JP6833005B2 - Unmanned aerial vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle photographing device that photographs an object to be investigated while flying.

This type of unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. The unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device (unmanned helicopter) of Patent Document 1 includes an imaging device, a capture device, and a video transmission device. This imaging device captures an image of the field, which is the object of investigation, from the air. The capture device cuts out a desired still image from the image captured by the image pickup device and saves it. The video transmission device transmits the video captured by the image pickup device to the base station side.

In Patent Document 1, not only the data obtained by shooting with the imaging device is saved in the capture device, but also the information such as the storage status of the image obtained by shooting is stored by using the communication standard of the wireless LAN. , It is possible to supply to the equipment on the base station side. Patent Document 1 states that this configuration allows the base station to constantly check the storage status of measurement data.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-254711

However, the current situation is that wireless LAN can only be used for communication over a relatively short distance. For example, if the field is vast and the unmanned helicopter that photographs the field from the air is far away from the position of the base station, wireless communication may be interrupted. As described above, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, after landing of the unmanned helicopter, the data stored on the helicopter side is read out to an external computer by some method, and whether there is any abnormality such as missing data is checked. Without confirmation, it was not possible to know whether or not the data could be obtained virtually without omission.

If it turns out that the data is not complete, it is possible to re-fly and retake it, but if time has passed since the original shooting, the situation has changed and all the data is taken. There are cases where it is necessary to fix it, and it takes a lot of time and effort. Therefore, it has been desired to be able to know at an early stage whether or not there is an abnormality such as missing data.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to know at an early stage whether or not there is an abnormality such as a lack of data obtained by photographing in an unmanned aerial vehicle photographing apparatus. Instead, it is to be able to respond flexibly when there is an abnormality.

Means and effects to solve problems

The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and next, the means for solving this problem and its effect will be described.

From the viewpoint of the present invention, an unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device having the following configuration is provided. That is, this unmanned flight photographing device includes a flying object, a photographing device, an image data storage unit, an image data abnormality determination unit, and a notification unit. The flying object flies unmanned. The photographing device is mounted on the flying object and photographs a plurality of locations among the objects to be photographed. The image data storage unit is mounted on the flying object and stores image data obtained by photographing with the photographing device. The image data abnormality determination unit refers to the image data stored in the image data storage unit, and when invalid image data is included or necessary image data is missing, an image is displayed. Judge that the data is abnormal. When the image data abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the image data, the notification unit notifies that fact. When the image data abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the image data, the unmanned aerial vehicle photographing apparatus displays information on an area in which the imaged object needs to be re-photographed.

As a result, on the side of the unmanned flight imaging device, the image data obtained by photographing with the photographing device is referred to, and it is determined whether invalid image data is included or necessary image data is missing. When any of them is applicable, a notification to that effect is given, so that when it is necessary to redo the shooting, the operator or the surrounding observers can know it at an early stage and respond flexibly. In addition, since abnormalities in the image data can be detected at a stage before combining the image data with another device, for example, in order to analyze the entire survey object, the integrity of the image data collected by shooting can be improved. It can be easily secured.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device, it is preferable that the remote control terminal used for the operator to remotely control the flying object displays information on the area requiring reimaging.

As a result, the operator who remotely controls the flying object can easily know the area where the flight / shooting needs to be redone by referring to the remote control terminal at hand, and the re-shooting can be performed smoothly. it can.

The unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device preferably has the following configuration. That is, this unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device includes a flight path generator. The flight path generation unit generates a flight path for flying the flying object for the rephotographing.

As a result, the image data that is substantially missing can be easily supplemented by flying the flying object along the flight path generated by the flight path generation unit and performing re-imaging.

It is preferable that the unmanned flight imaging device further includes an autonomous flight control unit that autonomously flies the flying object along the flight path generated by the flight path generation unit.

As a result, the unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device can be autonomously flown to perform re-imaging, which reduces the workload of the operator.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device, the notification unit notifies that the image data is abnormal when all the imaging objects have been photographed or when one of the plurality of imaging objects has been photographed. Or, it is preferable to notify the current object to be photographed during photography.

As a result, when it is necessary to redo the shooting, it is possible to know substantially on the spot, so that the re-shooting can be performed immediately under almost the same conditions.

