KR101558178B1 - Unmanned air vehicle imaging system having air bag system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an unmanned air vehicle filming system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the unmanned air vehicle filming system films an image while flying in the sky along a predetermined path. The unmanned air vehicle filming system comprises: an unmanned air vehicle; a filming device for filming an object in the sky, mounted on a lower side of the unmanned air vehicle; an airbag system to protect the unmanned air vehicle and the filming device when the unmanned air vehicle falls; and a falling detection device to detect whether the unmanned air vehicle falls. The airbag system comprises: a lower airbag system mounted on a lower part of the unmanned air vehicle, and formed to be expanded to the lower part of the unmanned air vehicle when a falling of the unmanned air vehicle is detected; a side airbag system mounted on a side of the unmanned air vehicle formed to be expanded to a side outside the unmanned air vehicle when the falling of the unmanned air vehicle is detected; and an upper airbag system mounted on an upper part of the unmanned air vehicle, formed to be expanded to the upper part of the unmanned air vehicle when the falling of the unmanned air vehicle is detected. When the lower airbag system, the side airbag system, and the upper airbag system are expanded; the airbag is expanded to the outer side than the unmanned air vehicle and the filming device. As such, the expanded airbag comes in contact with a horizontal plane before the unmanned air vehicle and the filming device comes in contact with the same, even if the unmanned air vehicle falls in any position.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial photographing system having an air bag system,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an image capturing system using an unmanned airplane, and more particularly, to an unmanned aerial vehicle capturing system having an air bag system capable of protecting an unmanned airplane and a photographing apparatus from collision, .

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in a method for collecting and analyzing three-dimensional spatial information about a country or an urban landscape using moving objects such as airplanes. Since three-dimensional spatial data can provide more accurate spatial and stereoscopic information to the user, it can be used in various fields such as a navigation system, an urban information system, and a tourist information system in order to provide spatial and stereoscopic information to the user have.

The aerial photographing system can be classified into a manned aircraft photographing system in which pilots directly control an aircraft and an unmanned aerial photographing system in which a pilot does not fly on an aircraft.

Unmanned aerial vehicles can fly in areas dangerous to fly using manned aircraft, or areas where large manned aircraft can not fly, such as downtown. In addition, since the UAV can be produced in a much smaller size than the UAV, it is advantageous in comparison with the UAV in terms of manufacturing and operating costs. For this reason, the unmanned airplane can be more advantageously used as a photographing system for image data collection than the manned airplane.

Unmanned aerial vehicles were initially developed and developed for military use. Recently, however, they have been used in various fields such as weather observation, terrestrial exploration, reconnaissance, and surveillance.

The image capturing system using the unmanned airplane is configured to mount an image capturing device on an unmanned airplane without a pilot and to photograph an image of the object to be captured or an image of the terrain while flying over the area where the user wants to shoot. As described above, since the image capturing system using the unmanned airplane is configured to perform the shooting while flying through the external remote control or the automatic control without the pilot on board, it is possible to prevent the flight control from being failed due to various causes, . For example, due to the deterioration of the weather condition, the control of the unmanned airplane is failed due to the disconnection of the control communication during the GPS control or the sudden change of the position and attitude of the lightweight unmanned airplane due to the blast, May fall.

Because most UAVs are manufactured in small size and light weight, it is possible to repair them easily at a relatively low cost even if a part of the UAV is damaged due to collision with the ground. However, since the photographing apparatuses mounted on the UAV are generally high-priced and costly electronic devices, there is a possibility that the photographing apparatus is damaged due to the fall of the UAV, thereby causing a great cost loss .

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a protection device capable of stably protecting the unmanned airplane and the photographing device from a collision caused by a fall when the unmanned airplane crashes due to a flight control failure or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system having a safety device capable of protecting a photographing device mounted on a unmanned airplane, and furthermore, an unmanned airplane when the unmanned airplane crashes by solving the above- do.

More specifically, the present invention aims at providing an airbag system on the underside, sides, and upper portions of a UAV so that the UAV can stably protect the UAV, even if the UAV falls in any direction .

Further, the present invention can easily and surely detect a fall of a UAV by means of various detection sensors so that the UAV can be prevented from directly colliding with the ground or falling into water or a swamp when the UAV is dropped. .

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. There will be.

