Disaster observation system

Abstract

To provide a disaster observation system which can quickly observe a disaster situation in detail near it.SOLUTION: A disaster observation system includes a composite helicopter 10, a drone 30 mounted on a main wing outside a machine body of the composite helicopter 10, and a pylon for connecting and separating between the main wing and the drone 30, wherein the drone 30 has an observation device for acquiring observation data of a disaster site, and a transceiver for transmitting the observation data to the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a disaster observation system. [Background technology]

[0002] When a disaster such as a forest fire occurs, it is necessary to grasp the situation quickly and in detail. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses the construction of an inexpensive disaster prevention system by installing a large number of forest fire sensors in forest areas to detect forest fires. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 below discloses a fire detection device that detects fires on Earth using observation data from a radiometer mounted on an artificial satellite. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-233977 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2022 / 186306 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the forest fire sensor in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied unless the location where a fire is expected to occur is identified in advance, and a fire does not necessarily occur at the location where the forest fire sensor is installed. Furthermore, while the fire detection device in Patent Document 2 can cover a wide observation range based on satellite observation data, it is difficult to quickly obtain detailed information useful for on-site firefighting activities for small-scale fires in the early stages of the outbreak. In particular, forest fires tend to spread over a wider area over time, which poses a challenge from the perspective of early response. As such, issues arise whether viewing a disaster site from a micro or macro perspective, so if possible, it is preferable to immediately go directly to the site and make observations directly. However, transportation networks to disaster sites such as forest fires, floods, and landslides are likely to be cut off, and even if one were able to reach the site, it would be difficult to approach in the case of a fire, for example. Therefore, detailed and rapid observations have been difficult until now.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a disaster observation system that can observe disaster situations closely, in detail, and quickly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means. (1) A disaster observation system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: A helicopter and a drone mounted on the exterior of the helicopter; a coupling mechanism for coupling and separating the airframe and the drone; Equipped with The drone, an observation device that acquires observation data from the disaster site; and a transmitter for transmitting the observation data to an external device. According to the disaster observation system described in (1) above, a helicopter equipped with a drone travels at high speed to the disaster site. After arriving at the disaster site, the drone is detached from the helicopter body by operating a coupling mechanism. The detached drone approaches the disaster site to a distance that cannot be reached by the helicopter or people on the ground, while acquiring observation data using an observation device. The observation data acquired in this way is used to analyze the damage situation and extent of the disaster site. In this way, by combining the long-distance and high-speed travel capabilities of a helicopter with the maneuverability of a drone, it is possible to observe the disaster situation closely, in detail, and quickly.

[0007] (2) The disaster observation system described in (1) above may be configured as follows: the helicopter is a hybrid helicopter having a main wing, The drone is connected below the main wing via the connecting mechanism. In the case of (2) above, the downwash created by the helicopter's main rotor can be blocked by the main wing so that it does not directly reach the drone. Therefore, the transition from the drone being separated from the aircraft body by operating the coupling mechanism to the drone being able to fly autonomously can be stabilized.

[0008] (3) The disaster observation system according to (1) or (2) above may be configured as follows: a first receiver located on the ground; a second receiver mounted within the helicopter; Furthermore, The transmitter transmits the observation data to the first receiver and the second receiver. In the case of (3) above, the observation data acquired by the drone can be received by the first and second receivers, allowing the helicopter pilot and the ground troops with the first receiver to share the situation on the ground in real time.

