JP6410993B2 - Drone flight control system, method and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a drone flight control system that controls flight of a drone equipped with insecticidal means.

  Conventionally, insects sometimes have harmful effects on crops and the like on farms. For this reason, devices for combating such insects are known.

  As such a device, an aerial flight mechanism unit for flying in the air, one or a plurality of cameras for photographing the periphery, a suction mechanism unit for sucking pests and storing them in a pest storage chamber, A pest image recognition unit for recognizing a pest from a photographed image of the camera, and a control unit, and the control unit drives and controls the aerial flight mechanism unit based on the recognition result of the pest image recognition unit, and a suction mechanism unit Has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). According to the pest capturing and storing apparatus of Patent Document 1, when a pest is recognized, the aerial flight mechanism unit can approach and store the pest.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-22880

  However, since the insect trapping and accommodating device of Patent Document 1 recognizes an insect and approaches and houses the insect, the insect may escape when approaching, and the insect extermination efficiency is poor.

  In view of these problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a drone flight control system, method, and program capable of improving insect extermination efficiency using a drone.

  The present invention provides the following solutions.

The invention according to the first feature is
A drone flight control system for flight control of a drone equipped with insecticidal means,
Distance measuring means for measuring the distance between the insecticidal means or the drone and the object,
Flight altitude control means for controlling the flight altitude of the drone so that the measured distance satisfies a predetermined condition;
An insect detection means for detecting an insect killed by the insecticide means or an insect gathered in the insecticide means;
According to the detection result of the insect detection means, a flight speed control means for controlling the flight speed or flight direction of the drone so as to satisfy a predetermined condition;
A drone flight control system is provided.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, a drone flight control system that controls flight of a drone equipped with insecticidal means includes distance measuring means, flight altitude control means, insect detection means, and flight speed control means. Prepare. In the present invention, the insecticidal means is, for example, an insecticide, an insecticide or the like. A drone is a drone that can fly remotely or autonomously. The distance measuring means measures the distance between the insecticidal means or the drone and the object. In the present invention, the object includes, for example, an object that has a high possibility of having an insect such as the ground or a crop, or an object that is desired to avoid damage caused by the insect. The flight altitude control means controls the flight altitude of the drone so that the measured distance satisfies a predetermined condition. The insect detection means detects an insect killed by the insecticidal means or an insect gathered in the insecticidal means. The flight speed control means controls the flight speed or flight direction of the drone so as to satisfy a predetermined condition according to the detection result of the insect detection means.

  Thereby, the drone provided with the insecticidal means can be caused to fly at an altitude corresponding to the distance of the object, and can be caused to fly at a flying speed or a flying direction according to the result of detecting the insect. Thus, for example, when a drone equipped with insecticidal means is flying at a height within a predetermined distance from the target crop (for example, a distance that does not contact the crop and the insect can fly), and the insect is detected. In this case, by reducing the flight speed or turning the flight direction, the insects approaching the crop can be effectively removed.

  The invention according to the first feature is a category of the system, but the method and the program have the same operations and effects.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide a drone flight control system, method and program capable of improving insect extermination efficiency using a drone.

The invention according to the second feature is in addition to the invention according to the first feature,
Comprising external environment acquisition means for acquiring external environment information of the drone;
The flight altitude control means controls the flight altitude of the drone based on the acquired external environment information,
The flight speed control means provides a drone flight control system that controls a flight speed of the drone based on the acquired external environment information.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the drone flight control system further includes external environment acquisition means. The external environment acquisition unit acquires the external environment information of the drone. In the present invention, the external environment information includes time information indicating time, meteorological information indicating weather, temperature information indicating temperature, illuminance information indicating brightness, and the like. The flight altitude control means controls the flight altitude of the drone based on the acquired external environment information. The flight speed control means controls the flight speed of the drone based on the acquired external environment information.

  This makes it possible to control insects by flying a drone equipped with insecticidal means at a relatively high flight speed at an altitude where insects are likely to be generated, for example, at a predetermined time or climate. It can be improved.

The invention according to the third feature is in addition to the invention according to the first feature,
Obstacle detection means for detecting obstacles;
Insecticide stopping means for stopping the insecticidal means when the detected obstacle is determined to be a human by image analysis;
A drone flight control system is provided.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, the drone flight control system further includes an obstacle detection unit and an insecticidal stop unit. The obstacle detection means detects an obstacle. The insecticidal stop means stops the insecticidal means when it is determined that the detected obstacle is a human by image analysis.

  Thereby, for example, when a drone equipped with insecticidal means comes close to a human, the insecticidal means can be stopped, so that safety can be improved.

