WO2019208606A1 - System, method, and computer program for controlling ejection of chemicals - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To accurately control the ejection of chemicals and increase the safety of the ejection of the chemicals in an agricultural machine for spraying the chemicals. [Solution] This system, which is for controlling the ejection of chemicals and is provided in an agricultural machine that has a chemical tank and a chemical ejection port and sprays chemicals, has a plurality of sensors and detects the discharge amount of the chemicals by means of the sensors. The sensors may be any among: pressure sensors for measuring the ejection pressure of the chemicals; pressure sensors provided in the vicinity of a pump and measuring the ejection pressure of the chemicals ejected downstream; pump sensors for measuring the rotation speed of a rotor inside the pump; and flow sensors for measuring the flow rate of the chemicals.

Description

Drug ejection control system, method, and computer program

The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) for spraying chemicals such as agricultural chemicals on a field, and more particularly to a drone with improved safety, a control method thereof, and a program.

Applications of small unmanned helicopters (multicopters) generally called drones are progressing. One of the important application fields is spraying of chemicals such as agricultural chemicals and liquid fertilizers on agricultural land (field) (for example, Patent Document 1). In Japan, where the farmland is small compared to the West, it is often appropriate to use drones rather than manned airplanes and helicopters.

With the technology such as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System and RTK-GPS (Real Time Time Kinematic-Global Positioning System), the drone can know the absolute position of its own aircraft accurately in centimeters during flight. Even in farmland with a narrow and complex terrain typical in Japan, it is possible to fly autonomously with a minimum of manual maneuvering, and to disperse medicines efficiently and accurately.

On the other hand, there were cases where it was difficult to say that safety considerations were sufficient for autonomous flying drones for spraying agricultural chemicals. A drone loaded with drugs weighs several tens of kilograms, which can have serious consequences in the event of an accident such as falling on a person. Moreover, since the operator of the drone is usually not an expert, a foolproof mechanism is necessary, but this has not been sufficiently considered. Until now, drone safety technology that presupposes maneuvering by humans has existed (for example, Patent Document 2), but it addresses the safety issues specific to autonomous flight drones, especially for agricultural chemical spraying There was no technology to do this. In addition, there has been no technology for autonomously detecting an abnormality on the premise that a medicine is sprayed on a field in an agricultural machine for spraying medicine.

Patent Publication Gazette Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-120151 Patent publication gazette JP, 2017-163265, A Patent Publication Gazette JP-A-2006-001485

An object of the present invention is to accurately control the discharge of a drug in an agricultural machine that sprays the drug and to increase the safety of the drug spray.

In order to achieve the above object, a medicine discharge control system according to the present invention is provided in an agricultural machine that has a medicine tank for storing medicine and a discharge port for discharging the medicine, and sprays the medicine, A system for controlling the discharge of the medicine, a first pressure sensor that measures the discharge pressure of the medicine, a second pressure sensor that is provided in the vicinity of the pump and that measures the discharge pressure of the medicine discharged downstream A pressure sensor, a pump sensor that measures the number of rotations of a rotor that sucks the drug from the drug tank and discharges it downstream in a pump that discharges the drug stored in the drug tank downstream, or a flow rate of the drug Any one of a plurality of sensors, and the discharge amount of the medicine is detected by any one of the sensors.

Further, a first determination processing unit that determines abnormal discharge of the medicine by any one of the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, the pump sensor, or the flow rate sensor, It is good also as what has.

The first determination processing unit may determine an abnormal discharge based on a pressure loss calculated from the discharge pressure of the medicine measured by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor. Good.

In addition, the first determination processing unit is configured to determine the discharge pressure of the medicine measured by the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor and the rotational speed of the rotor measured by the pump sensor. Based on this, it is also possible to determine the ejection abnormality.

The first determination may further include a drug type determination sensor that determines a type of the drug stored in the drug tank, and an input reception unit that receives an input of information related to the type of the drug. The processing unit may further determine a setting abnormality based on the type of the drug determined by the drug type determination sensor and the information related to the type of the drug received by the input receiving unit.

The first determination processing unit further includes a nozzle type determination sensor that determines a type of a nozzle attached to the discharge port of the medicine, and an input reception unit that receives an input of information related to the type of the medicine. Furthermore, based on the information on the medicine type determined in advance according to the type of the nozzle determined by the nozzle type determination sensor and the information on the type of medicine received by the input receiving means, a setting abnormality is detected. It may be determined.

In addition, it further includes a medicine type determination sensor that determines the type of the medicine stored in the medicine tank, and a nozzle type determination sensor that determines the type of the nozzle attached to the discharge port of the medicine, The first determination processing unit further determines the type of the medicine determined in advance according to the type of the medicine determined by the medicine type determination sensor and the type of the nozzle determined by the nozzle type determination sensor. Based on this, a setting abnormality may be determined.

The first determination processing unit may further include a first retraction control unit that causes the agricultural machine to take a retreat action when it is determined that the ejection abnormality or the setting abnormality has occurred.

In addition, the first determination processing unit may further include a first blocking mechanism that blocks the discharge of the medicine when it is determined that the discharge is abnormal or the setting is abnormal.

Moreover, it is good also as what has further the 2nd judgment process part which judges the dispersion | distribution abnormality of the said chemical | medical agent.

Further, the apparatus further includes an altitude measuring means for measuring the altitude of the agricultural machine, and the second determination processing unit determines that an abnormal state occurs when the altitude of the agricultural machine exceeds a predetermined altitude. It may be a thing.

Moreover, it has a speed measurement means which measures the speed of the said agricultural machine, and said 2nd judgment process part judges that it is in an abnormal state when the speed of the said agricultural machine becomes below predetermined speed. It may be a thing.

Further, the apparatus further comprises a wind speed measuring means for measuring the wind speed around the agricultural machine, and the second determination processing unit is abnormal when the wind speed around the agricultural machine becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined wind speed. It is good also as what judges a state.

Further, the apparatus further comprises a temperature / humidity measuring means for measuring the ambient temperature and humidity of the agricultural machine, and the second determination processing unit is configured such that the ambient temperature of the agricultural machine is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and the humidity is higher. It may be determined as an abnormal state when the humidity is equal to or lower than a predetermined humidity.

In addition, the second determination processing unit may further include a second retraction control unit that causes the agricultural machine to perform a retreat action when it is determined as an abnormal state.

In addition, the second determination processing unit may further include a blocking mechanism that blocks the discharge of the medicine when it is determined as an abnormal state.

In addition, the detection of the discharge amount of the medicine by any one of the sensors may be performed constantly during use of the agricultural machine.

The agricultural machine may be a drone.

