Self-righting vessel

Abstract

According to the present invention, when a ship turns over, it can be automatically corrected from the turned over state more reliably or in a shorter time. [Solution] The present invention is a ship that sails on the water, wherein when the hull of the ship is anchored or sailing at a constant speed on the water surface, the plane including the intersection of the water surface and the outer plating of the hull is defined as the waterline, and when the cross section is defined as the cross section enclosed by the intersection of the hull's outer plating and a plane perpendicular to a first line formed in the direction of travel when the ship is traveling straight ahead, the shape of the vertical cross section at least at any position on the first line is asymmetrical with respect to a vertical line passing through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hull structure for a ship, and more particularly to a hull structure for a ship having a self-righting function. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using relatively small unmanned vessels (hereinafter referred to as "unmanned boats") for a variety of purposes, including collecting marine data, providing communications environments for sea and underwater areas, searching for suspicious ships, and inspecting offshore infrastructure.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a trimaran hull structure equipped with an automatic righting structure near the stern. In particular, the document discloses a hull structure in which, when the trimaran flips over, the hull is supported by the automatic righting structure and the corners of the main hull, causing the center of gravity of the hull to rise significantly and allowing the hull to rotate around its longitudinal axis and return to a stable normal position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 11,655,008 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In marine areas where the above-mentioned unmanned vessels operate, the unmanned vessels may flip over due to weather and sea conditions, including high waves and strong winds, or other causes. When the vessel flips over in this way, it is not possible to navigate the unmanned vessel to a desired location, or to perform operations such as information collection using sensors installed on the unmanned vessel. Therefore, when an unmanned vessel flips over, it is required to automatically right itself (also known as "self-righting") more reliably and quickly.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a hull structure that easily returns to its normal position thanks to an automatic righting structure installed in the upper stern. However, because a large-volume automatic righting structure (floating body) must be installed on the upper deck, the unmanned vessel is susceptible to external disturbances such as wind, resulting in a decrease in the power performance of the vessel. Furthermore, because a large-volume automatic righting structure (floating body) must be installed on the upper deck, it becomes difficult to transport the unmanned vessel and requires a large amount of storage space. Furthermore, the weight of the large-volume automatic righting structure (floating body) installed on the upper deck and the weight of the joint between the automatic righting structure (floating body) and the hull are added to the weight of the entire hull, resulting in an increase in the vessel's weight.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of at least one of the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a ship that can automatically right itself from an inverted state more reliably or in a shorter time if the ship inverts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to the present invention, a ship is obtained that sails on the water, and when the hull of the ship is anchored or sailing at a constant speed on the water surface, the plane including the intersection of the water surface and the outer plating of the hull is defined as the waterline, and when the cross section is defined as the cross section enclosed by the intersection of the outer plating of the hull and a plane perpendicular to a first line formed in the direction of travel of the ship when traveling straight ahead, the shape of the vertical cross section at least at any position on the first line is asymmetrical with respect to a vertical line passing through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the vessel can be automatically righted from an inverted state more reliably or in a shorter time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a maritime monitoring system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the system configuration of an unmanned boat system 1000. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an unmanned watercraft 1010. [Figure 4] FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram showing communication with an underwater object 7200 using an underwater communication unit 1420. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the external hardware configuration of the unmanned watercraft 1010. [Figure 6] This is an oblique view of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 as seen from the rear right. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 as seen from the front left. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a three-view diagram of the hull of the unmanned boat 1010. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing an example of an AA cross section of the outer hull plating when the hull is cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel at the center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing another example of an AA cross section of the hull shell plating when the hull is cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel at the center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a central vertical plane that divides the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 into left and right halves in the direction of travel. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an unmanned boat 1010 turned upside down on the water. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a symmetrical hull shape for comparison with an asymmetrical hull shape. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of a comparison of the restoring performance of asymmetric and symmetric hull shapes. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a rear side view showing the positions of the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy in a bilaterally symmetrical hull shape (comparison example) when the roll angle is 150 degrees. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a rear side view showing the positions of the center of gravity and center of buoyancy in an asymmetric hull shape when the roll angle is 150 degrees. [Figure 17]FIG. 1 is a rear side view showing the positions of the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy in an asymmetric hull shape when the roll angle is between 140 degrees and 110 degrees. [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the state of the restoration operation when a wave is received from the left side of the traveling direction during reversal. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the state of the restoration operation when a wave is received from the right side of the traveling direction during reversal. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of a first modified example of the hull shape. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second modified example of the hull shape. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a third modified example of the hull shape. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the arrangement of each device inside the hull in the AA cross section. [Figure 24] This is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the arrangement of each device inside the hull in a BB cross section obtained by cutting the hull horizontally at the structural boundary line. [Figure 25] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the arrangement of each device inside the hull and the thickness of the hull shell plating in the AA cross section. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a right side view of the unmanned watercraft 1010. [Figure 27] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a rear side view of the unmanned watercraft 1010. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the overall control system 2000 and the user terminal 5000. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention will be described below with reference to the following embodiments. [Item 1] A waterborne vessel, When the hull of the ship is anchored or sailing at a constant speed on the water surface, a plane including an intersection line between the water surface and the outer plating of the hull is defined as a waterline, When a cross section enclosed by an intersection line of a plane perpendicular to a first straight line formed in the traveling direction of the ship when the ship is traveling straight ahead and the outer plating of the hull at any position on the first straight line is defined as a vertical cross section, A ship in which the shape of the vertical cross section at least at any position on the first straight line is asymmetrical with respect to a vertical line passing through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section. [Item 2] In the vessel described in item 1, The hull has a symmetrical portion in which the left and right side shapes in the traveling direction are substantially symmetrical, and a asymmetrical portion in which the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, The left-right symmetrical portion is provided in at least a part below the waterline, The ship, wherein the left-right asymmetric portion is located above the waterline. [Item 3] In the vessel described in item 1 or 2, The hull has a symmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes in the traveling direction are symmetrical, and a asymmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, The left-right symmetrical portion is provided below the waterline and between the waterline and a position vertically above the waterline by a predetermined distance, The ship, wherein the left-right asymmetric portion is located above a position that is a predetermined distance above the waterline. [Item 4] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 3, A ship in which, near the center of gravity of the ship in the direction of the first straight line, the shape of the vertical cross section enclosed by the intersection line of a plane perpendicular to the first straight line and the outer plating of the hull has an asymmetrical shape with respect to a vertical line passing through the midpoint of the intersection line of the waterline and the vertical cross section. [Item 5] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 4, A ship in which the volume of the hull on the right side is different from the volume of the hull on the left side when the ship is divided into left and right halves with respect to the direction of travel by a central vertical plane that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section and includes a center line generated in the direction of travel. [Item 6] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 5, A ship in which the outer edge of the vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetrical portion relative to the direction of travel is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface of the symmetrical portion. [Item 7] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 6, A ship in which the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the asymmetric portion on the second side surface side relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the symmetric portion on the second side surface side. [Item 8] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 7, an outer edge of the vertical cross section of a first side surface of the left-right asymmetric portion with respect to the traveling direction is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface of the left-right symmetric portion, A ship in which the outer edge of the vertical cross section of a second side surface side opposite the first side surface of the left-right asymmetric portion protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface side of the left-right symmetric portion. [Item 9] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 8, A vessel in which the center of gravity of the vessel is located near a center line generated in the direction of travel that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section, or a position above or below the center line. [Item 10] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 9, The hull has a symmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are symmetrical and an asymmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, a hull shape in which an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetric portion with respect to the direction of travel is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface at the position of the waterline, or an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a second side surface of the asymmetric portion on the opposite side to the first side surface with respect to the direction of travel protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface at the position of the waterline, A ship in which the onboard equipment, including at least one of equipment, a power storage device, cables, and other heavy objects installed inside the hull, is positioned so that the center of gravity of the total weight of the onboard equipment is shifted to the first side from a central vertical plane that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section and includes a center line generated in the direction of travel. [Item 11] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 10, The hull has a symmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are symmetrical and an asymmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, a hull shape in which an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetric portion with respect to the direction of travel is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface at the position of the waterline, or an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a second side surface of the asymmetric portion on the opposite side to the first side surface with respect to the direction of travel protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface at the position of the waterline, A ship in which the loads are arranged so that the center of gravity of the total weight of the loads, including at least one of equipment, power generation equipment, and other heavy objects provided on the upper surface of the hull or the upper side or underside of the hull or bottom, is shifted to the first side from a central vertical plane that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section and includes a center line generated in the direction of travel. [Item 12] In the vessel according to any one of items 1 to 11, The hull has a symmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are symmetrical and an asymmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, a hull shape in which an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetric portion with respect to the direction of travel is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface at the position of the waterline, or an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a second side surface of the asymmetric portion on the opposite side to the first side surface with respect to the direction of travel protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface at the position of the waterline, A ship in which the thickness of the outer plate of the hull on the first side is thicker than the thickness of the outer plate of the hull on the second side relative to the central vertical plane, the thickness being greater than the thickness of the outer plate of the hull on the second side relative to the central vertical plane, the thickness being greater than the thickness of the outer plate of the hull on the first side relative to the central vertical plane, the thickness being greater ... [Item 13] A waterborne vessel, When the hull of the ship is anchored or sailing at a constant speed on the water surface, a plane including an intersection line between the water surface and the outer plating of the hull is defined as a waterline, When a vertical cross section is defined as a cross section enclosed by an intersection line of a plane perpendicular to a first straight line formed in the direction of travel of the ship when the ship is traveling straight ahead and the outer plating of the hull, A ship in which, when the vertical cross section at least at any position on the first straight line is divided into an upper side and a lower side by the waterline, the centroid of the upper vertical cross section and the centroid of the lower vertical cross section are misaligned in the lateral direction. [Item 14] In the vessel according to item 13, A ship, wherein an outer edge of a first side surface of the upper vertical cross section is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of a second side surface opposite the first side surface. [Item 15] In the vessel according to item 13, A ship, wherein an outer edge of a second side surface of the upper vertical cross section protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of a first side surface opposite the second side surface. [Item 16] In the vessel according to item 13, The outer edge of the first side surface of the upper vertical cross section is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull, An outer edge of the second side surface of the upper vertical cross section protrudes outward from the hull. [Item 17] A waterborne vessel, When a vertical cross section is defined as a cross section enclosed by an intersection line of a plane perpendicular to a first straight line formed in the traveling direction of the ship when the ship is traveling straight ahead and an outer plating of the hull of the ship, A ship in which, when the vertical cross section at least at any position on the first straight line is divided into a lower one-third and an upper two-thirds in terms of vertical length, the centroid of the upper vertical cross section and the centroid of the lower vertical cross section are misaligned in the lateral direction. [Item 18] In the vessel according to item 17, A ship, wherein an outer edge of a first side surface of the upper vertical cross section is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of a second side surface opposite the first side surface. [Item 19] In the vessel according to item 17, A ship, wherein an outer edge of a second side surface of the upper vertical cross section protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of a first side surface opposite the second side surface. [Item 20] In the vessel according to item 17, The outer edge of the first side surface of the upper vertical cross section is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull, An outer edge of the second side surface of the upper vertical cross section protrudes outward from the hull.