In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, a representative configuration of the present invention is as follows.

The unmanned aerial photographing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to perform image capturing while flying over a predetermined route along a predetermined route. The unmanned aerial photographing system includes an unmanned airplane and a camera configured to shoot an object in the sky below the unmanned airplane An airbag system for protecting the unmanned airplane and the photographing device when the unmanned airplane crashes, and a fall detection device for detecting whether or not the unmanned airplane has fallen. The airbag system includes a lower airbag system mounted at the lower portion of the UAV and configured to expand downward of the UAV when a fall of the UAV is detected and a lower airbag system installed at the side of the UAV to detect the fall of the UAV A side airbag system configured to expand sideways and an upper airbag system mounted on top of the unmanned airplane and configured to inflate the unmanned airplane when a fall of the unmanned airplane is detected, The upper airbag system can be configured such that the inflated airbag is inflated to the outside of the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus so that the inflated airbag can contact the horizontal plane before the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus even if the unmanned airplane collapses in any posture have.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fall detection device of the unmanned aerial vehicle imaging system may be configured as an acceleration sensor for measuring the acceleration of the UAV. At this time, the air bag system can be configured to operate when it is determined that the gravity direction acceleration of the UAV, which is measured by the acceleration sensor, is maintained at the gravitational acceleration for a certain period of time.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the fall detection apparatus of the unmanned aerial photographing system may be configured as a distance sensor for measuring the distance between the unmanned airplane and the ground. At this time, the airbag system can be configured to operate when it is determined that the distance between the unmanned airplane measured by the distance sensor and the ground changes suddenly beyond a predetermined range. The distance sensor may be a sonic sensor using a sound wave or an optical sensor using infrared light.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the fall detection device of the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system may be configured as an impact detection sensor for detecting an external impact applied to the unmanned air vehicle. At this time, the airbag system can be configured to operate when an external impact of a predetermined value or more is detected by the impact detection sensor.

Meanwhile, the lower air bag system according to the present invention may be formed on a photographing device support portion formed on the lower portion of the UAV, or on a landing portion for takeoff and landing of the UAV.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the unmanned aerial photographing system according to the present invention can be configured to collect surface image data related to a solar cell module while flying over a solar power generation facility. At this time, the photographing apparatus can use an infrared camera which forms a thermal image.

In addition, the image capturing system using an unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention may further include other additional configurations as long as the technical idea of the present invention is not adversely affected.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the fall of the unmanned airplane is detected, the air bag system is configured to expand to the outside of the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus, thereby preventing the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus from directly colliding with the ground have. Therefore, even if the unmanned airplane crashes due to failure of flight control of the unmanned airplane during the flight for image shooting, the risk that the unmanned airplane, particularly the unmanned airplane, collides with the ground and collapses can be greatly reduced. Also, even if the unmanned airplane falls into water or a swamp, the unmanned airplane and the air bag inflated to the outside of the photographing apparatus can float the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus without being immersed in water or swamp, It is possible to prevent water from being drowned and damaged.

In addition, the unmanned aerial photographing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an airbag system that expands to the lower, side, and upper portions of the unmanned airplane, so that the unmanned airplane can be protected by the airbag system in any posture . Therefore, even if a lightweight UAV is dropped due to a blast or the like, the UAV and the photographing apparatus can be stably protected.

In addition, the unmanned aerial photographing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to operate the airbag system by sensitively detecting a fall of the UAV by using an acceleration sensor, a distance sensor, an impact sensor, or the like. This makes it possible to reliably and safely protect the unmanned aerial vehicle and the photographing apparatus by detecting the fall of the unmanned airplane by operating the air bag system easily and reliably.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a state of an unmanned aerial photographing system that collects surface image data on a solar cell module of a photovoltaic power generation facility while flying along a preset path.
2 illustrates an exemplary view of an unmanned aerial photographing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of basic components for flight and imaging of an unmanned aerial vehicle imaging system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a lower airbag system mounted on an unmanned aerial photographing system according to the present invention.
Fig. 5 shows the inflated state of the airbag of the lower airbag system in Fig.
6 shows another embodiment of the lower airbag system.
Fig. 7 shows the inflated state of the airbag in the lower airbag system in Fig. 6. Fig.
Fig. 8 shows a side airbag system mounted on an unmanned aerial photographing system according to the present invention.
Figure 9 shows the inflated state of the airbag of the side airbag system in Figure 8;
10 shows a state in which an upper air bag system is mounted on the unmanned aerial photographing system according to the present invention.
Fig. 11 shows the inflated state of the airbag in the upper airbag system in Fig.
Figure 12 shows an unmanned aerial vehicle imaging system with both a lower airbag system, a side airbag system, and an upper airbag system.
Fig. 13 shows the inflated state of the airbags of the lower airbag system, the side airbag system, and the upper airbag system in Fig.
14 shows a state in which the unmanned airplane is protected by the airbag system according to the present invention when the airbag falls into various positions.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

