JP6964012B2 - Aircraft winch controller and air vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is a control for an electric hoisting device (flying object winch) that is mounted on a flying object and electrically winds (winds) and / or unwinds (unrolls) an object to move up and down an object. Regarding equipment and flying objects.

Electric hoisting devices (hereinafter simply referred to as winches) that use the driving force of an electric motor to wind and lower objects such as bedding, packaging, temporary scaffolding, buildings, and fishing gear to a predetermined position have been generally used. Known for

In such a winch, the traction member is generally wound around a rotating body (for example, a drum or a spool) by the forward rotation of the electric motor, and the traction member is unwound from the rotating body by the reverse rotation of the electric motor. For example, it is mounted on a heavy machine or various structures (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2), or recently, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 3, it is mounted on an unmanned aircraft (drone) to carry luggage. It has been used not only for transportation but also for transportation and investigation of goods to dangerous areas, for example.

JP-A-2016-210607 JP-A-2017-883358 JP-A-2017-87898

By the way, when such a winch is attached to a flying object such as a drone, in particular, the flying object is remotely operated, and the traction member is wound up (wound) and / or rolled by the winch at a remote place away from the operation place. When lowering (feeding out) and raising and lowering the object to be connected to the traction member between the flying object and the ground, the operator who operates the flying object and the winch is the distance from the flying object to the ground (of the flying object). It is necessary to know the altitude), and if the position of the object to be lifted and lowered by the winch with respect to the flying object is not known, it is not possible to accurately lift and lower the object.

However, when the object is lifted and lowered by a winch-equipped flying object as represented by the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, in general, the position of the object raised and lowered by the winch with respect to the flying object, that is, flight. It is difficult for the operator to accurately grasp the distance (distance relationship) between the body, the object, and the ground, so that the operator can visually check from a distance or the perspective attached to the flying object. There is no choice but to sensuously move the object up and down using a camera or the like that is difficult to grasp.

Therefore, the operator has to carefully perform the lifting operation (winding and / or feeding operation of the traction member) of the object, which imposes an excessive burden on the operator and considerably raises and lowers the object. It will take time. In addition, if a large amount of time is taken for winch operation in this way, power consumption is large and the flight time of the flying object is affected. That is, the longer hovering time limits the subsequent flight time.

In addition, despite such careful operation, if a winch work error occurs, for example, if the traction member is accidentally extended excessively (the traction member continues to be extended even after the object reaches the ground). In some cases), the traction member may be entangled (caught) with an obstacle (for example, a tree, a utility pole, etc.). In such a case, not only does it hinder the subsequent ascent and descent of the object, but the flying object is stuck due to such entanglement (hooking), and the subsequent return of the flying object becomes impossible. (Alternatively, the power supply may be exhausted and the drone may crash).

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to reduce the burden on the operator in the winch operation, improve the efficiency of the winch work and shorten the winch work time, and the winch work. An object of the present invention is to provide an air vehicle winch control device and an air vehicle capable of preventing mistakes.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a rotating body capable of winding a traction member, and winding the traction member with respect to the rotating body by rotating the rotating body in the forward and reverse directions by driving the traction member in the forward and reverse directions. / Or A flying body winch control device for controlling a winch mounted on a flying body having an electric motor for feeding, and a control unit for controlling the electric motor and a feeding amount of the traction member. A feeding amount detecting unit for detecting and an altitude detecting unit for detecting the altitude of the flying object are provided, and the control unit has a plurality of control modes involved in controlling the winding and / or feeding operation of the traction member. The control mode is changed when the difference between the feeding amount of the traction member detected by the feeding amount detecting unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detecting unit reaches a predetermined threshold value. And.

According to the above configuration, the difference between the feeding amount of the traction member detected by the feeding amount detecting unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detecting unit, that is, the object coupled to the traction member and the ground. Based on the parameters associated with the distance between, the control mode automatically switches the control mode involved in controlling the take-up and / or unwinding motion of the traction member, thus reducing the distance between the object and the ground. Appropriate operation of the traction member can be managed by changing the control mode. Therefore, the burden on the operator in the winch operation can be reduced, and the winch work efficiency and the winch work time can be shortened. At the same time, it is possible to prevent winch work mistakes. This saves power and avoids a situation where the flight time of the aircraft is greatly limited, and at the same time, the aircraft is remotely controlled and the traction member is wound up (wound up) by the winch at a remote location away from the operation location. ) And / or even when the object to be coupled to the traction member is moved up and down between the flying object and the ground by moving down (feeding out), the object can be accurately lifted and lowered. Therefore, for example, the traction member is accidentally extended excessively (continuing to extend the traction member even after the object reaches the ground), and the traction member is entangled (hooked) with an obstacle (for example, a tree or a utility pole). As a result, it is not necessary to cause a situation in which the descent of the object is hindered, and the traction member gets entangled (hooked) with the obstacle, causing the flying object to get stuck, and the subsequent flying object becomes stuck. It is possible to eliminate the possibility of falling into a situation where it becomes impossible to return (or the power supply is exhausted and the aircraft crashes).

