Cleaning robot and cleaning robot unit

Abstract

To provide a cleaning robot that can remove seaweed and the like adhering to a net, additionally, can be expected to be miniaturized, can reduce cost, and to provide a cleaning robot unit.SOLUTION: A cleaning robot 100 includes: a robot frame 102; four wheels 103 installed to the robot frame 102 and moving along a side net Sn; two cleaning parts 106 installed to the robot frame 102; and two third motors 105 for turning the two cleaning parts 106. The cleaning part 106 includes three cleaning brushes 122 that are pressed onto the side net Sn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning robot and a cleaning robot unit. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a cleaning robot that removes seaweed and the like attached to aquaculture nets in the sea. This cleaning robot removes seaweed and the like from the aquaculture nets by spraying high-pressure water onto the surface of the net (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3592204 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional cleaning robots require a high-pressure pump to spray high-pressure water to remove seaweed and other things attached to the aquaculture nets, which requires a dedicated ship to mount the high-pressure pump, which makes the cleaning robot larger and more expensive.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a cleaning robot and cleaning robot unit that can remove seaweed and the like attached to nets, can be made smaller, and can reduce costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. <1> A cleaning robot according to one aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle body, wheels attached to the vehicle body and adapted to move along a net, a cleaning tool attached to the vehicle body and adapted to be pressed against the net, and a motor for rotating the cleaning tool.

[0007] According to the cleaning robot, when the vehicle body moves by rotating the wheels, the cleaning tool is pressed against the net. In addition, while the cleaning tool is pressed against the net, the cleaning tool is rotated by the motor. Therefore, the cleaning tool can be appropriately rubbed against the net. As a result, seaweed and the like attached to the net can be removed by the cleaning tool, and the net can be cleaned. In this way, by rubbing the cleaning tool against the net to remove seaweed and the like from the net, there is no need to spray high-pressure water to clean the net. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for a high-pressure pump to spray high-pressure water. This allows the cleaning robot to be made smaller and the cost to be reduced.

[0008] <2> the above <1> In the cleaning robot according to the present invention, the cleaning tool may rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to a rotation axis of the wheels.

[0009] According to the cleaning robot, the cleaning tool can be rotated around a pivot axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the wheels, so that the cleaning tool can be rotated along the net. This allows the net to be efficiently cleaned with the cleaning tool, and seaweed and the like can be appropriately removed from the net.

[0010] <3> The cleaning robot unit according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: <1> or <2> and a hull, wherein the cleaning robot is capable of being suspended from the hull.

[0011] According to the cleaning robot unit, the cleaning robot is suspended from the hull. Therefore, the cleaning robot can move up and down along the side net. This allows the cleaning robot to remove seaweed and the like from the side net and clean the side net.

[0012] <4> the above <3> In the cleaning robot unit according to the present invention, the cleaning robot may be provided with a thruster that presses the cleaning tool against a side net, and the hull may be provided with a wheel that can move along the side net and a thruster that presses the wheel against the side net.

[0013] According to the cleaning robot unit, the cleaning tool is pressed against the side net by the thrusters of the cleaning robot. This allows the side net to be efficiently cleaned with the cleaning tool. Also, wheels are provided on the hull, and the wheels are pressed against the side net by the thrusters of the hull. Therefore, by moving the wheels along the side net, the hull can be made to navigate in the circumferential direction of the side net along the side net. This allows the cleaning tool of the cleaning robot to be moved in the circumferential direction of the side net along the side net. Therefore, by rotating the cleaning tool, the entire side net can be efficiently cleaned with the cleaning tool.

[0014] <5> the above <1> or <2> The cleaning robot according to the present invention may further include a float that floats the cleaning robot.

[0015] According to the cleaning robot, the cleaning robot is provided with a float, and the float causes the cleaning robot to float, which makes it easy to retrieve the cleaning robot.

[0016] <6> the above <1> or <2> The cleaning robot according to the present invention may further include a side net detection unit that detects when the cleaning robot comes into contact with a side net while moving along the bottom net.

[0017] According to the cleaning robot, the cleaning robot is provided with a side net detection unit that detects when the cleaning robot comes into contact with the side net. This allows the cleaning robot to rotate away from the side net based on the detection by the side net detection unit, allowing the cleaning robot to continue cleaning. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, seaweed and the like attached to the net can be removed, and further, the size can be reduced, thereby reducing costs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a cleaning robot unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a portion of a hull provided in the cleaning robot unit according to the embodiment, viewed from below. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a wheel portion provided on the hull according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cable drive device provided in the hull according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a cleaning robot for a side net provided in the cleaning robot unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a cleaning robot for a side net according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 11A to 11C are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of cleaning a side net by the cleaning robot unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a bottom net cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view showing a side net detection unit provided on a bottom net cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, a cleaning robot and a cleaning robot unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The cleaning robot and the cleaning robot unit clean the side nets and bottom nets of the aquaculture nets of the fish cage. In the description, the X direction shown in the drawings is the forward direction, the Y direction is the left direction, and the Z direction is the upward direction.