In order to clearly explain the present invention, a detailed description of parts that are not related to the present invention will be omitted, and the same constituent elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the entire specification. In addition, since the shapes and sizes of the respective components shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the illustrated shapes and sizes. That is, the specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described in the specification can be implemented by changing from one embodiment to another embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is to be understood that changes may be made without departing from the scope. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention should be construed as encompassing the scope of the appended claims and all equivalents thereof.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a state in which surface image data for solar cell modules of a photovoltaic power generation facility is collected using the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system 1 as an example using the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system 1. The photovoltaic power generation facility is configured such that a plurality of solar cells are gathered to form a solar cell module, and these solar cell modules are gathered to form a solar cell array. However, as the use time elapses, the solar cell module becomes aged due to various factors. These deteriorated modules act as electrical resistors on the array and thus act as an impediment to lowering the output of the solar power plant. Therefore, in order to prevent deterioration of the efficiency of the photovoltaic power generation facility, it is necessary to continuously monitor the solar cell array and to quickly identify the deteriorated modules included in the array based on the monitoring. Therefore, 1), it is necessary to continuously collect and monitor image data on the surface of the solar cell module.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic appearance of the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 which can be used in the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 includes a photographing apparatus 200 mounted below the center of the UAV 100 and the UAV 100 to photograph images at a predetermined photographing angle, .

The photographing apparatus 200 can be mounted to be supported by the UAV 100 by the photographing apparatus supporting unit 300 formed on the UAV 100 as shown in FIG. The photographing apparatus 200 may be fixedly mounted on the UAV 100. The photographing apparatus 200 may be mounted on the UAV 100 such that the photographing angle can be changed in the horizontal and vertical directions of the photographing apparatus 200 so that an object on the ground can be photographed at various angles, (Not shown). For example, the photographing device support unit 300 includes a vertical support unit 310 configured to rotate the photographing device along an axis X1 perpendicular to the unmanned airplane to change the horizontal photographing angle of the photographing device, And a horizontal support part 320 configured to rotate the photographing device along the vertical direction to change the vertical photographing angle of the photographing device, so that the photographing angle of the photographing device can be adjusted to an arbitrary angle. The rotation of the photographing apparatus 200 through the vertical support 310 and the horizontal support 320 can be realized through a known rotation means such as an electric motor or the like.

Meanwhile, FIG. 3 conceptually shows basic components for flight and photographing of the unmanned aerial photographing system 1. 3 is merely a conceptual diagram for explaining the basic operation principle of the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system 1, the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 used in the present invention is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 3 The present invention is not limited thereto but may be embodied in various other forms.

As shown in FIG. 3, the unmanned airplane of the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 includes a driving unit 110 having a propeller, an electric motor for driving the motor, and a battery as a power source. The driving control unit 120, The data storage unit 130, the flight control signal generation unit 150, the flight information storage unit 160, the flight state detection unit 170, and the photographing control unit 180 may be further included. These components may be disposed inside the UAV 100, but the present invention is not limited to such an arrangement of components, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The functions of the above-described components will be described in more detail. The unmanned aerial photographing system 1 includes a driving unit 110 for driving an unmanned aerial vehicle. The driving unit 110 includes a mechanical device for obtaining the flying power of the unmanned aerial vehicle. A propeller for obtaining lift, a rotor, a power generating device such as an electric motor or an internal combustion engine for driving the rotor, a battery or a fuel storage serving as a power source, and the like. The driving unit 110 is controlled by the driving control unit 120. The drive control unit 120 controls the driving unit 110 to maintain the set flight path, the flight attitude, the flight altitude, and the flying speed. To this end, the flight control signal generator 150 receives data from the flight information storage 160 and the flight status detector 170 and generates control signals to the drive controller 120.