[0012] First Embodiment Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and other known elements or alternative means may be adopted depending on the application, purpose, scale, etc. In this embodiment, an example in which the unmanned watercraft system 1000 is applied to a maritime monitoring system 1 will be described, but this is also merely one example of an embodiment, and the unmanned watercraft system 1000 can be applied to various other applications, such as inspection of other offshore infrastructure, observation of oceanographic and meteorological conditions at sea, and ecological surveys of marine life.

[0013] [A.Configuration] (A-1. System Configuration) First, the overall system configuration of a maritime monitoring system 1 using an unmanned boat system 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0014] (A-1-1. System configuration of Maritime Surveillance System 1) FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a maritime monitoring system 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "system 1") according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the maritime monitoring system 1 includes an unmanned watercraft system 1000 and a general control system 2000. The general control system 2000 is configured to be able to communicate with a user terminal 5000 (not shown) via an Internet line 6000 or the like, and can transmit and receive information to and from the unmanned watercraft system 1000. The general control system 2000 can also transmit control commands to the unmanned watercraft system 1000 deployed on the sea via an air access point (referred to as "air AP" in the figure) 3100 or a ground access point (referred to as "air AP" in the figure) 3200, and can also receive operational status, measurement data, and the like from the unmanned watercraft system 1000.

[0015] The unmanned boat system 1000 includes a single or multiple unmanned boats 1010. When the unmanned boat system 1000 is made up of multiple unmanned boats 1010, the multiple unmanned boats 1010 are connected to each other by wireless communication (shown by dotted lines in the figure), allowing them to form a communication network. The unmanned boat system 1000 can also be made up of multiple unmanned boat groups (1000a, 1000b). In this case, at least one unmanned boat 1010 in each unmanned boat group communicates wirelessly with the overall control system 2000 via an air access point 3100 or a ground access point 3200.

[0016] The unmanned vessel 1010 includes a measurement unit 1100, which includes a marine measurement sensor 1110 that measures marine objects 7100 on the sea surface, and an underwater measurement sensor 1120 that measures underwater objects 7200 that exist in the sea. The marine measurement sensor 1110 can acquire measurement data related to marine objects 7100 on the sea surface, including, for example, ships, drifting objects, drifters, and other marine moving objects, offshore facilities (wind power generation facilities, wave power generation facilities, offshore oil plants, offshore runways, etc.), ocean conditions (ocean currents, tides, wave height, wave period, wave speed), weather, coastal inhabitants (seals, penguins, polar bears, etc.), remote islands, reefs, etc. In addition, the marine object 7100 can acquire measurement data regarding the underwater object 7200, including coastal land conditions such as stranding points, low tide lines, and coastal shapes, seawater conditions (salinity, hydrogen ion index, water temperature, seawater components, seawater density), marine ecology (seaweed beds, plankton, etc.), and marine biological ecology (whales, sea turtles, schools of fish, etc.).

[0017] The unmanned vessel 1010 can also determine various states of its own vessel using the vessel state determination unit 1200. The unmanned vessel 1010 can also transmit and receive information to and from communication partners on the sea (such as other unmanned vessels 1010) and communication partners underwater (such as divers and submarines) using the wireless communication unit 1410 and underwater communication unit 1420 included in the communication unit 1400.

[0018] Various types of information, including measurement data acquired by the measurement unit 1100 of the unmanned vessel 1010, status information of the unmanned vessel 1010, and information about the communication partner acquired by the communication unit 1400, are transmitted to the overall control system 2000 via the air access point 3100 and the ground access point 3200. The overall control system 2000 determines control commands for the unmanned vessel 1010 that constitutes the unmanned vessel system 1000 based on the measurement data acquired from the unmanned vessel system 1000, status information of the unmanned vessel 1010, and information about the communication partner acquired by the communication unit 1400, and can control the operation of the unmanned vessel 1010. The generated control commands and other information are displayed on a user terminal 5000 (not shown) or the like, and command inputs can also be received from a user via the user terminal 5000.

[0019] The sky access point 3100 described as an example of a non-terrestrial network for transmitting and receiving information between the overall control system 2000 and the unmanned watercraft system 1000 can use, for example, a communication satellite 3110 launched into a geosynchronous orbit, a medium earth orbit (MEO), a low earth orbit, or another orbit, or another communication satellite. Furthermore, the communication network applicable to the present invention is not limited to this, and a non-terrestrial network using an unmanned air vehicle called a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) 3120 can also be used. When a HAPS is used, for example, an unmanned air vehicle that circles at an altitude of about 8 to 50 km can be used.

[0020] (A-1-2. System Configuration of Unmanned Boat System 1000) Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the unmanned watercraft system 1000. As shown in Fig. 2, the multiple unmanned watercraft 1010 that make up the unmanned watercraft system 1000 are configured to serve as parent units 1001 that can communicate wirelessly with an air access point 3100 (or a ground access point 3200), or as child units 1002 that can communicate directly or indirectly with the parent unit 1001. A wireless communication network that allows wireless communication between the multiple child units 1002 and the multiple unmanned watercraft 1010 that serve as parent units 1001 is established. Each unmanned watercraft group (1000a, 1000b) has at least one parent unit 1001 and multiple child units 1002. The master unit 1001 is connected via wireless communication to the air access point 3100 (or ground access point 3200), and has the function of aggregating various information collected from multiple slave units 1002 and transmitting it to the air access point 3100 (or ground access point 3200), as well as transmitting information related to control commands obtained from the air access point 3100 (or ground access point 3200) directly or indirectly to each slave unit 1002. Note that the wireless communication path between the ground-side integrated control system 2000 and the unmanned boat system 1000 can be either a communication path via the air access point 3100 or a communication path via the ground access point 3200, but is not limited to this and other communication paths can also be used, and these communication paths can also be made redundant to send and receive information.

[0021] 2 includes a primary-connected slave device 1002 that is communicatively connected to a master device 1001, a secondary-connected slave device 1002 that is communicatively connected to the primary-connected slave device 1002, and a tertiary-connected slave device 1002 that is communicatively connected to the secondary-connected slave device 1002. Each slave device (primary-connected slave device 1002, secondary-connected slave device 1002, tertiary-connected slave device 1002) has the function of relaying information received from other master devices 1001 or slave devices 1002 to the other master devices 1001 or slave devices 1002, thereby forming a communication network that can connect to all unmanned crafts 1010 belonging to the unmanned craft group 1000a.

[0022] (A-1-3. System configuration of the unmanned boat 1010) Next, the system configuration of the unmanned watercraft 1010 will be described using Figure 3. In the present invention, the unmanned watercraft 1010 refers to a mobile body capable of navigating on or underwater, regardless of whether it is autonomous or remotely controlled, and includes a mobile body such as a mobile buoy that can move using a battery, an internal combustion engine, or a thrust generating unit 1310 that utilizes wind power or wave power. In addition, although this embodiment describes an example in which the present invention is applied to the unmanned watercraft 1010, the present invention is not limited to unmanned watercraft that do not carry people on board, but can also be applied to watercraft that can transport people at sea, such as watercraft that can carry people on board depending on the situation, or watercraft that can tow people or manned boats depending on the situation.

[0023] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the unmanned watercraft 1010. Although Fig. 3 illustrates the functional block diagram of the unmanned watercraft 1010, whether the unmanned watercraft 1010 is used as the parent device 1001 or the child device 1002, the functions implemented in the unmanned watercraft 1010 can be similar to those shown in Fig. 3. The unmanned watercraft 1010 includes a measurement unit 1100, a vessel state determination unit 1200, a navigation unit 1300, a communication unit 1400, a power supply unit 1500, a measurement data processing unit 1600, and a recording unit 1700.

[0024] The measurement unit 1100 is a functional unit that detects an object 7000 that exists within a measurable range on or under the sea around the unmanned vessel 1010, and acquires measurement data related to the object 7000. The measurement unit 1100 includes a marine measurement sensor 1110, an underwater measurement sensor 1120, and a measurement control unit 1130.

[0025] The marine measurement sensor 1110 may include one (monocular) or multiple electro-optical sensors that acquire image data of the surrounding marine area, optical sensors such as optical cameras, infrared sensors (IR sensors), and stereo cameras, laser sensors such as LiDAR that acquire point cloud data, optical distance measuring sensors such as ToF sensors (Time of Flight sensors), and radar sensors that detect millimeter waves and microwaves. The marine measurement sensor 1110 acquires measurement data of marine objects 7100 that exist within a measurable range on the sea by measuring the marine area around the unmanned vessel 1010. Furthermore, each of the above sensors can be used as a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance to an object based on the measurement data.

