WO2020209255A1 - Drone system, drone, control device, drone system control method, and drone system control program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a drone system for safely executing a task by using a plurality of drones. [Solution] A drone system (500) comprising at least a plurality of drones (100) that fly within a task area (403a) and execute a task, and a control device (40) that determines the operations of the plurality of drones (100), wherein the control device is equipped with a flight planning unit (42) that determines a flight plan for the plurality of drones such that at least a prescribed distance is maintained between the plurality of drones simultaneously in flight. The plurality of drones comprises a first drone (100a) that flies in a first task area (403c) which is part of the task area, and a second drone (100b) that flies in a second task area (100b) which is part of the task area outside of the first task area.

Description

Drone system, drone, control device, drone system control method, and drone system control program

The present invention relates to a drone system, a drone, a control device, a drone system control method, and a drone system control program.

The application of small helicopters (multicopters) generally called drones is advancing. One of the important application fields is spraying chemicals such as pesticides and liquid fertilizers on farmland (fields) (for example, Patent Document 1). In Japan, where farmland is small compared to Europe and the United States, it is often appropriate to use drones instead of manned airplanes and helicopters.

Technologies such as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic-Global Positioning System) have made it possible for drones to accurately know the absolute position of their aircraft in centimeters during flight. Even in the typical narrow and complicated terrain of farmland, it is possible to fly autonomously with minimal manual maneuvering and to spray chemicals efficiently and accurately.

On the other hand, there were cases where it was difficult to say that safety was sufficiently considered for autonomous flying drones for agricultural chemical spraying. Since the drone carrying the drug weighs several tens of kilograms, it can have serious consequences in the event of an accident such as falling onto a person. In addition, since the operator of the drone is usually not an expert, a foolproof mechanism is necessary, but consideration for this is insufficient. Until now, there have been drone safety technologies that are premised on human maneuvering (for example, Patent Document 2), but in particular, they address safety issues peculiar to autonomous flying drones for spraying chemicals for agriculture. There was no technology to do this.

In addition, when multiple drones work, a system is required to carry out the work safely and efficiently without the multiple drones colliding.

In Patent Document 3, the inter-vehicle distance monitoring control means for monitoring the distance between a plurality of moving bodies determines whether or not the distance between the moving bodies is separated by a preset allowable interval or more, and is separated by the allowable interval or more. If it is determined that there is no such thing, the mobile equipment for stopping the running of all the moving bodies is disclosed.

Patent Document 4 relates to at least one of automatic transporters that can cause interference when it is determined that interference can occur between a plurality of mobile transporters based on the carrier information and the route information. A mobile robot control system that changes route information so as to avoid interference is disclosed.

Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-120151 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-163265 Patent No. 4461391 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-134794

Providing a drone system that carries out work safely and efficiently with multiple drones.

In order to achieve the above object, the drone system according to one aspect of the present invention includes at least a plurality of drones that fly in a work area to perform work and a control device that determines the operation of the plurality of drones. Including a drone system, the control device includes a flight planning unit that determines flight plans for the plurality of drones so that the distance between the plurality of drones flying at the same time is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

The work area is a work area designated by the operator before the flight, and the flight planning unit divides the designated work area among the plurality of drones to fly, and the plurality of flights simultaneously fly. The flight plan in which the distances between the drones are equal to or greater than a predetermined value may be generated before the plurality of drones start flying.

The plurality of drones include a first drone that flies in a first work area that is a part of the work area, an area other than the first work area in the work area, and a part of the first work area. The flight planning department includes a second drone that flies in a second work area including the above, so that the distance between the first drone and the second drone at each time during flight is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. , The first flight plan in which the first drone flies in the first work area and the second flight plan in which the second drone flies in the second work area may be formulated.

The plurality of drones fly a first drone that flies in a first work area that is a part of the work area, and a second that flies in a second work area that is an area other than the first work area in the work area. Including the drone, the flight planning department determines that the first flight in which the first drone flies in the first work area so that the distance between the first drone and the second drone is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. A plan and a second flight plan in which the second drone flies over the second work area may be formulated.

The first drone and the second drone fly along the first and second round-trip routes that reciprocate and scan the work area, respectively, and the first and second round-trip routes are the same in the work area. It may be planned in the same direction starting from the end edge.

The flight plan formulation department formulates a flight plan so that when the first drone and the second drone fly on the same flight path, the flight directions of the first drone and the second drone are the same. It may be the one to do.

The flight planning department sets each starting point at a point where any of the distance, the battery capacity used, and the amount of drug used is approximately equal when the plurality of drones fly on the same flight path. It may be set.

The control device formulates a departure / arrival plan for the interrupted drone that is suspending the work among the plurality of drones to fly between the interruption point in the work area and the departure / arrival point outside the work area. The departure / arrival plan formulation department may formulate a departure / arrival plan for the suspended drone so that the distance between the suspended drone and the other drone is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The departure / arrival planning unit is such that the interruption drone flies between the interruption point and the end point of the work area in the work area where the work has been completed by any of the other drones. It may be used to formulate an arrival / departure plan for.

The flight planning department may suspend the drone working in the work area when the suspended drone enters the work area where the work of the drone has not been completed.

When the suspended drone enters the work area where the work of the drone has not been completed, the flight planning department decides whether to suspend the drone based on the information of the drone working in the work area. It may be used to determine whether or not.

The drone information may include at least one of the distance between the suspended drone and the working drone, and the flight speed of the suspended drone and the working drone.

The departure / arrival plan formulation department may make the flight routes included in the departure / arrival plans of the plurality of drones different from each other.

The departure / arrival plan formulation department may make the flight altitude included in the flight plan and the departure / arrival plan different between the drone being worked on and the suspended drone.

The departure / arrival planning department may make the flight altitude of the suspended drone higher than that of the drone being operated.

The work performed by the plurality of drones is a chemical spraying work, and in the flight plan created by the flight plan formulation unit, at least a part of the drones has a part of a section of the flight plan. The flight planning department includes a spray stop flight section in which the drug spraying operation is stopped and flies, so that the distance between the drone flying in the spray stop flight section and the other drones is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. The flight plan for flying in the spray stop flight section may be formulated.