The flight information storage unit 160 stores information on the flight path, altitude, speed and attitude of the unmanned airplane. On the other hand, the flight state detection unit 170 detects the current position, altitude, speed and attitude of the UAV, and generates data.

The flight control signal generator 150 receives data from the flight information storage 160 and the flight status detector 170 and receives data from the flight information storage 160 and data from the flight status detector 170 . If the difference between the predetermined flight information and the current flight state occurs at a specific position, the flight control signal generator 150 generates a control signal for returning the current flight state to a predetermined state, And the drive control unit 120 controls the driving unit 110 in accordance with the signal so that the UAV 100 can maintain the set flight path, flight attitude, flight altitude, and flight speed.

The flight status detection unit 170 can sense the current position from the GPS value received from the GPS satellite. When the UAV 100 is GPS-guided, the GPS value detected by the flight state detection unit 170 is compared with the GPS value of the flight path and the altitude stored in the flight information storage unit 160. This contrast is implemented in the flight control signal generator 150. [ The flight speed can be detected by a separate speedometer or by calculating the change over time of the detected GPS data. Information about the flight posture, i.e., tilting of the UAV 100, can be detected by a gyroscope or by means performing the same function.

The photographing apparatus 200 mounted on the UAV 100 is controlled by the photographing control unit 180. [ When the photographing control unit 180 receives the photographing signal, the photographing apparatus 200 performs photographing. On the other hand, the photographing control unit 180 receives information on the current position from the flight state detection unit 170. In this manner, when the unmanned airplane reaches a specific position to be photographed, a photographing signal is generated by the photographing control unit 180, and the photographing apparatus 200 can photograph. The photographing control unit 180 may also provide a photographing angle change signal to the photographing apparatus 200 so that the photographing apparatus 200 can be adjusted to the horizontal photographing angle and the vertical photographing angle set in advance before photographing.

The image data photographed from the photographing apparatus 200 is stored in the image data storage unit 130. When the image data storage unit 130 stores the image data photographed from the photographing apparatus 200, it is preferable that the photographed image data is stored in association with the photographed position information. For this, the image data storage 130 may receive location information from the flight status detector 170. The positional information stored in association with the image data may be transmitted from the image capturing control unit 180 to the image data storage unit 130. The photographing control unit 180 receives position information from the flight state detection unit 170 in order to issue a photographing instruction to the photographing apparatus 200. The photographing control unit 180 transmits a photographing execution signal to the photographing apparatus 200, The positional information received from the photographing device 170 is transmitted to the image data storage 130 so that the image data photographed by the photographing device 200 can be stored in association with the positional information on which the photographing is performed. By storing the image data in this manner, it is possible to easily confirm from which position the specific image data is photographed in the future image analysis. Also, the captured image data may be stored together with the captured image data.

The image data storage unit 130 is connected to the interface unit 140. When the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system 1 returns to the base, the interface unit 140 preferably transmits the image data information, which is automatically connected to the base database and photographed during the flight, to the known database.

1, when the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 is used for collecting image data on the surface of a solar cell module of a photovoltaic power generating facility, the photographing apparatus 200 is connected to an infrared ray It can be configured as a camera. An infrared camera is a device that displays an infrared ray emitted by an object as an image. It detects infrared rays that are not visible and acquires a thermal image from a correlation between energy amount and temperature. An infrared detector (IR detector) is used to detect radiant energy radiated from an object. The infrared detection element absorbs infrared energy as a photon, and the absorbed infrared photons excite electrons in the detector to generate a current. Depending on the number of excited photons, the electrical resistance in the detector also changes proportionally, and this change in resistance is detected and stored as a digital level value. The digital level value is converted to a temperature using a temperature correction function, and the converted temperature value is generated as a thermal image corresponding to the brightness value. When an infrared camera capable of obtaining a thermal image is used as described above, it is possible to easily detect a deteriorating module which is difficult to be visually recognized.

However, such an infrared camera is a high priced product that costs more than tens of thousands of won in some cases, and includes many electronic parts that are susceptible to impact or immersion. Therefore, when the unmanned airplane crashes due to a flight control failure or the like, and collides with the ground or falls into a swamp or the like, the expensive imaging apparatus is damaged, resulting in a large cost loss. In order to prevent such a problem, the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system 1 of the present invention includes, in addition to the basic components for flight and photographing shown in FIG. 3, the unmanned airplane 100 and the photographing apparatus 200, (Airbag system) for protecting the vehicle from collision or the like caused by a fall.