The schematic diagram which shows the overall structure of the multicopter which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. A block diagram showing the main electrical configurations of a multicopter. A flowchart showing a process performed in order to notify when there is an abnormality such as a lack in the image data obtained by shooting in a multicopter. The block diagram which shows the main electrical composition of the multicopter which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of display contents displayed on a display of a wireless communication terminal, which is information indicating an area that needs to be photographed for supplementing data in the multicopter of the third embodiment. The figure which shows the generation example of the flight path to re-flight in order to supplement necessary image data in the multicopter of 3rd Embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the overall configuration of the multicopter 40 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main electrical configurations of the multicopter 40.

The multicopter (unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device) 40 shown in FIG. 1 is equipped with an imaging device for collecting information, and can be remotely controlled by an operator using a wireless communication terminal (remote control terminal) 41. The multicopter 40 of the present embodiment includes a flying object 1, a multispectral camera (photographing device) 2, a gimbal device 3, a battery 4, a positioning antenna 8, and a control unit 10 as main configurations. ing.

The airframe 1 is a multicopter main body (airframe), and has a plurality of propellers (rotor blades, wings) 5. Further, the flying object 1 includes an electric motor (for example, an electric motor) 6 for driving the propeller 5. By appropriately driving the electric motor 6, the rotation speeds of the plurality of propellers 5 are controlled, and the lift obtained by the rotation of the propellers 5 is changed in relation to the gravity of the multicopter 40. In addition to ascending and descending, hovering and level flight can be realized.

The multispectral camera 2 is configured as a digital camera capable of simultaneously capturing, for example, two-band (visible infrared light and near infrared light) images. The multispectral camera 2 is attached to the lower part of the flying object 1 while being supported by the gimbal device 3. With this multispectral camera 2, it is possible to obtain image data by imaging a field (photographed object) 70 in which agricultural products are cultivated from the sky. The image taken by the multispectral camera 2 can be performed remotely by the operator operating the wireless communication terminal 41.

The gimbal device 3 supports the multispectral camera 2 so that the lens of the multispectral camera 2 always faces vertically downward. The gimbal device 3 operates so that the orientation of the imaging optical axis of the multispectral camera 2 is always kept substantially constant regardless of the attitude of the flying object 1. As a result, the field 70 can be imaged in a plane from the sky using the multispectral camera 2.

The battery 4 is a power storage device capable of storing the electric power supplied to the electric motor 6 for rotating the propeller 5 and the electric power supplied to various electronic devices mounted on the flying object 1. The battery 4 is detachably configured, and when the amount of electricity stored in the battery 4 becomes low, it can be manually replaced with another charged battery.

The positioning antenna 8 is an antenna used to acquire the position information of itself (aircraft body 1) based on a satellite positioning system such as GNSS. The acquired position information of the flying object 1 is transmitted to the wireless communication terminal 41, and the current position of the multicopter 40 is displayed on the graphical display provided in the wireless communication terminal 41 so that the operator can confirm it. .. Further, the position information of the flying object 1 is used for recording the position at the time of photographing by the multispectral camera 2.

The wireless communication terminal 41 includes an operation lever for instructing the multicopter 40 to ascend, descend, move left and right, turn, and the like, and also includes a photographing button for instructing the multicopter 40 to photograph the field 70. Further, the wireless communication terminal 41 is provided with a display with a touch panel, and the operator can confirm by referring to the information displayed on the display (for example, information on the current position of the multicopter 40).

In the multicopter 40 having such a configuration, the operator operates the wireless communication terminal 41 to capture the field 70 with the multispectral camera 2 while flying with the propeller 5, and obtains still image data (data). Can be obtained. Normally, it is difficult to take a picture so as to cover the entire area of the field 70 with one image data from the viewpoint of flight altitude, etc. Therefore, the operator can perform the field 70 while the multicopter 40 flies horizontally and changes its position. The wireless communication terminal 41 is operated so as to repeat the shooting of. From another point of view, if the entire field 70 is photographed so as to cover the entire area with one image data, the field 70 can be photographed only in a small size, and the accuracy of the image may be lowered. The operator divides and photographs a plurality of image data of the field 70. When the multicopter 40 returns to the station, a large number of image data collected in this way is transferred from the multicopter 40 to a management computer (not shown).

