WO2023163310A1

WO2023163310A1 - Drone station for automatically supplying spray agent, and drone spray system comprising same

Info

Publication number: WO2023163310A1
Application number: PCT/KR2022/015822
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김동현; 박광호; 박진하
Original assignee: 전주대학교 산학협력단; 주식회사 아이팝
Priority date: 2022-02-28
Filing date: 2022-10-18
Publication date: 2023-08-31
Also published as: KR102586714B1; KR20230128647A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drone station for automatically supplying a spray agent, and a drone spray system comprising same. The drone station for automatically supplying a spray agent, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a landing board on which a drone can land; a storage tank for storing a spray agent; and a supply module operated to supply, to an accommodation container of the drone on the landing board, the spray agent stored in the storage tank. The present invention comprises the storage tank for storing the spray agent, and the supply module operated to supply the stored spray agent, so as to enable the spray agent to be automatically supplied to the accommodation container of the landed drone, and thus reduces manpower for spraying the spray agent and charging the spray agent so that work is standardized and labor costs are reduced.

Description

Drone station automatically supplying spraying agent and drone spraying system including the same

The present invention relates to a drone station that automatically supplies spraying agents such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides necessary for agriculture, and a drone spraying system including the same, and more particularly, to a storage tank for storing the spraying agent and an operation to automatically supply the stored spraying agent. It is possible to automatically supply the spraying agent to the receiving container of the landed drone, and determines the need to clean the receiving container based on the type of spraying agent recently stored in the receiving container of the landed drone, and accepts the landed drone. The present disclosure relates to a drone station that automatically cleans a storage container when the spraying agent recently stored in the container is a type requiring washing of pesticides and the like, and a drone spraying system including the same.

In general, pest control and fertilizer spraying in agriculture or forestry is a heavy burden on workers as they are required more than 10 times a year depending on the crop.

In particular, labor-intensive control and fertilizer spraying using a power sprayer by workers is difficult to reduce production costs, and there are concerns about losses due to scattering of fine particles generated from high-pressure nozzles as well as poisoning accidents of nearby workers, and uneven Spreading can lead to reduced effectiveness of control and fertilizer applications.

In the case of conventional rice farming, processes such as rice planting and planting require expensive agricultural machinery and a large number of agricultural manpower, making it difficult to solve the manpower shortage problem and reduce agricultural production costs in rural areas where there is a shortage of agricultural manpower.

On the other hand, unmanned aerial vehicles fly by remote control or by autonomous flight control devices without a pilot on board, so they can perform reconnaissance, bombing, cargo transportation, forest fire monitoring, radiological monitoring, etc. that are difficult or dangerous for humans to perform directly. Means an airplane that carries out missions.

A drone is a helicopter-like unmanned aerial vehicle that is self-powered but does not have a pilot on board. Initially, drones were developed for military purposes, but recently, they have been widely used not only for military purposes but also for corporations, media, and individuals, and their usage range is gradually widening.

Depending on the purpose of drone use, a variety of drones with various sizes and performance are being developed. It is also used in various commercial fields such as logistics, delivery, broadcasting and leisure.

Accordingly, industries related to drones are rapidly growing, and agriculture and forestry account for a large portion of them. The introduction of drones into the agriculture and forestry fields solves the above-mentioned problems caused by direct control and fertilizer application by drones performing pest control and fertilizer application on behalf of workers.

In general, drones for agriculture and forestry include a spraying agent container for accommodating a spraying agent and a spraying nozzle for spraying the spraying agent, and by flying a designated path and downward spraying the spraying agent contained in the spraying agent container through the spray nozzle, seeding is performed over a wide area. , fertilizer application and pest control work can be carried out efficiently, which can greatly reduce the number of working manpower in agriculture and forestry.

However, in conventional agriculture and forestry drones, the drone sprays the spray agent on behalf of the worker, and the spray agent charging and cleaning process for spraying the spray agent of the drone requires the operator to perform the work directly on site. There are limits.

In addition, due to the nature of drones, there is a disadvantage that the battery must be replaced and recharged, and it is difficult to work at night, so the daily workload is only possible during sunrise.

The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art mentioned above, and an object of the present invention is to have a storage tank for storing the spraying agent and a supply module that operates to supply the stored spraying agent, and a receiving container for the landed drone. To provide a drone station capable of automatically supplying a spraying agent and a drone spraying system including the same.

Another object to be achieved by the present invention is to sow or plant seeds in existing agricultural activities, to spray fertilizers, and to spray pesticides through a drone station including an automatic spraying agent supply container for field workers. It is to supply the drone gas container remotely or automatically without manipulation.

