Server device, system, flying body, and method of action of system

Abstract

Provided is a server device, a system, a flying body, and a method of operation of the system. The server device has: a communication unit; and a control unit that transmits instructions for causing a plurality of flying bodies to perform flight operations to the plurality of flying bodies, wherein the flight operations include: a procedure in which a first flying body applies force to a penetrating tool toward an object arranged in a predetermined space, and flies outside the predetermined space while maintaining a first portion of a rope-like member that has penetrated the object and a second portion of the rope-like member that has not penetrated the object; a procedure in which a second flying body waits outside the predetermined space, and receives either the first portion or the second portion from the first flying body; and a procedure in which the first flying body and the second flying body fly while respectively maintaining either the first portion or the second portion and the other portion, and the object is carried outside the predetermined space using the rope-like member.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server device, a system, a flying body, and a method of action of the system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, a method of carrying various objects by an unmanned flying body such as a drone has been proposed. In connection with the above-described technology, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-203056, a storage device that stores an object carried by a drone is disclosed. SUMMARY

[0003] When an object is carried by a flying body, the flight action is sometimes limited due to the size of the space in which flight is possible, and there is room for improvement in the flight action of the flying body.

[0004] A server device or the like that can improve the efficiency of the flight action of a flying body even in a case where the flight space is limited is disclosed below.

[0005] The server device of the present disclosure has: a communication section; and a control section that transmits an instruction for causing a plurality of flying bodies to perform a flight action to the plurality of flying bodies, wherein the flight action includes: a procedure in which a first flying body applies force to a penetrating tool toward an object arranged in a predetermined space, and flies outside the predetermined space while holding a first site that penetrates the object and a second site that does not penetrate the object of a rope-like member attached to the penetrating tool; a procedure in which a second flying body waits outside the predetermined space, and receives one of the first site and the second site from the first flying body; and a procedure in which the first flying body and the second flying body fly while respectively holding one and the other of the first site and the second site, and carry the object outside the predetermined space by using the rope-like member as a towline.

[0006] The flying body of the present disclosure has: a communication section; a control section that receives an instruction from a server device via the communication section; and a holding mechanism that holds a penetrating tool, wherein, according to control performed by the control section corresponding to the instruction, a procedure in which the penetrating tool is applied force toward an object arranged in a predetermined space, and flies outside the predetermined space while holding a first site that penetrates the object and a second site that does not penetrate the object of a rope-like member attached to the penetrating tool is performed; a procedure in which one of the first site and the second site is handed over to another flying body that waits outside the predetermined space; and a procedure in which the flying body flies while respectively holding one and the other of the first site and the second site together with the another flying body, and carries the object outside the predetermined space by using the rope-like member as a towline is performed.

[0007] According to the method of action of the system having the server device and the plurality of flight bodies according to the present disclosure, the server device transmits flight instructions to a first flight body and a second flight body, the first flight body applies force to a penetrating tool toward an object arranged in a predetermined space, flies outside the predetermined space while maintaining a first portion of a rope-like member attached to the penetrating tool that penetrates the object and a second portion of the rope-like member that does not penetrate the object, the second flight body waits outside the predetermined space, receives one of the first portion and the second portion from the first flight body, and flies while maintaining one of the first portion and the second portion and the other portion by the first flight body and the second flight body, respectively, and the object is carried outside the predetermined space by the rope-like member.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, even in a case where a flight space is limited, efficiency of a flight action using a flight body can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[0010] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a carrying system.

[0011] Figure 2A is a diagram illustrating an action of a carrying system.

[0012] Figure 2B is a diagram illustrating an action of a carrying system.

[0013] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a server device.

[0014] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a flight body.

[0015] Figure 5 is a timing chart illustrating an action example of a carrying system.

[0016] Figure 6A is a diagram illustrating an action of a flight body.

[0017] Figure 6B is a diagram illustrating an action of a flight body.

[0018] Figure 6C is a diagram illustrating an action of a flight body.

[0019] Figure 6D is a diagram illustrating an action of a flight body.

[0020] Figure 6E is a diagram illustrating an action of a flight body.

[0021] Figure 7A It is a diagram illustrating the movements of a flying object.

[0022] Figure 7B It is a diagram illustrating the movements of a flying object.

