Drone

Abstract

To provide a drone capable of continuously flying even when a controller fails.SOLUTION: A drone 1 includes: a first controller including a first communication unit, a first control drive unit, and a first power generation unit; and a second controller including a second communication unit, a second control drive unit, and a second power generation unit. When a first failure diagnosis unit detects a failure of the first controller, the first controller is suspended and the second controller is used to control flight. When a second failure diagnosis unit detects a failure of the second controller, the second controller is suspended and the first controller is used to control flight.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone that flies by obtaining lift through the rotation of propellers connected to a motor. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (also called "drones") has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-24488 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Drones achieve stable flight by controlling the rotation of the propellers connected to the rotating shafts of multiple motors. In drones, the reaction force caused by the rotation of the propellers is offset by rotating the adjacent propellers in the opposite direction. For this reason, if even one of the multiple motors malfunctions, stable flight becomes difficult. Therefore, when one of the devices constituting the drone malfunctions, the malfunctioning part may be identified and the drone may fly without using that part, switching to a control law that reduces the degree of freedom of control, thereby preventing the drone from crashing. In order to implement this control, it is first necessary to detect the malfunction as soon as possible, and then to identify the malfunctioning part. If it takes a long time to detect the malfunction and identify the malfunctioning part, for example, if one of the four motors or one ESC (Electric Speed ​​Controller) malfunctions and the motor rotates at full speed or the rotation speed is suddenly reduced, the attitude will be significantly tilted from the time of the malfunction, resulting in a stall and a crash. In addition, since the attitude is stabilized by controlling the rotation speed of the four motors, it is difficult to identify the motor malfunction using the rotation speed as an indicator. On the other hand, for example, to detect failures in sensors such as a 6-axis sensor included in an autonomous control device for a drone, two 6-axis sensors may be installed and the output of both sensors may be compared to diagnose the failure. However, when a failure is detected, it may not be clear which signal is correct, and the signal is unreliable and cannot be used for control. In this case, the drone may be flown by switching to a control law that mainly uses GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals, but the positioning accuracy of the current position is low and precise attitude control using four motors is difficult. In addition, since the 6-axis sensor has a large error in cumulative calculations due to integration, it is appropriately corrected using GNSS signals, but in order to compare them, the displacements in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are required. The displacement in the forward / backward direction is obtained by integrating the acceleration in the X-axis direction multiple times (for example, twice), the displacement in the left / right direction is obtained by integrating the acceleration in the Y-axis direction multiple times (for example, twice), and the displacement in the up / down direction is obtained by integrating the acceleration in the Z-axis direction multiple times (for example, twice), which takes time for the processing. Therefore, a drone that can be continuously controlled even if it breaks down is desired.

[0005] The present invention attempts to solve such problems, and aims to provide a drone that can continue to fly even if a malfunction occurs in the drone's control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first invention is a drone capable of flying by receiving a command signal from an external control device, comprising: a first control device including a first communication device, a first control drive device, and a first power generating device; a first fault diagnosis device that diagnoses faults in the first control device; a second control device including a second communication device, a second control drive device, and a second power generating device; and a second fault diagnosis device that diagnoses faults in the second control device; and when the first fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the first control device, the first control device is stopped and flight is controlled by the second control device, and when the second fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the second control device, the second control device is stopped and flight is controlled by the first control device.

[0007] According to the configuration of the first invention, it is possible to provide a drone that can continue to fly even if one control device fails.

[0008] A second invention is a drone in which, in the configuration of the first invention, the first control drive device includes a first battery, a first motor drive device (ESC), and a first relay device, the first control drive device supplies power to at least the first motor drive device via the first relay device, and stops the power supply to at least the first motor drive device via the first relay device when the first fault diagnosis device detects a failure of the first control device, and the second control drive device includes a second battery, a second motor drive device (ESC), and a second relay device, the second control drive device supplies power to at least the second motor drive device via the second relay device, and stops the power supply to at least the second motor drive device via the second relay device when the second fault diagnosis device detects a failure of the second control device.

[0009] According to the configuration of the second invention, when one of the drone's control devices fails, the motor drive can be stopped reliably. For example, even if the control is stopped when the first control device fails, if the transistor for driving the motor is operating but has a failure, the motor will rotate at full speed, interfering with the flight by the second control device. In this regard, according to the configuration of the second invention, the relay device can reliably cut off the power supply to the failed first control device or the second control device.

[0010] A third invention is a drone having the configuration of the first invention, which has a notification means for notifying the control device of a fault when the first fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the first control device or when the second fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the second control device.

[0011] According to the configuration of the third invention, it is possible to inform the pilot of a drone failure. The drone of the present invention can continue to fly even if the first control device fails, for example, so the pilot may not notice the failure. In this case, the drone will fly using the second control device, but in this case, the flight state is the same as that of a conventional drone. In this state, there is an effect of making the pilot aware of the failure of the first control device.

[0012] A fourth invention is a drone having the configuration of the first invention, which has motion control means for ascending, descending, hovering, moving forward, backward, moving laterally to the right, moving laterally to the left, and rotating right and left around a vertical axis (Z-axis) based on commands from the control device, target motion setting means for defining a target motion by a pitch angle, a roll angle, and an angular velocity about the vertical axis (Z-axis), and current state detection means for detecting a current motion state by the pitch angle, the roll angle, and the angular velocity about the vertical axis (Z-axis), and further has correction control means for determining a deviation between the target motion defined by the target motion setting means and the current motion state detected by the current state detection means, and performing correction control by adding or subtracting a corrected signal so as to reduce the deviation.

[0013] According to the configuration of the fourth invention, basic flight is controlled manually without using sensors, and for disturbances that require correction, a target value is defined using three variables: pitch angle, roll angle, and angular velocity around the up-down axis (Z-axis), and the deviation from the current state is calculated and the control signal is corrected in the direction to reduce this deviation.Therefore, when calculating from the signal of the six-axis sensor, multiple integrations were previously required, but only one integration is required, so the calculation time is short and the detection accuracy is high, enabling stable flight with little control delay.