Further, a medicine discharge control method according to another aspect of the present invention is provided in an agricultural machine having a medicine tank for storing medicine and a discharge port for discharging the medicine, and spraying the medicine, A system for controlling the discharge of a medicine, a first pressure sensor that measures the discharge pressure of the medicine, a second pressure sensor that is provided in the vicinity of the pump and that measures the discharge pressure of the medicine discharged downstream A pressure sensor, a pump sensor for measuring the number of rotations of a rotor that sucks the medicine from the medicine tank and discharges the medicine downstream in a pump for discharging the medicine stored in the medicine tank downstream, or a flow rate of the medicine A system having any one of a plurality of sensors for measuring a flow rate sensor detects the discharge amount of the medicine by any one of the sensors. Management, to run.

A computer program according to still another aspect of the present invention is provided in an agricultural machine that has a medicine tank for storing medicine and a discharge port for discharging the medicine, and sprays the medicine. A system for controlling discharge, the first pressure sensor for measuring the discharge pressure of the medicine, the second pressure sensor for measuring the discharge pressure of the medicine to be discharged downstream, provided in the vicinity of the pump A pump sensor that measures the number of rotations of a rotor that sucks the medicine from the medicine tank and discharges the medicine downstream in the pump that discharges the medicine stored in the medicine tank downstream, or measures the flow rate of the medicine A computer program executed by a system having any one of a plurality of sensors. Processing for detecting the discharge amount of the drug by either a plurality of sensors of the chromatography, to execution.
The computer program can be provided by downloading via a network such as the Internet or can be provided by being recorded on various readable recording media.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in the agricultural machine which spreads a chemical | medical agent, the safety | security of chemical | medical agent spreading can be improved.

It is a top view of the example of the drone for medicine distribution which carries the medicine discharge control system concerning the invention in this application. It is a front view of the Example of the drone for chemical | medical agent dispersion | distribution which mounts the discharge control system of the chemical | medical agent which concerns on this invention. It is a right view of the Example of the drone for chemical | medical agent dispersion | distribution which mounts the discharge control system of the chemical | medical agent which concerns on this invention. 1 is an example of an overall conceptual diagram of a medicine dispensing system using an embodiment of a medicine dispensing drone equipped with a medicine discharge control system according to the present invention. It is the schematic diagram showing the control function of the Example of the drone for chemical | medical agent distribution which mounts the discharge control system of the chemical | medical agent which concerns on this invention. It is the schematic diagram showing the structure of the discharge control system of the chemical | medical agent which concerns on this invention. It is a functional block diagram showing a part of function with which the discharge control system of medicine concerning the present invention is provided. It is a processing flow figure showing an example of processing performed by the discharge control system of medicine concerning the invention in this application. It is a functional block diagram showing a part of function with which the discharge control system of medicine concerning the present invention is provided. It is a processing flow figure showing an example of processing performed by the discharge control system of medicine concerning the invention in this application.

Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. All figures are exemplary.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the drone 100 according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof (viewed from the traveling direction side), and FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof. In the specification of the present application, drone refers to power means (electric power, prime mover, etc.) and control method (whether wireless or wired, autonomous flight type or manual control type). First, it shall refer to an aircraft in general having a plurality of rotor blades or flying means.

The rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also called rotor) are means for flying the drone 100 Considering the balance between flight stability, airframe size, and battery consumption, it is desirable to have 8 aircraft (4 sets of 2-stage rotor blades).

The motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b are connected to the rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101- 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b Rotating means (typically an electric motor, but it may be a motor), one for each rotor blade It is desirable that The upper and lower rotors (for example, 101-1a and 101-1b) in one set and their corresponding motors (for example, 102-1a and 102-1b) are used for drone flight stability, etc. It is desirable that the axes are collinear and rotate in opposite directions. Although some of the rotor blades 101-3b and the motor 102-3b are not shown, their positions are self-explanatory and are in the positions shown if there is a left side view. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the radial member for supporting the propeller guard provided so that the rotor does not interfere with the foreign object is desirably a horizontal structure rather than horizontal. This is to prevent the member from buckling and deforming to the rotor side at the time of collision and to prevent interference with the rotor.

The drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 are means for spraying the drug downward, and it is preferable that four nozzles are provided. In addition, in this specification, a chemical | medical agent generally refers to the liquid or powder disperse | distributed to agricultural fields, such as an agricultural chemical, a herbicide, liquid fertilizer, an insecticide, a seed | species, and water.

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

FIG. 4 shows an overall conceptual diagram of a system using an embodiment of the drug spraying application of the drone 100 according to the present invention. This figure is a schematic diagram, and the scale is not accurate. The controller 401 is a means for transmitting a command to the drone 100 by an operation of the user 402 and displaying information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, amount of medicine, remaining battery level, camera image, etc.). Yes, it may be realized by a portable information device such as a general tablet terminal that runs a computer program. The drone 100 according to the present invention is desirably controlled so as to perform autonomous flight, but it is desirable that a manual operation can be performed at the time of basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in an emergency. In addition to the portable information device, an emergency operating device (not shown) that has a dedicated emergency stop function may be used (the emergency operating device has a large emergency stop button etc. so that it can respond quickly in an emergency) It is desirable to be a dedicated device with It is desirable that the controller 401 and the drone 100 perform wireless communication using Wi-Fi or the like.

The field 403 is a rice field, a field, or the like that is a target of drug spraying by the drone 100. Actually, the topography of the field 403 is complicated, and a topographic map cannot be obtained in advance, or the topographic map and the situation at the site may be different. Usually, the farm 403 is adjacent to houses, hospitals, schools, other crop farms, roads, railways, and the like. Further, there may be an obstacle such as a building or an electric wire in the field 403.

The base station 404 is a device that provides a base unit function of Wi-Fi communication, etc., and preferably functions as an RTK-GPS base station so that the exact position of the drone 100 can be provided (Wi-Fi The communication master unit and the RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices). The farming cloud 405 is typically a computer group operated on a cloud service and related software, and is desirably wirelessly connected to the controller 401 via a mobile phone line or the like. The farming cloud 405 may analyze the image of the field 403 taken by the drone 100, grasp the growth status of the crop, and perform processing for determining the flight route. In addition, the drone 100 may be provided with the topographic information and the like of the stored farm 403. In addition, the history of the flight of the drone 100 and the captured video may be accumulated and various analysis processes may be performed.

Usually, the drone 100 takes off from the landing point 406 outside the field 403 and returns to the landing point 406 after spraying the medicine on the field 403 or when it is necessary to refill or charge the medicine. The flight route (intrusion route) from the landing point 406 to the target field 403 may be stored in advance in the farming cloud 405 or the like, or may be input by the user 402 before the takeoff starts.

The schematic diagram showing the control function of the Example of the drone for chemical distribution which concerns on FIG. 5 at this invention is shown. The flight controller 501 is a component that controls the entire drone. Specifically, the flight controller 501 may be an embedded computer including a CPU, a memory, related software, and the like. The flight controller 501 receives motors 102-1a and 102-1b via control means such as ESC (Electronic Speed Control) based on input information received from the pilot 401 and input information obtained from various sensors described below. , 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, and 104-b are controlled to control the flight of the drone 100. The actual rotational speed of motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, and 104-b is fed back to the flight controller 501, and normal rotation is performed. It is desirable to have a configuration that can monitor whether Alternatively, a configuration in which an optical sensor or the like is provided on the rotor blade 101 and the rotation of the rotor blade 101 is fed back to the flight controller 501 may be employed.

