance of the exploration surveying apparatus schematically. It is a top view which shows the appearance of the exploration surveying apparatus schematically. It is a right side view which shows the appearance of the exploration surveying apparatus schematically. It is a figure which shows about the width direction inclination adjustment of a rear rotary blade. It is a figure which shows the change of the direction of the rear rotor. It is a figure which shows the connection of the exploration surveying apparatus and a management terminal 12. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure about the exploration survey. It is a figure which shows the structure of an example of the measuring instrument used for the bottom exploration survey. It is a figure which shows an example of the water route which the exploration surveying apparatus navigates. It is a figure which shows an example of the surface route (partial flight) that the exploration surveying apparatus navigates. It is a figure which shows the structure for the calibration of a gyro. It is a figure which shows the other configuration example of rotation around the axis in the left-right width direction of a rear rotary wing, (a) is a state in the air which a rear rotary wing is facing up and down, (b) is a rear rotary wing 40b. It is a figure which shows the state on the water which faces the front-rear direction. It is a perspective view of an upright portion, (a) is a view seen diagonally forward, and (b) is a view seen from almost front. It is a figure which shows the standing part, (a) is the front view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a view seen from the bottom.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described here. In the following, an example will be described in which a moving body capable of flying in the air and navigating on the water according to the embodiment is used as an exploration surveying device 10 for exploring and surveying land areas (waterfront) and the bottom of the water.

"Overall operation"
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall operation of an exploration survey using a moving body according to an embodiment. The left side in Fig. 1 is flat, but it rises sharply toward the right, then descends like a cliff, and the right side is a lake-like water area, making it easy to approach the water area. Not. In the present embodiment, an exploration survey is performed on the land in and around the water area by using a moving body capable of flying an aerial route and navigating a water route. That is, the three-dimensional position of the ground surface on land (topography on land) and the three-dimensional position of the ground surface (water bottom) of the water area (shape of the water bottom) are continuously and seamlessly measured, and water sampling and water volume measurement are performed.

First, when arriving at the site, a base is set up and an exploration surveying device 10 as a mobile body is placed here. The position of this base may be a predetermined position, but may be determined locally. If it is decided on site, the base position is registered in the exploration surveying apparatus 10.

The exploration surveying apparatus 10 stores in advance a movement route including an aerial route and a water route. Therefore, by instructing the exploration surveying device 10 to start exploration and surveying, it automatically flies an aerial route, lands on the water landing point, and then automatically navigates the water route and takes off. Jumps into the air and returns to the base. Such movement is autonomously performed in the exploration surveying apparatus 10.

In addition, when moving between the aerial route and the water route, the three-dimensional position of the ground surface on land and the three-dimensional position of the bottom of the water area are measured using various measuring instruments mounted on the exploration survey device 10. Water sampling and measurement of water volume, flow direction, flow velocity, etc. are performed as appropriate. It is also possible to measure radioactive substances and school of fish.

In this way, the collection of data and samples ends when the exploration surveying instrument 10 returns to the base after the movement is completed.

"Functional configuration of exploration surveying equipment"
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an exploration surveying apparatus 10 which is an example of a moving body according to an embodiment. The communication device 20 wirelessly communicates with a management terminal provided at the base to transmit and receive various information. A control device 22 is connected to the communication device 20, and information transmitted / received by the communication device 20 is processed by the control device 22. The control device 22 controls the overall operation of the exploration survey device 10.

A GNSS device 24, a gyro 26, and a camera 28 are connected to the control device 22. The GNSS device 24 and the gyro 26 function as a position detector for detecting the own position of the exploration surveying device 10. The control device 22 controls the movement of the exploration surveying device 10 by using the three-dimensional position detected by the GNSS device 24, the own position including the direction obtained by the gyro 26, and the like. Further, the control device 22 can also correct its own position from the image obtained by the camera 28. The image obtained by the camera 28 is also used for detecting the position on the ground surface. In this example, the image is obtained by one camera 28, but a plurality of cameras may be provided or the ground surface may be detected by using a laser beam. When a plurality of cameras are provided, it is preferable to perform a survey using images having different angles of view.

Further, it is preferable that the exploration survey by the exploration surveying apparatus 10 is performed at night when there are few people and birds. In this case, an infrared camera may be used as the camera 28 or the like.

Further, an input device 30 is connected to the control device 22. The input device 30 inputs data and commands at various settings, and is composed of a touch panel and a switch. It is preferable to provide a connector with a communication line as the input device 30 and connect an external computer here to perform various inputs. Further, the communication line may be wireless.

Further, an output device 32 including a light, a speaker, a display and the like is connected to the control device 22 to perform necessary output. It is preferable to provide a connector with a communication line as the output device 32 and connect an external computer here to perform various outputs.