[0023] Figure 7C It is a diagram illustrating the movements of a flying object.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating the motion of the flying body in the modified example.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating the motion of the flying body in the modified example. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The implementation method is described below.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of the transport system in this embodiment. (See diagram for example.) Figure 1 As shown, the transport system 10 includes a server device 11 and flying bodies 12 and 13 that transport objects under the control of the server device 11. The server device 11 and the flying bodies 12 and 13 are interconnected via a network 14. The server device 11 is, for example, a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system and equipped with various functions. The flying bodies 12 and 13 are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that use electricity or the like to generate lift by rotating multiple rotors. In this embodiment, the flying bodies 12 and 13 fly autonomously under instructions from the server device 11, but they can also fly remotely. As detailed later, the flying bodies 12 and 13 have mechanisms for transporting objects. The network 14 is, for example, the Internet, including ad hoc networks, LANs (Local Area Networks), MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks), or other networks, or any combination thereof.

[0028] Figure 2A , 2B This diagram illustrates a general outline of the object transport operation using flying bodies 12 and 13 in this embodiment. Flying bodies 12 and 13 transport objects positioned in a predetermined space to outside that space. In this embodiment, the predetermined space is a space enclosed by the floor of a balcony and railing walls within a complex such as an apartment building or office building. Figure 2A , 2BIn the present embodiment, a schematic cross-sectional view of the balcony 20 of the collection facility is shown. The balcony space 21, which is a predetermined space, is a space corresponding to a volume corresponding to the dimensions and shape of the floor of the balcony 20 and the height of the parapet wall. The balcony space 21 has, for example, dimensions and a shape like that of a cuboid space having a side of several tens to several hundreds of cm. The object is, for example, a garbage bag 22 made of polyethylene or another general-purpose resin having a volume of 20 to 90 liters. The flying bodies 12 and 13 hold both ends of a string member 23 that penetrates the garbage bag 22 and cooperatively carry the garbage bag 22 suspended by the string member 23. The string member 23 is, for example, a rope made of chemical fibers such as nylon or polyester fibers, a rope made of natural fibers such as cotton or hemp, or a wire or chain made of metal. The flying bodies 12 and 13 have a certain degree of size of the body because they are equipped with a power device such as a motor that can output lift force for the above-described flight operation. The flying bodies 12 and 13 have, for example, dimensions and a shape like that of a cuboid space having a side of several tens to several hundreds of cm. Thus, the size of the balcony space 21 can limit the operation for the flying bodies 12 and 13 to simultaneously enter the balcony space 21 and for the string member 23 to penetrate the garbage bag 22. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the server device 11 individually controls the flight operation of the flying bodies 12 and 13 in order for the flying bodies 12 and 13 to cooperatively carry the garbage bag 22.

[0029] In the present embodiment, the server device 11 transmits an instruction to the flying bodies 12 and 13 to perform a flight operation as follows. The flying body 12 flies toward the garbage bag 22, which is an object, disposed in the balcony space 21, which is a predetermined space, and penetrates the garbage bag 22 at a first position and a second position that are not penetrated by the string member 23 attached to the penetrating tool and flies outside the balcony space 21. Also, the flying body 13 waits outside the balcony space 21 and receives one of the first and second positions of the string member 23 from the flying body 12. Then, the flying bodies 12 and 13 fly while holding one and the other of the first and second positions of the string member 23, respectively, and thereby carry the garbage bag 22 suspended by the string member 23 outside the balcony space 21. In this way, even if the flying bodies 12 and 13 cannot simultaneously enter the balcony space 21, the flying bodies 12 and 13 can cooperatively carry the garbage bag 22 outside the balcony space 21.

[0030] Figure 3A configuration example of the server apparatus 11 is shown. The server apparatus 11 includes a control section 31, a storage section 32, a communication section 33, an input section 35, and an output section 36. The server apparatus 11 is, for example, a server computer that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system and functions as a server on which various functions are installed. The server apparatus 11 can also be one or more server computers that are connected to each other so as to act in cooperation.

[0031] The control section 31 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or the like. The control section 31 controls each section of the server apparatus 11 while performing information processing related to the operation of the server apparatus 11.

[0032] The storage section 32 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of them, which function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (Static RAM) or a DRAM (Dynamic RAM). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). The storage section 32 stores information used in the operation of the server apparatus 11 and information obtained through the operation of the server apparatus 11.

