Inspection device

Abstract

An inspection device (100) for inspecting an aircraft, comprising: one or more rotary wings (30); wheels (9) for traveling; and an information acquisition unit (6) that acquires information related to a body (70) of the aircraft, i.e., body-related information, from the body during flight or travel of the inspection device around the body.

Description

[0001] [Citation of relevant applications]

[0002] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-49344, filed on March 24, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to an inspection device. Background Technology

[0004] Previously, inspection devices for inspecting aircraft were known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a drone equipped with inspection sensors was used as an inspection device. In this inspection device, the drone was flown around the aircraft and an arm was extended from the drone, so that sensors mounted at the front end of the arm approached the surface of the aircraft and inspected the surface of the aircraft.

[0005] [Existing Technical Documents]

[0006] [Patent Documents]

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-109395 Summary of the Invention

[0008] However, in the inspection device of Patent Document 1, in the structure that extends an arm from the flying drone and brings the sensor close to the surface of the aircraft, there is a problem that the airspace in which the drone can fly cannot be guaranteed and the surface of the aircraft cannot be inspected in that part near the grounding part of the aircraft, such as near the surface on the underside of the fuselage.

[0009] This disclosure can be implemented in the following ways.

[0010] As one aspect of this disclosure, an inspection device for inspecting an aircraft is provided. The inspection device includes: one or more rotor blades; wheels for the movement of the inspection device; and an information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the aircraft body, i.e., aircraft body-related information, from the aircraft body while the inspection device is flying or moving around the aircraft body.

[0011] According to this method of inspection device, since it includes one or more rotors, wheels for travel, and an information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the aircraft body, i.e., aircraft body-related information, while the inspection device is flying or traveling around the aircraft body, the information acquisition unit can of course acquire aircraft body-related information from above while flying. Even if it cannot be ensured that the inspection device is flying in the airspace near the aircraft's grounding part, such as near the surface of the lower side of the fuselage, the inspection device can still acquire aircraft body-related information from the surface of the aircraft body by traveling at the grounding part.

[0012] This disclosure can also be implemented in various ways. For example, it can be implemented using methods such as aircraft inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The above-mentioned objects, other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. The accompanying drawings are described below.

[0014] Figure 1 It is a top view schematically showing the structure of the inspection device.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a side view schematically showing the grounding status of the inspection device.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the inspection device.

[0017] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the path of an inspection device flying or traveling around the aircraft being inspected.

[0018] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram used to illustrate the shooting direction of a camera.

[0019] Figure 6 It is a side view schematically showing the driving status of the inspection device.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps involved in anomaly detection and processing.

[0021] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram showing the path of the inspection device in other embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0022] A. First implementation method:

[0023] A-1. Device Structure:

[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the inspection device 100, as one embodiment of this disclosure, is composed of an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The inspection device 100 inspects objects that are subject to inspection. Figure 4 The machine body 70 shown is being inspected.

[0025] The inspection device 100 is configured as an electrically driven unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of taking off and landing in the vertical direction. For example... Figures 1-3As shown, the inspection device 100 includes: a main body 20; multiple rotating blades 30; multiple electric drive systems 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "EDS (Electric Drive System) 10"); an information acquisition unit 6; multiple wheels 9; a battery 40; a converter 42; a distributor 44; a control device 50; a main body communication unit 64; and a notification unit 66. The inspection device 100 of this embodiment includes four rotating blades 30, four EDS 10, and four wheels 9. Furthermore, in... Figure 2 and Figure 3 For ease of illustration, two of the four rotating blades 30, EDS10 and wheels 9 included in the inspection device 100 are shown as representative examples.

[0026] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this context, the main body 20 corresponds to the parts of the inspection device 100 excluding the rotating wing 30, EDS 10, wheel 9, and information acquisition unit 6. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the main body 20 has a fuselage 21, a support column 22, four first support sections 23, and four second support sections 24.