In the above configuration, the feeding amount detecting unit for detecting the feeding amount of the traction member is, in principle, a method of reading the rotation of the rotating body or a method of reading the radius of the traction member wound around the rotating body. Various detection methods can be adopted, such as those in which a pulley for detecting the amount of feeding is provided and the rotation of the pulley is read. In addition, the altitude detection unit for detecting the altitude of the flying object is a method that emits ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, etc. from the flying object side toward the ground and measures the altitude by the time until the wave is reflected, triangulation. Various detection methods, such as those that use the method, and those that use the difference between the altimeter that uses GPS signals and barometric pressure and the altitude data calculated using the altitude map from the measured longitude and latitude. Can be adopted.

Further, in the above configuration, the flying object may be, for example, a drone, but is not limited to this, and any flying object that can be manually operated or automatically operated by the operator can be assumed.

Further, in the above configuration, various forms are conceivable as a form in which the control mode is changed by the control unit. For example, as a control mode, a high-speed mode in which the rotating body is rotated at a first speed via an electric motor and a low-speed mode in which the rotating body is rotated at a second rotation speed slower than the first speed via an electric motor. When and is set, the control unit sets a predetermined threshold value (for example, 10 m) as the difference between the extension amount of the traction member detected by the extension amount detection unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detection unit. If it falls below, the high speed mode may be changed to the low speed mode. As a result, in a high altitude movement range where interference between the object and an obstacle is unlikely to be expected, the object can be moved at high speed to improve the efficiency of winch work and shorten the winch work time. In low altitude movement areas where there is concern about interference with obstacles or severe collisions with the ground, the speed is automatically reduced to carefully move the object, reducing the burden on the operator during winch operation. Winch work mistakes can be prevented.

Alternatively, as the control mode, for example, an automatic drive mode in which the electric motor is automatically driven at a predetermined timing and a manual drive mode in which the electric motor is driven based on an operation signal from the operation unit for operating the flying object are set. When this is done, the control unit determines that the difference between the extension amount of the traction member detected by the extension amount detection unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detection unit falls below a predetermined threshold value (for example, 10 m). The automatic drive mode may be changed to the manual drive mode. As a result, in a high altitude movement range where interference between an object and an obstacle is unlikely to be expected, the object can be automatically moved to reduce the burden on the operator in winch operation, improving the efficiency of winch work and winch work. In addition to shortening the time, in low altitude movement areas where there is concern about interference with obstacles or severe collisions with the ground, switch to manual operation and be cautious according to the situation by the operator. Operation and flexible processing support can be realized. The predetermined timing for starting the automatic drive mode may be, for example, the time when an operation signal for starting the feeding operation of the traction member is input from the operation unit for operating the flying object.

Further, in the above configuration, the flying object winch control device may further include a tension detection unit for detecting the tension of the traction member, and in that case, as a control mode, the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detection unit may be provided. A tension non-monitoring mode that does not monitor and a tension monitoring mode that monitors the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detection unit are set, and the control unit detects the extension amount and altitude of the traction member detected by the extension amount detection unit. When the difference from the altitude of the flying object detected by the unit falls below a predetermined threshold, the tension non-monitoring mode may be changed to the tension monitoring mode. According to this, in the tension monitoring mode, when the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detection unit becomes less than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the object is in contact with the ground, and the control unit stops driving the electric motor. By doing so, it is possible to automatically recognize the arrival of the object on the ground and automatically stop the feeding of the traction member, and therefore, it is possible to avoid a violent collision of the object with the ground, for example, by mistake. It is also possible to avoid a situation in which the traction member is excessively extended and the traction member is entangled with an obstacle.

Further, in the above configuration, the flying object winch control device may further have a transmission unit that transmits winch data including at least the detection data detected by the feeding amount detection unit and the detection data detected by the altitude detection unit. In that case, the transmitting unit may transmit winch data to the receiving unit of the operating unit for operating the flying object at a predetermined timing. In this way, for example, the winch data can be output by the output unit of the operation unit, so that the operator who operates the flying object can output all the winch data including the feeding amount of the traction member and the altitude of the flying object. Can be grasped through the output unit, and accurate lifting work of the object can be performed. The predetermined timing at which the transmission unit transmits the winch data includes, for example, the time when an operation signal for starting the feeding operation and / or the hoisting operation of the traction member is input from the operation unit for operating the flying object. be able to.