[0014] A fifth invention is a configuration according to the first invention, wherein the first power generating device and the second power generating device each include at least four motors, and the four motors are arranged so that, in a plan view, connecting the rotation axes of the four motors forms a rectangle that is a rectangle or a square, and the motors arranged on the diagonal lines of the rectangle are designated FR (front right motor), FL (front left motor), RR (rear right motor), and RL (rear left motor), and the respective rotation speeds are designated nFR, nFL, nRR,When set to nRL, based on the command signal from the control device, during ascent, drive control is performed to increase the rotational speed of each of the motors while maintaining the relationship of nFR = nFL = nRR = nRL. During descent, drive control is performed to decrease the rotational speed while maintaining the relationship of nFR = nFL = nRR = nRL based on the command signal from the control device. During forward movement, drive control is performed to decrease nFR and nFL while maintaining the relationship of nFR = nFL < nRR = nRL to increase the forward movement speed. During backward movement, drive control is performed to increase nFR = nFL while maintaining the relationship of nFR = nFL > nRR = nRL to increase the backward movement speed. During right lateral movement, drive control is performed to increase nFL and nRL while maintaining the relationship of nFR = nRR < nFL = nRL to increase the right lateral movement speed. During left lateral movement, drive control is performed to decrease nFL and nRL while maintaining the relationship of nFR = nRR > nFL = nRL to increase the left lateral movement speed. When rotating clockwise around the vertical axis (Z-axis), drive control is performed to increase nFL and nRR while maintaining the relationship of nFR = nRL < nFL = nRR to increase the clockwise rotation speed. When rotating counterclockwise, drive control is performed to decrease nFL and nRR while maintaining the relationship of nFR = nRL > nFL = nRR to increase the counterclockwise rotation speed. There is motion control means, target motion setting means for obtaining a target pitch angle, a target roll angle, and a target angular velocity around the vertical (Z) axis based on the command signal from the control device, a position sensor (6-axis sensor, or 6-axis sensor and GNSS, or GNSS) arranged in the control drive device, current state detection means for obtaining the current pitch angle, roll angle, and angular velocity around the vertical (Z) axis from the output value of the position sensor, and correction control means for comparing the data of the target motion setting means and the current state detection means respectively, obtaining respective deviations, and adding or subtracting signals corrected for nFR and nFL for the pitch angle, nFL and nRL for the roll angle, and nFL and nRR for the rotational angular velocity to perform correction control to reduce these deviations. It is a drone having these components.,

[0015] According to the configuration of the fifth invention, when moving forward and backward, adjust nFR and nFL of the two motors; when moving right and left horizontally, adjust nFL and nRL of the two motors; when rotating clockwise and counterclockwise around the vertical axis (Z-axis), only adjust nFL and nRR of the two motors. Since the remaining two motors are always manually controlled, compared with a drone that automatically controls four motors, stable flight is possible even if there are abnormalities or detection delays in the position sensors.

[0016] The sixth invention is a drone, in the configuration of the first invention, the first power generation device and the second power generation device each include at least four sets of the motors, with two motors having their rotation axes arranged on the same line as a set. The four sets are arranged in a rectangular shape, a square shape, or a rhombus shape in a plan view, such that the rotation axes of the four sets of motors form a rectangle. The two motors in a set are configured to rotate in opposite directions at the same rotation speed. The first control drive device and the second control drive device are configured to move the drone forward, backward, and horizontally in the diagonal direction of the rectangle.

[0017] According to the configuration of the sixth invention, since forward and backward movement and left and right horizontal movement are performed in the diagonal direction of the two motors, compared with the conventional movement in the side direction, a longer distance between the motors can be ensured in the traveling direction, the moment for self-returning in the horizontal direction can be increased, and the stability can be improved.

[0018] The seventh invention is a drone, in the configuration of the sixth invention, with the four sets being F, R, r, and sL, where F and R are arranged on one diagonal of the rectangle, and r and sL are arranged on the other diagonal of the rectangle. When the respective rotation speeds are nF, nR, nr, and nsL, the control drive device is configured to perform drive control based on the command signal from the control device such that nF < nR when moving forward, nF > nR when moving backward, nsL > nr when moving right, and nsL < nr when moving left.

[0019] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, by changing the rotational speed of a pair of motors, it is possible to provide a drone that can move forward / backward and laterally to the left and right, eliminating the need for complex calculations and enabling the drone to fly with simple control.

[0020] An eighth invention is a drone as described in claim 7, which, in the configuration of the seventh invention, has a target motion setting means for determining a target pitch angle, a target roll angle, and a target angular velocity around an up-down (Z) axis based on the command signal from the control device, a position sensor (six-axis sensor, or a six-axis sensor and GNSS, or a GNSS) arranged in the control drive device, a current state detection means for determining a current pitch angle and roll angle determined from an output value of the position sensor, and a correction control means for comparing the data of the target motion setting means and the current state detection means to determine the respective deviations, and correcting and controlling the pitch angle by nF and the roll angle by nsL by adding or subtracting corrected signals so as to reduce these deviations.

[0021] According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the motor drive signals can be automatically corrected to deal with disturbances such as gusts of wind. Moreover, because the correction can be done by changing the rotation speed of one motor, stable flight with good response is possible. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drone that can continue to fly even if one control device fails. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a drone according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a motor and a propeller. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a drone viewed from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing functional blocks (first control device) of a drone. [Diagram 5]FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing functional blocks (second control device) of the drone. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic flowchart showing the operation of a drone. [Figure 7] This is a conceptual diagram to explain the reliability of drones. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates control of a drone. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a drone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a drone according to a second embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates control of a drone. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the theoretical basis of correction control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, the mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter, the embodiment) will be described in detail. In the following description, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified. Note that the description of the components that a person skilled in the art can appropriately carry out will be omitted, and only the basic components of the present invention will be described.

[0025] <First embodiment> A drone 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. The drone 1 is a drone that can fly by receiving a command signal from an external control device (also called a "radio transmitter"). The control device is not shown in the drawings.

[0026] <<Drone 1 Configuration>> As shown in Fig. 1, the drone 1 has a housing 10 to which four arms 12 and four landing legs 40 are connected. Motor sets 20, 22, 24, and 26 are connected to the ends of the arms 12 opposite the housing 10. The arms 12 are tubular members with a space on the inside, and cables for supplying power to and controlling each motor constituting the motor set 20 and the like are arranged in the inner space.

[0027] The motor set 20 is composed of a pair of motors 20a and 20b, and a propeller 20ap and a propeller 20bp. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation shaft of the motor 20a and the rotation shaft of the motor 20b are arranged on the same straight line. The rotation shaft of the motor 20a protrudes upward, and the propeller 20ap is connected to the upper end of the rotation shaft. The rotation shaft of the motor 20b protrudes downward, and the propeller 20bp is connected to the lower end of the rotation shaft. In this embodiment, the motor 20a is also called the upper motor, and the motor 20b is also called the lower motor. The motors 20a and 20b are outer rotor type brushless DC (Direct current) motors. The configurations of the motor sets 22, 24, and 26 are the same as those of the motor set 20.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 1, in the motor group 20, the motors 20a and 20b rotate in a clockwise direction C1 at the same rotation speed nFR (see Fig. 3). In the motor groups 22, 24, and 26, the upper motor and the lower motor also rotate at the same rotation speed and in the same direction. The upper motor group, i.e., the motors 20a, 22a, 24a, and 26a, constitute a first power generating device 106A (see Fig. 4). The lower motor group, i.e., the motors 20b, 22b, 24b, and 26b, constitute a second power generating device 106B (see Fig. 5).