Further, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 is equipped with a battery 34, which supplies electric power to various members of the exploration surveying apparatus 10. Further, a drive motor 36 (36a, 36b) and an attitude control unit 38 are connected to the battery 34, and these are driven by the electric power of the battery 34. Rotor blades 40 (40a, 40b) are connected to the drive motor 36, and the rotary blade 40 is rotated by the drive motor 36. The drive motor 36 and the rotary blade 40 function as a thrust source for generating thrust. As will be described later, three rotor blades 40 are provided and are independently driven by separate drive motors 36. The drive such as the rotation speed by the drive motor 36 is controlled by the control device 22. Further, the attitude control unit 38 is also composed of a motor, and the direction of the rotary blade 40 is adjusted. The orientation of each of the three rotors 40 may be adjusted independently. The drive of the attitude control unit 38 is controlled by the control device 22.

A measuring instrument 42 is connected to the control device 22 to perform various measurements. The measuring instrument 42 includes a water bottom detector that detects the position of the bottom of the water area. The configuration of the water bottom detector will be described later. Further, the measuring instrument 42 may include a detector for measuring water quality (turbidity, pH, etc.), water quantity, flow direction, flow velocity, and the like. The measurement result by the measuring device 42 is stored in the storage unit 22a in the control device 22. The aerial route, the water route, and the like are also stored in the storage unit 22a. Further, the measurement result may be transmitted from the communication device 20 to the outside (for example, a management terminal provided at the base). Further, it has a sampling unit 44, and sampling of a sample (sample) by the sampling unit 44 is also controlled by the control device 22. Examples of the sampling unit 44 include a water sampler for sampling water in a water area, a sediment sampler for sampling bottom sediment, and the like. As for the bottom sediment collector, the configuration of Patent Document 2 or the like can be adopted. The collected samples will be used for water quality analysis, etc., which are listed in the exploration items.

"Appearance configuration of exploration surveying equipment"
3 to 5 are views schematically showing the appearance of an example of the exploration surveying apparatus 10 having three rotor blades, FIG. 3 is a front view, FIG. 4 is a plan view, and FIG. 5 is a right side view. Is.

In the illustrated example, the main body 50 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and various members such as a control device 22 are housed therein. The shape of the main body 50 may be a cylindrical shape or the like, or may be separated into a plurality of shapes. A camera 28 is provided in front of the main body 50 to capture front and lower images. It should be noted that the rear and upper images may also be acquired. The exploration surveying apparatus 10 can move in all directions, and an arbitrary direction may be defined as forward, but in this example, the longitudinal direction of the float 58 is the front-back direction. Further, in this example, the direction in which the camera 28 is facing is the front, and the direction in which the rear rotor 40b is located is the rear. However, the camera 28 may be capable of photographing in all directions, and the rear rotor 40b is positioned. The direction of movement may be defined as the forward direction. Therefore, the rear rotary blade 40b is also referred to as a one-side rotary blade.

Further, a pedestal 56 extending in the width direction is provided below the main body 50, and three floats 58 are attached below the pedestal 56. Of these three floats 58, the central float 58 is longer in the front-rear direction than the other floats 58. Due to the buoyancy of these three floats 58, the exploration surveying instrument 10 floats on the water as a whole.

The float 58 has a wide central portion in a plan view and is a pseudo-streamline that is tapered in the front-rear direction and is symmetrical in the front-rear direction. It is a pseudo trapezoidal shape that retracts backward and retracts forward toward the rear end. In other words, the front and rear sides are symmetrically shaped like a boat, so that similar movement is possible both forward and backward on the water.

Further, it is desirable that the float 58 is water-repellent. It is preferable to perform not only normal painting but also water repellent treatment separately. It is also preferable to spray or apply a water repellent to the required portion before conducting the exploration survey. Further, not only the float 58 but also the rotary blade 40 may be water-repellent. As a result, the water navigation performance of the exploration surveying apparatus 10 is improved. Further, since water droplets are less likely to adhere to the float 58, the rotor blade 40, etc. at the time of landing and separation, the resistance received by the exploration surveying apparatus during flight is reduced. Further, by these, the life of the battery 34 can be extended.

Arms 52 extend on both left and right sides in the width direction of the main body 50, and left and right front rotors 40a are attached to the upper side of the tip of the arm 52 via a drive motor 36a, respectively. Further, the main body 50 is provided with an arm 54 extending rearward of the main body 50, and a rear rotary blade 40b is provided as a one-side rotary blade on the upper side of the tip portion of the arm 54 via a drive motor 36b. There is. Here, the two front rotary blades 40a are in a state in which their rotation axes are in the lateral direction facing the vertical direction of the main body 50 (the rotation surface of the front rotary blades 40a is oriented in the direction of the cross section of the main body (horizontal direction). In the state), the thrust force of the main body 50 in the upward direction (or downward direction) is output. Further, the rear rotary blade 40b is in a state in which the rotation axis is set in the horizontal direction facing the vertical direction of the main body 50 (a state in which the rotation surface of the rear rotary blade 40b is in the horizontal direction (the rotary blade faces in the vertical direction). (In the state of being)), the upward (or downward) thrust is output.

