Drone and wall inspection system using it

Abstract

This invention provides a drone and a wall inspection system using the same that can easily ensure stable positioning relative to a wall surface and improve ease of handling. [Solution] The system comprises a drone body X1 equipped with a work tool V that performs a predetermined inspection operation on a wall surface W, a plurality of propellers X2 for flying the drone body X, and support means X3 for supporting each propeller X2. The support means X3 includes a fixed support means X31 that fixes and supports the rotation axis direction of at least one propeller X2 in a substantially vertical direction, and a variable support means X32 that variably supports the rotation axis direction of at least one propeller X2. The variable support means X32 varies the rotation axis direction with respect to the pitch direction of the drone body X1.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone and a wall inspection system using the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, drones have been used in various fields as devices capable of unmanned flight.

[0003] Particularly, in the fields of inspection and surveying, it has attracted attention as an efficient means to replace conventional inspection work by manpower or machines. That is, in the conventional inspection method, it was difficult to access high places or narrow places, and the installation of scaffolding and the ensuring of personnel safety were issues. However, by using a drone equipped with a camera and sensors, these problems have been resolved.

[0004] Regarding the inspection work as described above, in order to inspect the wall surface and structures while ensuring flight stability, high-precision flight control technology and positioning technology have been required for drones. Particularly, in the conventional inspection method using drones, there are still issues with the stability when the drone approaches the wall surface, and improvement in accurate positioning and inspection accuracy has been required.

[0005] Regarding this, in Patent Document 1, a drone specialized for wall inspection and an inspection system using the same have been proposed.

[0006] This invention is provided with an abutting portion on the drone body, and has a structure in which the abutting surface stably contacts the wall surface. And the abutting portion is arranged to protrude forward from the drone body. When the drone approaches the wall surface during flight, it can stably maintain its posture and the inspection device can perform a predetermined inspection operation.

[0007] Thereby, the drone can be stably positioned on the wall surface with a simple configuration, and improvement over the prior art has been achieved.

Prior Art Documents

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7007678 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In this case, when bringing the drone described in Patent Document 1 into contact with a wall, the operator increases the lift of the rear propellers to be stronger than that of the front propellers, thereby increasing the pitch angle from a horizontal position and tilting the drone downwards. In this state, by bringing the contact point into contact with the wall and increasing the forward thrust of the drone body, a frictional force based on movement in the direction of increasing pitch angle is generated between the contact surface and the wall, and the drone is stably positioned relative to the wall.

[0010] In other words, the invention described in Patent Document 1 does not employ a usage method that directly applies pressure perpendicular to the wall surface to the wall surface, but rather employs a usage method that ensures stability through surface frictional force generated between the surface of the contact part and the wall surface.

[0011] In such cases, depending on the condition of the contact surface or wall, it may not be possible to ensure sufficient stability in positioning. Furthermore, because the drone is positioned at an angle for contact, fine adjustments may be necessary regarding the placement of the inspection device relative to the drone body.

[0012] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a drone and a wall inspection system using the same that can easily ensure positional stability relative to a wall surface and improve ease of handling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] To accomplish this task, this disclosure provides a drone [1] to [4].

[0014] [1] A drone comprising: a drone body equipped with a work tool for performing predetermined inspection operations on a wall surface; a plurality of propellers for flying the drone body; and support means for supporting each of the propellers, wherein the support means includes a fixed support means for fixing and supporting the rotation axis direction of at least one of the propellers in a substantially vertical direction, and a variable support means for variably supporting the rotation axis direction of at least one of the propellers, the variable support means for varying the rotation axis direction with respect to the pitch direction of the drone body.

[0015] [2] The drone according to [1], wherein the variable support means is configured to be variable so that the rotation axis direction is substantially perpendicular to the wall surface.

[0016] [3] The drone according to [1] or [2], wherein the propeller has a front propeller provided on the front side of the drone body and a rear propeller provided on the rear side of the drone body, the work tool is provided on the front side, and the variable support means supports the rear propeller.

[0017] [4] The drone according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the variable support means includes a rotary actuator.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to achieve this objective, the present disclosure provides a wall inspection system [5].

[0019] [5] A wall inspection system comprising a drone as described in any of [1] to [4], a guide wire provided along the surface direction of the wall, and a wire support means for supporting the guide wire, wherein the drone is attached to the guide wire, and the wire support means has a winch device for unwinding and winding the guide wire.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily ensure the stability of positioning with respect to a wall surface, and to provide a drone with improved handling convenience and a wall surface inspection system using the same.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is an overall perspective view of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an enlarged perspective view of a configuration such as a propeller according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram of a method of using a wall surface inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram of a method of using a wall surface inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram of a method of using a wall surface inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram of a method of using a wall surface inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a modification example of a wall surface inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention and a wall surface inspection system using the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. Note that the following embodiments are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In these figures, reference numeral X indicates the drone according to the present embodiment, and reference numeral S indicates the wall surface inspection system according to the present embodiment.

