Observation system

Abstract

The objective is to provide an observation system that uses a rod equipped with a drone with a camera at its tip, allowing it to be used as a rod with an omnidirectional camera for observation. When changing the observation location, the drone can be detached from the rod and flown away for observation. [Solution] The present invention is an observation system comprising a rod and a plate on which a drone equipped with a camera is launched and landed at the tip of the rod. Furthermore, this observation system comprises a means for attaching and detaching the drone to and from the plate, a rod extension and retraction means for automatically extending and retracting the rod, and a plate attitude control means for controlling the attitude of the plate. With this observation system, by attaching a drone equipped with a camera to the plate at the tip of the rod, the observation system can be used for observation as if it were a rod with an omnidirectional camera, and furthermore, the drone can be launched from the plate to perform observation by the drone.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an observation system using a drone equipped with a camera.

Background Art

[0002] As a technique for performing photography with a camera from a high place, Patent Document 1 discloses a telescopic pole in which an imaging device such as an omnidirectional camera is attached to the tip of a pole (rod). By using this telescopic pole, for example, it is considered possible to observe the surroundings from a high place or to observe the state of a high place such as a tree. Further, by providing an imaging device in a telescopic device that expands and contracts a pole using a motor disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is considered possible to automatically adjust the height of the pole and observe the state seen from a high place or the state of a high place.

[0003] On the other hand, as a technique for observing the state of a high place, instead of the method of using the above-described pole, it is also conceivable to use a drone. For example, an extremely lightweight and small drone that can fit in a human palm is generally used. In such a drone, although it is small, there are those equipped with functions such as a camera, a collision avoidance sensor, GPS, and automatic flight control, and can be used for observing nature and the like.

[0004] Therefore, if a small drone equipped with the above-described camera or the like is provided with a robotic arm that grabs a bar as disclosed in Patent Document 3, for example, the drone can be flown above a tree and stopped on a tree branch by the robotic arm, and then the surroundings of a high place of the tree can be observed. It is considered possible. Since it is not necessary to keep the drone hovering while observing, battery consumption can be reduced. Also, when changing the observation location, it is considered possible to fly the drone from the tree branch and observe.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] While it is possible to observe what is seen from a high place or what is happening at a high place using the telescopic pole with an imaging device attached to its tip, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the entire telescopic pole needs to be moved when changing the observation location.

[0007] On the other hand, if the robotic arm technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 is applied to a camera-equipped drone, for example, when observing high up in a tree, the drone can be stopped on a tree branch or the like to reduce battery consumption during observation, and the drone can also move away from the branch or the like to another location for further observation. However, in order to realize such a drone, it is necessary to equip the drone with a robotic arm that can grasp bars.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an observation system that uses a rod equipped with a drone having a camera at its tip, allowing it to be used for observation as if it were a rod with an omnidirectional camera, and when the observation location needs to be changed, the drone can be detached from the rod and flown away for observation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following observation system. (1) An observation system characterized by comprising a rod and a plate on one end of the rod for launching and landing a drone having a camera.

[0010] (2) The observation system according to (1), characterized in that it is equipped with means for attaching and detaching the drone to the plate.

[0011] (3) The observation system according to (2), characterized by comprising plate posture control means for controlling the posture of the plate.

[0012] (4) The observation system according to (1) to (3) above, characterized by comprising a rod extension / retraction means for extending and retracting the rod.

[0013] (5) The observation system according to (4), characterized in that the rod is made up of a first rod that extends vertically and a second rod that extends horizontally connected together.

[0014] (6) The observation system according to (5), characterized in that a branch connector and a cable reel are provided at the connection point between the first rod and the second rod, the cable is relayed by the branch connector and the cable reel and routed along the first rod and the second rod, and electrical signals and power are transmitted by the cable to the attachment / detachment means, the plate attitude control means and the rod extension / retraction means.

[0015] (7) The observation system according to (3), characterized by comprising a controller having a drone control function for controlling the drone, an attachment / detachment control function for controlling the attachment / detachment means, a plate attitude control function for controlling the plate attitude control means, and a switch for switching between the drone control function and the plate attitude control function.

