Drone

Abstract

exhibiting flying drone (100) - a fuselage (110) with a landing gear (115) for landing and parking the drone (100) on a surface (200), in particular the Earth's surface (200); - a propulsion device (120) connected to the fuselage (110) for generating lift and thrust for the flying drone (100); - at least one sensor device (130, 170) in a housing (135); and - a support device (140) which is attached at one end to the fuselage (110) and at its other free end carries the sensor device (130) at a vertical distance d below the fuselage (110); characterized by that the support device (140) is variably adjustable with respect to the distance d between its two ends; and that a distance control device (150) is provided for variably adjusting the distance d of the sensor device (130) to the fuselage (110) during a flight of the flying drone (100).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a drone as a remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle with a sensor, in particular a magnetometer, for exploring and / or surveying subsurfaces flown over, in particular the earth's surface and / or near-surface layers. The drone with the sensor is used in particular for detecting ferrous objects, such as bombs, rebar, and munitions on or below the earth's surface.

[0002] Such flying drones, as described in the preamble of claim 1, are generally known in the prior art. The sensors, in particular magnetometers, are suspended freely beneath the drone using a cable connection as a support device at a fixed distance, i.e., with a fixed cable length. During flight, the freely suspended sensor is generally subject to unavoidable pendulum movements, e.g., due to wind or changes in the drone's flight speed, or due to changes in the drone's direction during flight. These pendulum movements often lead to a falsification of the measurement signals generated by the sensor.

[0003] This disadvantage is avoided by an equally known alternative design of the support device for the sensor. In this alternative design, the support device for the sensor is formed from a first and at least one second articulated rod, wherein the first articulated rod is attached to the fuselage of the drone and wherein the two articulated rods are connected to one another via a further joint. The sensor is arranged in a housing at the free end of the second articulated rod. In this way, the sensor is attached or held in a stabilized manner at a fixed vertical distance below the drone, preferably below the drone's center of gravity. Due to the predetermined fixed distance of the sensor from the fuselage of the drone during a flight, interference signals that can be caused, for example, by the drone's propulsion device, such as propeller motors, are reduced.

[0004] The articulated rods only unfold immediately after the drone takes off, and upon landing, the two articulated rods fold together far enough so that the sensor at the free end of the second articulated rod can be immersed in a space defined by the drone's landing gear below the drone's fuselage. This ensures, in particular, that the sensor does not protrude downwards below the drone's landing gear when the drone lands.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of developing a known drone with a suspended sensor in such a way that the quality and evaluability of the measurement signals generated by the sensor device during a flight of the drone are further improved.

[0006] This object is achieved by the subject matter of claim 1. Accordingly, the support device of the drone according to the invention is variably adjustable with respect to the distance between its two ends from one another, in particular also during flight, and a distance regulation device is provided for variably adjusting the distance of the sensor device from the fuselage of the drone during a flight of the drone.

[0007] The sensor device, especially if it is designed as a magnetometer for detecting (earth) magnetic fields, is subject to various interference influences, which can be caused by the design and equipment of the drone, as well as by different flight movements or special conditions in the ground over which it is flown. Interference influences caused by the drone itself can include, for example, built-in batteries, current-carrying electrical conductors, and / or electric drive devices for generating propulsion and lift for the drone. All of these causes can generate electromagnetic fields. Different sensor devices also react differently to different interference influences.The claimed distance control device therefore offers the advantage of being able to adjust the distance between the sensor device and the fuselage of the drone at any time, even during a flight of the drone, depending on the locally and temporarily occurring interference influences, so that the interference influences on the measurement signal of the sensor device can be reduced as far as possible.

[0008] For example, a short distance between the sensor device and the drone's fuselage is helpful for detecting or searching for large objects with large magnetic anomalies. This short distance also improves the drone's flight characteristics and, if necessary, allows for an increase in flight speed without compromising the quality of the sensor device's measurement signal.

[0009] Conversely, when detecting or searching for smaller objects with a small magnetic anomaly, a large distance between the sensor device and the drone's fuselage is helpful; however, this disadvantageously means poorer flight characteristics and possibly the need to reduce flight speed.

[0010] The claimed variable adjustment of the distance also advantageously enables a better and more precise assignment of the sensor's measurement signals to the respective position of the drone in flight, determined, for example, via Global Positioning System GPS signals, in individual cases.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the flying drone according to the invention, the sensor device attached to the free end of the carrying device is a magnetometer.

