Information processing device, and flight system

Abstract

To improve a path correction technique of a flying body.SOLUTION: An information processing device is provided with a control unit that corrects a predetermined target flight path for autonomously flight of a flying body from an autonomous flight start point to an autonomous flight end point, based on wind information on the target flight path during flight of the flying body along the target flight path. The control unit corrects a partial path of the target flight path when at least wind velocity information out of information included in the wind information in the target flight path exceeds a first threshold value, and sets a start point and an end point of the partial path on the target flight path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and a flight system for an autonomous flying vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology for autonomous flight along a predetermined route is commonly used. For stable autonomous flight, the influence of wind must be taken into consideration. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for reducing the risk of unintentional intrusion into a no-fly area due to wind occurring within a moving space. Specifically, when tracking a person, vehicle, etc. (target object) that has intruded into a monitoring area, the moving route for the target object is updated successively, and a moving route is generated so as to move far away from the no-fly area where the wind speed is high. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-033232 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology of Patent Document 1 generates a route that, when updating the entire travel route, moves away from areas with high wind speeds (no-fly areas) based on wind speed information at the time of updating (generating) the route, but does not take into consideration correcting the route in response to changes in wind after route generation and returning to the original route. As such, there is room for improvement in the route correction technology.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve route correction techniques. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a control unit that corrects a predetermined target flight path for autonomously flying the aircraft from an autonomous flight start point to an autonomous flight end point based on wind information on the target flight path while the aircraft is flying along the target flight path; The control unit is characterized in that, when at least wind speed information, among the information contained in the wind information, exceeds a first threshold value, on the target flight route, it modifies a portion of the target flight route and sets the start and end points of the portion on the target flight route.

[0007] (2) An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the information processing device according to (1), The control unit is characterized in that it corrects the partial route so as to avoid flying in areas where wind speed information exceeds a first threshold, or corrects the partial route so as to fly upwind in areas where the wind speed information exceeds a first threshold, based on wind direction information contained in the wind information.

[0008] (3) An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the information processing device according to (1) or (2), The control unit is characterized in that, when wind speed information exceeds a second threshold, it modifies the partial route to set a hovering waypoint for hovering the aircraft on the target flight route.

[0009] (4) An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (3), The control unit is characterized in that, when wind speed information exceeds the first threshold, it corrects the partial route so as to fly toward another waypoint that is pre-set on the target flight route and is set in an area where the wind speed does not exceed the first threshold.

[0010] (5) An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (4), The control unit further includes: The method is characterized in that while generating the target flight path, one or more inspection waypoints are set on the target flight path to perform inspection using a sensor mounted on the aircraft, and the inspection waypoints are set based on inspection conditions for the equipment to be inspected.

[0011] (6) A flight system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, An information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5), a flying object that performs autonomous flight along the target flight path generated by the information processing device, The aircraft has a position information acquisition device that acquires its own positioning information from a positioning satellite system, and a LiDAR that can acquire a distance to an object existing around the aircraft, The aircraft is characterized in that, when the positioning information is more accurate than a predetermined threshold, it flies autonomously along the target flight path based on the positioning information, while before the aircraft enters a low-precision positioning area on the target flight path where the positioning information is less accurate than the predetermined threshold, it begins autonomous flight using the LiDAR, and in the low-precision positioning area, it flies autonomously along the target flight path using the LiDAR.

[0012] (7) A flight system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, An information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5) and an aircraft, The control unit further sets a start time for starting autonomous flight from the autonomous flight start point set on the target flight route generated by the information processing device, the flying object starts autonomous flight along the target flight path at the start time; The control unit, when inspecting operating equipment to be inspected using a sensor mounted on the aircraft, acquires operating time information of the equipment to be inspected, and sets the start time so that the equipment to be inspected is in operation during the period of autonomous flight from the start point of the autonomous flight to the end point of the autonomous flight.