The software used by the flight controller 501 is desirably rewritable through a storage medium or the like for function expansion / change, problem correction, or through communication means such as Wi-Fi communication or USB. In this case, it is desirable to protect by encryption, checksum, electronic signature, virus check software, etc. so that rewriting by illegal software is not performed. Further, a part of calculation processing used for control by the flight controller 501 may be executed by another computer that exists on the pilot 401, the farming cloud 405, or in another place. Since the flight controller 501 is highly important, some or all of the components may be duplicated.

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

The flight controller 501 communicates with the pilot 401 via the Wi-Fi slave function 503 and further via the base station 404, receives necessary commands from the pilot 401, and sends necessary information to the pilot. It is desirable to be able to send to 401. In this case, it is desirable to encrypt the communication so that it is possible to prevent illegal acts such as interception, spoofing, and takeover of the device. The base station 404 preferably has an RTK-GPS base station function in addition to a Wi-Fi communication function. By combining the signal from the RTK base station and the signal from the GPS positioning satellite, the GPS module 504 can measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of about several centimeters. Since the GPS module 504 is highly important, it is desirable to duplicate or multiplex, and each redundant GPS module 504 should use a different satellite in order to cope with the failure of a specific GPS satellite. It is desirable to control.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the acceleration of the drone body (further, means for calculating the speed by integrating the acceleration), and is preferably a 6-axis sensor. The geomagnetic sensor 506 is a means for measuring the direction of the drone body by measuring geomagnetism. The atmospheric pressure sensor 507 is a means for measuring atmospheric pressure, and can indirectly measure the altitude of the drone. The laser sensor 508 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone body and the ground surface using the reflection of laser light, and it is preferable to use an IR (infrared) laser. The sonar 509 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone body and the ground surface using reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected according to drone cost targets and performance requirements. Further, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the inclination of the aircraft, a wind sensor for measuring wind force, and the like may be added. In addition, these sensors are preferably duplexed or multiplexed. When there are a plurality of sensors having the same purpose, the flight controller 501 may use only one of them, and when a failure occurs, it may be switched to an alternative sensor. Alternatively, a plurality of sensors may be used at the same time, and when each measurement result does not match, it may be considered that a failure has occurred.

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

The flight controller 501 transmits a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the medicine discharge amount and stop the medicine discharge. It is desirable that the current situation (for example, the rotational speed) of the pump 106 is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The LED 107 is a display means for informing the drone operator of the drone status. Display means such as a liquid crystal display may be used instead of or in addition to the LED. The buzzer 518 is an output means for notifying a drone state (particularly an error state) by an audio signal. The Wi-Fi handset function 519 is an optional component for communicating with an external computer or the like for software transfer or the like, separately from the controller 401. In place of or in addition to the Wi-Fi handset function, other wireless communication means such as infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection May be used. The speaker 520 is an output means for notifying a drone state (particularly an error state) by a recorded human voice or synthesized voice. Depending on the weather conditions, it may be difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 during the flight, and in such a case, the situation transmission by voice is effective. The warning light 521 is a display unit such as a strobe light that notifies the drone state (particularly an error state). These input / output means may be selected according to drone cost targets and performance requirements, and may be duplexed / multiplexed.

In an agricultural drone that sprays medicines or the like by autonomous flight, maintaining the altitude and speed upper limit of the drone is extremely important for maintaining safety. This is because the user 402 is not always attached to the controller 401 and is operating the drone 100. If the altitude of the drone 100 exceeds the predetermined altitude, the impact at the time of a ground collision in the event of a fall may exceed the safety regulations (in the unlikely event that it may cause serious damage when it collides with a person) . In addition, it is desirable to limit the altitude in order to minimize the scattering (drift) of the drug outside the target field. Similarly, if the speed of the drone 100 exceeds a predetermined speed, it can be a big problem in terms of safety. In addition to falling, impacts when colliding with obstacles (especially humans) may exceed safety standards.

In order to comply with safety standards, it is desirable that the drone 100 according to the present invention includes altitude measurement means, speed measurement means, or both for input to the flight controller 501. In addition, a weight measuring means may be provided. It is desirable that the flight controller 501 receives the measured information as input and controls the motor 102 so that the drone 100 does not exceed a predetermined limit altitude, a predetermined limit speed, or both.

(Altitude measurement)
It is desirable that the drone 100 according to the present invention measures the aircraft altitude using a plurality of sensors. For measurement of altitude, a combination of GPS 504, 6-axis gyro sensor 505, barometric pressure sensor 507, sonar 509, and laser sensor 508 may be used. Alternatively, the distance to the ground may be measured by providing the multispectral camera 512 or the obstacle detection camera 513 with a passive autofocus function. In this case, it is desirable to duplicate or multiplex measuring instruments and sensors in preparation for failure. Duplexing / multiplexing may be performed by using a plurality of sensors of the same type, may be performed by using a plurality of sensors in combination, or may be performed by both.

For example, the sonar 509 can perform accurate measurement when the field 403 is the ground, but is difficult when the field 403 is water (in this case, the laser sensor 508 is appropriate). Since there are advantages and disadvantages depending on the measurement method, it is desirable to use a plurality of types of sensors together. In addition, in the event of disturbance of GPS radio waves, abnormality of the base station, etc., even if the GPS 504 is multiplexed, it will be an obstacle, so it is desirable to provide altitude measuring means other than GPS.

In particular, it is desirable to use the GPS 504 for the initial altitude measurement at takeoff and the sonar 509 during the flight. GPS504 can make the most accurate measurement, but only absolute height can be measured, so it is impossible to measure accurate ground altitude in uneven field 403 such as irrigation channels, while Sonar 509 measures ground altitude to measure the distance to the ground. This is because it can be measured. During level flight, measurements are made using both GPS504 and Sonar 509, and the results are compared. If the difference is within a predetermined threshold (for example, 10 centimeters), the measured value of GPS504 is used for altitude measurement. May be determined that the unevenness of the field 403 is large, and the measurement value of the sonar 509 may be used for altitude measurement.

Note that GPS504 is an indispensable function for grasping the drone's flight position anyway, so if GPS504 does not function during takeoff due to malfunction or disturbance, control (interlock) prohibiting drone takeoff is performed. It is desirable to do so. In addition, if GPS stops functioning due to interruption of radio waves from GPS satellites during flight, temporary interruption of communication, or reception interruptions due to communication interference, the drone 100 will fly over on the spot. It is desirable to perform control to stop (hover). If the GPS does not function even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the hovering may be stopped and the drone 100 may be softly landed on the spot, or returned to the landing point 406 or the like. At this time, an error message may be displayed on the controller 401 and the user 402 may be instructed.

By using the altitude information measured by these altitude measuring means as input to the flight control means of the drone 100, the drone 100 can be operated within the restricted altitudes defined by laws and regulations, safety standards, etc. It is possible to fly with.