Another object to be achieved by the present invention is to determine the need for cleaning the receiving container based on the type of spraying agent recently stored in the receiving container of the drone that landed, and to determine whether the recently stored spraying agent in the receiving container of the landed drone is pesticide or the like. To provide a drone station and a drone spraying system including the same that automatically cleans the receiving container when cleaning is required.

Another object to be achieved by the present invention is to provide an alignment module for aligning the landed drone in the correct position and direction for supplying the spraying agent, so that the drone can be placed in the correct position without an additional take-off and landing process even if the drone does not land accurately in the correct position and direction. And to provide a drone station that can be aligned in the forward direction and a drone distribution system including the same.

Another object to be achieved by the present invention is that the drone flies over the target area according to a preset flight schedule and sprays the spraying agent, but based on the weather information of the target area, the flight is delayed according to the schedule, so that the drone's flight or the spraying agent is sprayed. It is to provide a drone spraying system that automatically performs flight according to a schedule regardless of daytime or nighttime in suitable weather.

A drone station for automatically supplying a spray agent according to an embodiment of the present invention supplies a landing plate on which a drone can land, a storage tank for storing the spray agent, and a storage tank for storing the spray agent on the landing plate to the receiving container of the drone. Includes a working supply module.

At this time, the drone station operates and controls the supply module to supply the spray agent stored in the storage tank to the receiving container based on the supply determination unit for determining the supply of the spray agent based on the input signal or the external reception signal, and the supply determination unit. A control unit may be included.

In addition, the storage tank is provided with two or more storage spaces separated from each other, and two or more types of spraying agents are individually stored in the storage space, and the supply determination unit determines the type of spraying agent supplied to the container based on an input signal or an external received signal. Upon selection, the supply control unit may operate and control the supply module to supply the spray agent selected by the supply determination unit to the container.

In addition, the supply module can be extended in one direction, and when the length is extended, a supply nozzle whose one end is connectable to the supply port of the receiving container of the landed drone, a plurality of first supply pipes having one end individually connected to the storage space, A second supply pipe connecting the other end of the plurality of first supply pipes and the supply nozzle, a valve disposed on the first supply pipe and opening and closing the first supply pipe, and connected to any one of the supply nozzle, the first supply pipe, and the second supply pipe It may include a pump that generates a fluid flow of fluid.

In addition, the drone station operates a cleaning determination unit that determines the need to clean the accommodation container by receiving information on the type of recently stored spray agent recently stored in the container of the drone, and a supply module to clean the container based on the judgment of the washing determination unit. A washing controller may be further included, and washing water may be stored in at least one of the storage spaces of the storage tank.

In addition, the washing control unit controls the operation of the supply module to sequentially perform a supply process of supplying the washing water from the storage tank to the container and a recovery process of recovering the washing water of the container, and at least some of the recovered washing water is a recently stored dispersant type. It is possible to operate and control the supply module to store the same kind of spraying agent in the storage space of the storage tank.

In addition, the drone station includes an alignment module that operates to align the landed drone to the correct position or direction for supplying the spraying agent, and an alignment module to align the landed drone to the correct position or direction based on an input signal or an external received signal. An alignment control unit for controlling operation may be further included.

In addition, the alignment module may include a positioning unit having an alignment rail formed with a predetermined length in the distance direction from the landing plate and a pressing member that moves along the alignment rail and is capable of pressing the drone toward the proper position.

In addition, the drone station further includes a direction detecting unit for detecting the arrangement direction of the landed drone, and the alignment module includes a direction aligning unit having a rotating plate rotatably disposed on the landing plate and operating, and the alignment control unit detects the direction Based on the negative detection information, the rotary plate may be operated and controlled to align the drones in the forward direction.

Also, the alignment control unit may operate and control the rotating plate for a predetermined time before the washing control unit collects the washing water after the washing control unit supplies the washing water to the container.

On the other hand, the drone spraying system according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with the above-described drone station and a container for accommodating the spray agent, flying over the target area based on a preset flight schedule and spraying the spray agent contained in the container including drones.

At this time, the drone includes a flight decision unit for determining flight according to a preset flight schedule, and a weather reception unit for receiving weather information of a target area included in the flight schedule, and the flight decision unit is based on the weather information received from the weather reception unit. Thus, it may be possible to determine a flight delay according to a flight schedule.

In addition, the drone spraying system further includes a user terminal capable of receiving information on the remaining amount of spraying agent from a drone station or a drone, and the user terminal generates spraying agent purchase request information based on the user's input or the remaining amount of spraying agent information, and the generated spraying agent purchase request Information can be sent to the distributor of the dispersant.

In addition, the drone spraying system may further include a management server that receives drone activity information from drones or drone stations in real time and records and stores drone agricultural activity information in conjunction with a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based drone control program. .

