JP7248343B2 - A method of inserting a plurality of underwater vehicles and a method of lifting and recovering them - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for launching a plurality of underwater vehicles for survey work such as bottom exploration, and a method for lifting and recovering them.

In the ocean, lakes, etc., when an underwater vehicle is put into a survey water area to perform survey work such as underwater exploration, the underwater vehicle is controlled by a ship located on the water or a device placed in the water. .
For example, in Patent Document 1, an underwater station cable-connected to a mother ship is arranged in the sea, an acoustic transponder is arranged on the seabed near a survey point, and a plurality of unmanned unmanned submersibles are installed together with the underwater station and acoustic transponder. A technology is disclosed in which communication is performed using sound waves to guide the unmanned submersible, and if necessary, the unmanned underwater vehicle is docked to an underwater station for charging or battery replacement and exploration data retrieval.
Further, in Patent Document 2, an underwater station equipped with a first transponder, a first wave receiver and a second wave receiver is suspended in the sea from a mother ship, a second transponder is installed on the seabed, and an autonomous type for exploration The unmanned vehicle is equipped with a third transponder and a third wave receiver, and the underwater station attempts to maintain a fixed point by receiving the signal of the second transponder with the first wave receiver. In the middle, self-propelled by receiving the signal of the second transponder with the third receiver, and when the power decreases, it sails towards the underwater station by receiving the signal of the first transponder with the third receiver. , discloses a technique in which an underwater station performs attitude control for accommodating autonomous unmanned navigation by receiving a signal from a third transponder with a second receiver.
Further, Patent Document 3 discloses underwater acoustic communication in which a mother ship located on the water is provided with a transmitter, an unmanned submersible for exploration is provided with a receiver, and a control signal is sent from the mother ship to the unmanned submersible. A technique for correcting transmission errors using the Hough transform of is disclosed.
Further, in Patent Document 4, a self-propelled repeater that relays communication between a mother ship and an underwater vehicle is arranged near the water surface of an observation area, and communication between the self-propelled repeater and the mother ship is radio communication. , and communication between the self-propelled repeater and the underwater vehicle is performed by acoustic communication, thereby improving the communicable distance in the horizontal direction.

JP-A-3-266794 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-26090 JP-A-5-147583 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-308766

By the way, since the speed of the underwater vehicle is slow, it takes time to survey a wide water area with only one vehicle, but there is a limit to increasing the speed of the underwater vehicle in terms of energy consumption. Therefore, it is conceivable to deploy a plurality of underwater vehicles in order to efficiently survey a wide area of water. However, when conducting surveys using a plurality of underwater vehicles, it takes more time to put in and lift up than when conducting surveys using one underwater vehicle. In addition, since it is common to use a dedicated vessel equipped with dedicated equipment to launch and recover underwater vehicles, it is necessary to wait for the schedule of the dedicated vessel to become available. There is a problem that the plan does not proceed as desired.
The invention described in Patent Document 1 does not disclose how to efficiently and safely carry out loading and unloading operations of an underwater station and a plurality of unmanned unmanned submersibles. In addition, since the mothership and the underwater station are connected by cables, movement of the mothership and the underwater station is restricted.
The invention described in Patent Document 2 does not disclose how to efficiently and safely carry out loading and unloading operations of an underwater station and a plurality of autonomous unmanned vehicles. Also, since the underwater station is suspended from the mothership, movement of the mothership and the underwater station is restricted.
The invention described in Patent Document 3 takes into account that underwater acoustic communication is susceptible to reflected sounds from the surface of the water and the seabed. It is intended to prevent falling into However, it does not disclose the efficient and safe loading and unloading of a plurality of unmanned submersibles.
In the invention described in Patent Document 4, the self-propelled repeater determines whether horizontal movement is necessary based on its own current position information and the current position information of the underwater vehicle, and maintains the communication state with the underwater vehicle. It is stated that Also, there is a description that a plurality of underwater vehicles can be introduced. However, it does not disclose the efficient and safe loading and unloading of self-propelled repeaters and underwater vehicles.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a plurality of underwater vehicles capable of efficiently and safely carrying out the work of loading, picking up and recovering underwater vehicles when conducting survey work such as underwater exploration by deploying and operating a plurality of underwater vehicles. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of throwing in a running body and a method of picking it up.