For example, if the front and rear rotary blades 40a and 40b set in the horizontal direction facing the vertical direction of the main body 50 are rotated, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 can ascend and hover in the horizontal state. Further, the exploration survey device 10 is tilted around the pitch axis shown by the black circle in FIG. 5 due to the thrust difference between the front rotor 40a and the rear rotor 40b, and flies in the front-rear direction by the thrust in the front-rear direction in that state. The number of rotary blades 40 is not limited to three, and may be four or more. Further, the size of the rotary blade 40 may be changed individually. In the examples of FIGS. 3 to 5, the rear rotor 40b has a smaller diameter than the front rotor 40a. As will be described later, the rear rotor 40b is provided with a rotation mechanism for changing the direction thereof. By making the rear rotor 40b relatively small, the mechanism for changing the orientation can be made small.

"Inclination adjustment of exploration surveying equipment"
Here, in FIGS. 3 to 5, the center of gravity of the exploration surveying apparatus 10 is shown by a black circle. The anteroposterior axis passing through the center of gravity in FIG. 3 is the roll axis for rolling of the device, the vertical axis passing through the center of gravity in FIG. 4 is the yaw axis for yawing of the device, and the left-right width direction passing through the center of gravity in FIG. The axis becomes the pitch axis for pitching the device. The posture of the exploration survey device 10 is controlled by controlling the pitching, rolling, and yawing of the exploration survey device 10 by generating the rotational force around each axis according to the thrust difference of the thrust generated by the three rotors 40. Can be controlled. Further, using the same mechanism as the attitude control during flight, the direction of the rear rotor 40b can be changed by 360 degrees during water navigation, whereby the traveling direction can be controlled.

FIG. 6 shows a mechanism for changing the orientation of the rear rotor 40b in the width direction. As described above, a shaft 38a in the front-rear direction of the main body 50 is provided as an attitude control unit 38 under the drive motor 36b. Then, by swinging the drive motor 36b around the shaft 38a in the front-rear direction, the rear rotary blade 40b can adjust the inclination of the main body 50 with respect to the left-right width direction (lateral direction). By changing the direction of the rear rotor 40b, the thrust around the yaw axis shown in FIG. 4 is generated. Therefore, a moment around the yaw axis is generated by the rotation of the rear rotary blade 40b around the front-rear axis 38a, and yawing can be controlled. Although only the rotatable shaft 38a is shown in FIG. 6, the shaft 38a can be controlled to an arbitrary inclination by rotating the shaft 38a with a motor via a gear or the like. The lateral inclination of the forward rotary blade 40a may be changed in the same manner.

FIG. 7 shows the rotation of the rear rotor 40b around the axis in the left-right width direction. As shown in FIG. 7, for the rear rotor 40b, a shaft 38b in the left-right width direction of the main body 50 is provided in the middle portion of the arm 54. Then, by rotating the rear side of the arm 54 around the shaft 38b, the rear rotary blade 40b can rotate from the rear position to the front upper position. Thereby, the rear rotary blade 40b (rotation axis) can be set in both the horizontal direction facing the vertical direction of the main body 50 and the vertical direction facing the front-rear direction of the main body 50. In FIG. 7, the rear rotor 40b is set to be horizontal in the rear position and vertical in the front upper position, but may be horizontal in the front upper position and vertical in the rear position.

Here, the attitude of the exploration survey device 10 in the air is determined by the sum of the moments of the exploration survey device 10 with respect to the center of gravity of each rotor 40. That is, the posture of the exploration survey device 10 is determined by the sum of the moments around the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis by the sum of the thrusts of the three rotors 40. Then, the traveling direction and speed of the exploration surveying apparatus 10 are determined by the sum of the translational thrusts in the horizontal direction and the sum of the translational thrusts in the vertical direction in the exploration surveying apparatus 10 at this time. In reality, the attitude, direction of travel, and speed as calculated cannot be obtained due to the influence of weather conditions such as air flow (wind) and rain. Therefore, feedback control is performed from the moving state of the exploration surveying device 10 to achieve the flight of the planned route. In addition, collision avoidance is also performed autonomously.

