WO2024142307A1

WO2024142307A1 - Work device

Info

Publication number: WO2024142307A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/048351
Authority: WO
Inventors: 鳥本賢
Original assignee: 株式会社クボタ; 株式会社石川エナジーリサーチ
Priority date: 2022-12-27
Filing date: 2022-12-27
Publication date: 2024-07-04

Abstract

Provided is a work device capable of performing work stably without detaching an object. A work device (4) that suspends an object (3) comprises: a plurality of support members (41) for suspending and supporting the object (3); an adjustment mechanism (42a) for adjusting the attitude of the plurality of support members (41); and a control unit (43) for controlling the operation of at least the adjustment mechanism (42a). Each support member (41) is connected to a corner portion of the object (3).

Description

Working Equipment

The present invention relates to a work device that can be connected to an aircraft, etc.

In recent years, work devices that use drones and other flying objects to transport cargo (objects) or move work equipment (objects) have been considered. Patent Document 1 discloses a drone equipped with a winch mechanism that can wind up a wire rope that suspends cargo.

The work device described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a flight control unit that controls the attitude and speed of the aircraft, and a fastening release unit that releases the fastening of the load based on the flight state of the aircraft. If the drone's flight is unstable, the fastening release unit cuts the wire rope with a cutting blade to release the fastening of the load. This reduces the drone's weight and maintains safe flight.

JP 2022-125929 A

The work device described in Patent Document 1 detaches the target object to stabilize the drone's flight, which causes the problem that the target object cannot be transported to the destination and work cannot be started. Moreover, it takes time and effort to retrieve the detached target object.

Therefore, there is a need for a work device that can perform work stably without detaching the target object.

The working device according to the present invention is a working device for suspending an object, and is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of support members for suspending and supporting the object, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the attitude of the plurality of support members, and a control unit for controlling the operation of at least the adjustment mechanism, and each of the support members is connected to a corner of the object.

With this configuration, the adjustment mechanism can change the attitude of the multiple support members to counteract the swaying of the object, allowing stable work to be carried out even when, for example, a work device is attached to an aircraft. In addition, because each support member is connected to a corner of the object where the swaying moment is large, even if the object sways in various directions, it is possible to stabilize the object's attitude according to the situation, easily resolving inconveniences such as the object not being able to be transported to the destination and work not being able to be started. Note that the concept of object includes luggage, work machines such as lawnmowers, etc.

The following describes preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described below.

In one embodiment of the working device according to the present invention, the load supported by the multiple support members is preferably equal to or greater than the weight of the object.

With this configuration, the multiple support members have a supporting load that is greater than the weight of the object, preventing problems such as the object falling.

In one aspect of the working device according to the present invention, the control unit preferably controls the adjustment mechanism so that the support center of the multiple support members coincides with the center of gravity of the target object.

With this configuration, by controlling the support center of multiple support members to coincide with the center of gravity of the object, it is possible to prevent problems such as the object becoming unbalanced due to its swaying.

In one embodiment of the working device according to the present invention, the support member has a wire and a winding mechanism for extending and contracting the wire, and it is preferable that the connection angle between the winding mechanism and the wire is adjustable.

With this configuration, the connection angle between the hoisting mechanism and the wire is adjustable, so by changing the connection angle depending on the amount of swing, it is possible to reduce the inertial force that accompanies the swing of the object. As a result, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the working device that is transmitted by the swing of the object.

In one aspect of the working device according to the present invention, each of the support members has a load detection unit that detects the support load, and the control unit preferably controls the adjustment mechanism to extend or contract the support members so that the support loads of each of the support members detected by the load detection unit are uniform.

By equalizing the support load on multiple support members as in this configuration, there is no need to set the support force of the support members excessively large, and the support members can be made lighter. In addition, since the support members only need to be extended or contracted to equalize the support load, control is simple.

In one aspect, the working device according to the present invention preferably further includes a motion detection unit that detects the motion of the object.

This configuration includes a motion detection unit that detects the motion of the object, allowing appropriate control to be performed according to the motion direction.

In one aspect of the working device according to the present invention, the adjustment mechanism has a movement mechanism that moves the multiple support members in a horizontal direction, and it is preferable that the control unit controls the movement mechanism to increase the maximum separation distance between the multiple support members when the amount of oscillation of the object detected by the oscillation detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

With this configuration, when the amount of swinging reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, the maximum separation distance between the multiple support members is increased, making it possible to reduce the inertial force associated with the swinging of the object. As a result, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the working device transmitted by the swinging of the object.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments, which are given with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a working aircraft in a working state. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a work aircraft. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a working state of a modified working aircraft. FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example of control of the working device. FIG. 11 is a top view showing an example of control of the working device. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a working aircraft according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a working aircraft according to another embodiment.