[0027] The fuselage section 21 constitutes the main body of the inspection device 100. The fuselage section 21 has a structure that is symmetrical about the axis AX of the main body section. In this embodiment, "axis AX of the main body section" refers to an axis passing through the center of gravity CM of the main body section and along the front-rear direction of the inspection device 100. Furthermore, "center of gravity CM of the main body section" refers to the center of gravity of the inspection device 100 when it is empty (without cargo or other loads). "Front" of the inspection device 100 refers, in this embodiment, the direction from the center of gravity CM of the main body section towards the information acquisition unit 6, described later, when viewing the inspection device 100 from above (viewed from above).

[0028] The support column 22 has a generally columnar shape and is fixed to the upper part of the body 21. The support column 22 extends vertically when the inspection device 100 is stationary on the ground. In this embodiment, the support column 22 is positioned so that it overlaps with the center of gravity CM of the main body of the inspection device 100 when viewed vertically. One end of each of the four first support portions 23 is fixed to the upper end of the support column 22.

[0029] The four first support portions 23 each have a generally rod-shaped appearance and are arranged radially at equal angular intervals, extending along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. At the other end of the first support portion 23, i.e., at the end away from the support portion 22, a rotary vane 30 and an EDS 10 are respectively arranged.

[0030] The four second support portions 24 each have a generally rod-shaped appearance and connect the other ends (the ends not connected to the support column 22) of adjacent first support portions 23 to each other. Additionally, for ease of illustration, the four second support portions 24 are... Figure 1 The middle part is represented by a straight line.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, four rotating blades 30 are disposed at the ends of each first support portion 23 and each second support portion 24. Each of the four rotating blades 30 consists of two rotating blades 30a and two rotating blades 30b. The two rotating blades 30a are located further forward than the center of gravity CM of the main body. On the other hand, the two rotating blades 30b are located further rearward than the center of gravity CM of the main body. The four rotating blades 30 are configured to function as lifting rotors for obtaining lift from the main body 20 and as cruising rotors for obtaining thrust. Specifically, the four rotating blades 30 are used as lifting rotors by controlling the rotational speed of each rotor 30 to be equal. Furthermore, the four rotating blades 30 are used as cruising rotors by controlling the rotational speeds of the two forward rotating blades 30a and the two rearward rotating blades 30b to be different from each other. Each rotating blade 30 rotates independently of each other around its own rotation axis. Figure 3 As shown, a speed sensor 34 and a torque sensor 35 are respectively installed on each rotor 30. The speed sensor 34 measures the rotational speed of the rotor 30. The torque sensor 35 measures the rotational torque of the rotor 30. The measurement results of each sensor 34 and 35 are output to the control device 50. In addition, an EDS 10 is connected to each rotor 30.

[0032] The four EDS10s connected to each rotor 30 constitute an electric drive system for driving the rotor 30 to rotate respectively. The four EDS10s drive the rotor 30 to rotate respectively.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, each EDS10 includes a drive unit 11, a drive motor 12, a gearbox 13, a speed sensor 14, a current sensor 15, a voltage sensor 16, a torque sensor 17, and an EDS-side storage unit 18.

[0034] The drive unit 11 is configured as an electronic device including an inverter circuit (not shown) and a controller (not shown) that controls the inverter circuit. The inverter circuit is composed of power components such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) and MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors), and supplies drive voltage to the drive motor 12 according to the duty cycle corresponding to the control signal supplied from the controller. The controller is electrically connected to the control device 50 and supplies control signals to the inverter circuit according to instructions from the control device 50.

[0035] In this embodiment, the drive motor 12 is a brushless motor, which outputs rotational motion corresponding to the voltage and current supplied from the inverter circuit of the drive unit 11. Alternatively, instead of a brushless motor, it may be any motor such as an induction motor or a reluctance motor.

[0036] The gearbox 13 physically connects the drive motor 12 and the rotor 30. The gearbox 13 has multiple gears (not shown) that reduce the rotation of the drive motor 12 and transmit it to the rotor 30. Alternatively, the gearbox 13 can be omitted, and the rotation shaft of the rotor 30 can be directly connected to the drive motor 12.

[0037] Speed ​​sensor 14 and torque sensor 17 are respectively installed on drive motor 12, and measure the speed and torque of drive motor 12. Current sensor 15 and voltage sensor 16 are respectively installed between drive unit 11 and drive motor 12, and measure drive current and drive voltage respectively. The measurement results of each sensor 14 to 17 are output to control device 50 via drive unit 11. Measurement data from each sensor are stored in EDS-side storage unit 18.

