JPS61267461A - Multiple vehicle for underwater image pickup - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a vehicle having a capacity meeting the need of a demander with a low cost in a short time by connecting plural pressure shells constituted as units by connecting members to constitute a main body part. CONSTITUTION:Since vessels 12A and 12B are connected in series to extend a main body part 10 in the lengthwise direction, more payloads are loaded by this extension. A front TV camera 13A is installed in the front of the vehicle 10, and a rear TV camera 13B is installed in the rear of the vehicle 10, and a TV camera 13C which picks up the image under the vehicle mainly is installed in the center of the vehicle 10, and the image is picked up in a wide range therefore. Since four horizontal thrusters 15B are attached while being inclined in the lengthwise direction of the main body part and vertical thrusters 15A are provided in the front and the rear of the main body part 10, five kinds of motion, namely, surge, sway, heap, yaw, and pitch can be controlled, and the vehicle is moved freely and smoothly in an optional direction in water.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention consists of a pressure-resistant container having a transparent part and a TV camera built into the container, which can swim freely in water and capture a predetermined object. The present invention relates to an underwater imaging vehicle for imaging.

[Prior art]

In the conventional underwater imaging vehicle, as shown in FIG. 12, transparent acrylic domes 4 (4A, 4B) are connected to both ends of a cylindrical pressure-resistant container 2, and a transparent acrylic dome 4 (4A, 4B) is connected to the longitudinal center of the container 2. Five vertical thrusters are installed in the formed through hole, and a pair of horizontal thrusters 5 are installed at both left and right ends of the container 2.
Inside the 0 front end acrylic dome 4A where B is installed,
A TV camera 3 is installed on a ship on the ocean, and thrusters 5A and 5B are operated to move the vehicle to a predetermined position, and the TV camera 3 images a predetermined object. Images from the TV camera 3 are displayed on a display section inside the ship via a cable (not shown) using means such as an optical fiber. Reference numeral 6 denotes a skid that is provided to extend below the container 2, which maintains the stability of the vehicle when it lands on the bottom, and which also protects the lighting lamp 8, compass, depth gauge, pallast, and other exterior components. It is for installing.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since underwater imaging vehicles are used for special purposes, they are not mass-produced, and vehicles of various sizes are manufactured on a case-by-case basis in response to customer requests. For this reason, there was a problem in that it required a long period of time because the products were manufactured individually, and the products were shipped after receiving the order.

In addition, for conventional vehicles, for example, if you want to increase the number of TV cameras that can be installed to widen the field of view, or if you want to expand the illumination range by increasing the number of lighting lights installed, various sensor groups such as metal detection sensors can be installed. Requests such as wanting to improve the vehicle's motion performance by adding more thrusters (the vehicle shown in Figure 12 has only three motion performances: forward and backward movement, up and down movement, and turning). has been increasing in recent years. However, because the vehicles are produced individually, it is not possible to function sufficiently by simply making improvements to the conventional vehicles, and there is a problem that a new vehicle of a size that meets each request must be manufactured. There was a point.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art, and its purpose is to provide an underwater imaging vehicle that can fully meet the various needs of users regarding vehicle performance. be.

[Means for solving problems]

The underwater imaging multiple vehicle according to the present invention houses a KTVTV camera in the main body, which is integrated with transparent acrylic domes connected to both ends of the cylindrical pressure shell, and is controlled by the operation of the thruster attached to the main body. This underwater imaging vehicle is capable of freely moving underwater, and is characterized in that the main body section is constructed by connecting a plurality of unitized pressure shells with a connecting member.

[For production]

The size of the vehicle can be changed freely by changing the number of unitized pressure hulls connected, making it possible to meet a wide range of needs.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. 1st
FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.

In these figures, the multi-vehicle according to this embodiment is
It is composed of a cigar-shaped main body 10 and a skid 26 that is a main body connection member attached below the main body 10. The main body 10 has a cylindrical pressure-resistant container 1
2A and 12B are connected in series through a cylindrical transparent container 16, and a transparent acrylic dome 14A is attached to the end.
, 14B are connected to form an integrated structure.

As shown in FIG.
2C and 14C are formed, and a packing 21 is interposed between the corresponding seven lunges 12C and 140r14, and a wedge effect appears when tightening, thereby increasing the fastening force toward the container. connected by. coupling bell) 2
0 (see Figure 4) can be easily connected by attaching the coupling belt 20 from the outside of the 7 lunges 12C and 14C and tightening the bolts by 20 people, as shown in Figure 5. It can also be easily removed by removing the bolt/nut 20A. Inside the leading acrylic dome 14A and the rear end acrylic dome 14B of the main body 10, 13 TV cameras for front imaging and a TV camera 13B for rear imaging are installed, respectively, to provide a visual field of view of the front and rear of the vehicle. It is now possible to image. Main body 1
In the transparent container 16 at the longitudinal center of 0, there is a horizontal axis
A rotatable TV right camera 3C is installed on the side.
, which can image the view below, above, and to the sides of the vehicle.