A method for launching a plurality of underwater vehicles corresponding to claim 1 is a method for controlling a plurality of underwater vehicles when launching the plurality of underwater vehicles for exploring the bottom of the sea from a mother ship. A water control means having a number management unit and capable of moving near the surface of the water is first launched, and then a plurality of underwater vehicles are successively thrown into the water , and the number management unit controls the water control means at the top. The number of underwater vehicles located within the control area, which is a substantially conical range, is controlled, and the movement of the water control means is controlled based on the number of underwater vehicles located within the control area. It is characterized by controlling the maximum number of running bodies .
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the water control means is launched first, the control of the underwater vehicle by the water control means can be started immediately after the underwater vehicle is launched. . This improves the efficiency and safety of the loading operation.
Exploration includes all actions such as observation, search, collection, rescue, transportation, etc. performed by an underwater vehicle on the bottom of the water.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the previously launched water control means moves away from the mother ship by a predetermined distance after the launch.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the water control means prevents a plurality of underwater vehicles introduced later from colliding with each other or interfering with the launching work. can be controlled. This further improves the efficiency and safety of the loading operation.

The present invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the injection order of the plurality of underwater vehicles is determined in consideration of the settling speed and/or the diving speed of the underwater vehicles.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, for example, by inserting an underwater vehicle having a slower settling speed or submerged speed than others, the time until the start of exploration can be shortened, and the efficiency of the entire exploration work can be reduced. can be improved. In addition, by setting the order of introduction in consideration of the difference in sinking speed and submerged speed among the underwater vehicles, it is possible to prevent the underwater vehicles from colliding with each other, thereby improving safety.

The present invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the exploration depths of a plurality of underwater vehicles are set for the underwater vehicles on the mother ship, and the exploration depths are input to the water control means.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of underwater vehicles can be made to perform exploration work at a preset exploration depth while being controlled by the water control means. In addition, it is possible to enter the exploration depth on a mothership with a large working space and without touching the water.

A method for lifting a plurality of underwater vehicles corresponding to claim 5 is provided in a method for lifting a plurality of underwater vehicles for exploring the bottom of a sea to a mother ship, wherein the plurality of underwater vehicles are sequentially lifted into the water. Water control means having a number management unit for controlling a plurality of underwater vehicles after being lifted up from the watercraft and capable of moving near the surface of the water , wherein the water control means is the top by the number management unit Manage the number of underwater vehicles located within a conical control area, and control the movement of water control means based on the number of underwater vehicles located within the control area. It is characterized by lifting and recovering the water control means that controls the maximum number .
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the underwater vehicle can be lifted and recovered while the position and communication state of the underwater vehicle are grasped by the water control means. This improves the efficiency and safety of the lifting and stowing work.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the water control means to be lifted and recovered later is on standby at a position a predetermined distance away from the mother ship while the plurality of underwater vehicles are being lifted and recovered.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the water control means prevents a surfacing underwater vehicle from colliding with it and does not interfere with the lifting operation. You can control your body to the end. This further improves the efficiency and safety of the lifting operation.

The present invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the order of lifting and recovering the plurality of underwater vehicles is the order of surfacing.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent an underwater vehicle that surfaced later from colliding with an underwater vehicle that surfaced earlier. In addition, it is possible to prevent the underwater vehicle that has surfaced from being washed away by the water and lost sight of.

The present invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the water control means performs control until the lifting and recovering of the plurality of underwater vehicles is completed.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since control of the underwater vehicle by the water control means is continued until all the underwater vehicles are lifted and recovered, the efficiency and safety of the lifting operation are improved. do.

According to the method of launching a plurality of underwater vehicles of the present invention, since the water control means is launched first, the control of the underwater vehicles by the water control means is started immediately after the underwater vehicles are launched. can do. This improves the efficiency and safety of the loading operation.

In addition, when the water control means that was launched first moves away from the mother ship by a predetermined distance after the launch, the water control means will not be affected by collisions with underwater vehicles that will be launched later, and the launching work will be delayed. It is possible to control a plurality of underwater vehicles that have been introduced without interfering with the watercraft. This further improves the efficiency and safety of the loading operation.

In addition, when the order of inserting a plurality of underwater vehicles is determined in consideration of the settling speed and/or diving speed of the underwater vehicle, for example, the underwater vehicle whose settling speed or diving speed is slower than the others By putting in first, the time until the start of exploration can be shortened, and the efficiency of the whole exploration work can be improved. In addition, by setting the order of introduction in consideration of the difference in sinking speed and submerged speed among the underwater vehicles, it is possible to prevent the underwater vehicles from colliding with each other, thereby improving safety.

Further, when setting the exploration depths of a plurality of underwater vehicles on the mother ship and inputting the exploration depths to the water control means, the previously set exploration depths are set for the plurality of underwater vehicles. At depth, exploration work can be performed under the control of the water control means. In addition, it is possible to enter the exploration depth on a mothership with a large working space and without touching the water.

Further, according to the method for lifting and recovering a plurality of underwater vehicles of the present invention, the underwater vehicles can be lifted and recovered while the positions and communication states of the underwater vehicles are grasped by the water control means. This improves the efficiency and safety of the lifting and stowing work.

