WO2021171631A1 - Drug dispersion drone - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a drug dispersion drone with which it is possible to effectively spray a drug discharged from a nozzle onto plants on the ground, considering changes in airflow such as downwash. A drone that disperses a drug, the drone comprising: a body; a plurality of rotating blades positioned on each of the left and right sides ahead of the body and the left and right sides to the rear of the body in relation to the advancing direction while the drone is flying; and a plurality of drug nozzles for dispersing the drug, the plurality of drug nozzles including below-the-rotating-blade nozzles positioned below the turning region of the rotating blades positioned to the left and right sides ahead of the body, and between-the-rotating-blades nozzles positioned between the rotating blades positioned to the left and right sides ahead of the body, the between-the-rotating-blades nozzles being positioned farther forward than the front end of the turning region of the rotating blades positioned on the left and right sides to the rear of the body, in the advancing direction of the drone.

Description

Drone for drug spraying

The present invention relates to a drone that sprays a drug.

There are unmanned aerial vehicles (called drones or multicopters) that fly by arranging multiple rotors around the fuselage and rotating each rotor at the same time in a well-balanced manner. In recent years, research and development of drones have been progressing in various fields such as home delivery services for products and spraying of chemicals.
As a background technology in this technical field, there is International Publication No. 2018/139622 (Patent Document 1). This publication describes "a drone for spraying chemicals that minimizes the scattering of chemicals to the outside of the field by setting the position of the nozzle for spraying chemicals in consideration of changes in airflow such as downwash". ing.

International Publication No. 2018/139622

Lift is generated as each rotor rotates to levitate the drone. The wind blown down from each rotor is called downwash, and the airflow changes around this. Patent Document 1 describes a drone for spraying a drug in consideration of this change in airflow.
Therefore, the present invention provides a drug spraying drone capable of more effectively spraying a drug discharged from a nozzle onto a crop on the ground in consideration of changes in airflow such as downwash.

In order to solve the above problems, for example, the configuration described in the claims is adopted.
The present application includes a plurality of means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example thereof is a drone for spraying a drug, wherein the drone has a main body and a direction in which the drone travels during flight. The plurality of drug nozzles are provided on the left and right sides in front of the main body and on the left and right sides in the rear, respectively, and include a plurality of rotor blades for flying the main body and a plurality of drug nozzles for spraying the drug. Is located between the rotor lower nozzles located below the rotor rotation region arranged on the left and right sides in front of the main body and the rotor blades arranged on the left and right sides in front of the main body. The rotor inter-blade nozzle includes a rotor inter-blade nozzle, and the rotor inter-blade nozzle is arranged in front of the front end of the rotation region of the rotor blades arranged on the left and right sides behind the main body in the traveling direction of the drone. NS.

According to the present invention, by using the rotary blade lower nozzle and the rotary blade inter-blade nozzle in combination, the chemical discharged from the nozzle is more effective for the crops on the ground in consideration of the change of the air flow such as downwash. A drone for spraying a drug that can be sprayed can be provided.
Issues, configurations and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

This is an example of a plan view of a drone. (Example 1) This is an example of a front view of a drone. (Example 1) This is an example of the right side view of the drone. (Example 1) This is an example of the rear view of the drone. (Example 1) This is an example of a perspective view of a drone. (Example 1) This is an example of a block diagram showing the control function of the drone. (Example 1) This is an example of a connection configuration diagram of the entire drone management system 700. (Example 1) This is an example of the field information display screen 800 displayed on the mobile terminal 701. (Example 1) This is an example of the drone operation screen 900 displayed on the mobile terminal 701. (Example 1) This is an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 701. (Example 1) This is an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 702. (Example 1) This is an example of the hardware configuration of the management terminal 703. (Example 1) This is an example of field management information 1300. (Example 1) This is an example of device management information 1400. (Example 1) This is an example of user management information 1500. (Example 1) This is an example of drug management information 1600. (Example 1) This is an example of energy management information 1700. (Example 1) This is an example of flight route management information 1800. (Example 1) This is an example of schedule management information 1900. (Example 1) This is an example of a plan view of a drone. (Example 2) This is an example of a front view of a drone. (Example 2) This is an example of the rear view of the drone. (Example 2) This is an example of a perspective view of a drone. (Example 2) This is an example in which the arrangement of the rotor blade and the drug nozzle is roughly shown. (Example 2) It is an example which roughly showed the flow of the surrounding airflow in the cross section along the line AA of FIG. (Example 2) It is an example which roughly showed the flow of the surrounding airflow in the cross section along the line BB of FIG. (Example 2) This is an example schematically showing the arrangement of the drug nozzles that discharge the drug to the downwash illustrated in FIG. 25. (Example 2) In the arrangement of the drug nozzles illustrated in FIG. 27, the positions of the drug nozzles on both the left and right sides are changed. (Example 2) In the arrangement of the drug nozzles illustrated in FIG. 27, this is an example in which the position of the central drug nozzle in the vertical direction is changed. (Example 2) Among the drug nozzles illustrated in FIG. 27, this is an example in which the drug ejection direction of the central drug nozzle is schematically shown. (Example 2) This is an example schematically showing a case where a drug is discharged to a downwash that appears downward from the rotor blades lined up in the front-rear direction. (Example 2) This is an example in which the number of drug nozzles is increased in the arrangement of the drug nozzles illustrated in FIG. 27. (Example 3) This is an example of the rear view of the drone. (Example 4) It is an example which roughly showed the flow of the surrounding airflow in the cross section along the line CC of FIG. 32. (Example 4) This is an example in which the flow of the surrounding airflow is schematically shown in the cross section along the DD line of FIG. 32. (Example 4) It is an example which roughly showed the arrangement of the drug nozzle which discharges a drug to the downwash illustrated in FIG. 33. (Example 4)

Hereinafter, examples will be described with reference to the drawings.
Drones are an example of agricultural machinery. In the present specification, 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.

FIG. 1 is an example of a plan view of the drone.
FIG. 2 is an example of a front view of the drone.
FIG. 3 is an example of a right side view of the drone.
FIG. 4 is an example of a rear view of the drone.
FIG. 5 is an example of a perspective view of the drone.

Rotors 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also called rotors) are means for flying the drone 100. Eight aircraft (four sets of two-stage rotor blades) are provided 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 traveling direction, the rotary blades 101-2a and 101-2b are forward left, the rotary blades 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. Rod-shaped legs 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, and 107-4 extend downward from the rotation axis of the rotary blade 101, respectively.

Motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b are the rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-. It is a means for rotating 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (typically an electric motor, but may be a motor or the like), and 1 for one rotor blade. The machine is provided. The motor 102 is an example of a propulsion device. The upper and lower rotors (for example, 101-1a and 101-1b) in one set and the corresponding motors (for example, 102-1a and 102-1b) have axes for the stability of drone flight and the like. They 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 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 provided with four machines. In addition, in this specification, a drug is a liquid, powder or fine particles 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 hose 105 connects the drug tank 104 and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. The drug hose is made of a hard material and may also serve to support the drug nozzle. The pump 106 is a means for discharging the drug from the nozzle.

FIG. 6 is an example of a block diagram showing the control function of the drone.
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 mobile terminal 701 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 or the like 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. Further, a part of the calculation process used by the flight controller 501 for control may be executed by another computer existing on the mobile terminal 701, the management server 702, 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 mobile terminal 701 via the Wi-Fi slave unit function 503 and further via the base station 710, receives necessary commands from the mobile terminal 701, and receives necessary information from the mobile terminal. It can be sent to 701. In this case, the communication may be encrypted to prevent fraudulent acts such as interception, spoofing, and device hijacking. The base station 710 also has a function of an RTK-GPS base station in addition to a 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. Since the flight controller 501 is so important, it may be duplicated / multiplexed, and each redundant flight controller 501 should use a different satellite in order to cope with the failure of a specific GPS satellite. It may be controlled. The communication between the flight controller 501, the base station 710, and the mobile terminal 701 may use a mobile network such as LTE instead of Wi-Fi.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 measures the acceleration of the drone aircraft in three directions orthogonal to each other. In addition, the velocity is calculated by integrating the acceleration. The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 measures 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 measures the direction of the drone body by measuring the geomagnetism. The barometric pressure sensor 507 can also measure barometric pressure and indirectly measure the altitude of the drone. The laser sensor 508 measures 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.

Sonar 509 measures the distance between the drone aircraft and the surface of the earth using the reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected according to the drone's cost target and performance requirements. 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 measures 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 drainage 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 720 and acquiring data for image analysis. The obstacle detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting an obstacle, 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.

Switch 514 is a means for the user of the drone 100 to make various settings. The obstacle contact sensor 515 is a sensor for detecting that the drone 100, particularly its rotor or propeller guard portion, 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 the 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 an open state.

The drug injection port sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the injection port of the drug tank 104 is in an open state. These sensors may be selected according to the drone's cost target and performance requirements, and may be duplicated or multiplexed. Further, a sensor may be provided at a base station 710, a mobile terminal 701, or some other place outside the drone 100, and the read information may be transmitted to the drone 100. For example, a wind power sensor may be provided in the base station 710 to transmit information on the wind power and the wind direction to the drone 100 via Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 transmits a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the drug discharge amount and stop the drug discharge. The current state 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 operator of the drone of the state of the drone. 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 mobile terminal 701. 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, communication between each device of the flight controller 501, the mobile terminal 701, and the base station 710 can be communicated with each other by a mobile communication system such as 3G, 4G, and LTE instead of the Wi-Fi slave unit function. May be good.

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 a case, it is effective to convey the situation by voice. 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.

FIG. 7 is an example of a connection configuration diagram of the entire drone management system 700.
The drone management system 700 includes a drone 100, a mobile terminal 701, a management terminal 703, and a base station 710, each of which is connected to the management server 702 via a network. The network may be wired or wireless, and each terminal can send and receive information via the network.
The drone 100 and the mobile terminal 701 can communicate with each other in the field 720 via the base station 710, and the drone 100 performs a drug spraying flight.

The network may be a network that communicates according to one communication standard, or may be a network that is a combination of a plurality of communication standard networks. For example, the drone 100 and the mobile terminal 701 may be network-connected by Wi-Fi provided by the base station 710, respectively, or the drone 100 and the mobile terminal 701 may be network-connected by a mobile communication network such as LTE, respectively. Further, the drone 100 may be connected by Wi-Fi provided by the base station 710, and the base station 710 and the mobile terminal 701 may be connected by a mobile communication network.