[0023] <Configuration (Drone)> Hereinafter, the configuration of the drone X will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. For the sake of clarity, in the following explanation, the x-direction shown in Figure 1 will be referred to as the roll direction (forward / backward direction), the y-axis direction as the pitch direction (left / right direction), and the z-axis direction as the yaw direction (up / down direction).

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the drone X comprises a drone body X1, a plurality of propellers X2 for flying the drone body X1, and support means X3 for supporting each propeller X2.

[0025] In this embodiment, the drone body X1 has a configuration that is substantially the same as those commonly available, and includes a body section X11 with a built-in battery, arms X12 extending in all four directions from the body section X11, and a pair of legs X13 protruding downward from the body section X11.

[0026] Each propeller X2 is mounted on each arm X12 via a support means X3 and includes a pair of forward propellers X21 located on the front side of the drone body X1 and a pair of rear propellers X22 located on the rear side of the drone body X1.

[0027] The forward propeller X21 and the rear propeller X22 each consist of a pair of propeller bodies k1 and a rotating motor k2 that rotates them.

[0028] The support means X3 includes a fixed support means X31 that supports each forward propeller X21 and a variable support means X32 that supports each rear propeller X22.

[0029] The fixed support means X31 is a roughly rectangular block body that is long in the vertical direction and is provided on each of the front arms X12, with the front propeller X21 (rotating motor k2) mounted on its upper surface. As a result, each fixed support means X31 fixes and supports each forward propeller X21 in a substantially vertical direction (up and down direction) along its rotation axis direction d1.

[0030] The variable support means X32 includes a rotary actuator M provided on each rear arm X12, and a bracket b connected to the pivot axis r of the rotary actuator M.

[0031] A rotary actuator M has a typical configuration in which a motor and a pinion gear connected to it are built into a roughly rectangular prism-shaped housing, and the motor drives the rotation of the pivot shaft r. Furthermore, the pivot shaft portion r protrudes from the housing in the left-right direction, and its pivot axis direction is approximately parallel to the pitch direction (left-right direction).

[0032] Bracket b is a structure formed by bending a thin plate-like body into a roughly U-shape, and its lower ends on the left and right sides are notched, allowing it to be fitted onto each pivot shaft portion r. Furthermore, the rear propeller X22 (rotating motor k2) is mounted on the upper surface of bracket b in Figure 1.

[0033] Here, the upper surface of the machine body X11 is provided with a control means N for controlling the operation of the rotary actuator M in each variable support means X32, which will be described later, and a fastening projection t with an upper ring shape to which the guide wire A, which will be described later, is fastened.

[0034] The control means N is electrically connected to each rotary actuator M via corresponding wires j. This allows the operator to individually drive each rotary actuator M using a remote control wirelessly connected to the control means N.

[0035] Furthermore, the control means (not shown) for driving each rotating motor k2 is a so-called flight controller that controls the attitude, direction of movement, and speed of movement of the drone body X1 in the air by individually controlling the driving state of each rotating motor k2. This allows the operator to freely fly the entire drone X1 in three dimensions using the remote control, as described above.

[0036] Furthermore, the control means for driving each of the aforementioned rotary motors k2 may be incorporated inside the machine body X11, or the control means N may serve as both the driving means for each rotary actuator M and the driving means for each rotary motor k2. Furthermore, the control means for driving each of the above-mentioned rotating motors k2 and the wires that electrically connect each of the rotating motors k2 are not shown in the illustration.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, the variable support means X32 varies the rotation axis d2 of each rear propeller X22 with respect to the pitch direction of the drone body X1.

[0038] More specifically, in the state shown in Figure 2(a), the rotation axis direction d2 of the rear propeller X22 is the yaw direction (vertical direction). Recently, the user drives the variable support means X32 via the control means N, causing the pivot shaft portion r, with the pitch direction as the pivot axis direction, to rotate as shown in Figure 2(b), and consequently the entire rear propeller X22 to rotate via the bracket b.

[0039] Figure 2(b) shows an example in which the entire rear propeller X22 is rotated 90 degrees to the rear, thereby changing its rotation axis d2 from the yaw direction (up and down direction) to the roll direction (forward and backward direction).

[0040] <Configuration (Wall Inspection System S)> The configuration of the wall inspection system S using the drone X described above will be explained below using Figures 3 to 6 (views of drone X from the right side).