Further, when the water control means to be lifted up later waits at a position a predetermined distance away from the mother ship while the plurality of underwater vehicles are being lifted up, the water control means will rise to the surface. A plurality of underwater vehicles waiting for unloading can be controlled to the end without the underwater vehicles colliding or interfering with the work of unloading. This further improves the efficiency and safety of the lifting operation.

In addition, when the order in which the plurality of underwater vehicles are lifted up is the order in which they surface, it is possible to prevent the underwater vehicle that surfaced earlier from colliding with the underwater vehicle that surfaced later. In addition, it is possible to prevent the underwater vehicle that has surfaced from being washed away by the water and lost sight of.

In addition, in the case where the water control means performs control until all underwater vehicles have been lifted and recovered, the water control means shall continue to control the underwater vehicles until all underwater vehicles have been lifted and recovered. Since it is continued, the efficiency and safety of the lifting operation are improved.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an operating system for a plurality of underwater vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Appearance perspective view of the underwater vehicle A view showing the water control means and a plurality of underwater vehicles on which they are placed. Diagram showing the work of lifting and recovering the underwater vehicle Schematic diagram of the loading/unloading system Control block diagram of the underwater vehicle Control flow diagram of the underwater vehicle Control block diagram of the water control means Control flow diagram of the water control means

A method for launching a plurality of underwater vehicles, a method for lifting and recovering, and a system for launching and recovering a plurality of underwater vehicles according to embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an operating system for a plurality of underwater vehicles, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the underwater vehicle.
In FIG. 1, one water control means 20 is launched into an investigation water area in an ocean, a lake, etc., and a plurality of underwater vehicles 30 are launched to explore the bottom of the water to investigate mineral resources, energy resources, and the like. It shows the state of working. The water control means 20 and the underwater vehicle 30 were loaded on the mother ship (support ship) 10 and transported to the survey water area.
The water control means 20 and the underwater vehicle 30 are unmanned, untethered and autonomously cruising robots. Control using acoustic signals is performed for the medium running body 30 .

A marine repeater (ASV: Autonomous Surface Vehicle) is used for the water control means 20 . The water control means 20 includes a cylindrical main body 20a with a hemispherical end, and vertical wings 20b extending from the upper surface of the main body 20a. The water control means 20 launched from the mother ship 10 into the survey water area is used in a semi-submerged state in which the main body 20a is submerged and the upper part of the vertical wings 20b protrudes above the water surface. Self-positioning means 21 such as GPS and maritime communication means 22 such as satellite communication antennas and wireless LAN antennas are mounted on the upper portion of the vertical wing 20b. The water control means 20 can grasp its own position by receiving GNSS signals from the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites 1 using the self-positioning means 21 . Also, communication with the mother ship 10 can be performed using the maritime communication means 22 .
Further, a moving means 23 having a rudder and a propeller is provided at the rear portion of the main body 20a, and the moving means 23 can move near the surface of the water.
Further, acoustic positioning means 24 and communication means 25 are provided on the lower surface of the main body 20a. The communication means 25 has a wave transmitter that transmits sound waves and a wave receiver that receives sound waves. The water control means 20 uses the acoustic positioning means 24 to measure the position of the underwater vehicle 30, and uses the communication means 25 to perform two-way communication with the underwater vehicle 30 using acoustic signals. Controls 30. Acoustic signals transmitted underwater from the water control means 20 tend to reach a substantially conical range with the water control means 20 at the apex. A control area X is controlled.