The mobile terminal 701 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, drug amount, remaining battery level, camera image, etc.). For example, it is realized by a mobile information device such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone. The drone 100 performs autonomous flight according to an instruction from the management server 702, but the mobile terminal 701 can perform a manual operation during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in an emergency. The mobile terminal 701 is connected to the base station 710, and can communicate with the management terminal 703 via the base station 710 or directly.

The management server 702 is, for example, a server arranged on the cloud, calculates the spray flight route of the drone 100 based on the field management information 1300, and controls the independent flight of the drone 100. In addition, it is possible to collect information acquired from a camera mounted on the drone 100 and various sensors, and perform various analyzes such as the state of fields and crops.
The management terminal 703 is a terminal that operates the management server 702, and makes various settings for the management server 702. It is also possible to control the drone 100 and the mobile terminal 701.

The base station 710 is a device installed in the field 720 that provides a master unit function for Wi-Fi communication, and also functions as an RTK-GPS base station so that the accurate position of the drone 100 can be provided. (The base unit function of Wi-Fi communication and the RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices). Further, the base station 710 can communicate with the management server 702 using a mobile communication network such as 3G, 4G, and LTE.

Each terminal and management server 702 of the drone management system 700 may be a mobile terminal (mobile terminal) such as a smartphone, a tablet, a mobile phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA), or may be a glasses type, a wristwatch type, a clothing type, or the like. It may be a wearable terminal of. It may also be a stationary or portable computer, or a server located in the cloud or on a network. Further, the function may be a VR (Virtual Reality) terminal, an AR terminal, or an MR (Mixed Reality) terminal. Alternatively, it may be a combination of these plurality of terminals. For example, a combination of one smartphone and one wearable terminal can logically function as one terminal. Further, it may be an information processing terminal other than these.

Each terminal and management server 702 of the drone management system 700 has a processor (control unit) that executes an operating system, an application, a program, etc., a main storage device such as a RAM (RandomAccessMemory), and an IC card or a hard disk drive. , SSD (Solid State Drive), auxiliary storage devices such as flash memory, communication control units such as network cards, wireless communication modules, mobile communication modules, and motion detection by touch panel, keyboard, mouse, voice input, and camera unit imaging. It is equipped with an input device such as an input device and an output device such as a monitor or a display. The output device may be a device or a terminal for transmitting information for output to an external monitor, display, printer, device, or the like.

Various programs and applications (modules) are stored in the main memory, and each functional element of the entire system is realized by executing these programs and applications by the processor. In addition, each of these modules may be implemented by hardware by integrating them. Further, each module may be an independent program or application, but may be implemented in the form of a part of a subprogram or a function in one integrated program or application.

In this specification, each module is described as a subject (subject) that performs processing, but in reality, a processor that processes various programs, applications, and the like (module) executes processing.
Various databases (DBs) are stored in the auxiliary storage device. A "database" is a functional element (storage unit) that stores a data set so that it can handle arbitrary data operations (for example, extraction, addition, deletion, overwriting, etc.) from a processor or an external computer. The method of implementing the database is not limited, and may be, for example, a database management system, spreadsheet software, or a text file such as XML or JSON.
The mobile terminal 701 may be referred to as an information processing device, and the management server 702 may be referred to as an information processing device.

FIG. 8 is an example of the field information display screen 800 displayed on the mobile terminal 701.
The screen display module 1011 of the mobile terminal 701 acquires the map information 1200 and the field management information 1300 stored in the mobile terminal 701, generates the field information display screen 800, and outputs the field information display screen 800 to the output device 1005 such as a screen.
The screen display module 1011 may be configured to acquire the map information 1200 or 1200 and the field management information 1300 stored in the management server 702 via the network to generate the field information display screen 800.

A map 801 is displayed on the back surface of the field information display screen 800, indicating that the information is registered in the fields 802, 803, and 804 in which the field information is stored in the field management information 1300. Anchor 805 is displayed.
The field is a rice field, a field, or the like that is the target of chemical spraying by the drone 100. In reality, the topography of the field 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. Usually, the fields are 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. The field is an example of a target area for chemical spraying.

When the screen display module 1011 receives the selection of the field 802 from the user via the input device 1004 by tapping the screen or the like, the screen display module 1011 acquires the information corresponding to the field 802 from the field management information 1300 and displays it in the field information display area 810. do. Further, the screen display module 1011 displays a highlight indicating that the field 802 is selected, such as changing the periphery of the selected field 802 to a thick line of a bright color.

In the field information display area 810, information acquired from the field management information 1300, such as the field name 811, the address 812, the area 813, and the planted crop name 814, is displayed.
Information related to the spraying of the drug is displayed in the spraying information display area 820. The chemicals to be sprayed vary depending on the crop name 814 and the time of spraying, and information on the chemicals to be sprayed in the near future is acquired from the drug management information 1600 and displayed.
In the spray information display area 820, information related to the spraying of the drug acquired or calculated by the spray-related information management module 1114 of the management server 702, for example, the drug name, the spray amount, the dilution amount, and the energy amount required for the spray flight in the field. Etc. are displayed.
In the state 830, information such as "surveyed" or "with flight path" is displayed as the current state for the selected field 802.
Information on the latest spray flight date and time is displayed in the latest flight date and time 840.
The flight status display field 850 displays the current status of the drone's spray flight.

The compass 861 indicates the orientation displayed on the map 801.
When the field-wide display button 862 is selected, the screen display module 1011 changes the display scale so that the selected field fills the screen.
When the current location movement button 863 is selected, the screen display module 1011 changes the display so that the current location acquired by the GPS of the mobile terminal 701 becomes the center of the screen.
When the schedule display button 870 is selected, the screen display module 1011 displays the drug spraying schedule for the day.

FIG. 9 is an example of the drone operation screen 900 displayed on the mobile terminal 701.
The drone battery display 901 shows the current remaining battery level of the drone.
At the drone position 902, the current position information of the drone 100 is displayed.
The spray flight progress information 912 displays the progress information of the current spray flight. For example, the progress of the flight route of the spray flight, the remaining amount of the sprayed drug, the remaining amount of the battery, etc. are displayed.
In the flight status display column 921, the current status of the spray flight of the drone 100 is displayed.
In the message display field 922, a message indicating the communication content with the drone 100, the flight status, and the like is displayed.

The altitude change buttons 923 and 924 are buttons for changing the flight altitude of the drone 100. Press minus to lower altitude and plus to raise altitude.
The emergency stop button 925 is a button for urgently stopping the flying drone 100, and in addition to a temporary stop for hovering on the spot, an option for returning to the flight start point, an option for urgently stopping the motor on the spot, etc. Can also be displayed.
In the example of the drone operation screen 900, the field 930 to be sprayed with the chemical is displayed on the map, and the flight path 931 of the spray flight on the field 930 is displayed. The drone 100 sequentially flies at the designated flight coordinates according to the flight path management information 1800 stored in the mobile terminal 701 or the management server 702.

When an operation that requires an operation on the drone 100, such as the altitude change buttons 923 and 924 and the emergency stop button 925, is received, the drone operation module 1012 transmits information such as commands corresponding to these operations to the drone 100. The drone 100 can be operated.
The next spray schedule display button 940 is a button for displaying the schedule of the next spray flight of the currently executed spray flight. When this button is pressed, information about the next spray flight obtained from the schedule management information 1900 is displayed.

FIG. 10 is an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 701.
The mobile terminal 701 is, for example, a terminal such as a tablet, a smartphone, or a head-mounted display.
Programs and applications such as a screen display module 1011 and a drone operation module 1012 and a schedule management module 1013 are stored in the main storage device 1001, and each of the mobile terminals 701 is executed by the processor 1003 by executing these programs and applications. Functional elements are realized.
The screen display module 1011 displays the field information display screen 800 and the drone operation screen 900 on an output device 1005 such as a display panel.

When the drone operation module 1012 receives operations such as the altitude change buttons 923 and 924 and the emergency stop button 925 by the user, the drone operation module 1012 transmits information such as commands corresponding to these operations to the drone 100 to perform the drone flight. Manipulate.
The schedule management module 1013 manages the schedule of each spray flight when the spray flights are continuously performed in a plurality of fields.
The auxiliary storage device 1002 stores various information such as map information 1200, field management information 1300, device management information 1400, user management information 1500, drug management information 1600, energy management information 1700, flight route management information 1800, and schedule management information 1900. Remember.

FIG. 11 is an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 702.
The management server 702 is composed of, for example, a server arranged on the cloud.
The main storage device 1101 stores a screen output module 1111, a flight management module 1112, a user / equipment management module 1113, a spray-related information management module 1114, a flight route management module 1115, and a schedule management module 1116. Each functional element of the management server 702 is realized by executing the application or the application by the processor 1103.
The screen output module 1111 extracts and generates information for displaying the field information display screen 800 and the drone operation screen 900, and transmits the information to the mobile terminal 701. The screen information itself may be generated and displayed on the mobile terminal 701 or the like.
The flight management module 1112 manages the spray flight of the drone 100 based on the information such as the field management information 1300 and the flight route management information 1800.

The user / device management module 1113 registers and manages information about a user who uses the drone 100 in the user management information 1500.
The spraying-related information management module 1114 manages the amount of chemicals required for the spraying flight, the amount of chemicals, the amount of dilution, the amount of water required for dilution, the amount of energy such as the number of batteries, and the like.
The flight route management module 1115 calculates the flight route of the spray flight of the drone 100 based on the field management information 1300.
The schedule management module 1116 generates and manages schedules for spray flights across multiple fields and multiple days. The generated drug application schedule is stored in the schedule management information 1900.

The auxiliary storage device 1102 stores various information such as map information 1200, field management information 1300, device management information 1400, user management information 1500, drug management information 1600, energy management information 1700, flight route management information 1800, and schedule management information 1900. Remember.
Although the same information is stored in the mobile terminal 701 and the management server 702, the respective information may be synchronized with each other, or either information may be simply copied. Further, some or all of the information may be stored in the management server 702, and the information may be downloaded from the management server 702 from the mobile terminal 701 as needed.

FIG. 12 is an example of the hardware configuration of the management terminal 703.
The management terminal 703 is, for example, a terminal such as a desktop PC, a notebook PC, or a tablet.
Programs and applications such as the drone setting module 1211 and the management server setting module 1212 are stored in the main storage device 1201, and each functional element of the management terminal 703 is realized by executing these programs and applications by the processor 1203. Will be done.
The drone setting module 1211 performs various operations and settings such as spray flight setting and initial setting of the drone 100.
The management server setting module 1212 makes various settings such as initial settings of the management server 702.
The auxiliary storage device 1202 stores various information such as drone setting information 1221 and management server setting information 1222.