The transmission / reception between the transmission unit and the reception unit may be performed using, for example, a dedicated wireless channel, and various known forms of transmission / reception of the data can be considered. Further, the output unit of the operation unit from which winch data is output may be, for example, a liquid crystal monitor provided in the operation unit for operating the flying object, but the output unit is not limited to this, and the output unit outputs the data. The output display form of the winch data to be generated may be a graph, characters, or an animation.

Further, in the above configuration, the winch data includes the detection data (feeding amount of the traction member) detected by the feeding amount detection unit and the detection data (elevation of the flying object) detected by the altitude detecting unit, as well as the traction member. Tension, traction speed, power supply voltage, remaining battery level, motor drive current, motor temperature, control board temperature can be mentioned.

The present invention also provides an air vehicle having the above-mentioned constitutional features.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the burden on the operator in winch operation, improve the efficiency of winch work and shorten the winch work time, and prevent winch work mistakes. Air vehicle winch control device and flight The body is obtained.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows an example of the winch mounted on the flying body which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the control system including the flying object winch control device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic explanatory diagram for demonstrating the operation of the control system (flying object winch control device) of FIG. It is a perspective view of the drone as an example of the flying object which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a simplified flowchart which shows the comprehensive control mode of the flying object winch control device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the specific 1st control mode of the flying object winch control device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the specific 2nd control mode of the flying object winch control device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the specific 3rd control mode of the flying object winch control device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the specific 4th control mode of the flying object winch control device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the flying object winch control device and the flying object according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 2, the flying object winch control device 15 according to the present embodiment is mounted on, for example, a drone 500 as a flying object, and the flying object winch as an electric hoisting device mounted on the drone 500 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “simply”). Controls the operation of 1) (called a winch).

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the drone 500 has four frame portions (housings) 200 extending radially from the central main body portion 100, and a drive portion 300 is attached to the tip of each frame portion 200. It will be installed. In this case, the main body 100 includes, for example, a battery, a control unit, a communication unit (signal transmission / reception unit), a sensor, a camera, and the like (all not shown). Further, the drive unit 300 has a motor housing 51 in which the drive motor is housed, and a propeller 30 that is rotationally driven by the drive motor.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the winch 1 mounted on the drone 500, for example, mounted on the bottom of the main body 100 of the drone 500, is positively driven by the electric motor 2 and the forward / reverse rotation drive of the electric motor 2. It has a cylindrical rotating body 4 that winds and / or unwinds a traction member 22 for traction of a winding object 80 (see FIG. 3) that is rotated in the reverse direction. In this case, the rotating body 4 is housed and held in the housing 6 and rotatably supported by the housing 6 via a bearing (not shown), and the electric motor 2 is housed in, for example, the motor housing. It may be non-rotatably supported and fixed inside the tubular rotating body 4 and is preferably powered by a power source P detachably mounted on the housing 6 (or powered by a power source for operating the drone 500). May be done). Examples of the traction member 22 wound around the rotating body 4 include wires, chains, and ropes.

Further, the electric motor 2 and the rotating body 4 are connected to each other by a power transmission mechanism (power transmission path) 10 so as to be able to transmit power. In this case, the power transmission mechanism 10 may have a bidirectional clutch that transmits the rotation of the electric motor 2 to the rotating body 4 side but does not transmit the rotation of the rotating body 4 to the electric motor 2 side, or the electric motor. A deceleration mechanism that decelerates the power from 2 and transmits it to the rotating body 4 may be provided.

The winch 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a level wind device 40 for winding the traction member 22 in parallel with the rotating body 4. The level wind device 40 is configured such that when the electric motor 2 is rotationally driven, the guide body 42 that inserts the traction member 22 that is fed out from the rotating body 4 reciprocates to the left and right in conjunction with the rotation driving. It has a function of evenly winding the traction member 22 with respect to the rotating body 4 as the member 22 winds up.

Further, as the main components of the flying winch control device 15 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a feeding amount detecting unit 20 for detecting the feeding amount of the traction member 22 by the rotating body 4 and a feeding amount detecting unit 20 The altitude detection unit 21 for detecting the altitude of the drone 500, the tension detection unit 23 for detecting the tension of the traction member, the detection data detected by the extension amount detection unit 20, and the altitude detection unit 21 are detected. The first transmission / reception unit 19 including a transmission unit that transmits winch data including at least detection data, and the first transmission / reception unit 19 drives the electric motor 2 in response to a command (operation signal) received from the operation unit 29 side. It has a control unit 18 for controlling and controlling the transmission of detection data from the feed amount detection unit 20 and the altitude detection unit 21. The control unit 18 has a plurality of control modes involved in controlling the winding and / or feeding operation of the towing member 22. Further, the operation unit 29 for operating the drone 500 and the winch 1 is received by the second transmission / reception unit 28 including the reception unit that receives the winch data from the first transmission / reception unit 19 and the second transmission / reception unit 28. It includes an output unit 27 that outputs winch data to the operator 60 (see FIG. 3) of the drone 500. In the present embodiment, the flying object winch control device 15 and the operation unit 29 constitute a control system S for controlling the drone 500 and the winch 1.