Below, a first embodiment of a working aircraft equipped with a work device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a work device 4 connected between an aircraft 2 and a grass cutter 3 (an example of an object) will be described as an example of a work device. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

(Basic configuration of work vehicle)
The device configuration of the working aircraft 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the working aircraft 1 comprises an aircraft 2, a grass cutter 3, and a work device 4 connected between the aircraft 2 and the grass cutter 3. When the working aircraft 1 is flying, the work device 4 causes the grass cutter 3 to assume a posture in which it is separated from the aircraft 2. In this posture, the working aircraft 1 can bring the grass cutter 3 into contact with a slope and cause the grass cutter 3 to perform grass cutting work. In the following description, when referring to the front-rear direction, the direction of the arrow F in FIG. 1 will be referred to as "front" and the direction of the arrow R will be referred to as "rear" unless otherwise specified.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the flying object 2 is equipped with a propulsion device 21 (main wing 21a and sub-wing 21b), a power unit 22, an flying object control device 23, a communication device 24, and a satellite positioning device 25. The propulsion device 21 is implemented as a plurality of main wings 21a (two in this embodiment) and a plurality of sub-wings 21b (four in this embodiment). The two main wings 21a can change their attitude between a propulsion mode in which the rotors are positioned facing forward and a hovering mode in which the rotors are positioned facing upward. The four sub-wings 21b are mainly used to control the attitude of the flying object 2. In the propulsion mode, it is easy to propel the flying object 2 forward, and in the hovering mode, it is easy to keep the flying object 2 stationary without changing its horizontal position. The propulsion device 21 (main wing 21a and sub-wing 21b) may have a tail.

The power unit 22 is implemented as an electrically powered battery and/or an engine powered by a fuel such as gasoline. In this embodiment, the power unit 22 includes an engine, a generator, and a battery. The generator generates electricity using power output from the engine and stores the generated electricity in the battery. The propulsion unit 21 operates using power output from the engine, electricity generated by the generator, or electricity stored in the battery. For example, the main wing 21a operates using power output from the engine, and the auxiliary wing 21b operates using electricity generated by the generator or electricity stored in the battery. The flying object 2 drives the propulsion unit 21 (main wing 21a and auxiliary wing 21b) using the driving force generated by the power unit 22, and flies using the propulsion force generated by the propulsion unit 21 (main wing 21a and auxiliary wing 21b).

The aircraft control device 23 is implemented as a computer having an arithmetic processing unit and a storage device. The aircraft control device 23 is configured to be able to receive input signals from various instruments provided on the aircraft 2, and to be able to output signals for controlling each part of the aircraft 2.

Examples of instruments (not shown) provided on the flying object 2 include, but are not limited to, instruments that indicate the operating state of the flying object 2 as a whole (such as a speedometer and an altimeter), instruments that indicate the operating state of the propulsion system 21 (such as tachometers for the main wing 21a and the secondary wing 21b), and instruments that indicate the operating state of the power unit 22 (such as a battery level indicator).

The communication device 24 is a communication interface that enables communication between the aircraft control device 23 and devices provided outside the aircraft 2. The aircraft control device 23 can communicate with the grass cutter control device 33 of the grass cutter 3 via the communication device 24. The aircraft control device 23 can also communicate with a computer P and a smartphone S that constitute a slope management system that manages the slope on which the work aircraft 1 performs work, via a mobile phone network N.

The satellite positioning device 25 receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals from artificial satellites, obtains positioning data indicating the position of the aircraft 2 based on the received signals, and transmits the data to the aircraft control device 23. Available GNSS include GPS, QZSS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou.