Further, when the exploration surveying apparatus 10 navigates on the water, it can navigate in any direction by the rear rotor 40b. That is, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 is held at a position where the gravity and the buoyancy of the float 58 are balanced, and the forward rotor 40a basically obtains an upward thrust, and generates a thrust in water navigation. No need. Therefore, when the exploration survey device 10 navigates on the water, the shaft 38b causes the rear rotary blade 40b to rotate in the vertical direction (the rotary blade faces the front-rear direction and the front-rear direction). By setting the output direction) and rotating the rear rotary blade 40b, the exploration survey device 10 can be advanced in the front-rear direction. Further, by adjusting the inclination of the rear rotor 40b by the shaft 38a, the traveling direction can be controlled while the exploration surveying apparatus 10 travels in the front-rear direction. As described above, in the present embodiment, the traveling direction can be controlled by rotating the rear rotary blade 40b (rotating shaft) around the shaft 38a in a state (vertical direction) set so as to face the front-rear direction. can. That is, the traveling direction (yaw) in water navigation can be controlled by using the same mechanism as the rotation mechanism around the axis 38a of the rear rotor 40b used for controlling yawing when flying in the air.

By tilting the rear rotor 40b not perpendicular to the water surface but slightly tilting it in the vertical direction, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 can be tilted forward or backward. Further, by obtaining an upward thrust from the front rotor 40a, the whole is floated to reduce the navigation resistance, and by adjusting the thrust of the left and right front rotors 40a, the exploration survey device 10 is tilted in the left-right direction. Can also be adjusted.

When the exploration surveying device 10 navigates on the water, it is not necessary to drive the two forward rotors 40a. However, if a downward thrust is applied by the forward rotor 40a, the exploration surveying apparatus becomes difficult to move on the water, while if an upward thrust is applied, the exploration surveying apparatus becomes easy to move on the water. Therefore, it is advisable to drive the forward rotary blade 40a as appropriate.

"Measuring instrument"
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of an example of a measuring instrument 42 as a water bottom detector used for a water bottom exploration survey. The lower end of the measuring instrument 42 is positioned with respect to the float 58 so as to be located in the water. Here, for the detection of the water bottom position of the measuring instrument 42, for example, an ultrasonic method or a laser method can be adopted. In the ultrasonic method, the water depth (bottom position) can be measured by transmitting ultrasonic waves from an oscillator placed in water downward and receiving reflected waves from the bottom of the water. Further, in the laser type, the water depth can be measured by irradiating the laser from the light emitting portion in the water toward the water bottom and receiving the reflected wave by the water bottom. The ultrasonic method is more suitable when the water depth is relatively deep, and the exploration range is wide. On the other hand, the laser type has a relatively narrow exploration range, but accurate measurement can be performed even if the water depth is shallow. It is also preferable to provide a radiation dose measuring device. Further, a radiation type measuring instrument or the like can be appropriately adopted.

A reference scale 60 is arranged within the exploration range. That is, the water depth of the reference scale 60 arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the measuring instrument 42 and the float 58 is known in advance. Therefore, the water depth measured by the measuring instrument 42 is measured in real time using the measurement result of the reference scale 60. Alternatively, it can be calibrated at any time. In exploration and surveying of water areas such as rivers, the water depth measured by the measuring instrument 42 differs depending on the degree of turbidity of the water, the flow velocity, and the like. By providing the reference scale 60 and correcting the error in real time or at any time, it is possible to always perform a correct survey. In addition to the calibration based on the measurement result of the reference scale 60, the output of the laser beam, ultrasonic waves, or the like may be changed.

In this example, the reference scale 60 is attached to the float 58 and is movable to an upper position and a position within the exploration range. The reference scale 60 should be set to the lower position only during calibration and should be retracted to the upper position so as not to interfere with navigation.

Further, the measuring instrument 42 may be arranged so as to penetrate the float 58 in the center so as to be vertically movable. During flight, the measuring instrument 42 may be positioned at the same level as the bottom surface of the float 58 or above the bottom surface, and may be projected into the water during bottom exploration.

Further, the measuring instrument 42 may be detachable and may be replaced as appropriate according to the purpose of exploration and surveying, or may be removed at the time of maintenance and inspection.

"Overall control"
As shown in FIG. 8, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 can be connected to the management terminal 12. Map information, detailed information about the survey, and the like are input to the management terminal 12, and the management terminal 12 formulates an exploration plan. Then, an operation plan for the movement and survey of the exploration surveying device 10 based on the exploration plan is formulated, and this is supplied to the exploration surveying device 10. Thus, the outline of the exploration plan is decided before going to the site. Therefore, the work in the field is greatly reduced.