[0016] (8) The observation system according to (4) to (6) above, characterized by comprising a controller having a drone control function for controlling the drone, an attachment / detachment control function for controlling the attachment / detachment means, a plate attitude control function for controlling the plate attitude control means, a rod extension / retraction control function for controlling the rod extension / retraction means, and a switch for switching between the drone control function, the plate attitude control function and the rod extension / retraction control function. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, by attaching a drone having a camera to a plate provided at the tip of a rod, it is possible to observe the surroundings of a high place with a camera like a rod with an omnidirectional camera. While observing with the camera in the state where the drone is attached to the plate, no battery consumption is required to keep the drone hovering. Further, when changing the observation location, the drone can be detached from the plate and flown away.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of an observation system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing a drone attached to a plate. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view showing a mechanism for attachment and detachment by a permanent magnet. [Figure 4] It is a view showing the whole drone. [Figure 5] It is a view showing a controller for controlling a rod telescoping means, a plate attitude control means, an attachment / detachment means, and a drone. [Figure 6] It is a view showing a state where the attitude of the plate is being controlled. [Figure 7] It is a view showing a state where the drone is taking off and landing on the plate. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of an observation system according to the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram showing a cable, a cable reel, etc.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] [[ID=]] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematic or schematic for explaining the content of the invention, and the shapes, dimensional ratios, etc. of each part disclosed in the drawings are different from the actual ones.

[0020] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the observation system according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the rod 1 is a multi-stage telescopic rod made up of multiple tubes of different diameters nested together, and can be extended and retracted by sliding each tube, with a tripod 11 provided at the base of the rod 1. Therefore, the rod 1 can be erected vertically on the ground and extended upward. A pan-tilt mechanism 2 is provided at the tip of the rod 1, and a plate 3 is attached to this pan-tilt mechanism 2. As shown in Figure 2, the plate 3 can be automatically rotated horizontally and tilted vertically. The plate 3 is equipped with a spirit level 31, which measures the inclination of the surface of the plate 3 and has the function of outputting the measured result as a data signal to an external device.

[0021] Furthermore, plate 3 has a means for attaching and detaching the drone 4 to its surface. In detail, plate 3 is equipped with an electromagnet, and by turning this electromagnet on and off, the surface of plate 3 can be switched between a state in which it attracts metals such as iron and a state in which it does not. Therefore, the metal parts of the landing legs 43 of the drone 4 can be attracted to the surface of plate 3 by the magnetic force of the electromagnet, so that the drone 4 does not detach even if plate 3 is tilted. Also, when taking off the drone 4 which is on the surface of plate 3, the magnetic force of the electromagnet can be turned off, allowing the drone 4 to detach from plate 3.

[0022] Regarding the electromagnet, it needs to have enough magnetic force to hold the drone 4 in place even if plate 3 is tilted, but it should be an appropriate magnetic force that does not affect the equipment inside the drone. The magnetic force of the electromagnet is controlled by adjusting the current supplied to the electromagnet via cable 15.

[0023] Furthermore, instead of using an electromagnet, a permanent magnet can be used to attach and detach the drone 4 to the plate 3. When using a permanent magnet, for example, as shown in Figure 3, the surface of the plate 3 on which the drone 4 is attracted is made of a thin yet strong plastic plate 32, and the permanent magnet 33 is brought into contact with the underside of the plastic plate 32 or detached from the underside of the plastic plate 32 to maintain a distance, thereby turning the magnetic force on the upper surface of the plastic plate 32 on and off. In addition to the above, various other means can be considered for attaching and detaching the drone from the surface of the plate, but in the present invention, there are no limitations on the means as long as the attraction of the drone can be turned on and off and the objective can be achieved safely.

[0024] Next, the rod extension / retraction mechanism and the plate attitude control mechanism will be described. The extension / retraction of the rod 1 and the attitude control of the plate 3 are performed by a transceiver 16 located at the base of the rod 1, which receives control signals transmitted from a controller (described later), and the extension / retraction of the rod 1 and the attitude control of the plate 3 are performed based on these control signals. The transceiver 16 comprises a wireless transceiver unit for transmitting and receiving signals wirelessly with the controller, a control unit, and a power source such as a battery. Furthermore, it has the function of transmitting and supplying electrical signals and power via cable 15 based on control signals transmitted from the controller, and the function of receiving data signals transmitted from a spirit level 31, etc., via cable 15.