The underwater vehicle 30 is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that autonomously navigates underwater without using a cable for connection with the water control means 20 . Since the water control means 20 controls a plurality of underwater vehicles 30 using acoustic signals, there is no need to provide equipment for cables in the water control means 20, and the cables may become entangled or the water control means 20 may be damaged by the cables. movement is not restricted.
FIG. 1 shows a case where the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 are one first underwater vehicle 30A and two second underwater vehicles 30B. The first underwater vehicle 30A and the second underwater vehicle 30B are provided with navigation means (diving means) 31 such as a rudder, propeller and ballast (weight). can sail and dive. In addition, the underwater vehicle 30 has own positioning means 32 used to measure its own position, communication means 33 used for two-way communication by acoustic signals with the water control means 20 , An acoustic transponder (not shown) is provided for replying to the signals emitted by the positioning means 24 . The communication means 33 has a wave transmitter that transmits sound waves and a wave receiver that receives sound waves. When positioning by the water control means 20 fails a predetermined number of times, or when communication with the water control means 20 fails a predetermined number of times, the underwater vehicle 30 can be urgently surfaced and recovered to the mother ship 10. - 特許庁
The first hovering underwater vehicle 30A can travel at a slower speed than the second underwater vehicle 30B. In addition, it has a vertical thruster and a horizontal thruster, and has a higher degree of freedom of movement than the second underwater vehicle 30B. responsible for the investigation work. The first underwater vehicle 30A is provided with imaging means 41 for taking an image of the bottom of the water. The imaging means 41 is, for example, a camera equipped with illumination.
FIG. 2(a) is an upper perspective view of the second underwater vehicle 30B, and FIG. 2(b) is a lower perspective view of the second underwater vehicle 30B. Since the cruising type second underwater vehicle 30B can move more agilely and faster than the first underwater vehicle 30A, it is mainly responsible for survey work in a wider range at a position away from the bottom of the water. The second underwater vehicle 30B is provided with topography survey means 42 for surveying the topography of the water bottom and stratum survey means 43 for surveying the strata under the water bottom. The topography survey means 42 and stratum survey means 43 are, for example, sonar. In addition, the second underwater vehicle 30B has a propeller 31A at the rear and a ballast (weight) 31B at the bottom as navigation means (diving means) 31. As shown in FIG. The ballast 31B is detachably attached to the second underwater vehicle 30B.

Next, the system for loading and unloading the water control means 20 and the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the water control means 20 and the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 are placed, and FIG.
The loading/unloading system of this embodiment is mounted on the mother ship 10 . The mother ship 10 is not a dedicated ship provided with dedicated facilities for loading and unloading the underwater vehicle 30, but a general ship.
As shown in FIG. 3, the loading/unloading system includes a water control means mounting base 50 on which the water control means 20 is mounted, and an underwater vehicle mounting base 60 on which the underwater vehicle 30 is mounted. A replacement means 51 is provided under the water control means mounting base 50 , and a replacement means 61 is provided under the underwater vehicle mounting base 60 .
In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 , the charging/lifting system includes charging/lifting equipment 70 . The loading/unloading facility 70 is a facility including a crane that can be equipped or mounted on a general ship, and has a function of launching and unloading the water control means 20 and a function of loading and unloading the underwater vehicle 30. are doing. As a result, the water control means 20 and the underwater vehicle 30 can be launched, thrown into the water and lifted up using the same equipment. In addition, since a general ship can be used as the mother ship 10, the sea bottom exploration can be performed without being affected by the schedule of the dedicated ship.
In this embodiment, the replacement means 51 and 61 are casters. According to the order of loading and unloading of the water control means 20 and the underwater vehicle 30, the replacement means 51 and 61 switch the mounting base 50 for the water control means and the loading/lifting facility 70 for the mounting base 60 for the underwater vehicle. You can change the positional relationship. As a result, the water control means 20 and the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 can be stably placed, replaced, thrown in, and lifted up and recovered smoothly. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the underwater vehicle mounting table 60 is arranged at a predetermined position on the mother ship 10 when the second underwater vehicle 30B is lifted and collected.
The exchange means 51 and 61 may be a robot arm, a conveyor, or the like that moves the water control means mounting base 50 and the underwater vehicle mounting base 60 to change the positional relationship with the loading/unloading equipment 70. good.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the loading/unloading system.
The loading/unloading system comprises display means 80 . The display means 80 displays the order of loading or unloading the underwater vehicle 30, such as an electronic bulletin board, a screen of a personal computer, or a number assigned to the underwater vehicle 30. FIG. In this embodiment, the display means 80 is an electronic bulletin board 81 provided at a position visible to the work leader who carries out the loading/unloading work, and an identification number 82 attached to each underwater vehicle 30 . By providing the display means 80, it is possible to prevent mistakes in the order of loading or unloading the plurality of underwater vehicles 30, thereby improving work efficiency and safety.

When launching the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 from the mother ship 10, the water control means 20 is launched before launching the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 from the mother ship 10.例文帳に追加By launching the underwater vehicle 30 after launching the water control means 20, the control of the underwater vehicle 30 by the water control means 20 can be started immediately after the underwater vehicle 30 is launched. . In addition, by launching the water control means 20 which is dimensionally larger than the underwater vehicle 30, a large work space can be secured on the mother ship 10 for the plurality of underwater vehicles 30. FIG. This improves the efficiency and safety of the loading operation.
The water control means 20, which is dimensionally larger than the previously launched underwater vehicle 30, moves away from the mother ship 10 by a predetermined distance H after the launch. The predetermined distance H is such that the underwater vehicle 30 to be launched later does not collide with the vehicle or interfere with the launching operation, and the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 to be launched later can be controlled. within the possible range. This further improves the efficiency and safety of the loading operation. The predetermined distance H may be set as a predetermined distance H1 from the injection position of the underwater vehicle 30, or may be set as a predetermined distance H2 from the side of the ship.