[0038] Figures 1-3 The information acquisition unit 6 shown is from Figure 4 The airframe of the aircraft to be inspected (hereinafter referred to as "inspection object airframe 70") is used to acquire information related to the airframe (hereinafter referred to as "airframe-related information"). This acquisition is performed while the inspection device 100 is flying or traveling around the inspection object airframe 70. In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 6 includes a camera 6a. Figure 2 In this diagram, the orientation of the camera 6a is shown so that the information acquisition unit 6 is visible, making it easier to understand. The camera 6a photographs the object being inspected, the machine body 70. Figure 5As shown, the information acquisition unit 6 is configured to adjust the orientation DR of the camera 6a independently of the posture of the inspection device 100. Furthermore, for ease of illustration, in Figure 5 The object to be inspected, the aircraft body 70, is represented by a rectangle. In this embodiment, the image obtained by the camera 6a photographing the object to be inspected, i.e., the aircraft body, is equivalent to "aircraft body related information". In this embodiment, the acquired image can detect surface damage, unpredictable dents or bumps, and other visually observable anomalies of the object to be inspected, the aircraft body 70.

[0039] The inspection device 100 flies or travels around the inspection target 70 in order to photograph the inspection target 70. In this embodiment, the inspection device 100 is positioned beforehand around the inspection target 70, i.e. Figure 4 Inspection paths are set in six regions Ar1 to Ar6. Then, while flying or traveling along these inspection paths, the inspection device 100 photographs the inspected object 70 and obtains images. Specifically, the inspection device 100... Figure 4 The areas Ar1 to Ar6 around the body 70 of the object being inspected are selectively used for flight or driving.

[0040] In this embodiment, the inspection path is set in the order of regions Ar1, Ar2, Ar3, Ar4, Ar5, and Ar6. Region Ar1 is located below the inspected object body 70. Region Ar2 is located in front of the inspected object body 70. Region Ar3 is located above the inspected object body 70. Region Ar4 is located behind the inspected object body 70. Region Ar5 is located to the right of the inspected object body 70 in the direction of travel. Region Ar6 is located to the left of the inspected object body 70 in the direction of travel.

[0041] In area Ar1, inspection device 100 travels on the ground below the inspected aircraft body 70 and photographs the inspected aircraft body 70. In areas Ar2 and Ar4, inspection device 100 flies in front of or behind the inspected aircraft body 70. Specifically, in area Ar2, inspection device 100 photographs the inspected aircraft body 70 while flying in front of it. In area Ar4, inspection device 100 photographs the inspected aircraft body 70 while flying behind it. In area Ar3, inspection device 100 flies above the inspected aircraft body 70 and photographs it. In areas Ar5 and Ar6, inspection device 100 flies to the right or left of the inspected aircraft body 70 and photographs it.

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, the information acquisition unit 6 changes the direction of acquiring the captured image, i.e., the acquisition direction DR. Specific details will be described later.

[0043] Figure 2 , Figures 5-6 The wheel 9 shown is mounted on the main body 20 and does not receive power from the power source for driving; that is, the wheel 9 is configured as a driven wheel that moves in accordance with the inspection device 100. Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the wheel 9 is mounted to the fuselage section 21 within the main body section 20 via a damper DP. A spring SP is arranged around the damper DP. The spring SP extends and retracts according to the thrust of the rotor 30, absorbing impacts from uneven surfaces or other impacts on the inspection device 100 during operation. The spring SP oscillates when absorbing these impacts, and this oscillation cannot stop immediately. The damper DP not only connects the wheel 9 to the fuselage section 21 but also suppresses the aforementioned oscillation of the spring SP.

[0044] Figure 3 The battery 40 shown is composed of a lithium-ion battery and functions as one of the power supply sources in the inspection device 100. The battery 40 primarily supplies power to the drive unit 11 of each EDS 10, driving each drive motor 12. Alternatively, it can be composed of any type of rechargeable battery, such as a nickel-metal hydride battery, as a substitute for the lithium-ion battery. It can also be equipped with any power supply source, such as a fuel cell or a generator, as a substitute for the battery 40, or in addition to the battery 40, it can also be equipped with any other power supply source, such as a fuel cell or a generator.

