WO2021140657A1 - Drone system, flight management device, and drone - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to prevent a sprayed chemical from escaping from an agricultural field when spraying the chemical in the agricultural field. A drone system 1000 comprises: a flight control unit 1001 that flies a drone 100 along a flight route in the air over an agricultural field 403; a spray control unit 1002 that sprays a chemical M on the agricultural field; and a flight management unit 600 that determines the flight altitude of the drone at locations along the flight route, wherein the flight route includes an edge section route 413a along which the drone flies while spraying the chemical on an edge section 403a of the agricultural field, and a center section route 413b along which the drone flies while spraying the chemical on a center section 403b that to the inside of the edge section, and the flight management unit performs control such that the flight altitude of the edge section route is lower than the flight altitude of the center section route.

Description

Drone system, flight management system and drone

The invention of the present application relates to a drone system, a flight management system, and a drone.

The application of small helicopters (multicopters) generally called drones is advancing. One of the important application fields is spraying agricultural land (field) with pesticides, liquid fertilizers, etc. (for example, Patent Document 1). In relatively small farmlands, it is often appropriate to use drones rather than manned planes or helicopters.

According to Patent Document 2, when it is determined that the aircraft enters the non-spray area after a predetermined time and the flight speed and flight altitude at the time of approach are lower than the required flight speed and flight altitude over the non-spray area, acceleration and An ascending unmanned helicopter is disclosed.

Patent Document 3 discloses a pesticide spraying method for determining a spraying pattern consisting of an optimum spraying amount, spraying speed, and spraying altitude for each spraying section.

Patent Document 4 discloses a flight control method for controlling the flight position of an air vehicle based on wind information and the permissible deviation of the spray area in the spray work.

Patent Document 5 discloses an automatic straight running support system that detects a peripheral edge of a field and controls traveling of a traveling vehicle body based on the distance between the peripheral edge and the own vehicle. The system is described as slowing down when the field margins are in close proximity.

Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-120151 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-121997 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-11249 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-8409 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-88272

When spraying chemicals in the field, prevent the sprayed chemicals from leaking out of the field.

In order to achieve the above object, the drone system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a flight control unit for flying a drone along a flight route over a field, a spray control unit for spraying a drug to the field, and the above. A flight management unit that determines the flight altitude of the drone at each point of the flight route is provided, and the flight route includes an edge route that flies while spraying a chemical on the edge of the field and an inside of the edge. Including a central route to fly while spraying the drug in the central portion of the flight management unit, the flight management unit makes the flight altitude in the edge route lower than the flight altitude in the central route. Control.

The edge route may be a part of the field and may be a route that flies within a region of a predetermined distance from the boundary between the field and a region other than the field.

The edge route may be a route that goes around the inner edge of the field, and the central route may be a route that reciprocates and scans the central portion.

The edge route is a route that orbits the inner edge of the field, and the central route is a route that sequentially orbits from the substantially center to the end of the central portion or from the end to the substantially center. It may be.

The flight route may be a route that flies a part of the edge route, then at least a part of the central route, and then the other part of the edge route. ..

The flight management unit may determine the spray flow rate of the drug at each point of the flight route, and increase the spray flow rate at the central portion to be larger than the spray flow rate at the edge portion.

The flight management unit may determine the flight speed of the drone at each point of the flight route, and may make the flight speed of the edge route higher than the flight speed of the central route.

The flight management unit may determine the flight speed of the drone at each point of the flight route, and may make the flight speed of the edge route lower than the flight speed of the central route.

A route selection unit for selecting a combination of the flight speed on the edge route and the flight speed on the central route may be further provided.

When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, the altitude may be increased after turning and moving.

When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, the altitude may be raised, turned, and moved at the same time.

When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, turning and movement may be performed after the altitude has risen.

In order to achieve the above object, the flight management device according to another aspect of the present invention is a flight of a drone that flies over a field along a flight route and sprays a drug on the field at each point of the flight route. It is a flight management device that determines the altitude, and the flight route is a flight route that flies while spraying a chemical on the edge of the field and a flight that flies while spraying the chemical on the central portion inside the edge. The flight altitude on the edge route is controlled to be lower than the flight altitude on the central route.

The edge route may be a part of the field and may be a route that flies within a region of a predetermined distance from the boundary between the field and a region other than the field.

The edge route may be a route that goes around the inner edge of the field, and the central route may be a route that reciprocates and scans the central portion.