It is preferable to determine the injection order of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 in consideration of at least one of the settling speed and the diving speed of the underwater vehicles 30 .
For example, the first underwater vehicle 30A, which has a lower settling speed and submersion speed than the second underwater vehicle 30B and a larger depth of exploration, can be introduced first, thereby shortening the time until the start of exploration and reducing the overall exploration work. efficiency can be improved. In addition, by setting the order of introduction in consideration of the difference in sinking speed and submerged speed among the underwater vehicles 30, it is possible to prevent the underwater vehicles 30 from colliding with each other, thereby improving safety.

Moreover, it is preferable to set the exploration depths of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 on the mother ship 10 to the underwater vehicles 30 and input the exploration depths set for the underwater vehicles 30 to the water control means 20 . As a result, a plurality of underwater vehicles 30 can perform exploration work while being controlled by the water control means 20 at a preset exploration depth. Further, the exploration depth can be input on the mother ship 10 where a wide work space can be obtained and without touching the water.
In addition to the exploration depth, it is also possible to set the exploration conditions by inputting information necessary for the exploration such as the exploration mission, the exploration area, and the cruising route.

When the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 are to be lifted onto the mother ship 10, the water control means 20 is lifted after the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 are sequentially lifted from the water. Finally, by lifting the water control means 20, the position and communication state of the underwater vehicle 30 can be grasped by the water control means 20 while lifting. This improves the efficiency and safety of the lifting and stowing work.
The water control means 20 stands by at a predetermined distance H from the mother ship 10 while the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 are being lifted up. The predetermined distance H is such that the floating underwater vehicle 30 does not collide with the underwater vehicle 30 or interfere with the lifting operation of the underwater vehicle 30, and the underwater vehicle 30 that has not been lifted is controlled. within the scope that can be performed. This further improves the efficiency and safety of the lifting operation. In addition, the predetermined distance H may be set as a predetermined distance H1 from the lifting position of the underwater vehicle 30, or may be set as a predetermined distance H2 from the side of the ship.

The order in which the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 are lifted and recovered is preferably the order in which they surfaced. By lifting and recovering in the order in which they surface, it is possible to prevent the underwater vehicle 30 that surfaced later from colliding with the underwater vehicle 30 that surfaced first. In addition, it is possible to prevent the floating underwater vehicle 30 from being washed away by the water and lost sight of.

Further, it is preferable that the water control means 20 controls the underwater vehicles 30 at a position a predetermined distance H from the mother ship 10 until the lifting of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 is completed. By continuing the control of the underwater vehicle 30 by the water control means 20 until all the underwater vehicle 30 are lifted and recovered, the efficiency and safety of the lifting operation are improved.

Next, control of the underwater vehicle 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG.
6 is a control block diagram of the underwater vehicle 30, and FIG. 7 is a control flow diagram of the underwater vehicle 30. As shown in FIG.
The underwater vehicle 30 includes navigation means 31 , self-positioning means 32 , communication means 33 , setting means 34 , depth gauge 35 , exploration mission execution means 36 , transmission means 37 , recording means 38 , and navigation speed setting section 39 . , a navigation control unit 40 , an imaging means 41 , a terrain investigation means 42 and a stratum investigation means 43 .
The exploration mission execution means 36 has a depth control section 36A, a diving control section 36B, a position estimation section 36C, a time management section 36D, and a mission control section 36E.
The cruise control unit 40 has a control area determination unit 40A.

An operator on board the mother ship 10 uses the setting means 34 to instruct the underwater vehicle 30 to explore the underwater vehicle 30 before the underwater vehicle 30 is introduced from the mother ship 10 into the exploration water area. By inputting information necessary for exploration such as mission, depth of exploration, exploration area and navigation route, exploration conditions are set, and the navigation speed setting unit 39 is used to control the underwater vehicle 30 to navigate. Set the running speed (step 1). The exploration mission, exploration depth, exploration area, and navigation route are set differently for each underwater vehicle 30 .
The search conditions such as the set search depth and the cruising speed are input to the water control means 20 as described later.
The exploration area is preferably set so that the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 have their respective exploration areas at each of the set exploration depths. As a result, exploration can be performed more efficiently.
Further, it is preferable to set the cruising route so that the trajectories of the underwater vehicle 30 navigating the respective exploration areas do not overlap at the same time. As a result, it is possible to prevent collisions between the underwater vehicles 30 whose exploration depths are close to each other, thereby enhancing safety. In addition, by preventing the underwater vehicle 30 from overlapping vertically, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of erroneous observations of the underwater vehicle 30 and the failure of observation.
In addition, the exploration depth set differently for each underwater vehicle 30 preferably has a low-altitude exploration depth close to the water bottom and a high-altitude exploration depth far from the water bottom. is more preferably 1 m or more and less than 50 m in altitude (distance) from the water bottom, and the high-altitude exploration depth is more preferably 10 m or more and less than 200 m in altitude (distance) from the water bottom. As a result, an area close to the bottom of the water and an area far from the bottom of the water can be efficiently explored. In the present embodiment, the first hovering underwater vehicle 30A is responsible for exploration of the low altitude exploration depth region, and the second navigation underwater vehicle 30B is responsible for exploration of the high altitude exploration depth region. there is Since the cruising speed of the first underwater vehicle 30A is slower than the cruising speed of the second underwater vehicle 30B, the exploration near the bottom of the water can be made more precise.