The feeding amount detecting unit 20 for detecting the feeding amount of the traction member 22 by the rotating body 4 is, for example, a type that reads the rotation of the rotating body 4, specifically, a magnet that rotates in synchronization with the rotating body 4 or the like. There is a method of reading the rotation of the detected portion of the above by a detection means such as a Hall element. The same effect can be realized by forming the detected portion with the slit and using the photo sensor as the detecting means. Alternatively, the feeding amount detecting unit 20 is of a type that reads the radius of the traction member 22 wound around the rotating body 4, specifically, the traction member 22 in which a contact-type probe is wound around the rotating body 4. There is also a method of measuring the displacement of the traction member 22 by contacting the traction member 22 with an incident wave such as an ultrasonic wave or a laser, and reading the time until the reflected wave is reflected and the reflection position. Further, as the feeding amount detecting unit 20, a method in which a pulley for detecting the feeding amount is provided and the rotation of the pulley is read is also conceivable. That is, various detection methods can be adopted as the feeding amount detection unit 20.

Further, the altitude detection unit 21 for detecting the altitude of the drone 500 emits ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or the like from the drone 500 side toward the ground as shown in FIG. 3, for example, depending on the time until the wave is reflected. The difference between the altitude measurement method, the triangulation method, or the altimeter that uses GPS signals, barometric pressure, etc., and the altitude data calculated from the measured longitude and latitude using the altitude map. Various detection methods can be adopted, such as those using.

Further, as the tension detecting unit 23, for example, a strain gauge using a strain gauge that converts the strain of a member that receives tension into a change in electrical resistance can be mentioned. In addition, a method that uses a piezoelectric element that detects the pressure applied to a member that receives tension by converting it into a voltage, a method that detects the position of equilibrium between a linear spring and tension with a position sensor, and a method that applies tension to a ferromagnetic material. It is conceivable to use a magnetostrictive sensor that detects a change in the magnetic permeability due to the magnetostrictive effect that occurs at that time.

Further, data transmission / reception between the first transmission / reception unit 19 and the second transmission / reception unit 28 may be performed using, for example, a dedicated wireless channel, but the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the output unit 27 may be, for example, a liquid crystal monitor provided in the operation unit 29 for operating the drone 500, but the output unit 27 is not limited to this, and the winch data output by the output unit 27 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the liquid crystal monitor 27a of the operation unit 29 may be displayed only by letters and numbers, but may be displayed as a graph, or may be animated (suspended on the traction member 22 and the object 80 is on the ground. It may be displayed by (showing the movement in a moving image). Further, the winch data may be read aloud by voice data.

Next, one aspect of winch control by the flying object winch control device 15 having the above configuration will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5.
Here, in a state where the winch 1 is attached to, for example, the main body 100 of the drone 500, the drone 500 flies by the operation signal (command) of the operation unit 29 operated by the operator 60 as shown in FIG. It is assumed that the vehicle has reached a place (in the figure, a mountainous area where many obstacles 150 such as trees exist). When the operator 60 transmits an operation signal from the operation unit 29 to the drone 500 side via the second transmission / reception unit 28 in order to lower the object 80 to the ground or to lift the object 80 from the ground at this destination. , The operation signal is input to the control unit 18 through the first transmission / reception unit 19. Upon receiving this operation signal (command), the control unit 18 drives the electric motor 2 to rotate the rotating body 4 and unwind or wind the traction member 22 (when step S1 in FIG. 5 is YES). Step S2) in FIG. During this time, the detection data from the feed amount detection unit 20 for detecting the feed amount of the traction member 22 and the detection data from the altitude detection unit 21 for detecting the altitude of the drone 500 are constantly input to the control unit 18. Further, the control unit 18 transmits the winch data including these input detection data to the operation unit 29 side via the first transmission / reception unit 19. In response to this, the operation unit 29 side receives winch data via the second transmission / reception unit 28, and the winch data is output from the output unit 27 of the operation unit 29. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, winch data is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 27a of the operation unit 29 using only letters and numbers (the same applies to the control modes of FIGS. 6 to 9 described later).

Then, the traction member 22 continues to be unwound or wound in this way, and the feeding amount of the traction member 22 detected by the feeding amount detecting unit 20 and the altitude of the drone 500 detected by the altitude detecting unit 21 When the difference between them reaches a predetermined threshold value (for example, 10 m) (below or above the threshold value) (when step S3 in FIG. 5 is YES), the control unit 18 determines the set control mode (traction member 22 of the traction member 22). The control mode involved in controlling the winding and / or feeding operation) is changed to another control mode (control mode involved in controlling the winding and / or feeding operation of the traction member 22) (step S4 in FIG. 5). ..

