JP7506874B2 - Slope inspection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a slope inspection device that can be easily used to inspect slopes, and can move while avoiding steps and obstacles on the slope to take images (video and still images) for inspecting the slope.

Approximately 70% of Japan's land area is mountainous, and it is common for railway tracks, expressways, and other facilities to be built in steep mountainous areas through large-scale civil engineering work. In such civil engineering work, a flat surface on which the tracks or roads are laid is created by cutting and filling, and slopes are created by filling and cutting. The ground on slopes created in this way is weak and there is a high risk of collapse. For this reason, surface protection work is carried out by spraying concrete or mortar on the slopes, or concrete plates or secondary concrete retaining blocks are installed on the slopes to strengthen the weak surfaces of the slopes and prevent them from eroding or collapsing.

Such slopes with reinforced surfaces have been constructed in many locations across Japan, so maintaining these slopes is important to ensure the safety of railways, roads, and neighboring areas, and proper inspections must be carried out on a regular basis, with any slopes that have deteriorated over time requiring repairs.

Traditionally, slope inspections have been carried out by multiple workers descending along the slope on ropes to visually inspect the surface of the slope. Problems with manual inspections include the cost of working at heights to ensure the safety of the workers and a shortage of workers to carry out inspections. In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (so-called drones) have also been used to inspect slopes, taking pictures of the slope from above. However, permission from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is required to fly unmanned aerial vehicles. In addition, because there is a concern that unmanned aerial vehicles may crash or fall, traffic restrictions are also required when flying unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect slopes near major roads or expressways.

Therefore, a method for inspecting upper roadside slopes has been disclosed that uses a multicopter (unmanned aerial vehicle) to be remotely controlled wirelessly so as not to fly above the roadway, allowing the upper roadside slopes (embankments) that extend diagonally upward from the side edges of the roadway to be photographed and inspected with a camera mounted on the multicopter without interfering with the passage of vehicles on the roadway (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2016-205950 A

In the method of inspecting upper roadside slopes using a drone described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, a multicopter (unmanned aerial vehicle) is remotely controlled wirelessly, and the upper roadside slope (embankment) extending diagonally upward from the side edge of a road can be photographed and inspected with a camera mounted on the multicopter, without traffic restrictions, etc. However, permission from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, etc. is required to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In addition, no matter how much effort is put into controlling the multicopter to prevent it from entering the upper part of the roadway, it is not possible to completely prevent the multicopter from falling onto the roadway due to an operator's error or a malfunction of the multicopter. Furthermore, since the upper slope of the roadside is photographed from a certain distance away using a camera mounted on the multicopter, it is necessary to install a camera with high functionality (zoom-up function, etc.), and there is a risk that the equipment itself will be expensive.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a slope inspection device with a simple structure that can capture images of an inclined slope from a position similar to that of a conventional inspection work in which an operator descends along a slope on a rope.

The present invention relates to a slope inspection device having a conveying means for moving up and down on an inclined surface, and an operating means for operating the up and down movement of the conveying means, the conveying means comprising an axle supporting a pair of left and right wheels at both ends so that they can rotate freely, two motors with propellers at the top and fixed vertically at equal distances from the center of the axle, a pair of left and right arms with base ends fixed at equal distances from the center of the axle and perpendicular to the axial direction, a controller installed in the center of the axle, an imaging means for capturing an image of the slope, and a power supply means for supplying electricity to the controller and the motor, and the operating means The operation means includes a display means for displaying an image of the slope captured by the imaging means, a rotation speed control means for controlling the rotation speed of the motor, and a winding and sending out means for winding and sending out a cable at a constant speed. The transport means is suspended from the slope below the operation means by the cable, one end of which is connected to the arm of the transport means and the other end of which is connected to the winding and sending out means of the operation means. The transport means moves up and down the slope by winding or sending out the cable using the winding and sending out means, and the slope inspection device is characterized in that the image captures an image of the slope for inspection.

The system is also characterized in that the transport means can be stably lifted to a predetermined height by the thrust generated by the rotation of the propeller and the tension of the cable suspended downward by the operating means.

The device is also characterized in that an operator can control the rotation speed of the propeller using the rotation speed control means of the operating means, and can wind or let out the cable using the winding/letting out means of the operating means.