After step 1, a plurality of underwater vehicles 30 are thrown into the water according to the order of throwing (step 2).
The water control means 20 launched first starts controlling the underwater vehicle 30 that has been thrown into the water.

After step 2, the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 start diving and sinking (step 3).
Diving is performed using the propeller 31A and ballast 31B, and sinking is performed only by the weight of the ballast 31B with the propeller 31 stopped.
When diving and sinking, each of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 measures the depth and position of the vehicle using the depth gauge 35 and the vehicle positioning means 32, and controls the depth control section 36A, the diving control section 36B, and the position estimation section. The exploration mission execution means 36 having 36C controls the cruise control section 40 according to the exploration depth set in step 1. The cruising control unit 40 controls the cruising means 31 according to the control by the exploration mission accomplishing means 36 and the cruising speed set by the cruising speed setting unit 39 .
The measurement of the position of the own machine by the own machine positioning means 32 is performed by, for example, installing a speed sensor and a gyro sensor, and detecting and calculating the speed and acceleration of the own machine.

After step 3, the underwater vehicle 30 that has reached the set exploration depth starts sailing (step 4).
Each underwater vehicle 30 that has started cruising at the set exploration depth measures its position using its own positioning means 32 and transmits it to the exploration mission accomplishing means 36 . The exploration mission accomplishing means 36 having the position estimating section 36C controls the navigation control section 40 so that the underwater vehicle 30 navigates the exploration area set in step 1. FIG. The cruising control unit 40 controls the cruising means 31 according to the control by the exploration mission accomplishing means 36 and the cruising speed set by the cruising speed setting unit 39 . Thereby, the underwater vehicle 30 navigates the investigation area (step 5).
The exploration mission execution means 36 having a time management unit 36D that manages time follows the cruising route set in step 1, and controls the cruising so that the cruising trajectories of the other underwater vehicles 30 do not overlap at the same time. control unit 40;

The navigation control unit 40 navigates within the control area X of the water control means 20 based on the estimated position and depth of the aircraft received from the exploration mission execution means 36 and the state of communication with the water control means 20 (step 6). The communication state is grasped, for example, by a signal/noise ratio (S/N ratio).
Further, the cruise control unit 40 has a control area determination unit 40A, and determines whether or not the own aircraft is located within the control area X based on the estimated position of the own aircraft and the state of communication with the water control means 20. Periodically judge (step 7).

If it is determined in step 7 that the aircraft is within the control area X, the exploration mission is carried out (step 8).
The mission control section 36E of the exploration mission accomplishing means 36 controls the imaging means 41 provided in the first underwater vehicle 30A, so that images of the bottom of the water can be photographed. In addition, the mission control unit 36E controls the landform survey means 42 and the stratum survey means 43 provided in the second underwater vehicle 30B to obtain information on the topography of the water bottom and the stratum below the seabed.
The results of the exploration mission, such as the obtained photographed images, the topography of the water bottom, and the information on the strata below the water bottom, are recorded in a recording means 38 such as a hard disk or magnetic tape. Also, after processing such as encoding is performed by the transmission means 37, it is transmitted to the water control means 20 using the communication means 33 (step 9).

After step 9, when the search mission accomplishing means 36 determines that the set search mission has been completed, it ends the search mission (step 10) and floats its own aircraft (step 11).

If it is determined in step 7 that the aircraft is not within the control area X, the exploration mission accomplishing means determines that the exploration cannot be continued, and floats the aircraft (step 11).
Before floating, the position of the aircraft is estimated by the position estimating unit 36C based on the positioning results of the aircraft positioning means 32, etc., and it is determined whether or not it is possible to return to the control area X, and it is determined that it is not possible to return. You may make it float in case.

Next, the control of the water control means 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.
8 is a control block diagram of the water control means 20, and FIG. 9 is a control flow chart of the water control means 20. As shown in FIG.
The water control means 20 includes self-localization means 21 , maritime communication means 22 , movement means 23 , acoustic positioning means 24 , communication means 25 , control setting section 26 and movement control means 27 .
The movement control means 27 has a number management section 27A, a standby control section 27B, a position estimation section 27C, a cruise recording section 27D, and a control determination section 27E.