The edge route is a route that orbits the inner edge of the field, and the central route is a route that sequentially orbits from the substantially center to the end of the central portion or from the end to the substantially center. It may be.

The flight route may be a route that flies a part of the edge route, then at least a part of the central route, and then the other part of the edge route. ..

The spray flow rate of the drug at each point of the flight route may be determined, and the spray flow rate in the central route may be increased more than the spray flow rate in the edge route.

The flight speed of the drone at each point of the flight route may be determined, and the flight speed of the edge route may be lower than the flight speed of the central route.

The flight speed of the drone at each point of the flight route may be determined, and the flight speed of the edge route may be higher than the flight speed of the central route.

A route selection unit for selecting a combination of the flight speed on the edge route and the flight speed on the central route may be further provided.

When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, the altitude may be increased after turning and moving.

When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, the altitude may be raised, turned, and moved at the same time.

When shifting from the edge route to the central route, after the altitude has risen, turning and movement may be performed without changing the altitude.

In order to achieve the above object, the drone according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a flight control unit for flying the drone along a flight route over a field, a spray control unit for spraying a drug to the field, and the above. A flight management unit that determines the flight altitude of the drone at each point of the flight route is provided, and the flight route includes an edge route that flies while spraying a chemical on the edge of the field and an inside of the edge. Including a central route to fly while spraying the drug in the central portion of the flight management unit, the flight management unit makes the flight altitude in the edge route lower than the flight altitude in the central route. Control.

When spraying chemicals in the field, it is possible to prevent the sprayed chemicals from leaking out of the field.

It is a top view of the drone included in the drone system which concerns on this invention. 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 flight control system of the above-mentioned drone. It is a functional block diagram which the said drone has. It is a functional block diagram of the drone, the user interface device, the diagnostic device, and the planning device that the drone system has. It is a schematic diagram showing how the drug discharged from the drone reaches the field, (a) a schematic diagram showing how the drug is sprayed from the first flight altitude, and (b) the drone. , Is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a drug is sprayed from a second flight altitude lower than the first flight altitude. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of the flight route in the drone field 403, (a) the schematic diagram which shows the 1st example of a flight route, (b) the schematic diagram which shows the 2nd example of a flight route, (c) flight It is a schematic diagram which shows the 3rd example of a route, and (d) is a schematic diagram which shows the 4th example of a flight route.

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, to simplify the drawings, well-known structures and devices are outlined.

First, the configuration of the drone 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, prime mover, 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 rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also referred to as 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 housing 110 by an arm protruding from the housing 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 rotary blades 101- are 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.

A grid-shaped propeller guard 115-1,115-2,115-3,115-4 forming a substantially cylindrical shape is provided on the outer circumference of each set of the rotor blade 101 to prevent the rotor blade 101 from interfering with foreign matter. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the radial members for supporting the propeller guards 115-1,115-2,115-3,115-4 are not horizontal but have a yagura-like 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.

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.). Has been done. 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.

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

The tank 104 is a tank for storing the sprayed material, 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 hoses 105-1, 105-2, 1053, 105-4 are means for connecting the tank 104 and the nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and are made of a hard material. Therefore, it may also serve as a support for the nozzle. The pump 106 is a means for discharging the sprayed material from the nozzle.

FIG. 6 shows an overall conceptual diagram of the flight control system of the drone 100 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 base station 404, and the server 405 are connected to each other via the mobile communication network 400. These connections may be wireless communication by Wi-Fi instead of the mobile communication network 400, or may be partially or wholly connected by wire. Further, the components may have a configuration in which they are directly connected to each other in place of or in addition to the mobile communication network 400.

Drone 100 and base station 404 communicate with GNSS positioning satellite 410 such as GPS to acquire drone 100 and base station 404 coordinates. There may be a plurality of positioning satellites 410 with which the drone 100 and the base station 404 communicate.

The operator 401 transmits a command to the drone 100 by the operation of the user, and also displays information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, amount of sprayed material, battery level, camera image, etc.). It is a means and may be realized by a portable information device such as a general tablet terminal that runs a computer program. The actuator 401 includes an input unit and a display unit as a user interface device. 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 manipulator (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 operating device 401, the system may include a small mobile terminal capable of displaying a part or all of the information displayed on the operating device 401, for example, a smart phone. The small mobile terminal is connected to, for example, the base station 404, and can receive information and the like from the server 405 via the base station 404.