A working device 4 for suspending a grass cutter 3 (target object) is connected to the underside of the flying object 2 in flight. "Suspending the grass cutter 3" means that the flying object 2 is in a form in which the attitude of the grass cutter 3 can be changed and the grass cutter 3 is arranged on the lower side of the flying object 2 in the weight direction. The working device 4 includes a support member 41, a drive unit 42, and a control unit 43, and is connected to the flying object 2, so that the communication device 24 and the satellite positioning device 25 can be used in common with the flying object 2. The working device 4 also includes a load detection unit 44 for detecting the load on the support member 41, and a swing detection unit 45 for detecting the swing of the grass cutter 3. In this embodiment, the working device 4 generates lift for propelling (flying, ascending, descending) the flying object 2 with the main wing 21a to fly, and uses the sub-wing 21b to control the attitude of the flying object 2. The work device 4 may have a communication device 24 and a satellite positioning device 25 separately from the flying object 2, or may share the communication device 24 and the satellite positioning device 34 and the communication device 35 of the grass cutter 3, which will be described later. The control unit 43 may be built into the flying object control device 23 or the grass cutter control device 33, which will be described later, or may be provided in a server in a remote location.

The working device 4 is a unit connected at one end to the flying object 2 and at the other end to the grass cutter 3. Because the flying object 2 and the grass cutter 3 are connected via the working device 4, when the working flying object 1 is flying, the grass cutter 3 connected to the working device 4 takes a position away from the flying object 2.

The support member 41 has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) rope-like wires 41b that suspend and support the grass cutter 3, and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) winches 41a (an example of a winding mechanism) that expands and contracts the wires 41b. Each winch 41a is provided individually for each wire 41b, and the control unit 43 controls the driving force of an adjustment mechanism 42a (e.g., a motor) that rotates the winch 41a to adjust the attitude (length) of each wire 41b. In other words, the adjustment mechanism 42a operates the winch 41a to adjust the amount of payout of the rope-like wire 41b, thereby actively changing the relative position of the flying object 2 and the grass cutter 3 connected via the wire 41b. The support member 41 may be composed of a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrically expandable metal member, in which case the winch 41a can be omitted.

One end of each wire 41b is connected to a winch 41a, which is connected to the flying object 2 via a moving mechanism 42b. The other end of each wire 41b is connected to the grass cutter 3 by engaging parts 41b1 (e.g., hooks) that are engaged with multiple corners (four corners in this embodiment) of the grass cutter 3. The load supported by the multiple support members 41 is set to be greater than or equal to the weight of the grass cutter 3, and the multiple support members 41 bear the entire load of the grass cutter 3. As a result, the grass cutter 3 is prevented from falling, and the grass cutter 3 can be transported to a slope without cutting the wire 41b. The load supported by each support member 41 is set to be greater than or equal to the weight of the grass cutter 3, and the structure is such that it can withstand even if the load of the grass cutter 3 is temporarily concentrated on one support member 41.

Furthermore, the support member 41 is configured so that the connection angle between the winch 41a and the wire 41b can be adjusted. Furthermore, each winch 41a is configured so that it can be moved horizontally by the movement mechanism 42b, and the multiple support members 41 move horizontally with the winch 41a and wire 41b as a set. In other words, the movement mechanism 42b can increase or decrease the maximum separation distance between the multiple support members 41 to change the attitude. It is preferable that the attitude control of the adjustment mechanism 42a and the movement mechanism 42b by the control unit 43 be performed when the aircraft 2 is in hovering flight. Furthermore, attitude control may be performed not only during normal flight of the aircraft 2, but also when the aircraft 2 suddenly stops.

The drive unit 42 has an adjustment mechanism 42a and a movement mechanism 42b. The adjustment mechanism 42a is composed of a motor that rotates the winch 41a, and cancels the rocking of the grass cutter 3 by expanding and contracting the wire 41b to change the posture of the support member 41. The adjustment mechanism 42a also rotates the winch 41a so that the wire 41b generates tension on the grass cutter 3.

The moving mechanism 42b is formed of a rectangular frame-shaped member fixed to the bottom of the flying object 2. The moving mechanism 42b has a rail 42b1 that guides the horizontal movement of the winch 41a, a gear unit 42b2 that moves the winch 41a along the rail 42b1, and a motor 42b3 that changes the position of the rail 42b1 of the gear unit 42b2. For example, the gear unit 42b2 on the rail 42b1 may be a rack and pinion that converts the rotational force of the motor 42b3 into a linear force. The moving mechanism 42b in this embodiment is configured so that the position of each support member 41 can be changed individually by the gear unit 42b2. The moving mechanism 42b may be configured to move a pair of support members 41 or all of the support members 41 simultaneously.

The control unit 43 is implemented as a computer having an arithmetic processing unit and a storage device. The control unit 43 controls the driving of the adjustment mechanism 42a and the movement mechanism 42b. The control unit 43 is also configured to be able to receive input signals from various instruments (e.g., the load detection unit 44) provided in the working device 4, and to be able to output signals for controlling each part of the working device 4.