The exploration surveying device 10 stores the supplied plan, and based on this, performs a survey while flying and navigating autonomously. At this time, the output of the self-position detector such as the GNSS device 24 is used to control flight and navigation, and information such as images is sequentially transmitted. As the GNSS device 24, a GPS device or the like can be used. The management terminal 12 is also wirelessly connected to the exploration survey device 10, receives information supplied at any time, changes the plan if necessary, transmits this to the exploration survey device 10, and plans in the exploration survey device 10. Can also be changed. In addition, the management terminal 12 may be a plurality of management terminals 12 arranged in various places instead of one.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for exploration surveying. First, an exploration plan is formulated (S11). This determines what kind of exploration is to be executed in the management terminal 12 based on the input exploration survey plan and map information. In addition to determining the flight route in the air (air route) and the navigation route on the water (water route), the plan also includes image acquisition by the camera 28, measurement by the measuring instrument 42, sampling by the sampling unit 44, and the like.

Next, bring the exploration surveying device 10 and the management terminal 12 capable of flight and navigability to the search site and set up a base (S12). At the base, a takeoff and landing place for the exploration surveying device 10 will be installed, and the management terminal 12 will be connected to the exploration surveying device 10 for various settings and confirmations. Then, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 is installed at the takeoff and landing place, and the movement of the exploration surveying apparatus 10 is started by issuing a start command (S13).

The exploration surveying device 10 autonomously flies on the memorized aerial route while referring to the own position detected by the own position detector such as the GNSS device 24, and when the aerial route flies, the camera 28 The exploration survey from the air is performed by taking an image on the ground (S14). That is, in this example, the camera 28 functions as a ground surface detector. The captured video is stored internally and transmitted to the management terminal 12 using the communication function. Further, if necessary, the position of the ground surface can be measured by a measuring device such as a laser. Further, since the water bottom position can be measured up to a predetermined water depth by the camera 28 or the laser, such water bottom position measurement is also performed.

Then, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 finishes the flight of the memorized aerial route and lands on the water (S15). FIG. 11 shows an example of a water route navigated by the exploration surveying apparatus 10. The exploration surveying device 10 that has landed refers to its own position detected by the GNSS device 24 or the like, and moves on the water from the landing point to the exploration start position stored in advance (S16). The exploration surveying apparatus 10 determines whether or not the exploration start position has been reached (S17), and when the exploration start position is reached, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 stores the information while referring to the own position detected by the own position detector such as the GNSS device 24. It navigates the surface route autonomously and starts exploration survey from the surface (S18). For example, while moving the exploration surveying apparatus 10 on the water, the measuring instrument 42 detects and stores the bottom position deeper than the predetermined water depth by referring to the own position. Further, the detection results such as the own position and the water bottom position may be sequentially transmitted to the management terminal 12.

The exploration surveying apparatus 10 determines whether or not it has reached a predetermined exploration end position (S19), and when it reaches the exploration end position, it separates from water, flies in the air, and returns to the base (S20). In FIG. 11, the exploration end position and the water separation point are the same, but may be different. At the time of return, exploration survey from the air may be performed.

Here, as shown in FIG. 11, the exploration may basically be performed by moving in a direction perpendicular to the water flow. In the figure, it is described that the data moves in a direction perpendicular to the water flow, but the vehicle may travel diagonally according to the water flow as long as there is no region where data on the bottom of the water cannot be obtained. It may also be a zigzag route.

The exploration surveying device 10 detects its own position, compares it with the navigation route, and performs feedback control to perform navigation according to the navigation route. However, rivers have water currents and are also affected by wind and rain. Therefore, it may not always be possible to navigate as planned. In that case, for example, it is possible to perform a test navigation in a certain range, make adjustments such as changing the feedback gain in the position error in the autonomous navigation according to the direction, and then perform the exploration survey navigation.

Also, depending on the flow of water, navigation in one direction may require less thrust and navigation in the opposite direction may require more thrust. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 12, a partial flight may be carried out. That is, when sailing downstream and reaching the turning point, it flies upstream from here, lands on the upstream side, and heads downstream from the starting point that is a predetermined distance in the width direction from the previous starting point. Navigating. By repeating this, it is possible to carry out exploration and surveying in a predetermined area only by navigation on the downstream side.

When the exploration survey is completed in this way, the obtained data is supplied to the management terminal 12, and various processes are performed by the management terminal 12, so that the measurement target location (target area) is three-dimensional. (That is, data on the terrain on land and the shape of the bottom of the water) can be obtained, and output such as its display is also possible. In this way, by performing the analysis in real time, the exploration survey can be changed to an appropriate one as appropriate, and additional exploration survey can be performed. The data processing does not necessarily have to be performed on-site, and may be performed by another computer.

As described above, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment can fly in the air and navigate on the water, and can perform both the exploration survey from the air and the exploration survey from the water. Therefore, it is possible to effectively carry out exploration surveys on the water area to be measured and the land around it, and it is possible to easily obtain topography such as the water's edge, which was difficult in the past. Further, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 can autonomously move according to the movement routes of the aerial route and the water route stored in advance. That is, it is possible to move along a predetermined route while confirming its own position. Therefore, it is possible to move more reliably than by radio control. In addition, it also has a radio-controlled function, and radio-controlled may be performed as appropriate. It is possible to effectively carry out exploration surveys on the land in and around the water area.

