JP6922657B2 - How to fly an unmanned aircraft and how to inspect power transmission equipment using an unmanned aircraft - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for flying an unmanned vehicle and a method for inspecting a power transmission facility using the unmanned vehicle.

Patent Document 1 describes a transmission line inspection system using an unmanned aircraft for performing inspections of trees approaching an overhead transmission line, inspections of sites, inspections of line foundation conditions, inspections of steel towers, etc. using unmanned aircrafts. Is described. The transmission line inspection system includes an unmanned helicopter equipped with a flight control system for autonomously flying to the inspection point of the transmission line and an information collection system for collecting various information including images of the inspection points and distance measurement data. A control center equipped with a flight control / information collection system that controls the flight of the unmanned helicopter and collects and processes various information from the unmanned helicopter, and images and distance measurement data of inspection points collected by the information collection system of the unmanned helicopter. Create a 3D image from, process the created 3D image, and check whether there is an abnormality in the transmission line at the inspection point based on the processed 3D image. It is provided with a storage device that stores various data used for inspection in the inspection means.

In Patent Document 2, it is measured whether or not the distance between the high-voltage power transmission line and a power transmission line proximity object such as a tree below the high-voltage power transmission line is sufficiently separated to an extent that is safe to allow. A distance measuring device for measuring the distance is described. The separation distance measuring device is a system that measures the separation distance from a group of trees (proximity to the transmission line) below the transmission line installed in the mountains and at other nearby positions, and is self-propelled on the transmission line. It is configured to include a measuring machine and a ground monitoring unit that receives data transmitted from the self-propelled measuring machine and controls the self-propelled direction of the self-propelled measuring machine.

Patent Document 3 describes a fall prevention device used by an operator to move up and down a ladder. The fall prevention device has a part of the main body that can be opened and closed so that the cross section of the fixed part can be attached to and detached from the T-shaped material. Braking is performed by rotating the eccentric cam lever with a certain amount of eccentricity, which is supported by rotating the part on the main body, and normally, the brake pad is pressed against the T-shaped material by a compression spring to prevent the device from dropping due to its own weight, and tension is applied. The eccentric cam lever is normally pulled upward by a pulling mechanism such as a spring, and when dropped, the eccentric cam lever is lowered and the mounting portion including the brake pad is strongly pressed to prevent the operator from falling.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-265699 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-178240 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-110867

Inspection work of power transmission equipment (transmission lines, steel towers, various ancillary equipment, etc.) in electric power infrastructure is carried out by workers climbing up the steel tower and visually observing from a helicopter. In addition, if trees approach or come into contact with the power transmission line, it may lead to an accident such as a power outage. Therefore, vegetation around the power transmission equipment is also inspected during such inspections.

Recently, attempts have begun to manage and monitor power transmission equipment using unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones for the purpose of reducing the load on workers, improving safety, and solving the shortage of human resources for aerial workers. However, safety assurance is an issue for unmanned aircraft, such as the risk of falling due to battery exhaustion, breakdown, strong wind, etc., and the possibility of becoming uncontrollable due to obstacles.

The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and is a method of flying an unmanned vehicle and a power transmission equipment using an unmanned vehicle, which can efficiently and safely perform operations such as inspection of power transmission equipment. The purpose is to provide an inspection method.

One of the present inventions for achieving the above object is a method of flying an unmanned flying object, which is a locking mechanism inserted into a main rope extending up and down to control a frictional force between the main rope and the main rope. When the main rope attachment portion has an upper lock position, the frictional force is reduced to bring the lock mechanism into the unlocked state, and when the lock mechanism is in the lower lock position, the frictional force is increased. A fall prevention device including a lock lever that locks the lock mechanism is attached to the main rope, an unmanned flying object is connected to the lock lever, and the lock lever is set upward by the thrust of the unmanned flying object. Then, while putting the lock mechanism in the unlocked state, the unmanned flying object is raised along the main rope together with the fall prevention device, and the lock lever is maintained in the unlocked state by the thrust of the unmanned flying object. The unmanned aircraft is lowered along with the main rope together with the fall prevention device, and when the unmanned aircraft loses the thrust required for flight, the lock lever is set downward by the weight of the unmanned aircraft. The lock mechanism is put into the locked state.