FIG. 13 is an example of field management information 1300.
The field management information 1300 stores various information about the field to which the chemicals are sprayed, and stores information such as the field ID, the field name, the field position, the field peripheral coordinates, the field area, and the planted crop. The field management information 1300 may be simply referred to as field information.
The field ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the field.
The field position 1311 indicates the position coordinates of the field, and has, for example, information on the latitude and longitude of the center of the field.
The field circumference coordinates 1312 indicate the coordinates around the field, and in the case of a quadrangular field, for example, the position coordinates of the four corners. The sample value GC007 indicates a link to information in which the position coordinates are continuously stored separated by commas or the like.
The field area 1313 is the total area of the field corresponding to the field ID.
The planted crop 1314 stores information for identifying the crop or the like planted in the field.

FIG. 14 is an example of device management information 1400.
The device management information 1400 stores information for managing the drone 100, and stores information such as a device ID, a device name, a model number, specifications, a user, energy, and flight time.
The device ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the drone 100.
The user is information on the user who is currently using the drone 100, and stores the user ID of the user management information 1500.
The energy 1411 is information on energy that can be mounted on the drone 100, and stores the energy ID of the energy management information 1700.
The flightable time 1412 indicates the flightable time due to the energy that can be mounted on the drone 100. For example, information such as being able to fly for 15 minutes with a set of two batteries is stored.

FIG. 15 is an example of user management information 1500.
The user management information 1500 stores information on the user who operates the drone 100, and stores information such as a user ID, a user display ID, a name, an e-mail address, a date of birth, and a gender.
The user ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the user.
The user display ID is user information displayed on the mobile terminal 701 or the like, and is, for example, a nickname registered by the user.

FIG. 16 is an example of drug management information 1600.
The drug management information 1600 stores information on the drug to be sprayed, and stores the drug ID, drug name, product number, specifications, dilution rate, spray amount, and the like.
The drug ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the drug.
The drug name 1602 indicates the name of a liquid, powder or fine particle product to be sprayed in a field such as a pesticide, a herbicide, a liquid fertilizer, an insecticide, or a seed.

The specification 1603 stores information such as a method of using the drug, a method of diluting the drug, a target crop, and a method of spraying, and the drug is diluted or sprayed according to the contents described in the specification 1603.
The dilution ratio 1604 stores the ratio of diluting the drug, for example, the ratio of the drug to water, the amount of the drug and water used for dilution, and the like.
The spraying amount 1605 stores the sprayed amount of the diluted and diluted drug (spraying drug). For example, it has been shown to spray 10 L of spraying agent per ha.

FIG. 17 is an example of energy management information 1700.
The energy management information 1700 stores information on energy such as a battery required for the flight of the drone 100, and stores information such as an energy ID, an energy name, a model number, a type, and specifications.
The energy ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the energy.
The type indicates the type of energy, and for example, a battery, gasoline, jet fuel, or the like is stored.

FIG. 18 is an example of flight path management information 1800.
The flight route management information 1800 stores information indicating the flight route of the drone 100, and stores the route ID, the target ID, the route coordinates, the total route distance, and the like.
The route ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the flight route.
The target ID is information that identifies the field for which the flight route is calculated, the movement route between the fields, and the like. For example, farm003 indicates that the subject is in the field, and route002 indicates that the subject is a movement route outside the field.
The route coordinate 1811 is a link to information indicating the route coordinate of the flight, and the route coordinate of the flight is represented by, for example, a combination of a plurality of continuous position coordinates. As the position coordinates, a combination of latitude and longitude, a combination of latitude, longitude and altitude, etc. can be considered.
The total route distance 1812 indicates the total distance of the route when the entire flight route from the start of the flight to the schedule is flown.

FIG. 19 is an example of schedule management information 1900.
The schedule management information 1900 is information that defines a schedule for a spray flight over a plurality of fields, and stores information such as a schedule ID, a schedule name, a date and time, a start place, and a schedule.
The schedule 1901 stores information that identifies the fields on which the spray flight is to be performed, the movement route between the fields, and the like. For example, in the example of the sample value, after flying two fields specified by farm006 and farm005, after flying the movement route indicated by route001, flying the field specified by farm003, and others specified by other001. It is a schedule to fly the field specified by farm002 after the event (for example, lunch time) has passed.

The spraying-related information 1902 is calculated by the schedule management information output processing flow 3200 of FIG. 32, and stores the total drug spraying amount, dilution amount, energy amount, etc. of the entire schedule output. The amount of chemicals sprayed, the amount of dilution, the amount of energy, etc. of each field calculated and output by the spraying-related information output processing flow 2200 of FIG. 22 may be stored.
The spraying-related information is information including the amount of drug spraying, the amount of dilution, the amount of energy, etc. required for the drug spraying flight.
The method for defining the schedule is an example, and other schedule management methods may be used.

With reference to FIGS. 20 to 23, modified embodiments of the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 are illustrated.
In Example 2 illustrated in FIGS. 20 to 23, in comparison with Example 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the above-mentioned chemical nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3 and 103-4 are excluded. Are the same, so other components are indicated by the same reference number, and detailed explanations are omitted to avoid duplication of description.

FIG. 20 is an example of a plan view of the drone according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 21 is an example of a front view of the drone according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 22 is an example of a rear view of the drone according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 23 is an example of a perspective view of the drone according to the second embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 20 to 23, at the four corners of the main body 110 of the drone 100, a pair of double-reversing rotary wings having two upper and lower stages are arranged, and therefore, the main body 110 of the drone 100 is provided with a pair of rotary wings. A total of eight rotor blades 101-1a to 101-4a and 101-1b to 101-4b are arranged (hereinafter, simply referred to as rotary blades 101).
That is, a plurality of rotary blades 101 are arranged at least at four locations on the front left and right and the rear left and right of the main body 110. Some drones 100 allow forward and reverse (back), in which case there is no concept of forward / backward of the aircraft. In the present specification, "forward" corresponds to the traveling direction of the drone 100 during normal spraying, and "rear" corresponds to the direction 180 degrees opposite to the traveling direction of the drone 100 during flight.

Preferably, the rotor blades 101 are arranged at the four corners of the main body 110 of the drone 100, one on the left and right sides in front of the traveling direction and the left and right sides on the rear side in the traveling direction. Lift is generated as each rotor 101 rotates to levitate the drone 100. The wind blown down from each rotor 101 is called downwash. When the drone 100 moves forward, the wind flows from the front to the rear to the main body 110, and an updraft is generated around the main body 110. The airflow changes around the drone 100.

Compared with the case of the one-stage rotor, the lift of the drone 100 is stronger in the case of the two-stage rotor 101. As a result, the flow of airflow downward from each rotor 101 becomes stronger. When spraying chemicals using the drone 100, it is necessary to consider this characteristic change in airflow in order to avoid scattering of the chemicals to the surroundings and efficiently deliver the chemicals to the crops on the ground.

FIG. 24 is an example schematically showing the arrangement of the rotary blade and the drug nozzle.
With reference to FIG. 24, each rotor 101 preferably has the same radius, for example having the same radius R. The rotary blades 101 located on both the front left and right sides are separated from each other by the center axes O1 and O2 at an intercenter distance L. The rotary blades 101 located on both the front left and right sides are provided with a space (hereinafter, referred to as a distance between the rotary blades) S so that adjacent rotary blades 101 in the left-right direction do not collide with each other. When the drone 100 is levitated, downwash occurs in the rotation region corresponding to the radius R of each rotor 101. The region of the rotor distance S corresponds to the region outside the downwash created by each rotor 101.

For example, if the diameter of the rotary wing 101 is 70 cm, the rotation speed of the rotary wing 101 is 2,000 rpm, and the body weight of the main body 110 of the drone 100 is 20 kg, the wind speed of the downwash is It can be 10 meters or more per second. The respective sizes of the radius R, the distance between the centers L, and the distance S between the rotor blades are appropriately selected according to the embodiment.

In Example 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the front left and right rotor blades 101 (that is, the left front rotor blades 101-2a and 101-2b and the right front rotor blades 101-4a and 101-4b). Two drug nozzles (that is, a set of 103-1 and 103-2 and a set of 103-3 and 103-4) are arranged in the rotation region of the above. In this case, the chemicals discharged from the chemical nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3 and 103-4 descend along the downwash in the rotation region of each rotary blade 101.

The region between the rotors 101 on both the front left and right sides (see the distance S between the rotors in FIG. 24) is outside the downwash region of each rotor 101, so that it becomes relatively difficult for the drug to reach that region. Therefore, the amount of chemicals applied may be sparse in the region between the rotors 101 (the central region of the drone 100) as compared with the region where the amount of chemicals applied below the downwash is dense. When the magnitude of the rotor blade distance S is relatively small in relation to the radius R, the center distance L, etc., a relatively uniform spray of the drug is obtained in the width direction of the main body 110, and the drug is sparse. The ratio is suppressed. On the other hand, when the magnitude of the distance S between the rotor blades is relatively large, the rate at which the drug is sparse in the central region of the drone 100 cannot be ignored.

That is, the rotor blades 101 on both the left and right sides in front of the traveling direction are separated from each other by a value within a predetermined range in the width direction (left-right direction) of the drone (see reference numeral S). When the distance S between the rotor blades is smaller than a predetermined value, the problem of uneven spraying in the region between the rotor blades does not occur, and the effect of providing an additional nozzle in the region is not obtained (see Example 1). On the other hand, when the distance S between the rotor blades is larger than a predetermined value, the updraft generated in the rotor blade region becomes large, and it becomes difficult for the chemicals sprayed in the region to sufficiently reach the ground.

Referring to FIG. 25, AA of FIG. 20 near the center of the rotary blades 101 (that is, the rotary blades 101-2a and 101-2b and 101-4a and 101-4b) located on both the front left and right sides of the drone 100. The flow of airflow in the cross section along the line is schematically shown. In the figure, the relative positions of the main body 110 are shown in an overlapping manner with reference to them.
With reference to FIG. 26, the flow of airflow in the cross section along the line BB of FIG. 20 near the center of the main body 110 of the drone 100 is schematically shown.