When the altitude is measured by the GPS 504, it is desirable to set the limit altitude low compared to the case where the sonar 509 is measuring. While GPS measures the absolute value of the drone 100 altitude, sonar 509 measures the distance between the drone 100 and the surface of the earth, so allowance for the restricted altitude considering the height of the terrain. This is because it is desirable. For example, when the limit altitude at the time of measurement using the sonar 509 is 2 meters, the limit altitude at the time of measurement using the GPS 504 may be 1.5 meters.

In addition to the absolute altitude limit of the drone 100, the ascent rate (altitude change over time) may be limited. This is because if the ascent rate is not limited, there is a risk that the drone 100 may temporarily exceed the limit altitude due to sensor measurement delay, flight controller 501 processing delay, and the like. In this case, when the altitude is measured by the GPS 504, the upper limit value of the ascending speed may be set lower than when the altitude is measured by another method such as the sonar 509. This is because the GPS 504 may not be able to measure temporarily due to radio wave disturbances or positioning satellite conditions, so the risk of the drone temporarily exceeding the restricted altitude increases.

(Speed limit)
The drone 100 according to the present invention may measure the aircraft speed using a plurality of sensors. For speed measurement, 6-axis gyro sensor 505 (speed can be obtained by integration of acceleration), GPS Doppler 504-3 (measurement of aircraft speed by processing the phase difference of radio waves from multiple GPS base stations with software) Or changes in absolute coordinates measured by the GPS 504 may be used. In this case, it is desirable to duplicate or multiplex measuring instruments and sensors in preparation for failure. Duplexing or multiplexing is preferably performed within the same system and between different systems. For example, if GPS cannot be used due to radio wave disturbance or positioning satellite failure, the entire failure will occur if only GPS is duplicated.

By using the speed information measured by these altitude measuring means as the input to the flight controller 501, the drone 100 can be operated within the speed limit defined by laws and regulations, safety standards, etc. It is possible to fly at a speed of 20 km / h.

(Weight measurement)
In the case of a typical drone 100 pesticide spray, the weight of the drug is over 10 kilograms. Since the weight of the fuselage only is typically about 25 kilograms, there is a big difference in the overall weight at the start of spraying and near the end of spraying. The altitude and speed of the drone 100 may be adjusted according to changes in the overall weight. For example, if the safety standards stipulate the impact force on the surface of the drone 100 when it falls naturally, the impact force is determined by altitude, speed, and weight (proportional to the square of speed and proportional to altitude and weight) Therefore, the altitude limit may be increased when the aircraft weight is light. Similarly, the speed limit may be increased when the aircraft weight is light. Alternatively, the limit altitude may be set low when the flight speed is fast, and the limit speed may be set slow when the flight altitude is high.

The body weight may be estimated using the acceleration measured by the 6-axis gyro sensor 505 or the acceleration as a differential value of the speed measured by means such as the GPS Doppler 504-3 or the GPS 504. When the vehicle is ascending, if the thrust of the motor 102 is T, the acceleration of gravity is g, and the measured acceleration of the aircraft is α, the weight M of the entire aircraft can be obtained as M = T / (α + g). Since the thrust T of the motor 102 is determined by the number of revolutions of the motor, and the flight controller 501 can measure the number of revolutions of the motor, the weight of the aircraft can be estimated. If the motor rotation speed cannot be measured directly, the target rotation speed commanded by the flight controller 501 to the motor 102 may be regarded as the motor rotation speed, and the thrust may be estimated therefrom.

Alternatively, the weight of the aircraft may be estimated by measuring the inclination of the aircraft of the drone 100 during the uniform speed flight. The inclination of the airframe may be directly measured by providing a gyro sensor, or may be estimated by differentiating the measured value of the 6-axis type 6-axis gyro sensor 505 twice. During constant-velocity horizontal flight, the aircraft's air resistance, gravity, and thrust from the rotor blades are balanced. Air resistance is a function of the aircraft's flight speed, thrust by the rotor blades is a function of the number of revolutions of the motor, and gravity is a function of the weight of the aircraft, so weight is the inclination of the aircraft, the number of revolutions of the motor, If the flight speed is known, it can be estimated. A wind sensor may be provided and the air resistance coefficient may be corrected by the wind force and the wind direction.

In addition, since the greatest factor that changes weight during flight is the amount of drug, the level of the drug is measured by the level sensor in the drug tank, and the remaining amount of drug is measured. You may estimate the weight of the whole body. In this case, the weight of the entire aircraft may be estimated by providing a water pressure sensor in the medicine tank and estimating the weight of the medicine in the medicine tank.

6 and 7 show the configuration and function of a medicine ejection control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The medicine discharge control system according to the present embodiment is provided in an agricultural machine for spraying medicine, particularly in this example, the medicine spraying drone 100, and controls medicine discharge accurately and detects medicine discharge abnormality. .
In the present embodiment, in the case of “discharging abnormality” of a medicine, the medicine discharge abnormality actually occurs, and in addition to a state where a medicine exceeding a specified value is being discharged, such a medicine discharging abnormality occurs. This includes a preparation state that has a fear and a setting abnormality state in which a drug different from the spraying schedule is actually sprayed or is likely to be sprayed.

As described above, the medicine tank 104 is a tank for storing the medicine to be sprayed.
The medicine tank 104 is provided with an openable / closable lid for filling the medicine or taking out the stored medicine. An open / close sensor 104a capable of detecting an open / close state is attached to the openable / closable lid. The open / close sensor 104a can be constituted by, for example, a magnet attached to the lid and a sensor attached to the main body and sensing the magnetic force and contact of the magnet. Thereby, the open / closed state of the lid is determined, the user can recognize the open / closed state of the lid, and the situation where the medicine is sprayed while the lid is open can be prevented.

The medicine tank 104 is provided with a medicine type discrimination sensor 104b. The medicine type discrimination sensor 104b can discriminate the type of medicine stored in the medicine tank 104.
The medicine type discrimination sensor 104b is constituted by, for example, a device capable of measuring the viscosity, conductivity, or pH of the medicine in the medicine tank 104, and the value of each measured item and the reference value for each medicine And the type of medicine can be determined.

For example, if a cartridge type drug tank is used as the drug tank 104, an IC or the like in which the drug type data is recorded is attached to the cartridge type drug tank. By providing means for acquiring data, the type of medicine can be determined.

Here, since there are cases where a plurality of types of drugs are used, it is useful to determine whether or not a drug scheduled to be sprayed is stored in the drug tank 104. In particular, the particle size of the drug varies depending on the type. If a drug with a particle size smaller than the drug intended to be sprayed is accidentally sprayed, drift (scattering of the drug other than the target) will occur. , Adhesion) is high and cannot be overlooked.

The medicine tank 104 is provided with a liquid shortage sensor 511 for detecting the liquid shortage of the medicine. In addition, when the medicine runs out, it includes not only the case where the medicine runs out, but also the case where the amount of medicine falls below a predetermined amount, and detects the running out of medicine according to an arbitrarily set amount. Can do.