[0009] (4) The disaster observation system according to any one of (1) to (3) above may be configured as follows: The drone, A control unit; Multiple pillars and a propeller provided on each of the support columns, After a predetermined time has elapsed since the drone was separated from the connecting mechanism, the control unit starts the unfolding operation of each of the struts and the rotation operation of each of the propellers. In the case of (4) above, the drone falls freely for a predetermined time immediately after being separated from the helicopter body by operating the connecting mechanism, allowing it to quickly separate from the helicopter and reducing the effects of downwash. Then, once the predetermined time has passed and the drone has sufficiently separated from the helicopter, the control unit deploys each strut and starts the rotation of each propeller. This series of operations allows the drone to smoothly transition to autonomous flight. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the disaster observation system of each of the above aspects of the present invention, it becomes possible to observe the disaster situation closely, in detail, and quickly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a composite helicopter provided in a disaster observation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of part A in FIG. 1 as seen from below and in front, showing multiple drones mounted on the hybrid helicopter. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the drone in a stored state. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the drone in flight mode. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the case where a forest fire is observed using the disaster system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The disaster observation system of the present invention is a system that can quickly move to disaster sites that are difficult for people to approach, such as fire sites such as forest fires, volcanic eruptions, floods, earthquakes, and nuclear power plant accidents, and can observe the disaster situation in detail from the sky. In the embodiment described below, the disaster observation system will be described by taking as an example a case where it is applied to the observation of forest fires. The disaster observation system of this embodiment includes a hybrid helicopter 10, a drone 30, a fire engine 50, and a wireless communication system that enables two-way communication between these components.

[0013] [Composite helicopter] First, a hybrid helicopter 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference mainly to FIG. This compound helicopter 10 is a conventional helicopter equipped with wings. The compound helicopter 10 includes an airframe (airframe) 11, a cockpit 12, a pair of main wings 13, a pair of pylons (connection mechanisms; see FIG. 2) 14, a pair of tails 15, a pair of side propellers 16, a tail propeller 17, a main rotor 18, a jet engine 19, support legs 20a, 20b, and a helicopter-side transceiver (second receiver) 21.

[0014] The aircraft body 11 is a streamlined aircraft body that is long in the longitudinal direction, and a cockpit 12 in which a pilot sits and operates the aircraft is located at the front side of the aircraft. The pair of main wings 13 are horizontal wings that extend horizontally in the left-right direction from the center of the aircraft body 11 in the longitudinal direction, and constitute part of the aircraft body. A side propeller 16 is fixed to the end of each main wing 13. By differentiating the pitch angles of the propellers between the left and right side propellers 16, the aircraft body 11 has a steering function for changing the direction of the aircraft body 11. Furthermore, the side propellers 16 also apply thrust to the aircraft body 11 in the flight direction by rotating the propellers. Additionally, multiple pylons 14 are arranged side by side on the underside of each main wing 13 adjacent to the aircraft body 11. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a total of four pylons 14 are arranged at equal intervals on the underside of the main wing 13 on the left side in the direction of flight, along the direction from the side of the aircraft body 11 toward the left side propeller 16. Similarly, a total of four pylons 14 are arranged at equal intervals on the underside of the main wing 13 on the right side in the direction of flight, along the direction from the side of the aircraft body 11 toward the right side propeller 16. Therefore, the total number of pylons 14 is eight, but the number is not limited to eight and may be one to seven, or nine or more. The detailed configuration of the pylons 14 will be described later.

[0015] The pair of tail fins 15 comprises horizontal wings that extend horizontally in the left-right direction from the rear end position in the fore-and-aft direction of the aircraft body 11, and vertical wings connected to the ends of these horizontal wings. These tail fins 15 ensure the flight stability (straight flight) of the aircraft body 11 during flight. The tail propeller 17 is a propeller located at the rearmost end of the aircraft body 11 in the longitudinal direction, and applies thrust to the aircraft body 11 in the flight direction by rotation of the propeller. The main rotor 18 is a large blade located at the top and in the center of the fore-and-aft direction of the aircraft body 11, and applies lift to the aircraft body 11 by rotating. The jet engine 19 is disposed at the upper part of the aircraft body 11 at a central position in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft body 11, and applies thrust to the aircraft body 11 in the flight direction.

[0016] The pair of support legs 20a are arranged at the front lower part of the airframe body 11 and support the airframe body 11 on the ground. These support legs 20a are housed inside the airframe body 11 during flight, thereby reducing air resistance. The support legs 20b are arranged at the rear lower part of the aircraft body 11, and together with the pair of support legs 20a, support the aircraft body 11 on the ground.