[0025] First, the configuration and operation of the rod extension / retraction mechanism will be described below. The extension and retraction of the rod 1 is performed by sliding each of the multi-stage tubes. The sliding of the tubes is done by fixing the tubes to screw nuts that are screwed onto a screw shaft, and then rotating the screw shaft to move the tubes fixed to the screw nuts. The rotation of the screw shaft is controlled by transmitting an electrical signal from the transmitting / receiving device 16 to the extension / retraction drive unit 12 based on a control signal received from the controller by the transmitting / receiving device 16. More specifically, the extension / retraction drive unit 12 is equipped with a motor for rotating the screw shaft, and by inputting the transmitted electrical signal to this motor, the motor rotates the screw shaft in accordance with the target value of the control signal.

[0026] While a technology for rotating a screw shaft with such a motor to extend and retract a rod is disclosed in Patent Document 2, the automatically extending and retracting rod in the present invention is not limited to the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2. Furthermore, the extension and retraction of the rod 1 does not necessarily have to be automatic; it may be configured to be operated manually.

[0027] Next, the configuration and operation of the plate attitude control means will be described below. As shown in Figure 2, the plate 3 is attached to the pan-tilt mechanism 2, and attitude control is performed by this pan-tilt mechanism 2. The pan-tilt mechanism 2 has two servo motors; the pan servo motor rotates the plate 3 horizontally, and the tilt servo motor tilts the plate 3 vertically.

[0028] To elaborate on the servo motor, the servo motor used in the pan-tilt mechanism 2 has a control circuit, and by inputting an electrical signal (control pulse) into the control circuit, the servo motor can be rotated by the target angle. In addition, the servo motor has an encoder and sensors, etc., which can detect the position such as the rotation angle of the servo motor, and feedback control can be performed based on the detected position data.

[0029] The pan servo motor and tilt servo motor described above are controlled by the transmission and reception device 16 receiving a control signal from the controller, which is then transmitted from the transmission and reception device 16 to the pan servo motor and tilt servo motor via the cable 15.

[0030] To elaborate on cable 15, in addition to transmitting the electrical signals mentioned above, cable 15 also supplies power to motors, servo motors, electromagnets, etc. Furthermore, cable 15 is positioned along rod 1 so that it can be fed out and retracted with a constant tension by an automatic winding mechanism 14 from a cable reel 13 located at the base of rod 1. Therefore, when rod 1 extends or retracts in response to a control signal from the controller, the cable reel 13 is simultaneously controlled by the automatic winding mechanism 14, and cable 15 is fed out and retracted in accordance with the extension or retraction of rod 1, thus preventing cable 15 from becoming slack or having excessive tension applied to it.

[0031] For driving the automatic winding mechanisms 14, 14A, and 14B, a servo motor, torque motor, inverter-controlled motor, or a spring can be used, for example. Also, although the cable 15 is shown running along the outside of the pipe of the rod 1 in Figure 1, the cable 15 may also be passed through the hollow part inside the pipe of the rod 1.

[0032] Next, the drone 4 used in the present invention will be described. Figure 4 shows an overall view of the drone 4. The drone 4 is an unmanned aerial vehicle generally called a multicopter, and is capable of taking off and landing vertically, moving vertically and horizontally in the air, and turning left and right by driving and controlling four rotors 41 with motors. As mentioned above, the drone used in the present invention is an unmanned aerial vehicle, but it also includes those weighing less than 100 grams.

[0033] Drone 4 is equipped with a rotor 41 and a motor for driving the rotor, a camera 42, and landing gear 43. Although not shown in the diagram, the inside of the drone 4 is equipped with a wireless transceiver, flight controller, ESC (Electronic Speed ​​Controller), collision avoidance sensor, GPS, autopilot function, battery, etc. Drone 4 can be used to observe various locations, but for example, when observing high up in trees, it may be necessary to fly through branches and other obstacles. In this case, it is preferable that the drone 4 is small and lightweight and has rotor guards on the rotor 41. Furthermore, it is preferable that the collision avoidance sensor is highly sensitive enough to detect tree branches and has the ability to respond quickly to obstacles at close range.

