Guidance device for unmanned aerial vehicle used in steel tower inspection

Abstract

To provide a guidance device for unmanned aerial vehicles used in steel tower inspection that enables inspection work to be performed without the need for skilled techniques.SOLUTION: Provided is a guide device 1 for a drone 3 that guides the drone 3 that detects the state of damage to a steel tower 2. The guide device 1 for the drone 3 is provided on the steel tower 2 and includes a guide rail 4 that extends in the vertical direction, a guide portion 5 that is movable while being guided by the guide rail 4, and a mooring rope 6 that connects the guide portion 5 to the drone 3. The guide portion 5 is supported on the guide rail 4 in an unrestricted state, and moves along the guide rail 4 together with the drone 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a guide device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for inspecting steel towers. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, inspection work on power transmission towers and other structures has often been carried out by workers visually climbing the tower legs, with safety devices attached to guide rails on the tower to prevent workers from falling. Also known is a power line inspection system that uses unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect trees approaching overhead power lines, inspect the site, inspect the condition of the line substrate, inspect steel towers, etc. (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-265699 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, there has been a need to use unmanned aerial vehicles such as those described above to inspect steel towers and manage and monitor power transmission facilities, with the aim of reducing the workload of workers, improving safety, and resolving the shortage of workers working at height. However, when using unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly when the steel towers are located in urban areas, the unmanned aerial vehicles must have a proven track record of flight. This has led to the problem that the work must be carried out by workers with sufficient flight experience and skilled techniques, making it difficult to secure the necessary personnel, and there is room for improvement in this regard.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a guidance device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for tower inspection that can improve work efficiency related to preparations prior to inspection work and enable inspection work to be performed without requiring skilled techniques. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a guidance device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for inspecting steel towers, which guides an unmanned aerial vehicle that detects damage to a steel tower, and which comprises a guide rail that is attached to the steel tower and extends in an up and down direction, a guide section that is movable while being guided by the guide rail, and a mooring rope that connects the guide section to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the guide section is supported in an unrestricted state relative to the guide rail and moves along the guide rail together with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0007] According to the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle is connected to a tether rope connected to a guide part guided by a guide rail. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be freely raised and lowered within the range of movement of the guide part guided by the guide rail and the length of the tether rope, allowing for tethered flight, and inspections can be efficiently performed to detect damage to the steel tower using a detector or the like mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle. The present invention also allows for simple preparation work, such as attaching the guide unit to the guide rail on the steel tower in an unrestricted state, i.e., allowing for free movement, and connecting the guide unit to the unmanned aerial vehicle with a mooring rope, thereby improving the efficiency of work related to preparations prior to inspection work.

[0008] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the movement of the guide unit relative to the guide rail is not restricted, there is no need for complicated and skilled work such as operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to turn on and off the guide unit to restrict its movement, such as locking it relative to the guide rail. Therefore, inspection work can be performed without the need for skilled work, and the shortage of workers can be alleviated. Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the flight range of an unmanned aerial vehicle is limited using a mooring rope, it is possible to simplify work permit applications, etc., thereby reducing the complicated and time-consuming administrative procedures required before inspection work can be carried out, and suppressing a decline in work efficiency.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the guide portion is made of a carbon fiber material.

[0010] According to the present invention, the guide unit can be made lighter. Because the guide unit, which is guided by the guide rail, is towed by the unmanned aerial vehicle, using a lightweight guide unit can reduce the load on the unmanned aerial vehicle. This makes the unmanned aerial vehicle easier to operate, and even unskilled workers can perform inspection work efficiently and with high precision.

[0011] The present invention may also be characterized in that the guide portion includes a pair of upper and lower guide rollers that are rotatably supported by the guide body and that sandwich the guide rail from both sides in the width direction.

[0012] According to the present invention, the guide unit has a configuration with at least two or more guide rollers on each side, for a total of four or more wheels, which stabilizes the movement of the guide unit relative to the guide rollers. This prevents the guide unit from tilting and becoming unable to move smoothly relative to the guide rail, and prevents the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle from being hindered.

[0013] The present invention may also be characterized in that the unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with an imaging device that captures images of each part of the tower, and imaging data is transmitted from the imaging device to an operating unit that operates the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0014] According to the present invention, by transmitting image data of a steel tower obtained using an imaging device mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle to an operation unit, inspections can be efficiently performed using the received image data to detect damage to the steel tower, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the guidance device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for steel tower inspection of the present invention, inspection work can be performed without requiring skilled techniques. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a steel tower equipped with a guide device for a steel tower inspection drone according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a guide rail and a guide portion. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] These are perspective views showing the state in which a mooring rope is fixed to a drone, where (a) shows the state in which the mooring rope is fixed directly to the drone, and (b) shows the state in which a cable tie attached to the mooring rope is wrapped around the drone to secure it. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, a guide device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for tower inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] The guidance device 1 for an unmanned aerial vehicle for steel tower inspection of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is a device for guiding a drone 3 (unmanned aerial vehicle) that detects the state of damage to a steel tower 2. Figure 1 shows the inspection situation of the steel tower 2 using the drone 3.