According to the present invention, since the storage tank for storing the spray agent and the supply module that operates to supply the stored spray agent are provided, it is possible to automatically supply the spray agent to the receiving container of the landed drone, reducing manpower due to not only spraying the spray agent but also filling the spray agent. This has the effect of standardizing work and reducing labor costs.

In addition, the present invention determines the need to wash the accommodating container based on the type of spraying agent recently stored in the accommodating container of the landed drone, and the dispersing agent recently stored in the accommodating container of the landed drone is the kind that requires washing of pesticides. In the case of , by automatically washing the container, it is possible to use several types of spraying agents together without contamination between spraying agents using one container, and there is an effect of reducing manpower for drone management, standardizing work and reducing labor costs.

In addition, the present invention is provided with an alignment module for aligning the landed drone in the correct position and direction for supplying the spraying agent, so that even if the drone does not land accurately in the correct position and direction, the drone is aligned in the correct position and direction without additional take-off and landing processes. In addition, it is possible to accurately connect the supply module of the drone for the supply of the spraying agent, and the time required for additional take-off and landing for the correct positioning and alignment of the drone can be shortened.

In addition, according to the present invention, the drone flies over the target area according to a preset flight schedule and sprays the spraying agent, but based on the weather information of the target area, the flight according to the schedule is delayed, so that the drone flight or the spraying agent is sprayed in a suitable weather. It is possible to improve the efficiency of the spraying agent spraying operation and the safety of the drone flight by automatically performing the flight according to the method.

In the current domestic agricultural environment, it is difficult to do scientific farming because it is not possible to secure data on agricultural soil conditions and excessive use of pesticides because there is no information on the types and usage of pesticides and fertilizers per unit area for farmland. Accordingly, this patented technology can automatically record the type and amount of pesticides and fertilizers used per unit area to store and manage soil chemistry data for farmland, enabling more eco-friendly scientific agriculture.

When it is necessary to repurchase and replenish due to the use of pesticides and fertilizers of the present invention, automatic ordering and charging can be performed using an application program linked with the system of the present invention.

1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a drone spraying system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a drone of a drone distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a functional block diagram of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a diagram schematically showing a drone station of a drone distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a diagram showing some configurations of a drone station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a diagram showing an example of a drone supply module connection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a drone station for drone alignment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a diagram showing an example of a landing state of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a diagram showing an example of position alignment of drones according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a diagram showing an example of direction alignment of drones according to an embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a drone station for supplying and cleaning a spray agent according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning process for a receiving vessel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

It should be noted that technical terms used in the present invention are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, technical terms used in the present invention should be interpreted in terms commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs, unless specifically defined otherwise in the present invention, and are excessively inclusive. It should not be interpreted in a positive sense or in an excessively reduced sense. In addition, when the technical terms used in the present invention are incorrect technical terms that do not accurately express the spirit of the present invention, they should be replaced with technical terms that those skilled in the art can correctly understand.

Also, singular expressions used in the present invention include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present invention, terms such as "consisting of" or "comprising" should not be construed as necessarily including all of the various elements or steps described in the invention, and some of the elements or steps are included. It should be construed that it may not be, or may further include additional components or steps.

In addition, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only for easily understanding the spirit of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the spirit of the present invention by the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a drone station for automatically supplying a spray agent according to the present invention and a drone spray system including the same will be described in more detail.

The drone spraying system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a drone 10 flying over a target area and spraying a spraying agent, and a drone station 30 capable of taking off and landing and storing the landed drone 10. It can be configured to include.

The drone 10 according to the present embodiment can automatically fly a set path based on a preset flight schedule, and can spray the spray agent to a target area by spraying the spray agent on a designated path among the set paths. In addition, the drone 10 may communicate with the server 50 or the user terminal 70 through a network to receive flight schedule and route information.

Here, the types of spraying agents may include seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and the like, and the target area may be forests, agricultural lands, etc. requiring sowing, fertilizer application, and pest control.

The drone station 30 may allow the drone 10 to take off and land, and may store and store the landed drone 10. To this end, the drone station 30 is communicatively connected to the drone 10 through a network and can receive take-off and landing signals from the drone 10, and also connects the management server 50 or the user terminal 70 through the network. It is possible to receive flight schedule information of the drone and information on the type of spraying agent to be sprayed in each flight schedule.

Preferably, the information of the drone 10 and the drone station 30 is interlocked with the GIS-based drone control program provided in the management server 50 or the user terminal 70 in real time to automatically record and record agricultural activities of the drone in real time. can be saved

2 is a diagram schematically showing a drone of a drone distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the drone 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 .

The drone 10 according to this embodiment is for spraying a spraying agent while flying over a target area, and as shown in FIG. ).