Field 403 is a rice field, field, etc. that is the target of spraying with 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. Field 403 is usually adjacent to houses, hospitals, schools, other crop fields, roads, railroads, etc. In addition, there may be intruders such as buildings and electric wires in the field 403.

Base station 404 functions as an RTK-GNSS base station and can provide the exact location of the drone 100. Further, it may be a device that provides a master unit function of Wi-Fi communication. The base unit function of Wi-Fi communication and the RTK-GNSS base station may be independent devices. Further, the base station 404 may be able to communicate with the server 405 by using a mobile communication system such as 3G, 4G, and LTE. The base station 404 and the server 405 constitute a farming cloud.

The server 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 server 405 may be configured by a hardware device. The server 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 and the like 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 is, for example, a smart phone. On the display of the small mobile terminal, information on the expected operation of the drone 100, more specifically, the scheduled time when the drone 100 will return to the departure / arrival point 406, the content of the work to be performed by the user at the time of return, etc. Information is displayed as appropriate. Further, the operation of the drone 100 may be changed based on the input from the small mobile terminal.

Normally, the drone 100 takes off from the departure / arrival point outside the field 403 and returns to the departure / arrival point after spraying the sprayed material on the field 403 or when it becomes necessary to replenish or charge the sprayed material. The flight route (invasion route) from the departure / arrival point to the target field 403 may be stored in advance on the server 405 or the like, or may be input by the user before the start of takeoff. The departure / arrival point may be a virtual point defined by the coordinates stored in the drone 100, or may have a physical departure / arrival point.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram showing a control function of an embodiment of the 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 malicious 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 server 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 communication device 530 and further via the mobile communication network 400, receives necessary commands from the actuator 401, and transmits necessary information to the actuator 401. Can be sent. 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 also has an RTK-GPS base station function in addition to a communication function via the mobile communication network 400. By combining the signal of the RTK base station 404 and the signal from the positioning satellite 410 such as GPS, the flight controller 501 can measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of about several centimeters. Flight controllers 501 are so important that they may be duplicated and multiplexed, and each redundant flight controller 501 should use a different satellite to handle the failure of a particular 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. Further, 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 sprayed material, and is provided at a plurality of locations on the path from the tank 104 to the nozzle 103. The liquid drainage sensor 511 is a sensor that detects that the amount of sprayed material has fallen below a predetermined amount.

The growth diagnosis camera 512a is a means for photographing the field 403 and acquiring data for the growth diagnosis. The growth diagnostic camera 512a is, for example, a multispectral camera and receives a plurality of light rays having different wavelengths from each other. The plurality of light rays are, for example, red light (wavelength of about 650 nm) and near-infrared light (wavelength of about 774 nm). Further, the growth diagnosis camera 512a may be a camera that receives visible light.

The pathological diagnosis camera 512b is a means for photographing the crops growing in the field 403 and acquiring the data for the pathological diagnosis. The pathological diagnosis camera 512b is, for example, a red light camera. The red light camera is a camera that detects the amount of light in the frequency band corresponding to the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll contained in the plant, and detects, for example, the amount of light in the band around 650 nm. The pathological diagnosis camera 512b may detect the amount of light in the frequency bands of red light and near infrared light. Further, the pathological diagnosis camera 512b may include both a red light camera and a visible light camera such as an RGB camera that detects the amount of light having at least three wavelengths in the visible light band. The pathological diagnosis camera 512b may be a multispectral camera, and may detect the amount of light in the band having a wavelength of 650 nm to 680 nm.

The growth diagnosis camera 512a and the pathology diagnosis camera 512b may be realized by one hardware configuration.

The obstacle detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting a drone intruder, and since the image characteristics and the orientation of the lens are different from the growth diagnosis camera 512a and the pathological diagnosis camera 512b, what are the growth diagnosis camera 512a and the pathological diagnosis camera 512b? Another device. The switch 514 is a means for the user 402 of the drone 100 to make various settings. The 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 intruder such as an electric wire, a building, a human body, a standing tree, a bird, or another drone. .. The obstacle 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 inlet sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the inlet of the 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 / 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, the base station 404 may be provided with a wind sensor to transmit information on wind power and wind direction to the drone 100 via the mobile communication network 400 or Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 sends a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the discharge amount and stop the discharge. The current status of the pump 106 (for example, the number of revolutions) 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 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state) by an audio signal. The communication device 530 is connected to a mobile communication network 400 such as 3G, 4G, and LTE, and can communicate with a farming cloud composed of a base station and a server and an operator via the mobile communication network 400. Will be done. In place of or in addition to the communication device, other wireless communication means such as Wi-Fi, infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection. You may use it. 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 / multiplexed.