In FIGS. 25 and 26, each arrow schematically illustrates the flow of airflow. In FIGS. 25 and 26, dark gray exemplifies a region of relatively strong airflow, light gray exemplifies a region of relatively weak airflow, and white (background color) exemplifies a region of weakest airflow. ing.
It should be understood that FIGS. 25 and 26 were created to explain the technical idea of the present invention and do not strictly represent the flow of airflow.

As illustrated in FIG. 25, a downward wind flow is generated toward the rotor 101 directly above each rotor 101. This corresponds to the inflow of airflow as the rotary blade 101 rotates. Immediately below each rotor 101, the strongest downward wind flow occurs (see dark gray and light gray areas). Dark gray and light gray areas are included in the downwash. Airflows that wind up from below to above are generated on the left and right outside of each rotor 101 (see reference numerals a1 and a2).

Since the downwash gains momentum around the rotation axis of each rotor 101, it has a substantially donut shape in cross-sectional view. Further, since the downwash spreads downward, it has a substantially cylindrical shape or a substantially conical shape when viewed from the front. Due to the strong momentum of downwash, a wind film or wind curtain can be formed around it. The downwash acts as a protective barrier, allowing the chemicals to be lowered to the crops on the ground while preventing the chemicals sprayed inside the downwash from scattering around.

As illustrated in FIG. 24, a rotor distance S may occur between the rotors 101. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 25, the region of the rotor distance S is outside the downwash region, so that the downward airflow is weakened (see the center of FIG. 25). Between the rotors 101 on both the left and right sides, an airflow that partially winds up from below to above is generated in the upper part (see reference numeral a3), and an airflow that flows downward from above is generated in the lower part (see reference numeral a4). .. This characteristic wind flow was confirmed based on the fluid analysis of the drone 100 by the applicant.

Therefore, when discharging the drug, it is preferable to place the drug on the downwash airflow (see the dark gray and light gray areas in FIG. 25) with as strong a force as possible and lower it. At this time, it is preferable to prevent the drug from being placed on the surrounding updrafts shown by reference numerals a1 and a2 and scattering the drug to the surroundings. Further, at the distance S between the rotor blades between the rotor blades 101, the agent is prevented from being placed on the updraft indicated by the reference numeral a3, and the agent is placed on the downward airflow indicated by the reference numeral a4 and lowered. Is preferable. Further, when the drone 100 moves forward, the wind flow (wind pressure) from the front to the rear is taken into consideration, and when the drone 100 is hovering, the wind pressure disappears.

FIG. 26 schematically shows the flow of airflow in the cross section along the line BB of FIG. 20 near the center of the main body 110 of the drone 100.
As illustrated in FIG. 26, the region between the front and rear rotors 101 is outside the downwash region, so that the downward airflow is weakened. The darkest gray region (the fastest flowing region) illustrated in FIG. 25 cannot be confirmed in FIG. 26. In this case as well, airflows that wind up from below to above are generated on the left and right outside of each rotor 101 (see reference numerals b1 and b2). Further, between the rotary blades 101 on both the left and right sides, a part of the airflow that winds up from the lower part to the upper part is generated in the upper part (see reference numeral b3), and a flow of the wind from the upper part to the lower part is generated in the lower part (reference numeral b4). reference).

Therefore, in the outer region where downwash occurs, when the agent is sprayed in the region where the updraft occurs (see symbols a1, a2, b1, b2), the agent soars before reaching the crops on the ground and goes out of the field. There is a risk that it will float and come out.
In addition, even in the inner region where downwash occurs, when the chemical is sprayed in the region where the updraft occurs (see reference numerals a3 and b3), the chemical soars before reaching the crops on the ground and floats outside the field. There is a risk that it will come out.
In this embodiment, in consideration of the characteristic air flow generated around the drone 100 (FIGS. 25 and 26), the chemicals are sent out of the field while suppressing uneven spraying in the region between the left and right rotor blades. Make it possible to suppress floating drift.

FIG. 27 shows a simplified configuration in which the drug is sprayed using the drone 100 described in detail in FIGS. 20 to 24.
This configuration is formed by arranging a drug tank 104 arranged in the center of the drone body 110 and a plurality of nozzle openings 203-1, 203-2, 203-3 in a row in the width direction in front of the drone body 110. The nozzle row is provided, and the medicine hose 105 for supplying the medicine from the medicine tank 104 to the nozzle row is included. The drug discharged from the drug tank 104 may be pressurized and supplied to the nozzle openings 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 through the drug hose 105 by a pump 106 (see FIG. 21 and the like). The chemicals discharged from the nozzle openings 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 may be sprayed in the form of mist.

In Example 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the drug nozzle for spraying the drug is below the rotor blades arranged below the rotation regions of the rotor blades on both the left and right sides in front of the main body 110 of the drone 100 in the traveling direction. Includes only nozzles (ie, 103-1 to 103-4).
On the other hand, in the second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 20 to 24, the drug nozzle is a rotary blade arranged below the rotation region of the rotary blades on both the left and right sides in front of the main body 110 of the drone 100 in the traveling direction. Includes lower nozzles (ie, 203-1 and 203-2) and rotor-to-rotor nozzles (ie, 203-3) located between the rotation regions of the rotors on both the left and right sides in front of the traveling direction.
At this time, the rotor blades 101 on the left and right sides in front of the traveling direction are separated from each other by a value within a predetermined range in the width direction of the drone 100 (see reference numeral S in FIG. 24). For example, the distance S between rotor blades is assumed to be 20 cm or more and 70 cm or less. If the distance S between the rotor blades is too narrow, the downwash generated from the rotor blades 101 on both the left and right sides will be combined in the center, and the chemicals will be densely sprayed on the crops on the ground. not high. On the other hand, when the distance S between the rotor blades is 35 cm or more, a portion where the downdraft is sparse is formed during the downwash, and a portion where the chemical spraying is sparse increases. Will be higher.

Preferably, a common hose (which may be a pipe or pipe) 105 for drug supply is attached in the width direction of the main body 110 of the drone 100, and three nozzles 203-1, 2032, and 203-3 are mounted on the hose. Deploy. For example, the nozzle openings are juxtaposed on the same straight line in the width direction of the main body. By reducing the number of flow paths connecting each nozzle opening, the number of parts can be reduced to reduce weight and facilitate manufacturing. However, it is possible to connect each nozzle opening from the drug tank 104 with a different pipe.
The drug hose 105 does not necessarily extend linearly in the width direction of the main body 110. It is possible to partially change the extending direction so that the positions of the three drug nozzles 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 are different in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction.

With reference to FIG. 27, the flow of the drug discharged from each nozzle opening of the nozzle row illustrated in FIG. 24 is illustrated based on the flow of the air flow illustrated in FIG. 25.
The rotor lower nozzle 203-1 on the front left side is arranged below the rotation region of the rotor blades 101-2a and 101-2b arranged on the front left side of the main body 110. In order to effectively utilize the downwash, the nozzle 203-1 is arranged between the front end and the rear end of the rotation region of the upper and lower two-stage rotary blades 101 and in the region between the right end and the left end. Has been done. When the chemical is discharged from the nozzle 203-1, the spray descends on the air flow in the downwash below the rotary blade 101.
In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 27, the nozzle 203-1 is moved to the left side (outside) from directly below the rotation axis of the rotary blade 101, and the drug discharged to the outside is down on the outside as shown by reference numeral j1. Ride the wash and descend. In addition, the drug exhaled inward can descend on the inner downwash as shown by reference numeral j2. The size of the drug discharged from the nozzle 203-1 in the width direction is schematically indicated by reference numeral I1.

Similarly, the rotor lower nozzle 203-2 on the front right side is arranged below the rotation region of the rotor blades 101-4a and 101-4b arranged on the front right side of the main body 110. In order to effectively utilize the downwash, the nozzle 203-2 is arranged between the front end and the rear end of the rotation region of the upper and lower two-stage rotary blades 101 and in the region between the right end and the left end. Has been done. When the chemical is discharged from the nozzle 103-2, the spray descends on the air flow in the downwash below the rotary blade 101.
In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 27, the nozzle 203-2 is moved to the right side (outside) from directly below the rotation axis of the rotary blade 101, and the drug discharged to the outside is down on the outside as shown by reference numeral j3. Ride the wash and descend. In addition, the drug exhaled inward can descend on the downwash on the inside, as shown by reference numeral j4. The size of the drug discharged from the nozzle 203-2 in the width direction is schematically indicated by reference numeral I2.

As described above, depending on the size of the rotary blade distance S (see FIG. 24) between the rotary blades 101 on both the front left and right sides, the nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 below the rotary blade 101 alone can be used for the main body 110. It may happen that uniform spraying of the drug in the width direction cannot be ensured (see reference numerals I1 and I2). Since a gap is formed between the reference numerals I1 and I2, it is possible that the spraying of the drug is uneven in the width direction of the drone 100, and the drug tends to be sparse, especially in the central portion.

In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 27, the front center rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is arranged between the front left and right rotor blades 101. The nozzle 203-3 is located outside each rotation region of the rotary blades 101 on both the front left and right sides. This corresponds to the case where the front left and right rotors 101 are arranged apart from each other in the width direction of the main body 110 with reference to FIG. 24, and the magnitude of the distance S between the rotors is relatively large. However, the size of the distance S between the rotor blades shall not be too large.

With reference to FIG. 27, preferably, the drug discharged from the nozzle 203-3 is sprayed laterally outward to the downwashes on both the left and right sides thereof (see reference numerals j5 and j6). The chemical sprayed from the outside onto the downwash descends on the downwash wind curtain. That is, at the outer boundary of the downwash, the downward airflow is strong and the airflow is used to lower the drug (see gray area in FIG. 25). The size of the drug discharged from the nozzle 203-3 in the width direction is schematically indicated by reference numeral I3.

The rotor blade nozzles 203-3 are arranged in the traveling direction of the drone 100 in front of the front ends (see reference numeral 111 in FIG. 24) of the rotation region of the rotor blades 101 arranged on the left and right sides behind the main body 110. Will be done. Therefore, the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 can utilize at least downwash by the rotor 101 rearward in the traveling direction (see reference numerals m3 and m4 in FIG. 31).
Preferably, the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is arranged in front of the rear end of the rotation region of the rotor 101 on both the left and right sides in front of the drone 100 in the traveling direction (see reference numeral Z in FIG. 24). Further, the rotary blade inter-blade nozzles 203-3 are arranged behind the front ends of the rotation regions of the rotary blades 101 on both the left and right sides in front of the drone 100 in the traveling direction. Therefore, the rotary blade nozzle 203-3 can utilize the downwash by the rotary blades 101 forward and backward in the traveling direction (see reference numerals m1, m2, m3, and m4 in FIG. 31).