[0029] Focusing on the upper motors 20a, 22a, 24a, and 26a constituting the first power generating device 106A, adjacent motors rotate in opposite directions. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the motor 20a rotates in a clockwise direction C1, the motor 22a rotates in a counterclockwise direction C2, the motor 24a rotates in a direction C2, and the motor 26a rotates in a direction C1. Therefore, in the motors 20a, 22a, 24a, and 26a, the reaction forces of adjacent motors are offset. For example, when the motors 20a, etc. rotate at the same rotation speed, the reaction forces due to the rotation of the motors 20a, 22a, 24a, and 26a as a whole are offset, and the force that rotates the drone 1 around the Z axis does not act. This is also true for the lower motors 20b, 22b, 24b, and 26b constituting the second power generating device 106B.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 10 is connected to communication antennas 30A and 30B for communicating with an external control device, positioning antennas 32A and 32B for receiving positioning radio waves from positioning satellites constituting the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and infrared detection devices 34A and 34B for detecting external obstacles by infrared reflection. The drone 1 receives command signals from the control device through the communication antennas 30A and 30B. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the signals output from the communication antennas 30A and 30B, the positioning antennas 32A and 32B, and the infrared detection devices 34A and 34B are processed by signal processing devices 110A and 110B, respectively.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 4, a first communication device 102A is configured with a communication antenna 30A, a positioning antenna 32A, an infrared detection device 34A, and a signal processing device 110A. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 5, a second communication device 102B is configured with a communication antenna 30B, a positioning antenna 32B, an infrared detection device 34B, and a signal processing device 110B.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 10 stores a computer 112A, a six-axis sensor 114A, a battery 118A as a first battery, ESCs 120a, 122a, 124a, and 126a as first motor driving devices, and a relay device 116A as a first relay device, forming a first control drive device 104A. In FIG. 1, only the battery 118A is shown among the first control drive device 104A, and other components are omitted. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, the housing 10 stores a computer 112B, a six-axis sensor 114B, a battery 118B as a second battery, ESCs 120b, 122b, 124b, and 126b as second motor driving devices, and a relay device 116B as a second relay device, forming a second control drive device 104B. In FIG. 1, only the battery 118B is shown among the second control drive device 104B, and other components are omitted.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 4, a first control device 100A is configured by a first communication device 102A, a first control drive device 104A, and a first power generating device 106A. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 5, a second control device 100B is configured by a second communication device 102B, a second control drive device 104B, and a second power generating device 106B. In this way, the drone 1 has two control devices, the first control device 100A and the second control device 100B.

[0034] A six-axis sensor 114A included in the first control drive device 104A and a six-axis sensor 114B included in the second control drive device 104B detect accelerations in the X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions (see FIG. 3) and angular velocities around the X-, Y-, and Z-axes.

[0035] The computers 112A and 112B calculate and output input signals. The computer 112A includes a program for diagnosing a fault in the first control device 100A and a watchdog timer circuit for detecting a fault in the CPU (Central Process Unit), and functions as a first fault diagnosis device. Similarly, the computer 112B includes a program for diagnosing a fault in the second control device 100B and a watchdog timer circuit for detecting a fault in the CPU, and functions as a second fault diagnosis device.

[0036] Battery 118A provides power to the first controller 100A, and battery 118B provides power to the second controller 100B.

[0037] The relay device 116A supplies power from the battery 118A or cuts off the power supply in response to a command signal from the computer 112A constituting the first control drive device 104A. Specifically, the computer 112A has a power supply device, and when a fault is detected by the above-mentioned watchdog timer circuit or the fault diagnosis program, the relay device 116A cuts off the power supply to at least the ESC 120a, etc. Furthermore, when the computer 112A does not detect a fault by the above-mentioned watchdog timer circuit or the fault diagnosis, it continues to supply power to at least the ESC 120a, etc. via the relay device 116A.

[0038] The relay device 116B performs or cuts off the power supply from the battery 118B in response to a command signal from the computer 112B constituting the second control drive device 104B. Specifically, the computer 112B has a power supply device, and when a fault is detected by the above-mentioned watchdog timer circuit or the fault diagnosis program, the relay device 116B cuts off the power supply to at least the ESC 120b, etc. When the computer 112B does not detect a fault by the above-mentioned watchdog timer circuit or the fault diagnosis program, it continues the power supply to at least the ESC 120b, etc. via the relay device 116B.

[0039] <<Drone 1 Operation>> Next, the operation of the drone 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 etc. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operations of the computers 112A and 112B. Since the operations of the computers 112A and 112B are similar, the operation of the computer 112A will be described, and the description of the operation of the computer 112B will be omitted.

[0040] When the power switch of the drone 1 is switched ON, the ON signal starts the start process of the start step ST1. In step ST1, computer initial settings such as reading initial data are performed. Next, in step ST2, input from the first communication device 102A, that is, basic information such as an operation signal from the control device and the current position of the drone 1 calculated using GNSS, is input. In step ST3, six outputs from the six-axis sensor 114A in the first control drive device 104A, that is, the acceleration in the X-axis direction, the acceleration in the Y-axis direction, the acceleration in the Z-axis direction, and the angular velocity around the X-axis, the angular velocity around the Y-axis, and the angular velocity around the Z-axis, are input.

[0041] In step ST4, the computer 112A of the first control device 100A functions as a fault diagnosis device and performs fault diagnosis. It diagnoses the following faults: interruption or abnormality of the input signal to the first communication device 102A, abnormality or failure of the input signal from the 6-axis sensor 114A, stop or runaway of the computer 112A, ON or OFF failure of the ESCs 120a, 122a, 124a, and 126a, or lock failure or winding breakage or layer short of the motors 20a, 22a, 24a, or 26a. If the computer 112A diagnoses that a fault exists, it turns off the relay device 116A to cut off the power supply. This prevents full rotation of one motor 20a, etc. due to runaway of the computer 112A or ON failure of the ESC 120a, etc. Note that the control after the fault diagnosis will be described later.