● Outline of control system As shown in Fig. 8, the drone system 1000 is a system including, for example, a drone 100, a user interface device 200, and a flight management device 600, which are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other through a network NW. .. The flight management system 600 may have a hardware configuration or may be configured on the server 405. The drone 100, the user interface device 200, and the flight management device 600 may be connected to each other wirelessly, or may be partially or wholly connected by wire.

The configuration shown in FIG. 8 is an example, and one component may include another component, and the functional unit of each component may be included in another component. .. For example, some or all of the functions of the flight management system 600 may be mounted on the drone 100.

The user interface device 200 may be provided with an input unit and a display unit by an operator, and may be realized by the function of the actuator 401. Further, the user interface device 200 may be a personal computer, or information may be input and displayed in the UI on the Web via a Web browser installed in the personal computer.

● Functional part of drone Drone 100 is equipped with arithmetic units such as CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing information processing and storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). It has at least a flight control unit 1001 and a spray control unit 1002 as resources.

The flight control unit 1001 is a functional unit that operates the motor 102 and controls the flight and takeoff and landing of the drone 100. The flight control unit 1001 is realized by, for example, a flight controller 501, and controls the flight altitude, flight speed, and flight route to fly the drone 100 over the field.

The spray control unit 1002 is a functional unit that operates the pump 106 and controls the spraying of the sprayed material from the nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. The spray control unit 1002 is realized by, for example, a flight controller 501.

● Functional part of the flight management system As shown in Fig. 8, the flight management system 600 has at least one of the flight route on which the drone 100 flies in the field and the altitude, speed, and spray flow rate at each point of the flight route. It is a device that determines. The flight management device 600 includes an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing information processing, and a storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), whereby at least as software resources. It has a field information acquisition unit 610, a route generation unit 620, a flight mode determination unit 630, and a route selection unit 640. The flight management device 600 may be realized as a functional unit having any of the components included in the drone system 1000, that is, a flight management unit.

The field information acquisition unit 610 is a functional unit that acquires the three-dimensional coordinates of the boundary of the field where the drone 100 flies. For the three-dimensional coordinates of the field, the data of the aerial photograph or the farmland bank may be referred to, or the data input by the operator may be used. Further, the three-dimensional coordinates of the field may be acquired by surveying the coordinate information of the field with a device having a function of a mobile station of RTK-GNSS and receiving the survey result.

The route generation unit 620 is a functional unit that generates at least the flight route of the drone 100 in the field. When the drone 100 flies while spraying the chemicals in the field 403, the route generation unit 620 generates a flight route so that the chemicals are comprehensively distributed in the field.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing how the drug M discharged from the drone 100 reaches the field. As shown in the figure, the drone 100 flies while spraying the drug M on a predetermined spraying area determined from the position of the drone 100. That is, the drone 100 sprays the drug M from the nozzles 103-1 to 103-4 in a predetermined angle range. In FIG. 9 (a), the drug M sprayed from the first flight altitude L1 from the field 403 to the nozzles 103-1 to 103-4 is substantially orthogonal to the traveling direction from below the drone 100, that is, in the figure. It is sprayed in the range of the spray width W1 extending in the left-right direction.

FIG. 9 (b) is a schematic diagram showing how the drug M is sprayed from the second flight altitude L2, which is lower than the first flight altitude L1 in FIG. 9 (a). The drug M sprayed from the flight altitude L2 from the field 403 to the nozzles 103-1 to 103-4 is sprayed in the range of the spray width W2. The angular range of the drug discharged from the nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 is the same regardless of the flight altitude. Therefore, the spray width W2 is smaller than the spray width W1. Further, when the spray flow rate and the flight speed are different from each other, the medicine discharged at the flight altitude L2 is sprayed on a smaller area than the medicine discharged at the flight altitude L1. That is, when the spray flow rate and the flight speed are equal to each other, the drug concentration in the field at the flight altitude L2 is higher than the drug concentration in the field at the flight altitude L1.