[0013] (8) A flight system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, An information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5) and an aircraft, The control unit further sets a start time for starting autonomous flight from the autonomous flight start point set on the target flight route generated by the information processing device, the flying object starts autonomous flight along the target flight path at the start time; The control unit is characterized in that when inspecting stopped equipment to be inspected using a sensor mounted on the aircraft, it acquires stop time information of the equipment to be inspected, and sets the start time so that the equipment to be inspected is stopped during the period of autonomous flight from the start point of the autonomous flight to the end point of the autonomous flight. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, route modification techniques can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a route generation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a route generation method. [Diagram 3] A conceptual diagram of flight path correction based on wind information is shown. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first process. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a second process. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a third process. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fourth process. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a specific method for correcting a target flight path. [Figure 10]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a specific method for correcting a target flight path. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, a flight system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0018] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a flight system 1 according to this embodiment. The flight system 1 includes an aircraft 10, a remote controller 20, an information processing device 30, and an anemometer 40. The aircraft 10, the remote controller 20, and the information processing device 30 are communicatively connected to each other. The anemometer 40 is communicatively connected to the information processing device 30 for one-way communication. Note that the anemometer 40 and the information processing device 30 may be communicatively connected to each other for two-way communication, or may be communicatively connected to other components (the aircraft 10 and the remote controller 20).

[0019] The flying object 10 may be, for example, an unmanned flying object. The unmanned flying object includes a drone. In the following, in this embodiment, a case where the flying object 10 is a drone will be described, but the flying object 10 is not limited to this.

[0020] The remote controller 20 is a communications terminal equipped with functions for controlling and monitoring the aircraft 10 and used by operators (hereinafter simply referred to as operators) such as those monitoring the aircraft 10 and other related parties.

[0021] The information processing device 30 is a communication terminal used by an operator, such as a tablet terminal. The functions of the remote controller 20 and the information processing device 30 may be configured by a single communication terminal. For example, the information processing device 30 may have a function of operating and monitoring the flying object 10.

[0022] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The information processing device 30 corrects a target flight path that is determined in advance to autonomously fly the flying object 10 from an autonomous flight start point to an autonomous flight end point, based on wind information on the target flight path while the flying object 10 is flying along the target flight path. The information processing device 30 is characterized in that, when at least wind speed information of information included in the wind information exceeds a first threshold on the target flight path, the information processing device 30 corrects a part of the target flight path and sets the start point and end point of the part on the target flight path.

[0023] Thus, according to this embodiment, when at least the wind speed information included in the wind information exceeds the first threshold, a part of the target flight route is corrected and the start point and end point of the part are set on the target flight route. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the route is corrected according to the wind speed information, the original target flight route can be returned to, which improves the route correction technology.

[0024] Next, each component of the flight system 1 will be described in detail.

[0025] (Configuration of Aircraft 10) As shown in FIG. 1, the aircraft 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a LiDAR 15, and a sensor 16.

[0026] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 11 executes processes related to the operation of the aircraft 10 while controlling each part of the aircraft 10.

[0027] For example, the control unit 11 controls the attitude, output (motor output), etc. of the aircraft 10 so that it flies along the flight path based on flight path information generated in advance by the information processing device 30, or flight path information with some of the path corrected, position information obtained from the positioning unit 14, and three-dimensional distance information obtained from the LiDAR 15.

[0028] The storage unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 12 functions, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores data used in the operation of the aircraft 10 and data obtained by the operation of the aircraft 10.

[0029] The communication unit 13 includes at least one wireless communication interface. The communication unit 13 receives data used in the operation of the aircraft 10, and transmits data obtained by the operation of the aircraft 10.