[0041] The wall inspection system S is applied to the outer wall (wall surface W) of a building Z erected on a predetermined vertical surface G, and comprises a drone X, a guide wire A provided along the surface direction of the wall surface W, and a wire support means B that supports the guide wire A.

[0042] Guide wire A is a high-strength metal wire such as piano wire, and in this embodiment, the tip of one guide wire A is fastened to the fastening projection t.

[0043] The wire support means B, as shown particularly in Figure 4, includes a winch device U around which the guide wire A is wound, a base H attached to the parapet Z1 of the building Z, a first guide roller R1 provided on the upper part of the base H, and a pair of second guide rollers R2 provided on the sides of the base H.

[0044] The winch device U is mounted on top of the base H and can be remotely operated to electrically wind up and unwind each guide wire A.

[0045] The first guide roller R1 is supported by the bracket b1 and is configured to rotate on an axis in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0046] A pair of second guide rollers R2 are each supported by a bracket b2 and are configured to rotate about an axis approximately perpendicular to the wall surface W. Furthermore, each second guide roller R2 is positioned opposite to the other, thereby sandwiching the guide wire A.

[0047] By configuring the first guide roller R1 and the second guide roller R2 in this manner, the winding and unwinding of the guide wire A by each winch device U can be performed smoothly.

[0048] In this embodiment, the drone X or wall inspection system S is used for wall inspection, which is called the drilling method and is used in the carbonation depth test. The drilling method is a method of evaluating the durability of a building by using a drilling device to bore holes in the wall surface (concrete) of the target building, applying a reagent such as phenolphthalein to the resulting drilling dust, and observing the color of the dust.

[0049] In carrying out the above drilling method, a work tool V for performing a predetermined inspection operation against the wall surface W (see Figure 4, etc.) is provided on the upper and front side of the drone body X1 (aircraft section X11).

[0050] In this embodiment, the work tool V is a drilling device for drilling holes in the wall surface W, and consists of a drill section V1 that penetrates the wall surface W and a drive section V2 that rotates the drill section V1. Furthermore, the rotational drive of the drill unit V1 by the drive unit V2 is controlled wirelessly by a different remote control than the one used to fly the drone X.

[0051] <How to use> The following describes how to use the wall inspection system S, using Figures 3 to 6.

[0052] First, the operator generates lift for the drone X, which is placed on the vertical surface G as shown in Figure 3(a), by driving each of its propellers X2 (arrow a1), causing it to fly upward as shown in Figure 3(b) (arrow a2). In this configuration, the rotary actuator M is not driven, and the rotation axis direction of each rear propeller X22, along with each front propeller X21, is approximately vertical.

[0053] Next, as shown in Figure 4, the worker flies the drone X to the desired height while winding up the guide wire A with the winch device U (arrow a3), thereby bringing the drone X closer to the wall surface W.

[0054] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the operator stops the drive of each propeller X2 and also stops the winding operation of each winch device U, so that the drone X approaches the wall W by gravity (arrow a4), and the tip of the drill part V1 of the work tool V comes into contact with the wall W.

[0055] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the operator drives each rotary actuator M to rotate each rear propeller X22 backward, thereby changing the direction of rotation axis so that it is approximately perpendicular to the wall surface W (i.e., the roll direction) (arrow a5).

[0056] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the operator drives each of the rear propellers X22 (arrow a6), giving the drone X forward thrust (arrow a7), which pressurizes the tip of the drill section V1 toward the wall surface W. At the same time, by driving the drill unit V1, the tip of the drill unit V1 is inserted into the wall surface W by the pressure applied to the wall surface.

[0057] This allows for stable drilling of the wall surface W, and the drilling dust falls onto the vertical surface G, enabling the worker to collect the dust and perform a carbonation depth test.

[0058] When the wall inspection is complete, the operator drives the rotary actuator M to direct the rotation axis of each rear propeller X22 to approximately vertical, drives each propeller X2, and flies the drone X backward. This allows the worker to withdraw the drill unit V1 from the wall W, slacken each guide wire A, and then land the drone X together with the work tool V on the rooftop or vertical surface G of the building Z, and retrieve the work tool V and drone X.

[0059] <Effects> According to this embodiment, the variable support means X32 can vary the rotation axis direction of the rear propeller X22 with respect to the pitch direction of the drone body X1, thereby suitably providing forward thrust to the drone X. This allows the drone X (working device V) to be appropriately given thrust perpendicular to the wall surface W, thereby applying pressure to the wall surface W and easily ensuring the stability of the drone X's positioning relative to the wall surface W.