As described above, according to the flying winch control device 15 of the present embodiment, between the feeding amount of the traction member 22 detected by the feeding amount detecting unit 20 and the altitude of the drone 500 detected by the altitude detecting unit 21. The control mode involved in controlling the winding and / or unwinding motion of the traction member 22 is controlled based on the difference, i.e., the parameter associated with the distance between the object 80 coupled to the traction member 22 and the ground. Since it is automatically switched by the unit 18, the appropriate operation of the traction member 22 according to the distance between the object 80 and the ground can be managed by changing the control mode, and therefore, the operator 60 in the winch operation can be managed. It is possible to reduce the burden of winch work, improve the efficiency of winch work and shorten the winch work time, and prevent winch work mistakes. As a result, power can be saved, the situation where the flight time of the drone 500 is greatly limited can be avoided, and the drone 500 can be remotely controlled, and the traction member 22 can be wound up (wound) by the winch 1 at a remote location away from the operation location. Accurate lifting work of the object 80 even when the object 80 coupled to the traction member 22 is moved up and down between the drone 500 and the ground by taking) and / or lowering (feeding out). Can be done. Therefore, for example, the traction member 22 is accidentally extended excessively (the traction member 22 continues to be extended even after the object 80 reaches the ground), and the traction member 22 becomes entangled with the obstacle (for example, trees, utility poles, etc.) 150. (Hooking) Or, if the traction member 22 continues to rotate while being loosened, the traction member 22 may be entangled in the winch 1 or the like, and the situation that the descent of the object 80 is hindered does not occur. Also, the drone 500 gets stuck because the traction member 22 gets entangled (hooked) with the obstacle 150, and the drone 500 cannot return after that (or the power supply is exhausted and the drone 500 becomes The possibility of falling into a situation such as (crashing) can be eliminated.

Further, in the present embodiment, the flying winch control device 15 transmits winch data including at least the detection data detected by the feeding amount detection unit 20 and the detection data detected by the altitude detection unit 21. The winch data is transmitted to the second transmission / reception unit 28 of the operation unit 29 for operating the drone 500 by the first transmission / reception unit 19, and the winch data is output by the output unit 27 of the operation unit 29. Therefore, the operator 60 who operates the drone 500 can grasp all the winch data including the feeding amount of the traction member 22 and the altitude of the drone 500 through the output 27, and the accuracy of the object 80. Can perform various lifting work.

FIG. 6 shows another control mode change mode by the control unit 18, that is, a specific first control mode of the flying object winch control device 15. In this control mode, the control unit 18 has, as a control mode, a high-speed mode in which the rotating body 4 is rotated at the first speed via the electric motor 2 and a high-speed mode in which the rotating body 4 is rotated at the first speed via the electric motor 2. Also has a low speed mode of rotating at a slow second rotation speed.

Specifically, in this control mode, the operator 60 receives an operation signal from the operation unit 29 via the second transmission / reception unit 28 in order to lower the object 80 to the ground at a destination as shown in FIG. Is transmitted to the drone 500 side, and the operation signal is input to the control unit 18 through the first transmission / reception unit 19. When the control unit 18 receives this operation signal (command) (when step S11 in FIG. 6 is YES), the control unit 18 sets the control mode to the high-speed mode, drives the electric motor 2 at high speed, and drives the rotating body 4 to the first. The traction member 22 is fed at a high speed by rotating at the speed of 1 (step S12 in FIG. 6). During this time, the detection data from the feed amount detection unit 20 for detecting the feed amount of the traction member 22 and the detection data from the altitude detection unit 21 for detecting the altitude of the drone 500 are constantly input to the control unit 18. ..

Then, the traction member 22 is continuously extended in this way, and the difference between the extension amount of the traction member 22 detected by the extension amount detection unit 20 and the altitude of the drone 500 detected by the altitude detection unit 21 is predetermined. When the threshold value (for example, 10 m) is exceeded (when step S13 in FIG. 6 is YES), the control unit 18 changes the control mode from the high-speed mode to the low-speed mode (step S14 in FIG. 6).

As described above, according to the control mode of FIG. 6, in a moving range at a high altitude where interference between the object 80 and the obstacle 150 is unlikely to be expected, the object 80 is moved at high speed to improve the efficiency of winch work. The winch work time can be shortened, and the speed is automatically reduced to carefully move the object 80 in a low altitude movement range where there is concern about interference with the obstacle 150 or a severe collision with the ground. By moving the winch, the burden on the operator 60 in operating the winch can be reduced, and a winch work error can be prevented.

FIG. 7 shows a specific second control mode of the flying object winch control device 15. In this control mode, the control unit 18 automatically drives the electric motor 2 at a predetermined timing as a control mode, and the electric motor 2 is based on an operation signal from the operation unit 29 for operating the drone 500. It has a manual drive mode for driving.