[0033] The communication section 33 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication section 33 receives information used in the operation of the server apparatus 11 and transmits information obtained through the operation of the server apparatus 11. The server apparatus 11 is connected to the network 14 through the communication section 33 and performs information communication with other apparatuses via the network 14.

[0034] The input section 35 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interfaces are, for example, physical keys, electrostatic capacitance keys, pointing devices, touch screens provided integrally with displays, or microphones that accept voice input. The input interfaces can also include cameras that take in captured images or image codes, or IC card readers. The input section 35 accepts operations that input information used in the operation of the server device 11, and sends the input information to the control section 31.

[0035] The output section 36 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interfaces are, for example, displays or speakers. The displays are, for example, LCDs or organic EL displays. The output section 36 outputs information obtained through the operation of the server device 11.

[0036] The functions of the server device 11 are realized by executing a control program by a processor included in the control section 31. The control program is a program for causing a computer to execute processes included in the operation of the server device 11, thereby causing the computer to realize functions corresponding to the processes. That is, the control program is a program for causing a computer to function as the server device 11.

[0037] Figure 4 An example of the structure of the flying body 12 is shown. Figure 4 The description of the flying body 12 in the above description applies to the flying body 13 as well, unless specifically limited. The flying body 12 includes a control section 41, a storage section 42, a communication section 43, a positioning section 44, an input section 45, an output section 46, a detection section 47, and a holding mechanism 48.

[0038] The control section 41 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processors are general-purpose processors such as CPUs, or dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuits are, for example, FPGAs or ASICs. The control section 41 controls each section of the flying body 12 while executing information processing related to the operation of the flying body 12.

[0039] The storage section 42 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of them, which function as main storage devices, auxiliary storage devices, or cache memories. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAMs or ROMs. The RAMs are, for example, SRAMs or DRAMs. The ROMs are, for example, EEPROMs. The storage section 42 executes information processing related to the operation of the flying body 12, and stores information used in the operation of the flying body 12 and information obtained through the operation of the flying body 12.

[0040] The communication section 43 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interfaces are, for example, interfaces corresponding to mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication section 43 receives information used in the operation of the control section 41, and transmits information obtained through the operation of the control section 41. The control section 41 connects to the network 14 via a base station of mobile communication through the communication section 43, and performs information communication with other devices via the network 14.

[0041] The positioning section 44 includes one or more GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers. In the GNSS, for example, at least any one of GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), BeiDou, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and Galileo is included. The positioning section 44 acquires position information of the flying body 12.

[0042] The input section 45 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interfaces are a camera that takes in an image, a physical key, an electrostatic capacitance key, a pointing device, a touch screen provided integrally with a display, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input interfaces can also include an IC card reader. The input section 45 accepts an operation that inputs information used in the operation of the control section 41, and sends the input information to the control section 41.

[0043] In the output section 46, one or more output interfaces are included. The output interfaces are, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. The output section 46 outputs information obtained through the operation of the control section 41.

[0044] The detection section 47 has sensor groups that detect a motion state of the flying body 12 and a situation of the surroundings of the flying body 12. The motion state of the flying body 12 is a flight speed, a height, a degree of inclination of a posture, and the like, and in the sensor groups that detect these, a speed sensor, a height sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and the like are included. The situation of the surroundings of the flying body 12 is the presence or absence of an obstacle and other objects, a distance to the other objects, and the like, and in the sensor groups that detect these, an image sensor, a distance sensor, and the like are included. The detection section 47 sends a detection result based on the sensor groups to the control section 41.

