JP6710114B2 - Pipeline inspection vehicle and pipeline inspection system using it - Google Patents

Description

The present invention, for example, a pipeline facility inspection flying body that flies in a pipeline facility such as a sewer pipeline to acquire an image and grasps the state of the inner surface of the pipeline facility, and a pipeline facility inspection system using the same. Regarding

At present, as a typical pipeline facility, there is a problem of aging sewer pipelines. As aging progresses, abnormalities such as cracking, damage, and corrosion will occur. As a result, the function of separating the liquid inside the pipe from the outside of the pipe and flowing down decreases, and the sand and sand enter the pipe from outside the pipe to create a void in the ground, which may cause a road collapse accident. is there.

Therefore, it is necessary to have a technology to understand the abnormality of the sewerage pipe due to aging. In order to meet such needs, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique of running a small self-propelled vehicle equipped with a television camera in a sewer pipe to monitor the state inside the pipe.

JP, 9-226570, A

In Patent Document 1, an image is acquired by a TV camera of a self-propelled vehicle placed in the sewer pipe, but a person enters the sewer pipe in advance and receives the self-propelled vehicle from the ground to enter the sewer pipe. Installation work is required. Sewage normally flows through the sewer line, but there are some places where people cannot enter because the sewage water level is high and the flow velocity is high. Even at such a place, if there is a space above, there is a method of acquiring an image of the upper part of the inner surface of the pipeline using a flying object. When the abnormality is grasped based on the image obtained by the air vehicle, information on the diameter of the pipe and the water depth is necessary when planning the countermeasure. However, such information may not be sufficiently obtained in places where people cannot enter.

The present invention has been made in view of this problem, an object of the present invention, when inspecting a pipeline facility, a pipeline facility inspection aircraft capable of acquiring information on the diameter and water depth of the pipe, It is to provide a pipeline facility inspection system using it.

A pipeline facility inspection air vehicle of the present invention is provided with an imaging unit for capturing an image of the inside of a pipeline, an irradiation unit for irradiating light into the pipeline, the imaging unit and the irradiation unit, and flying inside the pipeline. An aircraft body, an upper distance sensor arranged on an upper surface of the aircraft body, for measuring a vertically upward distance between a conduit and an aircraft in the conduit, and arranged on at least two side surfaces of the aircraft body. And a lateral distance sensor for measuring a distance between the pipeline and the flying body in the pipeline in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the flying body, and a side distance sensor arranged on the flying body main body and the side distance sensor. Flight control means for controlling the flight direction of the flying body in the pipeline based on the measured value of the lateral distance sensor, and based on the measured values of the upper distance sensor and the lateral distance sensor, depending on the shape of the pipeline cross section. And a calculating means for calculating a pipe diameter or a pipe width.
Further, the pipeline facility inspection system of the present invention is arranged on the ground, the image taken by the pipeline facility inspection aircraft, a transceiver device for wirelessly receiving through an antenna hung from the ground into a manhole, and A display device which is connected to the transmission/reception device and displays at least one of the pipe diameter, the pipe width, and the water depth calculated by the calculation means.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when inspecting a pipeline facility, it is not necessary for a worker to be present in the pipeline, and information about the diameter and depth of the pipeline can be stably acquired.

1 is a side view and a top view of a pipeline facility inspection vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the pipeline facility inspection system which used the pipeline facility inspection flying body shown in FIG. It is a radial cross-sectional schematic diagram at the time of the pipeline facility inspection flying body which concerns on one Example of this invention flying in the sewer which has a circular cross section. FIG. 3 is an axial cross-sectional view of a case where the traveling direction of the pipeline facility inspection air vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention is not parallel to the axial direction of the pipeline facility as seen from vertically above. With respect to the angular deviation between the flight direction of the pipeline facility inspection air vehicle and the axial direction of the pipeline facility according to one embodiment of the present invention, the sum of the measured values of two distance sensors that measure the distances in mutually opposite directions and It is a schematic diagram which shows the relationship of. It is an example of a screen display when a circular tube according to an embodiment of the present invention is targeted. It is a radial cross-sectional schematic diagram at the time of the pipeline facility inspection flying body which concerns on one Example of this invention flying in the sewer which has a rectangular cross section. It is an example of a screen display when a rectangular tube according to an embodiment of the present invention is targeted. It is a side view and a top view in the case where a pipeline facility inspection flying object concerning one example of the present invention is provided with a front distance sensor and a rear distance sensor. It is an example of a screen display when the display which looked at the peripheral condition of the pipeline facility inspection air vehicle which concerns on one Example of this invention from the side was added.