Specifically, in this control mode, the operator 60 receives an operation signal from the operation unit 29 via the second transmission / reception unit 28 in order to lower the object 80 to the ground at a destination as shown in FIG. Is transmitted to the drone 500 side, and the operation signal is input to the control unit 18 through the first transmission / reception unit 19. When the control unit 18 receives this operation signal (command) (when step S21 in FIG. 7 is YES), the control unit 18 sets the control mode to the automatic drive mode, drives the electric motor 2, and rotates the rotating body 4. , The traction member 22 is delivered at a programmed predetermined speed and / or a predetermined mode (step S22 in FIG. 7). During this time, the detection data from the feed amount detection unit 20 for detecting the feed amount of the traction member 22 and the detection data from the altitude detection unit 21 for detecting the altitude of the drone 500 are constantly input to the control unit 18. ..

Then, the traction member 22 is continuously extended in this way, and the difference between the extension amount of the traction member 22 detected by the extension amount detection unit 20 and the altitude of the drone 500 detected by the altitude detection unit 21 is predetermined. When the threshold value (for example, 10 m) is exceeded (when step S23 in FIG. 7 is YES), the control unit 18 changes the control mode from the automatic drive mode to the manual drive mode, and temporarily stops the electric motor 2, for example. (Step S24 of FIG. 7). After that, when the control unit 18 receives a further operation signal (command) for lowering the object 80 to the ground from the operation unit 29 side (when step S25 in FIG. 7 is YES), the control unit 18 restarts the drive of the electric motor 2. Then, the rotating body 4 is rotated, and the traction member 22 is fed out in response to the operation signal from the operation unit 29 side (step S26 in FIG. 7).

As described above, according to the control mode of FIG. 7, the object 80 is automatically moved in the high altitude movement range where interference between the object 80 and the obstacle 150 is unlikely to be assumed, and the operator in the winch operation It is possible to reduce the burden, improve the efficiency of winch work and shorten the winch work time, and manually in a low altitude movement range where there is concern about interference with obstacles 150 or severe collision with the ground. By switching to the operation, it is possible to realize careful operation and flexible processing correspondence according to the situation by the operator 60.

FIG. 8 shows a specific third control mode of the flying object winch control device 15. In this control mode, the control unit 18 has, as a control mode, a high-speed mode in which the rotating body 4 is rotated at the first speed via the electric motor 2 and a high-speed mode in which the rotating body 4 is rotated at the first speed via the electric motor 2. It also has a low-speed mode in which it rotates at a slow second rotation speed, a tension non-monitoring mode in which the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23 is not monitored, and a traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23. Has a tension monitoring mode to monitor the tension of

Specifically, in this control mode, the operator 60 receives an operation signal from the operation unit 29 via the second transmission / reception unit 28 in order to lower the object 80 to the ground at a destination as shown in FIG. Is transmitted to the drone 500 side, and the operation signal is input to the control unit 18 through the first transmission / reception unit 19. Upon receiving this operation signal (command), the control unit 18 sets the control mode to the tension non-monitoring mode and the high-speed mode, and drives the electric motor 2 at high speed. The rotating body 4 is rotated at the first speed, and the traction member 22 is fed out at a high speed (step S32 in FIG. 8). During this time, the detection data from the feed amount detection unit 20 for detecting the feed amount of the traction member 22 and the detection data from the altitude detection unit 21 for detecting the altitude of the drone 500 are constantly input to the control unit 18. ..

Then, the traction member 22 is continuously extended in this way, and the difference between the extension amount of the traction member 22 detected by the extension amount detection unit 20 and the altitude of the drone 500 detected by the altitude detection unit 21 is predetermined. When the threshold value (for example, 10 m) is exceeded (when step S33 in FIG. 8 is YES), the control unit 18 changes the control mode from the high-speed mode to the low-speed mode and switches the tension non-monitoring mode to the tension monitoring mode (when the tension non-monitoring mode is changed to the tension monitoring mode). Step S34 in FIG. 8). After that, the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23 is constantly input to the control unit 18. Then, when the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23 becomes less than a predetermined threshold value (when step S35 in FIG. 8 is YES), the control unit 18 determines that the object 80 has reached the ground. , The drive of the electric motor is stopped (step S36 in FIG. 8).

As described above, according to the control mode of FIG. 8, the same operation and effect as the control mode of FIG. 6 can be obtained, and the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23 in the tension monitoring mode has a predetermined threshold value. When the value becomes less than, the control unit 18 determines that the object 80 is in contact with the ground and stops the drive of the electric motor 2. Therefore, the control unit 18 automatically recognizes the arrival of the object 80 on the ground and automatically extends the traction member 22. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a violent collision of the object 80 with respect to the ground, for example, a situation in which the traction member 22 is accidentally extended excessively and the traction member 22 is entangled with the obstacle 150. Can also be avoided.