[0030] The positioning unit 14 includes a receiving device compatible with a satellite positioning system including the artificial satellite 2. The positioning unit 14 acquires positioning information of the flying object 10 itself from the positioning satellite system. The positioning unit 14 is compatible with, for example, a global positioning system (GPS), but is not limited to this and may be compatible with any satellite positioning system. Positioning methods using GPS include differential GPS (DGPS: relative positioning method) and real time kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS: interferometric positioning method). In this embodiment, RTK-GPS suitable for positioning the flying object 10 is adopted. Therefore, a reference station 3 that enables positioning by RTK-GPS is installed at a known position around the equipment to be inspected. The reference station may be a public reference station (electronic reference point installed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) or a private reference station. The positioning unit 14 may further include a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and a barometric pressure sensor. In this embodiment, the aircraft 10 can acquire its own position information, the direction in which the aircraft is facing, and its own inclination using the positioning unit 14. The position information may include three-dimensional coordinate data including latitude, longitude, and altitude.

[0031] The LiDAR 15 is a device capable of acquiring (measuring) the distance to objects existing around the flying object 10 in three dimensions. In other words, the LiDAR 15 acquires the distance to objects existing around itself. The LiDAR 15 is also used for obstacle detection, but can also be used for autonomous flight. Specifically, by flying a predetermined flight path by the operator's operation, the distance to surrounding structures can be recognized, and in the second and subsequent flights, the flying object 10 can be flown along a predetermined flight path based on the distance to surrounding structures without using the positioning information of the flying object 10.

[0032] The sensor 16 includes an imaging unit, an ultrasonic sensor, an illuminance sensor, etc. For example, the imaging unit includes an imaging device such as a camera that captures an image of an object. The imaging device may be configured with, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). The sensor 16 may be equipped with an appropriate sensor according to the inspection content of the equipment to be inspected, and may be equipped with a sensor that acquires various physical property values ​​such as thickness, surface roughness, hardness, temperature, illuminance, gas detection, noise, strain, and vibration values, a sensor that collects data, etc.

[0033] (Configuration of the remote controller 20) As shown in FIG. 1, the remote controller 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, and an input unit 24.

[0034] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 21 executes processes related to the operation of the remote controller 20 while controlling each part of the remote controller 20.

[0035] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores data used in the operation of the remote controller 20 and data obtained by the operation of the remote controller 20.

[0036] The communication unit 23 includes at least one wireless communication interface. The communication unit 23 receives data used in the operation of the remote controller 20, and transmits data obtained by the operation of the remote controller 20.

[0037] The input unit 24 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, or a touch screen that is integrated with a display. The input unit 24 accepts an operation for inputting data used for the operation of the remote controller 20.

[0038] (Configuration of information processing device 30) As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, an input unit , and a display unit .

[0039] The control unit 31 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 31 executes processes related to the operation of the information processing device 30 while controlling each unit of the information processing device 30.

[0040] The control unit 31 generates a target flight path from the start point to the end point of the autonomous flight of the aircraft 10, for example. The control unit 31 also corrects the generated target flight path. In this embodiment, the "target flight path" does not only indicate the route (route) that the aircraft will fly, but is a concept that includes a series of operations from the start of flight on the route to the end of flight. In other words, the target flight path is determined by the position coordinates of the flight, the flight time, and the operations during flight. For example, the target flight path includes the flight start time, the hovering time at the waypoint (WP), and the like. Therefore, "correction of the target flight path" is not limited to only indicating the correction of the route itself. For example, it also includes correction of information that constitutes a part of the target flight path (for example, flight time, operations during flight).

[0041] The method of generating the target flight path is not particularly limited, but examples include generation by teaching or generation by coordinate specification. Generation by teaching is a method in which the position where the path generation mode is turned ON is set as the start point of the autonomous flight, the position where the path generation mode is turned OFF is set as the end point of the autonomous flight, and the path flown by the user during that time is generated as the target flight path. Generation by coordinate specification is a method in which the user sets multiple position coordinates of intermediate points in addition to the start point and end point of the autonomous flight, and generates a path connecting each point as the target flight path. Note that when the target flight path is generated by coordinate specification, as described above, it is necessary to fly along the path once in order to perform autonomous flight by the LiDAR 15. In addition, the control unit 31 may be capable of automatically setting an inspection waypoint (WP) based on the inspection conditions (shape information of the equipment to be inspected, the number of inspection points, etc.) and appropriately correcting the path. In other words, the control unit 31 generates a target flight path and sets one or more inspection waypoints on the target flight path for inspection using the sensor 16 installed on the aircraft 10, and may set the inspection waypoints based on the inspection conditions for the equipment to be inspected.