[0045] The holding mechanism 48 has a mechanism for holding a penetrating tool for penetrating the garbage bag 22 and a control circuit thereof. The penetrating tool is a rod-like member having a rigid and sharp front end portion capable of penetrating the garbage bag 22, and is, for example, a metal or plastic lance having a length of several tens of cm to several hundreds of cm. The holding mechanism 48 holds or releases the penetrating tool according to an instruction from the control section 41. The holding mechanism 48 has, for example, an electromagnet and a control circuit thereof for attracting and holding the metal penetrating tool, or a pair of arms capable of gripping the penetrating tool by opening and closing with an actuator and a control circuit thereof. Alternatively, the holding mechanism 48 can have a launching mechanism that holds the penetrating tool by attaching the penetrating tool in advance, and is capable of launching the penetrating tool by applying a force to the penetrating tool using compressed air, an elastic member, or the like, according to an instruction from the control section 41. However, the holding mechanism 48 can not have the launching mechanism of the penetrating tool in the flying body 13. In addition, the holding mechanism 48 detachably holds a terminal end of the rope-like member 23 having the front end portion attached to the penetrating tool. The holding mechanism 48 can, for example, attract and release a metal sheet attached to the terminal end of the rope-like member 23 by an electromagnet, or grip and release the terminal end of the rope-like member 23 by a pair of arms. The holding mechanism 48 can also have a reel that fixes the terminal end of the rope-like member 23 and winds the rope-like member 23.

[0046] The power device and various mechanisms of the flying body 12 act according to an instruction issued by the control section 41, whereby flight and other actions of the flying body 12 are realized. The instruction issued by the control section 41 is generated by executing a control program by a processor included in the control section 41. In addition, part or all of the functions of the control section 41 can be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control section 41.

[0047] Figure 5 is a timing chart showing the action process of the transport system 10. Figure 5 The process of the joint action of the server device 11, the flying bodies 12 and 13 is shown. In Figure 5In the action in the server device 11, when the server device 11 exchanges various information with other devices including the flying bodies 12 and 13, the control section 31 of the server device 11 transmits information to the other devices via the communication section 33, and accepts information from the other devices. In the flying bodies 12 and 13, when the flying bodies 12 and 13 exchange information with other devices including the server device 11, the control section 41 of the flying bodies 12 and 13 accepts information from the other devices via the communication section 43, and transmits information to the other devices. In the server device 11, when the server device 11 performs various information processing, the control section 31 performs processing using information stored in the storage section 32. In the flying bodies 12 and 13, when the flying bodies 12 and 13 perform flight or other actions, the control section 41 of the flying bodies 12 and 13 generates and outputs instructions for various actions, and the power device and various mechanisms act in accordance with the instructions, whereby various actions of the flying bodies 12 and 13 are realized.

[0048] Figure 5 The process of the collection facility 1 is performed, for example, when a resident or the like of the collection facility requests the collection of the garbage bag 22. For example, the resident or the like places the garbage bag 22 at a predetermined position of the balcony space 21, and transmits a request for the collection of the garbage bag 22 together with information of the balcony space 21 where the garbage bag 22 is placed to the server device 11 via a general-purpose communication terminal such as a smartphone or a dedicated communication terminal provided in the collection facility or the like. The information of the balcony space 21 is information that specifies the balcony space 21, and is information that specifies the resident or the like of the collection facility, position information of the balcony space 21, or the like. Then, the server device 11 accepts the information of the balcony space 21 and the request for the collection in step S500.

[0049] In step S502, the server device 11 generates a flight instruction toward the flying bodies 12 and 13 on the basis of the information of the balcony space 21. In the storage section 32 of the server device 11, information of the shape, size, space coordinates, or the like of the balcony space 21, information of a position where the garbage bag 22 is placed, and information of a parking place of the flying bodies 12 and 13 are stored in advance for each balcony provided in the collection facility. The parking place of the flying bodies 12 and 13 is, for example, an arbitrary position provided in the roof or the site of the collection facility. The control section 31 determines a target in the flight of each of the flying bodies 12 and 13 and a flight path from the parking place to the target by an arbitrary algorithm, and generates a flight instruction including the target, the flight path, and various actions in the flight.

[0050] In steps S504 and S506, the server device 11 transmits the flight instruction to the flying bodies 12 and 13, respectively. The flying bodies 12 and 13 accept the flight instruction, respectively.

[0051] The flying bodies 12 and 13 execute the actions after the step S508 in accordance with the flight instructions. Here, an example is shown in which the flying bodies 12 and 13 execute the actions in accordance with the flight instructions accepted from the server device 11 in the steps S504 and S506, respectively. However, the server device 11 can also transmit the flight instructions to the flying bodies 12 and 13 at timings divided as appropriate, respectively. For example, the server device 11 can accept information indicating the execution status of the actions at the time from the flying bodies 12 and 13 at all times, respectively, generate the flight instructions for the actions next time, transmit the generated flight instructions to the flying bodies 12 and 13, respectively, and the flying bodies 12 and 13 can execute the actions corresponding to the flight instructions at all times, respectively.