[0017] The helicopter transceiver 21 is a wireless communication device that constitutes part of the wireless communication system, and can transmit control signals to each drone 30 and receive observation data acquired by each drone 30 via a wireless communication line. The helicopter transceiver 21 is also capable of two-way data communication with a fire engine 50 (Figure 5) on the ground. That is, the observation data acquired by each drone 30 can be integrated to generate integrated observation data of the disaster area, and this integrated observation data can be transmitted from the helicopter transceiver 21 to the fire engine 50 via a wireless communication line. Conversely, the helicopter transceiver 21 can also receive ground observation data held by the fire engine 50 via a wireless communication line.

[0018] [Drone] The hybrid helicopter 10 is equipped with eight drones 30, the same number as the number of pylons 14. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, one drone 30 is detachably connected to the lower end of one pylon 14. More specifically, a hook 31a shown in FIG. 4 is fixed to the upper part of the body 31 of the drone 30. Meanwhile, a groove (not shown) for receiving the hook 31a is formed at the lower end of the pylon 14. The hook 31a fits into this groove and locks, allowing the drone 30 to be supported and fixed below the pylon 14, as shown in FIG. 3. In this supported and fixed state, the fore-and-aft direction of the drone 30 coincides with the fore-and-aft direction of the hybrid helicopter 10, as shown in FIG. 3. That is, all of the drones 30 supported and fixed to each pylon 14 of the hybrid helicopter 10 are positioned with their fronts facing in the flight direction of the hybrid helicopter 10. Additionally, in this supported and fixed state, the struts 32 of the drone 30 are folded so as to align with the front-to-rear direction of the hybrid helicopter 10. Details of this storage state will be described later.

[0019] A spring (not shown) is provided within the groove of the pylon 14, applying a biasing force in a direction pushing the hook 31a locked in the groove out of the groove. A locking mechanism (not shown) is also provided within the groove to electromagnetically lock and hold the hook 31a in the groove. The locking mechanism can remotely unlock the hook 31a by operating from the cockpit 12. Therefore, while the hybrid helicopter 10 is waiting on the ground, an operator attaches each drone 30 to each pylon 14 by inserting the hook 31a into the groove. When the hook 31a is inserted into the groove, the locking mechanism detects this and electromagnetically locks the hook 31a. By repeating this attachment process, all drones 30 are securely fixed to their corresponding pylons 14.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, the drone 30 includes a body 31, four struts 32, four strut deployment springs, four strut locks, four motors 33, four pairs of propellers 34, an observation device 35, a transceiver 36, a control unit 37, and two batteries 38. The body 31 has a long, streamlined shape along the direction of flight, and houses an observation device 35, a transceiver 36, a control unit 37, and a battery 38 inside.

[0021] Each support 32 is composed of two front arms 32a arranged on the front side of the body 31 in the direction of flight, two rear arms 32b arranged on the rear side of the body 31 in the direction of flight, and four link mechanisms 32c. Each link mechanism 32c supports the front arm 32a and the rear arm 32b so that they can rotate freely around a vertical axis. These link mechanisms 32c connect the front arm 32a and the rear arm 32b to the body 31 so that they can be folded. Each link mechanism 32c is equipped with a support extension spring (not shown) that biases the front arm 32a and the rear arm 32b in the extension direction, and a support lock (not shown) that keeps the front arm 32a and the rear arm 32b in the folded state. Each support lock keeps the front arm 32a and the rear arm 32b locked in the folded state, but will release the lock when instructed by the control unit 37. When the lock is released, the front arms 32a and the rear arms 32b are instantly deployed by the biasing force of the support pillar deployment springs. Even after deployment, the biasing force of the support pillar deployment springs continues to be applied to the front arms 32a and the rear arms 32b, so the pair of front arms 32a maintain a state of being deployed diagonally forward when viewed from the body 31, and the pair of rear arms 32b maintain a state of being deployed diagonally backward when viewed from the body 31.