As described above, in the present invention, the unmanned flying object and the lock lever of the fall prevention device are connected, and the unmanned flying object is made to fly along the main rope while being connected to the fall prevention device. You can fly your body efficiently and safely. If the unmanned aircraft loses its buoyancy due to some kind of obstacle, the lock lever automatically operates due to the weight of the unmanned aircraft to lock the lock mechanism, and the fall prevention device is the main rope. Since it stays in a predetermined position, it is possible to prevent the unmanned aircraft from falling to the ground, and it is possible to safely recover the unmanned aircraft. As described above, according to the present invention, operations such as inspection of power transmission equipment can be performed efficiently and safely.

The other one of the present invention is a method of flying the unmanned vehicle, in which the unmanned vehicle is connected to the lock lever via a flexible rope.

By connecting the unmanned vehicle to the lock lever via a flexible rope in this way, the unmanned vehicle can be connected to the lock lever while ensuring the degree of freedom of the unmanned vehicle. In addition, since a distance (separation) can be provided between the unmanned air vehicle and the fall prevention device or the main rope, the unmanned air vehicle and the lock lever should be connected regardless of the form of the unmanned air vehicle or the fall prevention device. Can be done.

The other one of the present invention is a method of flying the unmanned air vehicle, wherein the unmanned air vehicle is a method.
It is provided with a thrust mechanism that generates buoyancy by the rotor blades and a guard that prevents other objects from coming into contact with the rotary blades.

By providing the unmanned vehicle with a guard that prevents other objects from coming into contact with the rotor blades in this way, the unmanned vehicle can be safely flown without damaging other objects such as power transmission equipment.

The other one of the present invention is a method of inspecting a power transmission facility using an unmanned vehicle, which is inserted into a safety wire extending up and down along a power transmission tower and has a frictional force with the safety wire. The friction force is reduced to bring the lock mechanism into the unlocked state when it is in the lock release position on the upper side, and the friction when it is in the lock position on the lower side. An unmanned vehicle equipped with a lock lever that increases the force to lock the lock mechanism and an information acquisition device that attaches a fall prevention device to the safety wire and acquires information used for inspection of power transmission equipment. The unmanned aviation body is raised along the safety wire together with the fall prevention device while being connected to the lock lever and the lock lever is set upward by the thrust of the unmanned aviation body to release the lock mechanism. The unmanned aviation body is lowered along the safety wire together with the fall prevention device while maintaining the lock lever in the unlocked state by the thrust of the unmanned aviation body, and the thrust required for the unmanned aviation body to fly. When is lost, the lock lever is set downward by the weight of the unmanned vehicle to lock the lock mechanism.

As described above, in the present invention, the unmanned vehicle and the lock lever of the fall prevention device are connected, and the unmanned vehicle is flown along the safety wire while being connected to the fall prevention device to be used for inspection of the power transmission equipment. Get information. Therefore, for example, when the unmanned aircraft loses its buoyancy due to some obstacle, the lock lever is automatically activated by the weight of the unmanned aircraft to lock the lock mechanism, and the unmanned aircraft is on the ground. It can be prevented from falling into the air, and the unmanned air vehicle can be safely recovered. Therefore, it is possible to safely obtain information used for inspection using an unmanned aircraft.

The other one of the present invention is a method for inspecting a power transmission facility using the unmanned vehicle, and the information acquisition device is a photographing device for photographing the surroundings of the power transmission tower.

The other one of the present invention is a method for inspecting a power transmission facility using the unmanned air vehicle, in which the unmanned air vehicle has a thrust mechanism that generates buoyancy by a rotor and other objects on the rotor. Equipped with a guard to prevent contact.

By providing the unmanned aircraft with a guard that prevents other objects from coming into contact with the rotor blades in this way, the unmanned aircraft can be safely flown without damaging other objects such as the power transmission equipment, and the power transmission equipment. Information used for inspection can be obtained safely.

In addition, the problems disclosed in the present application and the solutions thereof will be clarified by the column of the form for carrying out the invention and the drawings.