According to the present invention, the transport means is connected by a cable to the winding and sending out means of the operating means held and operated by the worker, and the cable is wound or sent out by the winding and sending out means, so that the transport means moves up and down to any height on the slope, which is an inclined surface, with a pair of left and right wheels rotatably supported on both ends of the axle of the transport means in contact with the slope, while an image of the surface of the slope is captured by an imaging means (e.g., a camera) mounted on the transport means, and the captured image (video or still image) is displayed on the display means of the operating means as an image for inspecting the slope.

This allows a worker to perform observation and inspection work from a safe location at the top of the slope using images (video or still images) captured at a position (height) similar to the conventional method of visually inspecting a slope while descending along the slope on a rope, and the images displayed on the display means. Furthermore, even if a worker does not have the skills to observe the surface of a slope and identify damaged areas, if the display means (e.g., a smartphone's liquid crystal display device) has a function for storing and playing back images, a worker who has the skills to observe the surface of a slope and identify damaged areas can observe and inspect the images played back on the display means.

The transport means also includes two motors that are fixed vertically at the same distance from the center of the axle and have propellers on top. The tips of a pair of left and right arms, the base ends of which are fixed at right angles to the axial direction at the same distance from the center of the axle, are connected to the winding and sending-out means of the operating means by cables. In this state, when an operator operates the operating means to rotate the two motors, the thrust from the rotation of the propellers and the tension of the cables suspended downward by the operating means allow the transport means to stably float up to a predetermined height (for example, below the horizontal plane).

The transport means of the present invention cannot achieve stable levitation flight by itself, since it only has thrust from the propellers installed on top of two motors whose rotating shafts are fixed to the axles. However, when it is suspended from a slope via a pair of arms on the left and right sides by a cable connected to the winding and sending-out means of the operating means, the tension of the cable due to the transport means's own weight acts as a restraining force against the rotation direction of the axle of the transport means. In this state, thrust from the rotation of the propellers can be obtained in a direction approximately perpendicular to the slope, allowing it to levitate stably to a predetermined height above the slope.

In addition, by allowing an operator to use the operating means to control the rotation speed of the pair of left and right propellers using the rotation speed control means and the winding or letting out of the cable using the winding and letting out means, the conveying means can be lifted up and down and left and right on the slope to avoid steps and obstacles on the slope that cannot be overcome by both the left and right wheels of the conveying means. Specifically, when an operator uses the operating means to rotate two motors attached to the axles and lift the conveying means to a specified height, and then operates the winding of the cable using the winding and letting out means, the conveying means moves stably in the upward and downward direction, and can move upward while avoiding steps and obstacles on the slope that cannot be overcome by both the left and right wheels of the conveying means.

In addition, an operator uses the operating means to rotate the two motors attached to the axles, lifting the transport means to a specified height, and then operates the two left and right motors to have different rotation speeds, creating a difference in thrust between the pair of left and right propellers; for example, by increasing the rotation speed of the left motor and decreasing the rotation speed of the right motor, the thrust of the right propeller will be less than that of the left propeller, causing the transport means to slide to the right while remaining suspended. At the same time, the operator can move to the right while holding the operating means, allowing the transport means to move to the right, avoiding steps and obstacles on the slope.

According to the slope inspection device of the present invention, the inspection (i.e., imaging) of the slope surface using the transport means can be applied only to the inspection limited to the range from the bottom end of the slope to the shoulder at the top end. In addition, since the transport means is suspended from the operating means, there is no risk of it falling downward. Even if the floating state becomes unstable and the device runs out of control, it can be recovered by winding up the cable using the winding and sending out means of the operating means.

In addition, the conventional method of having a worker suspend himself from a slope on a rope and visually inspect the slope while descending requires the worker's effort and safety assurance, but with the slope inspection device of the present invention, the worker can inspect any part of the slope safely and at low cost on the flat surface of the slope's shoulder.

In addition, the transport means of the present invention only has thrust from two propellers fixed to the rotating shafts of two motors, and does not have a tilt mechanism to control the thrust of the two motors and propellers, as in a bicopter that can fly independently with two motors and propellers. Therefore, since it cannot fly stably on its own, it does not fall under the category of a small unmanned aerial vehicle and is not subject to the restrictions of the Aviation Act.