[0021] <Cleaning robot unit> First, the cleaning robot unit 1 that cleans the side net (net) Sn of the culture net of the fish cage Ft will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. As shown in Fig. 1, the cleaning robot unit 1 autonomously cleans the side net Sn. The cleaning robot unit 1 includes a hull (autonomous ship) 10 that floats on the sea surface (water surface), a cleaning robot 100 that cleans the side net Sn in the sea (underwater), and a proportional system (controller) (not shown). The proportional system sends commands from the operator and allows the operator to check images from a camera mounted on the cleaning robot 100 on a display. The cleaning robot unit 1 can be switched between manual and automatic control based on a signal sent from the transmitter.

[0022] <Hull> 1 and 2, the hull 10 has the navigation capability of a ship to move within the fish pen Ft. The hull 10 includes a pair of floats 12, a hull frame 13, a plurality of first thrusters 14, a plurality of second thrusters (thrusters) 15, a pair of wheel units 16, a cable drive unit 17, and a first control unit 18. The pair of floats 12 are detachably connected at their tops by an aluminum alloy front fixed pipe 21 and a rear fixed pipe 22 spaced apart in the left-right direction. An aluminum alloy round bar 23 is embedded in the bottom of the pair of floats 12 facing in the front-to-rear direction. A hull frame 13 is mounted on the front fixed pipe 21 and the rear fixed pipe 22. The hull frame 13 is formed into a substantially rectangular frame in a plan view.

[0023] The multiple first thrusters 14 are provided to navigate (move) the hull 10 within the fish pen Ft. The multiple first thrusters 14 are provided facing the front-rear direction at the rear end of a round bar 23 embedded in the bottom of the pair of floats 12. In the embodiment, an example in which there are two first thrusters 14 will be described, but the number of first thrusters 14 is not limited to two.

[0024] The second thrusters 15 are provided to hold the pair of wheel parts 16 of the hull 10 pressed against the side net Sn. The second thrusters 15 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction on a round bar 23 embedded in the bottom of the pair of floats 12. The second thrusters 15 hold the pair of wheels 28, which will be described later, pressed against the side net Sn. The second thrusters 15 are provided facing in the left-right direction. In the embodiment, four second thrusters 15 are described as an example, but the number of second thrusters 15 is not limited to four.

[0025] 1 and 3, the pair of wheel units 16 are provided on the hull 10 so as to be movable along the side net Sn. The pair of wheel units 16 are provided at the front and rear on the left side of the hull frame 13 with respect to the sailing direction of the hull 10. The wheel unit 16 includes a first wheel support unit 25, a second wheel support unit 26, a first motor 27, and a wheel 28.

[0026] The first wheel support part 25 protrudes from the hull frame 13 to the left of the hull 10. The first wheel support part 25 is capable of adjusting the amount of protrusion of the slider 29 in the left-right direction (direction of arrow A). The second wheel support part 26 is provided at the tip of the slider 29. The inclination angle θ of the second wheel support part 26 with respect to the slider 29 is adjustable. By adjusting the amount of protrusion of the slider 29 and the inclination angle of the second wheel support portion 26, for example, when the side net Sn of the fish cage Ft is inclined, the wheel 28 (described later) can be made to correspond to the side net Sn.

[0027] A first motor 27 is provided at the tip of the second wheel support portion 26. The first motor 27 is a waterproof direct current motor (DC motor). A wheel 28 is provided on the output shaft of the first motor 27. The wheel 28 is formed, for example, by a 3D printer. The wheel 28 has a plurality of protrusions 28a spaced apart in the circumferential direction, which fit into the mesh of the side net Sn. The wheel 28 is rotated by the first motor 27 in a state where it is pressed against the side net Sn by the plurality of second thrusters 15. The wheel 28 rotates with the plurality of protrusions 28a fitting into the mesh of the side net Sn.

[0028] Therefore, it is possible to make the hull 10 sail a certain distance along the side net Sn according to the amount of rotation of the wheel 28. Here, for example, in a state where waves are occurring on the sea surface, it may be difficult to make the hull 10 sail a certain distance using only the second thruster 15. Even in this case, it is possible to make the hull 10 sail a certain distance along the side net Sn by rotating the wheel 28.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the cable drive device 17 includes a cable frame 32, a pair of cable drums 33, a second motor 34, a pair of cables 35, a pair of cable guides 36, and a linear actuator 37. The cable frame 32 is disposed toward the left side of the hull frame 13 in the left-right direction and is mounted on the hull frame 13 facing in the front-rear direction. The cable frame 32 is formed into a substantially rectangular frame in a plan view. A pair of cable drums 33 are rotatably mounted on the cable frame 32. The pair of cable drums 33 are formed of, for example, polyvinyl chloride resin.