[0026] The underwater measurement sensor 1120 can be configured as an acoustic sensor (also called an acoustic measurement unit) including a sonar that uses sound waves such as ultrasound to acquire acoustic data of the surrounding underwater area, or an optical sensor. The acoustic sensor can be used as a distance sensor that measures the distance to the underwater object 7200 being measured by measuring the sound waves that are generated and reflected off the object. The acoustic sensor can be either an active sonar that generates sound waves and measures the sound waves that resonate with underwater objects, or a passive sonar that measures sounds generated by underwater objects. The active sonar can be configured as, for example, a side scan sonar, a multi-beam sonar, or a single-beam sonar. The acoustic sensor can also be configured as a USBL transceiver, an acoustic communication modem, or the like.

[0027] Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned sensors, the underwater measurement sensor 1120 may also be composed of a seawater condition measurement sensor that measures seawater conditions such as the salinity concentration, hydrogen ion exponent (pH), water temperature, seawater components, and density of seawater, or a sea state measurement sensor that measures seawater conditions such as ocean currents, tidal currents, wave height, wave period, and the speed of ocean or tidal currents in the surrounding sea area, or a meteorological measurement sensor that measures meteorological conditions such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, air pressure, rainfall, other weather conditions, and air quality in the surrounding sea, or a marine ecology measurement sensor that measures the state of underwater seaweed beds and plankton.

[0028] The measurement control unit 1130 operates a sensor attitude changing device capable of changing the attitude of the surface measurement sensor 1110 or the underwater measurement sensor 1120 to control at least one of the attitude angles around three axes of the surface measurement sensor 1110 or the underwater measurement sensor 1120 relative to the unmanned vessel 1010. Furthermore, for example, if the surface measurement sensor 1110 or the underwater measurement sensor 1120 is an optical sensor, the measurement control unit 1130 can adjust the frame rate, shutter speed, etc. Furthermore, if the surface measurement sensor 1110 or the underwater measurement sensor 1120 is a laser sensor, the measurement control unit 1130 can adjust the output of the irradiated laser. Furthermore, if the surface measurement sensor 1110 or the underwater measurement sensor 1120 is a radar sensor, the measurement control unit 1130 can adjust the output of millimeter waves or microwaves. Furthermore, the measurement control unit 1130 can adjust the measurement sensitivity of the measurement sensor to any control amount. Furthermore, if the marine measurement sensor 1110 or the underwater measurement sensor 1120 is an optical sensor, the measurement control unit 1130 can change the zoom amount and resolution of the optical sensor to any control amount.

[0029] Next, the vessel state determination unit 1200 includes a navigation state determination unit 1210, an internal state determination unit 1220, and an external state determination unit 1230, and is a functional unit that determines the navigation state, and the internal and external states of the unmanned vessel 1010. The navigation state determination unit 1210 determines the vessel's position (two-dimensional or three-dimensional), movement speed, heading, movement direction, movement acceleration / deceleration, turning speed, roll attitude angle, and other state quantities related to the navigation state. The navigation state determination unit 1210 can determine that the vessel is in an inverted state if the roll angle continues to be greater than 100 degrees or less than -100 degrees depending on the detected roll attitude angle. The internal state determination unit 1220 determines the amount of power generated by the power generation unit 1510 installed in the unmanned boat, the remaining energy and fuel levels in the power storage unit 1520 (consisting of a battery, etc.), the travelable distance that can be calculated from the remaining energy and fuel levels, temporary abnormal states (temperature abnormalities, communication abnormalities, etc.) of equipment installed in the unmanned boat, and equipment failure states. The external state determination unit 1230 also determines communication states such as communication strength (dB value, etc.) of wireless communications with other unmanned boats 1010 in the unmanned boat system 1000, or wireless communications with the overall control system 2000 via the air access point 3100 (or ground access point 3200), communication speed, communication delay, and ocean and tidal currents (current speed, flow direction), wind speed (wind speed, wind direction), wave height, and weather (rain, snow, cloudiness, etc.) around the unmanned boat.

[0030] The method by which the navigation state determination unit 1210 determines the position, moving speed, moving direction, and acceleration / deceleration of the aircraft itself is not particularly limited, but for example, the current position, moving speed, and moving direction of the aircraft itself can be determined using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), GPS (Global Positioning System), RTK-GNSS (Real Time Kinematic - Global Navigation Satellite System), etc. Here, the aircraft's own position information includes at least two-dimensional coordinate information (e.g., latitude and longitude) in a planar view, and preferably includes three-dimensional coordinate information including altitude information. Furthermore, the acceleration / deceleration can be calculated based on the amount of change over time in the determined moving speed.

[0031] The method for measuring the aircraft's heading is to determine the aircraft's heading at the current time using, for example, a geomagnetic sensor, a GNSS compass, or SLAM technology using the seabed shape. The heading includes an attitude angle (orientation) in a planar view around at least the Z axis, and preferably may be attitude information around three axes: the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. The turning speed can be calculated based on the amount of change over time in the determined heading information.

[0032] Next, the navigation unit 1300 includes a thrust generating unit 1310, an attitude control mechanism unit 1320, and a navigation control unit 1330, and is a functional unit that navigates the aircraft in any direction in accordance with control commands received from the overall control system 2000 via the communication unit 1400. The thrust generating unit 1310 is configured, for example, with a propeller, and can generate thrust by driving the propeller using the power of an engine or an electric motor. The thrust generating unit 1310 can also be configured with a sail that receives wind to generate thrust, or with a wave glider that receives wave power to generate thrust.

[0033] The attitude control mechanism unit 1320 is composed of a rudder board attached to the underside of the hull of the unmanned boat 1010, or a propeller attitude change mechanism that can change the attitude angle of the propeller (mainly the yaw angle around the Z axis), and by changing these angles, the nose direction (yaw angle) of the unmanned boat 1010 can be controlled.

[0034] The navigation control unit 1330 is a functional unit that controls the output from the thrust generation unit 1310 and the operation of the attitude control mechanism unit 1320 to control the navigation operation of the aircraft. The navigation control unit 1330 has one or more processors, such as a programmable processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), an MPU, or a DSP), and is equipped with a processing unit that can access a memory (storage unit). The memory stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that the processing unit can execute to perform one or more processing steps.

[0035] The processing unit includes a control module configured to control the navigation status of the aircraft. For example, the control module adjusts the aircraft's position on the sea surface, movement speed, movement acceleration / deceleration, heading, turning speed, and attitude angle around three axes. That is, the navigation control unit 1330 controls the navigation operation of the aircraft by causing the aircraft to perform various operations such as forward movement, reverse movement, acceleration, deceleration, and turning.

[0036] Next, the communication unit 1400 includes a wireless communication unit 1410, an underwater communication unit 1420, and a communication control unit 1430, and is a functional unit that communicates with other unmanned boats 1010 within the unmanned boat system 1000, the overall control system 2000, the offshore objects 7100, and the underwater objects 7200. The wireless communication unit 1410 includes a communication antenna used for an offshore wireless communication network, and is capable of communicating with other unmanned boats 1010 within the unmanned boat system 1000 and the offshore objects 7100. The wireless communication unit 1410 also includes an antenna for long-distance wireless communication that can communicate with the air access point 3100 and the ground access point 3200, and is capable of communicating with the overall control system 2000 via the air access point 3100 and the ground access point 3200. In addition to the above-mentioned communication units, the communication unit 1400 may also include an AIS antenna and a VHF antenna, and may also include communication units that communicate with external surveillance boats and AIS base stations.

[0037] The underwater communication unit 1420 is a functional unit that communicates with the underwater object 7200. Fig. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing how communication is performed with the underwater object 7200 using the underwater communication unit 1420. The example shown in Fig. 4 shows how underwater communication is performed with the underwater object 7200, such as an underwater diver, using a USBL transceiver and an acoustic communication modem as the underwater communication unit 1420.

[0038] When an acoustic communication modem is used as the underwater communication unit 1420, mutual underwater communication can be performed with an acoustic communication modem mounted on an underwater object 7200 such as an underwater diver. Also, when a USBL transceiver is used as the underwater communication unit 1420, mutual underwater communication can be performed with an acoustic positioning transponder mounted on an underwater object 7200 such as an underwater diver.

[0039] When using a USBL transceiver and an acoustic communication modem to detect the position of an underwater diver or the like capable of mutual communication, the relative position of the diver to the unmanned vessel 1010 can be detected by sending an acoustic signal (call) from the USBL transceiver and receiving the acoustic signal (response) transmitted in response from an acoustic positioning transponder mounted on the diver side with the USBL transceiver. In addition, the diver's absolute position coordinates can be calculated based on the self-position coordinates calculated by the navigation state determination unit 1210 in the unmanned vessel 1010, and data including the diver's absolute position coordinates can be transmitted to the diver from the acoustic communication modem.

[0040] The communication control unit 1430 has the function of controlling the communication path, radio frequency, communication means, etc. of the wireless communication unit 1410 and the underwater communication unit 1420 based on the communication conditions, such as communication strength (dB value, etc.), communication speed, communication delay, etc. of wireless communication with other unmanned boats 1010 in the unmanned boat system 1000, or wireless communication with the overall control system 2000 via the air access point 3100 (or ground access point 3200), as determined by the external condition determination unit 1230, or the ocean currents and tides (flow speed, flow direction), wind speed (wind speed, wind direction), wave height, weather (rain, snow, cloudy, etc.) around the unmanned boat.

[0041] Furthermore, when the navigation state determination unit 1210 determines that the hull is inverted, the communication control unit 1430 can transmit a command to request assistance for a righting operation to another unmanned vessel 1010 or the overall control system 2000 via the wireless communication unit 1410 or the underwater communication unit 1420. The other unmanned vessels 1010 that have received the command to request assistance can assist in the righting operation by contacting and pushing the inverted unmanned vessel 1010 from the side.