Since the exploration surveying device 10 navigates autonomously, there is no problem in flight and navigation even at night. By using an infrared camera or the like for the camera 28, it is possible to take a picture at night. In addition, collision avoidance with drifting objects is also performed autonomously.

As described above, the exploration surveying method according to the present embodiment is performed using the exploration surveying apparatus 10.

<Learning>
The exploration surveying apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment stores a predetermined route, and autonomously performs aerial flight and water navigation based on the detected own position. In addition, if necessary, test flights and navigation will be conducted, and based on the data, flight and navigation during exploration and surveying will be controlled. In addition, it is possible to accumulate data showing the relationship between various conditions including meteorological conditions and navigation control when the exploration surveying apparatus 10 is navigating. Therefore, by analyzing the accumulated data, subsequent flight and navigation can be made more accurate. This may analyze the data during one flight and navigation and use it for subsequent navigation, or the data during navigation for one exploration measurement target may be used for the next exploration survey of that exploration measurement target. In addition, the items analyzed from the accumulated data may be useful for the next navigation regardless of the exploration and measurement target. For example, it is conceivable that sufficient navigation control could not be performed during the first half of the flight and navigation, but appropriate flight and navigation could be performed by using the data of the first half in the second half. In such a case, only the latter half of the flight and navigation can be redone.

<Gyro calibration>
FIG. 13 shows an installation example of the gyro 26. In this configuration, the gyro 26 is capable of three-dimensional movement. That is, the first motor M1 is fixed to a member on the main body side of the exploration surveying apparatus 10, for example, the main body 50. A link L1 is fixed to the rotation axis of the first motor M1, and the rotation of the first motor M1 causes the gyro 26 to rotate about an axis in the vertical direction. A link L2 is fixed to the link L1, and the link L2 is rotated about the axis in the left-right direction of the gyro 26 by the second motor M2. A link L3 is fixed to the link L2. The link L3 is an axis in the front-rear direction of the gyro 26, and this axis is rotated by the third motor M3. As described above, according to this example, the gyro 26 can be independently rotated about three axes orthogonal to each other, whereby the gyro 26 can be given a three-dimensional movement.

In the present embodiment, before the start of the exploration survey, the gyro 26 is moved according to a predetermined three-dimensional trajectory, and the output obtained in that state is supplied to the control device 22. The control device 22 calibrates the gyro 26 based on this data so that the correct output can be obtained.

Conventionally, the calibration of the gyro 26 has been performed by a person holding the entire device to which the gyro 26 is attached and moving it three-dimensionally. The exploration surveying apparatus 10 of the present embodiment has a float 58 and the like, is relatively large and heavy, and the calibration work becomes a difficult work. In this embodiment, this calibration work can be automated.

<Formation>
It is also preferable to prepare a plurality of exploration surveying devices 10 to form a formation. By conducting a survey while flying in formation, it is possible to more easily and accurately measure the three-dimensional position of the earth's surface from multiple images obtained at the same time point. In addition, by navigating on the water in formation, the survey results at the same time point can be obtained, and the survey of the bottom of the water becomes accurate. Further, since a part is located in the air and a part is located on the water, the positions of the plurality of exploration surveying devices 10 can be accurately specified. For example, the exploration surveying apparatus 10 located in the air may specify the position of the exploration surveying apparatus 10 on the water to control the movement and exploration of the exploration surveying apparatus 10 on the water. Although it can fly in the same manner as the exploration surveying device 10, it is also possible to prepare a device that does not sail on the water and use this for various controls of the exploration surveying device 10. In this case, by omitting the equipment, there are merits such as being able to fly for a long time.

"Other configuration examples"
<Structure of rear rotor>
FIG. 14 shows another configuration example of rotation of the rear rotary blade 40b around the axis in the left-right width direction, and FIG. 14A shows a state in the air in which the rear rotary blade 40b faces in the vertical direction. ) Indicates a state on the water in which the rear rotor 40b is facing in the front-rear direction. In this example, the turning radius at the time of rotation of the rear rotary blade 40b is smaller than that in the example of FIG. That is, an upright portion 70 that stands up upward is provided at the rear portion of the central float 58, and a drive motor 36b that rotates the rear rotary blade 40b is rotatably supported in the upright portion 70.