[0030] The pair of cable drums 33 are arranged coaxially with a gap in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the pair of cable drums 33 are arranged axially with a gap in between them with respect to a stainless steel drive pipe 41, and are provided coaxially on the drive pipe 41. A first sprocket 42 is fixed to the drive pipe 41 between the pair of cable drums 33. The first sprocket 42 is connected to a second sprocket 43 via a chain (not shown). The second sprocket 43 is provided on a drive shaft of the second motor 34. The second motor 34 is a waterproof DC motor. When the second motor 34 is driven, the rotation of the drive shaft is transmitted to the pair of cable drums 33 via the second sprocket 43, the chain, the first sprocket 42, and the drive pipe 41. This causes the pair of cable drums 33 to rotate.

[0031] Cables 35 for power transmission and communication transmission are wound individually and independently around the pair of cable drums 33. The pair of cables 35 are connected in parallel. The pair of cables 35 are wound around the pair of cable drums 33, for example, by the second motor 34 rotating in the forward direction. The pair of cables 35 are sent out from the pair of cable drums 33, for example, by the second motor 34 rotating in the reverse direction. The pair of cables 35 are connected to the first control unit 18 (described later) via a slip ring 45. The slip ring 45 prevents the pair of cables 35 from twisting due to the rotation of the pair of cable drums 33.

[0032] The pair of cables 35 mechanically suspend the cleaning robot 100, which will be described later. By winding the pair of cables 35 individually around the respective cable drums 33, the load of the cleaning robot 100 can be distributed to the pair of cables 35 when suspending the cleaning robot 100. In addition, by connecting the pair of cables 35 in parallel, the current transmitted from the hull 10 to the cleaning robot 100 can be distributed to the pair of cables 35.

[0033] The pair of cable guides 36 are disposed on the left side of the pair of cable drums 33. The cable guides 36 guide the cable 35 to the cable drum 33 when the cable 35 is wound around the cable drum 33. The pair of cable guides 36 are provided on a sliding portion 47 with a gap therebetween in the front-rear direction. The sliding portion 47 is supported along the cable frame 32 so as to be freely movable in the front-rear direction. The linear actuator 37 is connected to the sliding portion 47.

[0034] The linear actuator 37 is provided on the cable frame 32. The linear actuator 37 moves the sliding portion 47 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the linear actuator 37 can move the cable guide 36 in the front-rear direction along the cable drum 33 at regular intervals. This allows the cable guide 36 to move in the front-rear direction along the cable drum 33 when winding the cable 35 onto the cable drum 33. Therefore, the cable 35 can be wound onto the cable drum 33 without being biased.

[0035] 1, the first control unit 18 includes, for example, a first storage box 51, and a driver and a communication device (not shown). The first storage box 51 is mounted on the front of the hull frame 13, on the right side of the cable frame 32 (i.e., approximately in the center of the hull frame 13). The first storage box 51 is waterproof. Inside the first storage box 51, for example, a driver and a communication device are stored.

[0036] The driver and communication device receive control signals from a transmitter (not shown) and calculate the output of the first thruster 14 and the second thruster 15. A program for autonomously navigating the hull 10 is written in the driver and communication device. The driver and communication device also switches between manual and automatic control depending on the control signals from the transmitter. In manual or automatic control, the driver and communication device outputs signals to drive the first thruster 14, the second thruster 15, the first motor 27, the second motor 34, the linear actuator 37, etc.

[0037] The driver and communication device also receives an auto mode signal from the transmitter. In this case, the driver and communication device drives the second thruster 15 at a constant output so as to press the wheels 28 of the hull 10 against the side net Sn. The driver and communication device also rotates the pair of cable drums 33 to send out the pair of cables 35 and lower the cleaning robot 100 (described later). Alternatively, the driver and communication device winds up the pair of cables 35 to raise the cleaning robot 100.

[0038] A battery is housed in a battery box as a power source for the cleaning robot unit 1 (i.e., the hull 10 and the cleaning robot 100). The battery box is mounted, for example, in the center of the hull frame 13. The battery used is, for example, a 24V, 100A lithium iron phosphate battery.

[0039] <Side net cleaning robot> 1, 5, and 6, the cleaning robot 100 is connected to a pair of cables 35 fed from a pair of cable drums 33 provided on the hull 10. The cleaning robot 100 is suspended in the sea from the hull 10 by the pair of cables 35. The cleaning robot 100 includes a robot frame (car body) 102, a plurality of wheels 103, a plurality of third thrusters (thrusters) 104, a plurality of third motors (motors) 105, a plurality of cleaning units 106, and a second control unit 107.

[0040] The robot frame 102 is made of an aluminum alloy and has a generally rectangular frame shape in a plan view. An upper portion 102a of the robot frame 102 is connected to a pair of cables 35 via a suspender 112. The robot frame 102 is suspended by the pair of cables 35. The pair of cables 35 are routed along the robot frame 102 and connected to a second control unit 107.