The load detection unit 44 is composed of a known load cell or the like connected to a locking portion 41b1 provided on the other end side of each support member 41. The sway detection unit 45 is composed of a known IMU sensor or the like that detects the sway of the grass cutter 3, and in this embodiment, the IMU sensor is fixed to the grass cutter 3, and the control unit 43 receives the signal from the IMU sensor. The sway detection unit 45 detects physical motion parameters such as the acceleration, rotation, and position change of the grass cutter 3. The sway detection unit 45 may be installed on the support member 41 to detect the sway of the grass cutter 3, or the sway detection unit 45 may detect the sway of the flying object 2 itself.

The lawnmower 3 includes a lawnmower drive unit 31, a connected member 32, a lawnmower control device 33, a satellite positioning device 34, and a communication device 35.

The grass cutting drive unit 31 has a battery 31a, an inverter 31b, a motor 31c, and a rotary cutting blade 31d. The direct current from the battery 31a is converted to alternating current by the inverter 31b to drive the motor 31c, and the motor 31c rotates the rotary cutting blade 31d to perform grass cutting.

The connected member 32 is a locking portion to which the other end of the wire 41b of the working device 4 is locked. The connected member 32 is composed of a U-shaped block or a hook hole that is locked to the locking portion 41b1 on the other end side of the wire 41b. The connection structure between the connected member 32 and the wire 41b of the working device 4 is not particularly limited, and may be male-female engagement, for example, like a socket and a plug. In this embodiment, four connected members 32 are provided at the corners of the top surface of the grass cutter 3, corresponding to the four wires 41b of the working device 4. Each of the four connected members 32 may be provided with a sensor that can detect that the other end of the wire 41b is connected.

The grass cutter control device 33 is implemented as a computer having an arithmetic processing device and a storage device. The grass cutter control device 33 is configured to be able to receive input signals from various instruments provided on the grass cutter 3, and to be able to output signals for controlling each part of the grass cutter 3.

Examples of instruments that may be provided on the lawnmower 3 include, but are not limited to, instruments that indicate the operating state of the lawnmower 3 as a whole (such as a speedometer) and instruments that indicate the operating state of the grass-cutting drive unit 31 (such as a blade tachometer and a battery level meter).

The satellite positioning device 34 receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals from artificial satellites, obtains positioning data indicating the position of the grass cutter 3 based on the received signals, and transmits the data to the grass cutter control device 33. GPS, QZSS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, etc. can be used as the GNSS.

The communication device 35 is a communication interface that enables communication between the grass cutter control device 33 and devices provided outside the grass cutter 3. The grass cutter control device 33 can communicate with the aircraft control device 23 of the aircraft 2 via the communication device 35. The grass cutter control device 33 can also communicate with a computer P and a smartphone S that constitute a slope management system that manages the slopes on which the work aircraft 1 performs work, via a mobile phone network N.

(Modification of the Work Aircraft)
3, the moving mechanism 42b in the above-described embodiment may be omitted from the working aircraft 1. In this case, the winch 41a may be attached to the aircraft 2. Even if the moving mechanism 42b is omitted, the rocking motion of the grass cutter 3 can be counteracted by extending and contracting the support member 41 with the adjustment mechanism 42a.

(Control form of working device)
The control form of the working device 4 will be described below with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. The control unit 43 in this embodiment controls the adjustment mechanism 42a to extend and retract the support member 41 (wire 41b) so as to cancel the swinging of the grass cutter 3. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, when an external force such as a strong wind acts on the grass cutter 3 from the front to the rear of the working aircraft 1, the rear side of the grass cutter 3 swings so as to sag as shown by the two-dot chain line in the lower figure. Therefore, the control unit 43 controls the adjustment mechanism 42a to reduce the length of the wire 41b on the rear side, and winds up the winch 41a. As a result, as shown by the solid line in the lower figure of Fig. 4, the grass cutter 3 is placed in a horizontal position along the slope, canceling out the external force acting on the grass cutter 3. In this way, the control unit 43 controls the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the support member 41 (wire 41b) generates tension on the grass cutter 3. In other words, tension is always applied to the wire 41b of the working device 4 relative to the mower 3, so the posture of the mower 3 can be adjusted by the support member 41. In particular, even if the mower 3 swings left and right due to strong winds or the like and the support member 41 in the swinging direction is bent, the bent support member 41 can be contracted to generate tension, thereby making it possible to uniformly distribute the load on the support member 41.