The accommodating container 11 is mounted on the body of the drone and may form an accommodating space capable of accommodating the spraying agent. The receiving container 11 may accommodate various types of spraying agents such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides as needed. At this time, the receiving container 11 may be provided as a dedicated container for accommodating a specific type of spraying agent, but preferably, the type of spraying agent to be accommodated is not specified and can accommodate different types of spraying agents for each flight.

On one side of the receiving container 11, a supply port 11 communicating with the outside of the receiving space of the receiving container for supplying the spraying agent is disposed. and an opening/closing member capable of opening/closing operation may be disposed.

The spray nozzle 12 communicates with the receiving container 11 so as to be able to spray the spraying agent contained in the receiving container 11, and may be disposed downward to spray the spraying agent downward during flight of the drone. Preferably, the spray nozzle 12 can be arranged on the landing gear.

As described above, the drone 10 according to the present embodiment flies over the target area according to the preset flight schedule and sprays the spraying agent, but the drone 10 itself sets the flight schedule based on the environmental information of the target area to spray the spraying agent. Adjustable.

To this end, the drone 10 according to the present embodiment includes a schedule storage unit 13 for storing a flight schedule, a flight determination unit 14 for determining a flight according to the stored flight schedule, and a target region included in the flight schedule. It may be configured to include a weather receiving unit 15 for receiving weather information.

The schedule storage unit 13 may store flight schedule information received from the outside or flight schedule information input from the user. The flight determination unit 14 may determine a flight according to flight schedule information stored in the schedule storage unit 13 . At this time, the flight schedule information may include information such as flight time, flight route, target area, and spraying section, and the drone 10 automatically flies based on the flight schedule information determined by the flight decision unit 14 and A separate control unit may be provided to control the flight driving unit and the spray nozzle 12 of the drone to spray the spray agent.

When the flight start time of a specific flight schedule arrives based on the flight schedule information stored in the schedule storage unit 15, the weather receiver 15 transfers weather information of the target area included in the flight schedule information at which the flight start time arrives to the outside. can be received from Also, the weather receiving unit 15 may provide the received weather information to the flight determination unit 14 .

The flight determination unit 14 determines the flight so that the flight starts according to the flight schedule in which the flight start time arrives when the flight start time of a specific flight schedule arrives based on the flight schedule information stored in the schedule storage unit 13, , It is possible to determine whether to delay the flight based on the weather information provided from the weather receiving unit 15.

Specifically, the weather information provided from the weather receiving unit 15 to the flight determining unit 14 may include at least one of wind speed information, precipitation information, and temperature information, and the flight determining unit 14 determines the wind speed of the target area. If this reference wind speed is exceeded, or if the amount of precipitation in the target area exceeds the reference amount of precipitation, or if the temperature in the target area is out of the reference temperature range, flight delay may be determined. At this time, when the flight delay is determined, the weather receiving unit 15 updates the flight time of the corresponding flight schedule information to a predetermined time later, and if a flight schedule with overlapping flight times occurs due to the delay update of the flight schedule information, the flight time is changed. Flight times of overlapping flight schedules can also be updated and stored after a predetermined time.

Preferably, the drone 10 according to the present embodiment automatically stores data on all crop management, such as seeding, fertilizer, pesticide spraying, and plant growth index measurement for a unit area of the target area, and plants and plants according to the automatically stored information. Yield changes can be monitored through health. In addition, based on the monitored yield change information, it is possible to extract the optimal fertilizer application and pesticide application algorithm for improving yield by performing data analysis on meteorological data, pesticides and fertilizer application for each crop.

4 is a diagram schematically showing a drone station of a drone distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing some configurations of a drone station according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a drone supply module connection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the drone station 30 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 .

As described above, the drone station 30 according to the present embodiment can take off and land the drone 10 and can store and store the landed drone 10.

To this end, the drone station according to the present embodiment has an inner space (s) capable of storing the drone 10, a door 31 that opens the inner space (s) or blocks it from the outside, and the drone 10. A landing plate 32 for takeoff and landing may be provided.

When the drone 10 is in flight or in storage, the door 31 is in a closed state to block the inner space (s) from the outside, protecting the inner space (s) from external factors such as rain, wind, dust, and the like. , When the drone 10 takes off or lands, it may be in an open state to allow the drone 10 to take off and land. The landing plate 32 is disposed on the bottom surface of the inner space s, and is exposed to the outside according to the opening of the door 31 so that the drone 10 can take off and land.

The drone station 30 according to this embodiment may supply spraying agent to the drone 10 on the landing plate. To this end, the drone station 30 may include a storage tank 33 for storing the spray agent and a supply module 34 for supplying the spray agent.