The flight route is set so that the spray areas in the adjacent flight routes are laid without any gaps. Adjacent spray widths may partially overlap each other. The drug concentration is adjusted as appropriate so that the drug concentration in the overlapping sprayed areas is sufficiently safe.

FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (d) are schematic views showing an example of a flight route in the field 403. In each figure, the path through which the center of the drone 100 passes is indicated by an arrow, and the drawing related to the spray width is omitted. Further, the field 403 is represented by a rectangle, but the field 403 is not limited to this.

In each figure, in the field 403, the edge portion 403a included in a predetermined distance on the horizontal plane from the boundary between the field and the region other than the field, and the region inside the edge portion 403a, that is, the central portion 403b are provided for explanation. It is drawn separately for convenience. The edge portion 403a is defined in a range of a predetermined distance from the boundary of the field along the boundary line shape of the field even if the boundary of the field has a convex or concave shape. In other words, the edge portion 403a is defined to surround the outer circumference of the central portion 403b. There is no difference between the edge portion 403a and the central portion 403b in the actual field 403.

FIG. 10 (a) is a schematic diagram showing the first example of the flight route in the field 403. In this example, the flight route includes an edge route 413a that flies while spraying the drug on the edge 403a and a central route 413b that flies while spraying the drug on the central 403b.

The edge route 413a is a part of the field 403 and is a route that flies within a predetermined distance from the boundary between the field 403 and the area other than the field 403. In this example, the edge route 413a is a route that orbits the inner edge of the field 403. At this time, the spray width end of the drone 100 is substantially the same as the boundary of the field 403. In other words, the edge route 413a is defined inside the boundary of the field 403 by half the spray width during the flight of the edge route 413a.

Central route 413b is a route that reciprocates and scans central 403b. For example, the central route 413b is continuously generated along the longest long side of each side of the central 403b, and turns along the path along the shorter short side of the sides adjacent to the long side. Is generated to do. The flight route along the long side direction may or may not be parallel to the long side. Further, each of the routes along the long side direction may or may not be parallel to each other.

The central route 413b may include a route that flies over the edge 403a so that the chemical can be sprayed comprehensively on the central 403b. For example, turning may be performed at the edge 403a. Since the state of the drone 100's position change during the turn is different from that during the straight line, by performing the turn in an area other than the central part 403b, it is possible to fly straight over the entire central part 403b and spray it on the central part 403b. The drug to be used can be homogenized.

FIG. 10 (b) is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the flight route in the field 403. In this example, the edge route 413a is a route that goes around the inner edge of the field 403 as in the first example. The central route 413b is a route that sequentially orbits from the end of the central portion 403b toward the substantially center. According to this configuration, since it flies in the central portion 403b by repeating a 90-degree turn, it is possible to comprehensively spray the central portion 403b with less energy than a flight route in which a 180-degree turn is performed multiple times. is there.

FIG. 10 (c) is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the flight route in the field 403. This example differs from the second example shown in FIG. 10 (b) in that the central route 423b orbits sequentially from the substantially center to the end of the central 403b. The circumferential direction of the edge route 413a and the central routes 423b and 433b in the second and third examples is arbitrary, and may be clockwise or counterclockwise in the figure. Further, the edge route 413a and the central routes 423b and 433b may have the same or opposite directions.

FIG. 10 (d) is a schematic diagram showing a fourth example of the flight route in the field 403. In this example, the edge route 443a and the central route 443b are each divided into a plurality of portions and are connected alternately. In other words, the flight route in the fourth example is a route that flies a part of the edge route 443a, then at least a part of the central route 443b, and then the other part of the edge route 443a. Is. According to the flight route of this example, the edge route 443a and the central route 443b do not need to be generated separately, so that the number of turns is small, the energy and the short time are small, and the field 403 is exhaustive. Can be sprayed.

The flight route generated by the route generation unit 620 may be displayed on the display unit of the user interface device 200. At that time, the flight route may be displayed superimposed on the image of the field.

The flight mode determination unit 630 is a functional unit that determines at least one of the flight altitude, flight speed, and spray flow rate at each point of the flight route. The flight mode determination unit 630 makes at least one of altitude, velocity, and spray flow rate different between the edge routes 413a and 443a and the central routes 413b, 423b, 433b, and 443b.