[0019] The steel tower 2 is a steel tower for transmitting electricity and has a power transmission line 21. The steel tower 2 has multiple (four in this case) steel tower legs 20 extending in the vertical direction. Each of the multiple steel tower legs 20 is provided with a guide rail 4, which will be described later. Figure 1 shows a state in which a guide rail 4 is provided on only one steel tower leg 20.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the guide device 1 is provided on a steel tower 2 and comprises a guide rail 4 extending in the vertical direction, a guide section 5 that can move while being guided by the guide rail 4, and a mooring rope 6 that connects the guide section 5 to the drone 3.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the drone 3 is equipped with an imaging device 30 (not shown) that captures images of each part of the steel tower 2. Imaging data is transmitted from the imaging device 30 to an operation unit (not shown) that operates the drone 3. The information (imaging data) acquired by the imaging device 30 is information for confirming (determining) whether or not the steel tower 2 is damaged, whether or not there are arc marks, whether or not there are bird damage, whether or not there are approaching trees, etc. The imaging device 30 captures images of the steel tower 2 that is the object of inspection, and wirelessly transmits the captured images (imaging data) to the operation unit.

[0022] The drone 3 may be remotely controlled or may fly autonomously. The drone 3 is connected to the guide unit 5 via a mooring rope 6 and ascends, descends, or stops (hovering, etc.) along the guide rail 4 while acquiring information (image data in this embodiment) used for inspecting the steel tower 2.

[0023] The drone 3 comprises a frame body 31 located at the center in a plan view, four arms 32 extending horizontally at equally spaced angles from the frame body 31 in the circumferential direction, a power motor 33 at the tip of each arm 32 with its rotation axis facing up and down, and rotors 34 supported by the rotation axis of the power motor 33 (see Figures 4(a) and (b)). The rotors 34 provided on the four arms 32 are each positioned on the upper side of the arm 32.

[0024] The frame main body 31 is provided with the above-mentioned imaging device 30, a battery, various sensors, etc. The frame main body 31 is also provided with a control circuit and a communication device that control flight and the imaging device 30 based on the operation of the operation unit. The control circuit is an information processing device including a processor (CPU, MPU, etc.) and a storage device (RAM, ROM, NVRAM, external storage device, etc.). The various sensors are, for example, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor), a three-axis acceleration sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor (distance measurement sensor), a GPS signal receiving device, a pressure sensor, an infrared sensor, etc.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the guide rail 4 is a steel material that is approximately H-shaped in cross section, and is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction along the outer surface of the tower leg 20. The guide rail 4 has a pair of flanges 41, 42 and a web 43. A guide section 5 is movably supported on the outer flange 41 located on the outer side of the tower leg 20.

[0026] The mooring rope 6 can be made of a flexible material such as nylon paracord, or made from chemical fibers (such as resin fibers or glass fibers) or natural fibers. The mooring rope 6 has a first loop-shaped locking portion 61 (see FIG. 4(a)) at one end in the longitudinal direction that connects to the drone 3, and a second loop-shaped locking portion 62 at the other end. The second loop-shaped locking portion 62 has a hook 63 attached to it that has a function of preventing it from falling off and connects to the guide portion 5. The first loop-shaped locking portion 61 and the second loop-shaped locking portion 62 have their ends sewn into a loop shape, and the surfaces of these are covered with heat-shrink tubing 64. The heat-shrink tubing 64 is made of a resin material such as polyolefin.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the first loop-shaped fastening portion 61 of the mooring rope 6 is fixed to the frame body 31 of the drone 3 using, for example, a cable tie 65. The cable tie 65 is made of a long, strip-shaped cotton fastener such as Velcro (registered trademark). The mooring rope 6 is fixed so as to extend from the underside of the frame body 31 toward the guide portion 5.

[0028] As an example of a method for fixing the mooring rope 6 to the drone 3, the mooring rope 6 may be fixed by directly winding it around the frame body 31 of the drone 3, as shown in Figure 4(a). Figure 4(a) shows a fixing method in which the frame body 31 is hooked onto the loop formed by passing the other side of the mooring rope 6 through the first loop-shaped locking portion 61. Furthermore, a cable tie 65 may be used to wrap around the mooring rope 6 wound around the frame body 31.