Therefore, the rotary blade nozzle 203-3 can evenly spray the chemicals to the crops on the ground by spraying the chemicals from the outside onto the downwash generated by the left and right rotary blades 101 in the front and / or rear.
Further, when the drone 100 is advanced, an air flow is generated from the front to the rear, and this wind pressure acts as a protective wall (vertical direction on the paper in FIG. 29). For this reason, the effect of downwash is small in the region between the rotor blades, but since the wind is received from the front when the spraying operation is performed forward, the updraft becomes gentle near the nozzle 203-3 between the rotor blades, and the chemicals are released. It can be suppressed from being blown up.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the chemicals discharged from the three chemical nozzles 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 from being substantially uniformized in the width direction of the main body 110, resulting in a region where the chemicals are excessively sparse. (See reference numerals I1, I2, I3 in FIG. 27).

Preferably, the spreads I1 to I3 in the width direction of the medicines discharged from the adjacent medicine nozzles partially overlap each other to prevent a portion where the medicines are excessively sparse. This partially overlapping portion is appropriately defined to prevent the drug from becoming overly dense.
However, the arrangement of the main bodies 110 of these three drug nozzles 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 in the width direction is determined according to the embodiment and is not limited to the illustrated configuration.

With reference to FIG. 24, preferably, the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is located at a position (reference numeral) of 1/2 of the radius of the rotor 101 from the rear end of the rotation region of the rotor 101 on both the left and right sides in the front in the traveling direction. It is arranged ahead of the traveling direction (see R / 2) (see reference numeral Z). If the position of the nozzle is in the region between the front rotor blades, the wind is received from the front when the spraying operation is performed forward, so that an updraft is not generated in the vicinity of the nozzle.
At this time, the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 travels in the traveling direction from the rear end of the rotating region of the rotary blades 101 on both the left and right sides in front of the traveling direction, rather than the position of the radius of the rotary blade 101 (see reference numeral R). It may be placed at the rear (see reference numeral Z).

As described above, the rotary blades 101 are arranged in a double upper and lower position, and the vertical position of the rotor blade inter-nozzle 203-3 is moved downward from the lower rotary blade of the two-stage rotary blade 101. They are arranged at a predetermined distance apart (see reference numeral Y in FIG. 27). Here, it is desirable that the predetermined distance Y is 25 cm or more. When the drone 100 is advanced, an air flow toward the center side of the main body 110 is generated in the lower front part of the main body 110 (see reference numeral a3 in FIG. 25 and reference numeral b3 in FIG. 26). It can be prevented and the drug can be prevented from floating on the updraft. In addition, a downward airflow is generated below the updraft (see reference numeral a4 in FIG. 25 and reference numeral b4 in FIG. 26). Make it delivered.

The positions of the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 and the positions of the rotor inter-blade nozzles 203-3 are not limited to the positions illustrated in FIG. 27. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 28, the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 are arranged immediately below the rotation axis of the rotor 101, respectively, and the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is placed between them. It is possible to place it. In this case, the chemicals emitted from the rotor nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 can be equally dispersed around the rotation axis of the rotor. The overlap with the chemicals discharged from the rotor nozzle 203-3 is appropriately determined in consideration of the rotor distance S and the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 29, the vertical direction of the main body 110 of the rotary blade nozzle 203-3 with respect to the vertical position of the main body 110 of the rotary blade lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 (see reference numeral Y). The position of (see reference numeral Y') may be set lower. In this case, the updraft illustrated by reference numeral a3 in FIG. 25 and reference numeral b3 in FIG. 26 is avoided, and the downward wind illustrated in reference numeral a4 in FIG. 25 and reference numeral b4 in FIG. 26 is used to lower the drug. Can be done. The spread of the drug discharged from the rotor nozzle 203-3 in the width direction (see reference numeral I') is appropriately determined in consideration of the rotor distance S and the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 29, the chemical discharge direction of the rotary blade lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 can be tilted toward the center of the drone. By doing so, it becomes possible to discharge the drug toward the center of the downwash and evenly spray the drug.
Further, when the flight speed of the drone 100 changes, the position where the updraft generated in the central portion between them is generated changes. Therefore, when the flight speed of the drone 100 decreases and the updraft near the nozzle 203-3 becomes stronger, the discharge speed of the nozzle 203-3 may be increased. As a result, even if an updraft flows into the front center of the drone 100, the drug discharged from the nozzle 203-3 can be lowered so as not to scatter to the surroundings.
Alternatively, when the flight speed of the drone 100 decreases and the updraft near the nozzle 203-3 becomes stronger, the discharge particle size of the nozzle 203-3 may be increased. This is because the larger the discharge particle size, the more difficult it is for the drug to be wound up by the updraft.

The above three nozzles 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 can each have the same nozzle. Each of these nozzles can have the same nozzle opening or nozzle shape. As described above, by devising the arrangement of each nozzle, the drug can be discharged evenly in the width direction (see FIG. 27). In this case, by sharing the parts, the efficiency of manufacturing and maintenance of the drone 100 can be improved.

However, since the airflow flows differently between the left and right sides in front of the main body 110 of the drone 100 and the center (see FIGS. 25 and 26), in order to optimally utilize the surrounding airflow flow, each nozzle opening It is possible to make the shape and the like different.
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 24, the magnitude of the distance S between the rotor blades in the front center is increased according to the distance L between the centers of the rotor blades 101 on both the front left and right sides, the radius R, and the like. Based on the size, the amount of the chemical discharged from the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 and the rotor lower nozzle 203-1 so that the amount of the chemical finally sprayed in the width direction becomes substantially uniform. , The amount of the drug discharged from 203-2 may be different.

For example, the amount of the chemicals discharged from the rotor inter-blade nozzles 203-3 may be relatively small compared to the amount of the chemicals discharged from the rotary blade lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2. In this case, even when the rotary blade inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is added, it is possible to prevent the drug from becoming excessively dense at the front center of the main body 110. The amount of the chemical discharged from the rotor nozzle 203-3 is appropriately determined in consideration of the rotor distance S and the like.
In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 28, the rotary blade lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 are arranged immediately below the rotary shaft of the rotary blade 101, respectively, and the rotary blade inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is placed between them. When arranged, it is possible to prevent the chemicals discharged from the adjacent nozzles from overlapping excessively.

Further, the area of the nozzle opening of the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 may be relatively smaller than the area (size) of the nozzle openings of the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2. Further, the shape of the nozzle opening of the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 may be relatively different from the shape of the nozzle opening of the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2. In this case, by changing the size and shape of each nozzle opening, it is possible to adjust the discharge amount and the discharge particle size of the drug in the width direction of the main body 110 without using special control. For example, by reducing the size of the nozzle opening, the speed of the discharged drug can be increased. Further, by changing the shape of the nozzle opening, the direction of the discharged medicine can be determined. For example, the shape of the nozzle opening may be determined so that the drug is discharged in the left-right direction with respect to the front-back direction.

The speed of the chemical discharged from the nozzle opening of the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 may be higher than the speed of the chemical discharged from the nozzle openings of the rotary blade lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2. In this case, by spraying the chemicals on the downwash from the outside with a strong force at the front center of the main body 110, it is possible to prevent the chemicals from being blown up by the nearby airflow (reference numerals a3 in FIG. 25 and reference numeral b3 in FIG. 26). reference).

Further, the discharge particle size of the chemicals discharged from the nozzle openings of the rotor inter-blade nozzles 203-3 is made larger than the discharge particle diameter of the chemicals discharged from the nozzle openings of the rotary blade lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2. You may. As a result, even when an updraft is generated in the center of the drone 100, the drug discharged from the rotary blade nozzle 203-3 can be lowered in a state where it is difficult to scatter to the surroundings.

Further, the rotary blade lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 have a circular nozzle opening corresponding to the downwash whose cross section spreads in a substantially circular shape, whereas the rotary blade nozzle 203-3 has a circular nozzle opening. The nozzle opening may be devised so that the chemicals can be sprayed more concentratedly from the outside on the downwashes on both the left and right sides.

For example, in the rotary blade inter-blade nozzle 203-3, the discharge amount of the drug discharged from the nozzle opening may be larger in the left-right direction of the main body 110 than in the front-rear direction of the main body 110. In this case, most of the chemicals emitted from the rotor nozzle 203-3 can be placed on the downwashes on both the left and right sides and lowered to prevent the chemicals from being scattered around in front of the center of the main body 110.

For example, referring to FIG. 30, an example is schematically shown in which the drug nozzle 203-3 shown in FIG. 24 is sprayed with the discharge direction of the drug deflected particularly to the left and right sides (regions indicated by reference numerals p1 and p2). reference). In other words, this drug is not discharged from the nozzle opening of the drug nozzle 203-3 in a circumferential shape, but is discharged only at a predetermined angle on the left and right (see the angles indicated by reference numerals q1 and q2). This may be made possible by devising the shape of the nozzle opening of the drug nozzle 203-3. In this way, the left and right sides of the main body 110 of the medicine discharged from the interrotor nozzle 203-3 with respect to the injection angle in the left-right direction of the main body 110 of the medicine discharged from the lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 of the rotary blades. The injection angle in the direction may be larger.

Alternatively, for example, the rotary blade-to-rotor 203-3 nozzle may be provided with a deflector in front of the nozzle opening to deflect the direction in which the drug is discharged. The deflector may be arranged to face the nozzle opening as a deflection surface that deflects the flow of the chemicals discharged from the nozzle opening and deflects the discharge direction on both the left and right sides. In this case, most of the discharged drug can be guided to the left and right downwash (see FIG. 30).
At this time, as illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26, since there is a partial updraft (see reference numerals a3 and b3) on the upper side of the center of the main body 110, the direction of the medicine discharged from the nozzle 203-3 is determined. It may be deflected to the left or right by a deflector or the like, and may be deflected downward to avoid the updraft.

With reference to FIG. 31, the flow of airflow along the longitudinal direction of the main body 110 of the drone 100 is schematically shown together with the right side view of the main body 110 when viewed from the lateral direction. Normally, the drone 100 is raised and lowered by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed (rotation speed) of each rotor 101, and forward, reverse, and turning are performed by making a difference in the rotation speed of each rotor 101 and tilting the machine body. FIG. 31 shows the flow of airflow around the drone 100 in a substantially horizontal shape, but this configuration also applies when the drone 100 moves forward in a forward tilted manner.