The containers 12A and 12B have a duct 1 that penetrates in the vertical direction.
A vertical thruster 15A is installed inside each duct 11.

Horizontal thrusters 15B are installed on the sides of the containers 12A and 12B, respectively, in an inclined state with respect to the longitudinal direction of the main body. Which thruster 15A.

By selecting and operating the 1sBt as appropriate, you can move forward and backward (hereinafter referred to as surge), move laterally (hereinafter referred to as sway), move up and down (hereinafter referred to as heap), rotate around the vertical axis (hereinafter referred to as yaw), It is now possible to perform five types of movements, including rotational movement of the horizontal horizontal axis (hereinafter referred to as pitch).

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the connecting member skid 26 has a pair of skid portions 27 extending along the longitudinal direction of the main body s10 and facing each other, and a main body at the tip. A flange 29A is formed for attachment to the section 10, and the leg arm 29 is connected to the skid section 27 in an \-shape, and a horizontal arm 28 extends orthogonally to the skid section 27. The front and rear ends 27A of the skid section 27 are curved upward to enhance the sliding effect on the seabed. The connection between the main chest 10 and the skid 26 is as shown in FIG.
is engaged with the outer surface of the main chest 10 and secured by a band 22. On the skid 26 is a forward illumination light 30 that illuminates the front and rear of the peak car*.
A, a rear illumination light 30B, and a lower illumination light 30C for illuminating the lower part of the vehicle are installed.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the containers 12A and 12B are connected in series and the main body 10 is extended in the longitudinal direction, a larger amount of payload can be loaded.

Also, in front of the vehicle 10 is a front TV left camera 3A,
A rear-view TV camera 13B is installed at the rear of the vehicle 10, and a TV right camera 3C is installed in the center of the vehicle 10, which mainly takes images of the entire lower part of the vehicle, making it possible to take images in a wide range. In addition, four horizontal thrusters 15B are installed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the main fuselage, and 15 vertical thrusters are installed at the front and rear of the main fuselage 10, so surge, sway, heap, yaw, Five types of pitch control are possible, allowing the robot to move freely and smoothly in any direction underwater.

7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the invention.

In these figures, the multi-vehicle according to this embodiment is
It is composed of a main body part 40 and a skid 46 which is a main body part connecting member located below the main body part 40. Main body 4
0 consists of a pair of cylindrical pressure-resistant containers 12A, 12A arranged in parallel with a predetermined distance apart, and 14 transparent acrylic domes, 14B connected to both ends of each container 12A. Container 12A and acrylic dome 14A
The connection with (14B) is the same as in the first embodiment, so its explanation will be omitted. A duct 11 penetrating vertically is formed in the longitudinal center of the can container 12A, and 15 vertical thrusters are installed within this duct 11. Horizontal thrusters 15B are installed on both sides of the container 12A.

By appropriately selecting and operating these thrusters 15A and 15B, the vehicle 40 can perform four types of motion: surge, heap, yaw, and roll.

A TV camera 13A is installed inside the front acrylic dome 14A, and is capable of capturing an image of the front field of the vehicle 40.

The skid 46 includes a pair of skid parts 48 extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the container 12A, an orthogonal arm 47 that connects the skid parts 48 and 48 below both sides of the container 12A, and a main trunk at the tip. 40 and a V-shaped leg arm 49 formed with seven flange 49A for attachment. Curved portions 48 are formed at both ends of the skid portion 48 and curved toward the rear in the direction of the advancing force of the vehicle. The skid 46 connects the containers 12A (!: 12A) arranged in parallel to form one vehicle, and also serves as a system that prevents the vehicle from being buried in the seabed when the vehicle lands on the seabed. , which allows the vehicle to slide smoothly on the seabed, and also functions as a place for installing ballast, lighting lights, and other exterior accessories. A lighting lamp 30A is installed in the center to brightly illuminate the front of the vehicle.In addition, metal detectors are installed at both ends and the center of the skid member 480 at the rear in the direction of vehicle movement. The sensor 50 is suspended so that metal detection can be performed within the length of the skid portion 48.

In this way, in this embodiment, the main body 40 is constructed by connecting the containers 12A and 12 people in parallel, so the payload amount is increased accordingly. I can do it. Also, T
The V-cameras 13A are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the width direction, and illumination lights 3 are installed on both sides of each TV camera.
Since the 0A is installed, the imaging field of view in front of the vehicle is correspondingly wide. Furthermore, in this embodiment, four types of motion, surge, heap, yaw, and roll, can be performed, so that the vehicle can smoothly perform a predetermined motion underwater.