[0045] The converter 42 is connected to the battery 40, steps down the voltage of the battery 40, and supplies it to the auxiliary or control device 50 (not shown) included in the inspection device 100. The distributor 44 distributes the voltage of the battery 40 to the drive unit 11 included in each EDS 10.

[0046] The control device 50 is a microcomputer comprising a storage unit 51, a thrust control unit 52, a measurement control unit 53, a feature extraction unit 54, and an anomaly determination unit 55, and is configured as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The storage unit 51 has ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). Data representing the inspection path and standard shape data of the inspection target body 70 are pre-stored in the storage unit 51. Additionally, a control program for controlling the overall operation of the inspection device 100 is pre-stored in the storage unit 51. The overall operation of the inspection device 100 includes, for example, flight and driving movements. The data representing the inspection path pre-stored in the storage unit 51 is a predetermined movement path of the inspection device 100 set around the inspection target body 70. The control device 50 controls the flight and driving movements of the inspection device 100 along the movement path stored in the storage unit 51. In addition, flight and driving actions can be performed by the passenger or by instructions from the external control unit 510 included in the external device 500 described later.

[0047] The thrust control unit 52 controls the overall operation of the inspection device 100 by executing a control program pre-stored in the storage unit 51. During the operation of the inspection device 100, the thrust control unit 52 controls the rotational speed and direction of rotation of the drive motors 12 of each EDS 10. The thrust control unit 52 controls the thrust of the rotor 30 to move the inspection device 100 along a movement path stored in the storage unit 51.

[0048] When the thrust control unit 52 causes the inspection device 100 to move forward, if Figure 6 As shown, the rotational speed of the rearward-side rotary wing 30b mounted on the rearward side of the rotary wing 30 mounted on the fuselage 21 is controlled to be greater than the rotational speed of the forward-side rotary wing 30a mounted on the forward side. As a result, due to the difference in lift between the rearward-side rotary wing 30b and the forward-side rotary wing 30a, the main body 20 is tilted forward, and the lift includes a horizontal component, which becomes a horizontal thrust. Consequently, the inspection device 100 travels forward. On the other hand, when the traveling inspection device 100 is decelerated, although not shown, the rotational speed of the forward-side rotary wing 30a is controlled to be greater than the rotational speed of the rearward-side rotary wing 30b. When the inspection device 100 is located at... Figure 4 While the inspection device 100 is moving on the ground, it takes pictures of the area Ar1 in the inspection target body 70 below, turbines, etc.

[0049] like Figure 5As described above, the measurement control unit 53 controls the information acquisition unit 6 and adjusts the orientation of the camera 6a according to the relative position of the inspection device 100 with respect to the inspection object body 70, and adjusts the acquisition direction for acquiring images of the inspection object body 70.

[0050] The feature extraction unit 54 performs image processing on the captured image acquired by the information acquisition unit 6, and extracts the shape features of the inspection object body 70.

[0051] The anomaly determination unit 55 determines the anomalies of the object body 70 based on the processed image captured by the feature extraction unit 54.

[0052] The main body communication unit 64 has the function of wireless communication and is configured to transmit and receive information between the external communication unit 520 included in the external device 500 and the inspection device 100, and can communicate with the control device 50. Examples of wireless communication include wireless communication provided by electrical communication operators such as 4G (fourth-generation mobile communication system) and 5G (fifth-generation mobile communication system), and wireless LAN communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard. Alternatively, it could be, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) or wired communication conforming to the IEEE 802.3 standard. Furthermore, the external device 50 is, for example, a computer used for management and control, such as a server device for controlling inspections and recording inspection results. This management and control computer could be, for example, a server device located in an air traffic control room, or it could be a personal computer brought to the location where the inspection device 100 is used by maintenance personnel performing maintenance or repairs, including inspections.

[0053] The notification unit 66 issues notifications according to instructions from the control device 50. In this embodiment, the notification unit 66 includes a display device installed in the passenger compartment that displays text, images, etc., and a speaker that outputs sounds, warning sounds, etc., and reports various information to passengers through visual and auditory information.