[0022] Each motor 33 has a rotation axis center around a vertical axis, and when an operation signal is received from the control unit 37, it rotates while receiving power supply from the battery . Each propeller 34 is made up of a pair (two blades) of blades. The base end of each propeller 34 is connected to the rotor of the motor 33 so that it can swing freely. When the rotor rotates, centrifugal force is used to deploy the pair of blades in opposite directions, and the pair of blades continues to rotate at high speed in this state, generating buoyancy. Once the drone 30 gains this buoyancy and enters a flying state, the control unit 37 can individually control the rotation speeds of the four motors 33 to perform flight control such as forward, backward, leftward movement, rightward movement, ascending, and descending.

[0023] A normal camera 35a, a thermal camera 35b, and a laser range finder 35c are provided as the observation device 35. Note that these devices are only examples, and other devices may be added as needed. The normal camera 35a is a typical CCD camera that can capture still or video images of the disaster site. The normal camera 35a has an optical zoom function and a digital zoom function, which can also be used to capture detailed enlarged images. The thermal camera 35b is a camera equipped with a sensor that can detect far-infrared rays emitted by people and animals, and can find disaster victims who need rescue even when visual confirmation is not possible at the disaster site. The laser rangefinder 35c emits laser light L toward the object to be measured, and measures the time it takes for the laser light to be reflected by the object to return, thereby determining the distance from the drone 30 to the object to be measured.

[0024] The transceiver 36 performs data communication, such as transmitting observation data, with both the helicopter-side transceiver 21 and the ground transceiver 51 via the wireless communication line. The transceiver 36 also receives control signals transmitted from the helicopter-side transceiver 21. The control unit 37 performs movements on the observation site (disaster site) and observations using the observation device 35 in accordance with the control signals received by the transceiver 36. If necessary, control of each drone 30 can be transferred from the hybrid helicopter 10 in the sky to the fire engine 50 on the ground. In this case, the transceiver 36 receives the control signal transmitted from the ground transceiver 51, and the flight and data communication of the drone 30 are controlled from the ground side. The battery 38 supplies power to various electrical devices equipped on the drone 30. The battery 38 also has a remaining capacity meter (not shown), which notifies the control unit 37 when the remaining capacity of the battery 38 falls below a predetermined capacity. Upon receiving this notification, the control unit 37 transitions to return control and automatically returns to the fire engine 50. Each returning drone 30 is retrieved by the fire engine 50, and after returning to the base station, undergoes maintenance such as charging and equipment calibration.

[0025] The fire engine 50 shown in Fig. 5 is equipped with a ground-side transceiver 51. This ground-side transceiver 51 is a wireless communication device that constitutes part of the wireless communication system, and can transmit control signals to each drone 30, receive observation data acquired by each drone 30, and transmit and receive observation data to and from the hybrid helicopter 10 via wireless communication lines. In this embodiment, the ground-side transmitter / receiver 51 is mounted on the fire engine 50, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration and may be mounted on a portable terminal held by a worker on the ground.

[0026] An example of disaster observation using the disaster observation system described above will be described below. Here, as shown in Figure 5, a case where a forest fire breaks out and the fire originates from a house in the forest will be taken as an example. First, upon receiving a report of a forest fire, the hybrid helicopter 10 is flown toward the fire site. As described above, the hybrid helicopter 10 is equipped with eight drones 30, but because they are positioned on the underside of the main wings 13, they are not directly affected by downwash generated by the main rotor 18 while in motion. Furthermore, the high-speed movement performance of the hybrid helicopter 10 can be utilized to transport a large number of drones 30 into the air above the fire site.

[0027] After arriving at the fire site, the hybrid helicopter 10 circles at a low speed in the sky near the fire site. The fire engine 50 also arrives near the fire site. Next, the pilot in the cockpit 12 operates the locking mechanism of each pylon 14 to release the hook 31 a from the pylon 14 . Next, the drone 30, having detached from the pylon 14, begins to free fall, and after a predetermined time has elapsed since the locks were released, it transitions from the stowed configuration to the flight configuration. That is, first, the strut locks are released in response to a command from the control unit 37. Then, the front arm 32a and the rear arm 32b are immediately deployed by the biasing force of the strut deployment springs. Then, in response to a command from the control unit 37, the motors 33 begin to rotate, and the propellers 34 begin to rotate. Because the drone 30 can move a sufficient distance away from the hybrid helicopter 10 by free falling before transitioning to this flight configuration, it can smoothly transition without being directly affected by downwash.