FIG. 9 shows a specific fourth control mode of the flying object winch control device 15. In this control mode, the control unit 18 automatically drives the electric motor 2 at a predetermined timing as a control mode, and the electric motor 2 is based on an operation signal from the operation unit 29 for operating the drone 500. A tension non-monitoring mode that does not monitor the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23 and a tension that monitors the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23. It has a monitoring mode.

Specifically, in this control mode, the operator 60 receives an operation signal from the operation unit 29 via the second transmission / reception unit 28 in order to lower the object 80 to the ground at a destination as shown in FIG. Is transmitted to the drone 500 side, and the operation signal is input to the control unit 18 through the first transmission / reception unit 19. Upon receiving this operation signal (command), the control unit 18 sets the control mode to the tension non-monitoring mode and the automatic drive mode, drives the electric motor 2, and rotates. The body 4 is rotated and the traction member 22 is delivered at a programmed predetermined speed and / or in a predetermined mode (step S42 in FIG. 9). During this time, the detection data from the feed amount detection unit 20 for detecting the feed amount of the traction member 22 and the detection data from the altitude detection unit 21 for detecting the altitude of the drone 500 are constantly input to the control unit 18. ..

Then, the traction member 22 is continuously extended in this way, and the difference between the extension amount of the traction member 22 detected by the extension amount detection unit 20 and the altitude of the drone 500 detected by the altitude detection unit 21 is predetermined. When the threshold value (for example, 10 m) is exceeded (when step S43 in FIG. 9 is YES), the control unit 18 changes the control mode from the automatic drive mode to the manual drive mode, and temporarily stops the electric motor 2, for example. At the same time, the tension non-monitoring mode is switched to the tension monitoring mode (step S44 in FIG. 9). After that, the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23 is constantly input to the control unit 18. After that, when the control unit 18 receives a further operation signal (command) for lowering the object 80 to the ground from the operation unit 29 side (when step S45 in FIG. 9 is YES), the control unit 18 restarts the drive of the electric motor 2. Then, the rotating body 4 is rotated, and the traction member 22 is fed out in response to an operation signal from the operation unit 29 side (step S46 in FIG. 9). Then, when the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23 becomes less than a predetermined threshold value (when step S47 in FIG. 9 is YES), the control unit 18 determines that the object 80 has reached the ground. , Stop driving the electric motor (step S48 in FIG. 9).

As described above, according to the control mode of FIG. 9, the same operation and effect as the control mode of FIG. 7 can be obtained, and the tension of the traction member 22 detected by the tension detection unit 23 in the tension monitoring mode has a predetermined threshold value. When the value becomes less than, the control unit 18 determines that the object 80 is in contact with the ground and stops the drive of the electric motor 2. Therefore, the control unit 18 automatically recognizes the arrival of the object 80 on the ground and automatically extends the traction member 22. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a violent collision of the object 80 with respect to the ground, for example, a situation in which the traction member 22 is accidentally extended excessively and the traction member 22 is entangled with the obstacle 150. Can also be avoided.

The risk of the traction member 22 getting entangled with the obstacle 150 changes depending on the surrounding topographical change, the condition of the obstacle, the maximum error of the assumed measurement altitude, and the like. Therefore, the threshold value for changing the above-mentioned control method may be set by the operator 60 according to the situation. Further, the risk of the towing member 22 getting entangled with the obstacle 150 is higher at the time of unwinding than at the time of winding. For example, in a situation where there are few tall obstacles such as trees around, and there are few causes other than the ground surface, it is less necessary to change the control mode at the time of winding, so it is done only at the time of feeding. You may.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a drone capable of hovering flight is shown as an air vehicle, but the air vehicle is not limited to this, and any air vehicle that can be manually or automatically operated by an operator is assumed. obtain. Further, in the above-described embodiment, some control mode modification modes are shown, but the present invention is not limited to these control modes and modification modes, and the traction member detected by the feeding amount detection unit. Switching between multiple control modes involved in controlling the winding and / or feeding motion of the traction member when the difference between the feeding amount and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detector reaches a predetermined threshold ( All control modes in which the modification is performed are included in the scope of the present invention.