[0060] Furthermore, since the variable support means X32 is configured to be variable so that the rotation axis direction of the rear propeller X22 is substantially perpendicular to the wall surface W, thrust can be directly applied to the drone X (working tool V) in a direction perpendicular to the wall surface W. This makes it easier to ensure the stability of the positioning of the drone X relative to the wall surface W.

[0061] Furthermore, since the work tool V is located on the front side and the variable support means X32 supports the rear propeller X22, even when the rotation axis direction of the rear propeller X22 is varied, the wall surface W can be inspected effectively without interference with the work tool V.

[0062] Furthermore, by including the rotary actuator M in the variable support means X32, the rotation axis direction of the rear propeller X22 can be varied with a simple and inexpensive configuration.

[0063] Furthermore, the wall inspection system S allows for the stabilization of the drone X's attitude and easy application of forward thrust, even when the rotation axis of the rear propeller X22 is varied, without requiring advanced operating skills.

[0064] <Example of changes> The shapes and dimensions of the components shown in the above embodiment are merely examples and can be modified in various ways based on design requirements, etc.

[0065] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the drone X is moored by a single guide wire A. However, as shown in Figure 7, a pair of wire support means B may be provided on the upper part of the structure Z, and a pair of wire support means B may also be provided on the vertical surface G. As a result, the drone X is tethered by four guide wires A, which further enhances the stability of the drone X's flight attitude and effectively suppresses the occurrence of accidents such as unexpected falls.

[0066] Furthermore, the pair of wire support means B provided on the vertical surface G consist only of a winch device U. Furthermore, when fastening each guide wire A, corresponding fastening projections t may be provided on the drone X.

[0067] In addition, as mentioned above, the number of guide wires A for mooring is not limited; there may be two, three, five or more.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which, in order to impart forward thrust to the drone X, the rotation axis direction of the rear propeller X22 was varied so that it was substantially perpendicular to the wall surface W. Recently, the operator may apply forward thrust to the drone X by varying the rotation axis direction so that it is at an angle inclined with respect to the wall surface W when viewed from the side.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the propeller X2 is composed of four propellers: one pair of forward propellers X21 and one pair of rear propellers X22. Recently, the number of propellers X2 is not limited to this, and additional ones may be added as needed. For example, by adding a propeller that generates only lift, such as the forward propeller X21, to the upper surface of the aircraft body X11, the operator can stably hover the drone X while also varying the rotation axis of the rear propeller X22, without using a guide wire A for tethering. In other words, with the above configuration, the operator can stably apply pressure and position the drone X against the wall surface W using only the drone X itself.

[0070] Furthermore, the above embodiment demonstrates an example in which the rotation axis direction of each rear propeller X22 is varied to impart forward thrust to the drone X. Recently, the operator may support each forward propeller X21 with a variable support means X32, and may vary the rotation axis direction of each forward propeller X21 to impart forward thrust to the drone X.

[0071] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which each rear propeller X22 is rotated rearward, each propeller X2 may also be rotated forward to impart forward thrust, including each front propeller X21.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the wall inspection system S (drone X) was used in a neutralization depth test called the drill method. However, for example, the work tool V could be replaced with a building marker pen instead of a drill device and used for marking work.

[0073] In application documents, the term "abbreviated" is a concept that includes shapes that have been chamfered or rounded, or shapes whose constituent elements have been modified or altered in length to the extent that it does not impede the purpose of the shape. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] X Drone X1 Drone Body X11 Airframe X12 Arm X13 Legs X2 Propeller X21 forward propeller X22 Rear Propeller X3 Support means X31 Fixed support means X32 Variable support means W Rotary Actuator N control means V Work Tools S Wall Inspection System A Guidewire B Wire support means U-Winch Device W Wall G Standing surface

Claims

1. The system comprises a drone body equipped with a work tool for performing a predetermined task on a wall surface, a plurality of propellers for flying the drone body, and support means for supporting each of the propellers, The support means includes a fixed support means for fixing and supporting the rotation axis direction of at least one of the propellers in a substantially vertical direction, and a variable support means for variably supporting the rotation axis direction of at least one of the propellers. The variable support means varies the rotation axis direction with respect to the pitch direction of the drone body. Drone.

2. The variable support means is configured to be variable so that the rotation axis direction is substantially perpendicular to the wall surface. The drone according to claim 1.

3. The propeller comprises a front propeller provided on the front side of the drone body and a rear propeller provided on the rear side of the drone body. The aforementioned work tool is provided on the front side, The variable support means supports the rear propeller. The drone according to claim 2.

4. The variable support means includes a rotary actuator. The drone according to claim 3.

5. A drone according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a guide wire provided along the surface direction of the wall, and a wire support means for supporting the guide wire, The drone is attached to the guide wire, The wire support means includes a winch device for unwinding and winding the guide wire. Wall inspection system.

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