Before launching the water control means 20 from the mother ship 10 into the survey water area, the operator on board the mother ship 10 uses the control setting unit 26 to set the movement range of the water control means 20 to the water control means 20. , control setting is performed by inputting information necessary for control such as the number, performance and depth of underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled (step 11).
After step 11, the water control means 20 launched into the survey water area starts control of the underwater vehicle 30 that is launched later. First, the position of each of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 is measured using the acoustic positioning means 24, and the positioning results are transmitted to the movement control means 27 (step 12).
After step 12, the communication state with each of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 is measured using the communication means 25, and the measurement results are transmitted to the movement control means 27 (step 13). The communication state is grasped, for example, by a signal/noise ratio (S/N ratio).
The movement control means 27 records the respective cruising routes of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 along with the time in the cruising recording section 27D based on the received positioning results in step 12 and the measurement results in step 13 (step 14). ).

After step 14, the number management unit 27A compares the number of underwater vehicles 30 input in the control setting in step 11 with the number of underwater vehicles 30 whose cruising routes are recorded in step 14. , it is determined whether or not all underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled are located within the control area X (step 15).
If it is determined in step 15 that the number of underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled and the number of underwater vehicles 30 whose navigation routes are recorded are the same or greater, that is, the total number of underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled is If it is determined that it is located within the control area X, it transmits the result to the control determination section 27E.
In this case, the movement control means 27 predicts the actions of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 based on the cruising routes and the like recorded in the cruising recording section 27D, and based on the prediction results, the underwater vehicles 30 may be controlled to move the water control means 20 so as not to deviate from the control area X. This can prevent the underwater vehicle 30 from leaving the control area X in advance.
In moving the water control means 20, it is preferable to move within a range that does not reduce the number of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 positioned in the control area X at the start of movement. As a result, the number of underwater vehicles 30 positioned within the control area X can be prevented from decreasing.

If it is determined in step 15 that the number of underwater vehicles 30 whose navigation routes are recorded is smaller than the number of underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled, that is, part of the underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled or When it is determined that all of them are out of the control area X, the position estimating unit 27C determines the underwater navigation unit 30 out of the control area X based on the navigation route of the underwater vehicle 30 recorded in the navigation recording unit 27D. The direction in which the running body 30 exists is estimated (step 16).
After step 16, the standby control unit 27B determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since it was first detected that the underwater vehicle 30 left the control area X in step 15 (step 17).
If it is determined in step 17 that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step 15 to determine again whether or not all underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled are within the control area X.
In step 17, when it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the standby control unit 27B transmits the determination result of step 15 to the control determination unit 27E and instructs the water control means 20 to start moving ( step 18). As a result, the moving means 23 operates and the water control means 20 moves.
Even if it is determined that some or all of the underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled have left the control area X, the underwater vehicles 30 that have left the control area X may return to the control area X by themselves. There is also a possibility that it is erroneously detected as being outside the control area X due to a temporary positioning/communication failure even though it is actually located within the control area X. In order to move the control means 20, after detecting that the underwater vehicle 30 has left the control area X, the watercraft 30 waits for a predetermined period of time. Useless movement can be reduced. As a result, the waste of energy of the water control means 20 and the underwater vehicle 30 positioned within the control area X can be prevented from leaving the control area X.
Further, the position estimating unit 27C estimates the direction in which the underwater vehicle 30 that is outside the control area X exists based on the cruising route of the underwater vehicle 30 recorded in the cruising recording unit 27D. The control means 27 controls the movement means 23 based on this estimation result, thereby improving the control accuracy and movement efficiency of the water control means 20, and moving the underwater vehicle 30 out of the control area X into the control area X. can return quickly.

When moving the water control means 20, the movement control means 27 preferably controls the movement means 23 so that the water control means 20 moves to a position where all of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 can be controlled. As a result, all the underwater vehicles 30 can be placed under the control of the water control means 20, so that underwater exploration can be carried out more safely and efficiently.
Further, when all the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 cannot be controlled, the movement control means 27 causes the movement means 23 to move the water control means 20 to a position where the maximum number of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 can be controlled. is preferably controlled. As a result, the number of underwater vehicles 30 deviating from the control area X can be minimized. In this case, the maximum number of underwater vehicles 30 includes any of the underwater vehicles 30 that deviate from the control area X, the underwater vehicles 30 that have broken down, and the underwater vehicles 30 that have surfaced. It is preferably a number obtained by subtracting the impossible number. As a result, a plurality of underwater vehicles 30 that can be explored can be positioned within the control area X to continue underwater exploration.