[0042] The computer 112A is equipped with a watchdog timer circuit that detects a failure of the CPU (Central Process Unit) and outputs an OFF signal to the relay device 116A if an abnormality occurs. When the OFF signal is output from the watchdog timer circuit, or when the CPU of the computer 112A diagnoses a failure and outputs an OFF signal, the relay device 116A cuts off the power from the battery 118A and stops all four motors 20a, etc., but the second control device 100B is still operating, so flight is possible.

[0043] However, if the drone 1 continues to fly only by the second control device 100B, there is a risk of the drone crashing if the second control device 100B breaks down. In this regard, the computers 112A and 112B each include a notification program, and are configured to transmit a fault signal indicating the fault to the control device when a fault is detected. That is, the computers 112A and 112B function as notification means. When the power to the first control device 100A is cut off, the second control device 100B detects the cutoff and transmits a fault signal to the control device via the signal processing device 110B and communication antenna 30B constituting the second communication device 102B to notify the fault. Similarly, when the power to the second control device 100B is cut off, the first control device 100A detects the cutoff and transmits a fault signal to the control device via the signal processing device 110A and communication antenna 30A constituting the first communication device 102A to notify the fault. When the control device receives a malfunction signal, it makes the pilot aware of the malfunction of drone 1, for example, by turning on a red light or flashing an orange light.

[0044] Figure 7 shows a comparison of the reliability of the drone 1 according to this embodiment and a conventional drone. When the reliability of the communication device, the control drive device, and the power generation device is 0.999, the reliability of the entire conventional drone is 0.997. On the other hand, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the overall reliability is 0.99999, and it has been confirmed that the reliability has been greatly improved theoretically.

[0045] If the drone 1 determines in step ST4 that no failure exists, it generates a main control signal in step ST5. Then, in step ST6, it generates (calculates) a correction control signal and generates a signal that is added to the main signal generated in step ST5. Then, in step ST7, it outputs this added signal to the ESC 120a, etc. The ESC 120a, etc. drive the motor 20a, etc. based on the main control signal and the correction control signal to control the rotation speed.

[0046] The main control generates signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL* to the motors 20a, 22a, 24a, and 26a based on a command signal from the control device. The signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL* are signals for controlling the rotation speed of the motors 20a and the like, and are also called "target rotation speed signals." The correction control generates a correction signal for correcting and controlling the main control signal and adds it to the main control signal. The correction signal obtains a target attitude angle and a target angular velocity from the target rotation speed signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL* generated by a command signal from the control device, calculates the current attitude angle and angular velocity of the drone 1 body based on a signal from the 6-axis sensor 114A, and generates a signal to reduce the difference between the two data. The target attitude angle is an attitude angle (roll angle, pitch angle) around two axes (X-axis, Y-axis), and the target angular velocity is a yaw angular velocity around the Z-axis.

[0047] Next, steps ST5 to ST7 will be described. Step ST5 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 8. The solid lines in Fig. 8 indicate main control, and the dotted lines indicate correction control. First, the main control indicated by the solid lines will be described.

[0048] The computer 112A includes a motion control program, a target motion setting program, a current state detection program, and a correction control program, and functions as a motion control means, a target motion setting means, a current state detection means, and a correction control means.

[0049] The motion control program is a program for making the drone 1 ascend, descend, hover, move forward, backward, move laterally to the right, move laterally to the left, and rotate right and left around the vertical axis (Z-axis) based on commands from the control device. The target motion setting program is a program for defining the target motion in terms of pitch angle, roll angle, and angular velocity around the vertical axis (Z-axis). The current state detection program is a program for detecting the current motion state in terms of pitch angle, roll angle, and angular velocity around the vertical axis (Z-axis). The correction control program is a program for calculating the deviation between the target motion defined by the target motion setting program and the current motion state detected by the current state detection program, and for corrective control by adding or subtracting a corrected signal to reduce the deviation. The drone 1 performs the following main control and correction control using these programs.

[0050] When the drone 1 receives an ascending command from the control device, it increases the overall target rotational speed of the motors 20a and the like that constitute the first power generating device 106A by maintaining the relationship of nFR*=nFL*=nRR*=nRL* for the target rotational speed signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL*. This causes the drone 1 to ascend.

[0051] The target pitch angle, the target roll angle, and the target angular velocity around the Z axis calculated from the target rotational speed signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL* at the time of the ascending command are all 0, and the information from the position sensor S1 (positioning by the 6-axis sensor 114A and GNSS) is processed by S2, and the current pitch angle, the current roll angle, and the current angular velocity around the Z axis obtained by the processing are all 0. In this case, the target rotational speed signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL* of the motors 20a, etc. constituting the first power generating device 106A are inputted as they are to the ESC 120a, etc. These input signals are inputted to summing points S3, S4, S5, and S6 inside the ESC 120a, etc. The motors 20a, etc. are three-phase brushless motors, and each motor is provided with an angle sensor (hall element or resolver) to detect the actual rotation angle θ.

[0052] This rotation angle θ is input to a vector control device, and the three-phase windings are energized in sequence according to the rotation angle to control the rotation of the motor. The rotation angle θ is also differentiated (dθ / dt) in a differentiation circuit, and the rotation speed signal obtained is fed back to summing points S3 to S6, and the motor is driven in a proportional-integral-differential (PID) manner based on the deviation. As a result, the target rotation speed signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL* are controlled to be equal to the actual motor rotation speeds nFR, nFL, nRR, and nRL. In this way, the motor is driven and controlled by the target rotation speed signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL* generated by the computer 112A based on a command from the control device. In this embodiment, the motor rotation speed is used as the target signal, but the motor current may also be used. In that case, the feedback signals to the summing points S3, S4, S5, and S6 become motor current signals used in vector control.

[0053] When drone 1 reaches the pilot's intended height and receives a command to stop ascent, the target rotation speed signal maintains the state of nFR*=nFL*=nRR*=nRL*. This is hovering.

[0054] When drone 1 receives a command signal to descend from the control device, it reduces the overall value by nFR* = nFL* = nRR* = nRL*. This reduces the lift force and the aircraft descends.