The storage tank 33 is disposed on one side of the inner space s, and may include a plurality of

tanks

331, 332, 333, and 334 that are separated from each other to form individual storage spaces, and a plurality of

tanks

331, 332, 333, 334) can individually store two or more kinds of spraying agents among seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. In addition, washing water may be stored in at least one of the plurality of

tanks

331 , 332 , 333 , and 334 .

At this time, the number of

tanks

331, 332, 333, 334 may be determined according to the number and capacity of the type of spraying agent to be stored, and one type of spraying agent may be individually stored in each

tank

331, 332, 333, 334. can At this time, when the storage requirement of a specific type of spraying agent is relatively large, the specific type of spraying agent may be stored in a plurality of tanks. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, as shown in FIG. 5 , the storage tank 33 includes four tanks, that is, a first tank 331, a second tank 332, a third tank 333, and a fourth tank 334. ) is included, and each tank will be described as an example in which seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and washing liquid are individually stored.

Preferably, each tank (331, 332, 333, 334) is provided with a separate remaining capacity detection sensor (not shown), and each remaining capacity detection sensor generates and manages remaining capacity information for the spray agent stored in each tank. It can be transmitted to the server 50 or the user terminal 70 . Here, the residual capacity detecting sensor may be implemented in various sensor types such as an ultrasonic level sensor and a weight detecting sensor.

The management server 50 or the user terminal 70 receiving the remaining capacity information may provide the remaining capacity information to the user so that the manager can monitor the remaining capacity of the spray agent stored in each tank.

Preferably, the management server 50 generates spray agent purchase information based on the received remaining capacity information, and transmits the generated spray agent purchase information to the outside (eg, spray agent seller) so that insufficient spray agent can be automatically purchased. . Here, the management server 50 generates the spray agent purchase information when the spray agent is automatically purchased by transmitting the generated spray agent purchase information to the outside and transmits the spray agent purchase information to the user terminal 70 so that the user does not purchase the spray agent repeatedly.

Preferably, the user terminal 70, based on the received remaining capacity information, when the remaining capacity of the spraying agent is less than the reference capacity by providing an alarm to the user can induce the user to purchase the spraying agent. At this time, the user can generate spray agent purchase information through a separate application installed in the user terminal 70, and transmit the generated purchase information to the outside (for example, a spray agent seller) to purchase the insufficient spray agent.

The supply module 34 may operate to supply the spraying agent stored in the storage tank 33 to the receiving container 11 of the drone on the landing plate 32.

To this end, the supply module 34 is individually connected to a supply nozzle 341 connectable to the receiving container supply port 111 of the drone and to each of the

tanks

331, 332, 333, and 334, as shown in FIG. A first supply pipe 342, a second supply pipe 343 connecting the first supply pipe 342 and the supply nozzle 341, a valve 344 capable of opening and closing the supply path, and a fluid flow flow in the supply path It may be configured to include a pump 345 that generates.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the length of the supply nozzle 341 can be extended in one direction, and when the length is extended, the end in the direction of extension can be connected to the receiving container supply port 111 of the landed drone. The supply module 34 may be configured to be extended in length through various methods, and for example, the length may be extended through a telescopic method.

A plurality of first supply pipes 342 are provided according to the number of

tanks

331, 332, 333, and 334, and one end of the plurality of first supply pipes 342 is individually attached to each

tank

331, 332, 333, and 334. can be connected The second supply pipe 343 may be arranged to connect the other ends of the plurality of first supply pipes 342 and the supply nozzle 341 . Accordingly, each of the

tanks

331 , 332 , 333 , and 334 may be connected to the supply nozzle 341 .

A plurality of valves 344 are provided, and the first supply pipe 342 is disposed in the first supply pipe 342 so that only one tank among all the

tanks

331, 332, 333, and 334 can be selectively communicated with. can decide whether to open or close. The pump 345 is connected to any one of the supply nozzle 341, the first supply pipe 342, and the second supply pipe 343 to generate a fluid flow, and may be preferably connected to the second supply pipe 343. there is. Accordingly, the supply module 34 is operable to supply the fluid stored in the storage tank 33 to the container 11 of the drone.

At this time, the flow direction of the fluid generated by the pump 345 may be bi-directional, and for this purpose, two or more pumps 345 may be provided as necessary. Accordingly, the supply module 34 is operable not only to supply the fluid stored in the storage tank 33 to the container 11 of the drone, but also to return the fluid in the container 11 to the storage tank 33. possible.

On the other hand, in order for the supply module 34 according to this embodiment to be connected to the container 11 of the drone, the drone 10 must be located in the right position, and the supply port 11 of the container must be connected to the supply nozzle 341. ), the arrangement direction of the drone 10 should be located in the forward direction. Therefore, when the drone 10 fails to land accurately in the correct position and in the correct direction, in order to connect the supply module 34 and the receiving container 11, additional take-off and landing are performed so that the drone 10 accurately lands in the correct position and in the correct direction. There are inconveniences to be had.