[0029] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4(b), a fixing method may be used in which a cable tie 65 is inserted through and hooked onto the first loop-shaped locking portion 61 of the mooring rope 6, and then the cable tie 65 is wound multiple times around the frame body 31 of the drone 3 to fix the mooring rope 6 to the drone 3.

[0030] 2, the hook 63 of the mooring rope 6 is a ring-shaped member for connecting to a safety belt (harness) etc. The hook 63 is detachably engaged with a locking ring 54 of the guide part 5, which will be described later.

[0031] 1, the longer the length of the mooring rope 6, the greater the range of movement of the drone 3, which is preferable, but the length is set to a length that can avoid contact with the power transmission line 21 of the pylon 2 and allows the drone to fly at an appropriate distance so as not to interfere with the pylon legs 20. For example, the length of the mooring rope 6 is set to about 2.5 m.

[0032] 2 and 3, the guide unit 5 includes a guide main body 51 and a pair of upper and lower guide rollers 52 (52A, 52B, 52C, 52D) rotatably supported by the guide main body 51 and sandwiching the outer flange 41 of the guide rail 4 from both sides in the width direction. The guide unit 5 is supported in a state where its movement is not restricted relative to the guide rail 4, and moves along the guide rail 4 together with the drone 3. In other words, the guide unit 5 is supported on the guide rail 4 in a state where it can fall under its own weight. In other words, the state where the movement of the guide unit 5 is not restricted relative to the guide rail 4 means that no locking mechanism such as a fall prevention function is provided, and the guide unit 5 can always fall along the guide rail 4 under its own weight.

[0033] The guide body 51 is formed of, for example, a 2 mm thick carbon fiber sheet. In this way, a lightweight, high-strength material is used for the guide body 51. The guide body 51 has a first plate 51A arranged on the outer surface 41a side of the outer flange 41, and a pair of second plates 51B arranged on the inner surface 41b side of the outer flange 41. The pair of second plates 51B, 51B are respectively arranged on both sides of the width direction of the outer flange 41. The first plate 51A and the pair of second plates 51B, 51B face each other so as to sandwich the outer flange 41 from the inside and outside, and are connected by the rotation shaft of the guide roller 52 (bolt 53 described later).

[0034] The guide rollers 52 are made of aluminum and are rotatably supported by bearings (not shown). The guide unit 5 is equipped with four guide rollers 52 (52A, 52B, 52C, 52D), two on each side in the width direction. The guide rollers 52 are sandwiched between a first plate 51A and a second plate 51B, and the center is fixed with a bolt 53.

[0035] A locking ring 54 for detachably locking a hook 63 supported by the second ring-shaped locking portion 62 of the mooring rope 6 is provided in the center of the outer surface 51a of the first plate 51A.

[0036] Next, the operation of the guide device 1 for the drone 3 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The drone 3 guidance device 1 according to this embodiment guides the drone 3 to detect the state of damage to the steel tower 2. The drone 3 guidance device 1 is provided on the steel tower 2 and includes a guide rail 4 extending in the vertical direction, a guide unit 5 that is movable while being guided by the guide rail 4, and a mooring rope 6 that connects the guide unit 5 to the drone 3. The guide unit 5 is supported on the guide rail 4 in an unrestricted state, and moves along the guide rail 4 together with the drone 3.

[0037] According to the drone 3 guide device 1 of this embodiment, the drone 3 is connected to a mooring rope 6 connected to a guide section 5 guided by a guide rail 4, and therefore the drone 3 can be freely raised and lowered to fly in a moored manner within the range of movement of the guide section 5 guided by the guide rail 4 and the length of the mooring rope 6. Therefore, inspections can be efficiently performed to detect damage to the pylon 2 using a detector or the like mounted on the drone 3.

[0038] In this embodiment, a simple preparation can be performed by attaching the guide unit 5 to the guide rail 4 provided on the steel tower 2 in a non-restricted state, i.e., in a freely movable state, and connecting the guide unit 5 to the drone 3 with a mooring rope 6. This improves the efficiency of the preparation work prior to the inspection work.

[0039] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the movement of the guide unit 5 relative to the guide rail 4 is not restricted, and therefore there is no need for complicated and skilled work such as turning on and off the drone 3 to restrict movement, such as locking the guide unit 5 relative to the guide rail 4. Therefore, inspection work can be performed without the need for skilled work, and the shortage of workers can be resolved.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flight range of the drone 3 is limited by the mooring rope 6, which simplifies work permit applications, etc., thereby reducing the complicated and time-consuming paperwork required before inspection work can be carried out and preventing a decline in work efficiency.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide section 5 is made of carbon fiber material, which allows for a reduction in the weight of the guide section 5. The guide section 5, which is guided by the guide rail 4, is pulled by the drone 3, so using a lightweight guide section 5 can reduce the load on the drone 3. This makes it easier to operate the drone 3, allowing even unskilled workers to perform inspection work efficiently and with high precision.