[0042] Next, the power supply unit 1500 includes a power generation unit 1510, a power storage unit 1520, and a power supply control unit 1530, and has the function of generating and storing the power necessary for the operation of the unmanned watercraft 1010. The power generation unit 1510 can be composed of, for example, solar panels installed on the deck, a wave power generation device that uses the power of waves on the ocean, a wind power generation device, a diesel engine power generation device, a fuel cell, or other power generation device, and is a functional unit that generates the power necessary for the operation of the various functional units of the unmanned watercraft 1010.

[0043] The power storage unit 1520 is a functional unit that stores the power generated by the power supply unit 1500, and can be configured with a battery, a capacitor, or the like.

[0044] The power supply control unit 1530 is a functional unit that controls the power generation operation by the power generation unit 1510 and the charging and discharging operation by the power storage unit 1520 .

[0045] Next, the measurement data processing unit 1600 is a functional unit that performs data processing such as primary processing and data compression of the measurement data acquired by the measurement unit 1100. For example, the measurement data processing unit 1600 can perform data processing of the raw measurement data (measurement data) acquired by the measurement unit 1100 and perform primary processing to generate transmission data to be wirelessly transmitted from the unmanned boat system 1000 to the overall control system 2000. In addition, the measurement data processing unit 1600 can perform data compression processing to compress the raw measurement data (measurement data) to generate transmission data so as to reduce the transmission load when wirelessly transmitting transmission data from the unmanned boat system 1000 to the overall control system 2000. Furthermore, the measurement data processing unit 1600 may have a function to interpret the state of the object 7000 by performing primary processing of the measurement data and, based on the interpretation results, determine whether or not to transmit the measurement data or transmission data from the unmanned boat system 1000 to the overall control system 2000, or select the data to be transmitted.

[0046] Next, the recording unit 1700 includes a measurement data recording unit 1710, a host device state recording unit 1720, and a determination information recording unit 1730. The measurement data recording unit 1710 has a function of recording measurement data measured by the measurement unit 1100. The host device state recording unit 1720 has a function of recording various state information related to the host device determined by the host device state determination unit 1200. The determination information recording unit 1730 has a function of recording data processed by the measurement data processing unit 1600.

[0047] Next, the center of gravity position control mechanism 1800 is equipped with actuators, water supply and drainage pumps, and the like that change the positions of heavy objects mounted inside the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010, and has the function of changing the center of gravity position of the unmanned watercraft 1010. For example, the center of gravity position control mechanism 1800 has the function of changing the center of gravity position in the Y-axis direction or Z-axis direction, where the direction of travel when the unmanned watercraft 1010 is traveling straight ahead is the X-axis, the horizontal lateral direction is the Y-axis, and the vertical up-down direction is the Z-axis. If the unmanned watercraft 1010 turns upside down on the water surface, the center of gravity position can be changed in the Y-axis direction or Z-axis direction, thereby assisting the unmanned watercraft 1010 in restoring to its normal attitude.

[0048] (A-2. Hardware Configuration) Next, the hardware configuration of the unmanned watercraft 1010 and the effects obtained by this configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0049] (A-2-1. External hardware configuration of the unmanned boat 1010) Next, the external hardware configuration of the unmanned watercraft 1010 will be described using FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the external hardware configuration of the unmanned watercraft 1010. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 has a deck that forms the upper surface of the hull, starboard and port side outer plates that form the sides of the hull, and a bottom outer plate on the underside of the hull. Solar panels are installed on the upper part of the deck of the unmanned watercraft 1010 as a power generation unit 1510. In addition, a pole is installed on the deck of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010, and a marine measurement sensor 1110 and a wireless communication unit 1410 are installed on the upper part of the pole. By installing the marine measurement sensor 1110 and the wireless communication unit 1410 on the upper part of the pole in this way, the measurable range of the sea by the marine measurement sensor 1110 can be expanded, and the communication performance (communication distance, communication strength, etc.) of wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 1410 can be improved.

[0050] Furthermore, the underwater measurement sensor 1120, the underwater communication unit 1420, the thrust generating unit 1310 (such as a propeller), and the attitude control mechanism unit 1320 (rudder) are provided on the underside of the hull. The underwater measurement sensor 1120, the underwater communication unit 1420, the thrust generating unit 1310 (such as a propeller), and the attitude control mechanism unit 1320 (rudder) are provided below the waterline 1911 (dotted line in the figure), which is the intersection line between the water surface 1910 and the outer plating of the hull when the hull of the unmanned vessel 1010 is anchored or sailing at a constant speed on the water surface.

[0051] (A-2-2. Hull shape of Unmanned Vessel 1010) Next, the characteristics of the hull shape of the unmanned watercraft 1010 will be described using Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 as seen from the right rear. In particular, the upper view of Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the hull as seen from a position diagonally above and to the right rear in the direction of travel, and the lower view of Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the hull as seen from a position diagonally below and to the right rear in the direction of travel.

[0052] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 as seen from the front left. In particular, Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the hull as seen from a position diagonally above and to the front left in the direction of travel.

[0053] Figure 8 is a three-view diagram of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010. In particular, the diagram on the upper left of Figure 8 is a rear side view of the hull as seen from the rear in the direction of travel, the diagram on the upper right is a right side view of the hull as seen from the right in the direction of travel, and the diagram on the lower right is a bottom view of the hull as seen from below.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 in this embodiment has a structural boundary line 1922, shown by a dashed line near the center of the hull in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction), as a boundary. An asymmetrical portion 1920 is formed above the structural boundary line 1922, and a symmetrical portion 1921 is formed in all or part of the area below the structural boundary line 1922. The symmetrical portion 1921 refers to a portion in which the shapes of left and right vertical cross sections are approximately symmetrical about a vertical line (central vertical line 1930) that passes through the center of the intersection of a vertical cross section of the hull shell plating and the waterline 1912 when the hull is cut along a YZ plane perpendicular to the direction of travel. FIGS. 6 to 8 also show a waterline 1911, which is the intersection line between the water surface 1910 and the hull when the unmanned watercraft 1010 is anchored at zero speed. The structural boundary line 1922 of the hull is located a predetermined distance above the waterline 1911 in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). In other words, the left-right asymmetric portion 1920 is provided above a position (position of the structural boundary line 1922) that is a predetermined distance above the waterline 1911 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0055] Furthermore, since the left-right symmetrical portion 1921 is located below the structural boundary line 1922, it is located below the waterline 1911 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and furthermore, it is located between a position a predetermined distance above the waterline 1911 (the position of the structural boundary line 1922) and the waterline 1911.

[0056] 6 to 8 show the waterline 1911, which is the intersection of the water surface 1910 and the hull when the unmanned boat 1010 is anchored at zero speed, but the waterline 1911 may be the intersection of the water surface 1910 and the hull when the unmanned boat 1010 is traveling at a constant speed. Even when the waterline 1911 is when the unmanned boat 1010 is traveling at a constant speed, the structure satisfies the positional relationship between the waterline 1911, the asymmetric portion 1920, and the symmetric portion 1921 described above.

[0057] When the unmanned watercraft 1010 is sailing, water resistance has a greater effect on the navigation control of the unmanned watercraft 1010 than wind resistance and other external resistance. Therefore, a hull shape that minimizes water resistance and that distributes water resistance evenly across the left and right sides is desirable. Therefore, it is desirable that the parts of the hull that are subject to water resistance have a hull shape that minimizes water resistance and is symmetrical across the direction of travel. Here, the hull parts that are subject to water resistance include not only the part below the water surface 1912, which includes the intersection of the water surface 1910 and the hull, when the unmanned watercraft 1010 is anchored at zero speed or sailing at a constant speed, but also the part a predetermined distance above the water surface 1912 when there are waves or when the unmanned watercraft 1010 accelerates or decelerates. Therefore, as described above, by providing the left-right symmetrical portion 1921 not only below the waterline 1912 but also at a position a predetermined distance above the waterline 1912 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) (the position of the structural boundary line 1922), water resistance can be reduced and made equal on both sides.

[0058] Figure 9 shows an example of an AA cross section of the hull shell plating when the hull is cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel at the center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010. In particular, Figure 9 shows the positional relationship between the waterline 1912 and the cross-sectional shape in the AA cross section. The features of the hull shape in this embodiment will be described below using Figure 9.

[0059] As shown in Figure 9, the hull shape in this embodiment is asymmetrical with respect to the central vertical line 1930, which is a vertical line passing through the midpoint of the intersection of the hull shell cross section and the waterline 1912 in the AA cross section.

[0060] Furthermore, in the AA cross-sectional view at the center of gravity of the unmanned boat 1010 as shown in Figure 9, or in a cross-section of the hull shell when the hull is cut by a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel at any position in the direction of travel at the center of gravity of the unmanned boat 1010, the hull shape in this embodiment is characterized in that the centroid of the cross-sectional shape above the waterline 1912 and the centroid of the cross-sectional shape below the waterline 1912 are misaligned in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction).

[0061] Figure 10 shows another example of an AA cross section of the hull shell plating when the hull is cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel at the center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010. In particular, Figure 10 shows the positional relationship between the vertical height dimension and cross-sectional shape of the hull in the AA cross section. Generally, ships are often designed so that the waterline 1912 is at least higher than the lower quarter of the vertical height from the bottom surface of the lower side of the hull to the upper deck. Therefore, in the cross-sectional view taken along the line AA at the center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010 as shown in FIG. 10 , or in a cross-section of the hull shell plating when the hull is cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel at any point in the direction of travel of the unmanned watercraft 1010's center of gravity, the hull shape of this embodiment may be characterized in that, when the cross-sectional shape is divided into upper and lower sections by a horizontal plane located at a height of ¼ from the bottom surface of the hull, the centroid of the cross-sectional shape of the lower ¼ is offset from the centroid of the cross-sectional shape of the upper ¾ in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction). Note that the position of the waterfront 1912 of a ship changes depending on various conditions, such as the cruising speed and weight of the ship, and therefore is not necessarily located at ¼ from the bottom of the hull as shown in FIG. 10 , but may be located at a height of approximately ⅕ to ½ of the height of the cross-section. Therefore, the reference line dividing the upper and lower regions when determining the centroid position shown in FIG. 10 can be any value between ⅕ and ½ from the bottom of the hull, for example, ⅓.