In addition, a gimbaled camera (video camera) is preferably used as the imaging means for the transport means of the present invention. This allows the camera to be kept in a constant orientation and reduces shaking and tilting even when both wheels of the transport means are in contact with the slope and moving up and down, making it possible to capture smooth images (video and still images) for inspecting the slope.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the slope inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a transport means of the slope inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of an operating means of the slope inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a usage state of the slope inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a floating state of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a floating state of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating a modified example of the motor/propeller of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to the present embodiment. 4 is a side view illustrating the relationship between thrust, tension, and gravity applied to the axle of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG.

The slope inspection device according to this embodiment has a transport means for moving up and down on an inclined slope, and an operating means for operating the up and down movement of the transport means. The transport means includes an axle that supports a pair of left and right wheels at both ends so that they can rotate freely, two motors that are fixed vertically at the same distance from the center of the axle and have propellers at the top, a pair of left and right arms that are fixed at the same distance from the center of the axle and have base ends that are perpendicular to the axial direction, a controller installed in the center of the axle, an imaging means for capturing an image of the slope, and a power supply means for supplying electricity to the controller and the motors. The operation means includes a display means for displaying an image of the slope captured by the imaging means, a rotation speed operation means for operating the rotation speed of the motor, and a winding and sending out means for winding and sending out a cable at a constant speed. The transport means is suspended from the slope below the operation means by the cable, one end of which is connected to the arm of the transport means and the other end of which is connected to the winding and sending out means of the operation means. The transport means moves up and down the slope by winding or sending out the cable using the winding and sending out means, while capturing an image of the slope for inspection using the imaging means.

Below, an example of an embodiment of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the operation means of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the usage status of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a side view illustrating the floating state of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment. Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating the floating state of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment. Figure 7 is a front view illustrating a modified example of the motor propeller of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment. Figure 8 is a side view illustrating the relationship between thrust, tension, and gravity applied to the axle of the transport means of the slope inspection device according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the slope inspection device 1 of this embodiment is composed of a conveying device 10 as a conveying means and an operating device 20 as an operating means. The conveying device 10 moves up and down by abutting a pair of left and right wheels 12L, 12R, which are rotatably connected to both ends of the axle 11 via a connecting part 12B, against the slope N, which is an inclined surface. Two left and right motors 17L, 17R are fixed to the axle 11 vertically at an equal distance from the center of the axial direction of the axle 11, and propellers 18L, 18R are respectively connected to the upper rotating shafts of the motors 17L, 17R. The base ends of two left and right arms 11L, 11R are fixed horizontally at an equal distance from the center of the axial direction of the axle 11. A camera 16 is provided at the upper center of the axial direction of the axle 11 as an imaging means for capturing an image of the surface of the slope N.

The operating device 20 as an operating means is configured so that an operator can use it while holding it with both hands when standing on the flat surface H of the shoulder of the slope. Various operations performed by the operator using the operating device 20 are transmitted wirelessly to the transport device 10, and for example, the start, stop, and rotation speed of the two motors 17L, 17R on the left and right of the transport device 10 are controlled. In addition, a small electric winch 30 (see Figure 3) is provided on the back of the operating device 20 as a winding and sending out means for winding and sending out the cable C at a constant speed.

The transport device 10 and the operation device 20 are connected by a cable C. One end of the cable C is connected to the tip of each of the arms 11L and 11R of the transport device 10, and is bundled together into a single cable C along the way. The other end of the cable C is connected to an electric winch 30 attached to the operation device 20, and the transport device 10 is suspended by this cable C from the slope below the operation device 20 held by the worker. In this state, the electric winch 30 winds or sends out the cable C at a constant speed, so that the transport device 10 moves up and down the slope, and the camera 16 captures an image of the slope for inspection. The image of the slope for inspection captured by the camera 16 is displayed on a display device 22 as a display means attached to the operation device 20.

According to the slope inspection device 1 of this embodiment, an operator can safely inspect a slope from a safe location on the flat surface H of the shoulder of the slope N by visually checking an image of the surface of any part of the slope displayed on the display device 22 of the operating device 20.