The pipeline facility inspection vehicle of the present invention is an aircraft that flies in a pipeline facility and is used for inspection of cracks and cracks. Examples of pipeline facilities include sewer pipes, gas pipes, tunnels, collecting pipes, water pipes whose contents have been replaced with gas, steam pipes, oil pipes, siding pipes, discharge pipes, manholes, etc., with particular restrictions. It is not something that will be done.

Hereinafter, as a specific example, an embodiment in the case of targeting a sewer pipe will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view and a top view of a pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the duct facility inspection vehicle 10, the propeller 18, the imaging unit 20, the irradiation unit 22, the upper distance sensor 12, the lateral distance sensor 14, the lower distance sensor 15, and the flight control unit 24 are arranged in the aircraft body 30. There is. Although a motor, a battery, and the like are required for actual flight, it is assumed that both are provided in the flight body 30. Furthermore, the inspection of the sewer pipe requires a wireless transmission device 35 for wirelessly transmitting the image taken by the imaging means 20, a battery for driving them, and the like, which are also provided in the flying body 30. To do.

The pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 rotates the propeller 18 to fly inside the sewer pipe. The irradiation means 22 irradiates the inner surface of the sewer pipe with light, and the imaging means 20 images the inner surface of the sewer pipe. The pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 advances with the side provided with the imaging means 20 as the front. When the wall surface, the ceiling or the bottom of the sewer pipe is to be photographed in more detail, the image pickup means 20 may be installed so as to be able to take an image at a right angle to the traveling direction of the pipeline facility inspection air vehicle 10, or a plurality of image pickup means 20 may be provided. Is also good. In order to prevent the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 from colliding with the ceiling, wall surface, bottom surface and water surface of the sewer pipe when moving, the vertical movement of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the propeller 18. It moves back and forth, left and right, and rotates. Specifically, the measured values of the upward distance sensor 12 and the lateral distance sensor 14 are given to the flight control means 24 (for example, a microcomputer) in the flying body 30, and the output calculated by the flight control means 24 is supplied to each propeller 18. It controls the movement and rotation by giving it to the motor that is the power source of. In addition, the rotation referred to here means that only the direction of the flight vehicle 10 is changed without changing the position of the pipeline facility inspection flight vehicle 10.

The lateral distance sensor 14 is a sensor that measures the distance between the sewer pipe and the flying body 10 in the sewer pipe, and the flying body 30 can measure the distance in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the flying body 10. They are installed on both sides of each (see Fig. 1). Both of them are preferably installed in a direction in which a distance in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction is measured, but the direction in which they are measured need not be parallel to the traveling direction.

The upper distance sensor 12 is a sensor that measures the distance between the sewer pipe and the flying body 10 in the sewer pipe, and is installed on the upper surface of the flying body main body 30 so that the vertically upward distance can be measured. It should be noted that a plurality of different upper distance sensors 12 that measure the distance in an upward direction from the horizontal may be installed. An alternative is possible by incorporating in the flight control means 24 an algorithm for calculating the distance from the vertically upward direction based on the measured values of the plurality of upward distance sensors 12.

The downward distance sensor 15 is a sensor that measures the distance between the bottom or water surface of the sewer pipe and the aircraft 10 in the sewer pipe, and is installed on the lower surface of the aircraft body 30 so as to measure the vertically downward distance.