[0062] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a central vertical plane 1931 that divides the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 into left and right halves with respect to the direction of travel. In Fig. 11, the central vertical plane 1931 is a vertical plane that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline 1912 shown in Fig. 9 and the vertical cross section (the hull shell cross section shown in the AA cross section) and includes a center line generated in the direction of travel of the unmanned watercraft 1010. In the example shown in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11, when the hull is divided into left and right halves with respect to the direction of travel of the unmanned watercraft 1010 by this central vertical plane 1931, the volume of the hull on the right side of the central vertical plane 1931 is different from the volume of the hull on the left side of the central vertical plane 1931. In the hull shape shown in Fig. 11, the volume of the hull on the right side of the central vertical plane 1931 is larger than the volume of the hull on the left side of the central vertical plane 1931.

[0063] One feature of the asymmetric cross-sectional shape shown in Figures 9 and 10 is that the outer edge of the left side (first side) of asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel is inclined (or recessed) toward the center of the hull more than the outer edge of the left side (first side) of symmetric portion 1921. Alternatively, in the asymmetric cross-sectional shape shown in Figures 9 and 10, the outer edge of the left side (first side) relative to the direction of travel is inclined (or recessed) toward the center of the hull more than the outer edge of the right side (second side) relative to the direction of travel.

[0064] 9 and 10 is that the outer edge of the right side (second side) of asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the right side (second side) of symmetric portion 1921. Alternatively, in the asymmetric cross-sectional shapes shown in Figures 9 and 10, the outer edge of the right side (second side) relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the left side (first side) relative to the direction of travel.

[0065] 9 and 10, it is desirable that the outer edge of the left side (first side) of the asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel is inclined (or concave) toward the center of the hull more than the outer edge of the left side of the symmetrical portion 1921, and that the outer edge of the right side (second side) of the asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel protrudes outward from the hull more than the outer edge of the right side of the symmetrical portion 1921. Alternatively, in the asymmetrical cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 9 and 10, it is desirable that the outer edge of the left side (first side) of the asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel is inclined (or concave) toward the center of the hull, and that the outer edge of the right side (second side) of the asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel protrudes outward from the hull.

[0066] In the cross-sectional shape of the asymmetrical hull shown in Figure 9, the offset, which is the distance in the left-right direction between the central vertical line 1930 and the deck center line at the center of the left and right sides of the deck, can be, for example, 15% of the maximum width of the deck. Note that this offset does not necessarily have to be 15% and may be 15% or more, and if the center of gravity of the hull is low, the offset can be less than 15%.

[0067] (A-2-3. Explanation of the recovery performance of the Unmanned Vehicle 1010) FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the unmanned watercraft 1010 has turned upside down on the water. When the unmanned watercraft 1010 has turned upside down on the water in this way, the navigation unit 1300 does not function, and the unmanned watercraft 1010 cannot navigate. Furthermore, the measurement unit 1100 installed on the unmanned watercraft 1010 cannot acquire measurement data. Furthermore, communication by the communication unit 1400 on or underwater cannot be performed. Furthermore, if a solar panel or the like is used as the power generation unit 1510, power generation cannot be performed. Therefore, it is necessary to more reliably and quickly restore the hull to its normal attitude.

[0068] Below, data showing that the asymmetric hull shape of the unmanned watercraft 1010 in this embodiment described above has higher stability performance than a symmetric hull shape and the reasons for this will be described.

[0069] (A-2-3-1. Comparison of symmetrical and asymmetrical hull shapes) Figure 13 is a diagram showing a perspective view of a symmetrical hull shape for comparison with an asymmetrical hull shape. In particular, the upper view of Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the hull as seen from a position diagonally above and to the right rear of the direction of travel, and the lower view of Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the hull as seen from a position diagonally below and to the right rear of the direction of travel. The symmetrical hull shape shown in Figure 13 is a common shape used in conventional ships, and the cross-sectional shape of a YZ plane obtained by cutting the hull at an arbitrary position in the direction of travel of the ship (X-axis direction) with a plane perpendicular to the X-axis is a hull shape that is symmetrical with respect to a vertical line parallel to the Z-axis that passes through the center of the Y-axis direction.

[0070] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the results of a comparison of the restoring performance of asymmetric and symmetric hull shapes. In particular, Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the relationship between the roll attitude angle about the ship's heading vector (X axis) and the restoring moment about the roll angle, and shows the results of a comparison between the asymmetric hull shape (present embodiment) shown in Fig. 6 etc. and the symmetric hull shape (comparison example) shown in Fig. 13. In the line graph shown in Fig. 14, the restoring moment for the asymmetric hull shape is shown by a solid line, and the restoring moment for the symmetric hull shape (comparison example) is shown by a dotted line.

[0071] The horizontal axis in Fig. 14 indicates the roll attitude angle around the vector (X axis) of the ship's traveling direction, and in particular, the direction of rotation counterclockwise about the X axis is indicated as a positive roll angle, and the direction of rotation clockwise about the X axis is indicated as a negative roll angle. Also, the vertical axis in Fig. 14 indicates the moment in the direction of rotation clockwise about the X axis as a positive righting moment, and the moment in the direction of rotation counterclockwise about the X axis as a negative righting moment.

[0072] First, we will explain the case of a symmetrical hull shape (comparison example) shown by the dotted line in Figure 14. With a symmetrical hull shape, when the hull rotates counterclockwise about the X axis, a restoring moment occurs in a direction that tries to return the hull to a roll angle of 0 degrees when the roll angle is between 0 and 120 degrees, with the restoring moment peaking at around 70 degrees. Also, when the roll angle is between 120 and 180 degrees, a moment occurs in the opposite direction to the restoring moment, which would bring the roll angle to 180 degrees (inverted state), with the reverse moment peaking at around 160 degrees.

[0073] Conversely, when the hull rotates clockwise around the X-axis, a righting moment occurs in the direction that tries to return the roll angle to 0 degrees when the roll angle is between 0 and -120 degrees, and the righting moment peaks around -70 degrees. Also, a moment occurs in the opposite direction to the righting moment that would return the roll angle to -180 degrees when the roll angle is between -120 and -180 degrees, and the opposite moment peaks around 160 degrees.

[0074] Furthermore, because the moment becomes zero at a roll angle of 180 degrees (-180 degrees), when the hull flips over, its posture stabilizes at a roll angle of around 180 degrees, as shown in Figure 12. At this time, when the roll angle is between 120 degrees and -120 degrees around 180 degrees, a moment occurs in the opposite direction to the restoration direction of the roll angle to 180 degrees (-180 degrees). Therefore, in order for the hull to return to a posture with a roll angle of 0 degrees, the roll angle of the hull must be below 120 degrees or above -120 degrees due to the force of waves, etc., against the opposite moment.

[0075] Next, we will explain the case of the asymmetric hull shape (this embodiment) shown by the solid line in Figure 14. In an asymmetric hull shape, when the hull rotates counterclockwise about the X axis, a restoring moment occurs in a direction that tries to return the hull to a roll angle of 0 degrees when the roll angle is between 0 and 120 degrees, with the restoring moment peaking at around 70 degrees. Furthermore, when the roll angle is between 120 and 165 degrees, a moment occurs in the opposite direction to the restoring direction that would result in a roll angle of 165 degrees (inverted state), with the opposite moment peaking at around 150 degrees.

[0076] 9 and 10, the outer edge of the left side (first side) of the asymmetric section 1920 relative to the direction of travel is inclined (or concave) toward the center of the hull more than the outer edge of the left side (first side) of the symmetric section 1921, so the peak value of the moment in the direction opposite to the restoration at a roll angle of around 150 degrees is smaller than in the symmetrical hull (comparative example). Therefore, it can be said that this hull shape is more likely to rotate clockwise about the X axis and restore a posture with a roll angle of zero than in the comparative example.

[0077] 9 and 10, the outer edge of the left side (first side) relative to the direction of travel is inclined (or concave) toward the center of the hull more than the outer edge of the right side (second side) relative to the direction of travel, so the peak value of the moment in the direction opposite to the righting motion at a roll angle of around 150 degrees is smaller than in the symmetrical hull (comparative example). Therefore, it can be said that this hull shape is more likely to rotate clockwise about the X axis and return to a zero roll angle attitude than the comparative example.

[0078] Conversely, when the hull rotates clockwise around the X-axis, a righting moment occurs in the direction that tries to return the hull to a roll angle of 0 degrees when the roll angle is between 0 and -120 degrees, with the righting moment peaking at around -70 degrees. Also, when the roll angle is between -120 and 165 degrees, a moment occurs in the opposite direction to the direction that would return the hull to a roll angle of 165 degrees, with the opposite moment peaking at around 150 degrees.

[0079] 9 and 10, the outer edge of the right side (second side) of the asymmetric section 1920 relative to the direction of travel is shaped to project further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the right side (second side) of the symmetric section 1921. This results in a larger peak value of the moment in the direction opposite to the righting motion when the roll angle is around -150 degrees than in the symmetrical hull (comparative example), and the angle at which the moment becomes zero and the hull stabilizes in an inverted state is shifted to around 165 degrees. As a result, the angle range (120 degrees to 165 degrees) in which a moment in the direction opposite to the righting motion when the roll angle is around 150 degrees occurs is narrower than in the symmetrical hull (120 degrees to 180 degrees). This means that the hull shape is more likely to rotate clockwise about the X axis and return to a zero roll angle than in the comparative example.