Referring to FIG. 31, when the drone 100 moves forward, it is affected by the wind pressure generated in front of the main body 110 and the like, so that the downwash generated downward from each rotor 101 extends diagonally downward toward the rear. Appears like.
The positions of the nozzles 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 may be arranged from directly below the central axis of the front left and right rotary blades 101-1 and 101-2 toward the rear (see FIG. 24). Normally, since the airflow of the rotary blade 101 is weakened just below the rotation axis, the downwash occurs in a substantially donut shape. Therefore, a part of the chemicals emitted from each nozzle descends along the downwash of the front rotor 101 (see reference numeral m1 in FIG. 31), and a part of the chemicals scatter diagonally backward and the rear rotor 101. It is sprayed onto the downwash of 101 and descends (see reference numeral m2 in FIG. 31).

Therefore, using the flow of the surrounding airflow when the drone 100 moves forward, the medicine discharged from the nozzle 103 arranged in front of the main body 110 is placed on the downwash formed in front of and below the main body 110. It can be sprayed (see reference numerals m1 and m2 in FIG. 31). The positions of the nozzles 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 can be arranged from directly below the central axis of the front left and right rotary blades 101-1 and 101-2 toward the front.

In this way, when the drone moves forward, the region of the cylindrical airflow with high velocity shown in FIG. 31 tilts toward the rear in the traveling direction. It is possible to place the drug nozzle inside this tilted cylindrical region and at an appropriate position when viewed from the direction of travel. In this way, the drug is applied downwards efficiently on the first downwash stream (see reference numeral m1), minimizing unwanted scattering. Although some drug flows backwards (see reference numeral n1), it is efficiently sprayed downwards on the second downward airflow (see reference numeral m2) again. Due to the wind pressure from the front, a part of the drug contained in the second air flow (see reference numeral m2) is flowed backward (see reference numeral n2). In this case, it is placed on a third airflow created by the rotary blades on both the left and right sides behind the drone 100 (see reference numeral m3). Similarly, a part of the third airflow flows into the fourth airflow (see reference numeral m4) (see reference numeral n3), and directly under the drone 100 while minimizing the unfavorable scattering of the drug to the surroundings. It is possible to spray the drug on the surface.

At least, the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is in front of the rotation region of the rotor blades (101-1a, 101-1b, 101-3a, 101-3b) arranged behind the main body 110 in the traveling direction of the drone. By arranging it in front of the end, the drug can be lowered by utilizing the downwash generated below each rotor 101 arranged behind the main body 110.
Preferably, the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is located at the rear end of the rotor blades (101-2a, 101-2b, 101-4a, 101-4b) arranged behind the main body 110 with respect to the traveling direction of the rotation region. By being arranged in front of the main body 110, the drug can be lowered by utilizing the downwash generated below each rotary blade 101 arranged in front of and behind the main body 110.
Particularly preferably, the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 is arranged forward in the traveling direction from the rear end of the rotary blade 101 in the rotating region with respect to the traveling direction, with respect to a position halved in the radius of the rotary blade 101.

As described above, by placing the drug nozzles 203-1, 203-2, and 203-3 in the substantially cylindrical or substantially conical area and spraying the drug, this area becomes a so-called protective wall and the outside thereof. It is possible to suppress undesired chemical scattering to. In particular, by using a drone with two upper and lower rotor blades, it is possible to reduce the turbulence of the air flow (see m1 to m4) and maintain the wind speed by increasing the momentum of the downwash. Therefore, a secondary effect that the chemical can be effectively sprayed to the root of the crop in the field can also be obtained.
In addition, in order to positively utilize the airflow created by the rotary blade 101 of the drone 100 according to the present application, the airflow reaching the crop is at a low altitude of about 7 meters per second (typically, about about 7 meters from the upper part of the crop in the field. You may fly (75 centimeters).

Since the rotor nozzle 203-3 is provided within the rotor distance S outside the left and right downwashes, when the drone 100 is stopped or hovered, the wind pressure of the wind flowing from the front disappears and the rotor distance is eliminated. It is possible that the surrounding updraft is involved in S. In this case, the chemicals discharged from the nozzle opening of the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 are likely to be scattered around. Therefore, the discharge state of the drug may be controlled according to the operating state of the drone 100.

For example, depending on the advancing speed of the drone 100, the discharge of the chemicals at both the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 and the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 may be stopped. By closing all the drug nozzles, it may be possible to prevent the sprayed drug from becoming uneven due to the drug discharged from some of the drug nozzles. For example, the flow path from the drug tank 104 to the drug hose 105 for supplying the drug to the nozzle train may be closed or bypassed (see FIG. 24 and the like).
Alternatively, only the rotor interblade nozzle 203-3 may be closed depending on the hovering time of the drone 100. For example, when it is known in advance that the drone will hover for a short period of time, it is possible to prevent some of the chemicals from scattering to the surroundings due to the updraft while continuing to discharge the required amount of the chemicals. For example, of the flow paths flowing through the drug hose 105, only the flow path toward the rotor blade nozzle 203-3 may be closed or bypassed.

The control may be started based on various trigger conditions. For example, the rotor blade nozzle 203-3 stops spraying when the speed of the drone 100 falls below a predetermined value.
For example, the flight controller 501 may use the motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104- based on the input information received from the mobile terminal 701. By controlling the rotation speed of b, the flight of the drone 100 is controlled (see FIG. 6).
At this time, the 6-axis gyro sensor 505 measures the acceleration of the drone body in three directions orthogonal to each other. In addition, the velocity is calculated by integrating the acceleration. Based on this numerical value, the flight controller 501 can determine whether or not the speed of the drone is below a predetermined value.

When the flight controller 501 determines that the speed of the drone is lower than the predetermined value, the flight controller 501 may stop the spraying of the drug by both or one of the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 and the rotor nozzle 203-3. good. For example, the flight controller 501 may transmit a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the drug discharge amount and stop the drug discharge.
At this time, the flight controller 501 can determine the open state of the nozzle based on the numerical value obtained from the drug injection port sensor 517. The flight controller 501 supplies chemicals to both the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 and the rotor inter-blade nozzles 203-3 by transmitting a control signal to the pump 106, and to both of them. It may be possible to switch between a state in which no drug is supplied and a state in which no drug is supplied.

Alternatively, for example, a switching mechanism such as a valve mechanism capable of switching the flow path may be provided in the middle of the path for supplying the drug from the drug tank 104 to the nozzle row. In this case, the flight controller 501 supplies a chemical only to the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 by transmitting a control signal to the switching mechanism (to the rotor nozzle 103-3). It may be possible to switch between a state in which the chemical supply is stopped) and a state in which the chemicals are supplied to both the rotor nozzles 203-1 and 203-2 and the rotor nozzles 203-3.

Alternatively, when the drone 100 is stopped or hovered, or when the drone 100 moves at a speed lower than a predetermined value, the discharge of the drug from the nozzle opening of the rotor interblade nozzle 103-3 may be selectively stopped. For example, a predetermined value of 12 km / h is assumed.
For example, the rotary blade nozzle 103-3 has a main body having a nozzle opening, a valve body that closes the nozzle opening, a spring member that urges the valve body with the nozzle opening closed, and a spring member urging. It may have a switching member for moving the valve body to a state where the valve body is released and the nozzle opening is opened. By appropriately operating the switching member (for example, electromagnetically operating), the position of the valve body with respect to the nozzle opening is moved, and the discharge of the drug of the rotor interblade nozzle 103-3 is switched between the on and off positions. May be good.

When the above operation is performed manually, it may be performed by a mobile terminal 701 capable of communicating with the drone 100 via the base station 710. Based on the information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, speed, drug amount, etc.), a command may be transmitted from the mobile terminal 701 to the drone 100 by the operation of the user (see FIG. 7).

Alternatively, when the drone operation module 1012 receives operations such as the emergency stop button 925 (see FIG. 9) by the user, the drone operation module 1012 transmits information such as commands corresponding to these operations to the drone 100 and is flying. The drone 100 may be urgently stopped, or the drone 100 may be temporarily stopped for hovering on the spot. In conjunction with the operation, the flight controller 501 may transmit a control signal to the pump 106 or the switching mechanism to adjust the drug discharge amount or stop the drug discharge. When the drone 100 is stopped or hovered, it is discharged from the nozzle opening of the rotor interblade nozzle 203-3 even when the wind pressure of the wind flowing from the front disappears and the surrounding updraft may be involved. The drug may be minimized from scattering to the surroundings.

The trigger condition is not limited to the traveling speed of the drone 100, and can be performed based on the flight path of the drone 100.
For example, when a field such as a rice field or a field to be sprayed with a drug by the drone 100 is adjacent to a house, a hospital, a school, another crop field, a road, a railroad, or the like, the drone 100 is a boundary of the field. When approaching, the amount of drug ejected from the nozzle opening may be temporarily reduced or reduced to zero. In this case, it is possible to minimize the possibility that a part of the chemicals emitted from the drone 100 will be scattered by the surrounding airflow and reach the house or the like adjacent to the field.

For example, in FIG. 8, the map 801 is displayed on the field information display screen 800 displayed on the mobile terminal 701. Further, in the example of the drone operation screen 900 (see FIG. 9), the field 930 to be sprayed with the chemical is displayed on the map. Based on those maps, when it is predicted that the drone 100 will approach the boundary of the field, either automatically or manually with the rotor inter-blade nozzle 203-3 and the rotor lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2. The discharge of the drug may be stopped, or the discharge of the drug at the rotary blade nozzle 203-3 may be stopped.
Alternatively, when it is predicted that the drone 100 will approach the boundary of the field based on the progress of the flight route of the spray flight displayed in the spray flight progress information 912, the rotor blade nozzle 203- The discharge of the chemicals may be stopped at both the rotary blade lower nozzles 203-1 and 203-2, or the chemical discharge at the rotary blade inter-blade nozzles 203-3 may be stopped.

With reference to FIG. 32, a modified embodiment of the second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 20 to 31 is illustrated.
In Example 3 illustrated in FIG. 32, the configurations except for the drug nozzles 203-1, 203-2 and 203-3 are the same as those in Example 2 illustrated in FIGS. The components of are indicated by the same reference number, and detailed explanations are omitted in order to avoid duplication of description.