The flight plan formulation unit may formulate the flight plan so as to fly in the work area where the work has been completed by any of the other plurality of drones in the spray stop flight section. ..

The flight planning department suspends the drone working in the work area when the drone flying in the spray stop flight section enters the work area where the work of other drones has not been completed. May be formulated.

The flight plan formulation department may make the flight altitude included in the flight plan different between the drone during the spraying work and the drone flying in the spray stop flight section.

The flight planning department may make the flight altitude of the drone flying in the spray stop flight section higher than that of the drone during the spraying work.

In order to achieve the above object, the control method of the drone system according to another aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of drones that fly in a work area to perform work, and a control device that determines the operation of the plurality of drones. A method of controlling a drone system including, at least, including a flight planning step of determining a flight plan of the plurality of drones so that the distance between the plurality of drones flying at the same time is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

In order to achieve the above object, the control program of the drone system according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of drones that fly in a work area to perform work, and a control device that determines the operation of the plurality of drones. When,
Is a control program of a drone system including at least, and causes a computer to execute a flight planning command for determining a flight plan of the plurality of drones so that the distance between the plurality of drones flying at the same time is equal to or more than a predetermined distance. ..

In order to achieve the above object, the drone according to still another aspect of the present invention is a drone that can fly in a work area and perform work, which can receive communication from a control device that determines the operation of the drone. Based on the flight plan received from the control device, the flight is controlled so that the distance from other drones flying at the same time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

In order to achieve the above object, the control device according to still another aspect of the present invention is a control device that determines the operation of a plurality of drones that fly in a work area and perform work, and the plurality of control devices that fly at the same time. A flight planning unit for determining flight plans for the plurality of drones is provided so that the distance between the drones is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

Note that the computer program can be provided by downloading via a network such as the Internet, or can be recorded and provided on various computer-readable recording media such as a CD-ROM.

It is possible to carry out work safely and efficiently with multiple drones.

It is a top view of the drone which the drone system which concerns on this invention has. It is a front view of the said drone. It is a right side view of the above drone. It is a rear view of the said drone. It is a perspective view of the said drone. It is an overall conceptual diagram of the said drone system. It is an overall conceptual diagram which shows the 2nd Embodiment of the said drone system. It is an overall conceptual diagram which shows the 3rd Embodiment of the said drone system. It is a schematic diagram which showed the control function of the said drone. It is a conceptual diagram which shows a mode that a plurality of the said drones fly in a field. It is a functional block diagram concerning the function which controls the movement of a plurality of the said drones which the control device which concerns on the said drone and the present invention has. It is a conceptual diagram showing how a plurality of the drones fly in a field, (a) a conceptual diagram showing how the plurality of the drones are flying in different flight paths, and (b) the plurality of the drones are the same. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the state of flying in the flight path of. It is a conceptual diagram which shows another example in which a plurality of the said drones fly a field. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of a flight route when the said drone flies over a field of a distorted shape.

Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. All figures are illustrations. In the following detailed description, certain details are given for illustration purposes and to facilitate a complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, embodiments are not limited to these particular details. Also, for simplification of the drawings, well-known structures and devices are outlined.

First, the drone configuration of the drone system according to the present invention will be described. In the specification of the present application, the drone is regardless of the power means (electric power, motor, etc.) and the maneuvering method (wireless or wired, autonomous flight type, manual maneuvering type, etc.). It refers to all air vehicles with multiple rotor blades.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the rotors 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also called rotors) are It is a means for flying the Drone 100, and is equipped with eight aircraft (four sets of two-stage rotor blades) in consideration of the balance between flight stability, aircraft size, and power consumption. Each rotor 101 is arranged on all sides of the main body 110 by an arm protruding from the main body 110 of the drone 100. That is, the rotors 101-1a and 101-1b are left rearward in the direction of travel, the rotors 101-2a and 101-2b are forward left, the rotors 101-3a and 101-3b are rearward right, and the rotor 101- is forward right. 4a and 101-4b are arranged respectively. In addition, the drone 100 has the traveling direction facing downward on the paper in FIG. Rod-shaped legs 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, 107-4 extend downward from the rotation axis of the rotor 101, respectively.

Motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b are rotary blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101- It is a means to rotate 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (typically an electric motor, but it may also be a motor, etc.), and one machine is provided for each rotary blade. Has been done. The motor 102 is an example of a thruster. The upper and lower rotors (eg, 101-1a and 101-1b) in one set and their corresponding motors (eg, 102-1a and 102-1b) are used for drone flight stability, etc. The axes are on the same straight line and rotate in opposite directions. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the radial member for supporting the propeller guard provided so that the rotor does not interfere with foreign matter has a rather wobbling structure rather than a horizontal structure. This is to encourage the member to buckle outside the rotor in the event of a collision and prevent it from interfering with the rotor.

The drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 are means for spraying the drug downward and are equipped with four machines. In the specification of the present application, the term "pharmaceutical" generally refers to a liquid or powder sprayed in a field such as a pesticide, a herbicide, a liquid fertilizer, an insecticide, a seed, and water.

The drug tank 104 is a tank for storing the sprayed drug, and is provided at a position close to the center of gravity of the drone 100 and at a position lower than the center of gravity from the viewpoint of weight balance. The drug hoses 105-1, 105-2, 1053, 105-4 are means for connecting the drug tank 104 and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and are rigid. It may be made of the above material and also serve to support the drug nozzle. The pump 106 is a means for discharging the drug from the nozzle.

FIG. 6 shows an overall conceptual diagram of a system using an embodiment of the drone 100 for chemical spraying according to the present invention. This figure is a schematic view, and the scale is not accurate. In the figure, the drone 100, the actuator 401, the small mobile terminal 401a, and the base station 404 are connected to the farming cloud 405, respectively. These connections may be wireless communication by Wi-Fi, mobile communication system or the like, or may be partially or wholly connected by wire.