As the distance sensors 12, 14, 15 described above, it is desirable to use an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor that is inexpensive, lightweight, and low in power consumption, but other than these, it is possible to realize inexpensive, lightweight, and low power consumption, and Any sensor may be used as long as it can output the distance as a numerical value. It is desirable to be able to measure the distance to liquids in addition to the distance to solids such as ceilings and walls in sewer pipeline facilities.

Although the number of propellers 18 is four in FIG. 1, the number of propellers 18 is not limited to this, and may be six, eight, or two in the case of a contra-rotating propeller.

The pipeline facility inspection air vehicle 10 may be a device called a drone or UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), a small helicopter, an air vehicle such as a balloon or an airship that can float and move in the air.

The image capturing means 20 may be either a camera for capturing a still image or a video camera for capturing a moving image, but it is preferable that the image capturing unit 20 be configured with equipment capable of capturing a moving image.

As the irradiation means 22, it is desirable to reduce the weight of the battery to be loaded as much as possible, and therefore, an LED can be used, but it is not particularly limited. It is desirable to use a white light source because the operator may be required to visually check the image.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a pipeline facility inspection system using the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 shown in FIG. The pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 flies in the sewer pipe 16. A wireless transmission device 35 that wirelessly transmits the image captured by the image capturing unit 20 is arranged in the pipeline facility inspection air vehicle 10. The image captured by the flying body 10 is transmitted and received from the wireless transmission device to the antenna 32 hung from the ground on the manhole 31 and the transmission/reception device 33 connected thereto, and displayed on the display device 34 on the ground. On the display device 34, a worker on the ground can confirm the captured image at the same time as the capturing.

In general, the sewer pipe 16 is arranged substantially parallel to the ground shape and is connected to the manhole 31 at a right angle. Therefore, even if a high-frequency radio wave having a high straightness is sent to the sewer pipe 16 via the manhole 31, the radio wave may be attenuated greatly at the bent portion connected from the manhole 31 to the sewer pipe 16, and the radio wave may not reach easily. On the other hand, by arranging the antenna 32 in the manhole 31, it becomes easy for the radio wave to be transmitted through the sewer pipe 16 even if it is a high-frequency radio wave having a high straight traveling property, and it is possible to more stably communicate with the aircraft 10. You can

The antenna 32 is formed by coating a conductor with a resin, and has a property that it can be wound into a cable, which is preferable for working. In FIG. 2, the antenna 32 is arranged in each of the manhole 31 on the entrance side and the manhole 31 on the exit side, but it may be arranged only on the entrance side or only on the exit side.

Although the above description has described the case of transmitting an image captured by wireless, the present invention is not limited to being wireless, and an image may be transmitted by wire.

The display device 34 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a stationary PC monitor such as a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a cathode ray tube, a commercial monitor, or a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the radial direction when the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is flying inside the sewer pipe 16 installed in the horizontal direction. Sewage 26 flows through the sewer pipe 16. The upper distance sensor 12 measures the distance y ₁ from the ceiling of the sewer pipe 16, and the two lateral distance sensors 14 provided measure the distances x ₁ and x ₂ from the wall surface of the sewer pipe 16. It is shown that. The downward distance sensor 15 indicates that the distance y ₂ from the bottom surface of the sewer pipe 16 or the water surface is measured. In this figure, the traveling direction is the other side of the drawing, and the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is shown rearward. In the inspection work, the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 axially flies in the sewer pipe 16 while keeping the distance y ₁ , the distance x ₁ , and the distance x ₂ constant without colliding with the wall surface. It is desirable to be able to.

In this case, although the distance sensors in three different directions are combined in the upper and side directions, if the distance y _{1 to the} ceiling and the distances x ₁ and x ₂ to the wall surface can be calculated, As described above, a larger number of distance sensors may be provided. However, an increase in the number of distance sensors leads to an increase in cost, weight, and power consumption, so a distance sensor with at most 10 directions is sufficient.