It should be noted that a medicine transpiration detection function and a temperature / humidity measurement function in the medicine tank 104 may be provided in the medicine tank 104 so that the medicine is managed in an appropriate state.

The pump 106 discharges the medicine stored in the medicine tank 104 downstream, and each medicine nozzle 103-1, 103-2, via the medicine hose 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, 105-4, Send to 103-3, 103-4.
Note that the medicine is delivered from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4. In the description of the present embodiment, the medicine is delivered along this delivery path. Is referred to as the downstream direction, and the opposite direction may be referred to as the upstream direction. A part of the medicine is sent again from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine tank 104 through the three-way valve 122. In this route, the three-way valve 122 side is referred to as a downstream direction, and the medicine tank 104 side is referred to as an upstream direction. Yes.

The expansion tank 141 is a tank for temporarily storing the medicine delivered from the three-way valve 122 and returning it to the medicine tank 104.
A path from the three-way valve 122 to the drug tank 104 via the expansion tank 141 is a path for removing (defoaming) bubbles in the drug. By circulating this path and temporarily storing it in the expansion tank 141, the defoaming of the medicine can be performed.

The check valves 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 deliver the drug only in a certain direction and in the direction opposite to the certain direction. This is a valve for preventing the inflow, that is, the back flow. The check valves 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 are provided from the drug tank 104 to the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3. , 103-4 plays a role of a blocking mechanism that blocks the discharge of the drug, and if it can play a role of blocking the discharge of the drug, the other mechanism such as an electromagnetic valve is used as the blocking mechanism You can also.

In this example, the check valve 121-1 is provided between the drug tank 104 and the pump 106, in the vicinity of the drug discharge port provided in the drug tank 104, and the check valve 121-2 is provided with the three-way valve 122 and the drug. The nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 are provided, and check valves 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 are provided to discharge the medicine 103a- 1, 103a-2, 103a-3, 103a-4, and a check valve 121-3 is provided between the three-way valve 122 and the expansion tank 141. The check valve 121-1 controls the medicine sent out from the medicine tank 104 in the downstream direction so that it cannot flow back to the medicine tank 104. The check valve 121-2 controls the medicine sent from the pump 106 in the downstream direction so that it cannot flow back to the pump 106. Further, the check valve 121-3 controls the medicine sent from the three-way valve 122 in the upstream direction where the expansion tank 141 is present and prevents the backflow to the three-way valve 122. Furthermore, the check valves 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 can block the discharge of medicine from the discharge ports 103a-1, 103a-2, 103a-3, 103a-4. I have to.
Various check valves 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7, such as swing type, lift type, and wafer type, are used. It is not limited to a specific one. Regardless of this example, more check valves may be provided in appropriate locations than in this example.

The three-way valve 122 is provided between the pump 106 and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and from the pump 106 to the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, A branch point between the path connected to 103-4 and the path connected from the pump 106 to the drug tank 104 via the expansion tank 141 is configured, and the drug is sent to each path according to the switching operation.
Here, the path leading from the pump 106 to the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 causes the drug to be discharged from the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. It is a route for spraying medicine.
Further, the path leading from the pump 106 to the medicine tank 104 via the expansion tank 141 is a path for removing (defoaming) bubbles in the medicine as described above.

The flow sensor 510 is provided between the pump 106 and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and is sent to the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. Measure the drug flow rate. Based on the flow rate of the medicine measured by the flow sensor 510, the amount of the medicine spread on the field 403 can be grasped.

The pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2 are provided at the discharge port of the drug and measure the discharge pressure of the drug discharged from the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 to the outside.
The pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2 are provided on the downstream side of the pump 106, and measure the discharge pressure of the medicine discharged downstream.
By measuring the discharge pressure of the drug by these pressure sensors 111-1, 111-2, the discharge pressure of the drug obtained from each pressure sensor 111-1, 111-2 and / or each pressure sensor 111-1, Based on the value of pressure loss obtained from the measurement value of 111-2, it is possible to accurately grasp the discharge state of the drug, judge discharge abnormalities such as excessive discharge of the drug, and control the discharge of the drug it can.

The pump sensor 106a measures the number of rotations of the rotor that sucks the drug from the drug tank 104 and discharges it downstream in the pump 106.
By measuring the number of rotations of the rotor of the pump 106 by the pump sensor 106a, the amount of the medicine delivered by the pump 106 can be grasped, and an abnormal discharge such as excessive discharge of the medicine can be determined, or the discharge of the medicine can be determined. Can be controlled.

The nozzle type discrimination sensors 114-1, 114-2, 114-3, 114-4 discriminate the types of the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 attached to the drug discharge ports. be able to.
Due to the difference in particle diameter for each sprayed drug, the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 are usually used in accordance with the drug. Therefore, by determining whether the types of the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 are appropriate, it is possible to prevent the wrong medicine from being sprayed.

Specifically, for example, a mechanism for fitting or engaging with the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 is provided at the discharge port, and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103 are provided. -3, 103-4 is a mechanism that fits or engages with the spout-side fitting or engagement mechanism, and includes a plurality of drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 A differently shaped mechanism is provided for each. When the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 are attached to the discharge ports, different shapes are identified for the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. By doing so, the types of the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 can be determined.

In addition, in the middle of the path from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, a discharge port with a cock for discharging medicine stored in the path to the outside (Indicated as “DRAIN” in FIG. 6). For example, after the spraying of the medicine on the field 403 is finished, when discharging the medicine accumulated in the path from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, The drug can be discharged from this discharge port.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the flight controller 501 includes a first determination processing unit 11, a first control unit 12, a threshold information storage unit 22, and an input receiving unit 501a for determining a drug ejection abnormality. Have.
In FIG. 7, only functions necessary for the medicine ejection control in the present embodiment are shown as the functions of the flight controller 501.

The first control unit 12 causes the drone 100 to take a predetermined safety action when it is determined as a result of the determination process by the first determination processing unit 11 described later that a medicine ejection abnormality or a setting abnormality has occurred. .
Here, the predetermined safety action is a evacuation action if in flight, and a flight regulation measure if it is in a pre-flight preparation state.

The evacuation action includes, for example, a normal landing operation, an air stop such as hovering, and “emergency return” that moves immediately to a predetermined return point by the shortest route. The predetermined return point is a point that is previously stored in the flight controller 501, for example, a point that has taken off. The predetermined return point is a land point where the user 402 can approach the drone 100, for example, and the user 402 can check the drone 100 that has reached the return point or manually carry it to another location. can do.
Further, the evacuation action may be a “normal return” that moves to a predetermined return point by an optimized route. The optimized route is, for example, a route that is calculated with reference to a route in which medicine is dispersed before receiving a normal feedback command. For example, the drone 100 moves to a predetermined return point while spraying the drug via a route where the drug is not yet sprayed.
Further, the retreating action includes “emergency stop” in which all the rotary blades are stopped and the drone 100 is dropped downward from the spot.