The actuator 401 is a means for transmitting a command to the drone 100 by the 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 controlled to perform autonomous flight, but may be capable of manual operation during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in an emergency. In addition to the portable information device, an emergency operation device (not shown) having a function dedicated to emergency stop may be used. The emergency manipulator may be a dedicated device provided with a large emergency stop button or the like so that an emergency response can be taken quickly. Further, apart from the actuator 401, the system may include a small mobile terminal 401a capable of displaying a part or all of the information displayed on the actuator 401, for example, a smart phone. Further, it may have a function of changing the operation of the drone 100 based on the information input from the small mobile terminal 401a. The small mobile terminal 401a is connected to, for example, the base station 404, and can receive information and the like from the farming cloud 405 via the base station 404.

Field 403 is a rice field, field, etc. that is the target of chemical spraying by the drone 100. In reality, the terrain of the field 403 is complicated, and the topographic map may not be available in advance, or the topographic map and the situation at the site may be inconsistent. Normally, field 403 is adjacent to houses, hospitals, schools, other crop fields, roads, railroads, and the like. In addition, intruders such as buildings and electric wires may exist in the field 403.

The base station 404 is a device that provides a master unit function for Wi-Fi communication, etc., and may also function as an RTK-GPS base station so that it can provide an accurate position of the drone 100 (Wi-). The base unit function of Fi communication and the RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices). In addition, the base station 404 may be able to communicate with the farming cloud 405 using mobile communication systems such as 3G, 4G, and LTE.

The farming cloud 405 is typically a group of computers operated on a cloud service and related software, and may be wirelessly connected to the actuator 401 by 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 growing condition of the crop, and perform a process for determining the flight route. In addition, the topographical information of the stored field 403 may be provided to the drone 100. In addition, the history of the flight and captured images of the drone 100 may be accumulated and various analysis processes may be performed.

The small mobile terminal 401a is, for example, a smart phone or the like. On the display of the small mobile terminal 401a, information on expected operations regarding the operation of the drone 100, more specifically, the scheduled time when the drone 100 will return to the departure / arrival point 406, and the work to be performed by the user 402 at the time of return Information such as contents is displayed as appropriate. Further, the operation of the drone 100 may be changed based on the input from the small mobile terminal 401a. The small mobile terminal 401a can receive information from the drone 100.

Normally, the drone 100 takes off from the departure / arrival point 406 outside the field 403 and returns to the departure / arrival point 406 after spraying the chemicals on the field 403 or when it becomes necessary to replenish or charge the chemicals. The flight route (invasion route) from the departure / arrival 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 start of takeoff.

As in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, in the drug spraying system of the drone 100 according to the present invention, the drone 100, the actuator 401, the small mobile terminal 401a, and the farming cloud 405 are connected to the base station 404, respectively. It may have a configuration that is

Further, as in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 8, in the drug spraying system of the drone 100 according to the present invention, the drone 100, the actuator 401, and the small mobile terminal 401a are each connected to the base station 404 and operated. Only the vessel 401 may be connected to the farming cloud 405.

As shown in Fig. 9, the drone 100 flies over the fields 403a and 403b and carries out the work in the field. In the present embodiment, a plurality of drones 100a and 100b (hereinafter, also referred to as the first drone 100a and the second drone 100b) fly simultaneously in one field 403a (example of a work area), and each of them performs work. .. The first drone 100a and the second drone 100b have a first flight plan and a second flight plan to fly in the field 403a, respectively, and work according to the first and second flight plans. The first flight plan includes the operation of flying the first driving path 51 set in the first work area 403c, which is a part of the field 403a. The second flight plan includes an operation of flying the second driving path 52 set in the second work area 403d, which is an area other than the first work area 403c in the field 403a. Drones 100a and 100b spray chemicals and photograph the inside of field 403a while flying along the first and second driving routes 51 and 52.

The first driving route 51 and the second driving route 52 are routes for flying all over the field, for example, a route reciprocating in the field. A drone that flies along the first driving route 51 and the second driving route 52 and performs work in the field is also called a work drone.

The first operation route 51 includes a start point 51s, a worked route 51a, an unworked route 51b, and an end point 51e. The first drone 100a starts flying from the starting point 51s and flies to the ending point 51e. The route that the drone 100a has already flown is the worked route 51a, and the route that the drone 100a plans to fly is the unworked route 51b. Similarly, the second operation path 52 includes a start point 52s, a work path 52a, an unworked path 52b, and an end point 52e. The second drone 100b starts flying from the starting point 52s and flies to the ending point 52e. The route that the drone 100b has already flown is the worked route 52a, and the route that the drone 100b plans to fly is the unworked route 52b.

Outside the field 403, there is a departure / arrival point 406 where the drone 100 takes off and landing. The departure / arrival point 406 is an area for takeoff and landing planned for the drone 100, and may be a virtually partitioned area, or a visible takeoff / landing platform may be installed. The takeoff / landing platform may be a stationary platform or a moving body.

The drone 100 takes off from the departure / arrival point 406, enters the field 403 from the approach point 60 of the field 403, and performs the work in the field 403. In addition, the drone 100 exits from the exit point 61 of the field 403 and returns to the departure / arrival point 406. A drone that goes back and forth from the departure / arrival point 406 to the break point in the field without performing work in the field is also called a break drone. That is, the drone 100 carries out work in the field while switching between a work drone and an interrupted drone according to the situation during flight.

Entry point 60 and exit point 61 are defined virtual points. According to the configuration in which the drone 100 enters from the same approach point 60, the out-of-field approach route 61i from the departure / arrival point 406 to the field 403 can be unified, giving a sense of security to the user 402 outside the field 403. it can. In addition, according to the configuration in which the drone 100 exits from the same exit point 61, it is possible to unify the field exit route 61o from the field 403 to the departure / arrival point 406, giving a sense of security to the user 402 outside the field 403. be able to.