FIG. 4 is an axial cross-sectional view of a state where the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is flying in a pipeline facility installed in a horizontal direction, as viewed from vertically above. Of these, (a) is a desirable state in which the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is flying in the axial direction. (b) is an undesired state in which the flight direction of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is tilted rightward with respect to the axial direction, and (c) is the reverse, the flight direction of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is relative to the axial direction. Shows an unfavorable state of being tilted to the left. If it can fly in the state of (a), the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 does not collide with the wall surface and can capture an image in a fixed direction that is easy to analyze. In the case of (b) and (c), the image is difficult to analyze and there is a risk that the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 collides with the wall surface. Therefore, in the cases of (b) and (c), it is necessary to rotate the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 to control it to the state of (a). In the cases (b) and (c), the sum of the distance x ₁ and the distance x ₂ is longer than that in the case (a). The difference between the traveling direction of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 and the axial direction of the sewer pipe 16 is defined as an angle deviation θ.

FIG. 5 is a graph schematically showing the relationship between the angle deviation θ and the values of x ₁ +x ₂ . The angular deviation θ becomes 0 when x ₁ + x ₂ has a minimum value. Utilizing this relationship, by controlling the rotation of the pipeline facility inspection air vehicle 10 so that the value of x ₁ + x ₂ becomes a minimum value, it is possible to fly while maintaining the flight direction of FIG. 4(a). It will be possible.

However, as shown in Fig. 3, when the sewer pipe 16 is a circular pipe, flight control is performed under the condition that x ₁ + x ₂ is made small, and when x ₁ + x ₂ approaches 0, it moves to the ceiling or the bottom. Then, there is a possibility of collision. That is, it is necessary to control the rotation of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 under the condition that the value of the distance y _{1 from} the ceiling of the sewer pipe 16 is constant. On the other hand, even if the sewer pipe is a rectangular pipe, it is desirable to control the rotation of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 under the condition that the value of the distance y ₁ is constant. The flight control means 24 is provided with an algorithm that rotates x ₁ +x ₂ to a minimum value under the condition that the value of the distance y ₁ is constant.

In the above, the example in which the value of x ₁ + x ₂ is the minimum is described, but the calculation formula is not limited to this, and the value of the index obtained by inputting x ₁ and x ₂ satisfies the target range. It may be. For example,
The condition may be such that the value of k ₁ ·x ₁ +k ₂ ·x ₂ multiplied by the coefficient is the minimum value, or the value of 1/(x ₁ +x ₂ ) is the maximum value. Alternatively, the condition may be such that x ₁ is maintained within the target range and x ₂ is maintained within the target range. In any case, the index value obtained by inputting x ₁ and x ₂ may be a minimum value, a maximum value, or a value within a predetermined target range.

As described above, when the values of x ₁ , x ₂ and the distance y ₁ are obtained after the rotation so that x ₁ + x ₂ has the minimum value, the sewer pipe in which the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is flying is obtained. When 16 is a circular pipe, the pipe diameter 2r can be uniquely obtained analytically by the following equation.
2r = (x ₁ ² +x ₂ ² +y ₁ ² +((x ₁ ² +x ₂ ² )/y ₁ ² ) ^0.5・・・(1)
Here, y ₁ ≠0. y ₁ =0 is a state in which the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is in contact with the ceiling of the sewer pipe 16. That is, if the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is not in contact with the ceiling of the sewer pipe 16, the pipe diameter 2r can be obtained by the equation (1).

If the horizontal flight position of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is controlled so that x ₁ =x ₂ , the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 will be located on the left and right bisectors of the cross section of the sewer pipe 16. Will be located. When there is no water surface below, the sum of the value of the distance y _{1 to} the ceiling and the value of the distance y ₂ to the bottom is equal to 2r. However, since the sewage normally flows to the bottom of the sewer pipe 16, the value of the distance y _{2 from} the bottom is small. The difference corresponds to the water depth d. That is,
d = 2r −y ₁ −y ₂・・・(2)
The depth of water can be obtained by.