The transport device 10 as the transport means in this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport device 10 is composed of an axle 11 that supports a pair of left and right wheels 12L, 12R at both ends so that they can rotate freely, two left and right motors 17L, 17R that are fixed vertically to the axle 11 and have two left and right propellers 18L, 18R connected to the upper part at the same distance from the center of the axle 11, a pair of left and right arms 11L, 11R whose base ends are fixed perpendicular to the axial direction at the same distance from the center of the axle 11, a controller 13 installed in the center of the axle 11, a camera 16 as an imaging means for capturing an image for inspection of the slope, and a battery 15 as a power supply means for supplying electricity to the controller 13 and the two left and right motors 17L, 17R, etc.

The wheels 12L, 12R are rotatably connected to both ends of the axle 11 via the connecting portion 12B. The wheels 12L, 12R are configured by extending six spokes 12C radially from the connecting portion 12B and connecting (e.g., welding) to the outer ring 12A. The diameter of the outer ring 12A is assumed to be a predetermined diameter (e.g., approximately 1 m). This is because the height of the slope step or obstacle that the wheels 12L, 12R can overcome is assumed to be approximately 30 cm, since the slope step or obstacle is 1/3 the diameter of the outer ring 12A.

Therefore, depending on the step of the slope or the height of the obstacle, it is expected that the outer wheel 12A may not be able to overcome it with a specified diameter (approximately 1 m). For this reason, multiple types of wheels 12L, 12R with different diameters of the outer wheel 12A (approximately 1 m, approximately 1.2 m, approximately 1.5 m, etc.) may be prepared, and the wheels 12L, 12R may be detachably attached to both ends of the axle 11, so that the wheels 12L, 12R may be selectively used on site according to the step of the slope or the height of the obstacle. Also, the number of spokes 12C may be increased or branched to strengthen the wheels 12L, 12R according to their size.

Two left and right motors 17L, 17R, each with two left and right propellers 18L, 18R rotatably connected to the upper rotating shaft, are fixed vertically at an equal distance from the center in the axial direction of the axle 11. The two left and right motors 17L, 17R and the two left and right propellers 18L, 18R connected to the upper rotating shafts of the two left and right motors 17L, 17R, respectively, rotate in opposite directions so as to cancel out the counter torques of the motors 17L, 17R. This is to prevent the transport device 10 from rotating to the right when it floats up in synchronization with the counter torque of the motors 17L, 17R due to the action of the counter torque of the motors 17L, 17R.

The pair of left and right arms 11L, 11R are fixed horizontally at the same distance from the center in the axial direction of the axle 11, closer to the wheels 12L, 12R than the two left and right motors 17L, 17R. The base ends of the arms 11L, 11R are fixed horizontally at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to the two left and right motors 17L, 17R fixed vertically to the axle 11, and the tips extend upward to the slope. In addition, it is desirable that the length of the arms 11L, 11R is longer than the radius of the wheels 12L, 12R. This makes it possible to prevent the cables C connected to the tips of the arms 11L, 11R from getting tangled in the wheels 12L, 12R. In addition, the cables C are not captured by the camera 16 that captures the slope.

A controller 13 is installed approximately in the center of the axle 11. A camera 16 serving as an imaging means is installed at the top end of a vertically erected connecting rod 16a above the controller 13. A battery 15 serving as a power supply means is installed at the bottom end of the connecting rod 14a below the controller 13. The battery 15 functions as a power source that supplies electricity to various devices mounted on the transport device 10, such as the two left and right motors 17L, 17R and the controller 13. It is preferable that the battery 15 is replaceable, and that multiple spare batteries 15 are prepared at the work site in advance. This makes it possible to replace the battery 15 even if the slope inspection work is prolonged and the battery 15 runs out of power.

The controller 13 has a function of receiving various operation signals from the operator via the operation device 20 (described below), and a function of transmitting signals detected by various devices mounted on the transport device 10 to the operation device 20. In addition, the controller 13 controls the rotation speed of various devices mounted on the transport device, such as the two motors 17L and 17R on the left and right, in response to various operation signals from the operation device 20 by the operator.