[0080] 9 and 10, the outer edge of the right side (second side) relative to the direction of travel projects further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the left side (first side) relative to the direction of travel, so the peak value of the moment in the direction opposite to the righting motion at a roll angle of around -150 degrees is larger than that of the symmetrical hull (comparative example), and the angle at which the moment becomes zero and the hull stabilizes in an inverted state is shifted to around 165 degrees, making the angle range (120 degrees to 165 degrees) in which a moment in the direction opposite to the righting motion at a roll angle of around 150 degrees occurs narrower than that of the symmetrical hull (120 degrees to 180 degrees). Therefore, the hull shape in this example is more likely to rotate clockwise about the X axis and return to a zero roll angle than the comparative example.

[0081] 9 and 10, the outer edge of the left side (first side) of asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel is inclined (or concave) toward the center of the hull more than the outer edge of the left side of symmetrical portion 1921, and the outer edge of the right side (second side) of asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the right side of symmetrical portion 1921. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 14, when a restoring operation is performed to rotate clockwise about the X axis from around 165 degrees, at which the inverted state becomes stable, to return to an attitude with a roll angle of zero, the peak value of the moment in the opposite direction to the restoring operation can be lowered and the angle range in which the opposite moment is generated can be narrowed, so that it can be said that this hull shape makes it easier for a restoring operation to rotate clockwise about the X axis to return to an attitude with a roll angle of zero to occur than in the comparative example.

[0082] 9 and 10, the outer edge of the left side (first side) of asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel is inclined (or concave) toward the center of the hull, and the outer edge of the right side (second side) of asymmetric portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel protrudes outward from the hull. As a result, as shown in Fig. 14, when a restoring operation is performed to rotate clockwise about the X axis from around 165 degrees, at which the hull is stable in the inverted state, and to return to an attitude with a roll angle of zero, the peak value of the moment in the opposite direction to the restoring operation can be lowered and the angle range in which the opposite moment is generated can be narrowed. Therefore, it can be said that this hull shape makes it easier for the restoring operation to rotate clockwise about the X axis and return to an attitude with a roll angle of zero to occur than in the comparative example.

[0083] Next, the reason why the value of the reverse moment that hinders recovery is smaller for an asymmetric hull shape than for a symmetric hull shape (comparison example) when the roll angle is 150 degrees will be explained using Figures 15 and 16.

[0084] Figure 15 is a rear side view showing the positions of the center of gravity and center of buoyancy of a symmetrical hull shape (comparison example) when the roll angle is 150 degrees. As shown in the graph in Figure 14, at a roll angle of 150 degrees, a moment is generated in the symmetrical hull shape in the direction opposite to the restoring direction. In other words, as shown in Figure 15, a counterclockwise moment is generated around the center of gravity, generating a rotational moment that returns the hull to its inverted state.

[0085] When the roll angle is 150 degrees as shown in Figure 15, the position of the center of buoyancy of the hull is shifted to the right of the center of gravity. In addition, the buoyancy vector acting at the center of buoyancy is a vector pointing vertically upward with a magnitude that balances with the weight of the hull. Therefore, the magnitude of the moment acting around the center of gravity can be calculated by multiplying the distance between the vertical line passing through the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy by the magnitude of the buoyancy vector.

[0086] Furthermore, Figure 16 is a rear side view showing the positions of the center of gravity and center of buoyancy for an asymmetric hull shape when the roll angle is 150 degrees. As shown in the graph in Figure 14, at a roll angle of 150 degrees, a moment in the opposite direction to the restoring direction is generated in the asymmetric hull shape. In other words, as shown in Figure 16, a counterclockwise moment is generated around the center of gravity, generating a rotational moment that returns the hull to its inverted state.

[0087] When the roll angle is 150 degrees as shown in Figure 16, the position of the center of buoyancy of the hull is shifted to the right of the center of gravity. Furthermore, the buoyancy vector acting at the center of buoyancy is a vector pointing vertically upward with a magnitude that balances with the weight of the hull. Therefore, the magnitude of the moment acting around the center of gravity can be calculated by multiplying the distance between the vertical line passing through the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy by the magnitude of the buoyancy vector.

[0088] If we compare the moments that occur in the symmetrical hull shown in Figure 15 with the moments that occur in the asymmetrical hull shown in Figure 16, we can see that in the symmetrical hull in Figure 15, the angle between the vertical line and the line connecting the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy is 15 degrees, whereas in the asymmetric hull in Figure 16, the angle between the vertical line and the line connecting the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy is 10 degrees, making the angle Θ smaller than in the symmetrical hull. Therefore, with the asymmetric hull, the distance between the vertical line passing through the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy is shorter, resulting in a smaller moment.

[0089] Furthermore, when comparing the distance between the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy of the symmetrical hull in Figure 15 with the distance between the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy of the asymmetrical hull in Figure 16, it can be seen that the distance between the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy of the asymmetrical hull in Figure 16 is longer. Therefore, the distance between the vertical line passing through the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy is shorter for the asymmetrical hull, and the moment is smaller.

[0090] 16 has the left side of the asymmetrical portion 1920 inclined (or concave) toward the center of the hull relative to the direction of travel, and the volume of the hull is smaller than that of a symmetrical hull, so as described above, the angle between the vertical line and the line connecting the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy is smaller, and the distance between the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy is shorter. Therefore, with an asymmetrical hull, the distance between the vertical line passing through the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy is shorter, and the magnitude of the moment is smaller.

[0091] (A-2-3-2. Restoration of the asymmetrical hull) Next, we will explain the moments that occur in each state when the attitude of the asymmetric hull of this embodiment gradually changes from a roll angle of 140 degrees to 110 degrees, using Figure 17. Figure 17 is a rear side view showing the positions of the center of gravity and center of buoyancy in the asymmetric hull shape when the roll angle is between 140 degrees and 110 degrees.

[0092] At roll angles of 140 degrees and 130 degrees shown in the upper part of Fig. 17, the center of buoyancy is shifted to the right in the Y-axis direction from the center of gravity, so a counterclockwise moment (moment in the opposite direction to the restoring direction) is generated around the center of gravity. At a roll angle of 120 degrees shown in the lower center of Fig. 17, the center of buoyancy and the center of gravity are approximately in the same position in the Y-axis direction, so no moment is generated around the center of gravity. Furthermore, at a roll angle of 110 degrees shown in the lower part of Fig. 17, the center of buoyancy is shifted to the left in the Y-axis direction from the center of gravity, so a clockwise moment (moment in the restoring direction) is generated around the center of gravity.

[0093] As described above, when the attitude of the asymmetric hull according to this embodiment changes to an angle smaller than 120 degrees, a moment is generated in the hull in a direction that restores it to a roll angle of 0 degrees, and the hull attitude can be restored. On the other hand, when the attitude of the hull changes to an angle larger than 120 degrees, a moment is generated in the opposite direction to the restoration, and the hull continues to be inverted.

[0094] (A-2-3-3. Relationship between water surface waves and restoring motion) Next, the relationship between waves generated on the water surface and the hull's righting motion will be explained using Figures 18 and 19. Figure 18 is a diagram showing the righting motion when a wave is received from the left side of the traveling direction during a turnaround. In particular, Figure 18 shows the state in which an asymmetrical hull returns to its normal attitude with a roll angle of 0 degrees by rotating clockwise in the traveling direction (X-axis direction) when a wave is received from the left side during a turnaround.

[0095] The upper diagram in Figure 18 shows a state in which a wave hits the side of the hull from the left side in the direction of travel when the roll angle of the hull is about 150 degrees at time t1. At time t1, the wave lifts up overhang 1923 of asymmetric section 1920 of the hull, generating a clockwise moment. Then, at time t2 shown in the lower diagram in Figure 18, the roll angle of the hull can rotate to about 120 degrees, and after time t2 the hull can return to its normal attitude with a roll angle of 0 degrees.

[0096] In this way, the outer edge of the right side (second side) of the asymmetrical portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the right side (second side) of the symmetrical portion 1921, or the outer edge of the right side (second side) relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the left side (first side) relative to the direction of travel, allowing the protruding portion 1923 to receive greater buoyancy from waves from the left side, thereby improving the stability compared to a hull shape that does not have the protruding portion 1923.

[0097] Figure 19 shows the state of the restoration operation when a wave is received from the right side of the traveling direction during a turnaround. In particular, Figure 19 shows the state of the hull returning to its normal attitude with a roll angle of 0 degrees in a clockwise direction of travel (X-axis) when an asymmetrical hull receives a wave from the right side during a turnaround.

[0098] The upper diagram in Figure 19 shows a state in which a wave hits the side of the hull from the right side of the direction of travel when the hull's roll angle is approximately 150 degrees at time t1. At time t1, the right side of the hull is lifted by the wave, generating a counterclockwise moment. Then, at time t2, shown in the center diagram in Figure 19, the hull's roll angle rotates to approximately -170 degrees. At this time t2, the hull's overhanging portion 1923 dives below the water surface, generating a strong clockwise moment, as shown in the graph in Figure 14. Then, at time t3, shown in the lower diagram in Figure 19, the hull's roll angle can rotate to approximately 120 degrees, allowing the hull to return to its normal attitude with a roll angle of 0 degrees after time t3.

[0099] In this way, the outer edge of the right side (second side) of the asymmetrical portion 1920 relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the right side (second side) of the symmetrical portion 1921, or the outer edge of the right side (second side) relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the left side (first side) relative to the direction of travel. As a result, waves received from the right side of the hull cause the hull to rotate, causing the protruding portion 1923 to submerge under the water surface and generating a strong rightward moment, thereby improving the stability compared to a hull shape that does not have the protruding portion 1923.