Figures 4 to 14 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle imaging system 1 with an airbag system 400 in accordance with the present invention.

4 and 5 show an embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system 1 having a lower air bag system 410 that inflates downward of an unmanned air vehicle. The unmanned aerial photographing system 1 is generally configured to photograph an object or terrain on the ground in the air while flying the photographing apparatus 200 mounted on the underside of the unmanned airplane. Therefore, in order to effectively protect the photographing apparatus mounted on the unmanned airplane, particularly the unmanned airplane, from the fall, the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus are inflated downward as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, It is necessary to prevent direct collision.

To this end, the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 according to the present invention includes a lower air bag system 410 that inflates downward of an unmanned air vehicle as shown in FIGS. For example, the lower air bag system 410 may be formed in the photographing apparatus support 300 formed at the lower portion of the UAV 100 as shown in FIGS. More specifically, a mounting surface 330 for mounting the lower air bag system 410 is formed on the lower surface or side surface of the photographing apparatus supporting unit 300 (see FIG. 2) The lower airbag system 410 may be formed in the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 in a form of attaching the airbag 410 to the airbag system.

The lower air bag system 410 may include an inflator and an air bag so that the inflator may be detonated to inflate the air bag when a fall of the unmanned airplane is detected by the fall detection device described later. The internal structure of the airbag system can be configured similar to a conventional vehicle airbag system and the like, and the present invention is not characterized by the internal structure of the airbag system, so the description of the specific internal structure of the airbag system will be omitted herein.

In order to stably protect the unmanned airplane and the photographing device from collision with the ground when the unmanned airplane crashes, the inflated airbag inflates to the outside of the unmanned airplane and the photographing device when the airbag system is operated, It is necessary to be constructed so as to be capable of first contacting other objects such as a ground surface (see FIG. 5).

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of a lower airbag system 410 in accordance with the present invention. The unmanned aerial photographing system 1 of the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7 includes the lower airbag system 410 in the landing unit 350 for landing and unmanned aerial vehicles, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 Which differs from the illustrated embodiment. Specifically, the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is configured such that the lower airbag system 410 is built in the landing unit 350 of the unmanned airplane, The airbag is inflated downward to protect the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus from collision and the like. 6 and 7, the lower air bag system 410 is built in the landing unit 350 of the UAV. However, the lower air bag system may be installed on the inner side or the outer side of the landing unit 350, Embodiments in which the system 410 is mounted are also possible.

Next, Figs. 8 and 9 show a side airbag system 420 mounted on the side of the UAV 100 and expanding laterally outward of the UAV. Unmanned aerial vehicles used in unmanned aerial vehicle imaging systems are generally manufactured from lightweight, small aircraft. Therefore, if gusts are applied to the unmanned airplane in the process of shooting the image while flying over the airplane, the unmanned airplane may lose its position and posture rapidly. Such an unexpected change in the position and posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle may cause the disconnection of the flight control communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle, which may cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to fall. The side air bag system 420 shown in Figs. 8 and 9 functions to protect the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus from collision when the unmanned airplane loses its attitude and falls into a tilted state.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the side airbag system 420 is mounted on the side of the unmanned airplane and is configured to expand outwardly of the unmanned airplane, as shown in FIG. At this time, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to obtain lift through the upper propeller as shown in Fig. 8, the laterally inflated airbag may be torn by the rotation of the propeller. Accordingly, in the case of the propeller-driven UAV, it is preferable to form the side airbag system 420 so that the airbag is inflated in a side-to-side downward direction as shown in FIG.

Next, FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate an upper airbag system 430 mounted on the upper surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle and configured to inflate upward. Generally, it is relatively small that a UAV that shoots images while flying at a relatively low altitude is completely overturned to an inverted state, but in the case of a small unmanned aerial vehicle, it falls into a completely overturned state due to a gust It can occur sufficiently. The upper air bag system 430 functions to protect the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus from collision when the unmanned airplane falls over to the overturned state.