The image data collected by the multicopter 40 is used for detailed analysis of the field 70. Specifically, one image representing the entire field 70 by sending the image data stored in the management computer to another analysis computer and combining a large number of image data based on the position information at the time of shooting. After being converted into data, a growth distribution image showing the variation in the growth state of the crop 71 in the field 70 is generated. This makes it possible to visually evaluate the variation in the growing state of the crop 71 in the field 70. The data captured by the multispectral camera 2 can be used not only for the purpose of generating a growth distribution image but also for various other purposes.

The multicopter 40 is operated by the operator when all the image data to be collected has been captured, when the remaining charge of the battery 4 is low, when the remaining capacity of the memory for storing the image data is low, and the like. Return to the station by. When the multicopter 40 lands on the station, the image data is transferred to the management computer, the battery 4 is replaced, and the like.

In the following, the electrical configuration of the multicopter 40 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main electrical configurations of the multicopter 40.

The multicopter 40 of the present embodiment includes a control unit 10 for comprehensively controlling the flight, landing, and takeoff of the flying object 1, the timing of shooting with the multispectral camera 2, and the like. For the control unit 10, through the system bus 31, the multispectral camera 2, the wireless communication unit 11, the flight control unit 12, the position information calculation unit (position information acquisition unit) 14, the image data storage unit 15, the data transfer unit 16, The planned flight area storage unit 17, the data abnormality determination unit (image data abnormality determination unit) 18, the notification unit 19, and the like are electrically connected.

The control unit 10 is configured as a computer and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. Further, the ROM stores a program or the like for appropriately operating the multicopter 40 according to, for example, the position information of the flying object 1, the content of the image data stored in the image data storage unit 15, and the like. .. By the cooperation of the software and the hardware, the control unit 10 can function as a command unit for controlling each unit connected to the system bus 31.

The wireless communication unit 11 receives a signal from the wireless communication terminal 41 operated by the user via the short-range wireless communication antenna 32, processes the signal, and then inputs the signal to the control unit 10. Further, the wireless communication unit 11 processes the signal transmitted from the control unit 10 to the wireless communication terminal 41, and then transmits the signal to the wireless communication terminal 41 via the short-range wireless communication antenna 32. In the present embodiment, the wireless communication performed between the wireless communication unit 11 and the wireless communication terminal 41 can be, for example, short-range wireless communication using a frequency band of 2.4 GHz. Wireless communication may be performed according to other communication standards.

By controlling the driving state of the electric motor 6, the flight control unit 12 appropriately rotates the plurality of propellers 5 to raise, lower, move horizontally, and the like.

The position information calculation unit 14 calculates the position information of the flying object 1 as, for example, latitude / longitude information, based on the positioning signal from the positioning satellite system received by the positioning antenna 8.

The image data storage unit 15 is a memory that stores image data obtained by taking a picture with the multispectral camera 2 as a file. The image data storage unit 15 records the position information of the flying object 1 acquired from the position information calculation unit 14 at the time of shooting with the camera in association with the image data. In the present embodiment, the location information is associated by describing the latitude and longitude information as meta information in each image data file, but the association method is not limited to this.

The data transfer unit 16 performs a process of transferring the image data stored in the image data storage unit 15 to the management computer when the multicopter 40 returns to the station on the ground.

The scheduled flight area storage unit 17 stores the position information of the area (scheduled flight area) in which the flying object 1 plans to fly, which corresponds to the field 70 to be photographed. In the present embodiment, the operator can operate the wireless communication terminal 41 to store the position information of the scheduled flight area in the scheduled flight area storage unit 17. Specifically, in the present embodiment, a plurality of operators corresponding to the corners (vertices) of the field 70 are displayed in a state where the display of the wireless communication terminal 41 displays a map or an aerial photograph of the vicinity of the wireless communication terminal 41. By touching the touch panel to specify the points, the polygonal area can be specified as the planned flight area. The designated flight schedule area is stored in the flight schedule area storage unit 17.

The data abnormality determination unit 18 refers to the image data stored in the image data storage unit 15 and corresponds to either a case where invalid image data is included or a case where necessary image data is missing. It is to judge whether or not to do it. As a result of this determination, if at least one of the above two cases is applicable, the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that the image data has an abnormality.

When the data acquisition work of the image data for one field 70 is completed, the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the image data. In the actual survey, the image data of one field 70 may be acquired in one flight, or the image data of a plurality of fields 70 physically separated from each other may be acquired in one flight. is there. When acquiring image data of a plurality of fields 70 in one flight, the shooting is performed in order for each field 70, and the data abnormality determination unit 18 finishes shooting for each of the plurality of fields 70 scheduled to be photographed. Each time, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the image data acquired for the field 70. However, the determination of the data abnormality determination unit 18 may be performed after the image data is acquired by photographing all of the plurality of fields 70.