[0034] The landing surfaces of the drone 4's landing legs 43 are the parts that contact the surface of plate 3, and these parts are made of a metal that can be attracted to magnets, such as iron. The drone 4 is attracted to plate 3, which is equipped with electromagnets, by magnetic force using these landing legs 43, and will not detach from plate 3 even if plate 3 is tilted. If there is a concern that equipment installed inside the drone 4 may be affected by the electromagnets on plate 3, the legs of the landing legs 43 can be made longer so that the distance between the drone 4's body and the surface of plate 3 is not affected by the electromagnets, or a magnetic shield can be installed on the underside of the drone 4's body to block the magnetic force of the electromagnets.

[0035] Next, the controller used in the present invention will be described. The controller shown in Figure 5 controls the extension and retraction of the rod, the attitude control and attachment / detachment of the plate, and the control of the drone. The controller uses a proportional system and has the function of wirelessly transmitting control signals to the transceiver 16 or the drone 4, and the function of wirelessly receiving data signals from the drone 4 and data signals from the level 31 etc. provided on the plate 3. Figure 5(a) shows the controller 5A used in the first embodiment. This controller 5A becomes operable when the power switch 51 is turned on, but the object being controlled can be switched by the switching action described below.

[0036] Controller 5A is equipped with a changeover switch 52. When the changeover switch 52 is set to A, controller 5A controls the extension and retraction of rod 1 and the posture of plate 3. The extension and retraction of rod 1 is controlled by a control signal transmitted from controller 5A, which is received by the transceiver 16. Based on the control signal, the transceiver 16 inputs an electrical signal to the extension / retraction drive unit 12, which extends and retracts rod 1. The posture of plate 3 is controlled by a control signal transmitted from controller 5A, which is received by the transceiver 16. Based on the control signal, the transceiver 16 transmits an electrical signal to the pan-tilt mechanism 2 via cable 15.

[0037] When the toggle switch 52 is set to A, tilting the left stick 53 of controller 5A up or down will cause rod 1 to extend upwards or retract downwards. Also, tilting the right stick 53 of controller 5A up or down will cause plate 3 to tilt vertically upwards or downwards. Furthermore, tilting the right stick 53 of controller 5A to the left or right will cause plate 3 to rotate horizontally to the left or right. Note that if the extension and retraction of rod 1 is configured to be done manually rather than automatically, the control for extending and retracting rod 1 on controller 5A will be omitted.

[0038] In this way, with the toggle switch 52 in position A, the controller 5A can extend or retract the rod 1 to control the attitude of the plate 3. The tilt of the plate 3 is measured by the spirit level 31 attached to the plate 3, and the measured result is transmitted wirelessly either directly to the controller 5A or wirelessly to the controller 5A via the cable 15 and the transceiver 16. When the controller 5A receives the data signal of the tilt of the plate 3, it is displayed graphically or numerically on the controller 5A's display 54 or on a separate display device provided in addition to the display 54. Therefore, the user of the observation system can check the horizontality of the plate 3 using the controller 5A.

[0039] When the toggle switch 52 on controller 5A is switched from A to B, controller 5A switches to the function of controlling drone 4. When controller 5A controls drone 4, control signals are transmitted wirelessly directly from controller 5A to the wireless transceiver on drone 4. When the toggle switch 52 is in the B position, tilting the left stick 53 of controller 5A up or down causes drone 4 to move forward or backward, and tilting the left stick 53 to the left or right causes drone 4 to turn left or right. Also, tilting the right stick 53 of controller 5A up or down causes drone 4 to ascend or descend, and tilting the right stick 53 to the left or right causes drone 4 to move horizontally to the left or right.

[0040] Furthermore, the video data signal captured by camera 42 is transmitted wirelessly from drone 4 and received by controller 5A. Based on this video data signal, the video captured by camera 42 is displayed on the controller 5A's display 54. To change the angle of camera 42, the camera angle control dial 55 on controller 5A is turned. Turning this dial 55 upward moves camera 42 upward, and turning the dial 55 downward moves camera 42 downward.

[0041] Furthermore, the controller 5A has an electromagnet switch 56 that magnetizes and demagnetizes the plate 3 using an electromagnet. The function of this electromagnet switch 56 is the same whether the changeover switch 52 of the controller 5A is in state A or state B. Magnetic force is generated in the electromagnet by supplying current to the electromagnet via the cable 15 from the power supply provided in the transmitting / receiving device 16.