[0100] (A-2-4. Modified Hull Shape of Unmanned Boat 1010) Modified examples of the hull shape according to the present invention are described below. While Figs. 5 to 19 illustrate an asymmetric hull shape with a protruding portion 1923 on the right side relative to the direction of travel and a left side that is inclined (or recessed) toward the center of the hull, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. An asymmetric hull shape with a protruding portion 1923 on the left side relative to the direction of travel and a right side that is inclined (or recessed) toward the center of the hull may also be used. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figs. 5 to 19, the asymmetric portion 1920 of the hull has a protruding portion 1923 on one of the left and right sides and a shape that is inclined (or recessed) toward the center of the hull on the other side. However, a hull having only one of the above-described features may also be used. In other words, a hull shape with a protruding portion 1923 on one of the left and right sides, or a hull shape with a shape that is inclined (or recessed) toward the center of the hull on one of the left and right sides, may also be used. Furthermore, the left-right asymmetric portion 1920 of the hull may be a hull shape having different degrees of protrusion on both the left and right sides, i.e., having protruding portions 1923 with different volumes of the protruding portions on the left and right. Similarly, the left-right asymmetric portion 1920 of the hull may be a hull shape having different degrees of inclination or depression on both the left and right sides, i.e., having shapes with different volumes due to inclination or depression on the left and right.

[0101] Next, Figure 20 shows an AA cross section of a first modified hull shape. The hull shape shown in Figure 20 has a lower hull height in the Z-axis direction from the bottom to the deck than the hull shapes shown in Figures 5 to 11. In this way, the hull height can be changed as needed. The distance between the waterline 1912 and the structural boundary line 1922 can also be changed as needed.

[0102] Next, Figure 21 is a perspective view of a second modified hull shape. The hull shape shown in Figure 21 is taller in the Z-axis direction from the bottom of the hull to the deck, and has a larger deck area than the hull shapes shown in Figures 5 to 11. Furthermore, the volume ratio between the symmetrical portion 1921 and the asymmetrical portion 1920 provided on the underside of the hull has been changed, and the volume ratio of the asymmetrical portion 1920 has been increased. In this way, the hull height, deck area, and even the volume ratio between the symmetrical portion 1921 and the asymmetrical portion 1920 can be changed to any desired value as needed.

[0103] Next, FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a third modified hull shape. The hull shape shown in FIG. 22 is a hull shape in which the cross section is asymmetrical in the AA cross section at the center of gravity in the direction of travel, and the cross section is asymmetrical at other positions in the direction of travel. This hull shape also has a central vertical plane 1931 that divides the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 into left and right halves in the direction of travel as shown in FIG. 11. When the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 is divided into left and right halves in the direction of travel by the central vertical plane 1931, the volume of the hull on the right side of the central vertical plane 1931 is different from the volume of the hull on the left side of the central vertical plane 1931. In other words, in the hull shape shown in FIG. 22, the volume of the hull on the right side of the central vertical plane 1931 is larger than the volume of the hull on the left side of the central vertical plane 1931. Therefore, similar to the hull shapes shown in FIGS. 5 to 11, this hull shape can achieve the effect of improved stability compared to a symmetrical hull shape.

[0104] (A-2-5. Internal hardware configuration of the unmanned boat 1010) Next, features of the internal and external hardware configurations of the unmanned watercraft 1010 will be described using Figures 23 to 27. In the asymmetric hull structure of this embodiment, the weight of the hull is biased to the right side of the hull, which has the overhanging portion 1923, and the center of gravity of the hull shell plating is located to the right of the central vertical plane 1931 (central vertical plane 1931 including a center line generated in the direction of travel that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline 1912 and the vertical cross section) shown in Figures 23 and 24. However, in order to maintain the navigation performance of the vessel, it is necessary to maintain the attitude of the hull approximately horizontal (roll angle near zero degrees) during navigation and to equalize the resistance experienced by the hull below the waterline 1912 on both the left and right sides. Therefore, in the example shown below, the weight of the hull's outer plating and the overall center of gravity of the unmanned vessel 1010, including each piece of equipment mounted inside the hull of the unmanned vessel 1010, are configured to be near a center line (shown in Figure 24) generated in the direction of travel, passing through the center of the intersection of the vertical cross section of the hull's outer plating and the waterline 1912 when the hull is cut by a YZ plane perpendicular to the direction of travel, or to a position above or below the center line.

[0105] (A-2-5-1. Installation location of internal equipment of Unmanned Vehicle 1010) First, an example will be described in which the center of gravity position of the entire hull is adjusted by adjusting the installation positions of the equipment inside the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010. Fig. 23 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the layout of each device inside the hull in cross section AA. Fig. 24 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the layout of each device inside the hull in cross section BB, which is obtained by cutting the hull horizontally at the position of the structural boundary line 1922.

[0106] As shown in Figure 23, inside the hull at the position of cross section AA, a wire harness is installed on the lower side of the inside of the hull in the longitudinal direction of the hull, a battery constituting the power storage unit is installed in the middle level, and above the battery are installed devices that constitute other functional units installed on the unmanned boat 1010, such as the aircraft status determination unit 1200, navigation control unit 1330, power supply control unit 1530, measurement data processing unit 1600, recording unit 1700, and center of gravity position control mechanism unit 1800.

[0107] 23 and 24, the loads are arranged so that the center of gravity of the entire unmanned watercraft 1010 is located within the central vertical plane 1931 or in the vicinity of the central vertical plane 1931. In the example shown in Figures 23 and 24, the loads, including at least one of the equipment, power storage device, cables, and other heavy objects installed inside the hull, are positioned to the left (first side) of the central vertical plane 1931. More specifically, in the example shown in Figures 23 and 24, the center of gravity of at least some of the batteries installed in the longitudinal direction of the hull is positioned to the left (first side) of the central vertical plane 1931, that is, on the opposite side from the right side where the protrusion 1923 is provided, and the center of gravity of the total weight of the loads installed inside the hull is positioned to the left (first side) of the central vertical plane 1931. As shown in Figure 24, it is not necessary for all of the batteries to be positioned to the left; as long as the overall center of gravity of the multiple batteries is positioned to the left, some of the batteries at the rear may be positioned to the right of the central vertical plane 1931.

[0108] In the example shown in Figures 23 and 24, an example is described in which the center of gravity of the entire hull is adjusted by adjusting the battery placement, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the center of gravity of a wire harness, other equipment, or other mounted items may be positioned to the left (first side) of the central vertical plane 1931.

[0109] (A-2-5-2. Thickness of the hull shell of the unmanned boat 1010) Next, an example will be described in which the position of the center of gravity of the entire hull is adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the outer plating of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010. Fig. 25 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the arrangement of each device inside the hull and the thickness of the outer plating of the hull in the AA cross section.

[0110] As described above, in the example shown in Figure 25, by adjusting the thickness of the hull shell plating so that the thickness of the hull shell plating on the left side (first side side) of the central vertical plane 1931 is thicker than the thickness of the hull shell plating on the right side (second side side), the position of the center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010 as a whole can be adjusted to be included in the central vertical plane 1931 or to be a position near the central vertical plane 1931. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 25, the thickness of the hull shell plating on the left side (first side side) of the left-right symmetrical portion 1921 on the lower side of the hull and the left-right asymmetrical portion 1920 on the upper side of the hull is thicker than the thickness of the hull shell plating in other parts.

[0111] (A-2-5-3. Installation position of upper and lower payloads of the unmanned craft 1010) Next, an example of adjusting the center of gravity of the entire hull by adjusting the installation positions of payloads mounted on the upper and lower sides of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010 will be described with reference to Figures 26 and 27. Figure 26 is an example of a right side view of the unmanned watercraft 1010. Figure 27 is an example of a rear side view of the unmanned watercraft 1010.

[0112] 26 and 27, a pole is installed on the deck of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010, and a marine measurement sensor 1110 and a wireless communication unit 1410 are installed on the top of the pole. For example, by placing this pole at a position shifted to the left (first side) of the central vertical plane 1931, the position of the center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010 as a whole can be adjusted to be included in the central vertical plane 1931 or to be located near the central vertical plane 1931.

[0113] 26 and 27, a fin-shaped keel is installed on the underside of the hull of the unmanned watercraft 1010, and an equipment mounting section capable of mounting equipment therein is provided at the lower tip of the keel. Inside this equipment mounting section, an underwater measurement sensor 1120, an underwater communication section 1420, or a heavy object for lowering the center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010 can be mounted. Here, for example, by positioning the center of gravity of the object mounted inside the equipment mounting section at a position shifted to the left (first side) of the central vertical plane 1931, the overall center of gravity of the unmanned watercraft 1010 can be adjusted to be included in the central vertical plane 1931 or to be near the central vertical plane 1931.

[0114] In other words, by positioning the equipment, power generation equipment, and other heavy objects mounted on the top surface of the hull, the upper side of the hull, or the underside of the bottom of the vessel so that the center of gravity of the equipment is shifted toward the first side from a central vertical plane 1931 that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline 1912 and the vertical cross section and includes a center line generated in the direction of travel, the overall center of gravity of the unmanned vessel 1010 can be adjusted to be located within the central vertical plane 1931 or in the vicinity of the central vertical plane 1931.

[0115] (A-2-6. Hardware configuration of the integrated control system 2000) 28 is a hardware configuration diagram of the overall control system 2000 and the user terminal 5000. Here, the overall control system 2000 and the user terminal 5000 in the present invention are information processing devices such as a server device or a PC. As shown in the figure, the overall control system 2000 has an input device 100, an output device 200, a processing device 300, a main memory device 400, an auxiliary memory device 500, a communication device 600, and a bus 700 that electrically connects these devices.

[0116] The input device 100 can constitute a user input receiving unit, and is a device that allows a user to input information and instructions to the integrated control system 2000. Specifically, the input device 100 is, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, or an audio input device such as a microphone.

[0117] The output device 200 is a device that outputs various information generated by the integrated control system 2000, and can constitute the display unit 2710. Specifically, the output device 200 can constitute the display unit using a display device for eyewear, AR, or VR, or can also be a printer or a speaker.