15A and 15B are perspective views of the upright portion 70, where FIG. 15A is an oblique rear view and FIG. 15B is a view seen from substantially rearward. Further, FIG. 16 is a view of the upright portion 70 viewed from three sides, where (a) is the front, (b) is the side, and (c) is the upper side (the drive motor 36b is shown on the back side for convenience). It is a figure seen from. The lower end of the upright portion 70 is attached to the float 58, the shaft of the drive motor 36b projects forward, and the rotary wing 40b is attached to the tip thereof, and the rotary wing 40b is vertically oriented as shown in FIG. When facing, it rotates around the axis in the front-rear direction, and when facing in the front-back direction, it rotates around the axis in the vertical direction, but these configurations are not shown.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show a mechanism for rotating the rotary blade 40b in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. The drive motor 36b has a cylindrical shape, the rotary shaft 72 extends forward, and the rotary blade 40b is attached to the tip thereof. In the figure, only the base of the rotating shaft 72 is shown. The intermediate portion of the drive motor 36b is supported by a neck portion 74 extending from below. The neck portion 74 is rotatably supported by a shaft 38b extending in the left-right direction, and a counterweight 76 is provided on the opposite side of the neck portion 74 from the drive motor 36b. A pair of standing plate portions 78 are provided on both left and right sides of the neck portion 74 and the counterweight 76 in the left-right direction. The lower end of the upright plate portion 78 is fixed to the float 58.

A drive motor 80 is arranged below the counterweight 76 of the pair of standing plate portions 78. The drive motor 80 has an upward rotating shaft, and a toothed pulley 82 is attached to the tip thereof. A toothed belt is hung around the toothed pulley 82, and the toothed belt is hung around a pair of toothed pulleys 84 located outside the pair of upright plate portions 78.

A pair of rotating shafts 86 extending upward are attached to each of the pair of toothed pulleys 84, and a pair of worm gears 88 are attached to the upper ends of the pair of rotating shafts 86, respectively. The worm gear 88 is meshed with worm wheels 90 fixed to both ends of the shaft 38b.

Therefore, by rotating the drive motor 80, the pair of toothed pulleys 84 and the pair of rotating shafts 86 rotate, the pair of worm gears 88 rotate, and the worm wheel 90 rotates, so that the shaft 38b rotates. , The drive motor 36b and the rotary blade 40b rotate. The drive motor 80 uses an industrial servomotor to control the amount of rotation. Further, the worm gear 88 has only one line, and the worm wheel 90 is rotated by the rotation of the worm gear 88, but the worm gear 88 is not rotated by the rotation of the worm wheel 90. Therefore, this functions as a locking mechanism for the rotation of the rotary blade 40a. Further, by providing a pair of the worm gear 88 and the worm wheel 90, it is possible to eliminate backlash and eliminate play regarding rotation and locking of the rotary blade 40b.

By using such a rear rotary blade 40b, it is possible to suppress the moment when the rear rotary blade 40b rotates.

A motor may be provided inside the counterweight 76, and the rotation shaft of the motor may be connected to the drive motor 36b through the neck portion 74 so that the drive motor 36b can be rotated at the upper end of the neck portion 74. As a result, the drive motor 36b can be rotated in the left-right direction starting from the neck portion 74.

<Use on snow>
In addition, the moving body described in the present application can be used on snow instead of on water. In this case, the snow condition or the like may be measured, but the measurement may not be performed. Since it has a float, it can reliably land on snow and can also move on snow.

Further, if the mobile body has a communication function using a mobile phone line, particularly a relay function on the mobile phone line, it is possible to support telephone communication between the victim and the police. It can also be used even when there is no snow, as it can land in water areas such as swamps in the mountains.

In particular, if you are landing, you basically do not need to use power, so you can reduce battery consumption. In addition, if it floats to the sky as needed, it is possible to reliably transmit and receive radio waves.

10 Exploration surveying device, 12 management terminal, 20 communication device, 22 control device, 24 GNSS device, 26 gyro, 28 camera, 30 input device, 32 output device, 34 battery, 36 drive motor, 38 attitude control unit, 40 rotary blades , 42 measuring instrument, 44 sampling unit, 50 main body, 52, 54 arms, 56 pedestals, 58 floats, 60 reference scales.