[0052] Referring to Figure 6A to 6E , the actions of the flying body 12 in the steps S508 to S514 will be described. Figure 6A to 6E is a diagram schematically showing the flying actions of the flying body 12.

[0053] In the step S508, the flying body 12 flies to the target and captures the object. The target is, for example, an arbitrary spatial coordinate within the balcony space 21. As shown in Figure 6A , when the flying body 12 enters the balcony space 21 and reaches the target, the control section 41 captures the garbage bag 22 by the probe section 47. The control section 41 derives the presence of the garbage bag 22 and the distance to the garbage bag 22 from the detection result from the probe section 47, thereby capturing the garbage bag 22. For example, when the image sensor of the probe section 47 images the surroundings of the flying body 12 and transmits the imaged image to the control section 41, the control section 41 detects the image of the garbage bag 22 by performing image processing including pattern recognition on the imaged image. In addition, when the distance sensor of the probe section 47 measures the distance to the garbage bag 22 and transmits the measurement result to the control section 41, the control section 41 derives the distance to the garbage bag 22 from the measurement result. In Figure 6A , the flying body 12 holds the through instrument 60 and the other end portion of the string-like member 23 attached to the one end portion of the through instrument 60 by the holding mechanism 48.

[0054] In the step S510, the flying body 12 applies force to the through instrument 60 toward the garbage bag 22 as the object, and causes the through instrument 60 to pass through the object.

[0055] For example, as Figure 6BAs shown, the flying body 12 moves with a propulsive force of a certain value or higher while the penetrating device 60 is held by the holding mechanism 48, thereby applying force to the penetrating device 60. At this time, the flying body 12 moves in a direction and angle such that the front end of the penetrating device 60 pierces the garbage bag 22. At this time, the control unit 41 determines the direction and angle of movement, for example, based on the camera image and distance information, so that the penetrating device 60 pierces the garbage bag 22 near the seal with a high probability of not containing any contents, for example, at an arbitrary distance from the seal recognized by the image. Taking into account the rigidity of the raw material of the garbage bag 22 and the rigidity of the penetrating device 60, the propulsive force of the flying body 12 is arbitrarily set in advance. As a result, the front end of the penetrating device 60 pierces the garbage bag 22 and penetrates the garbage bag 22.

[0056] In addition, such as Figure 6C As shown, the flying object 12 launches the penetrating tool 60 via a launching mechanism provided in the holding mechanism 48, applying force to the penetrating tool 60. At this time, the flying object 12, while suspended in the air at an arbitrary position such that the tip of the launched penetrating tool 60 pierces the garbage bag 22, launches the penetrating tool 60 towards the garbage bag 22. Taking into account the rigidity of the raw material of the garbage bag 22, the rigidity of the penetrating tool 60, and the magnitude of the force applied to the penetrating tool 60 by the launching mechanism, the position of the flying object 12 suspended in the air is arbitrarily set in advance. At this time, the control unit 41 determines the position suspended in the air, for example, based on camera images and distance information, so that the penetrating tool 60 pierces near the seal of the garbage bag 22, where there is a high probability that it contains no contents. Thus, the tip of the penetrating tool 60 pierces the garbage bag 22, penetrating it.

[0057] In step S512, the flying body 12 retrieves the penetrating device 60 that has penetrated the garbage bag 22, which is the object. For example, when the flying body 12 arrives at... Figure 6B After reaching the desired state, the retaining mechanism 48 releases the penetrating device 60, moving it to the position shown. Figure 6D The holding mechanism 48 can be used to hold the front end of the penetrating device 60 in position again. Alternatively, the flying body 12 can be positioned as follows: Figure 6C As shown, after the penetrating device 60 is released by the holding mechanism 48, it moves to the position shown. Figure 6D The holding mechanism 48 can be used to hold the front end of the penetrating device 60 in position again. Then, the flying body 12 holds the end of the penetrating device 60 that has penetrated the garbage bag 22, i.e., the front end, by means of the holding mechanism 48. Then, the flying body 12... Figure 6EAs shown, the mobile body 12 reaches a state of holding the through tool 60 that has penetrated the garbage bag 22 and the terminal portion of the string member 23. That is, the mobile body 12 reaches a state of holding the portion of the string member 23 on the side of the front end portion that has penetrated the garbage bag 22 and the portion on the side of the terminal portion that has not penetrated the garbage bag 22.