[0054] A-2. Anomaly Detection and Handling:

[0055] In this embodiment, when the drive command for the inspection device 100 is executed, the following steps are performed: Figure 7 The abnormality detection process is shown. In this embodiment, the inspection device 100 is driven by an external device 500. The abnormality detection process is used to detect whether there are any abnormalities in the inspection target body 70 by the inspection device 100. In addition, the abnormality detection process is performed when the inspection target body 70 is stopped on the ground.

[0056] Information about the object to be inspected, the machine body 70, is input from the external device 500 (step S10). This information includes, for example, the type or name of the object to be inspected. The thrust control unit 52 moves the inspection device 100 to the starting position of the inspection path pre-stored in the storage unit 51 (step S15). Alternatively, an operator can move the inspection device 100 and position it at the inspection start position.

[0057] The measurement control unit 53 adjusts the shooting direction of the camera 6a and controls the shooting of the inspected object body 70 (step S20). The measurement control unit 53 adjusts the shooting direction of the camera 6a while flying or moving along a predetermined path around the inspected object body 70. Specifically, as... Figure 5 As shown, when the inspection device 100 is located in region Ar3, the orientation DR of the camera 6a is adjusted to face downwards. Additionally, for example, as... Figure 5 As in the example, when the inspection device 100 is located in region Ar4, the orientation DR of the camera 6a is adjusted to face forward. Alternatively, for example, when the inspection device 100 is located in region Ar1, the orientation DR of the camera 6a is adjusted to face upward. The captured images are stored in the storage unit 51.

[0058] The feature extraction unit 54 performs image processing on the captured image in step S20, extracts the shape features of the inspection object body 70, and performs data analysis (step S25). The data obtained through data analysis is stored in the storage unit 51.

[0059] The anomaly determination unit 55 determines whether the inspected object body 70 has any anomalies (step S30). Specifically, the anomaly determination unit 55 compares the data obtained from the data analysis in step S25 with the standard shape data of the inspected object body 70 pre-stored in the storage unit 51. For example, if the size of the dent on the surface of the inspected object body 70 is larger than a threshold predetermined for the standard shape data, the anomaly determination unit 55 determines that an anomaly exists (step S30: Yes). If the size of the dent on the surface of the inspected object body 70 is less than the threshold predetermined for the standard shape data, the anomaly determination unit 55 determines that there is no anomaly (step S30: No).

[0060] If the anomaly determination unit 55 determines that an anomaly exists (step S30: Yes), it notifies the notification unit 66 that "an anomaly exists" (step S35). If the anomaly determination unit 55 determines that there is no anomaly (step S30: No), it notifies the notification unit 66 that "no anomaly exists" (step S40).

[0061] The anomaly determination unit 55 records the determination result of whether there is an anomaly in the storage unit 51 (step S45).

[0062] The inspection device 100 described above as an inspection device in this embodiment includes: wheels 9 mounted on the main body 20 for driving; and an information acquisition unit 6 that acquires information related to the inspection target body 70, i.e., body-related information, from the inspection target body 70 while the inspection device 100 is flying or driving around the inspection target body 70. Even if the information acquisition unit 6 cannot ensure that the inspection device 100 flies in the airspace near the ground part of the inspection target body 70, such as near the surface on the lower side of the fuselage, it can still acquire body-related information from the surface of the body of the inspection target body 70 by the inspection device 100 driving at the ground part.

[0063] The thrust control unit 52 controls the rotational speed of the multiple rotors 30 to achieve the movement or deceleration of the main body 20. Specifically, when the main body 20 is moving forward, the thrust control unit 52 controls the rotational speed of the retracting rotor 30b to be greater than the rotational speed of the forward rotor 30a; when the main body 20 is decelerating, the thrust control unit 52 controls the rotational speed of the forward rotor 30a to be greater than the rotational speed of the retracting rotor 30b.

[0064] The information acquisition unit 6 has a camera 6a, and the orientation DR of the camera 6a is adjusted independently of the orientation of the inspection device 100. Therefore, it has a simpler structure than a structure in which the inspection device 100 moves relative to the inspection object body 70.