[0118] The processing device 300 is, for example, a device that performs arithmetic processing. Specifically, the processing device 300 is, for example, a CPU, a microprocessor, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or other semiconductor devices capable of performing arithmetic processing.

[0119] The main memory device 400 is a memory device including RAM and ROM that reads and writes temporarily to memory elements at any address during processing, without requiring any waiting time depending on the access pattern. For example, RAM is temporarily written to and read from during programs, application programs, and various other processes executed by the processing device 300. ROM is a non-volatile memory that does not lose recorded information even if the device loses power. The auxiliary memory device 500 is a non-volatile memory device capable of storing digital information, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory.

[0120] The communication device 600 is a device that performs wireless or wired information communication with the outside, and can constitute the information communication unit described above.

[0121] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0122] [B. Effects of this embodiment] The above-described embodiment makes it possible to obtain a ship that can automatically right itself from an inverted state more reliably or in a shorter time when the ship flips over. In particular, by providing a left-right asymmetric portion 1920 in part of the hull, it is possible to make the righting characteristics around the axis of the traveling direction when the hull flips over on the water surface different between clockwise and counterclockwise, thereby making it possible to obtain a ship that can automatically right itself from an inverted state more reliably or in a shorter time than a ship with a left-right symmetrical hull shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 1. Maritime surveillance system (system) 100...input device 200...output device 300...Processing device 400...Main storage device 500...Auxiliary storage device 600...Communication device 700...bus 1000...Unmanned boat system 1001...Base unit 1002...Sub unit 1010...Unmanned boat 1100...Measuring unit 1110...Marine measurement sensor 1120... Underwater measurement sensor 1130... Measurement control unit 1200...Own aircraft state determination unit 1210...Navigation state determination unit 1220: Internal state determination unit 1230: External state determination unit 1300...Navigation section 1310...Thrust generation section 1320: Attitude control mechanism 1330: Navigation control unit 1400...Communication unit 1410...Wireless communication unit 1420... Undersea communication unit 1430... Communication control unit 1500...Power supply unit 1510...Power generation unit 1520... Power storage unit 1530... Power supply control unit 1600: Measurement data processing section 1700...Recording section 1710...Measurement data recording section 1720...Own aircraft status recording section 1730...Determination information recording section 1800...Center of gravity position control mechanism 1910...Water surface 1911...Waterline 1912…Draft surface 1920...Asymmetrical part 1921...Symmetrical part 1922...Structural boundary 1923...Protrusion 1930...Central vertical line 1931...Central vertical plane 2000...Comprehensive control system 3100: Access point in the sky 3110: Communications satellite 3120...HAPS 3200...Ground Access Point 5000...User terminals 6000...Internet connection 7000...Object 7100...Maritime objects 7200...Subsea objects

Claims

1. A vessel that sails on water and automatically right itself if it flips over, When the hull of the ship is anchored or sailing at a constant speed on the water surface, a plane including an intersection line between the water surface and the outer plating of the hull is defined as a waterline, When a cross section enclosed by an intersection line of a plane perpendicular to a first straight line formed in the traveling direction of the ship when the ship is traveling straight ahead and the outer plating of the hull at any position on the first straight line is defined as a vertical cross section, The shape of the vertical cross section at least at any position on the first straight line is asymmetrical with respect to a vertical line passing through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section, thereby creating a hull shape that makes it easy for the ship to perform a restoring operation to return to an attitude with a roll angle of zero.

2. 2. The watercraft according to claim 1, The hull has a symmetrical portion in which the left and right side shapes in the traveling direction are substantially symmetrical, and a asymmetrical portion in which the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, The left-right symmetrical portion is provided in at least a part below the waterline, The ship, wherein the left-right asymmetric portion is located above the waterline.

3. 2. The watercraft according to claim 1, The hull has a symmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes in the traveling direction are symmetrical, and a asymmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, The left-right symmetrical portion is provided below the waterline and between the waterline and a position vertically above the waterline by a predetermined distance, The ship, wherein the left-right asymmetric portion is located above a position that is a predetermined distance above the waterline.

4. 2. The watercraft according to claim 1, A ship in which, near the center of gravity of the ship in the direction of the first straight line, the shape of the vertical cross section enclosed by the intersection line of a plane perpendicular to the first straight line and the outer plating of the hull is asymmetrical with respect to the vertical line passing through the midpoint of the intersection line of the waterline and the vertical cross section.

5. 2. The watercraft according to claim 1, A ship in which the volume of the hull on the right side is different from the volume of the hull on the left side when the ship is divided into left and right halves with respect to the direction of travel by a central vertical plane that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section and includes a center line generated in the direction of travel.

6. 4. The vessel according to claim 2 or 3, A ship in which the outer edge of the vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetric portion relative to the direction of travel is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface at the boundary between the asymmetric portion and the asymmetric portion.

7. 4. The vessel according to claim 2 or 3, A ship in which the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the asymmetric portion on the second side surface side relative to the direction of travel protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface side at the boundary between the asymmetric portion and the asymmetric portion.

8. 4. The vessel according to claim 2 or 3, an outer edge of the vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetric portion with respect to the traveling direction is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull with respect to the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface at a boundary line between the asymmetric portion and the asymmetric portion, A ship, wherein the outer edge of the vertical cross section of a second side surface opposite the first side surface of the asymmetric portion protrudes further outward from the hull than the outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface at the boundary between the asymmetric portion and the asymmetric portion.

9. 2. The watercraft according to claim 1, A vessel in which the center of gravity of the vessel is located near a center line generated in the direction of travel that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section, or a position above or below the center line.

10. 2. The watercraft according to claim 1, The hull has a symmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are symmetrical and an asymmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, a hull shape in which an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetric portion with respect to the traveling direction is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface at the position of the waterline, or an outer edge of the vertical cross section of a second side surface of the asymmetric portion opposite the first side surface with respect to the traveling direction protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface at the position of the waterline, A ship in which the onboard equipment, including at least one of equipment, a power storage device, cables, and other heavy objects installed inside the hull, is positioned so that the center of gravity of the total weight of the onboard equipment is shifted to the first side from a central vertical plane that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section and includes a center line generated in the direction of travel.

11. 2. The watercraft according to claim 1, The hull has a symmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are symmetrical and an asymmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, a hull shape in which an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetric portion with respect to the traveling direction is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface at the position of the waterline, or an outer edge of the vertical cross section of a second side surface of the asymmetric portion opposite the first side surface with respect to the traveling direction protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface at the position of the waterline, A ship in which the loads are arranged so that the center of gravity of the total weight of the loads, including at least one of equipment, power generation equipment, and other heavy objects provided on the upper surface of the hull or the upper side or underside of the hull or bottom, is shifted toward the first side from a central vertical plane that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section and includes a center line generated in the direction of travel.

12. 2. The watercraft according to claim 1, The hull has a symmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are symmetrical and an asymmetrical portion where the left and right side shapes are asymmetrical, a hull shape in which an outer edge of a vertical cross section of a first side surface of the asymmetric portion with respect to the traveling direction is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the first side surface at the position of the waterline, or an outer edge of the vertical cross section of a second side surface of the asymmetric portion opposite the first side surface with respect to the traveling direction protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of the vertical cross section of the second side surface at the position of the waterline, A ship in which the thickness of the outer plate of the hull on the first side relative to a central vertical plane including a center line generated in the direction of travel that passes through the midpoint of the intersection of the waterline and the vertical cross section is thicker than the thickness of the outer plate of the hull on the second side relative to the central vertical plane.

13. A vessel that sails on water and automatically right itself if it flips over, When the hull of the ship is anchored or sailing at a constant speed on the water surface, a plane including an intersection line between the water surface and the outer plating of the hull is defined as a waterline, When a vertical cross section is defined as a cross section enclosed by an intersection line of a plane perpendicular to a first straight line formed in the direction of travel of the ship when the ship is traveling straight ahead and the outer plating of the hull, A ship having a hull shape that makes it easy for the ship to perform a restoring action to return to a zero roll angle attitude, by dividing the vertical cross section at least at any position on the first straight line into an upper side and a lower side by the waterline, such that the lateral positions of the centroid of the upper vertical cross section and the centroid of the lower vertical cross section are misaligned.

14. 14. The watercraft of claim 13, A ship, wherein an outer edge of a first side surface of the upper vertical cross section is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of a second side surface opposite the first side surface.

15. 14. The watercraft of claim 13, A ship, wherein an outer edge of a second side surface of the upper vertical cross section protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of a first side surface opposite the second side surface.

16. 14. The watercraft of claim 13, The outer edge of the first side surface of the upper vertical cross section is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull, An outer edge of the second side surface of the upper vertical cross section protrudes outward from the hull.

17. A vessel that sails on water and automatically right itself if it flips over, When a vertical cross section is defined as a cross section enclosed by an intersection line of a plane perpendicular to a first straight line formed in the traveling direction of the ship when the ship is traveling straight ahead and an outer plating of the hull of the ship, When the vertical cross section at least at any position on the first straight line is divided into a lower one-quarter and an upper three-quarters in terms of vertical length, the centroid of the upper vertical cross section and the centroid of the lower vertical cross section are misaligned in the lateral direction, thereby making it easy for the ship to perform a restoring action to return its roll angle to a zero angle attitude.

18. 18. The watercraft of claim 17, A ship, wherein an outer edge of a first side surface of the upper vertical cross section is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull more than an outer edge of a second side surface opposite the first side surface.

19. 18. The watercraft of claim 17, A ship, wherein an outer edge of a second side surface of the upper vertical cross section protrudes outward from the hull more than an outer edge of a first side surface opposite the second side surface.

20. 18. The watercraft of claim 17, The outer edge of the first side surface of the upper vertical cross section is inclined or recessed toward the center of the hull, An outer edge of the second side surface of the upper vertical cross section protrudes outward from the hull.

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