Meanwhile, the upper air bag system 430 may be replaced with a parachute system to reduce the falling speed of the unmanned airplane when the airplane crashes, thereby preventing the unmanned airplane and the photographing apparatus from being subjected to a large impact from the ground. However, since the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 for image shooting generally travels at a low altitude, there is no time to operate the rescue parachute quickly enough to perform a sufficient function after the fall is detected Can be many. Therefore, forming a protection device in the form of an air bag system as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 rather than a parachute system may be advantageous for more secure protection of the unmanned aerial photographing system.

Also, if the unmanned aerial is configured to gain lift via the upper propeller as described above with respect to the side airbag system 420, there is a risk that the inflated airbag of the upper airbag system 430 will be torn by the rotation of the propeller . Accordingly, in the case of the propeller-driven UAV, it is preferable to mount the upper air bag system 430 at a height such that the air bag is not in contact with the propeller even in an expanded state, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

Or alternatively to allow the propeller to be detached from the unmanned aircraft if a fall of the unmanned aircraft is detected to prevent the side airbag system 420 and the upper airbag system 430 from being damaged by the propeller, The airbag of the system 430 may not be inflated to the rotational range of the propeller.

As described above, the unmanned aerial photographing system 1 according to the present invention includes the airbag system on the lower surface, the side surface, and the upper surface of the unmanned airplane 100, so that even if the unmanned airplane becomes uncontrollable during flight, It is possible to safely protect the expensive imaging apparatus.

4 to 11 illustrate the configuration of the airbag system of the lower airbag system 410, the side airbag system 420, and the upper airbag system 430, The unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system 1 according to the present invention can be applied to a state in which both the lower airbag system 410, the side airbag system 420 and the upper airbag system 430 are provided as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 . According to such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 14, the airbag device can be first brought into contact with other objects such as a horizontal surface or the like, rather than the unmanned airplane and the image capturing device, so that the unmanned airplane and the image capturing device can be more stably It becomes possible to protect it.

Meanwhile, the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing system 1 according to the present invention may further include a fall detection device for detecting the fall state of the unmanned airplane and operating the air bag system 400.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fall detection apparatus may be constituted by an acceleration sensor. Specifically, an acceleration sensor is mounted on the UAV 100 to detect the acceleration of the UAV in real time. Then, the acceleration of the UAV in the gravity direction (vertical direction) measured by the acceleration sensor is equal to or longer than a certain time If it continues, it may be configured to determine that the unmanned aircraft is free-fall and to operate the airbag system.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the fall detection device may be configured as a distance sensor that measures the distance between the UAV and the ground in real time. For example, if a distance sensor is mounted on the UAV 100 to measure the distance between the UAV and the ground in real time, if the distance between the UAV and the ground is determined to be rapidly changing beyond a predetermined range, the UAV is falling And can be configured to operate the air bag system. In this case, the distance sensor for measuring the distance between the UAV and the ground may be composed of a sound wave sensor using a sound wave or an optical sensor using infrared light.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the fall detection device is constituted by a shock detection sensor (for example, a piezoelectric element) that detects an impact applied from the outside like an ordinary airbag system for a vehicle, It is also possible to cause the air bag system to operate when an external impact of a predetermined value or more is detected. However, this method is not advantageous for the protection of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the photographing apparatus as compared with the method using the acceleration sensor or the distance sensor described above, since the airbag system is operated after the collision has already occurred. In addition, there is a fear that the airbag may be broken due to a malfunction in the course of operating the unmanned airplane, which is disadvantageous in terms of stability.

For the sake of more stable protection, it is also possible to form the fall detection device by combining the aforementioned sensors (for example, using the acceleration sensor and the distance sensor at the same time). For example, it is possible to mount the acceleration sensor and the distance sensor on the unmanned airplane, and then configure the air bag system to operate when it is recognized that the unmanned airplane is falling by any one of the acceleration sensor and the distance sensor. When a plurality of sensors are simultaneously used, even if an error occurs in the operation of one sensor, it is possible to stably detect the state of the unmanned airplane crash, and thus the unmanned airplane and the image capturing apparatus can be more securely protected.