In addition, the control unit 43 controls the adjustment mechanism 42a to expand and contract the support member 41 located in the direction of change in the oscillation acceleration of the grass cutter 3 detected by the oscillation detection unit 45. In particular, the support member 41 located in the direction of change in the oscillation acceleration can effectively reduce the inertial force acting on the grass cutter 3, so that the oscillation of the grass cutter 3 can be quickly suppressed. As shown in FIG. 4, when the grass cutter 3 is blown by a strong wind, the oscillation can be reliably suppressed by expanding and contracting the support member 41 located in the direction of change in the oscillation acceleration (the rear support member 41 shown in FIG. 4). At this time, it is preferable that the control unit 43 detects the relative positions of the support member 41 and the grass cutter 3 by receiving signals from the position detection units, using the satellite positioning device 25 of the flying object 2 and the satellite positioning device 34 of the grass cutter 3 as position detection units. In this way, by detecting the relative positions of the support members 41 and the grass cutter 3, it is possible to detect horizontal shaking, and by controlling the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the support center of the multiple support members 41 is aligned with the center of gravity of the grass cutter 3, the control performance of the adjustment mechanism 42a is improved.

Furthermore, when the flying object 2 moves forward from hovering flight, for example, a rocking acceleration occurs in the grass cutter 3 due to the movement of the flying object 2. Therefore, the control unit 43 may take into account the movement speed information of the flying object 2 obtained from an instrument that indicates the operating state of the flying object 2 and control the adjustment mechanism 42a to expand and contract the support member 41 on the side of the direction of change in the rocking acceleration of the grass cutter 3. This makes it possible to reliably cancel out the rocking of the grass cutter 3 caused by the movement of the flying object 2.

When the load detection unit 44 (load cell) functions as the posture detection unit, the control unit 43 may estimate the inclination of the grass cutter 3 by taking into account the detection information of the load detection unit 44 as the load applied to the support member 41, and control the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the posture of the grass cutter 3 is horizontal. When the swing detection unit 45 (IMU sensor) functions as the posture detection unit, the control unit 43 may control the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the posture of the grass cutter 3 is horizontal by taking into account the detection information of the swing detection unit 45 as the inclination of the grass cutter 3 itself. Note that instead of controlling the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the posture of the grass cutter 3 is horizontal, the grass cutter 3 itself may have an automatic posture correction function. In this case, the inclination of the grass cutter 3 may be detected by an IMU sensor mounted on the grass cutter 3 itself, and a moving member may be provided to correct the axis position of the actuator of the grass cutter 3 or adjust the weight balance.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the control unit 43 controls the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the extension speed of the support member 41 is increased and/or the responsiveness is improved as the weight of the grass cutter 3 decreases. Since the adjustment mechanism 42a extends and retracts the support member 41 to cancel the rocking of the grass cutter 3, stable grass cutting work can be performed when the working device 4 is attached to the working aircraft 1. In particular, if the extension speed of the support member 41 is increased and/or the responsiveness is improved as the weight of the grass cutter 3 decreases, the rocking can be quickly canceled when the weight is small, and the extension speed of the support member 41 is decreased and/or the responsiveness is slowed when the weight is large, thereby avoiding a situation in which a sudden inertial force is applied to the grass cutter 3 and the working device 4 becomes uncontrollable. In this way, stable work is possible simply by extending and retracting the support member 41 (wire 41b), and thus the inconvenience of not being able to transport the grass cutter 3 to the destination and not being able to start work can be easily eliminated.

The control unit 43 preferably controls the adjustment mechanism 42a to extend or contract the support members 41 so that the support loads of each support member 41 detected by the load detection unit 44 are uniform. By equalizing the support loads of the multiple support members 41, it is not necessary to set the support force of the support members 41 excessively large, and the support members 41 can be made lighter. Furthermore, since the support members 41 only need to be extended or contracted to equalize the support loads, control is simple.