[0012] A magnetometer measures the strength or changes in magnetic fields by recording the effect of these magnetic fields on electrical charges or magnetic materials. Depending on the type, it reacts to changes in the Earth's magnetic field or to changes in artificially generated magnetic fields and thus enables the determination of the strength and / or direction of the respective magnetic field. A magnetometer is suitable for detecting said changes in an area to be probed, i.e. above a subsurface flown over or a part of the Earth's surface flown over, such as in particular a field, meadow, field or building site, etc. Deviations in the Earth's magnetic field detected in this way serve as an indication of the presence of metallic objects on or in the subsurface flown over by the drone. The evaluation of the measurement signals generated by the magnetometer allows the said local deviations in the Earth's magnetic field to be determined if necessary.The measurement signals can be stored in a memory within the fuselage of the drone or transmitted wirelessly, preferably in real time, to a receiver with a memory outside the drone, particularly on the Earth's surface. After being read from the memory, the measurement signals are evaluated with regard to the aforementioned deviations in the Earth's magnetic field. So-called total-field magnetometers are preferably used for this measurement task, i.e., for detecting metallic objects.

[0013] Advantageous embodiments of the distance control device, the support device and the sensor device are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0014] The description is accompanied by three figures, where Fig. 1 the inventive flying drone with unfolded support device for the sensor device; Fig. 2 the drone after landing with the carrying device folded in and the distance between the sensor device and the fuselage of the drone; and Fig. 3 a, b a special design of the sensor device in a frontal view ( Fig. 3a) and in a top view ( Fig. 3b)shows.

[0015] The invention is described in detail below with reference to the figures mentioned in the form of exemplary embodiments. In all figures, identical technical elements are designated by identical reference numerals.

[0016] Fig. 1 shows the inventive drone 100, which has a fuselage 110 with a landing gear 115 (not shown) for landing and parking the drone on a surface, in particular the earth's surface. A drive device 120, e.g., a propeller drive, is attached to the fuselage 110 to generate lift and propulsion for the drone 100. A support device 140 is attached to the fuselage at one end via a holding device 2. At its other free end, the support device 140 carries a sensor device 130, which is typically mounted there in a housing 135. In this way, the support device 140 holds or carries the sensor device 130 at a distance d below the fuselage 110 of the drone.

[0017] According to the invention, this distance d between the two ends of the support device 140 or between the free end of the support device 140 and the fuselage 110 of the drone can be variably adjusted with the aid of a distance regulating device 150, in particular also during the flight of the drone.

[0018] The support device 140 can be releasably attached to the fuselage 110 of the drone 100 via the holding device 2.

[0019] The distance regulation device 150 typically comprises a cable 152 and a cable winch 154. The cable is attached between the two ends of the support device 140 or between the fuselage 110 and the free end of the support device 140. The cable is connected to the cable winch, and thus it is possible to variably change the length of the cable or the said distance d by actuating the cable winch. The cable winch 154 can be arranged in or on the fuselage 110 of the drone 100, in the area of ​​the cable 152 itself, as shown in Fig. 1, or be arranged in or on the housing 135 of the sensor device 130.

[0020] The support device 140 can, for example, be made of a single piece and curved from a flexible material so that the distance between its two ends can be changed by applying force.

[0021] Alternatively, the support device 140 can be designed, for example, as shown in Fig. 1, be formed from a first articulated rod 5 and at least one second articulated rod 7, wherein the first articulated rod is preferably attached to the fuselage 110 via a joint 4, more preferably via a pivot joint, and wherein the two articulated rods 5, 7 are connected to one another via a further joint 6. The articulated rods 5, 7 and / or the joints 4, 6 of the support device 140 can be made, for example, from carbon, from another plastic, and / or from aluminum. In any case, they are preferably made from a lightweight material in order to keep the overall weight of the flying drone as low as possible.

[0022] Alternatively or in addition to the design of the distance regulation device 150 from the cable and the cable winch, the distance regulation device can also be designed in the form of at least one actuator 156 when the support device is designed with the said link rods, which is arranged in or on the joints 4, 6 of the support device 140 for variably adjusting the distance between the two ends of the support device 140 and thus for adjusting the distance d between the sensor device 30 at the free end of the support device and the fuselage 110. The advantage of this embodiment is that it does not require a cable or cable winch and the associated costs can be saved.

[0023] When the support device 140 is designed in the form of Fig. 1, it is recommended to provide a relief tension spring 160 to compensate for the weight of the support device and the at least one sensor device 130 carried by the support device 140. The relief tension spring 160 can, as in Fig. 1, between the further joint 6 and the fuselage 110 or the holding device 2, forming a tensile force as a preload. The relief tension spring 160 thus serves in particular to hold the first link rod 5 at an acute angle α to the horizontal. The said distance regulating device 150 then further ensures that the second link rod 7 is held at an angle β, for example, β ≤ 170°, relative to the first link rod 5. In this way, a bending of the two link rods relative to each other is advantageously ensured, thereby ensuring that the support device 140 folds or collapses at least far enough upon landing of the drone 100 that the sensor device 130 reaches the free space between the underside of the landing gear 115 and the fuselage 110 of the drone during landing; see Fig. 2. An angle β of 180° would be expressly undesirable because the link rods would then not buckle under vertical load.