[0041] The multiple wheels 103 are provided at the corner 102b of the robot frame 102. In the embodiment, four wheels 103 are described as an example, but the number of wheels 103 is not limited to four. The wheels 103 are rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 115 provided on the support part 114. The support part 114 protrudes to the left at the corner 102b of the robot frame 102. Therefore, the wheels 103 are arranged on the left side of the corner 102b of the robot frame 102 (i.e., so as to be able to contact the side net Sn). The rotation shaft 115 of the wheels 103 is arranged along the side net Sn in the left-right direction. The wheels 103 move along the side net Sn while in contact with the side net Sn. By bringing the wheels 103 into contact with the side net Sn, when the cleaning robot 100 moves up and down along the side net Sn, the cleaning robot 100 can be appropriately guided by the wheels 103. In addition, by bringing the wheels 103 into contact with the side net Sn, the pressing amount of the cleaning brush 122 (described later) against the side net Sn can be adjusted.

[0042] The multiple third thrusters 104 are provided to hold the cleaning robot 100 in a state pressed against the side net Sn. That is, the multiple third thrusters 104 hold a cleaning brush 122, which will be described later, in a state pressed against the side net Sn. The multiple third thrusters 104 are mounted on corners 102b of the robot frame 102 facing in the left-right direction. In the embodiment, an example will be described in which there are four multiple third thrusters 104, but the number of third thrusters 104 is not limited to four.

[0043] The multiple third motors 105 are disposed at the center in the vertical direction on the robot frame 102, and are mounted at intervals in the front-rear direction. The third motors 105 are DC motors that are waterproof. The output shaft 117 of the third motor 105 protrudes in the left direction (toward the side net Sn). In other words, the output shaft 117 of the third motor 105 protrudes so as to be perpendicular to the rotation shaft 115 of the wheel 103. In the embodiment, an example of two third motors 105 will be described as the multiple third motors 105, but the number of third motors 105 is not limited to two.

[0044] The multiple cleaning units 106 are provided on an output shaft 117 of the third motor 105. In the embodiment, the multiple cleaning units 106 are described as being two, but the number of cleaning units 106 is not limited to two. The cleaning unit 106 includes a support plate 121, multiple cleaning tools 122, and multiple fins 123. In the embodiment, the multiple cleaning tools 122 and the multiple fins 123 are described as being three, but the number of cleaning tools 122 and fins 123 is not limited to three.

[0045] The center of the support plate 121 is attached to the output shaft 117 of the third motor 105. A cleaning tool 122 and a fin 123 are fixed to the support plate 121. The cleaning tool 122 and the fin 123 are attached to the robot frame 102 via the support plate 121 and the third motor 105. The cleaning tool 122 and the fin 123 are turned (rotated) by the third motor 105. The cleaning tool 122 and the fin 123 turn around the output shaft 117 of the third motor 105 (around the turning axis) that is perpendicular to the rotation axis 115 of the wheel 103. That is, the cleaning tool 122 and the fin 123 turn along the side net Sn.

[0046] As the cleaning tool 122, for example, a cleaning brush 122 is used. Specifically, a "scrubbing brush" is used as the cleaning brush 122. The cleaning brush 122 is fixed to the support plate 121, for example, with a cable tie (not shown). The cleaning brushes 122 are radially arranged around the output shaft 117 of the third motor 105, and are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. By fixing the cleaning brush 122 to the support plate 121 with a cable tie, the cleaning brush 122 can be easily replaced in response to deterioration such as dirt on the cleaning brush 122. Moreover, the fins 123 are provided, for example, along the cleaning brush 122. The fins 123 generate a thrust in a direction to press the cleaning brush 122 against the side net Sn when turning.

[0047] Therefore, the cleaning brush 122 can be appropriately pressed against the side net Sn by rotating the cleaning brush 122 and the fins 123 by the third motor 105. In a state in which the cleaning brush 122 is rotated by the third motor 105, the cleaning brush 122 can be pressed against the side net Sn to clean the side net Sn with the cleaning brush 122.

[0048] Here, it is considered that pressing the cleaning brush 122 against the side net Sn during rotation generates a counter torque in the cleaning brush 122, causing the cleaning robot 100 to rotate. Therefore, in the two cleaning parts 106, one cleaning part 106 and the other cleaning part 106 are rotated in opposite directions. Thus, the counter torque generated by the rotation of the cleaning brush 122 can be offset by the one cleaning part 106 and the other cleaning part 106. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning robot 100 from rotating due to the rotation of the cleaning brush 122.

[0049] The second control unit 107 includes, for example, a second storage box 126, a decoder, an ESC, and a relay (or a motor driver) (not shown), and a camera (USB camera) (not shown). The second storage box 126 is disposed below the third motor 105 on the robot frame 102, and is mounted in the center in the front-rear direction. The second storage box 126 is waterproof. The decoder, the relay, the ESC, and the camera are stored inside the second storage box 126. The decoder, the relay, the ESC, and the camera are connected to a pair of cables 35.

[0050] The decoder receives an SBUS signal sent from the communication device (control board) of the hull 10 and sends it to the ESC. The ESC controls the third thruster 104. The relay controls the rotation of the third motor 105. The camera captures, for example, an image of the cleaning state of the side net Sn. The image captured by the camera is sent to the communication device of the hull 10 via the cable 35. The image sent to the control unit of the hull 10 is sent to the transmitter and displayed on the transmitter's display.