[0042] An example of a method for generating a target flight path is shown with reference to Fig. 2. After teaching along a teaching path 60 by user operation, a target flight path 100 is generated based on the teaching path 60, the diameter and length (height, width) of a pipe 50, which is the equipment to be inspected, and inspection points 51-55 in the pipe 50. In Fig. 2, inspection points 53 and 55 are inspection points on the back side of the pipe 50 and are represented by dashed lines. In addition, the dashed line portion of the target flight path 100 in Fig. 2 represents the path on the back side of the pipe 50. The shape of the target flight path 100, the distance between multiple inspection points, the circumferential angle, etc. may be set appropriately.

[0043] The storage unit 32 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 32 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 32 stores data used in the operation of the information processing device 30 and data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 30.

[0044] The communication unit 33 includes at least one wireless communication interface. The communication unit 33 receives data used in the operation of the information processing device 30, and transmits data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 30.

[0045] The input unit 34 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, or a touch screen integrally provided with a display. The input interface may also be, for example, a microphone that accepts voice input, or a camera that accepts gesture input. The input unit 34 accepts an operation to input data used for the operation of the information processing device 30. The input unit 34 may be connected to the information processing device 30 as an external input device instead of being provided in the information processing device 30. As a connection method, any method such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0046] The display unit 35 includes at least one display output interface. The display output interface is, for example, a display that outputs information as a video. The display is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL (electro luminescence) display. The display unit 35 displays and outputs data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 30. The display unit 35 may be connected to the information processing device 30 as an external output device instead of being provided in the information processing device 30. As a connection method, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0047] The functions of the information processing device 30 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor equivalent to the information processing device 30. That is, the functions of the information processing device 30 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the information processing device 30, thereby causing the computer to function as the information processing device 30. That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 30 by executing the operations of the information processing device 30 in accordance with the program.

[0048] In this embodiment, the program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The program is distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) on which the program is recorded. The program may also be distributed by storing the program in the storage of an external server and transmitting the program from the external server to another computer. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0049] (Anemometer 40) The anemometer 40 is a device that acquires wind information. Although only one anemometer 40 is illustrated in FIG. 1, the number of anemometers 40 is not limited to this. There may be two or more anemometers. The wind information includes wind speed and wind direction. In other words, the anemometer 40 can detect wind speed and wind direction. For example, an ultrasonic anemometer having a three-dimensional detection range that spreads in a cone shape upward from the installation point is preferably used as the anemometer 40. In addition, a cup type, a windmill type, and a thermal type can also be preferably used. The anemometer 40 transmits the acquired wind information to the information processing device 30. The information processing device 30 corrects the generated target flight route based on the wind information acquired from the anemometer 40.

[0050] Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the correction of the target flight path based on wind information. As shown in Fig. 3, the anemometer 40 can obtain wind information three-dimensionally based on the installation location. In other words, the anemometer 40 can obtain wind speed and wind direction information three-dimensionally based on the installation location.

[0051] The arrow points 41 and 42 are assumed to be strong wind areas (hereinafter also referred to as strong wind areas) where the wind speed is equal to or higher than a first threshold. The first threshold is, for example, 10 m / s, but is not limited to this. In FIG. 3, the positions corresponding to the arrow points 41 and 42 correspond to the strong wind area 200. In this case, in the target flight path 100, a partial path 101 overlaps with the strong wind area 200 in the autonomous flight path. In this case, the control unit 31 of the information processing device 30 avoids the strong wind area 200 by correcting the target flight path. Specifically, the control unit 31 corrects the partial path 101 of the target flight path 100, and sets the start point and the end point of the corrected partial path 101 on the target flight path 100.