In addition, not only can the lower airbag system 410, the side airbag system 420, and the upper airbag system 430 be all operated when the fall of the UAV is detected through the fall detection device, It is also possible to configure only the airbag system of some of the systems (for example, the airbag system located in the falling direction in a state where it is determined that the unmanned aerial vehicle is falling). Such a configuration has an advantage in that unnecessary operation of the air bag system is prevented to reduce the replacement cost and the like of the air bag system. However, from the viewpoint of preventing damage to the unmanned air vehicle and the photographing apparatus, Can be more stable.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention.

Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described above, and all of the equivalents or equivalents of the claims, as well as the following claims, belong to the scope of the present invention.

1: Unmanned aerial vehicle shooting system
100: Unmanned aircraft
110:
120:
130: image data storage unit
140:
150: a flight control signal generating unit
160: Flight information storage unit
170: Flight state detection unit
180:
200: photographing apparatus
300:
310: vertical support
320: horizontal support
330: (Lower air bag system) Mounting surface
350:
400: air bag system
410: Lower air bag system
420: side air bag system
430: upper air bag system

Claims (8)

delete (1) configured to perform image shooting while flying in a sky above a predetermined path,
The unmanned air vehicle 100,
A photographing device 200 mounted on the underside of the UAV 100 and capable of photographing an object in the sky,
An airbag system 400 for protecting the unmanned airplane 100 and the photographing apparatus 200 when the unmanned airplane crashes,
And a fall detection device for detecting the fall of the UAV,
The airbag system 400 includes a lower airbag system 410 installed at a lower portion of the UAV 100 and configured to expand downward of the UAV 100 when a fall of the UAV is detected, A side airbag system 420 configured to expand to the lateral side of the UAV 100 when a fall of the UAV is detected, and a side airbag system 420 installed on an upper side of the UAV 100 to detect a fall of the UAV An upper air bag system 430 configured to inflate upward of the UAV 100,
The lower airbag system 410, the side airbag system 420 and the upper airbag system 430 are inflated so that the airbag inflates to the outside of the UAV 100 and the photographing apparatus 200, The inflated airbag can be brought into contact with the horizontal plane before the UAV 100 and the photographing apparatus 200,
The fall detection device is configured as an acceleration sensor for measuring the acceleration of the UAV 100,
The airbag system (400) is configured to operate when it is determined that the gravitational acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle measured by the acceleration sensor is maintained at a gravitational acceleration over a certain period of time,
Unmanned aerial photographing system (1). (1) configured to perform image shooting while flying in a sky above a predetermined path,
The unmanned air vehicle 100,
A photographing device 200 mounted on the underside of the UAV 100 and capable of photographing an object in the sky,
An airbag system 400 for protecting the unmanned airplane 100 and the photographing apparatus 200 when the unmanned airplane crashes,
And a fall detection device for detecting the fall of the UAV,
The airbag system 400 includes a lower airbag system 410 installed at a lower portion of the UAV 100 and configured to expand downward of the UAV 100 when a fall of the UAV is detected, A side airbag system 420 configured to expand to the lateral side of the UAV 100 when a fall of the UAV is detected, and a side airbag system 420 installed on an upper side of the UAV 100 to detect a fall of the UAV An upper air bag system 430 configured to inflate upward of the UAV 100,
The lower airbag system 410, the side airbag system 420 and the upper airbag system 430 are inflated so that the airbag inflates to the outside of the UAV 100 and the photographing apparatus 200, The inflated airbag can be brought into contact with the horizontal plane before the UAV 100 and the photographing apparatus 200,
Wherein the fall detection device comprises a distance sensor for measuring a distance between the UAV and the ground,
The airbag system (400) is configured to operate when it is determined that the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle measured by the distance sensor and the ground changes suddenly beyond a predetermined range,
Unmanned aerial photographing system (1). The method of claim 3,
Wherein the distance sensor comprises an acoustic wave sensor using a sound wave or an optical sensor using infrared light,
Unmanned aerial photographing system (1). delete 5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The lower air bag system 410 is mounted on the photographing device support 300 formed on the lower portion of the UAV 100,
Unmanned aerial photographing system (1). 5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The lower air bag system 410 is mounted on a landing part 350 for take-off and landing of the UAV 100,
Unmanned aerial photographing system (1). 5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The unmanned aerial photographing system (1) is configured to collect surface image data related to a solar cell module while flying over a photovoltaic power generation facility along a preset path,
The photographing apparatus 200 includes an infrared camera,
Unmanned aerial photographing system (1).

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