[0051] Next, the operation of cleaning the side net Sn by the cleaning robot unit 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 7(a), the cleaning robot unit 1 is thrown into the fish pen Ft by a crane (not shown). The cleaning robot unit 1, including the hull 10 and the cleaning robot 100, weighs, for example, more than 50 kg. For this reason, a crane attached to the fishing boat is used to throw the cleaning robot unit 1 into and retrieve it from the fish pen Ft. The hull frame 13 of the hull 10 is equipped with a wire or the like for hanging fishing (not shown). A hook of the crane is attached to the wire or the like. After the cleaning robot unit 1 is placed inside the side net Sn by a crane, the hull 10 is manually moved to the side net Sn as shown by arrow B, and the pair of wheels 28 is pressed against the side net Sn.

[0052] As shown in Figures 1 and 7(b), the thruster force F from the second thruster 15 is adjusted by the trim of the transmitter to press the hull 10 against the side net Sn. This places the hull 10 at a position pressed against the side net Sn. Hereinafter, the position at which the hull 10 is pressed against the side net Sn may be referred to as the "fixed point." In this state, the automatic switch of the transmitter is turned on to hold the hull 10 at the fixed point pressed against the side net Sn. After holding the hull 10 at the fixed point, the cleaning robot 100 is started and the cable 35 is let out from the cable drum 33. By letting out the cable 35, the cleaning robot 100 descends at a constant speed from the upper end Sn1 of the side net Sn as indicated by arrow C. In the cleaning robot 100, the cleaning brush 122 is pressed against the side net Sn while rotating by the thruster force of the third thruster 104. Therefore, as the cleaning robot 100 descends at a constant speed, seaweed and the like attached to the side net Sn are removed by the cleaning brush 122 to clean the side net Sn.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 7(c), after a certain time has elapsed since the cleaning robot 100 started to descend, the cable 35 is wound around the cable drum 33. By winding the cable 35, the cleaning robot 100 is raised. In this state, the wheels 28 of the hull 10 are rotated to make the hull 10 sail forward along the side net Sn as indicated by arrow D. Thus, the cleaning robot 100 rises as indicated by arrow E. After the cleaning robot 100 has been raised as indicated by arrow E, the hull 10 stops sailing. When the cleaning robot 100 is raised, the third thruster 104 and the cleaning brush 122 of the cleaning robot 100 are kept stationary.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 7(d), the cleaning robot 100 rises as indicated by arrow F and reaches the upper end Sn1 of the side net Sn. After the cleaning robot 100 reaches the upper end Sn1, the hull 10 travels a short distance along the side net Sn as indicated by arrow G. After traveling the hull 10, the operation shown in Fig. 7(c) is repeated. That is, the cleaning robot 100 is started and the cable 35 is let out from the cable drum 33, causing the cleaning robot 100 to descend as indicated by arrow H. 7(a) to 7(d) are sequentially repeated to clean the entire side net Sn by the cleaning robot 100. Cleaning by the cleaning robot 100 is completed after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0055] The cleaning robot unit 1 stops after a certain time has elapsed. The cleaning robot unit 1 is set to wait in a stopped state until a command is received from the transmitter. In this state, the operator operates the transmitter to navigate the hull 10 close to the ship. The operator attaches a crane hook to a fishing wire or the like on the hull 10, and uses the crane to retrieve the cleaning robot unit 1 from the fish pen Ft.

[0056] According to the cleaning robot unit 1 for the side net Sn in the embodiment described above, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the cleaning robot 100 is moved by rotating the wheels 103 of the cleaning robot 100. In addition, when the cleaning robot 100 is moved, the cleaning brush 122 is rotated by the third motor 105 while the cleaning brush 122 is pressed against the side net Sn. This allows the cleaning brush 122 to be appropriately rubbed against the side net Sn. As a result, seaweed and the like attached to the side net Sn can be removed by the cleaning brush 122 to clean the side net Sn. In this way, by rubbing the cleaning brush 122 against the side net Sn to remove seaweed and the like from the side net Sn, there is no need to spray high-pressure water to remove seaweed and the like from the side net Sn. Therefore, the cleaning robot unit 1 does not need a high-pressure pump for spraying high-pressure water. This allows the cleaning robot unit 1 to be made smaller and the costs to be reduced.

[0057] In addition, the cleaning brush 122 of the cleaning robot 100 is configured to rotate around the output shaft 117 of the third motor 105 that is perpendicular to the rotation shaft 115 of the wheels 103. Therefore, the cleaning brush 122 can be rotated along the side net Sn. This allows the side net Sn to be efficiently cleaned by the cleaning brush 122, and seaweed and the like can be appropriately removed from the side net Sn.

[0058] 1, the cleaning robot 100 is suspended from the hull 10 by a pair of cables 35. Thus, the cleaning robot 100 can be moved up and down along the side net Sn by letting out or reeling in the pair of cables 35. This allows the cleaning robot 100 to remove seaweed and the like from the side net Sn and clean the side net Sn.