[0042] Furthermore, the display 54 that shows the image captured by the camera 42, the dial 55 for controlling the camera angle, and the display of the measurement results of the level 31 all function the same whether the controller 5A's toggle switch 52 is in state A or state B. Switching the controller 5A can be done, for example, by changing the controller 5A's individual identification number or the wireless frequency used, but other switching methods can be freely selected depending on the situation. Note that the operation and effects of the sticks, etc., in the operation of the controller 5A are not limited to those described above, and additional operations and effects may be added. Also, the combinations (modes) of operations and effects of the sticks, etc., can be freely selected depending on the situation.

[0043] The above describes the configuration and operation of the observation system. Next, we will describe the specific procedure for performing observations using this observation system. First, turn on the electromagnet switch 56 of the controller 5A to magnetize the plate 3 and attach the drone 4 to the plate 3. Then, with the toggle switch 52 of the controller 5A in position A, operate the stick 53 to extend the rod 1 and raise the plate 3 to a high place such as a tree that is the object of observation, bringing the plate 3 closer to the object of observation.

[0044] By bringing plate 3 closer to the object to be observed, the camera 42 of the drone 4 attached to plate 3 can also be brought closer to the object. The camera 42 then takes a picture of the object. During shooting, the shooting direction can be changed by operating the stick 53 of controller 5A to rotate plate 3 horizontally or change its angle vertically. In other words, since drone 4 is fixed to plate 3 by magnetic force, it moves in the same way as plate 3. Therefore, the camera 42 on drone 4 can also change its shooting direction in accordance with the movement of plate 3.

[0045] Here, the camera 42 mounted on the drone 4 can also be angled upwards or downwards by operating the dial 55. However, as shown in Figure 6(a), if only the camera 42 is angled downwards, the shooting direction may be obstructed by the plate 3. In such cases, as shown in Figure 6(b), if the plate 3 is angled downwards, the shooting direction will not be obstructed. Furthermore, the shooting direction of the camera 42 can be swung left or right by rotating the plate 3 horizontally.

[0046] In this way, the observation system can be used like a pole equipped with an omnidirectional camera. Also, if it becomes necessary to widen the shooting range of the camera 42, the drone 4 can be lifted off the plate 3. In this case, the stick 53 of the controller 5A is operated to make the plate 3 horizontal. Once it is confirmed that the plate 3 is horizontal from the measurement result of the spirit level 31 displayed on the controller 5A's display 54, etc., the electromagnet switch 56 is turned off so that the drone 4 is not attached to the plate 3. At this point, if the plate 3 is horizontal, the drone 4 can remain stationary on the plate 3 even when it is not attached to the plate 3.

[0047] Next, the toggle switch 52 on the controller 5A is switched from A to B to enable control of the drone 4. Since the drone 4 is not attached to the plate 3, the controller 5A can be used to launch the drone 4 from the plate 3 as if it were taking off from level ground. The driver can then control the drone 4 and view the footage captured by the camera 42 on the display 54. To land the drone 4 back on the original plate 3, manual control is possible, but it is also possible to use an autopilot function to automatically return and land the drone 4 based on the positional information recorded between the plate 3 and the drone 4, as well as the flight path recorded by the drone 4 (see Figure 7).

[0048] After the drone 4 lands on the plate 3, the electromagnet switch 56 is turned on to attract the drone 4 to the plate 3, allowing the rod 1 and plate 3 to be moved to another observation location. During this movement, the drone 4 is attracted to the plate 3, preventing it from falling off. In this way, the observation system according to the present invention can be used for observation as a pole with a camera, or observation can be performed by controlling the drone 4.

[0049] (Second Embodiment) Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the observation system according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, the rod is made up of a first rod 1A and a second rod 1B connected by a joint. Similar to the first embodiment, the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B are multi-stage rods made up of multiple tubes of different diameters nested together, and are extendable and retractable by sliding each tube. A tripod portion 11 is also provided at the base of the first rod 1A.

[0050] The first rod 1A can be automatically extended and retracted vertically by the extension drive unit 12A. The second rod 1B, which is connected to the first rod 1A at a connecting section, can be automatically extended and retracted horizontally by the extension drive unit 12B located at the connecting section between the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B. Similar to the extension drive unit 12 in the first embodiment, the extension drive units 12A and 12B extend and retract the rods by rotating a screw shaft with a motor. Furthermore, the extension and retraction of the second rod 1B by the extension drive unit 12B is performed by inputting an electrical signal from the transmitting / receiving device 16 to the motor for rotating the screw shaft of the extension drive unit 12B via cable 15, based on a control signal received by the transmitting / receiving device 16 from the controller 5B, thereby rotating the screw shaft.