The drone 100 enters from the approach point 60, and further moves in the field 403 to the point where the work is started or restarted through the field approach route 62i. In addition, the drone 100 moves from the interruption point at which the work is interrupted or terminated to the exit point 61 through the field exit route 62o. The out-of-field approach route 61i, the approach point 60, and the in-field approach route 62i constitute the approach route 60i. The out-of-field exit route 61o, the exit point 61, and the in-field exit route 62o constitute the exit route 60o.

In the present embodiment, the entry point 60 and the exit point 61 are substantially the same point. According to this configuration, by unifying the out-of-field entry route 61i and the out-of-field exit route 61o, the user 402 can be further reassured.

Drone 100 takes off from the departure / arrival point 406 and carries out work in fields 403a and 403b. During the work in the fields 403a and 403b, the drone 100 interrupts the work as appropriate and returns to the departure / arrival point 406 to replenish the battery 502 and the medicine.

FIG. 10 shows a block diagram showing a control function of an embodiment of the drug spraying drone according to the present invention. The flight controller 501 is a component that controls the entire drone, and may be an embedded computer including a CPU, memory, related software, and the like. The flight controller 501 uses motors 102-1a and 102-1b via control means such as ESC (Electronic Speed Control) based on the input information received from the controller 401 and the input information obtained from various sensors described later. , 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b to control the flight of the drone 100. The actual rotation speeds of the motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b are fed back to the flight controller 501, and normal rotation is performed. It is configured so that it can be monitored. Alternatively, the rotary blade 101 may be provided with an optical sensor or the like so that the rotation of the rotary blade 101 is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The software used by the flight controller 501 can be rewritten through a storage medium for function expansion / change, problem correction, etc., or through communication means such as Wi-Fi communication or USB. In this case, protection is performed by encryption, checksum, electronic signature, virus check software, etc. so that rewriting by unauthorized software is not performed. In addition, a part of the calculation process used by the flight controller 501 for control may be executed by another computer located on the controller 401, the farming cloud 405, or somewhere else. Due to the high importance of the flight controller 501, some or all of its components may be duplicated.

The flight controller 501 communicates with the actuator 401 via the Wi-Fi slave unit function 503 and further via the base station 404, receives necessary commands from the actuator 401, and receives necessary information from the actuator 401. Can be sent to 401. In this case, the communication may be encrypted so as to prevent fraudulent acts such as interception, spoofing, and device hijacking. The base station 404 has the function of an RTK-GPS base station in addition to the communication function by Wi-Fi. By combining the signal from the RTK base station and the signal from the GPS positioning satellite, the flight controller 501 can measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of about several centimeters. Due to the high importance of the flight controller 501, it may be duplicated / multiplexed, and each redundant flight controller 501 should use a different satellite to handle the failure of a specific GPS satellite. It may be controlled.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the acceleration of the drone body in three directions orthogonal to each other, and further, a means for calculating the velocity by integrating the acceleration. The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the change in the attitude angle of the drone aircraft in the above-mentioned three directions, that is, the angular velocity. The geomagnetic sensor 506 is a means for measuring the direction of the drone body by measuring the geomagnetism. The barometric pressure sensor 507 is a means for measuring barometric pressure, and can also 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 by utilizing the reflection of the laser light, and may be an IR (infrared) laser. The sonar 509 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone aircraft and the ground surface by utilizing the reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone. In addition, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the inclination of the aircraft, a wind power sensor for measuring wind power, and the like may be added. Moreover, these sensors may be duplicated or multiplexed. If there are multiple sensors for the same purpose, the flight controller 501 may use only one of them, and if it fails, it may switch to an alternative sensor for use. Alternatively, a plurality of sensors may be used at the same time, and if the measurement results do not match, it may be considered that a failure has occurred.

The flow rate sensor 510 is a means for measuring the flow rate of the drug, and is provided at a plurality of locations on the route from the drug tank 104 to the drug nozzle 103. The liquid drain sensor 511 is a sensor that detects that the amount of the drug has fallen below a predetermined amount. The multispectral camera 512 is a means of photographing the field 403 and acquiring data for image analysis. The obstacle detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting obstacles, and is a device different from the multispectral camera 512 because the image characteristics and the lens orientation are different from those of the multispectral camera 512. The switch 514 is a means for the user 402 of the drone 100 to make various settings. The intruder 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 intruder such as an electric wire, a building, a human body, a tree, a bird, or another drone. .. The intruder contact sensor 515 may be replaced by a 6-axis gyro sensor 505. The cover sensor 516 is a sensor that detects that the operation panel of the drone 100 and the cover for internal maintenance are in the open state. The drug inlet sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the inlet of the drug tank 104 is in an open state. These sensors may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated or multiplexed. Further, a sensor may be provided at the base station 404, the actuator 401, or some other place outside the drone 100, and the read information may be transmitted to the drone. For example, a wind power sensor may be provided in the base station 404 to transmit information on the wind power and the wind direction to the drone 100 via Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 sends a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the drug discharge amount and stop the drug discharge. The current status of the pump 106 (for example, the number of revolutions, etc.) is fed back to the flight controller 501.

LED107 is a display means for notifying the drone operator of the drone status. Display means such as a liquid crystal display may be used in place of or in addition to the LED. The buzzer 518 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state) by an audio signal. The Wi-Fi slave unit function 519 is an optional component for communicating with an external computer or the like for transferring software, for example, in addition to the actuator 401. In place of or in addition to the Wi-Fi slave function, other wireless communication means such as infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection You may use it. Further, instead of the Wi-Fi slave unit function, mutual communication may be possible by a mobile communication system such as 3G, 4G, and LTE. The speaker 520 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state) by means of recorded human voice, synthetic voice, or the like. Depending on the weather conditions, it may be difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 in flight. In such cases, voice communication is effective. The warning light 521 is a display means such as a strobe light for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state). These input / output means may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated or multiplexed.

● Configuration of Drone and Control Device in Drone System As shown in FIG. 11, the drone system 500 includes a first drone 100a, a second drone 100b, and a control device 40. The drone 100, the first drone 100a, the second drone 100b, and the control device 40 are configured to be connected to each other, for example, via a network NW. The network NW may be all wireless, or part or all may be wired. Further, the specific connection relationship is not limited to the figure, and each configuration may be directly or indirectly connected. Since the first and second drones 100a and 100b have the same configuration as each other, they will be simply referred to as the drone 100 in the following description.