When the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that the image data stored in the image data storage unit 15 has an abnormality, the notification unit 19 notifies that fact. Specifically, the notification unit 19 of the present embodiment sends a signal for lighting the notification lamp 9 (see FIG. 1) attached to the flying object 1 to the notification lamp 9. As a result, when there is an abnormality in the image data, the notification lamp 9 lights up, so that the operator who operates the multicopter 40 using the wireless communication terminal 41 and the workers in the vicinity who watch over the multicopter 40 take a picture of the field 70. You can know early on that you need to fix it.

Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the process performed by the control unit 10 in order to notify the operator and the like of the abnormality of the photographing result of the field 70 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process performed in the multicopter 40 to notify when there is an abnormality such as a lack in the image data obtained by photographing.

First, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the entire shooting of one field 70 to be photographed this time has been completed (step S101). Specifically, in the control unit 10, the position of the multicopter 40 was in the area of the field 70 immediately before, but now it has reached the outside of the area of the field 70, and the state is in a predetermined time or more. If it continues, it is determined that the photographing of the field 70 is completed, and if not, it is in the middle of photographing. Whether or not the multicopter 40 is within the area of the field 70 is determined by the position of the multicopter 40 acquired by the position information calculation unit 14 and the information of the planned flight area stored in the planned flight area storage unit 17. , Can be determined based on.

As a result of the determination in step S101, if the image of the field 70 is in the middle (step S101, No), the process waits until the image of the field 70 is completed.

As a result of the determination in step S101, when the photographing of the field 70 is completed (step S101, Yes), the data abnormality determination unit 18 includes invalid image data in a large number of image data obtained in the photographing. Determine if it is.

There are various methods for determining the invalidity of image data. For example, if the file size is zero or the image data is not recorded in the specified image file format, it is determined that the file is invalid because the file is corrupted. can do. In addition, when pixels with extreme brightness appear in a wide range of the image in a certain image data, it can be determined to be invalid because dirt or the like is attached to the lens or halation is reflected in the lens. Conceivable. Further, if the field 70 in which the green crop 71 should occupy the majority is imaged, but the proportion of green pixels in the image data is extremely low in the image, it is determined to be invalid. Can be done. Furthermore, even if the image data is corrupted or the image is greatly blurred due to a large acceleration due to the vibration of the multicopter 40, it can be determined that the image data is invalid. ..

When the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that the image data includes invalid image data (step S102, Yes), the notification unit 19 turns on the notification lamp 9 by sending a signal (step S103).

As a result of the determination in step S102, when the image data does not include invalid image data (step S102, No), the data abnormality determination unit 18 subsequently determines whether or not the image data is missing. (Step S104).

As described above, the image data needs to be acquired so as to cover the entire area of one field 70 as a whole. In consideration of this, the data abnormality determination unit 18 of the present embodiment has the multispectral camera 2 based on the position information associated with each image data of all the image data obtained by photographing the field 70. A rectangle corresponding to the range (shooting range) captured in the image data in one shooting is virtually arranged in the field 70. Then, after arranging all the rectangles, the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that the data is missing when there is a portion in the field 70 that is not covered by any of the rectangles.

When it is determined that the image data is missing (step S104, Yes), the notification unit 19 sends a signal for lighting the notification lamp 9 to the notification lamp 9, and the notification lamp 9 lights (step S103). ..

The operator who notices the lighting of the notification lamp 9 operates the wireless communication terminal 41 so as to return the multicopter 40 to the station in order to grasp the details of the abnormality. The multicopter 40 flies according to the operator's instructions (step S105) and lands at the station. After investigating which position of the field 70 the image was invalid and which part of the field 70 could not be photographed, the operator resets the notification by the lamp, if necessary. The battery 4 is replaced and the multicopter 40 is sent back to the field 70 for rephotographing.

On the other hand, if there is no omission of image data as a result of the determination in step S104 (step S104, No), it is considered that all the necessary image data are available for this field 70, so the notification lamp 9 is turned on. Instead, the flight is continued according to the operation of the operator (step S105). Then, for example, when moving to the next field photographing, the process returns to step S101.