[0055] When the drone 1 is hovering at a predetermined height, it rotates counterclockwise about the Z-axis (vertical axis) under a predetermined control. This is achieved by generating a target rotation speed signal with the relationship nFR* = nRL* > nFL* = nRR*. The rotation speeds of the motors are driven and controlled with the relationship nFR = nRL > nFL = nRR based on these target rotation speed signals. At this time, reaction forces in the counterclockwise rotation direction, namely FRL and RLL, act on the motors 20a and 26a rotating at nFR and nRL respectively, and reaction forces in the clockwise rotation direction, namely FLR and RRR, act on the motors 22a and 24a rotating at nFL and nRR respectively. When the relationship FRL + RLL > FLR + RRR holds, a counterclockwise moment MZ is generated and the drone rotates. Ultimately, the relationship nFR + nRL > nFL + nRR needs to hold.

[0056] When the drone 1 is rotating counterclockwise and receives a rotation stop command signal from the control device, the target rotation speed signal is generated such that nFR* = nFL* = nRR* = nRL*, and each motor is driven and controlled to maintain the hovering state.

[0057] When receiving a command signal to rotate clockwise about the Z-axis (vertical axis) from the control device, a target rotation speed signal is generated with the relationship nFR* = nRL* < nFL* = nRR*, and the motors 20a, etc. are driven and controlled.

[0058] When the drone 1 is hovering at a predetermined height and receives a forward command signal from the control device, a target rotation speed signal with the relationship nFR* = nFL* < nRR* = nRL* is generated. The rotation speeds of the motors are driven and controlled with the relationship nFR = nFL < nRR = nRL based on these target rotation speed signals. At this time, due to the relationship nFR = nFL < nRR = nRL, a lift difference is generated between the front and rear of the drone's body, causing it to assume a forward tilt posture, that is, a pitch angle is generated counterclockwise about the Y-axis. This pitch angle generates a forward component force in the lift force, causing the drone to move forward.

[0059] When the drone 1 receives a forward stop command signal from the control device, it generates a target rotational speed signal such that nFR* = nFL* = nRR* = nRL*, and each motor is driven and controlled to maintain a hovering state.

[0060] When the drone 1 receives a backward command signal from the control device, it generates a target rotational speed signal with the relationship nFR* = nFL* > nRR* = nRL*. Based on these target rotational speed signals, the rotational speed of each motor is driven and controlled such that nFR = nFL > nRR = nRL. At this time, due to the relationship nFR = nFL > nRR = nRL, a lift force difference is generated between the front and rear of the drone 1's body, causing it to tilt backward, that is, a pitch angle is generated in the clockwise direction around the Y-axis. This pitch angle generates a backward component force in the lift force, causing the drone to move backward.

[0061] When the drone 1 is hovering at a predetermined height and receives a left lateral movement command signal from the control device, it generates a target rotational speed signal with the relationship nFL* = nRL* < nFR* = nRR*. Based on these target rotational speed signals, the rotational speed of each motor is driven and controlled such that nFL = nRL < nFR = nRR. Due to the relationship nFL = nRL < nFR = nRR, a lift force difference is generated between the left and right of the drone 1's body, causing it to tilt downward to the left, that is, a roll angle is generated in the clockwise direction around the X-axis. This roll angle generates a left lateral movement component force in the lift force, causing the drone to move left laterally.

[0062] On the contrary, when the drone 1 receives a right lateral movement command signal from the control device, it generates a target rotational speed signal with the relationship nFL* = nRL* > nFR* = nRR*. Based on these target rotational speed signals, the rotational speed of each motor is driven and controlled such that nFL = nRL > nFR = nRR. Due to the relationship nFL = nRL > nFR = nRR, a lift force difference is generated between the left and right of the drone 1's body, causing it to tilt downward to the right, that is, a roll angle is generated in the counterclockwise direction around the X-axis. This roll angle generates a right lateral movement component force in the lift force, causing the drone to move right laterally.

[0063] As described above, the drone 1 can perform basic movements such as ascending, descending, hovering, moving forward, backward, and moving laterally to the right and left through primary control based on commands from the control device. Since the target rotation speed signal at this time is received from the control device, the drone 1 does not need to perform time-consuming complex calculations or integral calculations with large errors. This allows the drone 1 to fly responsively in response to the pilot's intentions.

[0064] Next, step ST6 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 8. In step ST6, a correction control signal is generated (calculated) and added to the main signal.

[0065] In situations where it is difficult to control drone 1 using only the command signals received from the control device, for example when an unexpected gust of wind or other unforeseen circumstances occur during flight, corrective control is performed as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 8.

[0066] When the drone 1 receives a gust of wind from the front of the direction of travel and the pitch angle suddenly increases, a difference, that is, a deviation occurs between the target pitch angle and the current pitch angle. In S9 (see FIG. 8), the target pitch angle is calculated from the target rotational speed signals nFR* and nRL*. Then, in the summing point S10, the deviation between this target pitch angle and the current pitch angle calculated by integrating the pitch angle velocity signal around the Y axis output from the position sensor S1 in the arithmetic processing S2 is calculated, and a pitch angle correction signal is generated in the PID controller S11 based on this deviation. This pitch angle correction signal is input to the summing points S12 and S13. As a result, if the pitch angle suddenly increases and the attitude is tilted forward significantly, the current pitch angle becomes larger than the target pitch angle, so a correction signal in a direction to reduce the deviation is generated and added to the target rotational speed signals nFR* and nRL*, that is, the target values ​​of nFR* and nRL* are corrected to be larger (smaller) to bring the pitch angle closer to the target.

[0067] When the drone 1 receives a gust of wind from the side and the roll angle suddenly increases, a deviation occurs between the target roll angle and the current roll angle. In S14, the target roll angle is calculated from the target rotation speed signals nRR* and nRL*. Then, in the summing point S15, the deviation between this target roll angle and the current roll angle calculated by integrating the roll angle velocity signal around the X-axis output from the position sensor S1 in the arithmetic processing S2 is calculated, and a roll angle correction signal is generated in the PID controller S16 based on this deviation. This roll angle correction signal is input to the summing points S13 and S17. As a result, when the roll angle suddenly increases and the left and right attitudes are greatly tilted, the current roll angle becomes larger than the target roll angle, so that the deviation generated by this is reduced by adding a correction target correction signal to each of the target rotation speed signals nFL* and nRL*, that is, the target values ​​of nFL* and nRL* are corrected to be larger (or smaller) to bring the roll angle closer to the target.