[0052] (Operation of information processing device 30) The operation of the information processing device 30 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0053] Step S10: The control unit 31 of the information processing device 30 acquires wind information from the anemometer 40 via the communication unit 33. As described above, the wind information includes wind speed and wind direction.

[0054] Step S11: The control unit 31 determines whether the wind speed information included in the wind information exceeds a first threshold. If the wind speed information exceeds the first threshold, the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if the wind speed information is equal to or less than the first threshold, the process ends.

[0055] Step S12: The control unit 31 modifies a portion of the target flight path, and sets the start point and end point of the portion on the target flight path.

[0056] The process of step S12 (hereinafter also referred to as the route correction process) can employ various methods. For example, the route correction process includes a process of avoiding a strong wind area (hereinafter also referred to as the first process). For example, the route correction process includes a process of correcting to an upwind side of a strong wind area (hereinafter also referred to as the second process). For example, the route correction process includes a process of adding a hovering WP (hereinafter also referred to as the third process). For example, the route correction process includes a process of retreating to another WP (hereinafter also referred to as the fourth process). These four processes will be described below.

[0057] (First process) An example of the first process is shown with reference to the side view of FIG. 5. The first process is a process of correcting the target flight path 100 above or below the strong wind area so as to avoid the three-dimensional range of the strong wind as shown in FIG. 5. The control unit 31 corrects a partial path 101 of the target flight path 100 and sets a start point 102 and an end point 103 of the partial path 101 on the target flight path 100. This correction allows the aircraft to avoid the strong wind area 200 and perform stable flight without being affected by the strong wind. The correction of the path to either the upward or downward direction may be set so that one of them is selected, or may be automatically selected as appropriate depending on conditions such as the direction of weak wind or the direction of no obstacles.

[0058] (Second Processing) An example of the second process is shown with reference to the front view of FIG. 6. The second process is a process of correcting the target flight path to the upwind side of the wind as shown in FIG. 6. The control unit 31 corrects a partial path 111 of the target flight path 110, and sets a start point 112 and an end point 113 of the partial path 111 on the target flight path 110. Here, in the second process, wind direction information is used in addition to wind speed information. Based on the wind direction information included in the wind information, the control unit 31 corrects the partial path so as to fly upwind in a strong wind area 210 where the wind speed information exceeds a first threshold. This correction process makes it possible to avoid the strong wind area 210 and prevent the aircraft from being blown by the strong wind and colliding with the equipment to be inspected. Note that the first process and the second process may be set to be used selectively, or may be set to select the first process if there is no obstacle above or below, and to select the second process if there is an obstacle. In this way, the control unit 31 may modify part of the route to avoid flying in areas where the wind speed information exceeds the first threshold, or may modify part of the route to fly upwind in areas where the wind speed information exceeds the first threshold, based on the wind direction information contained in the wind information.

[0059] (Third Processing) An example of the third process will be shown with reference to FIG. 7. The third process (process of adding a hovering WP) is a method of adding a new WP 124 for hovering to the partially corrected route. The control unit 31 corrects a partial route 121 of the target flight route 120 and sets a start point 122 and an end point 123 of the partial route 121 on the target flight route 120. This correction temporarily suspends flight (inspection) and allows stable flight to be maintained. For example, the hovering WP 124 waits until the wind speed in the strong wind area 220 becomes less than a first threshold. The third process waits in hovering when an inspection WP is included in the strong wind area. Even if the inspection WP does not exist in the strong wind area, the third process may be adopted when the strong wind area is larger than a threshold area (volume) or the wind speed is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, and the first process or the second process may be adopted when the wind speed is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold. In this manner, when the wind speed information exceeds the second threshold, the control unit 31 may modify a portion of the route to set a hovering waypoint for hovering the aircraft on the target flight route.