Here, if it is found that there is an abnormality in the image data (shooting result) acquired by the multicopter 40 after a long period of time, it becomes meaningless to retake the picture because the situation has changed, or the investigation In some cases, the quality was significantly reduced. Further, even if the entire area is to be photographed again at a later date, the initial work is wasted, so that the work load on the operator and the like is considerably increased. In this regard, in the present embodiment, when the photographing of one field 70 is completed, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the stored image data, and if there is an abnormality, the notification lamp 9 is used. You will be notified immediately. Therefore, the work of re-shooting can be performed quickly on the spot, and the work load can be significantly reduced.

As described above, the multicopter 40 of the present embodiment includes a flying object 1, a multispectral camera 2, an image data storage unit 15, a data abnormality determination unit 18, and a notification unit 19. Aircraft 1 flies unmanned. The multispectral camera 2 is mounted on the flying object 1 and photographs a plurality of locations in the field to be photographed. The image data storage unit 15 is mounted on the flying object 1 and stores image data obtained by photographing with the multispectral camera 2. The data abnormality determination unit 18 refers to the image data stored in the image data storage unit 15, and when invalid image data is included or when necessary image data is missing, the image data is converted into image data. Judge that there is an abnormality. When the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that there is an abnormality in the image data, the notification unit 19 notifies that fact (step S103 in FIG. 3).

As a result, on the side of the flying object 1, the image data obtained by taking a picture with the multispectral camera 2 is referred to, and it is determined whether invalid image data is included or necessary image data is missing. , If any of them is applicable, it can be notified to that effect. Therefore, when it is necessary to redo the photographing of the field 70, the operator or the observer around the flying object 1 can know it at an early stage and respond flexibly. Further, since the abnormality of the image data storage unit 15 can be detected at a stage before combining the image data with another device for analyzing the entire field 70, for example, the integrity of the image data collected by photographing. Can be easily secured.

Further, in the multicopter 40 of the present embodiment, the notification unit 19 notifies that there is an abnormality in the image data when the photographing of one of the plurality of fields 70 is completed.

As a result, when it is necessary to redo the photographing of the field 70, it is possible to know substantially on the spot, so that the photographing of the field 70 can be immediately performed again under substantially the same conditions.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, the multicopter according to the second embodiment will be described. In the description of the present embodiment, the same or similar members as those in the above-described embodiment may be designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description may be omitted.

The multicopter of the present embodiment is the first embodiment in that it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the shooting result of the field 70 before the shooting of the field 70 to be photographed this time is completed. It is different from the form.

The details will be described below. In the present embodiment, each time the field 70 is photographed and one image data is generated, the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines whether or not the image data is invalid. This determination can be performed in the same manner as that described in the first embodiment (step S102 in FIG. 3).

Further, in the present embodiment, a large number of scheduled shooting positions for shooting so as to cover the entire area of the field 70 and the order of the scheduled shooting positions for shooting are specified in advance by the operator on the multicopter 40 side. It is remembered. For example, when the field 70 has a rectangular shape, the planned imaging position may be arranged in a matrix of m × n at predetermined intervals, but is not limited to this. The operator flies the multicopter 40 by operating the wireless communication terminal 41, and proceeds with shooting in a designated order.

Each time the multispectral camera 2 photographs the field 70 and one image data is generated, the data abnormality determination unit 18 reads out the position information associated with the image data, and reads the position information and the position information in advance. Calculate the position deviation from the memorized shooting scheduled position. Then, if this deviation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that the image data is missing.

When the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that the image data is invalid or missing, the notification lamp 9 lights up.

In the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, it is possible to notify the operator or the like of an abnormality in the image data even during the shooting of one field 70. Therefore, for example, it becomes easy to take measures such as immediately re-shooting by replacing the image data obtained by the previous shooting, or stopping the shooting of the field in the middle and immediately restarting from the beginning.

As described above, in the multicopter of the present modification, when there is an abnormality in the image data, the notification unit 19 notifies the fact that the field 70 to be photographed at present is being photographed.

As a result, when it is necessary to re-photograph the field 70, it is possible to immediately know it on the spot without finishing the shooting of the field 70, so that the re-photographing of the field can be performed more flexibly. Can be done.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, the multicopter 60 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a main electrical configuration of the multicopter 60 according to the third embodiment. In the description of the present embodiment, the same or similar members as those in the above-described embodiment may be designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description may be omitted.