In Example 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the drug nozzle for spraying the drug is below the rotor blades arranged below the rotation regions of the rotor blades on both the left and right sides in front of the main body 110 of the drone 100 in the traveling direction. Includes only nozzles (ie, 103-1 to 103-4).
On the other hand, in the third embodiment illustrated in FIG. 32, similarly to the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 27, the drug nozzle is the rotation region of the rotary blades on both the left and right sides in front of the main body 110 of the drone 100 in the traveling direction. Rotor blade lower nozzles (that is, 303-1 to 303-4) arranged below each of the rotor blade nozzles (that is, rotary blade inter-blade nozzles) arranged between the rotary blade rotation regions on both the left and right sides in the front in the traveling direction. 303-5) and.
At this time, the rotor blades 101 on the left and right sides in front of the traveling direction are separated from each other by a value within a predetermined range in the width direction of the drone 100 (see reference numeral S in FIG. 24).

With reference to FIG. 32, a case where the number of drug nozzles is increased from 3 to 5 is illustrated in particular.
Similarly, in this case as well, a total of eight rotary blades 101 having a two-stage configuration are arranged at the four corners of the front / rear left / right and rear left / right of the main body 110 of the drone 100.
Rotor blades 101-2a and 101-2b are arranged in two upper and lower stages on the left front side, and below this rotation region are two rotor blade lower nozzles 303-1 separated in the width direction of the main body 110. , 303-2 are arranged.
Rotor blades 101-4a and 101-4b are arranged in two upper and lower stages on the right front side, and below this rotation region are two rotor blade lower nozzles 303-3 separated in the width direction of the main body 110. , 303-4 are arranged.
In the front center, rotor blade nozzles 303-5 are arranged between the rotor blades 101 on both the front left and right sides.

As illustrated in FIG. 24, the magnitude of the distance S between the rotor blades in the front center is generated according to the distance L between the centers of the rotor blades 101 on both the front left and right sides, the radius R, and the like. Based on the size, the rotor nozzle lower nozzles 303-1, 303-2, 303-3, 303-4 are arranged so that the amount of the drug finally sprayed in the width direction becomes substantially uniform. Consider the amount of chemicals discharged from them, the arrangement of the rotor nozzles 303-5, and the amount of chemicals discharged from them.

Preferably, on the left front side, one rotor lower nozzle 303-1 is moved outward in the width direction from the central axis of the rotor, and the other rotor lower nozzle 303-2 is moved inward in the width direction from the central axis of the rotor. Bring to. The drug nozzles 303-1 and 303-2 are positioned so that the drug is effectively placed on the corresponding outer and inner downwashes, respectively.

Similarly, on the right front side, one rotor lower nozzle 303-3 is moved outward in the width direction from the central axis of the rotor, and the other rotor lower nozzle 303-4 is moved inward in the width direction from the central axis of the rotor. Bring to. Each drug nozzle 303-3, 303-4 is positioned so that the drug is effectively placed on the corresponding outer and inner downwashes, respectively.

The rotary blade inter-blade nozzle 303-5 is arranged in the center of the main body 110, but the nozzle position (front-rear direction, left-right direction, vertical direction), nozzle discharge angle, nozzle opening shape and its size, etc. are final. The amount of the drug sprayed in the width direction may be selected to be substantially uniform.
At least, the rotor inter-blade nozzles 303-5 are arranged in the traveling direction of the drone 100 in front of the front end of the rotation region of the rotor 101 arranged behind the main body 110.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the nozzles can be effectively arranged by paying attention to the fact that the downwash is formed in a substantially donut shape around the rotation axis of the rotary blade 101.

Alternatively, the number of rotor blade lower nozzles on both the left and right sides of the main body 110 may be one (see Example 2), and the number of rotor blade nozzles on the center side of the main body 110 may be two. ..
Further, it is also possible to set the number of rotor blade lower nozzles on both the left and right sides of the main body 110 to two (see Example 3) and set the number of rotor blade nozzles on the center side of the main body 110 to two.
Further, the number of the rotor lower nozzles and / or the rotor inter-blade nozzles can be two or more.

With reference to FIGS. 33 to 36, modified embodiments of the above Examples 1 to 3 are illustrated.
In Example 4 illustrated in FIGS. 33 to 36, the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3 and 103-4 of Example 1 exemplified in FIGS. 1 to 19 and FIGS. 20 to 31 Since the configuration except for these is the same as that of the rotary blade 101 of the second embodiment illustrated in the above, the other components are indicated by the same reference number, and details are given in order to avoid duplication of description. I will omit the explanation.

FIG. 33 is an example of a rear view of the drone.
Since the plan view and the front view of the drone can be configured in the same manner as in Example 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 and Example 2 illustrated in FIGS. 20 to 23, in order to avoid duplication of description. Further figures are omitted.

In the fourth embodiment, one-stage rotary blades 401-1, 401-2, 401-3, and 401-4 are arranged at the four corners of the main body 110 of the drone 100, respectively, and therefore, the main body 110 of the drone 100 is provided. , A total of four rotor blades are provided.
Each rotor 401-1, 401-2, 401-3, 401-4 is a means for flying the drone 100, considering the balance of flight stability, airframe size, and power consumption. It is equipped. Each rotor 401 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 rotor 401-1 is arranged on the left rear side in the traveling direction, the rotor blade 401-2 is arranged on the left front side, the rotor blade 401-3 is arranged on the right rear side, and the rotor blade 401-4 is arranged on the right front side (hereinafter, the rotor blades 401-4). Is simply described as 401).

In the configuration of the fourth embodiment, the rotary blades 101 having two upper and lower stages of double inversion are provided at the four corners of the main body 110 of the drone 100, respectively (see FIGS. 1 to 5 and 20 to 23). The lift generated by each rotor 401 is weaker than that of the rotor 401. Therefore, the wind blown down from each rotor 401, that is, the momentum of the downwash is weakened. Therefore, the agent sprayed from each nozzle onto the downwash has a weakened downward momentum. On the other hand, the drug sprayed on the downwash is more likely to disperse to the surroundings.

With reference to FIG. 34, the airflow in the cross section along the CC line of FIG. 33 near the center of the rotors 401 (that is, the rotors 401-2 and 401-4) located on both the front left and right sides of the drone 100. The flow of is schematically shown. In the figure, the relative positions of the main body 110 are shown in an overlapping manner with reference to them.
With reference to FIG. 35, the flow of airflow in the cross section along the DD line of FIG. 33 near the center of the main body 110 of the drone 100 is schematically shown.
In FIGS. 34 and 35, each arrow schematically illustrates the flow of airflow. In FIGS. 34 and 35, dark gray exemplifies a region of relatively strong airflow, light gray exemplifies a region of relatively weak airflow, and white (background color) exemplifies a region of weakest airflow. ing.
It should be understood that FIGS. 34 and 35 were created for the purpose of explaining the technical idea of the present invention and do not strictly represent the flow of airflow. Further, it should be understood that the shades of gray shown in FIGS. 34 and 35 and the shades of gray shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 do not accurately represent the momentum of the air flow.

As illustrated in FIG. 34, a downward wind flow is generated toward the rotor 401 directly above each rotor 401. This corresponds to the inflow of airflow as the rotary blade 101 rotates. Immediately below each rotor 401, the strongest downward wind flow occurs (see dark gray and light gray areas). Dark gray and light gray areas are included in the downwash. Airflows that wind up from below to above are generated on the left and right outside of each rotor 401 (see reference numerals c1 and c2).

Since the downwash gains momentum around the rotation axis of each rotor 401, it has a substantially donut shape in cross-sectional view. Further, since the downwash spreads downward, it has a substantially cylindrical shape or a substantially conical shape when viewed from the front. Due to the strong momentum of downwash, a wind film or wind curtain can be formed around it. Downwash acts as a protective barrier, allowing the chemicals to be lowered to above-ground crops while preventing the chemicals sprayed inside from scattering around.

As illustrated in FIG. 24, a rotor distance S may occur between the rotors 101. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 34, the region of the rotor distance S is outside the downwash region, so that the downward airflow is weakened (see the center of FIG. 34). Between the rotors 401 on both the left and right sides, a part of the airflow that winds up from below to above is generated in the upper part (see reference numeral c3), and a flow of wind that winds upward from above is generated in the lower part (see reference numeral c4). .. This characteristic wind flow was confirmed based on the fluid analysis of the drone 100 by the applicant.

Therefore, when discharging the drug, it is preferable to place the drug on the downwash airflow (see the dark gray and light gray areas of FIG. 34) that moves downward with as strong a force as possible. At this time, it is preferable to prevent the drug from being placed on the surrounding updrafts indicated by reference numerals c1 and c2 and scattering the drug to the surroundings. Further, at the distance S between the rotor blades between the rotors 401, the agent is prevented from being placed on the updraft indicated by the reference numeral c3, and the agent is placed on the downward airflow indicated by the reference numeral c4 and descends. Is preferable. Further, when the drone 100 moves forward, the wind flow (wind pressure) from the front to the rear is taken into consideration.

As illustrated in FIG. 35, in the region between the front and rear rotors 401, since it is outside the downwash region, the downward airflow flow is weakened. Although there is a part where the momentum is relatively strong (see reference numerals f1 and f2), the darkest gray region (the region with the fastest flow) illustrated in FIG. 34 cannot be confirmed in FIG. 35. In this case as well, airflows that wind up from below to above are generated on the left and right outside of each rotor 401 (see reference numerals e1 and e2). Further, between the rotary blades 401 on both the left and right sides, a part of the airflow that winds up from the lower part to the upper part is generated in the upper part (see reference numeral e3), and a flow of the wind from the upper part to the lower part is generated in the lower part (reference numeral e4). reference).

In FIG. 34, the most vigorous regions below the left and right rotors 401 are shown in dark gray by the symbols d1 and d3, and around them, the symbols d2 and d4 indicate the regions below the left and right rotors 401. Areas with relatively strong momentum are shown in light gray.
In Example 4 illustrated in FIG. 34, the momentum of the airflow blown down from each rotor 401 is halved as compared with the case of Example 2 illustrated in FIG. 25, so that the downwash speed is higher. It's getting smaller and the length of the downwash that appears vertically is also shorter.
Further, in the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 25, since the downwash below the rotary blade 101 has a strong momentum, the downwash forms a cylindrical wind curtain extending in a substantially vertical direction around the rotation axis. On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment illustrated in FIG. 34, since the downwash below the rotary blade 401 has a relatively weak momentum, it has a more skirt-spreading shape, and the airflow tends to flow in the width direction.
Therefore, in Example 4 illustrated in FIG. 34, the directivity of the drug discharged in each downwash is weaker than that of Example 2 illustrated in FIG. 25, and the comparison is made. It is easier to diffuse to the surroundings (in the width direction) than the target.