The flight regulation measure is a measure that regulates the flight in a pre-flight preparation stage, and rejects the flight instruction of the user or requests the user to check the state.
When a flight regulation measure is taken, it may be controlled so that it cannot fly unless an abnormality is confirmed or maintained.

The first control unit 12 is not limited to the case where an abnormality occurs in the drone 100, and can control to a predetermined discharge amount and flow rate based on the discharge amount and flow rate of the medicine measured by each sensor.

The threshold information storage unit 22 is a storage unit that stores a threshold value serving as a reference for pressure, flow rate, and the like in determination processing by the first determination processing unit 11 described later.

The input receiving unit 501a can receive input of various types of information such as information related to the type of medicine.
The first determination processing unit 11 can execute the following first to sixth determination processes. The flow of each determination process is as shown in FIG. 8, and each process will be described based on this.

The first determination processing unit 11 can determine a discharge abnormality based on the discharge pressure of the medicine measured by the pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2 as the first determination process. Specifically, when the discharge pressure of the medicine measured by the pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it can be determined that the discharge is abnormal.

That is, the first determination processing unit 11 acquires information relating to the discharge pressure of the medicine as a status (S101), and compares the predetermined value stored in the threshold information storage unit 22 with the status to determine an ejection abnormality ( S102). As a result, if it is determined that the discharge is abnormal, the first control unit 12 takes a predetermined safety action (S103).

Further, as a second determination process, a discharge abnormality is determined based on the pressure loss calculated from the discharge pressure measured by the pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2. Specifically, the pressure loss is calculated from the difference between the discharge pressure of the medicine measured by the pressure sensor 111-1 and the discharge pressure of the medicine measured by the pressure sensor 111-2, and the pressure loss is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. If there is, it can be determined that the discharge is abnormal. By determining the discharge abnormality based on the pressure loss, it is possible to detect a drug leakage abnormality between the internal three-way valve 122 and the pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2.

That is, the first determination processing unit 11 acquires information on the discharge pressure of the medicine as the status (S101), calculates the pressure loss, and compares it with the predetermined value stored in the threshold information storage unit 22. Abnormality is judged (S102). As a result, if it is determined that the discharge is abnormal, the first control unit 12 takes a predetermined safety action (S103).

Further, as a third determination process, a discharge abnormality is determined based on the rotation speed of the rotor in the pump 106 measured by the pump sensor 106a. Specifically, it is possible to determine that the discharge is abnormal when the rotational speed of the rotor measured by the pump sensor 106a is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, it is presumed that the rotor is in an over-rotating state, so that it can be determined that a medicine exceeding the safe discharge amount is being sprayed.

That is, the first determination processing unit 11 acquires information related to the number of rotations of the rotor in the pump 106 as a status (S101), and compares the predetermined value stored in the threshold information storage unit 22 with the status for discharge. Abnormality is judged (S102). As a result, if it is determined that the discharge is abnormal, the first control unit 12 takes a predetermined safety action (S103).

Further, as a fourth determination process, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormal state based on the drug type determined by the drug type determination sensor 104b and the information related to the drug type received by the input receiving unit 501a. Specifically, if the type of the drug determined by the drug type determination sensor 104b is different from the type of the drug received by the input unit, it is assumed that there is a possibility that an unscheduled drug may be sprayed. It can be judged.

That is, the first determination processing unit 11 acquires information on the type of drug from each of the drug type determination sensor 104b and the input reception unit 501a as the status (S101), and compares these to determine whether or not there is an abnormal state. Judgment is made (S102). As a result, when it is determined that the state is abnormal, the first control unit 12 takes a predetermined safety action (S103).

Further, as the fifth determination process, the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 determined by the nozzle type determination sensors 114-1, 114-2, 114-3, 114-4 are used. Whether or not there is an abnormal state is determined based on the type of medicine determined in advance according to the type of information and the information related to the type of medicine received by the input receiving unit 501a. Specifically, the types of medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 determined by the nozzle type determination sensors 114-1, 114-2, 114-3, and 114-4, and the input When the type of medicine received by the means is different, it is possible to determine that there is a possibility that unscheduled medicine may be sprayed, and that it is an abnormal state.

That is, the first determination processing unit 11 uses, as the status, the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3 determined by the nozzle type determination sensors 114-1, 114-2, 114-3, 114-4. , Information on the type of medicine predetermined according to the type of 103-4 and the type of medicine received by the input receiving unit 501a is acquired (S101), and these are compared to determine whether or not there is an abnormal state. Judgment is made (S102). As a result, when it is determined that the state is abnormal, the first control unit 12 takes a predetermined safety action (S103).

Further, as a sixth determination process, the type of medicine determined by the medicine type determination sensor 104b and the drug nozzle 103- determined by the nozzle type determination sensors 114-1, 114-2, 114-3, 114-4 are used. It is determined whether or not there is an abnormal state based on the type of medicine determined in advance according to the types of 1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4. Specifically, the type of medicine determined by the medicine type determination sensor 104b and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103- determined by the nozzle type determination sensors 114-1, 114-2, 114-3, 114-4. 2. If the predetermined drug type differs depending on the type of 2, 103-3, 103-4, it may be determined that there is a risk of unscheduled drug spraying and that it is an abnormal condition it can.

That is, the first determination processing unit 11 is determined as the status by the drug type determined by the drug type determination sensor 104b and the nozzle type determination sensors 114-1, 114-2, 114-3, 114-4. Information on the type of medicine determined in advance according to the type of medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 is acquired (S101), and these are compared to determine whether or not there is an abnormal state. Is determined (S102). As a result, when it is determined that the state is abnormal, the first control unit 12 takes a predetermined safety action (S103).

In the determination process for abnormal drug discharge in the drug discharge control system, the drug discharge pressure measured by the pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2, the pressure sensor 111-1 and the pressure sensor 111-2 are measured. The pressure loss calculated from the difference in the discharge pressure of the medicine, the number of rotations of the rotor in the pump 106 measured by the pump sensor 106a, and the medicine flow rate measured by the flow sensor 510 are used in combination. You can also For example, the number of rotations of the rotor in the pump 106, the flow rate of the drug measured by the flow sensor 510, the discharge pressure of the drug measured by the pressure sensors 111-1, 111-2, and the pump measured by the pump sensor 106a The number of rotations of the rotor in 106, the pressure loss calculated from the difference between the discharge pressures of the drugs measured by the pressure sensor 111-1 and the pressure sensor 111-2, the drug flow rate measured by the flow sensor 510, etc. A plurality of detection information is used. By comparing the information acquired by the plurality of sensors, it is possible to determine a drug ejection abnormality from the ratio. For example, if the discharge pressure measured by the pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2 is smaller or larger than the normal time with respect to the flow rate of the drug measured by the flow sensor, a drug discharge abnormality has occurred. Can be judged. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine an abnormal discharge of the medicine and to take a safety action such as a retreat action or a safety regulation measure.