According to the present invention, operations such as inspection of power transmission equipment can be performed efficiently and safely.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the inspection system. It is a front view of an unmanned aircraft. It is a perspective view of an unmanned aircraft viewed from diagonally above the front. It is a figure which shows the hardware composition of an unmanned aircraft body 10. It is a figure explaining the function (software configuration) of a control circuit. This is an example of a fall prevention device. It is a flowchart explaining an inspection process. It is a figure which shows the state which the unmanned flying body and the fall prevention device are connected. It is a figure which shows the state which the unmanned flying body is raised together with the fall prevention device. It is a figure which shows the state which the unmanned flying body is lowered together with the fall prevention device. It is a figure which shows how the lock lever is set to the lower side by the weight of the unmanned aviation body which lost the thrust, the lock mechanism is locked, and the unmanned aviation body is suspended by the safety wire. It is a figure explaining the method of finding the separation distance between a transmission line and an approaching tree. It is a figure which shows the state which provided the guide (frame) in the unmanned flying body. It is a figure which shows the state in which an unmanned flying body is connected to the end of a lock lever through a joint made of a rigid body, and a guide (frame) is provided.

Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention will be described. In the following description, the same or similar configurations may be designated by a common reference numeral and the description thereof may be omitted.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an inspection system (hereinafter, referred to as inspection system 1) of a power transmission facility (transmission tower 2, transmission line 3, etc.) using an unmanned vehicle 10 described as an embodiment. The inspection system 1 includes a fall prevention device 5 attached to a safety wire 4 (master rope) provided along the upper and lower sides of the transmission tower 2, and an unmanned aircraft 10 connected to the fall prevention device 5.

The unmanned aircraft 10 is connected to the fall prevention device 5 and is ascending, descending, or stopped (hovering, etc.) along the safety wire 4 together with the fall prevention device 5, and information used for inspection of the power transmission equipment (hereinafter, inspection). Information) is acquired. The inspection information is information for confirming (judging), for example, the presence / absence of an approaching tree 6, the presence / absence of scars on the surface of the power transmission equipment, the presence / absence of arc marks, the presence / absence of bird damage, etc., but the type of inspection information is not necessarily the same. Not limited. In the present embodiment, the inspection information is information used for confirming the presence or absence of the approaching tree 6, and is assumed to be an image (video data) taken by the photographing device 282 (information acquisition device) described later.

The unmanned vehicle 10 is, for example, a multicopter (bicopter tricopter, quadcopter, hexacopter, octocopter, etc.), a helicopter, an airplane, a flying robot, or the like. The unmanned vehicle 10 may be remotely controlled or autonomously fly. In the present embodiment, the unmanned vehicle 10 is a quad copter capable of both remote-controlled flight and autonomous flight.

2A and 2B show the configuration of the unmanned air vehicle 10. FIG. 2A is a front view of the unmanned flying object 10, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the unmanned flying object 10 as viewed from diagonally above the front.

As its basic skeleton (frame), the unmanned vehicle 10 extends horizontally at angles of 45 °, 135 °, 225 °, and 315 °, respectively, with reference to the pedestal portion 31 and the + y direction from the pedestal portion 31. A leg portion 33 (including a leg strut 331 and a horizontal leg 332, which will be described later, also referred to as a skid) provided so as to extend downward (−z direction) of the pedestal portion 31. .. The arm 32 and the leg 33 are configured by using, for example, a tubular (cylindrical, square tubular, etc.) or truss-shaped member. These are composed of, for example, resin, metal, or the like.

The pedestal portion 31 has a structure (in this example, two upper and lower stages) having a plurality of stages of plate members in the vertical direction (z-axis direction). The legs 33 are horizontally (fixed to the lower ends of the two leg columns 331 and the leg columns 331, which extend downward with a predetermined length while opening the legs in the left-right direction (± x-axis direction) from the pedestal portion 31. It has a horizontal leg 332 that extends in a predetermined length (for example, the length in the front-rear direction (y-axis direction) of the unmanned vehicle 10) in the y-axis direction.

A flight control device 250 and a photographing device 282 are provided on the upper stage of the pedestal portion 31, and a battery 260 (power storage device) is provided on the lower stage of the pedestal portion 31. A plurality of photographing devices 282 may be mounted on the unmanned flying object 10.

A power motor 255 (thrust generator) is provided in the vicinity of each end of each of the four arms 32 with the direction of the rotation axis directed in the vertical direction (z-axis direction). Rotor blades 271 (propellers) are attached to the rotating shafts of each power motor 255. A motor control device 254 is connected to each power motor 255.

Below the pedestal portion 31, a space S surrounded by the lower stage of the pedestal portion 31 and the two leg columns 331 is formed. In this space S, a hook attachment / detachment device 42 having a ring body 411 whose opening / closing is controlled is provided.