Therefore, in the outer region where downwash occurs, when the agent is sprayed in the region where the updraft occurs (see symbols c1, c2, e1, e2), the agent soars before reaching the crops on the ground and goes out of the field. There is a risk that it will float and come out.
In addition, even in the inner region where downwash occurs, when the chemical is sprayed in the region where the updraft occurs (see symbols c3 and e3), the chemical soars before reaching the crops on the ground and floats outside the field. There is a risk that it will come out.
In the present invention, in consideration of the characteristic air flow generated around the drone 100 (FIGS. 34 and 35), the drug floats outside the field while suppressing uneven spraying in the region between the left and right rotor blades. To be able to suppress the drift.

In Example 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the drug nozzle for spraying the drug is below the rotor blades arranged below the rotation regions of the rotor blades on both the left and right sides in front of the main body 110 of the drone 100 in the traveling direction. Includes only nozzles (ie, 103-1 to 103-4).
On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment illustrated in FIG. 36, similarly to the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 27, the drug nozzle is the rotation region of the rotary blades on both the left and right sides in front of the main body 110 of the drone 100 in the traveling direction. Rotor blade lower nozzles (ie, 403-1 and 4032) arranged below, and rotor blade nozzles (ie, inter-rotor nozzles) arranged between the rotation regions of the rotors on both the left and right sides in front of the traveling direction. 403-3) and.
At this time, the rotary blades 401 on the left and right sides in front of the traveling direction are separated from each other by a value within a predetermined range in the width direction of the drone 100 (see reference numeral S in FIG. 24).

In the fourth embodiment, the chemicals discharged from the rotor lower nozzles 403-1 and 4032 have the property of being relatively easy to diffuse to the surroundings. Therefore, as illustrated with reference to FIG. 24, each rotor Even if the rotor blade distance S between 400 exists, the appearance of a portion where the drug is sparse is relatively suppressed in the width direction of the main body 110.
However, even in this case, the rotary blade nozzle 403-3 is added, the chemical is discharged within the rotary blade distance S, and the chemical is placed on the wind curtain formed by the left and right downwashes and lowered. Therefore, the drug can be sprayed more uniformly in the width direction of the main body 110.

Referring to FIG. 36, the drug discharged from the drug nozzle 403-1 descends along the downwash as shown by reference numerals k1 and k2. The spread of the drug in the width direction at that time is illustrated by reference numeral I4.
Similarly, the drug discharged from the drug nozzle 4032 descends along the downwash as shown by reference numerals k3 and k4. The spread of the drug in the width direction at that time is illustrated by reference numeral I5.
Further, the drug discharged from the drug nozzle 403-3 descends along the downwash as shown by reference numerals k5 and k6. The spread of the drug in the width direction at that time is illustrated by reference numeral I6.
The spreads I4 to I6 in the width direction of the medicines discharged from the adjacent medicine nozzles partially overlap each other to prevent a portion where the medicines are excessively sparse. This partially overlapping portion is appropriately defined to prevent the drug from becoming overly dense.

In the case of the fourth embodiment, when the rotary blade nozzles 403-3 are added to the rotary blade lower nozzles 403-1 and 4032, at least the rotary blade nozzles 403-3 are in the traveling direction of the drone 100. It is arranged in front of the front end of the rotation region of the rotary blade 101 arranged behind the main body 110.
In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 27 of the second embodiment, the rotary blade lower nozzles 403-1 and 4032 on both the left and right sides may be moved outward from the rotation axis of the rotary blade 401.
Alternatively, in the case of Example 4, paying attention to the fact that the momentum of the downwash is relatively weak and the drug is easily dispersed therein, as illustrated in FIG. 28 of Example 2, the lower nozzles on both the left and right rotor blades. 403-1 and 4032 may be arranged directly below the rotation axis of the rotary blade 401.
Alternatively, in the case of Example 4, the number of rotor blade lower nozzles 403-1 and 4032 on both the left and right sides, as illustrated in FIG. 31 of Example 3, for the purpose of making the drug more uniform and descending. May be increased and arranged as a pair on the left and right sides of the rotation axis of the rotary blade 401, respectively.

As described above, in the present invention, as illustrated in Example 1 (when S in FIG. 24 is relatively small), by using the rotor lower nozzle, the nozzle discharges from the nozzle in consideration of changes in airflow such as downwash. Provided is a drone for spraying chemicals, which can spray the chemicals to be used more effectively on the crops on the ground.
Further, as illustrated in Examples 2 to 4 (when S in FIG. 24 has a size within a predetermined range), downwashing or the like can be performed by using the rotary blade lower nozzle and the rotary blade inter-blade nozzle in combination. Provided is a drone for spraying chemicals, which can more effectively spray the chemicals discharged from the nozzle onto the crops on the ground in consideration of the change in the air flow.

In Examples 1 to 3, the configuration in which the upper and lower two-stage rotary blades (8 in total) 101 are arranged at the four corners of the front, rear, left and right of the main body 110 of the drone 100 is illustrated.
Further, in the fourth embodiment, a configuration in which one-stage rotary blades (four in total) 401 are arranged at four corners of the front, rear, left and right of the main body 110 of the drone 100 is illustrated.
However, it should be understood that although the present invention arranges a plurality of rotor blades for flying the main body 110 of the drone 100, the number and arrangement of the rotor blades are not limited to the above Examples 1 to 4.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Further, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, it is possible to add / delete / replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

Further, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized by hardware by designing a part or all of them by, for example, an integrated circuit. Further, each of the above configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by software by the processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a memory, a hard disk, a recording device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

In addition, control lines and information lines are shown as necessary for explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the product. In practice, it can be considered that almost all configurations are interconnected.
It should be noted that the above-described embodiment discloses at least the configuration described in the claims.

100 ... Unmanned aerial vehicle (drone or multicopter)
101 ... Rotor blades 101-2a, 101-2b ... Left front rotor blades 101-4a, 101-4b ... Right front rotor blades 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 ... Rotor blade lower nozzle (Drug nozzle)
104 ... Drug tank 105 ... Drug hose (drug tube)
110 ... Main body 203-1, 203-2 ... Rotor blade lower nozzle (drug nozzle)
203-3 ... Rotor blade nozzle (drug nozzle)
303-1, 303-2, 303-3, 303-4 ... Rotor blade lower nozzle (drug nozzle)
303-5 ... Rotor blade nozzle (drug nozzle)
401 ... Rotor blade 401-2 ... Left front rotor blade 401-4 ... Right front rotor blade 403-1, 4032 ... Rotor blade lower nozzle (drug nozzle)
403-3 ... Rotor blade nozzle (drug nozzle)

Claims (17)

1. A drone that sprays drugs, and the drone is
   With the main body
   The drone is arranged on the left and right sides in front of the main body and on the left and right sides in the rear with respect to the traveling direction during flight, and a plurality of rotor blades for flying the main body.
   Equipped with multiple drug nozzles for spraying drugs,
   The plurality of drug nozzles
   Rotor blade lower nozzles located below the rotation region of the rotor blades arranged on the left and right sides in front of the main body, and
   Includes rotor blade nozzles located between the rotor blades located on the left and right sides in front of the main body.
   The rotor blade nozzles are arranged in front of the front end of the rotation region of the rotor blades arranged on the left and right sides behind the main body in the traveling direction of the drone.
   Drone.
2. The rotor blade nozzle is arranged in the front-rear direction of the main body in front of the rear end of the rotation region of the rotor blades by a size of 1/2 of the radius of the rotor blades. Drone.
3. The drone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotary blade nozzle stops spraying a drug when the speed of the drone falls below a predetermined speed.
4. The drone according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined speed is 12 km / h.
5. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotor blades arranged on the left and right sides in front of the main body are separated from each other within a predetermined distance in the left-right direction of the main body.
6. The drone according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined distance range is 20 cm or more and 70 cm or less.
7. Each of the plurality of rotor blades is composed of a set of upper and lower rotor blades, and the position of the main body of the rotor blade inter-nozzle in the vertical direction is equal to or higher than a predetermined value from the lower rotary blade of the rotary blade set. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is arranged on the lower side in the above.
8. The drone according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined value is 25 cm.
9. The interrotor nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the discharge amount of the drug discharged from the nozzle opening is larger in the left-right direction of the main body than in the front-rear direction of the main body. Drone.
10. The claim that the injection angle of the drug discharged from the rotor nozzle in the left-right direction is larger than the injection angle of the drug discharged from the rotor nozzle in the left-right direction of the main body. The drone according to any one of 1 to 9.
11. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rotor nozzle lower nozzle and the rotor blade nozzle are connected by a common chemical pipe.
12. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the vertical position of the main body of the rotary blade nozzle is lower than the vertical position of the main body of the rotary blade lower nozzle. ..
13. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the speed of the medicine discharged from the rotor nozzle is faster than the speed of the medicine discharged from the rotor nozzle lower nozzle.
14. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the particle size of the drug discharged from the rotor nozzle is larger than the particle size of the drug discharged from the rotor nozzle lower nozzle.
15. The rotor lower nozzle
    Of the rotational regions of the rotary blades arranged on the left side in front of the main body, the positions on the left side from the rotation axis of the rotary blades and
    Of the rotational regions of the rotary blades arranged on the right side in front of the main body, the positions on the right side from the rotation axis of the rotary blades and
    The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 14, which is arranged in.
16. The rotor lower nozzle
    In the rotation region of the rotor blade arranged on the left side in front of the main body, the position below the rotation shaft of the rotor blade and
    In the rotation region of the rotor blade arranged on the right side in front of the main body, the position below the rotation shaft of the rotor blade and
    The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 14, which is arranged in.
17. The rotor lower nozzle
    Of the rotational regions of the rotary blades arranged on the left side in front of the main body, the positions on the left side from the rotation axis of the rotary blades and
    Of the rotation regions of the rotors arranged on the left side in front of the main body, the positions on the right side of the rotation axis of the rotors and
    Of the rotational regions of the rotary blades arranged on the right side in front of the main body, the positions on the left side from the rotation axis of the rotary blades and
    Of the rotational regions of the rotary blades arranged on the right side in front of the main body, the positions on the right side from the rotation axis of the rotary blades and
    The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 14, which is arranged in.
    
    

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