Of the operations of the discharge control system described above, in the first to third determination processes, it is basically determined that the excessive discharge of the medicine is an abnormal discharge. This is because if the amount of medicine sprayed on the field 403 exceeds the specified value, there may be concerns about the surrounding environment and the safety of the crops that have been sprayed with the medicine may be impaired. Since there is no such concern, it is determined that excessive discharge is an abnormal discharge. On the other hand, in the discharge control system according to the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the pressure measured from the pressure sensors 111-1, 111-2 and the pump sensor 106a and the rotational speed of the pump rotor are below a predetermined value. Thus, it is possible to identify a shortage of medicine discharge and determine that this is a discharge abnormality.

The medicine discharge control executed by each sensor and the first determination processing unit 11 is preferably configured as a redundant system that is always executed, but is configured to be executed intermittently at a predetermined timing. You can also

In this embodiment, or in other embodiments, the flight controller 501 may include a second determination processing unit 13 for determining an abnormality in the distribution of medicines.
It should be noted that the drug dispersion abnormality judged here is mainly caused by drug drift (spray of the drug outside the target field), but the drug is locally sprayed even within the field 403. Is also included in spraying abnormalities.

When determining an abnormality in the distribution of the medicine, statuses such as altitude, speed, wind speed, temperature, humidity, and position of the drone 100 are used as basic data for determination. For these statuses, the drug has a small particle size, especially when using a small particle size, the higher the altitude (for example, 2 m or more), the higher the possibility that the drug will be scattered to an unintended location. It becomes impossible to attach to crops on the ground with high accuracy. In addition, the slower the speed (for example, 5 km / h or less), the higher the possibility that the drug is locally dispersed and the concentration of the drug is locally increased. In addition, the higher the wind speed, the higher the possibility that the medicine will be scattered outside the target. As for temperature and humidity, the higher the temperature and the lower the humidity, the easier the sprayed drug itself dries, and the moisture of the drug sprayed on the field 403 evaporates, resulting in dry drug particles. Is likely to scatter outside the field 403. In addition, when the drone 100 goes out of the field 403, the drug is naturally sprayed on the field 403.
In order to acquire these statuses, as shown in FIG. 9, the drone 100 includes an altitude measuring unit 131, a speed measuring unit 132, a wind speed measuring unit 133, a temperature / humidity measuring unit 134, a position measuring unit 135, and a threshold information storage unit. 136 and a second control unit 137 are provided.

Similar to the threshold information storage unit 22, the threshold information storage unit 136 is a storage unit that stores a threshold value serving as a reference such as a pressure and a flow rate in the determination process by the second determination processing unit 13 described later.
Further, the second control unit 137 causes the drone 100 to take a predetermined safety action when it is determined that the drone 100 is in an abnormal state as a result of the determination process by the second determination processing unit 13 described later.
The predetermined safety action in the second control unit 137 is a retreat action if in flight, and a flight regulation measure if it is in a pre-flight preparation state. The retreat action and the flight regulation measures are the same as those by the first control unit 12 described above. The second control unit 137 is not limited to the case where an abnormality occurs in the drone 100, and can be controlled to a predetermined discharge amount and flow rate based on the discharge amount and flow rate of the medicine measured by each sensor.

The functions required directly for the processing executed by the second determination processing unit are as shown in FIG. 9, and the second determination processing unit 13 makes the following first to fifth functions by these functional units. Judgment processing can be executed. The flow of each determination process is as shown in FIG. 10, and each process will be described based on this.

The second determination processing unit 13 can determine whether or not there is an abnormal state based on the altitude of the drone 100 measured by the altitude measuring unit 131 as the first determination processing. Specifically, when the altitude of the drone 100 measured by the altitude measuring unit 131 is equal to or higher than a predetermined altitude, it can be determined as an abnormal state.

That is, the second determination processing unit 13 acquires information related to the altitude of the drone 100 as a status (S201), and determines whether or not it is in an abnormal state in comparison with a predetermined value stored in the threshold information storage unit 136. (S202). As a result, when it is determined that the state is abnormal, the second control unit 137 causes a predetermined safety action to be taken (S203).

Further, as the second determination process, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormal state based on the speed of the drone 100 measured by the speed measuring unit 132. Specifically, when the speed of the drone 100 measured by the speed measuring unit 132 is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed, it can be determined that the abnormal state.

In other words, the second determination processing unit 13 acquires information related to the speed of the drone 100 as the status (S201), and determines whether or not it is in an abnormal state in comparison with a predetermined value stored in the threshold information storage unit 136. (S202). As a result, when it is determined that the state is abnormal, the second control unit 137 causes a predetermined safety action to be taken (S203).

Further, as a third determination process, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormal state based on the wind speed measured by the wind speed measuring unit 133. Specifically, when the wind speed measured by the wind speed measuring unit 133 is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, it can be determined that the state is abnormal.

In other words, the second determination processing unit 13 acquires information relating to the wind speed as a status (S201), and determines whether or not there is an abnormal state in comparison with a predetermined value stored in the threshold information storage unit 136 (S202). . As a result, when it is determined that the state is abnormal, emergency measures are taken (S203).
The third determination process can be executed not only during the flight but also at the pre-flight preparation stage, and if it is determined that the vehicle is in an abnormal state, measures may be taken to restrict the flight.

Further, as the fourth determination process, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormal state based on the temperature and humidity measured by the temperature and humidity measurement unit 134. Specifically, regarding the temperature and humidity measured by the temperature and humidity measurement unit 134, it can be determined that the temperature is not lower than a predetermined value and the humidity is not higher than a predetermined value.

That is, the second determination processing unit 13 acquires information related to temperature and humidity as a status (S201), and determines whether or not an abnormal state is compared with a predetermined value stored in the threshold information storage unit 126 (S202). ). As a result, when it is determined that the state is abnormal, the second control unit 137 causes a predetermined safety action to be taken (S203).
The fourth determination process can be executed not only during the flight but also at the pre-flight preparation stage, and if it is determined that the vehicle is in an abnormal state, measures may be taken to restrict the flight.

Regarding the fourth determination process, the temperature / humidity measurement unit 134 may be provided in the drone 100 itself, but is provided in the vicinity of the communication base station and the field 403, which is acquired by the drone 100 by communication. It is good.

Further, as the fifth determination process, it is possible to determine whether or not the abnormal state is based on the position of the drone 100 measured by the position measurement unit 135. Specifically, the position of the drone 100 grasped by the position measurement unit 135 can be determined as an abnormal state when the position is the field 403.
The position measuring unit 135 can be realized by, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System).

That is, the second determination processing unit 13 acquires information related to the position of the drone 100 as a status (S201), and is in an abnormal state as compared with position information such as coordinates of the field 403 stored in the threshold information storage unit 136. It is determined whether or not (S202). As a result, when it is determined that the state is abnormal, the second control unit 137 causes a predetermined safety action to be taken (S203).