The flight mode determining unit 630 controls the flight altitude on the edge routes 413a and 443a to be lower than the flight altitude on the central routes 413b to 443b. If the flight altitude at the time of spraying the chemicals is high, the chemicals may float in the vicinity and the chemicals may be scattered outside the field, that is, drift. Drift may cause troubles with neighbors and may adversely affect the environment due to pesticide contamination in public water bodies. In addition, if there is an organic farm outside the field, the quality may be impaired due to the leakage of chemicals to the organic farm. According to the configuration in which the flight altitude of the edge routes 413a and 443a is lowered, the drift rate from the drone 100 on the edge routes 413a and 443a can be reduced.

On the other hand, since the central portion 403b is not adjacent to the area outside the field, a low drift rate can be maintained even if the flight altitude of the central portion routes 413b to 443b is higher than that of the marginal routes 413a and 443a. According to the configuration of flying at a high altitude, the spray width becomes large, so that the route length can be shortened. Assuming that the aircraft also flies at a low flight altitude in the central portion 403b, as explained with reference to FIG. 9, the spray width becomes small, so that it is necessary to fly a long flight path and fly densely. As a result, the flight time becomes longer and the amount of power required for the flight increases. Therefore, by making the flight altitude on the edge route different from the flight altitude on the central route and lowering the flight altitude on the edge route, the field can be sprayed with chemicals in a short time and with a small amount of energy consumption. The outward drift rate can be reduced.

The flight mode determination unit 630 determines the spray flow rate of the drug at each point of the flight route, and increases the spray flow rate on the central route 413b to 443b more than the spray flow rate on the edge routes 413a and 443a. Since the flight altitudes of the central routes 413b to 443b are higher than those of the peripheral routes 413a and 443a, the drug density of the central 403b reaching the field 403 is lower than that of the peripheral routes 403a under the same conditions. Therefore, by making the spray flow rate in the central route 413b to 443b larger than that in the peripheral routes 413a and 443a, the drug density reaching the field 403 can be made uniform. The spray flow rate is the discharge amount of the drug per unit time, and is particularly a control target value during straight running at a constant speed.

The flight mode determining unit 630 may determine the flight speed of the drone at each point on the flight route, and may make the flight speed on the central routes 413b to 443b lower than the flight speed on the edge routes 413a and 443a. Since the flight altitude of the central routes 413b to 443b is higher than that of the edge routes 413a and 443a, the drug density reaching the field 403 can be made uniform by lowering the flight speed than the edge routes 413a and 443a. ..

The flight mode determining unit 630 may be controlled so that the higher the flight altitude, the larger the spray flow rate, based on the relational expression between the flight altitude and the spray flow rate stored in advance. Further, the flight mode determining unit 630 has a table containing at least two combinations of flight altitude and spray flow rate, and the spray flow rate may be selected according to the flight altitude. The flight mode determining unit 630 may control the flight speed to decrease as the flight altitude increases, based on a pre-stored relational expression between the flight altitude and the flight speed. The flight mode determining unit 630 has at least two combinations of flight altitude and flight speed, and may select the flight speed according to the flight altitude.

The relationship between flight altitude and spray flow rate may differ depending on the type of drug sprayed. For example, when spraying fertilizer, it is necessary to spray it evenly. On the other hand, when pesticides are sprayed, pathogens float from the outside of the field 403. Therefore, by increasing the spray concentration of the edge 403a, the spread of the disease in the field 403 can be prevented. Therefore, the spraying flow rate of the pesticide at the edge 403a may be larger than the spraying flow rate of the fertilizer. Further, the relationship between the flight altitude and the flight speed differs depending on the type of the chemicals to be sprayed, and the flight speed at the time of pesticide application on the edge routes 413a and 443a may be larger than the flight speed at the time of fertilizer application.

Note that the flight mode determining unit 630 may make the flight speed on the central route 413b to 443b higher than the flight speed on the edge routes 413a and 443a. By increasing the flight speed of the central routes 413b to 443b, the working time can be shortened and labor can be saved. On the other hand, when flying on the edge routes 413a and 443a, there is a high possibility that workers and the like are nearby as compared with the central routes 413b to 443b. Therefore, high safety can be ensured by flying at low speed.

The route selection unit 640 is a functional unit that selects a combination of the flight speeds of the edge routes 413a and 443a and the flight speeds of the central routes 413b to 443b. As described above, in the flight mode determining unit 630, both the mode in which the flight speed on the edge routes 413a and 443a is faster than the flight speed on the central routes 413b to 443b and the mode in which the flight speed is slower can be realized. The route selection unit 640 selects which mode to control according to the situation of the drone 100 or the input from the operator.