[0060] (Fourth Process) An example of the fourth process will be shown with reference to FIG. 8. The fourth process is a method of correcting the target flight route so as to move to another WP. For example, when the strong wind area 230 includes the user's own position (point 134 in FIG. 8), the flight (inspection) can be temporarily interrupted by moving from the current position to another WP (WP135 or WP136 in FIG. 8) (returning in FIG. 8), and stable flight can be maintained. In this way, when the wind speed information exceeds the first threshold, the control unit 31 may correct a part of the route so as to fly toward another waypoint that is set in advance on the target flight route and is set in an area where the wind speed does not exceed the first threshold.

[0061] In this way, according to the flight system 1 of this embodiment, when at least wind speed information included in the wind information exceeds a first threshold, a part of the target flight path is corrected and the start point and end point of the part are set on the target flight path. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the path is corrected according to the wind speed information, it is possible to return to the original target flight path, which improves the path correction technology.

[0062] The specific method of correcting the target flight path in the first to fourth processes may adopt various modes. For example, in the first process, the target flight path may be corrected based on the distance relationship from the center of the strong wind area. FIG. 9 shows an example of a specific method of correcting the target flight path in the first process. In the side view of FIG. 9, the travel direction of the target flight path is the x-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the travel direction is the y-axis. The range of the strong wind area 240 may be determined by the distance from the center 241 of the strong wind area 240 to the boundary of the strong wind area 240. In FIG. 9, the length of the boundary from the center 241 of the strong wind area 240 in the y-axis direction is x1 (m), and the distances from the center 241 of the strong wind area 240 to the boundary in the x-axis direction are x2 (m) and x3 (m). x2 (m) is the distance upstream in the travel direction, and x3 (m) is the distance downstream. The start point 142 and end point 143 of the partial path 141 are determined based on x1, x2, and x3. Specifically, the longest distance among x1, x2, and x3 (hereinafter, x max ) based on which a start point 142 and an end point 143 are determined. <x2=x3であり、x max At this time, the target flight path is traveled from the center 241 of the strong wind area upstream of the target flight path. max The position of +n is set as the temporary WP 144. Note that n is a predetermined value, and may be, for example, about 1 (m). Also, the position of x in the positive direction on the y axis from the center 241 of the strong wind area max The position +n is set as a temporary WP 145. A straight line connecting the temporary WP 144 and the temporary WP 145 is set as a temporary corrected path 146. Note that the temporary corrected path 146 may be generated so that the angle between the temporary WP 144 and the target flight path is θ. In the example of FIG. 9, θ is 45°.

[0063] Here, if there is an inspection WP between the current position of the aircraft 10 and the temporary WP 144 as shown in Fig. 9, the inspection WP is used as the avoidance WP as well. The avoidance WP corresponds to the start point 142 of a portion of the path 141. A corrected path 147 is generated by translating the temporary corrected path 146 to the start point 142 (the position of the inspection WP in Fig. 9) upstream in the traveling direction of the x-axis. A latter half of the corrected path 148 is generated so as to be linearly symmetrical with the corrected path 147. Furthermore, the end point 143 is set based on the corrected path 148.

[0064] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a method for setting a start point 152 and an end point 153 when there is no inspection WP between the current position of the aircraft 10 and the tentative WP. As shown in FIG. 10, when there is no inspection WP between the current position of the aircraft 10 and the tentative WP, a point N(m) (which may be the same distance as n or a different distance) from the current position is set as an avoidance WP, that is, a start point 152 of a part of the route. In this case, the tentative corrected route 146 is translated to the start point 152 upstream in the traveling direction of the x-axis, and a corrected route 157 is generated. A latter part of the corrected route 158 is generated so as to be linearly symmetrical with the corrected route 157. The end point 153 is set based on the corrected route 158.