[0068] When the drone 1 receives a gust of wind from the front or side, and an angular velocity in the counterclockwise direction around the Z axis occurs on the aircraft, a deviation occurs between the target angular velocity and the current angular velocity. In S18, the target angular velocity around the Z axis is calculated from the target rotational velocity signals nFL* and nRR*. Then, in the summing point S19, the deviation between this target angular velocity and the current angular velocity obtained by shaping the angular velocity signal around the Z axis output from the position sensor S1 in the arithmetic processing S2 is calculated, and an angular velocity correction signal is generated in the PID controller S20 based on this deviation. This angular velocity correction signal is input to the summing points S13 and S21. As a result, even if an angular velocity around the Z axis occurs, the current angular velocity becomes larger than the target angular velocity, so that the deviation that occurs as a result is reduced, the target rotational velocity signals nFL* and nRR* are corrected to be the target rotational velocity signals, and a correction signal is added to each of them to target the angular velocity around the axis, that is, the target values ​​of nFL* and nRR* are corrected to be larger (or smaller) to bring the angular velocity around the Z axis closer to the target.

[0069] In step ST7, the motor rotation speed signal calculated in step ST6 is output to the ESC 22a etc. As a result, the motors 20a etc. are controlled to rotate at the target rotation speed.

[0070] Return to step ST2, and repeat steps ST2 to ST7 until the switch OFF operation is input. According to the control of this embodiment, the basic control (main control) is to generate a motor drive signal in response to a command signal from the control device to fly the drone 1, so there is little delay in control and stable control is possible. In addition, obstacles and other obstacles can be avoided appropriately without delay.

[0071] In addition, disturbances such as gusts of wind can be controlled using just three variables - pitch angle, roll angle, and angular velocity around the Z axis - eliminating the need for six-axis variables as in the past. This reduces the number of position sensor variables required for disturbance control, which requires particularly high responsiveness, by half, greatly improving the aircraft's automatic correction capabilities.

[0072] Next, the operation of the drone 1 of this embodiment in the failure diagnosis step of step ST4 will be described. When the drone 1 performs failure diagnosis of the first control device 100A and the second control device 100B and determines that there is no failure in either the first control device 100A or the second control device 100B, it performs control based on the above-mentioned step ST5 (see FIG. 6). On the other hand, when the drone 1 determines that there is a failure in either the first control device 100A or the second control device 100B, it determines whether there is a failure in both the first control device 100A and the second control device 100B.

[0073] When the drone 1 determines that either the first control device 100A or the second control device 100B has a failure, it cuts off the power supply to the first control device 100A or the second control device 100B that has a failure, and switches to sole control of the first control device 100A or the second control device 100B that has no failure. After that, the drone 1 maintains a hovering state on the spot, or returns or lands. The return or landing may be performed by an instruction from a control device that has received a failure signal, or a program that automatically performs the return or landing may be executed.

[0074] When the drone 1 determines that there is a failure in either or both of the first control device 100A and the second control device 100B, it investigates the cause and severity of the failure in either or both of the first control device 100A and the second control device 100B. The criteria for the severity are incorporated in the failure diagnosis program. For example, if the severity is low, the severity is 0, and if it is high, the severity is 10, and a severity level is assigned to each cause of the failure. For example, if there is a full rotation failure of the motor 20a or the like in the computer 112A or 112B, the severity level is 10, and if there is a failure of any of the 6-axis sensors 114 or a decrease in the number of rotations of the motor 20a or the like, the severity level is 3. In addition, the cause of the failure and the part of the cause of the failure are coded and stored in the computer. This code can be displayed by connecting an external tester or the like as appropriate.

[0075] For example, if the severity is less than a predetermined standard, for example, severity level 3 or less, the control is switched to one that does not use only the part that is the cause. In other words, if the faulty part is, for example, a 6-axis sensor, the above-mentioned correction control is not performed. This makes it possible to continue flying by using parts that are not faulty and parts whose severity is less than a predetermined standard in the first control device 100A and the second control device 100B without switching to single control.

[0076] As described above, when either the first control device 100A or the second control device 100B has a failure, the drone 1 can be independently controlled by the other control device that is not malfunctioning. Even when both the first control device 100A and the second control device 100B have a failure, the drone 1 can continue control without switching to independent control if the severity is, for example, 3 or less.

[0077] Second Embodiment The second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 12. Descriptions of features common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the following description will focus on features different from the first embodiment.

[0078] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the drone 1A of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of the drone 1A seen from above. The drone 1A is controlled to move forward (X1) and backward (X2) and move laterally to the right (Y1) and left (Y2) on the diagonal of a rectangle formed by the motor group 20 arranged in the front (F), the motor group 22 arranged in the left (sL), the motor group 24 arranged in the right (r), and the motor group 26 arranged in the rear (R). Such a movement is called "diagonal movement" in contrast to the movement in the direction of the sides of the rectangle. The motor groups 20, 22, 24, and 26 are arranged so that when their rotation axes are connected, they form a square. Unlike this embodiment, when the rotation axes are connected, a rectangle that is a rectangle or a rhombus may be formed.

[0079] 9 and 10, in the motor set 20, the motor 20a rotates in a clockwise direction C1, and the motor 20b rotates in a counterclockwise direction C2. The rotation speeds nF (see FIG. 10) of the motors 20a and 20b are the same. Therefore, in the motor set 20, the reaction force due to the rotation of the motor 20a and the reaction force due to the rotation of the motor 20b cancel each other out. In the motor sets 22, 24, and 26 as well, the upper motor and the lower motor rotate at the same rotation speed but in opposite directions.

[0080] Next, the operation of the drone 1A will be described with reference to FIG. 11. The solid lines in FIG. 11 indicate main control, and the dotted lines indicate correction control. The control of the motor 20a, etc. constituting the first power generating device 106A (see FIG. 4) and the motor 20b, etc. constituting the second power generating device 106B (see FIG. 4) is basically the same except that the motors rotate in opposite directions. Therefore, hereinafter, the motor 20a, etc. constituting the first power generating device 106A (see FIG. 4) will be described, and the explanation of the motor 20b, etc. constituting the second power generating device 106B will be omitted, and only the necessary parts of the second power generating device 106B will be described.

[0081] First, the main control indicated by the solid line will be described. When the drone 1A receives a command signal to ascend from the control device, it increases the overall target rotational speed by maintaining the relationship of nF*=nR*=nr*=nsL* for the target rotational speed signals nF*, nR*, nr*, and nsL* of the motors 20a, 22a, 24a, and 26a of each motor group 20, 22, 24, and 26 (see FIG. 9). As a result, the rotational speed of the motors 20a, etc. rotates while maintaining nF=nR=nr=nsL, and the drone 1A ascends.