FIG. 3 shows the hardware configuration (block diagram) of the unmanned aircraft 10. The unmanned vehicle 10 includes a flight control device 250, a thrust generator 270, a battery 260, a hook attachment / detachment device 42, and a photographing device 282.

The thrust generator 270 includes a motor control device 254 and a power motor 255. The motor control device 254 (also referred to as an ESC (Electronic Speed Controller), an amplifier, or the like) controls the rotation of the power motor 255 by, for example, controlling the magnitude of the electric resistance value or PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. The motor control device 254 generates thrust for flight. The control circuit 251 controls the rotation speeds of each of the plurality of power motors 255 based on the information input from the various sensors 253, thereby operating (posture (pitch, roll, yaw), movement (posture (pitch, roll, yaw)) of the unmanned flying object 10. Control forward, backward, left / right movement, ascending, descending), etc.). The power motor 255 is an electric motor, for example, a brushless motor. The thrust generator 270 may be an engine (internal combustion engine).

The flight control device 250 includes a control circuit 251, a wireless communication device 252, various sensors 253, various interfaces (hereinafter, referred to as various I / F 258), and a communication circuit 259.

The control circuit 251 includes a processor (CPU, MPU, etc.) and a storage device (RAM, ROM, NVRAM, external storage device, etc.) and functions as an information processing device. The control circuit 251 may be realized as, for example, a microcomputer in which a processor and a storage element are integrally packaged.

The various sensors 253 include, for example, a gyro sensor (angle velocity sensor), a 3-axis acceleration sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor (distance measuring sensor), and a GPS signal (GPS: Grobal Positioning System) receiving device (hereinafter, GPS). Also referred to as), pressure-sensitive sensor, infrared sensor, etc. The various sensors 253 can be used not only for attitude control and flight control of the unmanned flying object 10, but also for acquiring inspection information.

The gyro sensor outputs, for example, a signal indicating the tilt of the unmanned vehicle 10 in the front-rear and left-right directions and the angular velocity of rotation. The 3-axis acceleration sensor detects, for example, the acceleration of the unmanned vehicle 10 (acceleration in each direction of front-back, left-right, up-down). The barometric pressure sensor outputs a signal indicating the barometric pressure. The information of the barometric pressure sensor is used, for example, when obtaining the altitude, ascending / descending speed, and the like of the unmanned flying object 10. The magnetic sensor outputs, for example, a signal indicating the direction in which the axis of the unmanned vehicle 10 is currently facing.

An ultrasonic sensor (distance measuring sensor) outputs, for example, a signal indicating a distance between an unmanned vehicle 10 and a surrounding object (transmission equipment, obstacle, ground, etc.). For example, the unmanned vehicle 10 detects that it has approached an external object such as a power transmission facility based on a signal of an ultrasonic sensor (distance measuring sensor), and performs flight control for avoiding a collision with the object. ..

The GPS signal receiving device outputs information indicating the current position of the unmanned aircraft 10. For example, by using the GPS signal sent from the quasi-zenith satellite received by the GPS signal receiving device, the current position of the unmanned vehicle 10 can be grasped in real time with an error of about several cm.

The pressure-sensitive sensor is provided, for example, at a predetermined position on the leg 33 of the unmanned vehicle 10, and outputs a signal indicating that the predetermined portion of the unmanned vehicle 10 has come into contact with another object. For example, the unmanned vehicle 10 detects that it has come into contact with an external object such as a power transmission facility based on a signal of a pressure sensor, and performs flight control for avoiding the object or separating from the object.

The wireless communication device 252 wirelessly communicates with a transmitter 7 existing at a remote location. The wireless communication device 252 receives the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitter 7 (also referred to as a radio or the like), and inputs the content of the received wireless signal to the control circuit 251. The transmitter 7 may include a video reception display device (FPV (First Persons View) device or the like) that displays a video transmitted from the unmanned vehicle 10 in real time.

Various I / F 258s are interfaces for receiving information from users and providing information to users, and include, for example, push buttons, switches, touch panels, LEDs, speakers, and the like.

The communication circuit 259 is a communication circuit (SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) for communicating with other configurations (motor control device 254, hook attachment / detachment device 42, photographing device 282, etc.) of the unmanned vehicle 10. ), RS-232C, USB (Universal Serial Bus), etc.).

The battery 260 is, for example, a lithium polymer secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor (electric double layer capacitor), a lithium ion secondary battery, or the like. The control circuit 251 grasps the remaining amount of the battery 260 based on the voltage between the terminals of the battery 260.