The camera 16 is mounted on the upper part of the axle 11 of the transport device 10 to capture images (video and still images) for inspection of the slope. The camera 16 has a lens for imaging in the center, and lighting devices are installed on the left and right of this lens. This lighting device has, for example, two white lights on the left and right that illuminate the slope, and compensates for the lack of brightness of the image for inspection of the slope captured by the camera 16. This allows images with stable brightness to be captured even in cloudy weather, early morning, or evening. The camera 16 mounted on the transport device 10 as an imaging means has an angle adjustment function with respect to the surface of the slope to be imaged, and a gimbal-equipped camera (video camera) is preferably used. This allows the camera 16 to be kept in a constant direction and reduce shaking and tilting even when the left and right wheels (wheels 12L and 12R) of the transport device 10 abut against the slope and move up and down, so that smooth images (video and still images) for inspection of the slope can be captured. The image of the slope captured by this camera 16 is transmitted in real time to the display device 22 of the operation device 20, which will be described later, and displayed.

Various materials, shapes, and structures can be used for the wheels 12L, 12R, axle 11, arms 11L, 11R, etc., but it is preferable that they are lightweight and have the rigidity to be unaffected by the vibrations of the motor or propeller. For example, a glass fiber rod or carbon rod with a diameter of 3 to 4 mm is preferably used. In addition, it is preferable that the wheels 12L, 12R are smoothly rotatable at both ends of the axle 11, are large enough to withstand the unevenness of the slope to be used, and are supported by spokes 12C, for example, so as not to be affected by the wind. The number and shape of the spokes 12C may be any structure, such as increasing the number of spokes 12C or branching them, as described above, in order to obtain sufficient strength to support the weight of the axle 11 and various devices mounted on the axle 11 (battery 15, camera 16, etc.).

Here, the number of motors 17L, 17R with two left and right propellers 18L, 18R connected to the axle 11 is not necessarily limited to two. For example, it is possible that the weight of the transport device 10 and the various devices mounted on the transport device 10 (battery 15, camera 16, etc.) is so high that the thrust of the two left and right propellers 18L, 18R is not enough to float the transport device 10 upward. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the two left and right motors 17L, 17R with the two left and right propellers 18L, 18R each rotatably connected to the lower rotating shaft are fixed to the lower part of the axle 11 of the two left and right motors 17L, 17R so that the two left and right propellers 18L, 18R are positioned vertically downward.

With the above configuration, the transport device 10 can be levitated upwards by the thrust generated by the rotation of the four left and right propellers 18L, 18R on the left, right, top and bottom of the axle 11. The rotation direction of the two left and right propellers 18L, 18R fixedly attached to the bottom of the two left and right motors 17L, 17R is also opposite to that of the two left and right propellers 18L, 18R fixed to the top so that the counter torques of the two left and right motors 17L, 17R cancel each other out.

A measuring unit 14 equipped with various measuring devices is installed at the upper end of the connecting rod 14a in front of the camera 16 on the upper part of the controller 13, at a position one step lower than the camera 16. The various measuring devices of the measuring unit 14 include ultrasonic sensors and laser measuring devices for measuring the distance between the camera 16 and the slope. In addition to a visible light camera such as the camera 16, for example, an infrared camera can also be installed. The operation of the various measuring devices installed in the measuring unit 14 can be arbitrarily operated by an operator using operation switches and the like installed in an operating device 20 described below.

The operation device 20 as the operation means in this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation device 20 is composed of a housing 21 provided with various operation switches 25, a display device 22 as a display means for displaying an image of the slope captured by a camera 16 (imaging means) mounted on the transport device 10, a holder 22A for holding the display device 22 on the upper part of the housing 21, joysticks 23L and 23R as rotation speed control means for controlling the rotation speeds of the two left and right motors 17L and 17R (i.e., the thrust of the two left and right propellers 18L and 18R), an antenna 26 for transmitting and receiving various signals to and from the controller 13 mounted on the transport device 10, an electric winch 30 on the back of the housing 21 as a winding and sending means for winding and sending out the cable C at a constant speed, and a winding switch 30A and a sending switch 30B for operating the winding and sending out of the cable C by the electric winch 30 installed at the left side corner of the housing 21.

The various operation switches 25 provided on the top surface of the housing 21 are used to operate and stop the various devices mounted on the transport device 10, such as switches for operating and stopping the measuring unit 14 described above and the two left and right motors 17L and 17R.