[0024] The aforementioned and claimed, targeted bending of the support device or the link rods also stabilizes the support device during flight of the drone or during probing with the sensor device 130. Undesired vibrations of the sensor device are largely prevented in this way, i.e., in particular, by the aforementioned preload applied by the strain relief tension spring. This is because the support device, constructed with the targeted bending and preload, itself acts as a vibration-damper for the drone 100 as a whole, i.e., consisting of the fuselage, the support device 140, the distance control device 150, and the sensor device 130.

[0025] According to the invention, the said tension spring 160 is not intended to change the distance d between the sensor device 130 and the fuselage 110 of the drone 100; as stated, the distance regulation device 150 serves this purpose.

[0026] The joints, and in particular the joint 4, can be at least partially designed as a hinge. The hinge 4 is then preferably attached to the fuselage 110 of the drone in such a way that the link rod 5 is always aligned in the direction of flight of the drone when bent.

[0027] The underside of the housing 135 of the sensor device 130 can be designed as a ski with a ski tip that can be aligned in the flight direction of the drone. This design dampens impacts on the sensor device 130 during landing of the drone 100, at least when the drone 100 does not touch down purely vertically during landing, but also has a horizontal velocity component.

[0028] Not only the entire flight movements of the drone 100, but also the operation of the distance control device 150 can advantageously be individually controlled by an operator via radio connection. In this way, the distance d between the sensor device 130 at the free end of the support device 140 and the fuselage 110 of the drone can be variably adjusted, in particular during the drone's flight.

[0029] As in Fig. 1, a vibration damper 190 can be arranged between the support device 140 and the fuselage 110 of the drone 100, for example, directly in the joint 4. The vibration damper also promotes the quality and evaluability of the measurement signals generated by the sensor device 130 by damping any vibrations of the sensor device 130 - especially during flight.

[0030] Advantageously, the support device 140, the joints 4, 6 and / or the vibration damper 190 can be manufactured by 3D printing.

[0031] The distance regulating device 150 is designed to variably adjust the distance d, for example, in a range from 1.00 m to 2.50 m.

[0032] Fig. 3a and Fig.3b shows an embodiment of the first sensor device 130 in the form of a multiple sensor in a frontal view and a top view. In this embodiment, the first sensor device 130 can have two or more individual sensors 130', 130", which are arranged next to each other at a horizontal distance of, for example, 0.80 m, at the free end of the support device 140. The free end of the support device 140 then has a corresponding dimensionally stable mechanical construction, e.g., in the form of a cross member 145, to support the individual sensors at a distance from each other. The center point of this cross member should then preferably be located directly below the center of gravity of the entire drone. This generally also applies to the first sensor device 130 if it has only a single individual sensor.With the described arrangement of several individual sensors spaced horizontally apart from one another, a larger probing width can advantageously be covered during a single probing of the subsurface, and therefore the total flight time or the duration required to probing a given area can be reduced accordingly. In general, the more individual sensors are distributed across the width and simultaneously active, the shorter the required flight time of the drone and the shorter the processing time for probing a given area. The traverse 145 with the majority of individual sensors is preferably aligned transversely to the second articulated rod 7 and horizontally.

[0033] In addition to the first sensor device 130, which, as mentioned, is attached to the free end of the support device 140 spaced apart from the fuselage 110, regardless of whether it comprises only one or more individual sensors, at least one second sensor device 170 can optionally be arranged at a vertical distance on the support device or in or on the fuselage 110 of the drone 100. The distance between the first and second sensor devices 130, 170 is then, for example, 0.50 m to 2.00 m. This second sensor device 170, together with the first sensor device 130, then serves to further optimize the sensor signal evaluation because it enables what is known as differential signal evaluation.