The hook attachment / detachment device 42 is controlled by a mechanism (control circuit 251) that controls the opening / closing of the ring body 411 described above (open / close control of the ring body 411 for inserting / removing the hook 54 described later in / out of the ring hole 415 of the ring body 411). Servo motor, mechanical opening / closing mechanism, etc.) The ring body 411 is composed of a pair of left and right semicircular members. The hook attachment / detachment device 42 forms an introduction port 416 for the hook 54, which will be described later, on the lower side of the ring body 411 by splitting the ring body 411 in two.

The photographing device 282 includes, for example, a depth camera (TOF (TOF: Time Of Flight) camera, stereo camera, laser radar (LiDAR: Laser imaging Detection and Ranging), infrared depth sensor, ultrasonic sensor, etc.), a video camera, and the like. It is a digital camera. The photographing device 282 is used to communicate with a camera control mechanism that controls the shooting direction and zoom magnification, a gimbal (2-axis gimbal, 3-axis gimbal, etc.) for keeping the shooting direction of the camera constant, and a ground station. Includes peripheral devices such as communication devices. The photographing device 282 photographs an image of an object to be inspected (transmission line 3, transmission tower, utility pole, etc.), and wirelessly transmits the photographed image (video data) to a ground station. In the ground station, for example, the image received from the unmanned aircraft 10 is subjected to image processing, analysis by AI (Artificial Intelligence), or the like to acquire information on the inspection target. The photographing device 282 may have a function of recording (recording) a video (video data) shot for ex post facto analysis on a recording medium. The photographing device 282 can also function as various sensors 253.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a function (software configuration) of the control circuit 251. As shown in the figure, the control circuit 251 includes an attitude control unit 2511, a steering control unit 2512, a flight control unit 2513, a hook attachment / detachment device control unit 2515, and a photographing device control unit 2516. These functions are realized, for example, by the processor of the control circuit 251 reading and executing the program stored in the storage device of the control circuit 251.

The attitude control unit 2511 controls the motor control device 254 (power motor 255) in response to signals input from various sensors 253, and controls the attitude of the unmanned vehicle 10.

The steering control unit 2512 controls the motor control device 254 (power motor 255) according to the signal input from the wireless communication device 252, and controls the operation (movement, rotation, ascent, descent, etc.) of the unmanned vehicle 10. ..

The flight control unit 2513 controls the thrust generator 270 based on the information acquired from the various sensors 253 to autonomously control the flight of the unmanned aircraft 10. This autonomous flight control may be performed automatically or semi-automatically using, for example, AI technology. During passive control such as manual control, the flight control unit 2513 controls the thrust generator 270 in response to an instruction from the transmitter 7 received by the wireless communication device 252 to control the flight attitude and operation of the unmanned aircraft 10. Control. The flight control unit 2513 flies the unmanned flying object 10 based on signals (for example, GPS signals) input from various sensors 253. In addition, the flight control unit 2513 grasps the distance to surrounding objects such as power transmission equipment in real time with high accuracy based on signals input from various sensors 253 such as ultrasonic sensors and distance measuring sensors, and provides peripheral information. Controls to fly while avoiding contact and collision with objects.

The hook attachment / detachment device control unit 2515 controls the opening / closing of the hook attachment / detachment device 42 (for example, control of the servomotor of the hook attachment / detachment device 42).

The photographing device control unit 2516 controls the operation of the photographing device 282 (shooting start and shooting stop, shooting direction control, zoom magnification control, etc.).

FIG. 5 is an example of the fall prevention device 5. As shown in the figure, the fall prevention device 5 includes each configuration such as a main rope attachment portion 51, a lock lever 52, a lanyard 53, and a hook 54. The fall prevention device 5 can also be configured by using an existing fall prevention device such as Lolip (registered trademark) having the above configuration.

The main rope attachment portion 51 has a rope insertion pipe 511 through which a main rope (safety wire 4 in this example) extending up and down is inserted, and a lock mechanism 512 that controls a frictional force between the main rope and the main rope. When the lock mechanism 512 is in the locked state, the fall prevention device 5 is fixed at a predetermined position of the main rope. When the hook 54 is a component of Lolip (registered trademark), the hook 54 is, for example, a member for connecting to a torso belt, a safety belt (harness), or the like worn by a worker.