[0028] After all drones 30 have transitioned to flight mode and attitude control has stabilized, observation instructions from the pilot are transmitted to each drone 30 via the helicopter-side transceiver 21. Upon receiving the observation command, each drone 30 photographs the fire scene with the normal camera 35a, identifies those in need of rescue with the thermal camera 35b, and measures various distances with the laser range finder 35c. The photographed and measured data D is transmitted from each drone 30 to both the hybrid helicopter 10 and the ground-side transceiver 51 and is used for forest fire extinguishing activities and rescue activities for those in need of rescue. After the forest fire is extinguished and the rescue victims are protected, the drones 30 are collected together on the fire engine 50. After the collection, the drones 30 are subjected to appropriate maintenance and have their batteries 38 charged, and then reattached to the pylon 14 of the hybrid helicopter 10.

[0029] The main points of the disaster observation system of this embodiment described above are summarized below. (1) The disaster observation system of this embodiment is a composite helicopter 10; A drone 30 mounted on the underside of a main wing 13 outside the fuselage body 11 of the composite helicopter 10; a pylon 14 for connecting and separating the main wing 13 and the drone 30; Equipped with Drone 30, Observation device 35 that acquires observation data from the disaster site; and a helicopter-side transceiver 21 that transmits observation data to the outside.

[0030] (2) The disaster observation system described in (1) above may be configured as follows: The hybrid helicopter 10 is a helicopter having a main wing 13, A drone 30 is connected below the main wing 13 via a pylon 14 .

[0031] (3) The disaster observation system according to (1) or (2) above may be configured as follows: a ground-side transceiver 51 disposed on the ground; a helicopter-side transceiver 21 installed in the composite helicopter 10; Furthermore, The transceiver 36 transmits the observation data to the ground-side transceiver 51 and the helicopter-side transceiver 21 .

[0032] (4) The disaster observation system according to any one of (1) to (3) above may be configured as follows: Drone 30, A control unit 37; A plurality of support columns 32; and a propeller 34 provided on each of the struts 32, After a predetermined time has elapsed since the drone 30 separated from the pylon 14, the control unit 37 starts the deployment operation of each support 32 and the rotation operation of each propeller 34.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the drone 30 is mounted under the main wing 13, but it is not limited to being mounted under the main wing 13. The drone 30 may also be mounted on the airframe body 11 via a pylon 14. In this case, it is preferable to select a position that is not directly affected by downwash from the main rotor 18. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the hybrid helicopter 10 is used as the helicopter, but this is not limiting, and a normal helicopter without main wings may be used instead. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10. Hybrid helicopter 11 Aircraft body (aircraft) 12 Cockpit 13 Main wing 14 Pylon (connecting mechanism) 15 tail fin 16 Side propeller 17 tail propeller 21 Helicopter transceiver (second receiver) 30 Drone 50 fire engine 51 Ground transceiver (first receiver)

Claims

1. A helicopter and a drone mounted on the exterior of the helicopter; a coupling mechanism for coupling and separating the airframe and the drone; Equipped with The drone, an observation device that acquires observation data from the disaster site; a transmitter that transmits the observation data to an external device; A disaster observation system characterized by:

2. the helicopter is a hybrid helicopter having a main wing, The drone is connected to the lower part of the main wing via the connecting mechanism.

2. The disaster observation system according to claim 1.

3. a first receiver located on the ground; a second receiver mounted within the helicopter; Furthermore, The transmitter transmits the observation data to the first receiver and the second receiver.

3. The disaster observation system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The drone, A control unit; Multiple pillars and a propeller provided on each of the support columns, After a predetermined time has elapsed since the drone was separated from the connecting mechanism, the control unit starts the deployment operation of each of the support columns and the rotation operation of each of the propellers.

3. The disaster observation system according to claim 1 or 2.

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