On the other hand, if the horizontal flight position of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is x ₁ ≠ x ₂ , the distance from the ceiling to the pipe bottom may differ from 2r, and the value of the water depth d is obtained by the equation (2). It is not possible. In such a case, the water depth can be calculated as follows.
The relative position between the duct facility inspection vehicle 10 and the center of the circle of the cross section of the sewer pipe 16 can be analytically obtained by the following formula.
X = (x ₂ − x ₁ )/2 ・・・(3)
Y = (y ₁ ² − x ₁・x ₂ )/(2・y ₁ )・・・(4)
Here again, it is assumed that the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is not in contact with the ceiling of the sewer pipe 16 in the same manner as above. By using this Y, it is possible to obtain the distance y ₂ ′ to the pipe bottom on the assumption that the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 has horizontally moved to the position of x ₁ =x ₂ by the following formula.
y ₂ '= r − Y ・・・(5)
Here, the value obtained by the equation (2) is used as r. If there is a water surface below, the value of the distance y ₂ directly below becomes smaller accordingly, and the difference becomes the water depth value d of the sewer pipe 16. That is, the value of d can be obtained by the following equation.
_{d = y 2 '- y 2} ··· (6)

The values obtained as described above are preferably displayed as numerical values and figures on the display device 34 described above. In addition to the pipe diameter 2r and the water depth d, x ₁ , x ₂ , y ₁ , and y ₂ that are relative positions to the circle that is the cross section of the sewer pipe 16 of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 may be displayed.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the screen display. In this example, assuming that the two imaging means 20 are mounted on the pipeline facility inspection air vehicle 10, the images obtained by the respective imaging means 20 are displayed in the upper half of the screen. Although a small screen of the peripheral condition of the duct facility inspection vehicle 10 is displayed at the lower left, this may be another screen. This small screen is a view of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 as seen from the back, and the central sphere representing the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10, the upper distance sensor 12, the lower distance sensor 15, and the lateral distance sensor. The relative positional relationship with the solid/liquid surface at the distance measured at 14 is illustrated. The position of the water surface should also be shown. In addition, specific numerical values of the distance are preferably displayed on the left side and the lower side.

By taking such a screen configuration, the inspector looks at the image obtained by the imaging means 20 and at what point the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is currently flying with respect to the cross section of the sewer pipe 16. , Can be grasped sensuously and quantitatively. As a result, the flight position can be set more appropriately so that the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 does not collide with the wall surface or the water surface.

In addition, it is better to display the tube shape obtained as a result of the calculation as a numerical value. In FIG. 6, the pipe diameter and the water depth are displayed as numerical values on the right side of the small screen described above, but this may be displayed on another screen.

In the first embodiment, the case where the sewage pipe 16 is a circular pipe having a circular cross section is described. However, as the sewage pipe 16, a rectangular pipe having a quadrangular cross section may be actually used. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the radial direction when the above-described pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is flying in a rectangular tube.

As in the case of the circular pipe described above, when the values of x ₁ , x ₂ and the distance y ₁ after the rotation so that x ₁ + x ₂ have the minimum value are obtained, the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 You can see the specifications of the flying sewer pipe 16. The pipe width can be obtained from the value of the distance sensor in the duct facility inspection vehicle 10. If the tube width is w, this value can be calculated by the following formula.
w = x ₁ + x ₂ (7)
If it is known that the cross section of the rectangular pipe is square, the water depth d can be calculated by the following equation.
d = w − (y ₁ + y ₂ )・・・(8)

The values obtained as described above are preferably displayed as numerical values and figures on the display device 34 described above. In addition to the pipe width w and the water depth d, x ₁ , x ₂ , y ₁ , and y ₂ which are relative positions to the quadrangle that is the cross section of the sewer pipe 16 of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 may be displayed.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the lower half of the screen display. The images obtained by the respective image pickup means 20 are preferably displayed on the upper half of the screen as in FIG. 6. Although a small screen of the peripheral condition of the duct facility inspection vehicle 10 is displayed at the lower left, this may be another screen. This small screen is a view of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 as seen from the back, and the central sphere representing the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10, the upper distance sensor 12, the lower distance sensor 15, and the lateral distance sensor. The relative positional relationship with the solid/liquid surface at the distance measured at 14 is illustrated. Specific distance values should be displayed on the left and bottom.