The lock lever 52 has a structure that allows it to move up and down while being attached to a main rope that extends up and down. When the lock lever 52 is in the upper unlock position, the lock mechanism 512 reduces the frictional force with the main rope to enter the unlocked state. On the other hand, when the lock lever 52 is in the lower lock position, the lock mechanism 512 increases the frictional force to enter the locked state. The lock lever 52 is urged upward by an elastic mechanism such as a spring. Therefore, when the lock lever 52 is not operated, the lock lever 52 is held at the upper unlocked position, and the lock mechanism 512 is maintained in the unlocked state.

The lanyard 53 (rope) is made of a flexible material made of chemical fibers (resin fiber, glass fiber, etc.), natural fiber, or the like. From the viewpoint of suppressing the influence on the flight control of the unmanned vehicle 10, the lanyard 53 is preferably made of a flexible material as much as possible. One end of the lanyard 53 is connected to a locking ring 521 provided at the end of the lock lever 52, and the other end of the lanyard 53 is connected to a locking ring 541 provided at the end of the hook 54. By interposing the lanyard 53 between the unmanned flying object 10 and the fall prevention device 5 in this way, an arbitrary distance (separation) can be taken between the unmanned flying object 10 and the fall prevention device 5, and the unmanned flight can be performed. The unmanned flying object 10 and the lock lever 52 can be connected regardless of the form of the body 10 or the fall prevention device 5.

The hook 54 has a locking portion 542 having a key-shaped or annular shape. The fall prevention device 5 connects the locking portion 542 to the unmanned aviation body 10 by locking the locking portion 542 to the ring body 411 of the hook attachment / detachment device 42 of the unmanned aviation body 10. The locking portion 542 can be manually opened and closed, and the locking portion 542 can be manually attached to and detached from the ring body 411.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process (hereinafter, referred to as an inspection process S600) performed when inspecting a power transmission facility using the unmanned aircraft 10. Hereinafter, the inspection process S600 will be described with reference to the figure.

First, the user inserts the safety wire 4 through the main rope attachment portion 51 and attaches the fall prevention device 5 to the safety wire 4 (S611). As described above, the lock lever 52 is urged upward by an elastic mechanism, and the lock mechanism 512 is in an unlocked state (a state in which the fall prevention device 5 can move up and down along the safety wire 4). ..

Subsequently, the user attaches the hook 54 to the ring body 411 of the unmanned vehicle body 10 and connects the unmanned vehicle body 10 to the fall prevention device 5 (S612). Specifically, the user controls the unmanned flying object 10 by using the transmitter 7 to open the ring body 411, inserts the hook 54 into the hole 415 of the ring body 411, and closes the ring body 411 to close the hook 54. Is attached to the unmanned aircraft body 10. As a result, the unmanned flying object 10 and the fall prevention device 5 are connected. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the unmanned aircraft 10 and the fall prevention device 5 are connected.

Returning to FIG. 6, the user then operates the transmitter 7 to take off and ascend the unmanned aircraft 10 (S613). Since the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, the unmanned flying object 10 ascends while pulling up the fall prevention device 5 along the safety wire 4 when ascending.

FIG. 8 shows how the unmanned aircraft 10 is raised together with the fall prevention device 5. When it is necessary to lower the unmanned vehicle 10 during flight, the user operates the transmitter 7 to lower the unmanned vehicle 10. At this time, the fall prevention device 5 also descends along the safety wire 4 due to its own weight. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the unmanned aircraft 10 is lowered together with the fall prevention device 5.

When the work is interrupted due to a break or the like during flight, the lock mechanism is locked when the user operates the transmitter 7 to stop the power motor, so that the unmanned vehicle 10 is safely placed at a predetermined position on the safety wire 4. Can be kept in. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the battery 260 from being consumed during the interruption of work.

During flight, if the unmanned vehicle 10 loses the thrust required for flight due to some abnormality such as a dead battery or failure, the lock lever 52 is set downward by the weight of the unmanned vehicle 10 to lock it. The mechanism is locked. FIG. 10 shows the situation in that case. When the unmanned vehicle 10 is suspended at a predetermined position on the safety wire 4 in this way, for example, the unmanned vehicle 10 is manually recovered.

During flight, if necessary, the operator intentionally operates the transmitter 7 to open the ring body 411 to separate the hook 54 from the ring body 411, and intends the unmanned flying body 10 from the fall prevention device 5. It is also possible to separate the unmanned air vehicle 10 so that it can fly freely.