Further, since three metal detection sensors 50 can be installed at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the vehicle, there is an effect that the metal detection range is expanded accordingly.

FIGS. 1O and 11 show a third embodiment of the present invention.

The multi-vehicle vehicle according to this embodiment has a main trunk section 60 and a connecting member provided below the main trunk section 60, and has a main trunk section for carrying 60 passengers and a connecting member provided below the main trunk section 60.
It is made up of 0 people. In the main body 60A, 12 cylindrical pressure-resistant vessels and 12B are connected in series by a coupling belt 20, and further, 14 transparent acrylic domes and 14B are connected to both ends thereof by a coupling belt 20. A pair of 60 main trunks are arranged facing each other at a predetermined distance in the width direction by a skid 66 which is a connecting member, that is, in a parallel state. Container 12A.

A tact 11 penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the duct 12B, and a vertical thruster 15A is installed inside this duct 11, respectively. A total of four horizontal thrusters 15B are installed on the opposing inner sides of the pair of main trunks for 60 people, and a total of four side thrusters are installed on the lower surfaces of the containers 12A and 12B. These thrusters 1
By appropriately selecting and testing 5A, 15B, and 15C, a total of 6 seconds of movement including surge, sway, heap, yaw, pitch, and roll is possible.

TV cameras 13A and 13B are installed in the transparent acrylic domes 14A and 14B of each main body 60A, respectively, so that they can image the front and rear views of the vehicle.

The skid 66 extends parallel to the main barrel 60A at a distance approximately equal to the width of the main barrel, and includes a first skid portion 67 located below each main barrel 60A, and a first skid portion 67 that is located below each main barrel 60A. A pair of second skid parts 68 are perpendicular to the main body 60, and are located at the front and rear lower positions of the main body 60. Arm 69 is also configured. At both ends of the first skid section 670, upwardly curved and removable curved sections 67A are formed, and at both ends of the second skid section 68, which is located at the front in the vehicle traveling direction, a rearwardly curved curved section 67A is formed. A removable curved portion 68A and a removable curved portion 68B that curves forward are formed at both ends of the second skid portion 68 located at the rear in the direction of vehicle travel, and the second skid portion 68 is located at the rear in the vehicle traveling direction. The structure is such that the tip of the skid does not easily interfere with the vehicle's sliding movement.

Illumination lights 30 are provided at both ends and the center of the skid section 68.
A person is installed to brightly illuminate the front and rear of the vehicle.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the main torso is extended in the serial direction and is arranged in parallel to form the main torso, so the amount of payload loaded on the vehicle can be increased accordingly. .

In addition, six types of motion are possible: surge, sweep, heap, yaw, pitch, and roll, making it possible to swim freely and smoothly underwater.In addition, two TVs are installed in the width direction of the vehicle. Since 13 cameras are installed both in front and in the rear, the area that can be photographed is correspondingly wider. Also, like the second embodiment, the detection range of the metal detector 50 is wide.Although in the third embodiment, the main bodies 60A are arranged in parallel in the width direction, , it is also possible to arrange them in parallel in the vertical direction. ◇Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments, two vehicles have been described, but three vehicles, four vehicles
It is also possible to have a multi-connection structure depending on the needs of the connection.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a vehicle with performance that meets the needs of consumers can be obtained at low cost and in a short period of time. Further, since the main body can be easily increased and connected, an existing vehicle can be easily modified to a size that meets new requirements.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the main part thereof, and Fig. 4 is a diagram of a coupling belt used for coupling between containers. Partial perspective view, 5th
6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the connection relationship between the main body and the skid, which is a connecting member. FIG. 8 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 9 is a front view of the skid diagonal vehicle, which is a connecting member thereof. 10.40,60...Main body, 12A, 12B...
Cylindrical pressure container, 13 people, 13B'...TV camera, 14A, 14B...Transparent acrylic dome, 15 people.
...Vertical thruster, 15B...Horizontal thruster, 15C
... Side thruster, 16 ... Cylindrical transparent pressure-resistant container, 20 ... Coupling belt, 22 ... Tightening band, detection sensor

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A TV camera is built into the main body, which is integrated with transparent acrylic domes connected to both ends of the cylindrical pressure shell, and can move freely underwater by the operation of the thrusters attached to the main body. What is claimed is: 1. A multi-unit underwater imaging vehicle having a unit structure in which the main body is formed by connecting a plurality of pressure-resistant shells by a connecting member. (2) The underwater imaging multiple vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main body is formed by connecting pressure shells in series and extending in the series direction. (3) The underwater imaging multi-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main body is formed by pressure shells connected in parallel and arranged in parallel. (4) The main body is formed by pressure shells connected in series and in parallel, extended in the series direction, and arranged in parallel. Multi-vehicle for underwater imaging.