By taking such a screen configuration, the inspector looks at the image obtained by the imaging means 20 and at what point the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is currently flying with respect to the cross section of the sewer pipe 16. , Can be grasped sensuously and quantitatively. As a result, the flight position can be set more appropriately so that the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 does not collide with the wall surface or the water surface.

In addition, it is better to display the tube shape obtained as a result of the calculation as a numerical value. In FIG. 8, the tube width of the rectangular tube and the distance from the water surface to the ceiling are displayed as numerical values on the right side of the small screen described above, but this may also be displayed on another screen.

If it is not known in advance whether the sewer pipe 16 to be inspected by the pipe facility inspection vehicle 10 is a circular pipe or a rectangular pipe, the shape is determined using the measurement values obtained by the upper distance sensor 12 and the lateral distance sensor 14. You may judge automatically. Therefore, the distance measurement values at two different points at least in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction are used. It is preferable to provide a calculation unit that determines that the measurement value of the upper distance sensor 12 is a rectangular tube when the measurement value of the upper distance sensor 12 is constant when the measurement value horizontally moves in a direction different from the axial direction of the tube, and that the measurement value is a circular tube when the measurement value changes. Alternatively, it is preferable to include a calculation unit that determines a rectangular tube if the measurement value obtained by the lateral distance sensor 14 is constant when moving in the vertical direction and a circular tube if the measurement value changes.

FIG. 9 is a pipeline facility provided with a forward distance sensor 37 for measuring a distance to an obstacle in front of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 and a rear distance sensor 39 for measuring a distance to an obstacle in the horizontal rear direction. 3 is a side view and a top view of the inspection vehicle 10. FIG.

By providing the front distance sensor 37 and the rear distance sensor 39, the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 can measure the distances to obstacles in six directions in all directions, front, rear, left and right. Therefore, if there is an obstacle in the traveling direction, it can be detected, and operation or control that prevents a collision between the obstacle and the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 becomes possible. Further, even when the pipe facility inspection vehicle 10 is moved in and out of the manhole, if the front, rear, left, and right distances can be measured, the operation or control for preventing the collision with the pipe or the handrail of the manhole becomes possible. The measured values obtained by the front distance sensor 37 and the rear distance sensor 39 are also preferably displayed as numerical values and figures on the display device 34.

An example of the lower half of the screen display is shown in FIG. The images obtained by the respective image pickup means 20 are preferably displayed on the upper half of the screen as in FIG. 6. Although a small screen of the peripheral condition of the duct facility inspection vehicle 10 is displayed at the lower left, this may be another screen. This small screen is a view of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 as seen from the back, and the central sphere representing the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10, the upper distance sensor 12, the lower distance sensor 15, and the lateral distance sensor. The relative positional relationship with the solid/liquid surface at the distance measured at 14 is illustrated. Specific distance values should be displayed on the left and bottom. In addition to this, a view of the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 viewed from the side is displayed on the right side thereof. In this figure, the central sphere representing the pipeline facility inspection air vehicle 10 and the solid/liquid surface at the distances obtained by the upper distance sensor 12, the lower distance sensor 15, the front distance sensor 27, and the rear distance sensor 39 are compared. The physical relationship is illustrated. Specific distance values should be displayed on the left and bottom.

By taking such a screen configuration, the inspector looks at the image obtained by the imaging means 20 and at what point the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 is currently flying with respect to the cross section of the sewer pipe 16. , Can be grasped sensuously and quantitatively. As a result, the flight position can be set more appropriately so that the pipeline facility inspection vehicle 10 does not collide with the wall surface or the water surface.