The control device 40 may be located anywhere in the drone system 500, but is located at, for example, the base station 404. Each drone 100 has a communication redundancy with the base station 404, and the connection is secured. The current position information of each drone 100 is input to the control device 40 via the communication function of the base station 404, and the flight plan and the departure / arrival plan formulated by the control device 40 are input to the control device 40 via the communication function of the base station 404. Is output to.

In this embodiment, there are two drones and one departure / arrival point, but each may be more than this. In addition, the number of drones and departure / arrival points may be the same, or the number may be different. Multiple drones can take off and land at any of the multiple departure and arrival points and can replenish resources. Note that resource replenishment is a concept that includes replenishment, replacement, and drug replenishment of the battery 502.

● Drone Drone 100 is equipped with a flight control unit 21, an on-board resource acquisition unit 22, an obstacle detection unit 23, and a battery 502, respectively.

The flight control unit 21 is a functional unit that operates the motor 102 of the drone 100 and controls the flight and takeoff and landing of the drone 100. The flight control unit 21 is realized by, for example, the function of the flight controller 501.

The on-board resource acquisition unit 22 is a functional unit that acquires the amount of resources installed in the drone 100, that is, the amount of electricity stored in the battery 502 and the amount of chemicals. The on-board resource acquisition unit 22 includes a storage amount acquisition unit 221 and a drug amount acquisition unit 222.

The electricity storage amount acquisition unit 221 is a functional unit that acquires the electricity storage amount of the battery 502 mounted on the drone 100. The amount of electricity stored in the battery 502 shall refer to the amount of energy that can operate the drone 100 without replenishing resources. The battery 502 may be any type of energy supply mechanism such as a primary battery, a secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

The electricity storage amount acquisition unit 221 may acquire information from another configuration for measuring the electricity storage amount of the battery 502, or the electricity storage amount acquisition unit 221 itself may measure the electricity storage amount of the battery 502.

The drug amount acquisition unit 222 is a functional unit that estimates the current storage amount of the drug in the drug tank 104. The drug amount acquisition unit 222 may estimate the stored amount from the weight of the drone 100 measured by the weight measuring unit 211a. Further, the drug amount acquisition unit 222 may have a function of estimating the liquid level in the drug tank 104, for example. The drug amount acquisition unit 222 may estimate the stored amount by using a liquid level gauge, a water pressure sensor, or the like arranged in the drug tank 104. When the drone 100 is in operation, the drug amount acquisition unit 222 integrates the discharge flow rate from the drug tank 104 measured by the flow rate sensor 510 to obtain the drug discharge amount, and the drug discharge amount is calculated from the initially loaded drug amount. May be estimated by subtracting.

The obstacle detection unit 23 is a functional unit that detects obstacles around the drone 100. The obstacle detection unit 23 is realized by, for example, an infrared sensor or a multispectral camera. When the obstacle detection unit 23 detects that the obstacle is within a predetermined range around the drone 100, the flight control unit 21 lands the drone 100.

● Control device The control device 40 is a functional unit that determines the operation of each of the multiple drones 100a and 100b. The control device 40 includes a drone information acquisition unit 41, a flight plan formulation unit 42, and a departure / arrival plan formulation unit 43.

The drone information acquisition unit 41 is a functional unit that acquires information on each of a plurality of drones 100. The drone information acquisition unit 41 acquires, for example, the position and state of the drone 100. The position of the drone 100 may include, in addition to the three-dimensional coordinates, information on whether the drone 100 is inside or outside the field 403. The state of the drone 100 includes information on the operating state of the drone 100, that is, whether the drone 100 is moving, hovering, or landing. It also includes information on whether the drone 100 is spraying the drug while it is moving within the field 403. In addition, the state of the drone 100 includes information on whether or not the drone 100 has a failure or abnormality. Abnormality refers to all events that hinder the flight of the drone 100 other than the failure of the drone 100 itself, and includes various events such as strong winds, extremely low and high temperatures, catching obstacles, and bird strikes.

The drone information acquisition unit 41 can distinguish whether the drone 100 is working in the field 403 or the work is interrupted. That is, the drone information acquisition unit 41 acquires information on whether the drone 100 is a work drone or an interrupted drone.

The drone information acquisition unit 41 can also acquire information on the amount of resources possessed by the drone 100 as the state of the drone 100. The resources possessed by the drone 100 include the flight energy of the drone 100, for example, the storage capacity of the battery 502. The flight energy of the drone 100 may be the amount of electricity stored by the ultracapacitor instead of the battery 502. Further, the resource possessed by the drone 100 includes a drug stored in the drug tank 104 of the drone 100.

The above-mentioned information acquired by the drone information acquisition unit 41 may be received directly or indirectly from the drone 100 on a regular basis, or information from the drone 100 when the state change or the amount of resources reaches a predetermined range. Is transmitted and may be configured to receive the information.

Flight plan formulation department 42 is a functional unit that formulates flight plans for multiple drones 100a and 100b. The flight plan formulation department 42 formulates the first flight plan for the first drone 100a and the second flight plan for the second drone 100b. The flight planning unit 42 determines the flight plans of the plurality of drones 100a and 100b so that the distances between the plurality of drones 100a and 100b flying at the same time are equal to or more than a predetermined distance. That is, the flight plan formulation unit 42 has a first flight plan in which the first drone 100a flies over the first field 403c and a second flight plan so that the distance between the first drone 100a and the second drone 100b is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. Formulate a second flight plan for the drone 100b to fly the second field 403d.