The control determination unit 27E determines whether or not to change the control setting based on the determination result transmitted from the number management unit 27A or the standby control unit 27B (step 19).
In step 19, when the determination result is received from the number management unit 27A and the number of underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled is the same as the number of underwater vehicles 30 whose cruising routes are recorded, Without changing the control settings, go to step 12.
Further, when the determination result is received from the number management unit 27A, and when the number of underwater vehicles 30 whose cruising routes are recorded is greater than the number of underwater vehicles 30 to be controlled, step 11, the control setting unit 26 changes the control setting to include the underwater vehicle 30 that has returned to the control area X. As a result, control can be continued including the underwater vehicle 30 that has returned to the control area X.
Further, when the determination result is received from the standby control unit 27B, that is, when the determination result that there is an underwater vehicle 30 outside the control area X is received, the process proceeds to step 11, and the control setting unit 26 The control setting is changed to exclude the underwater vehicle 30 outside the region X. As a result, the control can be continued except for the underwater vehicle 30 that has left the control area X.

Thus, the water control means 20 has the number management section 27A for managing the number of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30, thereby controlling the movement of the water control means 20 based on the number of the underwater vehicles 30. be able to.
Further, since the water control means 20 moves the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 to positions where they can be positioned, the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 can be positioned within the control area X to continue the survey work.
Further, by moving the water control means 20 to a position where communication with the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 is possible, the survey work can be performed more safely and efficiently.
As a result, a wide area of water can be surveyed safely and efficiently without losing sight of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 .
The exploration conditions such as the depth of exploration set by the setting means 34 of the plurality of underwater vehicles 30 may be set by instructions from the mother ship 10 via the water control means 20, or It can also be updated automatically based on a schedule programmed into the water control means 20 .

The method for inserting a plurality of underwater vehicles, the method for lifting up a plurality of underwater vehicles, and the system for inserting and lifting a plurality of underwater vehicles according to the present invention are used to deploy and operate a plurality of underwater vehicles to carry out survey work such as bottom exploration. In carrying out the operation, it is possible to efficiently and safely carry out the loading and unloading work of the underwater vehicle.

10 Mother Ship 20 Water Control Means 30 Underwater Vehicle 34 Setting Means 50 Water Control Means Mounting Table 51 Replacement Means 60 Underwater Vehicle Mounting Table 61 Replacement Means 70 Loading/Receiving Equipment 80 Display Means H Predetermined Distance

Claims (8)

Water control means having a number control section for controlling the plurality of underwater vehicles and capable of moving near the surface of the water when a plurality of underwater vehicles for exploring the bottom of the water are thrown into the water from the mother ship. is launched first, and then the plurality of underwater vehicles are sequentially thrown into the water, and the number management unit positions them within a control area that is a substantially conical range with the water control means as the apex and control the movement of the water control means to the maximum number of the underwater vehicles based on the number of the underwater vehicles located within the control area. A method of launching a plurality of underwater vehicles characterized by controlling to 2. The method of launching a plurality of underwater vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said water control means, which is launched first, moves away from said mother ship by a predetermined distance after being launched. 3. The plurality of underwater vehicles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the order of introduction of the plurality of underwater vehicles is determined in consideration of the settling speed and/or the diving speed of the underwater vehicles. How to insert the running body. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the exploration depths of the plurality of underwater vehicles are set for the underwater vehicles on the mother ship, and the exploration depths are input to the water control means. 1. A method of launching a plurality of underwater vehicles according to 1 above. When a plurality of underwater vehicles for exploring the bottom of the sea are lifted from the water to the mother ship, after the plurality of underwater vehicles are successively lifted from the water, the plurality of underwater vehicles are controlled. Water control means having a number management unit and capable of moving in the vicinity of the water surface, wherein the plurality of water control means positioned within a control area, which is a substantially conical range with the water control means at the apex, by the number management unit managing the number of underwater vehicles and controlling the movement of said water control means so as to control the maximum number of said underwater vehicles based on the number of said underwater vehicles located within said control area; A method for lifting and recovering a plurality of underwater vehicles, characterized by lifting and recovering water control means . 6. The plurality according to claim 5, wherein the water control means to be lifted up later waits at a position separated from the mother ship by a predetermined distance while the plurality of underwater vehicles are being lifted up. method for lifting and recovering an underwater vehicle. 7. The method for lifting and recovering a plurality of underwater vehicles according to claim 5, wherein the order of lifting and recovering the plurality of underwater vehicles is the order in which they surfaced. 8. The plurality of underwater vehicles according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said water control means performs control until lifting and recovering of said plurality of underwater vehicles is completed. pick-up method.

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