The invention according to the fourth feature is in addition to the invention according to the first feature,
There is provided a drone flight control system comprising insect catching means for securing insects killed by the insecticide means.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the drone flight control system further includes insect trapping means.

  In the present invention, the insect trapping means is, for example, a bag, a net or the like. Thereby, since the amount of insects killed by the insecticidal means can be confirmed even after the flight, for example, the insecticidal efficiency when flying a predetermined course for a predetermined time can be confirmed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the drone flight control system, method, and program which can improve insect extermination efficiency using a drone can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a drone flight control system 1 which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the functional blocks of the drone 10 and the functions in the drone flight control system 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the drone flight control process executed by the drone flight control system 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the altitude condition table 110 stored in the storage unit 12 of the drone 10. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the drone 10 in the drone flight control system 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the drone 10 in the drone flight control system 1.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This is merely an example, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this.

[Outline of drone flight control system]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a drone flight control system 1 which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Based on this FIG. 1, the outline | summary of the drone flight control system 1 is demonstrated. The drone flight control system 1 controls the flight of the drone 10 provided with the insecticidal means 20.

  The drone 10 is a drone that generates lift and flies by rotating a plurality of rotor blades remotely or autonomously. The insecticidal means 20 is an insecticide that attracts insects with an attracting lamp and kills them with electricity flowing through an electric wire arranged around the attracting lamp. Also, the drone 10 is provided with an insect net 30 as an insect trapping means for securing insects killed by the insecticide apparatus 20 below the insecticide apparatus 20.

  The drone flight control system 1 measures the distance between the insecticidal device 20 or the drone 10 and the object 100 using the object sensor 14, and the measured distance is a predetermined condition (for example, an example of the object 100). The flight altitude of the drone 10 is controlled so as to satisfy (within 0.1 m to 1 m from a certain crop).

  Further, the drone flight control system 1 detects the insect 200 killed by the insecticidal device 20 or the insect 200 gathered in the insecticidal device 20 by the insect sensor 15 as the insect detecting means, and according to the detection result, The flying speed or flying direction of the drone 10 so as to satisfy predetermined conditions (for example, the minimum speed at which the insect 200 is detected by turning, the hovering around the position where the insect 200 is detected, or the hovering at the position where the insect 200 is detected). To control.

According to the drone flight control system 1, the drone 10 having the insecticidal means 20 is caused to fly at an altitude corresponding to the distance of the target object 100 and to fly at a flight speed or a flight direction according to the result of detecting the insect 200. Can do.
Therefore, for example, the drone 10 provided with insecticidal means is caused to fly at a height within a predetermined distance (for example, a distance that does not contact the farm product and the insect can fly) from the target crop, and the insect is detected. In this case, the insect 200 that approaches the crop can be effectively removed by reducing the flight speed or turning the flight direction.

[Description of each function]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the functional blocks of the drone 10 and the functions in the drone flight control system 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the drone 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and the like as the control unit 11, and a hard disk or a semiconductor memory as the storage unit 12. The data storage unit is provided, and the drive unit 13 includes, for example, a plurality of rotor blades, a motor that rotates the rotor blades under the control of the control unit 11, and the like. The storage unit 12 stores a flight control program 100, an altitude condition table 110, and other data necessary for controlling the drone 10 and flying.

  Further, the drone 10 includes a distance sensor that emits light such as a laser beam, receives the emitted light, and outputs an electrical signal at the emission timing and the reception timing as the object sensor 14. A photoelectric sensor having a light emitting unit that emits light such as a laser beam and a light receiving unit that receives light emitted from the light emitting unit, detects a change in the light received by the light receiving unit, converts the light into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal As an external environment sensor 16, a sensor that detects date and time, temperature, humidity, brightness, etc., converts it into an electrical signal and outputs it, and as an obstacle sensor 17, detects an image captured by a CCD camera and a human in advance. An image sensor that compares a base image with a base image, calculates a feature amount of a person who is a detection target in the captured image, and outputs a determination result as to whether the captured image includes a person Obtain.

  Although the drone 10 is not illustrated, in addition to the above-described configuration, the battery for supplying power, the GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver for acquiring the current position, the gyro sensor for detecting the accelerated direction of the drone 10, A configuration necessary for unmanned flight, such as an altitude sensor that detects altitude and a geomagnetic sensor that detects the direction in which the drone 10 is moving, is provided.