[0059] In addition, the cleaning brush 122 is pressed against the side net Sn by the third thruster 104 of the cleaning robot 100. This allows the cleaning brush 122 to efficiently clean the side net Sn. Also, a wheel 28 is provided on the hull 10, and the wheel 28 is pressed against the side net Sn by the second thruster 15 of the hull 10. Therefore, by moving the wheel 28 along the side net Sn, the hull 10 can be made to navigate in the circumferential direction of the side net Sn along the side net Sn. This allows the cleaning brush 122 of the cleaning robot 100 to move in the circumferential direction of the side net Sn along the side net Sn. Therefore, by rotating the cleaning brush 122, the cleaning brush 122 can efficiently clean the entire side net Sn.

[0060] <Cleaning robot for bottom nets> Next, the cleaning robot 200 that cleans the bottom net (net) Bn of the aquaculture net of the fish cage Ft will be described with reference to Figs. 8, the cleaning robot 200 autonomously cleans the bottom net Bn. The cleaning robot 200 includes a robot frame (car body) 202, a plurality of first motors 203, a plurality of wheels 204, a plurality of thrusters 205, a plurality of second motors (motors) 206, a plurality of cleaning units 207, a side net detection unit 208, a float (not shown), and a control unit 209.

[0061] The robot frame 202 is made of aluminum alloy and has a generally rectangular frame shape in plan view. The multiple first motors 203 are mounted on the outer side in the left-right direction at the rear part 202a of the robot frame 202. The first motors 203 are waterproof DC motors. The output shafts of the first motors 203 protrude outward in the left-right direction of the robot frame 202. In the embodiment, an example of two first motors 203 will be described, but the number of first motors 203 is not limited to two.

[0062] The multiple wheels 204 are provided on the output shaft of the first motor 203. The multiple wheels 204 are provided as a drive system for moving the cleaning robot 200 along the bottom net Bn. In the embodiment, two wheels 204 are described as an example of the multiple wheels 204, but the number of wheels 204 is not limited to two. The two wheels 204 are disposed on the outer sides in the left-right direction at the rear part 202a of the robot frame 202. The wheels 204 are rotated by the first motor 203. The wheels 204 move along the bottom net Bn. Block tires are adopted as the tires 204a of the wheels 204 for the purpose of catching on the mesh of the bottom net Bn. The rotation direction and rotation speed of the left wheel 204 and the right wheel 204 can be controlled independently. By combining the rotation direction and rotation speed of the left wheel 204 and the right wheel 204, the cleaning robot 200 is controlled to move forward, backward, and turn.

[0063] The multiple thrusters 205 are provided to keep the cleaning robot 200 pressed against the bottom net Bn. Specifically, the multiple thrusters 205 keep the wheels 204 pressed against the bottom net Bn. The multiple thrusters 205 are mounted on the outer sides in the left-right direction at the rear part 202a of the robot frame 202. The multiple thrusters 205 are disposed near the wheels 204. In the embodiment, the multiple thrusters 205 are described by taking two as an example, but the number of thrusters 205 is not limited to two.

[0064] The multiple second motors 206 are mounted on the front part 202b of the robot frame 202 on the outer side in the left-right direction. The second motors 206 are DC motors that are waterproof. The output shafts of the second motors 206 protrude downward (i.e., toward the bottom net Bn). The output shafts of the second motors 206 protrude so as to be perpendicular to the rotation shafts of the wheels 204. In the embodiment, an example of two second motors 206 will be described as the multiple second motors 206, but the number of second motors 206 is not limited to two.

[0065] The multiple cleaning units 207 are provided on the output shaft of the second motor 206. Therefore, the multiple cleaning units 207 are arranged on the outer sides in the left-right direction in the front part 202b of the robot frame 202. In the embodiment, an example in which there are two cleaning units 207 will be described, but the number of cleaning units 207 is not limited to two. The cleaning unit 207 is configured similarly to the cleaning unit 106 provided in the cleaning robot 100 for the side net Sn. That is, the cleaning unit 207 includes a support plate 121, a plurality of cleaning brushes 122, and a plurality of fins 123. In the embodiment, the number of the plurality of cleaning brushes 122 and the plurality of fins 123 is described as three, but the number of the cleaning brushes 122 and the fins 123 is not limited to three.

[0066] The center of the support plate 121 is attached to the output shaft of the second motor 206. The cleaning brush 122 and the fins 123 are fixed to the support plate 121. The cleaning brush 122 and the fins 123 are attached to the robot frame 202 via the support plate 121 and the second motor 206. The cleaning brush 122 and the fins 123 are turned (rotated) by the second motor 206. The cleaning brush 122 and the fins 123 turn around the output shaft 117 (rotation axis) of the second motor 206 that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the wheel 204. That is, the cleaning brush 122 and the fins 123 turn along the bottom net Bn.

[0067] The cleaning brushes 122 are arranged radially around the output shaft of the second motor 206 and are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The cleaning brushes 122 are fixed to the support plate 121 with a cable tie, so that the cleaning brushes 122 can be easily replaced in response to deterioration such as dirt on the cleaning brushes 122. Moreover, the fins 123 are provided, for example, along the cleaning brush 122. The fins 123 generate a thrust in a direction to press the cleaning brush 122 against the bottom net Bn when turning.