[0058] In the state where the mobile body 12 holds the terminal portion of the string member 23, steps S510 to S512 are executed. Therefore, when the through tool 60 is recovered by executing step S512, as shown in Figure 6E As shown, the mobile body 12 reaches a state of holding the through tool 60 that has penetrated the garbage bag 22 and the terminal portion of the string member 23. That is, the mobile body 12 reaches a state of holding the portion of the string member 23 on the side of the front end portion that has penetrated the garbage bag 22 and the portion on the side of the terminal portion that has not penetrated the garbage bag 22.

[0059] On the other hand, the mobile body 13 flies to a target according to the flight instruction in step S509 of Figure 5 Due to the limitation of the size of the balcony space 21, the mobile body 13 does not enter the balcony space 21 when the mobile body 12 is located in the balcony space 21. The mobile body 13 stays in the air and waits when it reaches the target near the balcony space 21.

[0060] The actions of the mobile bodies 12 and 13 in steps S514 to S518 are described with reference to Figure 7A to 7C , taken together. Figure 7A to 7C is a diagram schematically showing the flight actions of the mobile bodies 12 and 13.

[0061] In step S514, the mobile body 12 moves to the position where the mobile body 13 stays in the air in order to meet the mobile body 13. At this time, the mobile body 12 flies without moving the position of the garbage bag 22 in a state of holding the portion of the string member 23 on the side of the front end portion that has penetrated the garbage bag 22 and the portion on the side of the terminal portion. Therefore, the position where the mobile body 13 stays in the air is a position that the mobile body 12 can reach within the range of the length of the string member 23. The mobile body 12 acquires the position where the mobile body 13 waits according to the information sent from the server device 11 in advance or at any time. As shown in Figure 7A , the mobile body 12 flies to the position where the mobile body 13 stays in the air outside the balcony space 21, approaches the mobile body 13 to a predetermined distance arbitrarily decided, and thereby the mobile bodies 12 and 13 meet.

[0062] In step S516, the mobile body 12 hands over one end portion of the string member 23 to the mobile body 13. Also, as shown in Figure 7BAs shown, the aerial body 12 hands over the through tool 60 to the aerial body 13. The aerial body 12 releases the through tool 60 by using the holding mechanism 48. On the other hand, the aerial body 13 receives the through tool 60 by holding the through tool 60 by using the holding mechanism 48. Thereby, the aerial body 13 is handed over the part of the string member 23 on the front end portion side of the garbage bag 22 from the aerial body 12. Alternatively, the aerial body 12 can hand over the terminal end portion of the string member 23 to the aerial body 13. In this case, the aerial body 12 releases the terminal end portion of the string member 23 by using the holding mechanism 48. On the other hand, the aerial body 13 receives the terminal end portion of the string member 23 by holding the terminal end portion of the string member 23 by using the holding mechanism 48. Thereby, the aerial body 13 is handed over the part of the string member 23 on the terminal end portion side of the garbage bag 22 from the aerial body 12.

[0063] In step S518, the aerial bodies 12 and 13 carry the garbage bag 22 as the object from the balcony space 21 as the predetermined space. As shown in FIG. 6, the aerial bodies 12 and 13 move while holding the garbage bag 22 by using the string member 23, and thereby carry the garbage bag 22 to the outside of the balcony space 21. Figure 7C As shown, one of the aerial body 12 and the aerial body 13 holds the part of the string member 23 on the front end portion side of the garbage bag 22, and the other holds the part of the string member 23 on the terminal end portion side of the garbage bag 22, and thereby the garbage bag 22 is pulled and hung by the string member 23 and carried to the outside of the balcony space 21. In this way, the aerial bodies 12 and 13 carry the garbage bag 22 to a predetermined gathering place, for example.

[0064] According to the actions of the aerial bodies 12 and 13 performed under the control of the server device 11 as above, the aerial bodies 12 and 13 can cooperate to carry the garbage bag even in a case where the size of the balcony space 21 is limited.