[0051] A pan-tilt mechanism 2 is provided at the tip of the second rod 1B, and a plate 3 is attached to this pan-tilt mechanism 2. Since the second rod 1B extends horizontally, the weight of the second rod 1B, the pan-tilt mechanism 2, and the plate 3 may increase the tipping moment of the observation system. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a weight 17 at the base of the first rod 1A, for example, as shown in Figure 8, to make the stabilizing moment or resisting moment sufficiently larger than the tipping moment to prevent tipping.

[0052] Plate 3 can be rotated horizontally and tilted vertically by the pan-tilt mechanism 2. In the second embodiment, the attitude of plate 3 is controlled, as in the first embodiment, by inputting electrical signals to the pan servo motor and tilt servo motor of the pan-tilt mechanism 2 based on control signals transmitted from the controller 5B.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8, in the second embodiment, in order to control the extension and retraction of the two rods, the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B, a cable reel 13A is provided at the base of the first rod 1A, and another cable reel 13B is provided around the connection point between the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B, and the two cable reels 13A and 13B are connected by a cable 15. Regarding the cable reels, they have a configuration similar to those commonly used to extend communication cables such as LAN cables, coaxial cables, multi-core cables, and optical fiber cables, as well as power cables.

[0054] Referring further to Figure 9, the cable reels 13A and 13B are equipped with a connector 131 on their rotating shaft portion, and one cable 15 is connected to the other cable 15 wound on the cable reels 13A and 13B via this connector 131. The connector 131 has, for example, a rotary joint structure, and the connection part can rotate freely.

[0055] To describe the specific configuration for connecting the two cable reels 13A and 13B mentioned above with cable 15, as shown in Figure 9, one end of cable 15 is connected to the transmitting / receiving device 16, and the other end is connected to the other cable 15 wound on cable reel 13A via connector 131 on cable reel 13A. A branching connector 18 is connected to the end of one cable 15 drawn out from cable reel 13A, and one of the branches from the branching connector 18 is connected to the other cable 15 wound on cable reel 13B via connector 131 on cable reel 13B.

[0056] Furthermore, the other branch, which is branched by the branch connector 18, is further branched by another branch connector, with one branch connected to the telescopic drive unit 12B and the other branch connected to the automatic winding mechanism 14B.

[0057] With the above configuration, the control signal transmitted from the controller 5B is received by the transceiver 16, and the electrical signals transmitted from the transceiver 16 based on the control signal are transmitted via cable 15 to the cable reel 13A located at the base of the first rod 1A, and further transmitted via cable 15 drawn out from this cable reel 13A to the branch connector 18 located around the connection point between the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B. The electrical signals branched to one side of the branch connector 18 are then transmitted via cable reel 13B and the cable 15 drawn out from this cable reel 13B to the pan-tilt mechanism 2 located at the tip of the second rod 1B.

[0058] Furthermore, the electrical signals and the like that branched to the other end of the branch connector 18 are further branched by another branch connector, with one end transmitted to the telescopic drive unit 12B and the other to the automatic winding mechanism 14B.

[0059] Next, we will return to Figure 5 and discuss the controller. Figure 5(b) shows the controller 5B used in the second embodiment. When the changeover switch 52 of the controller 5B is set to A, it controls the extension and retraction of the rod and the posture of the plate 3. When the changeover switch 52 of the controller 5B is set to B, it controls the drone 4. The method of controlling the drone 4 is the same as that used in the controller 5A in the first embodiment. Also, when the changeover switch 52 is set to A, switching the rod control switch 57 of the controller 5B to C or D switches between the extension and retraction control of the first rod 1A and the extension and retraction control of the second rod 1B.

[0060] More specifically, when the rod control switch 57 is in state C, tilting the left stick 53 of the controller 5B up or down causes the first rod 1A to extend upward or retract downward. When the rod control switch 57 is in state D, tilting the left stick 53 of the controller 5B up or down causes the second rod 1B to extend horizontally or retract horizontally. Also, even when the rod control switch 57 is in state C or D, the right stick 53 of the controller 5B controls the attitude of the plate 3 in the same way as in the first embodiment. The actions and functions other than the rod control described above are the same for controller 5A and controller 5B.