1 winch 2 electric motor 4 rotating body 15 flying object winch control device 18 control unit 19 first transmission / reception unit (transmission unit)
20 Feed amount detection unit 21 Altitude detection unit 22 Towing member 23 Tension detection unit 29 Operation unit 60 Operator 500 Drone (flying object)

Claims (14)

It has a rotating body capable of winding a traction member, and an electric motor that rotates the rotating body forward and reverse by driving forward and reverse rotation to wind and / or feed the traction member with respect to the rotating body. It is a flying body winch control device for controlling the winch attached to the flying body.
A control unit that controls the electric motor and
A feeding amount detecting unit that detects the feeding amount of the towing member, and a feeding amount detecting unit.
An altitude detection unit that detects the altitude of the flying object,
With
The control unit has a plurality of control modes involved in controlling the winding and / or feeding operation of the traction member, and the feeding amount of the traction member detected by the feeding amount detecting unit and the altitude detecting unit. An air vehicle winch control device, characterized in that the control mode is changed when the detected difference from the altitude of the air vehicle reaches a predetermined threshold value. The control mode is a high-speed mode in which the rotating body is rotated at a first speed via the electric motor, and a second rotation speed at which the rotating body is rotated at a second speed slower than the first speed via the electric motor. Has a low speed mode to make
When the difference between the extension amount of the traction member detected by the extension amount detection unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detection unit falls below a predetermined threshold value, the control unit determines the high-speed mode. The aircraft winch control device according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft winch control device is changed from the above to the low speed mode. The control mode includes an automatic drive mode in which the electric motor is automatically driven at a predetermined timing, and a manual drive mode in which the electric motor is driven based on an operation signal from an operation unit for operating the flying object. death,
The control unit automatically drives the control unit when the difference between the extension amount of the traction member detected by the extension amount detection unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detection unit falls below a predetermined threshold value. The flying object winch control device according to claim 1, wherein the mode is changed to the manual drive mode. Further provided with a tension detecting unit for detecting the tension of the traction member,
The control mode has a tension non-monitoring mode that does not monitor the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detecting unit, and a tension monitoring mode that monitors the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detecting unit. ,
When the difference between the extension amount of the traction member detected by the extension amount detection unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detection unit falls below a predetermined threshold value, the control unit does not tension. The air vehicle winch control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the monitoring mode is changed to the tension monitoring mode. 4. The control unit is characterized in that, in the tension monitoring mode, the drive of the electric motor is stopped when the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detection unit becomes less than a predetermined threshold value. The flying object winch control device described in. The transmission unit further includes a transmission unit that transmits winch data including at least the detection data detected by the feeding amount detection unit and the detection data detected by the altitude detection unit, and the transmission unit performs the flight at a predetermined timing. The flying object winch control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the winch data is transmitted to an operation unit for operating the body. The flying object winch control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit changes the control mode only when the winch extends the traction member. It ’s an air vehicle,
A winch having a rotating body capable of winding a traction member and an electric motor that rotates the rotating body in the forward and reverse directions by driving the rotating body in the forward and reverse directions to wind and / or feed the traction member with respect to the rotating body. ,
A control unit that controls the electric motor and
A feeding amount detecting unit that detects the feeding amount of the towing member, and a feeding amount detecting unit.
An altitude detection unit that detects the altitude of the flying object,
With
The control unit has a plurality of control modes involved in controlling the winding and / or feeding operation of the traction member, and is detected by the feeding amount of the traction member detected by the feeding amount detecting unit and the altitude detecting unit. A flying object characterized in that the control mode is changed when the difference between the altitude and the altitude of the flying object reaches a predetermined threshold value. The control mode is a high-speed mode in which the rotating body is rotated at a first speed via the electric motor, and a second rotation speed at which the rotating body is rotated at a second speed slower than the first speed via the electric motor. Has a low speed mode to make
When the difference between the feeding amount of the traction member detected by the feeding amount detecting unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detecting unit falls below a predetermined threshold value, the control unit performs the high-speed mode. The aircraft according to claim 8, wherein the aircraft is changed to the low speed mode. The control mode includes an automatic drive mode in which the electric motor is automatically driven at a predetermined timing, and a manual drive mode in which the electric motor is driven based on an operation signal from an operation unit for operating the flying object. death,
The control unit automatically drives the control unit when the difference between the extension amount of the traction member detected by the extension amount detection unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detection unit falls below a predetermined threshold value. The flying object according to claim 8, wherein the mode is changed to the manual drive mode. Further provided with a tension detecting unit for detecting the tension of the traction member,
The control mode has a tension non-monitoring mode that does not monitor the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detecting unit, and a tension monitoring mode that monitors the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detecting unit. ,
When the difference between the feeding amount of the traction member detected by the feeding amount detecting unit and the altitude of the flying object detected by the altitude detecting unit falls below a predetermined threshold value, the control unit does not have the tension. The flying object according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the monitoring mode is changed to the tension monitoring mode. 11. The control unit is characterized in that, in the tension monitoring mode, the drive of the electric motor is stopped when the tension of the traction member detected by the tension detection unit becomes less than a predetermined threshold value. The air vehicle described in. The transmission unit further includes a transmission unit that transmits winch data including at least the detection data detected by the feeding amount detection unit and the detection data detected by the altitude detection unit, and the transmission unit performs the flight at a predetermined timing. The flying object according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the winch data is transmitted to an operation unit for operating the body. The flying object according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the control unit changes the control mode only when the winch extends the traction member.

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