[0065] The storage unit 51 stores in advance the movement path of the inspection device 100 set around the inspection target body 70, that is, the movement path used to obtain relevant information about the body. Since the flight and driving actions of the inspection device 100 are performed along the movement path stored in the storage unit 51, the process of identifying the shape of the inspection target body 70 in the inspection device 100 can be omitted.

[0066] B. Other implementation methods:

[0067] (B1) The inspection device 100, which is the inspection device in this embodiment, may further include: a history unit that stores previous movement paths of the inspection device; and a learning function unit that learns using the paths stored in the history unit and updates the movement paths stored in the storage unit. By storing the updated movement paths in the storage unit, the efficiency of the flight and driving operations of the inspection device 100 is improved.

[0068] (B2) In the inspection apparatus 100, which is the inspection apparatus of this embodiment, the anomaly determination unit 55 determines whether there is an anomaly in the inspected object body 70, but the determination can also be made by a person. In this structure, the display device can also display the captured image obtained from the result of step S20. Then, the inspection operator can also visually confirm the captured image or the image after image processing and determine whether there is an anomaly in the inspected object body 70.

[0069] (B3) The inspection device 100, which is the inspection device of this embodiment, includes four rotating blades 30. However, the number of rotating blades 30 can be one or more, or it can be more than four.

[0070] (B4) The inspection device 100, which is the inspection device of this embodiment, includes four wheels 9 for driving, but is not limited to four, and may be any number of wheels. In addition, the wheels 9 may also be drive wheels connected to a power source. In addition, in this disclosure, "wheel" refers to a device that connects steel plates into a strip and installs it around the wheel; in other words, it refers to a broad concept including tracks.

[0071] (B5) In the inspection apparatus 100, which is the inspection apparatus of this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 6 has a camera 6a, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The information acquisition unit 6 may also have a displacement measuring device that uses reflected light from a laser, or an internal structure measuring device that uses X-rays.

[0072] (B6) In the inspection apparatus 100, which is the inspection apparatus of this embodiment, the anomaly determination unit 55 compares the data obtained by data analysis in step S25 with the standard shape data of the inspection target body 70 stored in the storage unit 51 in advance, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. Instead of the standard shape data, the anomaly determination unit 55 may use data obtained by data analysis from the previous inspection to determine whether the inspection target body 70 has any anomalies. In this case, for example, if the size of the depression on the surface of the inspection target body 70 is greater than the change in a threshold predetermined for the data from the previous inspection, the anomaly determination unit 55 determines that an anomaly exists. If the size of the depression on the surface of the inspection target body 70 is less than or equal to the change in a threshold predetermined for the data from the previous inspection, the anomaly determination unit 55 determines that no anomaly exists.

[0073] (B7) The inspection device 100 of this embodiment travels on the ground, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The inspection device 100 may also travel on any type of structure, such as a platform set between the inspection target body 70 and the ground. In addition, when taking pictures of the upper surface of the inspection target body 70, the inspection device 100 may travel on the surface of the inspection target body 70 instead of flying in area Ar3.

[0074] (B8) The inspection device 100 of this embodiment is in accordance with Figure 4 The inspection path shown is in the order of regions Ar1, Ar2, Ar3, Ar4, Ar5, and Ar6, and selectively performs flight or driving, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram showing the path of the inspection device in other embodiments. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the inspection device 100 can also selectively perform flight or travel according to the inspection path in the order of the thick arrows. Furthermore, in Figure 8 The inspected machine was stopped on the ground at 70 degrees. Additionally, Figure 8 This is a top view of the inspected object body 70, with areas Ar1 to Ar6 corresponding to... Figure 4 The regions Ar1 to Ar6 in the example. Figure 8 As shown, the inspection device 100 starts above the center of the inspected aircraft 70 in region Ar3, flies backward in region Ar6, and then flies in region Ar4 behind the inspected aircraft 70. Afterward, the inspection device 100 flies backward in region Ar5, along the right wing of the inspected aircraft 70. After flying slightly above the right wing of the inspected aircraft 70, the inspection device 100 flies forward in region Ar5, along the direction of travel. Then, the inspection device 100 flies in region Ar2 in front of the inspected aircraft 70, flies backward in region Ar6, and after flying slightly above the left wing of the inspected aircraft 70, flies along the left wing in region Ar6. Then, the inspection device 100... Figure 8 As shown by the dashed line, it flies backward in the rearward direction within region Ar6. Then, the inspection device 100 travels along... Figure 8 The dashed line shown indicates that the vehicle is traveling on the ground in the direction of travel. This area is... Figure 4 The area Ar1 is shown. As described above, the inspection device 100 can also be configured according to... Figure 8 The indicated inspection path is used for flight or driving. Additionally, in Figure 8 After traveling along the dashed path shown, the inspection device 100 can also fly towards area Ar3 and directly in the reverse direction. In other words, the inspection device 100 can also... Figure 8 Following the dashed path shown, the aircraft 70 flies in the airspace above the object being inspected, which is equivalent to a path parallel to the dashed path.