Returning to FIG. 6, when the unmanned vehicle 10 reaches the shooting start position during flight, the user operates the transmitter 7 to start shooting by the shooting device 282 (start acquisition of inspection information) (S614: YES, S615). When shooting is started, video data is transmitted from the shooting device 282 to the ground station. The ground station inspects the power transmission equipment based on the video data received from the unmanned aircraft 10. The user can operate the transmitter 7 to stop and resume the shooting by the photographing device 282 at any time. The start and stop of the photographing device 282 may be controlled automatically.

When it is time to end the flight of the unmanned vehicle 10 (for example, the scheduled work is completed) (S616: YES), the user operates the unmanned vehicle 10 to lower the unmanned vehicle 10 to near the ground. (S617). At this time, the fall prevention device 5 also descends along the safety wire 4 due to its own weight.

When the unmanned vehicle 10 descends and reaches the vicinity of the ground, the user disconnects the fall prevention device 5 and the unmanned vehicle 10 (S618), and removes the fall prevention device 5 from the safety wire 4 (S619).

As described in detail above, according to the configuration and method of the present embodiment, the unmanned vehicle 10 is connected to the fall prevention device 5 attached to the safety wire 4, and the unmanned vehicle 10 is safely connected in the connected state. Fly along wire 4. Therefore, even if the unmanned aircraft 10 loses its buoyancy due to some kind of obstacle, the lock lever operates and the lock mechanism is locked, so that the unmanned aircraft 10 and the fall prevention device 5 do not fall to the ground. It can be prevented and the unmanned air vehicle 10 can be safely recovered.

If the inspection information (photographed data) acquired as described above is used, for example, the separation distance between the transmission line 3 and the approaching tree 6 can be determined by the following method (triangulation, cosine theorem). It can be obtained accurately. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, based on the distance a from the unmanned vehicle 10 to the power transmission line 3 obtained from the inspection information and the distance b from the unmanned vehicle 10 to the approaching tree 6 obtained from the inspection information. , The distance (separation distance) c between the transmission line 3 and the approaching tree 6 can be obtained from the cosine theorem.

In order to prevent the unmanned vehicle 10 from coming into contact with the safety wire 4 and the transmission tower 2, for example, a guide (safety net, propeller guard, guard bumper, guard frame, etc.) may be provided on the unmanned vehicle 10. An example thereof is shown in FIG. In this example, a substantially spherical frame 71 (for example, a wire frame formed by assembling a wire rod made of resin or the like into a substantially spherical shape) is attached to the unmanned flying object 10. When the rotor 271 comes into contact with an object, the damage to the object and the unmanned flying object 10 becomes relatively large. Therefore, the frame 71 should be at least large enough to accommodate all the rotors 271 of the unmanned flying object 10. There is. Further, by forming the frame 71 in this way, for example, when the flight is intentionally interrupted, the unmanned vehicle 10 can be safely kept at the current position.

In the above example, the unmanned vehicle 10 and the lock lever 52 are connected via the lanyard 53, but a predetermined portion such as the leg 33 of the unmanned vehicle 10 is directly connected to the end of the lock lever 52. May be good. In that case, for example, the lock lever 52 and the unmanned flying object 10 may be connected via a universal joint, a ball joint, or the like to ensure the degree of freedom of flight. Depending on the relationship between the form of the lock lever 52 and the form of the unmanned vehicle 10, the length of the lock lever 52 may be insufficient and the unmanned vehicle 10 may interfere with the power transmission equipment. In that case, For example, the lock lever 52 itself is extended, or the lock lever 52 is provided with a joint made of a rigid body so as to indirectly connect the lock lever 52 and the unmanned vehicle 10. In this case, a guide (safety net, propeller guard, guard bumper, guard frame, etc.) may be provided on the unmanned vehicle 10 as described above. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the unmanned flying object 10 is connected to the end of the lock lever 52 via a joint 58 made of a rigid body and a frame 71 as a guide is provided.

The above description is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention includes its equivalents. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to the one including all the described configurations. Further, it is possible to add / delete / replace a part of the configuration of the above embodiment with another configuration.

Further, each of the above configurations, functional units, processing units, processing means and the like may be realized by hardware by designing a part or all of them by, for example, an integrated circuit. Each of the above configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by software by the processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be placed in a memory, a hard disk, a recording device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

In each of the above figures, the control lines and information lines are shown as necessary for explanation, and not all the control lines and information lines in the implementation are necessarily shown. For example, in practice almost all configurations may be considered interconnected.