[0061] When the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B extend or retract, the cable 15 is fed out and retracted from the cable reels 13A and 13B located at the base of each rod. At this time, the cable reels 13A and 13B are controlled by the automatic retraction mechanisms 14A and 14B, and the cable 15 is fed out and retracted with a constant tension in accordance with the extension and retraction of the rods, so that the cable 15 is not made loose or subjected to excessive tension.

[0062] Thus, while the first embodiment consisted of a single rod that extended vertically, the second embodiment uses a combination of two rods: a first rod 1A that extends vertically and a second rod 1B that extends horizontally. Therefore, the camera 42 of the drone 4 mounted on the plate 3 can be moved closer to the object to be observed while moving it vertically and horizontally. In addition, in the second embodiment described above, the second rod 1B may be configured to swing up and down or left and right with respect to the connection point between the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B.

[0063] The above describes embodiments of the observation system according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the configuration can be changed and modified within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. For example, in the embodiments described above, a control signal transmitted wirelessly from the controller is received by a transceiver, and based on this control signal, an electrical signal is transmitted to the motor, servo motor, etc. via a cable reel and cable, etc., for control. However, the motor, servo motor, etc. may be controlled wirelessly directly without using cables, etc. When the motor, servo motor, etc. is controlled wirelessly from the controller, the motor, servo motor, etc. should be equipped with a battery that serves as a power source in addition to the functions of a wireless receiver and control unit.

[0064] Furthermore, while the control of the drone by the controller and the reception of signal data from the drone are performed wirelessly in the embodiments described above, it is conceivable that the control of the drone and the reception of signal data from the drone could be performed via a wired connection (cable). In this case, it is also possible to supply power to the drone via the cable.

[0065] It is also possible to add various functions to the observation system according to the above-described embodiment. For example, if the drone falls from the plate, a safety net may be installed to catch the falling drone in order to protect objects below and prevent damage to the drone itself from falling. [Industrial applicability]

[0066] The observation system according to the present invention can be used for observation as an omnidirectional camera rod by attaching a drone equipped with a camera to a plate at the tip of the rod, and it can also be used for drone-based observation by launching the drone from the plate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1: Rod, 1A: First rod, 1B: Second rod, 11: Tripod section, 12, 12A, 12B: Telescopic drive section, 13, 13A, 13B: Cable reel, 131: Connector, 14, 14A, 14B: Automatic winding mechanism, 15: Cable, 16: Transmitter / receiver, 17: Weight, 18: Branch connector, 2: Pan / tilt mechanism, 3: Plate, 31: Level, 32: Plastic plate, 33: Permanent magnet, 4: Drone, 41: Rotor, 42: Camera, 43: Landing gear, 5A, 5B: Controller, 51: Power switch, 52: Toggle switch, 53: Stick, 54: Display, 55: Dial, 56: Electromagnet switch, 57: Rod control switch

Claims

1. An observation system comprising a rod and a plate on which a drone having a camera attached to one end of the rod is to take off and land, wherein the plate has attachment and detachment means for attaching and detaching the drone to and from the plate.

2. The observation system according to claim 1, further comprising plate posture control means for controlling the posture of the plate.

3. The observation system according to claim 2, further comprising a rod extension / retraction means for extending and retracting the rod.

4. The observation system according to claim 3, characterized in that the rod is formed by connecting a first rod that extends vertically and a second rod that extends horizontally.

5. The observation system according to claim 4, further comprising a branch connector and a cable reel at the connection portion between the first rod and the second rod, the cable being relayed by the branch connector and the cable reel and routed along the first rod and the second rod, and transmitting electrical signals and power to the attachment / detachment means, the plate attitude control means and the rod extension / retraction means by the cable.

6. The observation system according to claim 2, further comprising a controller having a drone control function for controlling the drone, an attachment / detachment control function for controlling the attachment / detachment means, a plate attitude control function for controlling the plate attitude control means, and a switch for switching between the drone control function and the plate attitude control function.

7. The observation system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a controller having a drone control function for controlling the drone, a detachment control function for controlling the detachment means, a plate attitude control function for controlling the plate attitude control means, a rod extension / retraction control function for controlling the rod extension / retraction means, and a switch for switching between the drone control function, the plate attitude control function, and the rod extension / retraction control function.

Images