[0065] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the action of the aerial body 12 in a modification. Figure 8 The action in Figure 5 is performed between step S508 and step S510 of

[0066] According to the shape of the balcony space 21, there is a case where there is a certain degree of distance between the position 80 where the garbage bag 22 is initially placed and the position 81 on the side where it is easy to secure a space for the aerial body 13 to stay in the air. In the above case, even if the aerial body 12 makes the string member 23 penetrate the garbage bag 22 at the position 80, there is a possibility that the aerial body 12 cannot move to a position where it can converge with the aerial body 13 due to the limitation of the length of the string member 23. Or, there is a case where the shape and size of the balcony space 21 present a state where it is not possible to secure a space of sufficient size for the aerial movement of the aerial body 12 to make the penetration tool 60 penetrate the garbage bag 22 at the position 80, but it is possible to secure the space at the position 81. Therefore, in the modified example, the aerial body 12 is further provided with a gripping mechanism that grips the garbage bag 22. The gripping mechanism has, for example, a pair of arms that can grip the garbage bag 22 by being opened and closed by an actuator that operates according to an instruction from the control section 41, and a control circuit thereof. The aerial body 12 grips the garbage bag 22 and is pulled and moved from the position 80 to the position 81. Thereby, the operation after the step S510 can be performed, and the garbage bag 22 can be carried by the aerial bodies 12 and 13.

[0067] In a more preferable aspect, on the ground of the balcony 20 corresponding to the balcony space 21, a placement table 82 provided with a moving mechanism is provided. The placement table 82 is configured to be able to slide on the ground by wheels, for example. Thereby, the aerial body 12 can move the garbage bag 22 from the position 80 to the position 81 by a smaller propulsive force.

[0068] Figure 9 is a drawing that explains a further modified example. In Figure 9 , a schematic cross-sectional view of the balcony 20 of the collection facility is shown. On the parapet wall 92 of the balcony 20, an opening 90 of a size and shape through which the aerial body 12 and the garbage bag 22 can pass is provided. A door that can be opened and closed, for example, is provided at the opening 90, and is configured to open the door upon detecting the approach of the aerial body 12. When the aerial body 12 moves from the balcony space 21 to converge with the aerial body 13 waiting outside the balcony space 21 (step S514 of Figure 5 ), the aerial body 12 passes through the opening 90. Further, when the aerial bodies 12 and 13 pull and carry the garbage bag 22 with the string member 23 (step S518 of Figure 5 ), the garbage bag 22 is carried from the balcony space 21 via the opening 90. In the case of pulling and carrying the garbage bag 22 from above the parapet wall 92, the garbage bag 22 interferes with the parapet wall 92, and there is a possibility that the carrying of the garbage bag 22 is hindered due to friction, or the garbage bag 22 is damaged, but by carrying the garbage bag 22 via the opening 90, the above situation can be avoided.

[0069] As described above, according to the operation of the transport system 10 in the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the flight operation of the flight bodies 12 and 13.

[0070] In the above-described embodiments, it is possible to store the processing / control program that defines the operation of the flight bodies 12 and 13 to the server device 11, download it to the flight bodies 12 and 13 via the network 14, and store it to the storage section 42, or store it to a recording / storage medium and read it by the flight bodies 12 and 13 to store it to the storage section 42.

[0071] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, it is possible to combine a plurality of blocks described in the block diagram, or it is possible to divide one block. As to a plurality of steps described in the flowchart, it is possible to execute in a time series according to the description, or to execute in parallel or in a different order according to the processing capacity of the device that executes each step or as needed. In addition, it is possible to change within the scope that does not depart from the gist of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A server device comprising: Ministry of Communications; and The control unit sends instructions to the multiple flight bodies to perform flight maneuvers, wherein... The flight maneuvers include: The process of the first flying body applying force to the penetrating device towards the object disposed in the predetermined space, maintaining the first part of the rope-like component attached to the penetrating device that penetrates the object and the second part that does not penetrate the object, and flying out of the predetermined space; The second flying body waits outside the predetermined space to receive the process from either the first or second part of the first flying body; and The process of using the first and second flying bodies to hold one of the first and second parts and the other part respectively, and then using the rope-like component to transport the object to outside the predetermined space. When the first flying body is within the predetermined space and it is not possible to ensure sufficient space for the penetrating device to penetrate the object, the flying action further includes: The first flying body uses a gripping mechanism to grip the object and pull it to a predetermined position within the predetermined space. After pulling the object to the predetermined position, it applies force to the penetrating device toward the object.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The predetermined space is a space smaller than the size required for the first and second flying vehicles to fly adjacently, surrounded by the balcony floor and railing walls.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The first flying body, while maintaining the first and second parts, flies out of the predetermined space through the opening in the railing wall of the balcony.