[0082] When the drone 1A receives an ascent command, the target pitch angle, the target roll angle, and the target angular velocity around the Z axis calculated from the target rotational speed signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL* are all 0, and when the current pitch angle, the current roll angle, and the current angular velocity around the Z axis obtained by processing information from the position sensor S1 in S2 are all 0, the target rotational speed signals nF*, nR*, nr*, and nsL* of the motors 20a, etc. constituting the first power generating device 106A (see FIG. 4) are input as is to the ESC 120a, etc. Similarly, these ESCs 120a, etc. control the rotational speeds nFR, nFL, nRR, and nRL of the motors 20a, etc. to be equal to the target rotational speed signals nFR*, nFL*, nRR*, and nRL*.

[0083] When drone 1A reaches the flight altitude intended by the pilot and receives a command signal from the control device to stop ascent, it hovers by maintaining the target rotational speed, nF*=nR*=nr*=nsL*.

[0084] When drone 1A receives a command signal to descend, it reduces the overall value by maintaining nF*=nR*=nr*=nsL*. This reduces the lift force and the aircraft descends.

[0085] When the drone 1A is hovering at a predetermined height and receives a forward command signal from the control device, it generates a target rotational speed signal with the relationship of nF* < nR*, nr* = nsL*. At this time, due to the relationship of nF < nR, nr = nsL for the airframe of the drone 1A, a lift difference occurs between the front and rear of the airframe, causing it to assume a forward tilt posture, that is, a pitch angle is generated in the counterclockwise direction around the Y-axis. This pitch angle generates a forward component force in the lift force, causing the drone to move forward.

[0086] When the drone 1A receives a backward command signal from the control device, it generates a target rotational speed signal with the relationship of nF* > nR*, nr* = nsL*. Based on these target rotational speed signals, the rotational speeds of the motors are driven and controlled for each motor with the relationship of nF > nR, nr = nsL. At this time, a lift difference occurs between the front and rear of the airframe of the drone 1A, causing it to assume a backward tilt posture, that is, a pitch angle is generated in the clockwise direction around the Y-axis. This pitch angle generates a backward component force in the lift force, causing the drone to move backward.

[0087] When the drone 1A is hovering at a predetermined height and receives a left lateral movement command signal, it generates a target rotational speed signal with the relationship of nr* > nsL*, nF* = nR*. At this time, due to the lift difference generated on the left and right sides of the airframe of the drone 1A, it assumes a leftward tilt posture, that is, a roll angle is generated in the clockwise direction around the X-axis. This roll angle generates a left lateral movement component force in the lift force, causing the drone to move left laterally.

[0088] Conversely, when the drone 1A receives a right lateral movement command signal, it generates a target rotational speed signal with the relationship of nr* < nsL*, nF* = nR*. At this time, due to the lift force generated on the left and right sides of the airframe of the drone 1A, it assumes a downward right tilt posture, that is, a roll angle is generated in the counterclockwise direction around the X-axis. This roll angle generates a right lateral movement component force in the lift force, causing the drone to move right laterally.

[0089] As described above, the drone 1A can perform basic movements such as ascending, descending, hovering, moving forward, backward, and moving laterally to the right and left by main control based on commands from the control device. The target rotation speed signal at this time is generated by the control device, so the drone 1A does not need to perform time-consuming complex calculations or integration calculations with large errors, allowing it to fly responsively as intended by the pilot. Moreover, forward, backward, and left and right lateral movements can be changed simply by changing the rotation speed of a pair of motors, enabling stable flight with good response.

[0090] Next, we will explain the correction control shown by the dotted line in Figure 11. In situations where it is difficult to fly based on command signals from the control device, for example, when an unexpected gust of wind or other unforeseen circumstances occur during flight, the correction control shown by the dotted line in Figure 11 is performed.

[0091] When the drone 1A receives a gust of wind from the front and the pitch angle suddenly increases, a difference, that is, a deviation occurs between the target pitch angle and the current pitch angle. In S9, the target pitch angle is calculated from the target rotation speed signals nF* and nR*. Then, in the summing point S10, the deviation between this target pitch angle and the current pitch angle calculated by integrating the pitch angle velocity signal around the Y axis output from the position sensor S1 in the arithmetic processing S2 is calculated, and a pitch angle correction signal is generated in the PID controller S11 based on this deviation. This pitch angle correction signal is input to the summing point S12. As a result, if the pitch angle suddenly increases and the attitude is tilted forward significantly, the current pitch angle becomes larger than the target pitch angle, so a correction signal in the direction of reducing the deviation is generated and added to the target rotation speed signal nF*, that is, the target value of nF* is corrected to be larger (smaller) to bring the pitch angle closer to the target.

[0092] When the drone 1A receives a gust of wind from the side and the roll angle suddenly increases, a deviation occurs between the target roll angle and the current roll angle. In S14, the target roll angle is calculated from the target rotation speed signals nr* and nsL*. Then, in the summing point S15, the deviation between this target roll angle and the current roll angle calculated by integrating the roll angle velocity signal around the X-axis output from the position sensor S1 in the arithmetic processing S2 is calculated, and a roll angle correction signal is generated in the PID controller S16 based on this deviation. This roll angle correction signal is input to the summing point S17. As a result, if the roll angle suddenly increases and the left and right attitudes are significantly tilted, the current roll angle becomes larger than the target roll angle, so that the deviation generated by this is reduced by adding a correction signal to the target rotation speed signal nsL*, that is, the target value of nsL* is corrected to be larger (or smaller) to bring the roll angle closer to the target.

[0093] According to the control of this embodiment, the basic control (main control) is to generate a drive signal for the motor and fly it according to a command signal from the control device, so that stable control with little control delay is possible. In addition, it is possible to appropriately avoid obstacles and the like without delay. Since the drone 1A moves forward and backward in a diagonal direction and laterally to the left and right, it is possible to secure a longer distance between the motors than when moving in a conventional side direction, and it has the effect of being able to increase the moment for returning to the horizontal direction by itself. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, even if a crosswind force P suddenly acts and a moment MP is generated, if L is sufficiently long, the attitude can be stabilized without control to generate a lift difference F1-F2, that is, the structural toughness can be improved even against disturbances such as gusts of wind, and furthermore, it is possible to correct it by simply changing the rotation speed of one pair of motors, so that a stable flight with good response is possible.

[0094] The failure judgment program of the drone 1A is basically the same as the failure judgment program of the drone 1 of the first embodiment, but is different in that when switching to independent control of either the first control device 100A or the second control device 100B, the diagonal movement is stopped and switched to movement in the side direction similar to that of the drone 1 of the first embodiment. For this reason, the drone 1A stores both a program for diagonal movement and a program for movement in the side direction in the computers 112A and 112B.