[0068] Therefore, the cleaning brush 122 can be appropriately pressed against the bottom net Bn by rotating the cleaning brush 122 and the fins 123 with the second motor 206. With the cleaning brush 122 rotated by the third motor 105, the cleaning brush 122 can be pressed against the bottom net Bn to clean the bottom net Bn with the cleaning brush 122.

[0069] Here, it is considered that pressing the cleaning brush 122 against the bottom net Bn during rotation generates a counter torque in the cleaning brush 122, causing the cleaning robot 200 to rotate. Therefore, in the two cleaning parts 207, one cleaning part 207 and the other cleaning part 207 are rotated in opposite directions. Therefore, the counter torque generated by the rotation of the cleaning brush 122 can be offset by the one cleaning part 207 and the other cleaning part 207. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning robot 200 from rotating due to the rotation of the cleaning brush 122.

[0070] The two cleaning units 207 are disposed on the outer sides in the left-right direction on the front part 202b of the robot frame 202. The two cleaning units 207 support the front part of the cleaning robot 200 by contacting the bottom net Bn with their respective cleaning brushes 122. The two wheels 204 support the rear part of the cleaning robot 200 by contacting the bottom net Bn. Thus, the cleaning robot 200 can be moved by the two wheels 204 and the two cleaning units 207.

[0071] 8 and 9, the side net detection unit 208 detects that the cleaning robot 200 has reached (come into contact with) the side net Sn while moving along the bottom net Bn. The side net detection unit 208 is mounted on the front part 202b of the robot frame 202. The side net detection unit 208 includes a pair of rods 212, a pair of springs 213, a pair of sensors 214, and a bumper 215.

[0072] The pair of rods 212 protrude forward from the left and right sides at the front part 202b of the robot frame 202. A spring 213 is provided at the front parts of the pair of rods 212. The sensor 214 is attached to the front part 202b of the robot frame 202 via an attachment piece 217. The tip of the sensor 214 is disposed facing the front end side of the spring 213. For example, a proximity sensor is used as the sensor 214. A metal plate 218 is provided on the front end side of the spring 213. The metal plate 218 faces the tip of the sensor 214 and is disposed forward of the tip of the sensor 214. A protrusion 219 protrudes forward from the front end of the spring 213. A bumper 215 is bridged across the pair of protrusions 219. The bumper 215 is disposed along the front edge of the robot frame 202.

[0073] When the cleaning robot 200 advances along the bottom net Bn and reaches the side net Sn, the bumper 215 of the side net detection unit 208 comes into contact with and is pressed against the side net Sn. The bumper 215 is pressed against the side net Sn, causing the spring 213 to contract. The contraction of the spring 213 causes the metal plate 218 to approach the tip of the sensor 214. The sensor 214 reads a change in signal due to the approach of the metal plate 218, and detects the approach of the metal plate 218 in a non-contact manner.

[0074] 8, the float (not shown) is a device for recovering the cleaning robot 200. The float is formed, for example, in a ring shape, and is mounted on the upper part of the robot frame 202. The float includes a float (not shown) and an inflator (not shown). The float inflates the float when a certain time has passed since the cleaning robot 200 started cleaning, or when the remaining battery power falls below a specified value. Specifically, gas is generated by an inflator provided in the float and filled into the float via a regulator and a solenoid valve. The float is inflated by being filled with gas. As the float inflates, the buoyancy of the float causes the cleaning robot 200 to float to the sea surface. The cleaning robot 200 that has floated to the sea surface is retrieved by the operator back onto a ship.

[0075] The control unit 209 includes a first storage box 222 and a control board (not shown). The first storage box 222 is disposed at the rear 202a of the robot frame 202, and is mounted in the center in the left-right direction (i.e., between the pair of thrusters 205). The first storage box 222 houses a control board. The control board is connected to, for example, the sensor 214, the ESC for the wheels 204, the ESC for the thrusters 205, the ESC for the cleaning unit 207, and a solenoid valve of the float.

[0076] A six-cell LiPo battery is stored in the second storage box 223 as a power source for the cleaning robot 200. The second storage box 223 is mounted in front of the first storage box 222 on the robot frame 202. The LiPo battery is connected to the control board via a DC-DC converter that converts the battery into an appropriate voltage.

[0077] Next, the operation of cleaning the bottom net Bn by the cleaning robot 200 will be described. First, the start switch is turned on when the cleaning robot 200 starts to clean the bottom net Bn. By turning on the start switch, the cleaning robot 200 moves forward after a certain time has elapsed, and the cleaning brush 122 rotates. While moving the cleaning robot 200 forward, cleaning of the bottom net Bn is started, in which seaweed and the like attached to the bottom net Bn is removed by the cleaning brush 122. Here, when moving forward, the cleaning robot 200 reverses the rotation direction of one cleaning unit 106 and the other cleaning unit 106 to cancel out the counter torque. As the cleaning robot 200 moves forward and continues cleaning the bottom net Bn with the cleaning brush 122, the bumper 215 comes into contact with and is pressed against the side net Sn. With the bumper 215 pressed against the side net Sn, the wheels 204 and the cleaning brush 122 are stopped.