The arrangement form of various functional units in the embodiment described above is only an example. The layout of various functional units can be changed to the optimum layout from the viewpoints of hardware and software performance, processing efficiency, communication efficiency, and the like.

Further, the present invention can be widely applied to operations other than operations such as inspection of power transmission equipment.

1 Inspection system, 2 Transmission tower, 3 Transmission line, 4 Safety wire, 5 Fall prevention device, 6 Approaching tree, 7 Transmitter, 51 Main rope attachment part, 511 Rope insertion pipe, 52 Lock lever, 521 Locking ring, 53 Lanyard, 54 hooks, 58 joints, 541 locking ring, 10 unmanned aircraft, 42 hook attachment / detachment device, 411 ring body, 250 flight control device, 251 control circuit, 253 various sensors, 260 battery, 270 thrust generator, 282 shooting Equipment, 2513 flight control unit, 2515 hook attachment / detachment device control unit, S600 inspection process

Claims (8)

It ’s an unmanned flight method,
The main rope attachment portion having a lock mechanism that is inserted into the main rope extending up and down and controls the frictional force with the main rope, and when the lock is released on the upper side, the frictional force is reduced to reduce the frictional force. A fall prevention device including a lock lever that puts the lock mechanism in the unlocked state and increases the frictional force to lock the lock mechanism when it is in the lower lock position is attached to the master rope.
Connect the unmanned aircraft to the lock lever and
The lock lever is set upward by the thrust of the unmanned vehicle to unlock the lock mechanism, and the unmanned vehicle is raised along with the main rope together with the fall prevention device.
While maintaining the lock lever in the unlocked state by the thrust of the unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle is lowered along with the main rope together with the fall prevention device.
When the unmanned vehicle loses the thrust required for flight, the lock lever is set downward by the weight of the unmanned vehicle to lock the lock mechanism.
How to fly an unmanned aircraft. The method for flying an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1.
The unmanned vehicle is connected to the lock lever via a flexible rope.
How to fly an unmanned aircraft. The method for flying an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.
The unmanned aircraft
A thrust mechanism that produces buoyancy by the rotor and
A method of flying an unmanned vehicle, comprising a guard that prevents other objects from coming into contact with the rotor. It is a method of inspecting power transmission equipment using unmanned aircraft.
A main rope attachment part that has a lock mechanism that is inserted into a safety wire that extends up and down along the power transmission tower and controls the frictional force with the safety wire, and the frictional force when it is in the upper unlocked position. The safety wire is provided with a fall prevention device including a lock lever that lowers the lock mechanism to unlock the lock mechanism and increases the frictional force to lock the lock mechanism when the lock mechanism is in the lower lock position. Attached to
An unmanned aircraft equipped with an information acquisition device that acquires information used for inspection of power transmission equipment is connected to the lock lever.
The lock lever is set upward by the thrust of the unmanned vehicle to unlock the lock mechanism, and the unmanned vehicle is raised along with the safety wire together with the fall prevention device.
While maintaining the lock lever in the unlocked state by the thrust of the unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle is lowered along with the safety wire together with the fall prevention device.
When the unmanned vehicle loses the thrust required for flight, the lock lever is set downward by the weight of the unmanned vehicle to lock the lock mechanism.
How to inspect power transmission equipment using unmanned aircraft. The method for inspecting a power transmission facility using an unmanned aircraft according to claim 4.
The information acquisition device is a photographing device that photographs the surroundings of the transmission tower.
How to inspect power transmission equipment using unmanned aircraft. The method for inspecting a power transmission facility using an unmanned aircraft according to claim 5.
The information acquisition device has a function of acquiring information indicating a distance to an object existing in the surroundings.
How to inspect power transmission equipment using unmanned aircraft. The method for inspecting a power transmission facility using an unmanned aircraft according to any one of claims 4 to 6.
The unmanned vehicle is connected to the lock lever via a flexible rope.
How to inspect power transmission equipment using unmanned aircraft. The method for inspecting a power transmission facility using an unmanned aircraft according to any one of claims 4 to 6.
The unmanned aircraft
A thrust mechanism that produces buoyancy by the rotor and
A method of inspecting power transmission equipment using an unmanned vehicle, which is provided with a guard that prevents other objects from coming into contact with the rotor blades.

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