As described above, the working device 4 in this embodiment is configured so that the connection angle between the winch 41a and the wire 41b can be adjusted. Therefore, when the amount of swing of the grass cutter 3 detected by the swing detection unit 45 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 43 controls the moving mechanism 42b to widen the maximum separation distance of the multiple support members 41. As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, for example, when the grass cutter 3 rotates with the vertical direction as the swing axis, if the amount of swing is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the maximum separation distance of the multiple support members 41 is widened. For example, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5, by widening the four support members 41, it is possible to reduce the inertial force associated with the swing of the grass cutter 3. In addition, when the swings shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 5 occur simultaneously, it is preferable that the control unit 43 controls the moving mechanism 42b to individually adjust the horizontal positions of the multiple support members 41, and controls the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the support center of the multiple support members 41 is the center of gravity of the grass cutter 3. By controlling the support center of the multiple support members 41 to coincide with the center of gravity of the grass cutter 3, it is possible to prevent problems such as loss of balance due to the swinging of the grass cutter 3. In this way, by changing the connection angle between the winch 41a and the wire 41b according to the amount of swinging of the grass cutter 3, it is possible to reduce the inertial force associated with the swinging of the grass cutter 3. As a result, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the working device 4 transmitted by the swinging of the grass cutter 3.

[Other embodiments]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the working device 4 is connected to one flying object 2 has been shown, but as shown in FIG. 6, multiple flying objects 2 may be connected separately corresponding to each support member 41. In this case, the function of the above-described movement mechanism 42b can be exerted by changing the relative positions of each flying object 2. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the propulsion device 21 may be composed of only multiple main wings, in which case the multiple main wings also have an attitude changing function. The number of main wings 21a and sub-wings 21b in the above-described embodiment is not limited, and for example, eight sub-wings 21b may be provided.

(2) Each element constituting the work device 4 may be designed to be compatible with various types of working aircraft 1. For example, the connection structure between the work device 4 and the aircraft 2 may be designed as a common standard for various types of aircraft 2. Also, for example, the connection structure between the work device 4 and the grass cutter 3 may be designed as a common standard for various types of grass cutters 3.

(3) The main wing 21a of the aircraft 2 may be configured so that the axis of rotation of the main wing 21a can rotate around an axis extending in the left-right direction of the aircraft. In other words, the main wing 21a may be of a so-called tilt type, enabling vertical landing, hovering flight, and high-speed horizontal flight.

(4) A work result acquisition unit that acquires the results of work performed by the work device 4 may be provided. This makes it possible to create work plans for subsequent processes and work plans for the next year and beyond. If this work plan is stored in the management server, it can be used for mowing work on various slopes.

(5) In the above embodiment, support members 41 are provided at the four corners of the mower 3 to provide four-point suspension, but it may also be three-point suspension, at two corners and the center of the opposite side of the mower 3, or there is no particular limitation as long as it is two or more points of suspension.

(6) The winch 41a of the support member 41 is provided on the aircraft 2 side, but the winch 41a may be provided on the grass cutter 3 side, and the grass cutter 3 may be suspended by the support member 40b and wire 41b that pass through the aircraft 2 side.

(7) In the above-described embodiment, a grass cutter 3 is given as an example of the target object, but the target object may be luggage, a pesticide spraying device, a snow removal device, a seedling planting device, a combine harvester, an alarm device, a tilling device, etc., and there is no particular limit to the target object that may be connected to the work device 4.

(8) In the above-described embodiment, the work device 4 is used in the work aircraft 1, but it may also be used for construction work, civil engineering work, etc., that uses a crane, etc.

The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, so long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

The present invention can be used for work devices that can be connected to aircraft, etc.

3: Grass trimmer (object)
4: Working device 41: Support member 41a: Winch (hoisting mechanism)
41b: Wire 42a: Adjustment mechanism 42b: Movement mechanism 43: Control unit 44: Load detection unit 45: Swing detection unit

Claims

A work device for suspending an object,
A plurality of support members for suspending and supporting the object;
an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the attitudes of the plurality of support members;
A control unit that controls the operation of at least the adjustment mechanism,
A working device in which each of the support members is connected to a corner of the object.
The work device according to claim 1, wherein the load supported by the multiple support members is equal to or greater than the weight of the object.
The working device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the adjustment mechanism so that the support center of the multiple support members coincides with the center of gravity of the object.
The support member has a wire and a winding mechanism for extending and retracting the wire,
The working device according to claim 1 , wherein a connection angle between the winding mechanism and the wire is adjustable.
Each of the support members has a load detection portion that detects a support load,
The working device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the adjustment mechanisms to extend and contract the support members so that the support loads of the support members detected by the load detection units are uniform.
The working device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a vibration detection unit that detects the vibration of the object.
the adjustment mechanism has a movement mechanism that moves the plurality of support members in a horizontal direction,
The working device according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit controls the movement mechanism to increase a maximum separation distance between the plurality of support members when an amount of swing of the object detected by the swing detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.