The fields 403c and 403d are areas designated by the operator before the flight, and the flight planning department 42 divides the designated work area between multiple drones 100a and 100b to fly, and a plurality of simultaneous flights. A flight plan in which the distance between the drones 100a and 100b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value may be generated before a plurality of drones start flying. According to this configuration, the control device 40 can formulate a flight plan and transmit it to the drones 100a and 100b before the flight, so that the calculation processing load of the drones 100a and 100b is reduced.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12A, the first drone 100a and the second drone 100b fly along the first and second round-trip routes that reciprocate and scan the field 403, respectively. Both the first and second round-trip routes are formed so as to proceed to the left while reciprocating up and down, starting from the lower right in the figure of the fields 403c and 403d as starting points 51s and 52s. According to this configuration, the distance between the drones 100a and 100b is maintained at a predetermined value or more, so that the risk of collision is reduced.

Further, the first and second round-trip routes are planned in the same direction, that is, from the lower side to the upper side in the figure, starting from the same end side of the fields 403c and 403d, here, the lower side in the figure. According to this configuration, the flight paths are in the same direction and the flight paths are not in opposite directions, so that the risk of head-on collision is reduced even if the flight paths are displaced due to wind or the like.

As shown in FIG. 12 (b), the flight planning unit 42 states that when a plurality of drones 100a, 100b, 100c fly on the same flight path, the flight directions of the plurality of drones 100a, 100b, 100c are the same. Develop a flight plan in the direction. When the drones 100a, 100b, and 100c fly on the same flight path, for example, when the drones 100a, 100b, and 100c spray different types of chemicals. This is because if the same flight paths are flown in opposite directions, a head-on collision may occur.

Multiple drones 100a, 100b, 100c start flying in the field from different starting points 52s, 52t, 52u, respectively. The starting points 52s, 52t, and 52u are points obtained by dividing the route from the starting point 52u, which corresponds to the end point of the flight path, to the turning point 52z, by the number of aircraft to fly. That is, in the present embodiment, the area from the starting point 52u to the turning point 52z is divided into three equal parts, and the equally divided points are the starting points 52t and 52u, respectively.

The start points 52s, 52t, and 52u may be set by dividing the route from the start point 52u to the turning point 52z into equal parts by the time considering the speed and the distance, instead of the current division according to the distance. .. This configuration prevents subsequent drones from catching up with and colliding with the previous drone.

Further, the starting points 52s, 52t, and 52u may be set so that the amount of battery or chemical used in each drone route is substantially equal. Work efficiency can be ensured by flying so that the batteries or chemicals of each drone are used up equally. The amount of battery or chemical used in each drone route may be equal at the time of flight planning, or may differ from each other within an acceptable range from the viewpoint of work efficiency and safety.

Note that the flight route determined by the Flight Planning Department 42 is not limited to the route that covers the areas where the routes of multiple drones do not overlap each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the same area 403e may be confused and the f second drone 100b may fly a part of the work area of the first drone 100a. That is, the flight path 53a of the first drone and a part of the flight path 53b of the second drone may overlap. In the flight in the overlapping route of the flight path 53a and the flight path 53b, the flight plan is made so that the distance of each drone at each time becomes more than a predetermined value based on the estimated passage time considering the distance of the flight path and the flight speed. Will be created.

The flight plan formulation department 42 may change the flight plan based on the departure / arrival route formulated by the departure / arrival plan formulation department 43, which will be described later. Specifically, when the route formulated by the departure / arrival plan formulation department 43 is the route for allowing the drone 100 to enter the field 403, the flight plan formulation department 42 determines the flight plan of the work drone working in the departure / arrival route. To change. The Flight Planning Department 42 suspends the work and suspends the work drone between the time when the drone flying along the departure and arrival route (also referred to as “interrupted drone”) enters the field 403 and the time when it leaves. That is, hover. Since other drones 100 may enter the unworked area, collisions can be prevented by suspending the drone 100 while the suspended drone is entering the unworked area. Since the suspended drone is likely to have a low battery capacity or some abnormality, it is necessary to return to the departure / arrival point 406 in preference to the work of the work drone. Therefore, by stopping the operation of the work drone, the suspended drone can be returned faster and safely.

The flight planning department 42 may stop the entire time from when the suspended drone enters the field 403 to when it leaves the field 403, or may stop it for only a part of the time.

The Flight Planning Department 42 decides whether or not to suspend the work drone 100 scheduled to fly in the area based on the possibility of collision between the suspended drone and the working drone when the suspended drone enters the unworked area. May be determined and the flight plan may be changed based on the determination result.

For example, the Flight Planning Department 42 calculates the relative distance between the work drone 100 scheduled to fly in the unworked area and the suspended drone while the suspended drone is flying in the unworked area, and is less than or equal to the collision risk distance. If so, the working drone may be suspended. The collision risk distance may be predetermined, or the collision risk distance may be determined in consideration of the flight speed. That is, the faster the speed of the work drone 100, the smaller the collision risk distance may be. The Flight Planning Department 42 periodically repeats the determination while the suspended drone is flying in the unworked area.

According to this configuration, the work drone can be suspended only when it is judged that there is a high possibility of collision with the suspended drone based on the information of the work drone. That is, the drone can be flown efficiently by minimizing the number and time of suspension of the work drone.

The possibility of collision is not limited to the numerical value derived by calculating the relative distance between the work drone 100 and the interrupted drone, but is a 6-axis gyro sensor including the GPS module RTK504, acceleration sensor and angular velocity sensor mounted on the drone 100. It may be determined by an index corresponding to a relative distance obtained based on data acquired by various sensors such as 505, sonar 509, and obstacle detection camera 513. Moreover, the above-mentioned sensor is an example, and is not limited to this.

The departure / arrival planning department 43 is in charge of the approach route 60i and the exit route 60o in which the suspended drone among the multiple drones connects the interruption point in the field 403 and the departure / arrival point 406 outside the field 403. It is a functional part that formulates a departure and arrival plan to fly (see Fig. 10). The suspended drone receives the departure / arrival plan from the departure / arrival planning unit 43 at the time when the work is interrupted or completed, or when the interruption or completion of the work is predicted after a predetermined time. Further, the drone 100 may store a plurality of departure / arrival plans in advance, and the departure / arrival plan to be executed by the departure / arrival plan formulation unit 43 may be selected.