The display device 22 is for displaying images (video or still images) of the slope captured by the camera 16 (imaging means) mounted on the transport device 10. A well-known liquid crystal display device of a smartphone is preferably used as the display device 22. In addition, an app (application program) capable of receiving images transmitted in real time from the camera 16 of the transport device 10 is downloaded to the smartphone used. Then, by starting this app, the image (video or still image) of the slope captured by the camera 16 is displayed on the smartphone's liquid crystal display device.

The holder 22A is configured to be able to detachably hold the display device 22 so that the worker can easily view it at a specified angle, and is configured to clamp the short side of the display device 22 with the lower end of the long side of the display device 22 placed on it.

The joysticks 23L and 23R, which serve as rotation speed control means, are used to control the rotation speed of the two motors 17L and 17R (i.e., the thrust of the two propellers 18L and 18R) that are fixed to the axle 11 of the transport device 10. The joystick 23L can control the rotation speed of the motor 17L, and the joystick 23R can control the rotation speed of the motor 17R.

Specifically, when an operator holds both sides of the housing 21 with both hands and tilts the joystick 23L upward with the thumb of the left hand, the rotation speed of the motor 17L increases, and when the operator tilts the joystick 23L downward with the thumb of the left hand, the rotation speed of the motor 17L decreases. Similarly, when the operator tilts the joystick 23R upward with the thumb of the right hand, the rotation speed of the motor 17R increases, and when the operator tilts the joystick 23R downward with the thumb of the right hand, the rotation speed of the motor 17R decreases.

In this way, by making the rotation speeds of the two motors 17L, 17R on the left and right of the transport device 10 different, a difference is created in the thrust of the two propellers 18L, 18R connected to the two motors 17L, 17R, and the transport device 10 can be moved by sliding left and right while floating.

The antenna 26 is provided on the rear side (the side facing the transport device 10) of the housing 21, and transmits operation signals from the various operation switches 25 and joysticks 23L and 23R provided on the operation device 20 to the controller 13 mounted on the transport device 10.

The electric winch 30 is provided in the approximate center of the rear surface of the housing 21, and functions as a winding and sending out means for winding and sending out the connected cable C at a constant speed. A well-known small winch is preferably used as the electric winch 30, and it is composed of a reel for winding and sending out the cable C, and an electric motor for rotating the reel at a constant speed in the winding or sending out direction.

At the left corner of the housing 21, a winding switch 30A and a sending switch 30B are provided to operate the winding and sending out of the cable C by the electric winch 30. For example, when a worker holds both sides of the housing 21 with both hands and presses the winding switch 30A with the index finger of the left hand, the cable C is wound up by the electric winch 30, and the transport device 10 suspended by the cable C from the slope below the operation device 20 moves upward on the slope. In addition, when a worker holds both sides of the housing 21 with both hands and presses the sending switch 30B with the index finger of the left hand, the cable C is sent out from the electric winch 30, and the transport device 10 suspended by the cable C from the slope below the operation device 20 moves downward on the slope.

According to the slope inspection device 1 configured as described above, when inspecting the slope N formed on the right side of the roadway R, as shown in FIG. 4, the worker S operates the operation device 20 on the flat surface H of the shoulder of the slope to move the conveying device 10 suspended on the slope by the cable C up and down, while visually inspecting the image of any part of the slope captured by the camera 16 mounted on the conveying device 10 through the image displayed on the display device 22 of the operation device 20. This allows the worker S to easily inspect the slope in a safe place. In other words, the worker S can observe and inspect the image (video or still image) of the slope captured at a position (height) similar to the conventional method of visually inspecting the surface of the slope N while descending along the slope N with a rope, from the safe flat surface H at the top of the slope, by using the image displayed on the display device 22.

In addition, since the transport device 10 is always connected to the operating device 20 by a cable C and suspended, the length of the cable C can be limited to a length that is, for example, equal to or less than the length at which the transport device 10 protrudes onto the roadway R, so that the transport device 10 will not protrude onto the roadway R, and there is no need to regulate traffic on the roadway R while the worker S is inspecting the slope.