According to the above embodiment, in an agricultural machine such as the drone 100 that sprays a medicine, the discharge or the dispersion of the medicine can be accurately recognized by each sensor, and the safety of the medicine can be improved. .

It should be noted that the detection of abnormal drug distribution executed by each sensor and the second determination processing unit 13 is preferably configured as a redundant system that is always executed, but is intermittently executed at a predetermined timing. It can also be configured.

In the above-described embodiment, when an abnormal state is determined, the check valve 121 provided in the path from the drug tank 104 to the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4. -1, 121-2, 121-3, 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 may be forcibly closed to prevent the medicine from being discharged.

In the above embodiment, the first determination processing unit 11 and the second determination processing unit 13 are provided in the flight controller 501 of the drone 100, but not limited thereto, the flight controller 501 via a predetermined communication line. The server or the like that acquired the data may include the determination processing unit, and the determination process may be executed by the server or the like.

Although the example of the drone for the purpose of spraying the drug has been described, the present invention is applicable to, for example, an agricultural drone that monitors the growth by a camera and a general drone without spraying the drug.

(Technologically significant effect of the present invention)
According to the present invention, the safety of spraying medicine can be improved in an agricultural machine for spraying medicine. In particular, each sensor can automatically and immediately detect an abnormal discharge of the medicine, so that the abnormal discharge of the medicine can be prevented in advance, and the actual discharge abnormality of the medicine can be quickly dealt with.
Further, it can be widely applied to various agricultural machines for spraying medicine.

Claims (20)

1. Agricultural machinery having a medicine tank for storing medicine and a discharge port for discharging the medicine, and spraying the medicine,
   A system for controlling the discharge of the medicine,
   A first pressure sensor for measuring the discharge pressure of the medicine; a second pressure sensor for measuring a discharge pressure of the medicine to be discharged downstream; and the medicine stored in the medicine tank. A sensor for a pump that measures the number of rotations of a rotor that sucks the drug from the drug tank and discharges the drug downstream in a pump that discharges downstream, or a flow rate sensor that measures the flow rate of the drug. Have
   Detecting the discharge amount of the medicine by any one of the sensors;
   Drug discharge control system.
2. A first determination processing unit configured to determine abnormal discharge of the medicine by any one of the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, the pump sensor, and the flow rate sensor; ,
   The medicine discharge control system according to claim 1.
3. The first determination processing unit determines a discharge abnormality based on a pressure loss calculated from a discharge pressure of the medicine measured by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.
   The medicine discharge control system according to claim 2.
4. The first determination processing unit is based on the discharge pressure of the medicine measured by the first pressure sensor or the second pressure sensor and the rotational speed of the rotor measured by the pump sensor. Judgment of abnormal discharge,
   The medicine discharge control system according to claim 2.
5. A drug type determination sensor for determining the type of the drug stored in the drug tank;
   Input receiving means for receiving input of information relating to the type of the medicine,
   The first determination processing unit further determines a setting abnormality based on the type of the drug determined by the drug type determination sensor and the information related to the type of the drug received by the input receiving unit.
   The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
6. A nozzle type determination sensor for determining the type of nozzle attached to the discharge port of the medicine;
   Input receiving means for receiving input of information relating to the type of the medicine,
   The first determination processing unit further relates to the type of the medicine determined in advance according to the type of the nozzle determined by the nozzle type determination sensor and the type of the medicine received by the input receiving unit. Based on the information, determine the setting abnormality,
   The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 2 to 5.
7. A drug type determination sensor for determining the type of the drug stored in the drug tank;
   A nozzle type determination sensor for determining the type of nozzle attached to the discharge port of the medicine,
   The first determination processing unit further includes a type of the drug determined in advance according to the type of the drug determined by the drug type determination sensor and the type of the nozzle determined by the nozzle type determination sensor. To determine the setting abnormality based on
   The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 2 to 5.
8. The first determination processing unit further includes a first control unit that causes the agricultural machine to take a predetermined safety action when it is determined as an ejection abnormality or a setting abnormality.
   The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 2 to 7.
9. A first blocking mechanism that blocks the discharge of the medicine when the first determination processing unit determines that the discharge is abnormal or the setting is abnormal.
   The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 2 to 8.
10. A second determination processing unit for determining a spraying abnormality of the medicine;
    The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
11. An altitude measuring means for measuring the altitude of the agricultural machine,
    The second determination processing unit determines an abnormal state when an altitude of the agricultural machine is equal to or higher than a predetermined altitude.
    The medicine discharge control system according to claim 10.
12. A speed measuring means for measuring the speed of the agricultural machine;
    The second determination processing unit determines an abnormal state when the speed of the agricultural machine is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed.
    The medicine discharge control system according to claim 10.
13. Wind speed measuring means for measuring the wind speed around the agricultural machine,
    The second determination processing unit determines an abnormal state when the wind speed around the agricultural machine becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined wind speed.
    The medicine discharge control system according to claim 10.
14. Temperature and humidity measuring means for measuring the ambient temperature and humidity of the agricultural machine;
    The second determination processing unit determines an abnormal state when the ambient temperature of the agricultural machine is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and the humidity is equal to or lower than a predetermined humidity.
    The medicine discharge control system according to claim 10.
15. A second control means for causing the agricultural machine to take a predetermined safety action when it is determined by the second determination processing unit to be in an abnormal state;
    The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 10 to 14.
16. A shut-off mechanism that shuts off the discharge of the medicine when the second judgment processing unit judges that it is an abnormal state;
    The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 10 to 15.
17. Detection of the discharge amount of the medicine by any one of the sensors is always performed during use of the agricultural machine.
    The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 1 to 16.
18. The agricultural machine is a drone,
    The medicine discharge control system according to any one of claims 1 to 17.
19. A system for controlling the discharge of the drug, which is provided in an agricultural machine that has a drug tank for storing the drug and a discharge port for discharging the drug and sprays the drug,
    A first pressure sensor for measuring the discharge pressure of the medicine; a second pressure sensor for measuring a discharge pressure of the medicine to be discharged downstream; and the medicine stored in the medicine tank. A sensor for a pump that measures the number of rotations of a rotor that sucks the drug from the drug tank and discharges the drug downstream in a pump that discharges downstream, or a flow rate sensor that measures the flow rate of the drug. The system that has
    A process of detecting the amount of the medicine discharged by any one of the sensors.
    A method for controlling the discharge of a medicine.
20. A system for controlling the discharge of the drug, which is provided in an agricultural machine that has a drug tank for storing the drug and a discharge port for discharging the drug and sprays the drug,
    A first pressure sensor for measuring the discharge pressure of the medicine; a second pressure sensor for measuring a discharge pressure of the medicine to be discharged downstream; and the medicine stored in the medicine tank. A sensor for a pump that measures the number of rotations of a rotor that sucks the drug from the drug tank and discharges the drug downstream in a pump that discharges downstream, or a flow rate sensor that measures the flow rate of the drug. A computer program executed by a system having:
    For the system
    A process of detecting the discharge amount of the medicine by any one of the sensors.
    Computer program.
    
    

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