The departure / arrival plan formulation department 43 formulates a departure / arrival plan for the suspended drone so that the distance between the suspended drone and the other drone 100 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

The departure / arrival planning department 43 makes the departure / arrival of the interruption drone so as to fly between the interruption point and the entry point 60 or the exit point 61 in the field 403a where the work has been completed by any of the other drones. Develop a plan. More specifically, the departure and arrival planning department 43 preferentially flies over the work route 52a of the other drone 100b when the drone 100a interrupts the work and returns, and the other drone 100b is unworked. Develop a departure and arrival plan that does not fly on route 52b. While working drones can reach unworked areas, working drones are unlikely to enter work areas. A configuration in which the suspended drone flies over the work area can reduce the possibility of collision with the drone at work.

The suspended drone may generate a new route in the work area or may fly along the work route 52a. By flying along the work route 52a, the calculation processing load for generating the route can be reduced, and the user 402 can be relieved. Also, by flying along the work route 52a, collisions with other drones 100 can be prevented more reliably.

The departure / arrival plan formulation department 43 may formulate a departure / arrival plan in which the suspended drone enters the unworked area of another drone 100.

At this time, the departure / arrival plan formulation unit 43 may formulate a departure / arrival plan for suspending the suspended drone at the point where the suspended drone enters the unworked area. By stopping the suspended drone, the work efficiency can be maintained by continuing the work of the work drone.

The departure / arrival plan formulation unit 43 may determine whether or not to suspend the suspended drone when it enters the unworked area, and may change the departure / arrival plan based on the determination result. The departure / arrival planning unit 43 acquires the flight speed and position of the work drone 100 scheduled to fly in the area when the interrupted drone reaches the approach point to the unworked area. The departure / arrival planning unit 43 calculates the distance between the work drone 100 scheduled to fly in the area and the suspended drone, and if it is less than or equal to the collision risk distance, the suspended drone may be suspended. The collision risk distance may be predetermined, or the collision risk distance may be determined in consideration of the flight speed. That is, the faster the speed of the work drone 100, the smaller the collision risk distance may be.

Based on the information of the drone being worked on, it will be suspended only when it is judged that there is a high possibility of collision with the suspended drone. By minimizing the number and time of suspension of the suspended drone, the drone can be flown efficiently.

The departure / arrival plan formulation department 43 formulates a departure / arrival plan that makes the altitude of the suspended drone different from the altitude of the work drone. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent a collision between the interrupted drone and the working drone. The departure / arrival planning department 43 raises the altitude of the suspended drone higher than that of the working drone. Since the drone under construction is spraying chemicals or photographing the field 403a, the flight altitude is precisely controlled. Therefore, the suspended drone flies over the drone at work, and the flight plan of the drone at work is not changed, so that the work efficiency of the drone at work can be maintained.

The departure / arrival plan formulation department 43 makes the flight routes included in the departure / arrival plans of a plurality of drones different from each other in the out-of-field approach route 61i and the out-of-field exit route 61o. According to this configuration, even when a plurality of drones 100 fly outside the field 403a, the risk of collision can be reduced.

The departure / arrival planning unit 43 may change the time of landing at the departure / arrival point 406 when a plurality of drones 100 are landing at the departure / arrival point 406. More specifically, the departure / arrival planning unit 43 does not take off a plurality of drones 100 at the same time, but makes them take off and enter the field 403a in order after a predetermined distance or a predetermined time.

● Flight plan in the flight stop flight section As shown in Fig. 14, in the drone 100 that sprays chemicals as work, the flight plan formulation department 42 performs the chemical spraying work as part of the flight plan in the flight in the field 403f. A flight plan may be determined that specifies the spray stop flight section 54x to stop and fly. In the figure, the non-sprayed flight path including the spray-stopped flight section 54x is indicated by the alternate long and short dash line. In the spray stop flight section 54x, for example, a field 403f having a distorted shape including recesses and protrusions is divided into two substantially rectangular fields 403g and a field 403f, and flight paths 54 and 55 are formulated for each, and then flight paths 54 and 55 are established. It is a section that flies from the end point 54e of the flight path 54 to the start point 55s of the flight path 55. This section is, so to speak, a section for movement without performing the substantive work of spraying chemicals. Therefore, as with suspended drones flying on the departure and arrival routes, it is desirable to avoid collisions with other drones during work and fly out of the way of other drones. Specifically, the Flight Planning Department 42 prepares a flight plan for the drone flying in the spray stop flight section 54x so that the distance between the drone flying in the spray stop flight section 54x and other drones is greater than or equal to the specified value. Formulate.

The flight plan formulation unit 42 may formulate a flight plan so as to fly in a work area where work has been completed by any of a plurality of other drones in the spray stop flight section 54x. While working drones can reach unworked areas, working drones are unlikely to enter work areas. The configuration in which the drone flying in the spray stop flight section 54x flies in the work area can reduce the possibility of collision with the drone during work.

The Flight Planning Department 42 has created a flight plan to suspend drones working in the work area when a drone flying in the spray stop flight section 54x enters a work area where the work of other drones has not been completed. It may be formulated. By stopping the drone in flight in the spray stop flight section 54x, the work efficiency can be maintained by continuing the work of the work drone.

The flight plan formulation department 42 may make the flight altitude included in the flight plan different between the drone during the spraying work and the drone flying in the spray stop flight section 54x. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent a collision between the drone and the working drone while flying in the spray stop flight section 54x. The Flight Planning Department 42 raises the altitude of the drone in flight over the spray stop flight section 54x higher than that of the working drone. Since the drone under construction is spraying chemicals or photographing the field 403f, the flight altitude is precisely controlled. Therefore, the drone in the spray stop flight section 54x flies over the drone at work, and the flight plan of the drone at work is not changed, so that the work efficiency of the drone at work can be maintained.

In this description, an agricultural chemical spray drone has been described as an example, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to all drones for other purposes such as photography and surveillance. .. In particular, it is applicable to machines that operate autonomously.