Even if the worker S does not have the skills to observe the surface of the slope and identify damaged areas, if the image is stored on the display device 22 (e.g., a liquid crystal display device of a smartphone) and the display device 22 has a function to play back the image, the worker S who has the skills to observe the surface of the slope N and identify damaged areas can observe and inspect the image played back on the display device 22 at a later date to perform the observation and inspection work of the slope. In other words, the worker S who takes the image of the surface of the slope N and the worker S who can observe the surface of the slope N and identify damaged areas can be separated, and the on-site work load of the worker S who has high skills to observe the surface of the slope N and identify damaged areas can be reduced, improving workability.

Below, with reference to Figures 5 and 6, the movement of the conveying device 10 in the up, down, left and right directions in the levitated state in this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 5, when the worker operates the operation device 20 to rotate the two motors 17L and 17R on the left and right of the conveying device 10, thrust is generated by the rotation of the propellers 18L and 18R provided on each of the motors 17L and 17R, and the conveying device 10 levitates upward. At this time, when the worker operates the winding switch 30A that operates the winding and letting out of the cable C of the electric winch 30 of the operation device 20, the conveying device 10 can move upward in the levitated state while avoiding the obstacle O on the slope N. Similarly, when the worker operates the letting out switch 30B of the electric winch 30 of the operation device 20, the conveying device 10 can move downward in the levitated state while avoiding the obstacle O on the slope N.

As shown in FIG. 6, similar to FIG. 5, when the operator operates the operating device 20 to lift the transport device 10 upward, and operates the joysticks 23L and 23R as the rotation speed control means of the operating device 20 to make the rotation speed of the two left and right motors 17L and 17R mounted on the axle 11 different, a difference occurs in the thrust of the propellers 18L and 18R mounted on the motors 17L and 17R, respectively. Then, by increasing the rotation speed of the left motor 17L and decreasing the rotation speed of the right motor 17R, the thrust of the right propeller 18R is lower than that of the left propeller 18L, so that the transport device 10 can slide to the right while floating and avoiding the obstacle O. At the same time, the operator can move to the right while holding the operating device 20, and the transport device 10 can move to the right while hanging.

Similarly, when the rotation speed of the left motor 17L is reduced and the rotation speed of the right motor 17R is increased, the thrust of the left propeller 18L becomes less than that of the right propeller 18R, and the transport device 10 can move in a floating state by sliding leftward to avoid the obstacle O. At the same time, the operator can move leftward while holding the operation device 20, allowing the transport device 10 to move leftward while still suspended. Note that this left-right movement of the transport device 10 is also performed when, for example, if the vertical direction of the slope N is regarded as rows and the horizontal direction as steps, the transport device 10 is moved up and down along the vertical rows of the slope N for inspection, and then the row of the slope N to be inspected is changed.

The stability of the conveying device 10 according to this embodiment during levitation will be described below with reference to Figure 8. As shown in Figure 8, the conveying device 10 maintains stability in relation to the thrust F of the left and right propellers 18L and 18R, the tension T of the cable C, and the gravity W acting on the conveying device 10.

When the transport device is floating up along a slope with a sufficient inclination, the resultant force of thrust F and gravity W is balanced with the tension T of the cable C , as shown in Fig. 8, so that the transport device can maintain stability. In other words, when the transport device 10 is positioned sufficiently below the operating device 20 held by the worker so as not to be positioned on the same horizontal plane, the tension T is sufficiently large, and the transport device can float stably, being fixed at a distance determined by the length of the cable C unwound from the operating device 20 held by the worker.

However, when the transport device 10 moves away from the slope N and rises in altitude, approaching the height at which it is on the same horizontal plane as the operation device 20 held by the worker, the tension T of the cable C decreases, and the distance between the transport device 10 and the worker cannot be kept constant due to disturbances such as wind, the elasticity of the cable C, and changes in the thrust F of the left and right propellers 18L and 18R, making it difficult to float stably. If the transport device 10 floats above the same horizontal plane as the operation device 20, it will lose the restraint of the transport device 10 provided by the tension T of the cable C, and the floating of the transport device 10 will become extremely unstable. In other words, the transport device 10 of this embodiment can only be operated well below the same horizontal plane as the operation device 20.