[0034] An electrical energy source 180 for supplying electrical energy to the sensor devices 130, 170, the drive device 120, and / or the distance control device 150 is preferably arranged in the fuselage 110 of the drone 100. The power supply to these components is then provided, for example, via a detachable electrical cable (not shown in the figures). List of reference symbols: 100 flying drones 110 fuselage 115 Landing gear 120 drive device 130 (First) Sensor Device 130' sensor device 130" sensor device 135 Housing for (first) sensor device 140 carrying device 145 Traverse 150 Distance control device 152 rope 154 cable winch 156 Actuator 160 relief tension spring 170 (Second) Sensor Device 180 Electrical energy source 190 vibration dampers 200 Subsurface, Earth's surface 2 holding device 4 Joint, especially swivel joint 5 First Rod 6 Additional joint 7 Second rod d Distance, variably adjustable

Claims

[1] Flying drone (100) having - a fuselage (110) with a landing gear (115) for landing and parking the aerial drone (100) on a surface (200), in particular the earth's surface (200); - a drive device (120) connected to the fuselage (110) for generating lift and propulsion for the flying drone (100); - at least one sensor device (130, 170) in a housing (135); and - a support device (140) which is fastened at one end to the fuselage (110) and at its other free end carries the sensor device (130) at a vertical distance d below the fuselage (110); characterized by , that the support device (140) is variably adjustable with respect to the distance d between its two ends; and that a distance regulating device (150) is provided for variably adjusting the distance d of the sensor device (130) to the fuselage (110) during a flight of the flying drone (100). [2] Flying drone (100) according to claim 1, characterized by that the distance regulating device (150) has a cable (152) which is attached between the two ends of the support device (140) or between the fuselage (110) and the free end of the support device (140); and that the distance regulating device (150) has a cable winch (154) for variably changing the length of the cable (152). [3] Flying drone (100) according to claim 2, characterized by that the cable winch (154) is arranged in or on the fuselage (110) of the flying drone (100), in the region of the cable (152), or in or on the housing (135) of the sensor device (130, 170). [4] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the support device (140) is formed from a first and at least one second articulated rod (5, 7), wherein the first articulated rod (5) is fastened to the fuselage (110), wherein the two articulated rods (5, 7) are connected to one another via a further joint (6), and wherein the sensor device (130) is arranged at the free end of the at least second articulated rod (7). [5] Flying drone (100) according to claim 4, characterized by that the link rods (5, 7) and / or the joints (4, 6) of the support device (140) are made of carbon, plastic and / or aluminum. [6] Flying drone (100) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized bythat the distance regulating device (150) is designed in the form of at least one actuator (156) which is arranged in or on the joints (4, 6) of the support device (140) for variably adjusting the distance (d) between the two ends of the support device (140) and thus the distance (d) between the sensor device (130) at the free end of the support device (140) and the fuselage (110). [7] Flying drone (100) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized by at least one relief tension spring (160) for compensating the weight of the support device (140) and the at least one sensor device (130) carried by the support device (140), in particular for holding the first articulated rod (5) hinged to the fuselage (110) at an acute angle α to the horizontal and for holding the second articulated rod at an angle β with β≤170° relative to the first articulated rod. [8] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the distance regulating device (150) is designed to shorten the distance d between the sensor device (130, 170) and the fuselage (110) to such an extent that it is smaller than the height of the free space between the fuselage (110) and the underside of the landing gear (115) predetermined by the landing gear (115). [9] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the underside of the housing (135) of the sensor device (130) is designed in the form of a ski with a ski tip which is aligned or alignable in the direction of flight of the drone. [10] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the distance regulation device (150) is in radio communication with an operator of the flying drone (100) and can be remotely controlled by the operator for variably adjusting the distance d between the sensor device (130, 170) at the free end of the carrying device (140) and the fuselage (110), in particular also during the flight of the flying drone (100). [11] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the at least one sensor device (130, 170) is a magnetometer for detecting local deviations in the earth's magnetic field as an indication of the presence of metallic objects in or on the ground (200) over which the drone (100) is flying. [12] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the support device (140) is attached to the fuselage (110) via a joint (4), preferably a rotary joint (4). [13] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a vibration damper (190) between the support device (140) and the fuselage (110) of the flying drone (100), wherein the vibration damper is preferably arranged on or above the joint (4). [14] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the joints (4, 6), the link rods (5, 7) and / or the vibration damper (190) can be produced by 3D printing. [15] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the distance regulating device (150) is designed to variably adjust the distance d between the fuselage (110) and the sensor device (130, 170) in a range from 1 m to 2.5 m. [16] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the first sensor device (130) is in turn designed as a multiple sensor, wherein two or more individual sensors (130, 130', 130") are arranged next to one another at a horizontal distance of, for example, 0.8 m on a cross member (145) at the free end of the support device (140). [17] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by in that, in addition to a first sensor device (130) which is attached to the free end of the support device (140) spaced from the fuselage (110), at least one second sensor device (170) is arranged at a vertical distance of preferably 0.5 m to 2 m from the first sensor device (130) on the support device (140) or in or on the fuselage (110) of the flying drone (100). [18] Flying drone (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat an electrical energy source (180) is present in or on the fuselage (110) of the flying drone (100) for supplying the at least one sensor device (130, 170) with electrical energy via a preferably detachable electrical cable.

Images