The status of the drone 100 is, for example, the working capacity of the drone 100, specifically, the remaining battery level or the flightable time. When the battery level is low, the flight time can be shortened by increasing the flight speed on the central routes 413b to 443b. Further, the situation of the drone 100 may include the remaining work amount in the field 403. When the remaining work amount is more than a predetermined amount, the flight speed in the central portion 403b may be increased in order to prioritize the time reduction. The route selection unit 640 may refer to the remaining battery amount and the remaining work amount, and may increase the flight speed when the remaining battery amount is less than the remaining work amount. According to the configuration in which the combination of flight speeds is selected according to the situation, it is possible to automatically control the mode with good work efficiency. Further, according to the configuration in which the combination of flight speeds is selected according to the input from the operator, it is possible to generate a route according to the operator's policy.

The spray flow rate may be changed during the flight of the edge routes 413a and 443a and during the flight of the central routes 413b to 443b according to the combination of the flight speeds selected by the route selection unit 640. In particular, for uniform spraying, the higher the flight speed, the greater the control of the spray flow rate. Further, the flight altitude may be changed according to the combination of flight speeds. It is desirable that the flight altitudes on the edge routes 413a and 443a are controlled so as not to exceed a predetermined altitude upper limit.

The flight speed, flight altitude, and spray flow rate at each point determined by the flight mode determination unit 630 and the route selection unit 640 may be output to the display unit of the user interface device 200.

In this explanation, the flight altitude, flight speed, and spray flow rate are merely relative relationships. That is, one may be large or the other may be small in order to achieve the desired difference. Further, one may be large and the other may be small.

● Flight mode when transitioning between the edge route and the central route The drone 100 needs to change altitude, turn, and move when transitioning from the edge routes 413a and 443a to the central routes 413b to 443b. Here, the flight mode determination unit 630 controls the drone 100 so as to perform altitude change, turning, and movement separately.

Turning and movement are turns that change the direction of the aircraft tip while moving the position of the center of the drone 100 with a point other than the center of the drone 100 as the center of rotation, which is a so-called simul turn. The simul turn can reduce the burden on each device such as the rotor blades as compared with the yaw rotation in which the drone 100 changes the direction of the tip without changing its position. In yaw rotation, only two sets of four rotors located diagonally are rotated to rotate the aircraft, so it is necessary to consume a lot of energy on the rotating rotors and rotate the accompanying motor. On the other hand, the simul turn turns using all rotors to move the position of the central part. That is, the simul turn can distribute the load on each rotor and the motor as compared with the yaw rotation.

The flight mode determination unit 630 controls the drone 100 to turn and move without changing the altitude after the altitude rises when transitioning from the edge routes 413a and 443a to the central routes 413b to 443b. May be good. In addition, the flight mode determination unit 630 turns and moves without changing the altitude when transitioning from the edge routes 413a and 443a to the central routes 413b to 443b, and then raises only the altitude of the drone 100. May be controlled. In the transition from the edge routes 413a and 443a to the central routes 413b to 443b, the flight altitude does not increase at the edge 403a according to the configuration in which the flight altitude rises after the simul turn is performed. Flying at high flight altitudes on the edge 403a may collide with obstacles and people, so this configuration can maintain high safety.

The flight mode determining unit 630 may control the drone 100 so as to simultaneously ascend, turn, and move the altitude when shifting from the edge routes 413a and 443a to the central routes 413b to 443b. According to this configuration, the flight altitude does not increase at the edge 403a, so that safety can be maintained. In addition, since the ascent is completed at the same time as the simul turn, the flight time can be shortened as compared with the case where the simul turn and the altitude ascent are performed separately.

Similarly, when shifting from the central route 413b to 443b to the edge routes 413a and 443a, the flight mode determining unit 630 may change the altitude and turn and move separately. At that time, the descent may be performed after the turning and the movement, or the turning and the movement may be performed after the descent. Due to the configuration of turning and moving after descent, the flight altitude at the edge 403a is kept low, so that safety can be maintained.

(Technically remarkable effect of the present invention)
In the field management system according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the sprayed chemicals from leaking out of the field when the chemicals are sprayed in the field.