(Technically remarkable effect of the present invention)
In the drone system according to the present invention, work can be safely performed by a plurality of drones.

Claims (24)

1. With multiple drones flying in the work area and performing work,
   A control device that determines the operation of the plurality of drones,
   Is a drone system that includes at least
   The control device
   A flight planning unit for determining flight plans for the plurality of drones is provided so that the distances between the plurality of drones flying at the same time are equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.
   Drone system.
   
2. The work area is an area designated by the operator before the flight.
   The flight planning unit divides the designated work area among the plurality of drones to fly, and the plurality of drones carry out the flight plan in which the distance between the plurality of drones flying at the same time is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. Generates before the flight begins,
   The drone system according to claim 1.
   
3. The plurality of drones
   A first drone flying in a first work area that is part of the work area,
   A second drone flying in a second work area including an area other than the first work area and a part of the first work area in the work area.
   Including
   The flight planning department is in charge of the first flight in which the first drone flies in the first work area so that the distance between the first drone and the second drone at each time during flight is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. Develop a plan and a second flight plan for the second drone to fly in the second work area.
   The drone system according to claim 1 or 2.
   
4. The plurality of drones fly a first drone that flies in a first work area that is a part of the work area, and a second that flies in a second work area that is an area other than the first work area in the work area. Including drone
   The flight planning unit has a first flight plan in which the first drone flies in the first work area and a second flight plan so that the distance between the first drone and the second drone is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. Formulate a second flight plan for the drone to fly in the second work area.
   The drone system according to claim 1 or 2.
   
5. The first drone and the second drone fly along the first and second round-trip routes that reciprocate and scan the work area, respectively, and the first and second round-trip routes are the same in the work area. Planned in the same direction, starting from the edge,
   The drone system according to claim 3 or 4.
   
6. The flight plan formulation department formulates a flight plan so that when the first drone and the second drone fly on the same flight path, the flight directions of the first drone and the second drone are the same. To do,
   The drone system according to any one of claims 3 to 5.
   
7. The flight planning department sets each starting point at a point where any of the distance, the battery capacity used, and the amount of drug used is approximately equal when the plurality of drones fly on the same flight path. Set,
   The drone system according to claim 5.
   
8. The control device
   Of the plurality of drones, the interrupted drone that suspends the work further includes a departure / arrival plan formulation unit that formulates a departure / arrival plan for flying between the interruption point in the work area and the departure / arrival point outside the work area.
   The departure / arrival plan formulation department formulates a departure / arrival plan for the suspended drone so that the distance between the suspended drone and the other drone is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.
   The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
   
9. The departure / arrival planning unit is such that the interruption drone flies between the interruption point and the end point of the work area in the work area where the work has been completed by any of the other drones. To formulate an arrival / departure plan for
   The drone system according to claim 8.
   
10. When the suspended drone enters the work area where the work of the drone has not been completed, the flight planning unit suspends the drone working in the work area.
    The drone system according to claim 8 or 9.
    
11. When the suspended drone enters the work area where the work of the drone has not been completed, the flight planning department decides whether to suspend the drone based on the information of the drone working in the work area. To determine if
    The drone system according to any one of claims 8 to 10.
    
12. The drone information includes at least one of the distance between the suspended drone and the working drone, and the flight speed of the suspended drone and the working drone.
    The drone system according to claim 11.
    
13. The departure / arrival planning department makes the flight routes included in the departure / arrival plans of the plurality of drones different from each other.
    The drone system according to any one of claims 8 to 12.
    
14. The departure / arrival planning department makes the flight plan and the flight altitude included in the departure / arrival plan different between the drone being worked on and the suspended drone.
    The drone system according to any one of claims 8 to 13.
    
15. The departure / arrival planning department raises the flight altitude of the suspended drone higher than that of the drone being worked on.
    The drone system according to claim 14.
    
16. The work performed by the plurality of drones is a drug spraying work,
    The flight plan created by the flight plan formulation unit includes a spray stop flight section in which at least a part of the plurality of drones flies a part of the flight plan by stopping the drug spraying operation. Including
    The flight plan formulation unit formulates the flight plan for flying in the spray stop flight section so that the distance between the drone flying in the spray stop flight section and the other drone is equal to or more than a predetermined distance.
    The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
    
17. The flight planning unit formulates the flight plan so as to fly in the work area where the work is completed by any of the other plurality of other drones in the spray stop flight section.
    The drone system according to claim 16.
    
18. The flight planning department suspends the drone working in the work area when the drone flying in the spray stop flight section enters the work area where the work of other drones has not been completed. To formulate,
    The drone system according to claim 16 or 17.
    
19. The flight planning department makes the flight altitude included in the flight plan different between the drone during the spraying work and the drone flying in the spraying stop flight section.
    The drone system according to any one of claims 16 to 18.
    
20. The flight planning department raises the flight altitude of the drone flying in the spray stop flight section to be higher than that of the drone during the spraying operation.
    The drone system according to claim 19.
    
21. With multiple drones flying in the work area and performing work,
    A control device that determines the operation of the plurality of drones,
    Is a method of controlling a drone system that includes at least
    A flight planning step of determining the flight plans of the plurality of drones so that the distances between the plurality of drones flying at the same time are equal to or greater than a predetermined distance is included.
    How to control the drone system.
    
22. With multiple drones flying in the work area and performing work,
    A control device that determines the operation of the plurality of drones,
    Is a drone system control program that includes at least
    A computer is made to execute a flight planning command for determining a flight plan of the plurality of drones so that the distances between the plurality of drones flying at the same time are equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.
    Drone system control program.
    
23. A drone that can fly in the work area and perform work, capable of receiving communications from the control device that determines the operation of the drone.
    Based on the flight plan received from the control device, the flight is controlled so that the distance to other drones flying at the same time is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.
    Drone.
    
24. A control device that determines the behavior of multiple drones that fly within a work area and perform work.
    A flight planning unit for determining flight plans for the plurality of drones is provided so that the distances between the plurality of drones flying at the same time are equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.
    Control device.
    
    

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