[0095] When either the first control device 100A or the second control device 100B has a failure, the drone 1A stops control by the failed first control device 100A or the second control device 100B, and switches to sole control by the non-failed first control device 100A or the second control device 100B. When both the first control device 100A and the second control device 100B have a failure, if the severity of the failure is, for example, 3 or less in both, the drone 1A enables flight by control by both, and if either exceeds 3, switches to sole control by the relatively smaller control device. Then, in sole control, the diagonal movement is stopped and switched to movement in the side direction.

[0096] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention includes modifications and improvements within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate as long as no contradiction occurs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1,1A Drone 100A First control device 100B Second control device 102A First communication device 102B Second communication device 104A First Control Drive Unit 104B Second control drive unit 106A First Power Generator 106B Secondary Power Generator

Claims

1. A drone capable of flying by receiving command signals from an external control device, a first control device including a first communication device, a first control drive device, and a first power generating device; a first fault diagnosis device for diagnosing a fault in the first control device; a second control device including a second communication device, a second control drive device, and a second power generating device; a second fault diagnosis device for diagnosing a fault in the second control device, When the first fault diagnosis device does not detect a fault in the first control device and the second fault diagnosis device does not detect a fault in the second control device, flight control is performed by the first control device and the second control device; When the first fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the first control device, the first control device is stopped and flight control is performed by the second control device; When the second fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the second control device, the second control device is stopped and the drone is controlled to fly using the first control device.

2. the first control drive device includes a first battery, a first motor drive device (ESC), and a first relay device; the first control drive device supplies power to at least the first motor drive device via the first relay device, and when the first fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the first control device, stops the supply of power to at least the first motor drive device via the first relay device; the second control drive device includes a second battery, a second motor drive device (ESC) and a second relay device; the second control drive device supplies power to at least the second motor drive device via the second relay device, and stops the supply of power to at least the second motor drive device via the second relay device when the second fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the second control device; The drone of claim 1 .

3. The drone described in claim 1, further comprising a notification means for notifying the control device of a fault when the first fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the first control device or when the second fault diagnosis device detects a fault in the second control device.

4. A motion control means for ascending, descending, hovering, moving forward, retreating, moving laterally to the right, moving laterally to the left, and rotating right and left around a vertical axis (Z-axis) based on commands from the control device; a target motion setting means for defining a target motion by a pitch angle, a roll angle, and an angular velocity around a vertical axis (Z axis); a current state detection means for detecting a current motion state by a pitch angle, a roll angle, and an angular velocity around a vertical axis (Z axis); The drone described in claim 1, further comprising a correction control means for calculating a deviation between the target motion defined by the target motion setting means and the current motion state detected by the current state detection means, and for performing correction control by adding or subtracting a corrected signal so as to reduce the deviation.

5. the first power generating device and the second power generating device each include at least four motors; the four motors are arranged such that, in a plan view, a rectangle is formed by connecting rotation axes of the four motors, the rectangle being a rectangle or a square; The motors arranged on the diagonals of the rectangle are designated FR (front right motor), FL (front left motor), RR (rear right motor), and RL (rear left motor), and the rotational speeds of the motors are designated nFR, nFL, nRR, and nRL. Based on the command signal from the control device, the rotational speeds of the motors are controlled to be increased while maintaining the relationship nFR=nFL=nRR=nRL during ascent, and are controlled to be decreased while maintaining the relationship nFR=nFL=nRR=nRL during descent, based on the command signal from the control device. When moving forward, nFR and nFL are decreased while maintaining the relationship nFR=nFL<nRR=nRL, and the forward speed is increased. When moving backward, nFR=nFL>nRR=nRL. a motion control means for controlling the vehicle to drive and control so that nFR=nFL is increased to increase the reverse speed while maintaining the relationship nFR=nRR<nFL=nRL, for right lateral movement, driving and controlling so that nFL and nRL are increased to increase the right lateral movement speed while maintaining the relationship nFR=nRR<nFL=nRL, for left lateral movement, driving and controlling so that nFL and nRL are decreased to increase the left lateral movement speed while maintaining the relationship nFR=nRR>nFL=nRL, for right rotation about a vertical axis (Z-axis), driving and controlling so that nFL and nRR are increased to increase the right rotation speed while maintaining the relationship nFR=nRL<nFL=nRR, and for left rotation, driving and controlling so that nFL and nRR are decreased to increase the left rotation speed while maintaining the relationship nFR=nRL>nFL=nRR; a target motion setting means for determining a target pitch angle, a target roll angle, and a target angular velocity about a vertical (Z) axis based on the command signal from the control device; A position sensor (6-axis sensor, or 6-axis sensor and GNSS, or GNSS) arranged in the control drive device; a current state detection means for detecting a current pitch angle, a current roll angle, and an angular velocity around a vertical (Z) axis from an output value of the position sensor; a correction control means for comparing the data of the target motion setting means and the data of the current state detection means to obtain respective deviations, and correcting and controlling the pitch angles nFR and nFL, the roll angles nFL and nRL, and the rotational angular velocities nFL and nRR by adding or subtracting corrected signals so as to reduce these deviations; The drone of claim 1 .

6. each of the first power generating device and the second power generating device includes at least four motors, each of which includes two motors whose rotation axes are arranged on the same line; the four sets are arranged such that, when viewed in plan, connecting the rotation shafts of the four sets of motors forms a rectangle that is a rectangle, a square, or a rhombus; The two motors in the set are configured to rotate in opposite directions at the same rotational speed; The first control drive device and the second control drive device are configured to move the drone forward, backward, and laterally in a diagonal direction of the rectangle. The drone of claim 1 .

7. The drone of claim 6, wherein the four sets are F, R, r, and sL, with F and R arranged on one diagonal of the rectangle and r and sL arranged on the other diagonal of the rectangle, and the respective rotation speeds are nF, nR, nr, and nsL, and the control drive device is configured to control the drive based on the command signal from the pilot device so that the relationship is nF<nR when moving forward, nF>nR when moving backward, nsL>nr when moving right, and nsL<nr when moving left.

8. a target motion setting means for determining a target pitch angle, a target roll angle, and a target angular velocity about a vertical (Z) axis based on the command signal from the control device; A position sensor (6-axis sensor, or 6-axis sensor and GNSS, or GNSS) arranged in the control drive device; a current state detection means for detecting a current pitch angle and a current roll angle from an output value of the position sensor; a correction control means for comparing the data from the target motion setting means with the data from the current state detection means to obtain the deviations between the data and correcting and controlling the pitch angle nF and the roll angle nsL by adding or subtracting corrected signals so as to reduce the deviations; The drone of claim 7 .

Images