In order to solve this problem, the drone station 30 according to the present embodiment moves the drone 10 on the landing plate 32 to the right position without an additional take-off and landing process even if the drone 10 does not accurately land in the right position and in the right direction. and an alignment module 35 capable of aligning in a forward direction.

The alignment module 35 may include a position aligning unit 351 for moving the drone 10 on the landing plate 32 to a normal position and a direction aligning unit 352 for rotating it in a forward direction.

The alignment module 35 moves along the alignment rails 3511 and a plurality of alignment rails 3511 formed with a predetermined length in the distance direction of the location on the landing plate 32 and presses the drone 10 in the direction of the location. A possible pressing member 3512 may be provided, and as shown in FIG. 5, preferably, an alignment rail 3511 such that the pressing member 3512 is movable in the direction of the home position in four directions surrounding the home position. and a pressing member 3512 may be disposed. The alignment module 35 may include a rotation plate 3521 that is rotatably disposed at a fixed position of the landing plate 32 and operates in rotation. A more specific description of the proper position and forward alignment of the drone using the position aligner 351 and the direction aligner 352 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 .

7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a drone station for alignment for drone alignment according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a drone landing according to an embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a view showing an example of position alignment of drones according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a diagram showing an example of direction alignment of drones according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the drone station 30 uses the above-described alignment module 35 to align the landed drone 10 in the correct position and direction when the drone 10 lands on the landing plate 32. In addition, a communication unit 36 for communicating with the outside, an alignment control unit 37 for operating and controlling the alignment module 35, and a direction detection unit 38 for detecting the disposition direction of the drone 10 may be provided.

The communication unit 36 may receive a landing completion signal from the drone 10 that is connected to the drone 10 and has completed landing on the landing plate 32 . The landing completion signal received through the communication unit 36 is provided to the alignment control unit 37, and when the alignment control unit 37 receives the landing completion signal, the pressing member 3512 disposed farthest from the original position is aligned. The pressing member 3512 may be operated and controlled to move toward the proper position along the rail 3511 . Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the drone 10 that has not landed in the correct position may be moved to the correct position by pressing the pressing member 3512 .

At this time, a rotary plate 3521 is disposed at the correct position for connecting the supply module 34 to the supply port 11, and preferably, a wireless charging module capable of wirelessly charging the battery of the drone 10 is placed below the rotary plate 3521. (not shown) may be disposed. Therefore, when the drone 10 is moved and placed in a fixed position using the pressing member 3512, it is possible to supply the spraying agent to the container 11 of the drone and wirelessly charge the battery of the drone 10.

After the alignment controller 37 operates and controls the pressing member 3512 to move to a position closest to the original position on the alignment rail 3511, the pressing member 3512 moves to a position farthest from the original position on the alignment rail 3511. It is possible to control the operation of the pressing member 3512 to return to and initialize. After the initialization of the pressing member 3512, the alignment control unit 37 may request arrangement direction information of the drone 10 from the direction detection unit 38 in order to align the drone 10 in the forward direction.

The direction detecting unit 38 that has received the arrangement direction information from the alignment control unit 37 may generate arrangement direction information by detecting the arrangement direction of the drone 10 located in the correct position, and the arrangement direction information generated may be used by the alignment control unit 38. (37) can be provided. At this time, the direction detecting unit 38 may include an EO camera and analyze an image obtained from the EO camera to generate disposition direction information of the drone 10 .

Upon receiving the arrangement direction information, the alignment control unit 37 calculates a rotation angle for the drone 10 to be placed in the forward direction based on the provided arrangement direction information, and operates the rotation plate 3521 to rotate according to the calculated rotation angle. By controlling, as shown in FIG. 10 , the drone 10 may be disposed in a forward direction in which the supply port 11 of the drone faces the supply nozzle 341 .

Therefore, the drone station 30 according to the present embodiment can align the drone 10 in the correct position and in the correct direction without an additional take-off and landing process even if the drone 10 does not accurately land in the correct position and in the correct direction. It is possible to accurately connect the supply module of the drone for supply, and it is possible to shorten the time required according to additional take-off and landing for the correct position and forward alignment of the drone 10 .

11 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a drone station for supplying and cleaning a spray agent according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning process for a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. .

The drone station 30 according to this embodiment can automatically fill the spraying agent in the container 11 of the drone. To this end, the drone station 30 according to the present embodiment may include a supply determination unit 39 that determines the supply of the spray agent and a supply control unit 40 that controls the operation of the supply module 34.