In the multicopter 60 according to the third embodiment, in addition to the electrical configuration shown in the first embodiment, the re-imaging area acquisition unit 21, the re-imaging area information transmission unit 22, the flight path generation unit 24, and the autonomous flight control It is different from the first embodiment in that it includes a part 25 and the like.

Further, the multicopter 60 of the present embodiment is configured so that it can be not only manually flown but also autonomously flown (hereinafter, may be referred to as "autonomous flight") as needed. There is.

Hereinafter, the configuration peculiar to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The re-photographing area acquisition unit 21 acquires (identifies) an area that requires re-imaging (re-imaging) of the field 70 when the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that there is an abnormality in the image data. .. The re-shooting area acquisition unit 21 obtains the position information of the flight schedule area read from the flight schedule area storage unit 17 and the position information associated with the image data determined not to be invalid by the data abnormality determination unit 18. By comparing, the position of the area where the field 70 needs to be re-photographed is acquired.

Specifically, the re-photographing area acquisition unit 21 uses the position information associated with each image data for the data determined not to be invalid among all the image data obtained by photographing the field 70. , A rectangle corresponding to one imaging range of the multispectral camera 2 is virtually arranged in the field 70 (planned flight area). Then, after arranging all the rectangles, the re-photographing area acquisition unit 21 determines that if there is a part of the field 70 that is not covered by any of the rectangles, the re-photographing area needs to be re-photographed. Is determined to be.

The re-shooting area information transmission unit 22 creates display data for displaying information on the re-shooting area (area in which re-shooting is required) acquired by the re-shooting area acquisition unit 21 on the wireless communication terminal 41. It transmits to the wireless communication terminal 41 via the wireless communication unit 11 and the short-range wireless communication antenna 32.

FIG. 5 shows how information about the re-shooting area is displayed on the display of the wireless communication terminal 41 based on the display data created by the re-shooting area information transmission unit 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the display needs to be re-photographed because the image data is invalid, the image data itself is absent, or the flying object 1 is swept away by the wind and the shooting position shifts. The area that has become is displayed graphically.

The flight path generation unit 24 generates a flight path for the multicopter 60 to fly the re-photographed area acquired by the re-photographed area acquisition unit 21 without fail. The flight path generation unit 24 of the present embodiment calculates and generates a flight path that can efficiently fly over the area that needs to be re-photographed, taking into consideration the range of the field 70 that is captured in the image data by one imaging. .. FIG. 6 shows an example of a flight path generated by the flight path generation unit 24.

The autonomous flight control unit 25 autonomously flies the multicopter 60 along the flight path generated by the flight path generation unit 24. When the operator instructs the start of autonomous flight by operating the wireless communication terminal 41, the autonomous flight control unit 25 controls the flight control unit 12 and the like in place of the control unit 10. As a result, the multicopter 60 can be automatically flown along the flight path generated by the flight path generation unit 24, and re-imaging can be performed. The flight for re-shooting may be performed before the multicopter 60 returns to the station, or may be performed after returning to the station and replacing the battery 4.

As described above, the multicopter 60 of the present embodiment includes a position information calculation unit 14, a flight schedule area storage unit 17, and a re-imaging area acquisition unit 21. The position information calculation unit 14 acquires the position information of the flying object 1. The scheduled flight area storage unit 17 stores the position information of the planned flight area of the flying object 1 corresponding to the field 70 to be photographed. When the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines that there is an abnormality in the image data, the re-photographing area acquisition unit 21 acquires an area in which the field 70 needs to be re-photographed. The image data storage unit 15 stores each image data in association with the position information of the flying object 1 at the time of shooting. The re-imaging area acquisition unit 21 includes the position information of the flight schedule area read from the flight schedule area storage unit 17 and the position information associated with the image data determined by the data abnormality determination unit 18 that there is no abnormality. , The position information of the area of the field 70 that needs to be rephotographed is acquired.

As a result, it is possible to automatically acquire the area that requires re-shooting, so that the work efficiency of re-shooting can be improved.

Further, the multicopter 60 of the present embodiment further includes a wireless communication terminal (remote control terminal) 41 and a re-shooting area information transmission unit 22. The wireless communication terminal 41 is for the operator to remotely control the flying object 1. The re-shooting area information transmitting unit 22 transmits a signal for displaying the information of the area acquired by the re-shooting area acquisition unit 21 on the wireless communication terminal 41 (see the display example of FIG. 5).