[0065] 9 and 10, the first process is described above, but the second process also sets the corrected route in the same way. For example, in the second process, the positive direction of the y axis is set as the windward side, and the corrected route can be set in the same way. In addition, in the third process, the starting WP should be replaced with the hovering WP.

[0066] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple means or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0067] For example, the manner of route correction is not limited to the above-mentioned first to fourth processes, and deletion of a WP (for example, when an inspection WP exists in a strong wind area) may also be one manner of route correction.

[0068] In the present disclosure, the flying object 10 flies autonomously along a target flight path, but is configured to be manually operable by a user using the remote controller 20 for emergency stop in the event of an emergency. Specifically, when an operation command is given by the remote controller 20, the flying object 10 suspends the autonomous flight and flies according to the control signal of the remote controller 20.

[0069] The control unit 31 of the information processing device 30 may further set a start time for starting the autonomous flight from an autonomous flight start point set on the target flight path generated by the information processing device 30. The flying object 10 may also start the autonomous flight along the target flight path when the start time is reached. Here, when inspecting an inspection target equipment (e.g., a belt of a conveyor belt that carries raw materials) that is in operation using the sensor 16 mounted on the flying object 10, the control unit 31 may acquire operation time information of the inspection target equipment via the communication unit 33. Then, the control unit 31 sets the start time so that the inspection target equipment is in operation during the period of autonomous flight from the autonomous flight start point to the autonomous flight end point. In other words, the control unit 31 may set the start time of the autonomous flight so that the equipment is in operation from the time the flying object 10 starts autonomous flight to the time it ends (the autonomous flight period from the start point to the end point). If the operation time of the equipment is shorter than the time required for autonomous flight, inspection by autonomous flight may not be performed during that time period.

[0070] On the other hand, when inspecting the equipment to be inspected, if the equipment is equipment that should be inspected during a period when the equipment is stopped (for example, radiant tube equipment inside a heating furnace), the control unit 31 may set the start time of the autonomous flight based on the operation information of the equipment so that the equipment is stopped from when the flying object 10 starts its autonomous flight until it ends (autonomous flight period from the start point to the end point). Note that if the equipment stop time is shorter than the time required for autonomous flight, inspection by autonomous flight may not be performed during that time period.

[0071] Here, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the flying object 10 flies autonomously based on the positioning information when flying along the autonomous flight path, but this is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 11 of the flying object 10 may change to autonomous flight using the LiDAR 15 or to autonomous flight based on the positioning information in response to the establishment of an autonomous flight change condition. Both autonomous flight using the positioning information and autonomous flight using the LiDAR 15 can be performed with high accuracy. However, when switching to autonomous flight using the LiDAR 15 in response to the positioning information becoming low-accuracy, the autonomous flight becomes unstable during the switching period. Therefore, when the positioning information is more accurate than a predetermined threshold, the flying object 10 may autonomously fly along the target flight path based on the positioning information, while starting autonomous flight using the LiDAR 15 before the flying object enters a low-accuracy area on the target flight path where the positioning information is lower than a predetermined threshold, and autonomously flying along the target flight path using the LiDAR 15 in the low-accuracy area. For example, if it is known from past experience that the positioning accuracy decreases when the aircraft 10 flies in a certain location (such as below a pipe), the control unit 11 switches to autonomous flight using the LiDAR 15 before the positioning accuracy decreases. In other words, the control unit 11 may switch to autonomous flight using the LiDAR 15 when the positioning accuracy is high. For example, after the aircraft 10 leaves below the pipe and the positioning accuracy is restored to high accuracy, the control unit 11 can return to autonomous flight using the positioning information, thereby enabling high-precision autonomous flight to be continued. The point where the positioning accuracy becomes low is appropriately stored in the information processing device 30, and the control unit 11 performs appropriate flight control by providing the information to the aircraft 10.

[0072] In this embodiment, the information processing device 30 receives wind information from the anemometers 40 installed at various locations, but this is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure can also be suitably used in a system in which the flying object 10 directly receives information from the anemometer.