The supply determination unit 39 may determine the supply of the spray agent to the container 11 based on an input signal according to a user's input or an external reception signal received through the communication unit 36 .

Specifically, the supply determination unit 39 may receive flight schedule information of the drone from the management server or the drone through the communication unit 36, and based on the received flight schedule information, the type of spraying agent to be sprayed in the next drone flight schedule is determined. It is possible to select the type of spray agent to be supplied to the container 11 by judgment.

The supply controller 40 may operate and control the supply module 34 to supply the spray agent stored in the storage tank 33 to the container 11 based on the selection of the type of spray agent by the supply determination unit 39 .

Specifically, the supply control unit 40 controls the operation so that the supply nozzle 341 of the supply module is extended when the alignment control unit 37 completes the drone's normal position and forward alignment, so that the supply nozzle 341 is a receiving container. It can be connected to the supply port 11 of. When the supply nozzle 341 is connected to the supply port 11, the supply control unit 40 individually controls each valve 344 so that only the tank storing the selected type of spray agent communicates with the container 11, and the spray agent Operation of the pump 345 may be controlled so that fluid flow in the supply direction occurs.

Therefore, the drone station 30 according to the present embodiment can automatically supply the spray agent to the receiving container of the landed drone, and thus has the effect of reducing manpower according to the filling of the spray agent, standardizing the operation of spray agent charging, and reducing labor costs.

On the other hand, the drone station 30 determines the need to clean the receiving container 11 based on the type of spraying agent recently accommodated in the receiving container 11, and the spraying agent recently stored in the receiving container of the landed drone is If cleaning is required, the container 11 can be automatically cleaned.

To this end, the drone station 30 may include a washing determination unit 41 that determines the need for washing and a washing control unit 42 that controls the operation of the supply module 34 so that the container 11 is cleaned.

The cleaning determination unit 41 may determine the necessity of cleaning the housing container 11 by receiving information on the type of spray agent recently stored in the storage container of the drone through the communication unit 36 . Specifically, the washing determination unit 41 may receive information on the type of spray agent used in the flight schedule performed before landing from the flight schedule information received by the communication unit 36 from the drone 10 . The washing determining unit 41 may determine that washing of the storage container 11 is necessary when the recently stored kind of the spraying agent is a spraying agent (for example, pesticide) set to require cleaning.

The washing control unit 42 may control the supply nozzle 341 to clean the inside of the container 11 using the washing water stored in the storage tank 33 when the washing determination unit 41 determines that washing is necessary. there is.

In more detail with reference to FIG. 12 , the washing control unit 42 first controls the operation of the supply nozzle 341 so as to be connected between the supply nozzle 341 and the container 11 for washing the container 11 . In addition, a washing preparation process may be performed in which each valve 344 is operated and controlled so that only the tank in which the washing water is stored communicates with the container 11 .

When the washing preparation process is completed, the washing control unit 42 controls the operation and control of the pump 345 in the supply direction to supply the washing water stored in the storage tank 33 to the container 11 and the washing water in the container 11 A washing process may be performed to sequentially perform a recovery process of operating and controlling the pump 345 in the recovery direction to recover the . Preferably, the washing process may be repeated several times as shown in FIG. 12 .

When the washing process is completed, the washing control unit 42 may perform a washing termination process of returning the supply module 34 to an initial state.

Preferably, the washing control unit 42 operates and controls the supply module 34 to store at least some of the washing water recovered in the washing process in the storage space of the storage tank 33 containing the same type of spraying agent as the lastly stored type of spraying agent. can That is, when the type of pesticide recently stored in the receiving container 11 is a pesticide, the washing control unit 42 may store at least a part of the washing water recovered in the washing process in the tank in which the pesticide is stored. Washing water recovered in this way contains more than a certain amount of pesticide and can be reused as a pesticide. Therefore, it is possible to reduce environmental pollution caused by the washing water recovered in the washing process and to reduce the treatment cost of the recovered washing water.

More preferably, the washing control unit 42 stores the washing water recovered in the first washing process among the plurality of repeated washing processes in the storage space of the storage tank 33 containing the same kind of spray agent as the last stored spray agent. ) can be controlled. This is because the concentration of the dispersant in the initially recovered wash liquid is the highest.

In addition, in order to further increase the concentration of the dispersant in the initially recovered cleaning liquid to prevent deterioration of the dispersant effect during reuse, the supply capacity of the washing water supplied to the container 11 during the first washing is to be supplied to the container 11 during the second washing. It may be less than the washing water supply capacity.

Meanwhile, the alignment control unit 37 may operate and control the rotating plate 3521 for a predetermined time before the washing water is recovered after the washing control unit 42 supplies the washing water to the container 11 . The rotating operation of the rotating plate 3521 can improve washing efficiency by stirring the washing water supplied into the receiving container 11. At this time, before the rotating operation of the rotating plate 3521, the supply nozzle 341 is inserted into the receiving container supply port ( 11) to prevent damage to the supply nozzle 341.