Claims (11)

A mobile that can fly in the air and sail on the water.
With the main body
A float attached to the bottom of the main body to float on the water,
A thrust source that is attached around the body and generates thrust for air flight and surface navigation.
Including
The thrust source includes a one-sided rotor located on one side of the body in the anteroposterior direction.
The one-sided rotor is
A pair of standing portions extending upward from the main body and facing each other in the left-right width direction,
An axis that is supported by this pair of upright parts and extends in the left-right width direction,
A neck that is rotatably supported by the axis in the anteroposterior direction
A drive motor provided on one side of the neck portion and rotating a rotary blade attached to the tip thereof,
A counterweight provided on the other side of the neck and
Including
The drive motor rotates about the axis extending in the left -right width direction, and its rotary blades can be set in the horizontal direction facing up and down and in the vertical direction facing the front -back direction.
Mobile body. The moving body according to claim 1.
A rotation motor provided on the counterweight and rotating the drive motor in a plane in the left-right width direction with the neck portion as a starting point is further included.
Using the rotary motor,
When the rotary blade of the one-side rotary blade is set in the lateral direction, the rotary blade of the one-side rotary blade can be rotated around an axis extending in the front-rear direction of the main body, and the rotary blade of the one-side rotary blade can be rotated. Is set in the vertical direction, the rotary blade of the one-side rotary blade can be rotated around an axis extending in the vertical direction of the main body.
During aerial flight, the yawing moment is generated by setting the one-sided rotor in the lateral direction and rotating the one-sided rotor around an axis extending in the front-rear direction of the main body by the rotation motor . ,
During water navigation, with the one-sided rotor set in the vertical direction, the yawing moment is generated by rotating the one-sided rotor about the axis extending in the vertical direction of the main body by the rotation motor . Occur,
Mobile body. The moving body according to claim 2.
moreover,
A position detector that detects your position and
A directional detector that detects the azimuth and
A control unit that controls the thrust source,
Including
The control unit controls the thrust source based on the detection results of the position detector and the direction detector.
Mobile body. A mobile that can fly in the air and sail on the water.
With the main body
A float attached to the bottom of the main body to float on the water,
A thrust source that is attached around the body and generates thrust for air flight and surface navigation.
A position detector that detects your position and
A directional detector that detects the azimuth and
A control unit that controls the thrust source,
Including
The thrust source includes a one-sided rotor located on one side of the body in the anteroposterior direction.
The one-sided rotary wing rotates about an axis extending in the left-right width direction of the main body, and the rotary wing can be set in a horizontal direction in which the rotary wing faces in the vertical direction and a vertical direction in which the rotary wing faces in the front-rear direction.
The control unit controls the thrust source based on the detection results of the position detector and the direction detector, and also controls the thrust source.
The orientation detector includes a gyro mounted three-dimensionally movable on the body.
The gyro is moved according to a predetermined three-dimensional locus, and the gyro is automatically calibrated by the output when the gyro is moved three-dimensionally.
Mobile body. The mobile body according to claim 3 or 4.
moreover,
Includes a storage unit that stores predetermined travel routes, including aerial and water routes.
The control unit
With reference to the own position detected by the position detector and the direction detected by the direction detector, the aircraft autonomously flies the aerial route stored in the storage unit and is stored in the storage unit. Control the thrust source so that it navigates the existing water route autonomously.
Mobile body. An exploration surveying device capable of flying in the air and navigating on the water.
With the main body
It is a float attached to the lower part of the main body and for floating on water. In a plan view, the width of the central part is large and it is tapered toward the front and the rear. Float, which is retracted backwards toward the rear and retracts forward toward the rear end toward the bottom,
A thrust source that is attached around the body and generates thrust for air flight and surface navigation.
A water bottom detector that detects the bottom position during water navigation,
Including
The thrust source includes a one-sided rotor located on one side of the body in the anteroposterior direction.
The one-sided rotary wing rotates about an axis extending in the left-right width direction of the main body, and the rotary wing can be set in a horizontal direction in which the rotary wing faces in the vertical direction and a vertical direction in which the rotary wing faces in the front-rear direction.
The water bottom detector is arranged so as to penetrate the float, is movable up and down, and protrudes into the water during a water bottom exploration to obtain an exploration survey result.
Exploration surveying instrument. The exploration surveying apparatus according to claim 6.
The bottom detector includes a reference scale, which is used to calibrate the bottom detector from time to time.
Exploration surveying instrument. The exploration surveying apparatus according to claim 6 or 7.
moreover,
Including a surface detector that detects a surface position and a shallow bottom position to a predetermined water depth during the aerial flight .
The surface detector is used to obtain exploration survey results.
Exploration surveying instrument. A surveying method using the exploration surveying apparatus according to claim 8.
Determine the travel route based on the map information about the target area of the exploration survey,
The exploration surveying device is moved along the determined movement route, and the detection results detected by the water bottom detector and the ground surface detector at that time are stored.
An exploration survey method for obtaining the shapes of the bottom of the water and the surface of the earth as the exploration survey results based on the stored detection results. A plurality of exploration surveying devices according to any one of claims 6 to 8 are used, and exploration survey results at the same time point can be obtained from a plurality of exploration surveying devices.
Exploration survey method. The moving body according to claim 1.
The float has a large central portion in a plan view and is tapered forward and backward, and in a front view, the upper surface is straight, the front end is retracted backward, and the rear end is downward forward. Evacuated to
Mobile body.

Images