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the configuration and operation of the information processing device 30 may be distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. For example, some or all of the components of the information processing device 30 may be provided in the aircraft 10. In other words, the method according to this embodiment may be implemented by a flight system 1 including one or more processors. The one or more processors may be provided in at least one of the aircraft 10 and the information processing device 30, and the method according to this embodiment may be executed by the one or more processors by performing distributed processing as necessary. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 Flight System 2 satellite 3 Reference station 10 Flying Objects 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13. Communications Department 14 Positioning unit 15 LiDAR 16 Sensors 20 Remote Controller 21 Control section 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 24 Input section 30 Information processing device 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 33 Communications Department 34 Input section 35 Display section 40 Anemometer 41, 42 Arrows 50 Piping 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 Inspection points 60 Teaching Path 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 Target flight path 200, 210, 220, 230, 240 Strong wind areas 101, 111, 121, 131, some routes 102, 112, 122, 132 Start point 103, 113, 123, 133 End point 124WP 134, 135, 136 WP

Claims

1. a control unit that corrects a predetermined target flight path for autonomously flying the aircraft from an autonomous flight start point to an autonomous flight end point based on wind information on the target flight path while the aircraft is flying along the target flight path; The control unit is an information processing device characterized in that, when at least wind speed information, among the information contained in the wind information, exceeds a first threshold value on the target flight route, it modifies a portion of the target flight route and sets the start and end points of the portion on the target flight route.

2. The information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit corrects the partial route so as to avoid flying in areas where wind speed information exceeds a first threshold, or corrects the partial route so as to fly upwind in areas where the wind speed information exceeds a first threshold based on wind direction information included in the wind information.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit modifies the partial route so as to set a hovering waypoint for hovering the aircraft on the target flight route when wind speed information exceeds a second threshold.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when wind speed information exceeds the first threshold, the control unit corrects the partial route so as to fly toward another waypoint that is set in advance on the target flight route and in an area where the wind speed does not exceed the first threshold.

5. The control unit further includes: The information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that while generating the target flight path, one or more inspection waypoints are set on the target flight path to perform inspection using a sensor mounted on the aircraft, and the inspection waypoints are set based on inspection conditions for the equipment to be inspected.

6. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; a flying object that performs autonomous flight along the target flight path generated by the information processing device, The aircraft has a position information acquisition device that acquires its own positioning information from a positioning satellite system, and a LiDAR that can acquire a distance to an object existing around the aircraft, A flight system characterized in that, when the positioning information is more accurate than a predetermined threshold, the aircraft flies autonomously along the target flight path based on the positioning information, while before the aircraft enters a low-precision positioning area on the target flight path where the positioning information is less accurate than the predetermined threshold, the aircraft begins autonomous flight using the LiDAR, and in the low-precision positioning area, the aircraft flies autonomously along the target flight path using the LiDAR.

7. A system comprising: the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and an aircraft; The control unit further sets a start time for starting autonomous flight from the autonomous flight start point set on the target flight route generated by the information processing device, the flying object starts autonomous flight along the target flight path when the start time arrives, The control unit, when inspecting operating equipment to be inspected using a sensor mounted on the aircraft, acquires operating time information of the equipment to be inspected, and sets the start time so that the equipment to be inspected is in operation during the period of autonomous flight from the start point of the autonomous flight to the end point of the autonomous flight.

8. A system comprising: the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and an aircraft; The control unit further sets a start time for starting autonomous flight from the autonomous flight start point set on the target flight route generated by the information processing device, the flying object starts autonomous flight along the target flight path when the start time arrives, A flight system characterized in that, when inspecting stopped equipment to be inspected using a sensor mounted on the aircraft, the control unit acquires stop time information of the equipment to be inspected, and sets the start time so that the equipment to be inspected is stopped during the period of autonomous flight from the start point of the autonomous flight to the end point of the autonomous flight.

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