10... Pipe facility inspection air vehicle 12... Upper distance sensor 14... Side distance sensor 15... Lower distance sensor 16... Sewer pipe 18... Propeller 20... Imaging means 22... Irradiation means 24... Flight control means 26... Sewage 30... Flying Body 31... Manhole 32... Antenna 33... Transceiver 34... Display 35... Radio transmitter 37... Front distance sensor 39... Rear distance sensor

Claims (11)

Imaging means for imaging the inside of the pipeline,
Irradiation means for irradiating light into the pipe,
An aircraft body that arranges the image pickup unit and the irradiation unit and flies in a pipeline,
An upper distance sensor that is arranged on the upper surface of the flight body and that measures a vertically upward distance between the pipeline and the flight vehicle in the pipeline,
A lateral distance sensor which is disposed on at least two side surfaces of the aircraft body, and which measures a distance between a pipeline and a flight vehicle in the pipeline in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the flight vehicle;
Flight control means arranged on the aircraft body, for controlling the flight direction of the aircraft body in the pipeline based on the measurement values of the upper distance sensor and the lateral distance sensor,
Based on the measured values of the upper distance sensor and the lateral distance sensor, according to the shape of the cross section of the pipe, a calculating means for calculating the pipe diameter or pipe width,
An air vehicle for inspecting pipeline facilities, characterized by comprising: The pipe facility according to claim 1, wherein the calculating means calculates the pipe diameter when the pipe cross section has a circular shape, and calculates the pipe width when the pipe cross section has a rectangular shape. Inspection air vehicle. The measurement value of the lower distance sensor according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a lower distance sensor that is arranged on a lower surface of the flying body main body and measures a vertically downward distance between the water surface in the conduit and the flying body. And a calculating means for calculating the water depth based on the above. The front distance sensor, which is disposed on the front surface of the aircraft body and measures the distance to an obstacle in the horizontal front of the flight vehicle, and the obstacle in the horizontal rear direction of the flight vehicle, which is disposed on the back surface of the flight vehicle. A pipeline further comprising a rear distance sensor for measuring a distance to an object, and a calculating means for calculating a distance to an obstacle based on the measured values of the front distance sensor and the rear distance sensor. Facility inspection air vehicle. A pipeline facility inspection vehicle according to claim 4 ,
A transmitter/receiver that is placed on the ground and wirelessly receives an image taken by the duct facility inspection air vehicle through an antenna hung from the ground into a manhole,
A pipe facility inspection system, comprising: a display device connected to the transmission/reception device and displaying at least one of a pipe diameter, a pipe width, a water depth, and a distance to an obstacle calculated by the calculation means. .. 6. The relative display device according to claim 5, wherein the display device is based on the measured values of the lower distance sensor, the upper distance sensor, and the lateral distance sensor, and the solid portion or liquid portion in the upper, lower, left, and right directions in the pipe and the pipeline facility inspection vehicle. A system for inspecting pipeline facilities, which displays the physical relationship as a diagram. The display device according to claim 5, wherein the relative positional relationship between the front and rear solid parts and the pipeline facility inspection vehicle is displayed as a diagram based on the measured values of the front distance sensor and the rear distance sensor. A characteristic pipeline facility inspection system. The pipeline facility inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the distance sensor is an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor. 9. The pipeline facility inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the pipeline is a sewer pipeline. The front distance sensor, which is arranged on a front surface of the flying body and measures a distance to an obstacle in a horizontal front of the flying body, and a horizontal rear side of the flying body, which is arranged on a back side of the flying body. Further comprising a rear distance sensor for measuring the distance to the obstacle, and a calculating means for calculating the distance to the obstacle based on the measured values of the front distance sensor and the rear distance sensor. Pipe facility inspection vehicle. A pipeline facility inspection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A transmitter/receiver that is placed on the ground and wirelessly receives an image taken by the duct facility inspection air vehicle through an antenna hung from the ground into a manhole,
A pipe facility inspection system, comprising: a display device connected to the transmission/reception device and displaying at least one of a pipe diameter, a pipe width, a water depth, and a distance to an obstacle calculated by the calculation means. ..

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