  In the drone 10, when the control unit 11 reads the flight control program 100, the distance measurement module 101 is realized in cooperation with the storage unit 12, the drive unit 13, and the object sensor 14. Further, in the drone 10, the control unit 11 reads the flight control program 100 to realize the flight altitude control module 102 in cooperation with the storage unit 12, the drive unit 13, and the external environment sensor 16. Further, in the drone 10, the control unit 11 reads the flight control program 100 to realize the flight speed control module 103 in cooperation with the storage unit 12, the drive unit 13, the insect sensor 15, and the external environment sensor 16. In the drone 10, the control unit 11 reads the flight control program 100, thereby realizing the insecticidal device control module 104 in cooperation with the storage unit 12, the drive unit 13, and the obstacle sensor 17.

[Drone flight control processing]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the drone flight control process executed by the drone flight control system 1. A drone flight control process performed by the various modules of the above-described drone flight control system 1 will be described.

  First, in the drone flight control system 1, in the drone 10, the control unit 11 reads the flight control program 100, controls the drive unit 13, and starts flying along a preset route or toward a target position. In addition, the drone 10 causes the insecticidal device 20 to light the insect lamp by the insecticidal device control module 104 and causes electricity to flow through the electric wires arranged around the insecticidal lamp.

  In step S <b> 1, the external environment sensor 16 acquires external environment information of the drone 10. In the present embodiment, the external environment information includes, for example, information indicating date and time, temperature, humidity, brightness, and the like.

  In step S2, the distance measurement module 101 measures the distance between the insecticidal device 20 or the drone 10 and the object 100 (see FIG. 1). Specifically, the distance measurement module 101 detects the object 100 and the insecticidal device 20 or the time difference between the electrical signal output at the timing when the target sensor 14 emits light and the electrical signal output at the timing when the light is received. The shortest distance from the drone 10 (the vertical distance between the object 100 and the insecticidal device 20 or the drone 10) is calculated.

  In step S3, the flight altitude control module 102 refers to the altitude condition table 110 (see FIG. 4 described later) based on the external environment information acquired by the external environment sensor 16 in step S1, and the flight altitude control module 102 In step S2, the flight altitude of the drone 10 is controlled by the distance measurement module 101 so that the measured distance satisfies a predetermined condition (altitude condition).

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the altitude condition table 110 stored in the storage unit 12 of the drone 10. In the altitude condition table 110, the altitude condition indicating the shortest distance between the insecticidal device 20 or the drone 10 and the object 100 (see FIG. 1) is associated with the external environment information as a predetermined condition regarding the flight altitude. . In the present embodiment, the external environment information includes temperature, humidity, brightness, and the like. The altitude condition is set to a range where there is a high possibility of insects when the external environment (such as temperature) is a value indicated in the external environment information.

  Further, the altitude condition table 110 may be provided for each type of the object 100. Specifically, if the altitude condition table 110 in the example shown in FIG. 4 is used when the object 100 is a crop, the altitude condition is 0.1 m when the external environment information is 20 ° C. <T ≦ 30 ° C. In the altitude condition table in which the object 100 is the ground, the altitude condition may be 2 m to 2.5 m, for example, even if the external environment information is the same.

  Further, when the predetermined condition regarding the flight altitude is set for each type of the object 100, for example, the flight altitude control module 102 further cooperates with the obstacle sensor 17 to generate a base image for each type of the object 100. The image stored by the storage unit 12 and captured by the CCD camera of the obstacle sensor 17 is compared with the base image for each type of the target object 100 to determine the type of the target object 100. The flight altitude of the drone 10 may be controlled based on the predetermined condition for each type of the object 100.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, when the external environment information is 20 ° C. <T ≦ 30 ° C., in step S3, the flight altitude control module 102 assumes that the shortest distance calculated in step S2 is 2 m. Control and lower the drone 10 until the shortest distance reaches a predetermined condition of 0.1 m to 1 m.

  Returning to FIG. 3, in step S3, the flight speed control module 103 controls the flight speed of the drone 10 based on the external environment information acquired by the external environment sensor 16 in step S1. For example, the flight speed control module 103 causes the drone 10 to fly at a relatively high speed when the temperature, which is one of the external environment information, is relatively high (when insects are in a wide range), Makes it possible to kill insects. On the other hand, when the temperature, which is one of the external environment information, is relatively low (when insects are generated in a specific range), the flight speed control module 103 sets the specific range at a relatively low speed. It is possible to fly the drone 10 and focus on a specific range of insects.