4. A system having: The server apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and Multiple flying objects.

5. A storage medium storing a program, The program, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the actions of the server apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A flying body, having: Ministry of Communications; The control unit receives instructions from the server device via the communication unit; and Maintain the mechanism, maintain the through-flow device, among which, Based on the control implemented by the control unit corresponding to the instruction, the following is executed: The process of applying force to the penetrating device toward an object disposed in a predetermined space, and maintaining the rope-like component attached to the penetrating device at the first part penetrating the object and the second part not penetrating the object, and flying out of the predetermined space; The process of handing over one of the first and second parts to another aircraft waiting outside the predetermined space; and The process of transporting the object to a predetermined space by using the rope-like component to pull it while flying together with the other flying bodies, holding one of the first and second parts respectively. The flying object also has a gripping mechanism for gripping the object and pulling it to a predetermined position within the predetermined space. When the aircraft is within the predetermined space and sufficient space cannot be ensured for the penetrating device to penetrate the object, the following further actions are performed according to the control corresponding to the instruction implemented by the control unit: The flying object uses a gripping mechanism to grasp the object and pull it to the predetermined position within the predetermined space. After pulling the object to the predetermined position, it applies force to the penetrating device toward the object.

7. The flying body according to claim 6, wherein, By moving toward the object while maintaining the penetration device, force is applied to the penetration device.

8. The flying body according to claim 6, wherein, It also has a launching mechanism that launches the penetrating device by applying force toward the object.

9. The flying body according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein, The predetermined space is a space smaller than the size required for the aircraft and other aircraft to fly adjacently, surrounded by the balcony floor and railing.

10. The flying body according to claim 9, wherein, While maintaining the first and second parts, the aircraft flies out of the predetermined space through the opening in the railing wall of the balcony.

11. The flying body according to claim 6, wherein, The object is towed and placed on a platform, which is set on the ground and has a moving mechanism for moving to the predetermined position.

12. A storage medium storing a program, The program is executed by the control unit of the aircraft, and under the control of the control unit, the aircraft operates as the aircraft described in any one of claims 6 to 11.

13. A method of operating a system having a server device and multiple flying bodies, wherein, The server device sends flight instructions to the first and second flying bodies. The first flying body applies force to the penetrating device towards the object positioned in the predetermined space, maintaining the first part of the rope-like component attached to the penetrating device that penetrates the object and the second part that does not penetrate the object, while flying out of the predetermined space. The second flying body waits outside the predetermined space, and receives either the first part or the second part from the first flying body. The object is transported outside the predetermined space by means of the first and second flying bodies, which respectively hold one of the first and second parts and the other part, and are pulled by the rope-like component. When the first flying body is within the predetermined space and it cannot be ensured that the penetrating device penetrates sufficient space through the object, the method of action further includes: The first flying body uses a gripping mechanism to grip the object and pull it to a predetermined position within the predetermined space. After pulling the object to the predetermined position, it applies force to the penetrating device toward the object.

14. The method of operating the system according to claim 13, wherein, The predetermined space is a space smaller than the size required for the first and second flying vehicles to fly adjacently, surrounded by the balcony floor and railing walls.

15. The method of operating the system according to claim 14, wherein, The first flying body, while maintaining the first and second parts, flies out of the predetermined space through the opening in the railing wall of the balcony.

16. The method of operation of the system according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The first flying body applies force to the penetrating device by moving toward the object while maintaining the penetrating device.

17. The method of operation of the system according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The first flying body uses a launching mechanism to apply force to the penetrating device and launch it toward the target object.

18. The method of operating the system according to claim 14, wherein, The first flying body tows the object placed on a platform, which is located on the ground of the balcony and has a moving mechanism for moving it to the predetermined position.

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