Due to the automatic cleaning of the receiving container 11 of the drone station 30 described above, the present invention can use one receiving container 11 together to use various types of spraying agents without contamination between spraying agents and reduce manpower for drone management. This has the effect of standardizing work and reducing labor costs.

The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The protection scope of the present invention should be construed according to the claims below, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

a landing pad for drones to land on;

A storage tank for storing spraying agent; and

A drone station comprising a supply module that operates to supply the spraying agent stored in the storage tank to the receiving container of the drone on the landing plate.
The method of claim 1, wherein the drone station

Supply determination unit for determining the supply of the spraying agent on the basis of an input signal or an external received signal; and

and a supply control unit for operating and controlling the supply module to supply the spray agent stored in the storage tank to the container based on the determination of the supply determination unit.
According to claim 2,

The storage tank is provided with two or more storage spaces separated from each other, and two or more kinds of spraying agents are individually stored in the storage space,

The supply determination unit selects the type of spraying agent to be supplied to the container based on the input signal or the external received signal,

The drone station, characterized in that the supply control unit operates and controls the supply module to supply the spray agent selected by the supply decision unit to the container.
The method of claim 3, wherein the supply module

a supply nozzle whose length can be extended in one direction, and when the length is extended, one end of which can be connected to the supply port of the receiving container of the landed drone;

a plurality of first supply pipes having one end individually connected to the storage space;

a second supply pipe connecting the other end of the plurality of first supply pipes and the supply nozzle;

valves respectively disposed on the first supply pipe to open and close the first supply pipe; and

The drone station characterized in that it comprises a pump connected to any one of the supply nozzle, the first supply pipe, and the second supply pipe to generate a fluid flow.
The method of claim 3, wherein the drone station

a washing determination unit receiving information on the type of spray agent recently stored in the container of the drone and determining the necessity of cleaning the container; and

Further comprising a washing control unit for operating and controlling the supply module to wash the container based on the determination of the washing determination unit;

The drone station, characterized in that the washing water is stored in at least one of the storage spaces of the storage tank.
The method of claim 5, wherein the washing control unit

Operating and controlling the supply module to sequentially perform a supply process of supplying the washing water of the storage tank to the container and a recovery process of recovering the washing water of the container;

The drone station, characterized in that the supply module is operated and controlled to store at least some of the recovered washing water in a storage space of the storage tank containing the same type of spray agent as the recently stored spray agent type.
The method of claim 6, wherein the drone station

an alignment module that operates to align the landed drone to a proper position or direction for supplying the spraying agent; and

The drone station further comprises an alignment control unit for operating and controlling the alignment module so that the landed drone is aligned in the correct position or in the correct direction based on an input signal or an external received signal.
According to claim 7,

The alignment module includes an alignment unit having an alignment rail formed with a predetermined length in the distance direction from the landing plate and a pressing member that moves along the alignment rail and is capable of pressing the drone in the direction of the alignment. A drone station, characterized in that.
The method of claim 7, wherein the drone station

Further comprising a direction detecting unit for detecting the disposition direction of the landed drone,

The alignment module includes a direction alignment unit having a rotating plate rotatably disposed on the landing plate and operating,

The drone station of claim 1 , wherein the alignment control unit operates and controls the rotating plate to align the drones in the forward direction based on information detected by the direction detection unit.
According to claim 9,

The drone station, characterized in that the alignment control unit operates and controls the rotation plate for a predetermined time before the washing water is recovered after the washing control unit supplies the washing water to the container.
The drone station according to any one of claims 1 to 9; and

A drone spraying system comprising a container for accommodating a spraying agent, and a drone flying over a target area based on a preset flight schedule and spraying the spraying agent stored in the container.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the drone

a flight determination unit for determining a flight according to the preset flight schedule; and

A weather receiver configured to receive weather information of a target area included in the flight schedule;

The drone distribution system, characterized in that the flight determination unit can determine the flight delay according to the flight schedule based on the weather information received by the weather reception unit.
The method of claim 11, wherein the drone spraying system

Further comprising a user terminal capable of receiving residual amount information of the spraying agent from the drone station or the drone,

Wherein the user terminal generates spray agent purchase request information based on a user's input or the spray agent remaining amount information, and transmits the generated spray agent purchase request information to a spray agent sales place.
The method of claim 11, wherein the drone spraying system

The drone spraying system further comprises a management server that receives drone activity information from the drone or drone station in real time and records and stores drone agricultural activity information in conjunction with a GIS (Geographic Information System) based drone control program. .