  In step S <b> 4, the flight speed control module 103 detects from the insect sensor 15 the insect killed by the insecticidal means 20 or the insect gathered at the insecticidal means 20 (the insect sensor 15 receives light). It is determined whether or not an electrical signal output by detecting a change in light received by the unit is received. When the flight speed control module 103 receives an electrical signal indicating that an insect has been detected, the flight speed control module 103 proceeds to step S5, and when it has not received an electrical signal indicating that an insect has been detected, step S6. Move processing to.

  In step S5, the flight speed control module 103 controls the flight speed and flight direction of the drone so as to satisfy predetermined conditions.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the drone 10 in the drone flight control system 1. When the flight speed control module 103 receives an electrical signal indicating that an insect has been detected at a certain position in step S4, for example, the flight speed control module 103 sets the flight speed of the drone 10 as a predetermined condition relating to the flight speed or flight direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the flight direction is controlled so that the drone 10 makes a turn so as to repeatedly pass through the position.

  Returning to FIG. 3, in step S <b> 6, the insecticidal device control module 104 determines whether the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensor 17 is a human by image analysis. If the insecticidal device control module 104 determines that the person is a human, the process proceeds to step S <b> 7, and if it is not determined that the person is a human, the process ends.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the drone 10 in the drone flight control system 1. In step S6, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the human 300 is imaged by the CCD camera of the obstacle sensor 17, the insecticidal device control module 104 captures an image of the human 300, a human base image, , It is determined that a captured image contains a human, and the process proceeds to step S7.

  In step S <b> 7, the insecticidal device control module 104 stops the insecticidal device 20 (at least stops supplying electricity to the electric wires arranged around the attracting lamp of the insecticidal device 20).

  The means and functions described above are realized by a computer (including a CPU, an information processing apparatus, and various terminals) reading and executing a predetermined program. The program is provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, CD (CD-ROM, etc.), DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, etc.), for example. In this case, the computer reads the program from the recording medium, transfers it to the internal storage device or the external storage device, stores it, and executes it. The program may be recorded in advance on a storage device (recording medium) such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk, and provided from the storage device to the computer.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment mentioned above. The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are only the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. is not.

  1 drone flight control system, 10 drone, 15 insect sensor, 20 insecticide device, 101 distance measurement module, 102 flight altitude control module, 103 flight speed control module, 104 insecticide device control module

Claims (5)

A drone flight control system for flight control of a drone equipped with insecticidal means,
External environment acquisition means for acquiring at least one of time information, weather information, temperature information, and illuminance information as external environment information of the drone,
Distance measuring means for measuring the distance between the insecticidal means or the drone and the object,
Flight altitude control means for controlling the flight altitude of the drone so that the measured distance satisfies a predetermined condition based on the acquired external environment information;
An insect detection means for detecting an insect killed by the insecticide means or an insect gathered in the insecticide means;
According to the acquired external environment information and the detection result of the insect detection means, a flight speed control means for controlling the flight speed or the flight direction of the drone so as to satisfy a predetermined condition;
A drone flight control system comprising: Obstacle detection means for detecting obstacles;
Insecticide stopping means for stopping the insecticidal means when the detected obstacle is determined to be a human by image analysis;
The drone flight control system according to claim 1, further comprising:   The drone flight control system according to claim 1, further comprising insect catching means for securing insects killed by the insect killing means. A method executed by a drone flight control system for controlling flight of a drone equipped with insecticidal means,
External environment acquisition step of acquiring at least one of time information, weather information, temperature information, illuminance information as external environment information of the drone,
A distance measuring step for measuring a distance between the insecticidal means or the drone and the object;
A flight altitude control step for controlling the flight altitude of the drone so that the measured distance satisfies a predetermined condition based on the acquired external environment information;
An insect detection step for detecting an insect killed by the insecticidal means or an insect gathered in the insecticidal means;
A flight speed control step for controlling a flight speed or a flight direction of the drone so as to satisfy a predetermined condition according to the acquired external environment information and the detection result in the insect detection step,
Including methods. A drone flight control system that controls flight of drones equipped with insecticidal means ,
External environment acquisition step of acquiring at least one of time information, weather information, temperature information, and illuminance information as external environment information of the drone,
A distance measuring step for measuring a distance between the insecticidal means or the drone and the object;
A flight altitude control step for controlling a flight altitude of the drone so that the measured distance satisfies a predetermined condition based on the acquired external environment information;
An insect detection step for detecting an insect killed by the insecticidal means or an insect gathered in the insecticidal means;
A flight speed control step for controlling a flight speed or a flight direction of the drone so as to satisfy a predetermined condition according to the acquired external environment information and the detection result of the insect detection means,
A computer-readable program for executing the program.