For this reason, it is desirable to attach a level (also called a level or water level) to the two left and right arms 11L and 11R whose base ends are connected to the axle 11 of the transport device 10, and to use this level to detect when the two left and right arms 11L and 11R of the transport device 10 are close to the same horizontal plane as the operation device 20, and to automatically control the left and right propellers 18L and 18R to lower their rotation speeds. This can improve the stability when the transport device 10 is lifted. Note that the method of detecting when the transport device 10 and the operation device 20 are close to the same horizontal plane is not limited to the installation of the level. For example, a method of detecting when the transport device 10 and the operation device 20 are close to the same horizontal plane by installing an acceleration sensor in the operation device 20 to measure the gravitational acceleration may be used. In other words, any method may be used as long as it can detect when the transport device 10 and the operation device 20 are close to the same horizontal plane.

As described above, according to the slope inspection device 1 of this embodiment, the transport device 10 cannot levitate stably by itself because it only has the thrust from the propellers 18L, 18R installed on the upper part of the two left and right motors 17L, 17R fixed to the axle 11. However, when the transport device 10 is suspended from the slope N below the operation device 20 via a pair of left and right arms 11L, 11R by a cable C connected to the electric winch 30 of the operation device 20, the weight of the transport device 10 or the tension of the cable C due to the winding of the electric winch 30 has a restraining force against the rotation direction of the axle 11 of the transport device 10. Therefore, the thrust from the rotation of the left and right propellers 18L, 18R in a direction approximately perpendicular to the slope N allows the transport device 10 to levitate stably to a predetermined height above the slope N.

In addition, the inspection (i.e., imaging) of the surface of the slope N by the transport device 10 can only be applied to an inspection limited to the range from the bottom end of the slope N to the shoulder at the top end. In addition, since the transport device 10 is always suspended by the cable C below the operation device 20, there is no risk of it falling downward. Even if the floating state becomes unstable and the device goes out of control, it can be retrieved by winding up the cable C with the electric winch 30 of the operation device 20.

In addition, in the conventional method where the worker is suspended from the slope N by a rope and visually inspects the slope, the worker's efforts and safety measures are required, but with the slope inspection device 1 of the present invention, the worker can safely inspect any part of the slope N on the flat surface H of the slope shoulder.

In addition, the transport device 10 of the present invention only has thrust from the propellers 18L and 18R mounted on the top of the two left and right motors 17L and 17R, respectively, and does not have a tilt mechanism to control the thrust of the two motors/propellers, as in a bicopter that can fly independently with two motors/propellers. Therefore, it cannot fly stably on its own, does not qualify as a small unmanned aerial vehicle, and is not subject to the restrictions of the Aviation Act.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Slope inspection device 10 Transport device 11 Axle 11L, 11R Arm 12A Outer wheel 12B Connection part 12C Spoke 12L, 12R Wheel 13 Controller 14 Measurement part 15 Battery 16 Camera 17L, 17R Motor 18L, 18R Propeller 20 Operation device 21 Housing 22 Display device 22A Holder 23L, 23R Joystick 23
26 Antenna 30 Electric winch 30A Winding switch 30B Sending switch

Claims (2)

A conveying means for moving along a slope that is an inclined surface;
An operating means for operating the movement of the conveying means;
In a slope inspection device having
The conveying means is
An axle that rotatably supports a pair of left and right wheels at both ends;
Two motors each having a propeller, the motors being provided on both the left and right sides of the center of the axle;
A pair of left and right arms are provided on both left and right sides of the center of the axle, and have base ends fixed perpendicular to the axial direction of the propeller when viewed in the axial direction of the axle ;
A controller mounted on the axle ;
An imaging means for capturing an image of a slope;
a power supply means for supplying electricity to the controller and the motor;
Equipped with
The operation means includes:
A display means for displaying an image of the slope captured by the imaging means;
A rotation speed control means for controlling the rotation speed of the motor;
a winding/delivering means for winding or delivering a cable having one end connected to the arm at a constant speed;
Equipped with
A slope inspection device characterized in that, with the transporting means suspended from the slope below the operating means by the cable, and floating due to the balance between the thrust due to the rotation of the propeller and the gravity acting on the transporting means and the tension of the cable, or with the wheels abutting the slope, the cable is wound up or let out by the winding and letting out means to move up and down the slope while images for inspection of the slope are taken by the imaging means. A slope inspection device as described in claim 1, characterized in that an operator can operate the propeller rotation speed using the rotation speed operating means of the operating means, and the winding or winding of the cable using the winding/winding means of the operating means.

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