[0042] In this embodiment, the guide section 5 includes a guide body 51 and a pair of upper and lower guide rollers 52 (52A to 52D) rotatably supported by the guide body 51 and sandwiching the guide rail 4 from both sides in the width direction. Therefore, the guide unit 5 has two wheels on each side, making a total of four guide rollers 52, which stabilizes the movement of the guide unit 5 relative to the guide rollers 52. This prevents the guide unit 5 from tilting and becoming unable to move smoothly relative to the guide rail 4, and prevents the flight of the drone 3 from being hindered.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, the drone 3 is equipped with an imaging device 30 that captures images of each part of the steel tower 2, and imaging data is transmitted from the imaging device 30 to an operation unit that operates the drone 3. Therefore, by transmitting the image data of the steel tower 2 obtained using the imaging device 30 mounted on the drone 3 to the operation unit, inspections can be efficiently performed using the received image data to detect damage to the steel tower 2, etc.

[0044] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0045] For example, although the present embodiment shows an example in which a drone 3 is used as an unmanned aerial vehicle, other unmanned aerial vehicles may also be used. For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle may be a helicopter, an airplane, a flying robot, or the like.

[0046] In this embodiment, the guide portion 5 is made of a carbon fiber material, but the material is not limited to this. For example, it may be made of a thin iron plate or the like.

[0047] In addition, in this embodiment, the guide unit 5 is configured to include a guide main body 51 and a pair of upper and lower guide rollers 52 that are rotatably supported by the guide main body 51 and sandwich the guide rail 4 from both sides in the width direction, but the guide unit 5 is not limited to this configuration and can be modified as appropriate. In other words, the shape and dimensions of the guide unit 5, the size, arrangement, number, etc. of the guide rollers 52 can be set to match the shape of the guide rail 4, for example.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, the guide rail 4 that guides the guide section 5 is an existing guide rail that is installed in advance on the steel tower 2 for inspection purposes, but it is also possible to use a new guide rail that is newly installed on the steel tower 2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a guide rail made of steel material that is approximately H-shaped in cross section is used, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to guide rails of any type, cross-sectional shape, dimensions, etc.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drone 3 (unmanned aerial vehicle) is equipped with an imaging device 30 that captures images of each part of the steel tower 2, and the imaging data is transmitted from the imaging device 30 to an operation unit that operates the drone 3, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, instead of the imaging device 30, a sensor that detects damage to the steel tower may be installed.

[0050] Furthermore, the method of fixing the mooring rope 6 to the guide unit 5 and the drone 3 (unmanned aerial vehicle) is not limited to the fixing method using the cable tie 65 as in the above embodiment, and other jigs may be used for fixing. For example, a method may be used in which a locking portion similar to the locking ring 54 of the guide unit 5 is also provided on the drone 3 side, a hook is provided on the end of the mooring rope 6 on the drone fixing side, and the hook is locked onto the locking portion of the drone 3 to fix the mooring rope 6. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 guide device, 2 steel tower, 3 drone (unmanned aerial vehicle), 4 guide rail, 5 guide part, 6 mooring rope, 20 steel tower leg, 30 imaging device, 31 frame body, 41 outer flange, 51, 51A, 51B guide body, 52, 52A to 52D guide roller, 54 locking ring, 63 hook, 65 cable tie

Claims

1. A guide device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for steel tower inspection that guides an unmanned aerial vehicle that detects damage to a steel tower, A guide rail provided on the steel tower and extending in the vertical direction; a guide portion that is movable while being guided by the guide rail; A mooring rope connecting the guide unit and the unmanned aerial vehicle; Equipped with The guide section is supported in a non-restricted state relative to the guide rail and moves along the guide rail together with the unmanned aerial vehicle, providing a guide device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for tower inspection.

2. The guide device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for tower inspection according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is formed from a carbon fiber material.

3. The guide device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for tower inspection described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide section comprises a guide main body and a pair of upper and lower guide rollers rotatably supported on the guide main body and clamping the guide rail from both sides in the width direction.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with an imaging device that images each part of the steel tower, 2. A guiding device for an unmanned aerial vehicle for tower inspection according to claim 1, wherein imaging data is transmitted from the imaging device to an operating unit that operates the unmanned aerial vehicle.

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