As a result, the operator who remotely controls the flying object 1 can easily know the area where the flight / photographing needs to be redone by referring to the display of the wireless communication terminal 41 at hand, and the field 70 is photographed. Can be redone smoothly.

Further, the multicopter 60 of the present embodiment is a flight in which the flying object 1 is made to fly in order to photograph the field 70 to be photographed in the area (see the hatching area of FIG. 5) acquired by the re-imaging area acquisition unit 21. It includes a flight path generator 24 that generates a path (see arrow in FIG. 6).

As a result, the substantially missing image data can be easily supplemented by flying the flying object 1 along the flight path generated by the flight path generation unit 24 and performing re-imaging.

Further, the multicopter 60 of the present embodiment further includes an autonomous flight control unit 25 that autonomously flies the flying object 1 along the flight path (see the arrow in FIG. 6) generated by the flight path generation unit 24.

As a result, the multicopter 60 can be autonomously flown to perform re-shooting, which reduces the work load on the operator.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above configuration can be changed as follows, for example.

In the above embodiment, when there is an abnormality such as a lack in the image data stored in the image data storage unit 15, notification is performed by turning on the notification lamp 9, but the present invention is not limited to this, for example. Instead of this, it may be notified by sound or the like. Further, the abnormality notification may be performed by turning on the lamp or the like on the wireless communication terminal 41.

In the above embodiment, the data abnormality determination unit 18 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the image data, and the notification unit 19 notifies when the imaging of one field 70 is completed or the current imaging target. Although it was assumed that the field 70 was photographed, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, when the multicopter 40 lands on the station after the flight for shooting, the data abnormality determination unit 18 may make a determination and the notification unit 19 may notify the station. Even in that case, there is a high possibility that the field 70 can be re-photographed during the day, so it is not necessary to re-flight at a later date and retake all the data as in the past, and the work load can be reduced. It can be said.

The multicopter 40 of the first embodiment and the second embodiment is autonomously unmanned along a predetermined route by using the position information obtained by positioning instead of the configuration in which the operator manually controls the helicopter 40. It can also be changed to a configuration for flying and shooting. Also in the multicopter 60 of the third embodiment, not only the re-shooting but also the first shooting can be performed by autonomous flight.

In the multicopter 60 of the third embodiment, the operator can be changed so that the re-shooting is performed manually by referring to the display on the display shown in FIG. In this case, it is preferable to display the flight path generated by the flight path generation unit 24 on the display of the wireless communication terminal 41 because the convenience is improved.

1 Aircraft 2 Multispectral camera (shooting device)
9 Notification lamp 15 Image data storage unit 18 Data abnormality determination unit (Image data abnormality determination unit)
19 Notification unit 40 Multicopter (unmanned aerial vehicle)

Claims (5)

An unmanned flying object and
An imaging device mounted on the flying object that photographs multiple locations among the objects to be photographed.
An image data storage unit mounted on the flying object and storing image data obtained by photographing with the photographing device, and
With reference to the image data stored in the image data storage unit, it is determined that the image data is abnormal when invalid image data is included or when necessary image data is missing. Image data abnormality judgment unit and
When the image data abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the image data, a notification unit for notifying that fact and a notification unit
With
An unmanned aerial vehicle photographing apparatus, characterized in that when it is determined by the image data abnormality determining unit that there is an abnormality in the image data, information on an area in which re-imaging of an imaged object is required is displayed. The unmanned aerial vehicle photographing apparatus according to claim 1.
An unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device, characterized in that a remote control terminal used for an operator to remotely control the flying object displays information on an area requiring reimaging. The unmanned aerial vehicle imaging device according to claim 1 or 2.
An unmanned aerial vehicle photographing apparatus including a flight path generating unit that generates a flight path for flying the flying object for the rephotographing. The unmanned aerial vehicle photographing apparatus according to claim 3.
An unmanned flight imaging device further comprising an autonomous flight control unit for autonomously flying the flying object along a flight path generated by the flight path generation unit. The unmanned aerial vehicle photographing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The notification unit notifies that there is an abnormality in the image data when it finishes shooting all the shooting targets, when it finishes shooting one of a plurality of shooting targets, or when it shoots the current shooting target. An unmanned flight photography device characterized by notifying the inside.

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