Claims (25)

1. A flight control unit that flies the drone along the flight route over the field,
   A spray control unit that sprays the chemicals to the field,
   A flight management unit that determines the flight altitude of the drone at each point on the flight route,
   With
   The flight route includes an edge route for flying while spraying a drug on the edge of the field, and a central route for flying while spraying the drug on a central portion inside the edge.
   The flight management unit controls the flight altitude on the edge route to be lower than the flight altitude on the central route.
   Drone system.
   
2. The edge route is a part of the field and is a route that flies within a region of a predetermined distance from the boundary between the field and a region other than the field.
   The drone system according to claim 1.
   
3. The edge route is a route that goes around the inner edge of the field, and the central route is a route that reciprocates and scans the central portion.
   The drone system according to claim 1 or 2.
   
4. The edge route is a route that orbits the inner edge of the field, and the central route is a route that sequentially orbits from the substantially center to the end of the central portion or from the end to the substantially center. is there,
   The drone system according to claim 1 or 2.
   
5. The flight route is a route that flies a part of the edge route, then at least a part of the central route, and then the other part of the edge route.
   The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
   
6. The flight management unit determines the spray flow rate of the drug at each point of the flight route, and increases the spray flow rate at the central portion with the spray flow rate at the edge portion.
   The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
   
7. The flight management unit determines the flight speed of the drone at each point on the flight route, and increases the flight speed on the edge route to be higher than the flight speed on the central route.
   The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
   
8. The flight management unit determines the flight speed of the drone at each point on the flight route, and lowers the flight speed on the edge route to be lower than the flight speed on the central route.
   The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
   
9. A route selection unit for selecting a combination of the flight speed on the edge route and the flight speed on the central route is further provided.
   The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
   
10. When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, the altitude is increased after turning and moving.
    The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
    
11. When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, the altitude is raised, turned, and moved at the same time.
    The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
    
12. When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, a turn and movement are performed after an ascent of altitude.
    The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
    
13. A flight management device that determines the flight altitude of a drone that flies along a flight route over a field and sprays chemicals on the field at each point on the flight route.
    The flight route includes an edge route for flying while spraying a drug on the edge of the field, and a central route for flying while spraying the drug on a central portion inside the edge.
    The flight altitude on the edge route is controlled to be lower than the flight altitude on the central route.
    Flight management system.
    
14. The edge route is a part of the field and is a route that flies within a region of a predetermined distance from the boundary between the field and a region other than the field.
    The flight management device according to claim 13.
    
15. The edge route is a route that goes around the inner edge of the field, and the central route is a route that reciprocates and scans the central portion.
    The flight management system according to claim 13 or 14.
    
16. The edge route is a route that orbits the inner edge of the field, and the central route is a route that sequentially orbits from the substantially center to the end of the central portion or from the end to the substantially center. is there,
    The flight management system according to claim 13 or 14.
    
17. The flight route is a route that flies a part of the edge route, then at least a part of the central route, and then the other part of the edge route.
    The flight management system according to any one of claims 13 to 16.
    
18. The spray flow rate of the drug at each point of the flight route is determined, and the spray flow rate in the central route is increased from the spray flow rate in the edge route.
    The flight management system according to any one of claims 13 to 17.
    
19. The flight speed of the drone at each point on the flight route is determined, and the flight speed on the edge route is made lower than the flight speed on the central route.
    The flight management system according to any one of claims 13 to 18.
    
20. The flight speed of the drone at each point on the flight route is determined, and the flight speed on the edge route is increased above the flight speed on the central route.
    The flight management system according to any one of claims 13 to 18.
    
21. A route selection unit for selecting a combination of the flight speed on the edge route and the flight speed on the central route is further provided.
    The flight management system according to any one of claims 13 to 20.
    
22. When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, the altitude is increased after turning and moving.
    The flight management system according to any one of claims 13 to 21.
    
23. When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, the altitude is raised, turned, and moved at the same time.
    The flight management system according to any one of claims 13 to 22.
    
24. When transitioning from the edge route to the central route, after the altitude rises, the vehicle turns and moves without changing the altitude.
    The flight management system according to any one of claims 13 to 23.
    
25. A flight control unit that flies the drone along the flight route over the field,
    A spray control unit that sprays the chemicals to the field,
    A flight management unit that determines the flight altitude of the drone at each point on the flight route,
    With
    The flight route includes an edge route for flying while spraying a drug on the edge of the field, and a central route for flying while spraying the drug on a central portion inside the edge.
    The flight management unit controls the flight altitude on the edge route to be lower than the flight altitude on the central route.
    Drone.
    
    

Images