[0075] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented through various structures without departing from the above-described spirit. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features described in the summary section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve part or all of the above-described technical problems, or to achieve part or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, the above-described technical features can be appropriately deleted unless they are described as essential structures in this specification.

[0076] The inspection apparatus and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented using a dedicated computer, which is provided by comprising a processor and memory, the processor being programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in the computer program. Alternatively, the inspection apparatus and method described in this disclosure can be implemented using a dedicated computer, which is provided by comprising a processor composed of one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the inspection apparatus and method described in this disclosure can be implemented using one or more dedicated computers, which are configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor composed of one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program can also be stored on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible storage medium as instructions executable by a computer.

Claims

1. An inspection apparatus for inspecting an aircraft, the inspection apparatus comprising: More than one rotor; The wheels used for driving the inspection device; as well as The information acquisition unit acquires information related to the aircraft body, i.e., aircraft body-related information, from the aircraft body while the inspection device is flying or traveling around the aircraft body. While inspecting the underside of the machine, information about the machine is acquired as it travels on the ground via its wheels. While inspecting the above the aircraft, the aircraft is flew over and information about the aircraft is collected.

2. The inspection device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The information acquisition unit has a camera, and the information acquisition unit acquires images of the machine body as relevant information about the machine body.

3. The inspection device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The inspection device also includes: The plurality of said rotating blades includes a forward-side rotating blade mounted on the forward side and a backward-side rotating blade mounted on the backward side; and A thrust control unit controls the rotational speed of the plurality of rotor blades. When traveling forward, the thrust control unit controls the rotational speed of the retracting rotor to be greater than that of the forward rotor; when decelerating during travel, it controls the rotational speed of the forward rotor to be greater than that of the retracting rotor. The wheel functions as a driven wheel that moves in accordance with the inspection device.

4. The inspection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The information acquisition unit is configured to be able to adjust the direction of acquiring relevant information about the body independently of the orientation of the inspection device, i.e., the acquisition direction. The inspection device further includes a measurement control unit, which controls the information acquisition unit and adjusts the acquisition direction according to the relative position of the inspection device relative to the machine body.

5. The inspection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The inspection device also includes: A storage unit stores the movement path of the inspection device, which is set around the machine body, i.e., the movement path used to acquire relevant information about the machine body; and A thrust control unit controls the rotational speed of one or more of the rotor blades to move the inspection device along the movement path.

6. The inspection device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The inspection device also includes: The history section stores the paths previously traveled by the inspection device; and The learning function unit learns using the path stored in the history unit and updates the movement path stored in the storage unit.

7. The inspection device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The inspection device also includes a main body for mounting the information acquisition unit. The wheels are mounted to the main body via dampers.

8. The inspection device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The inspection device also includes a spring that elastically deforms according to the extension and contraction of the damper to absorb impacts from the ground contact area during driving.

9. The inspection device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, When the vehicle travels on the ground via the wheels, the acquisition direction of the information acquisition unit is oriented upwards compared to the horizontal direction.

10. The inspection device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, The camera is configured to be able to adjust its orientation independently of the posture of the inspection device.

11. The inspection device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The inspection device also includes a measurement control unit, which controls the information acquisition unit and adjusts the orientation of the camera according to the relative position of the inspection device with respect to the machine body.

12. The inspection device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, When inspecting the top of the machine body, the measurement control unit adjusts the orientation of the camera to face downwards. When inspecting the lower part of the machine body, the measurement control unit adjusts the orientation of the camera to face upwards.

Images