[0078] Here, after the wheels 204 and the cleaning brush 122 have stopped, the direction of rotation of the cleaning robot 200 is selected depending on which of the left and right sensors 214 has detected the side net Sn. For example, when the right sensor 214 detects the side net Sn, the cleaning robot 200 is moved backward once and then rotated counterclockwise away from the side net Sn. When the cleaning robot 200 rotates counterclockwise, the two cleaning parts 106 are rotated counterclockwise.

[0079] On the other hand, when the left sensor 214 detects the side net Sn, the cleaning robot 200 is moved backward once, and then rotated clockwise to move away from the side net Sn. When the cleaning robot 200 rotates clockwise, the two cleaning units 106 are rotated clockwise. After turning, the cleaning robot 200 turns the cleaning brush 122 while moving forward, and continues cleaning the bottom net Bn until it is pressed against the side net Sn.

[0080] When the cleaning robot 200 is cleaning the bottom net Bn, the cleaning robot 200 stops the wheels 204 and the cleaning brush 122 when it comes into contact with the side net Sn after a certain time has elapsed since the start of cleaning or when the remaining battery power falls below a specified value. After the wheels 204 and the cleaning brush 122 are stopped, the solenoid valve is opened to inflate the float. The amount of float expansion is specified by time. The float is expanded to bring the cleaning robot 200 to the surface of the sea. After the cleaning robot 200 has surfaced, the operator turns off the power to the cleaning robot 200 and retrieves the cleaning robot 200 to the ship.

[0081] According to the cleaning robot 200 for the bottom net Bn in the embodiment described above, as shown in Fig. 8, the wheels 204 of the cleaning robot 200 are rotated to move the cleaning robot 200 forward (moving). In addition, when the cleaning robot 200 moves forward, the cleaning brush 122 is rotated by the third motor 105 while being pressed against the bottom net Bn. This allows the cleaning brush 122 to be appropriately rubbed against the bottom net Bn. This allows the seaweed and the like adhering to the bottom net Bn to be removed by the cleaning brush 122, thereby cleaning the bottom net Bn. In this way, by rubbing the cleaning brush 122 against the bottom net Bn to remove seaweed and the like from the bottom net Bn, there is no need to spray high-pressure water to remove seaweed and the like from the bottom net Bn. Therefore, the cleaning robot 200 does not need a high-pressure pump for spraying high-pressure water. This allows the cleaning robot 200 to be made smaller and the costs to be reduced.

[0082] In addition, the cleaning brush 122 of the cleaning robot 200 is configured to rotate around the output shaft of the second motor 206 that is perpendicular to the rotation shaft of the wheels 204. Therefore, the cleaning brush 122 can be rotated along the bottom net Bn. This allows the bottom net Bn to be efficiently cleaned by the cleaning brush 122, and seaweed and the like can be appropriately removed from the bottom net Bn.

[0083] Furthermore, the cleaning robot 200 is provided with a float, which causes the cleaning robot 200 to float. This allows the cleaning robot 200 to be easily retrieved.

[0084] In addition, the cleaning robot 200 is provided with a side net detection unit 208, which detects that the cleaning robot 200 has come into contact with the side net Sn. This allows the cleaning robot 200 to rotate away from the side net Sn based on the detection by the side net detection unit 208, and continue cleaning by the cleaning robot 200.

[0085] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0086] For example, at least some of the hull 10, the side net detection unit 208, the second thruster 15, and the third thruster 104 may be omitted. The cleaning robot unit 1 may combine the cleaning robots 100 and 200. The cleaning robot unit 1 may clean both the bottom net Bn and the side net Sn.

[0087] In addition, the components in this embodiment can be replaced with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1. Cleaning robot unit 10. Hull 15...Second thruster (thruster) 28…Wheels 100,200…Cleaning robot 102, 202...Robot frame (body) 103,204...Wheel 104…Third thruster (thruster) 105...Third motor (motor) 106,207…Cleaning section 115...Wheel axis 122...Cleaning brush (cleaning tool) 203…First motor 206...Second motor (motor) 208...Side network detection unit Bn…Bottom net (net) Sn…side net (net)

Claims

1. The car body and A wheel provided on the vehicle body and moving along the net; A cleaning tool provided on the vehicle body and pressed against the net; A motor for rotating the cleaning tool.

2. The cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning tool pivots about a pivot axis perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the wheels.

3. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 or 2, A vessel body; A cleaning robot unit, wherein the cleaning robot is capable of being suspended from the hull.

4. The cleaning robot includes a thruster that presses the cleaning tool against a side net, The cleaning robot unit according to claim 3 , wherein the hull is provided with a wheel movable along the side net and a thruster for pressing the wheel against the side net.

5. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a float for floating the cleaning robot.

6. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a side net detection unit that detects that the cleaning robot has come into contact with a side net while moving along a bottom net.

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