Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that enable more certain avoidance of collision with an obstacle. An avoidance orbit setting unit sets, on the basis of positional information of a flying object and wind speed information of a flying position represented by the positional information, an avoidance orbit along which the flying object can avoid collision with the obstacle. The technology according to the present disclosure is applicable to an air traffic control device and a drone.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program, and more particularly to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that enable collision with an obstacle to be avoided more reliably. [Background technology]

[0002] It is desirable to fly drones in a variety of geographical and weather conditions without colliding with obstacles or people and causing harm.

[0003] However, because drones are small, their flight trajectory can change significantly depending on the wind. In particular, around buildings, wind direction and speed tend to change locally, and even in such environments, it is necessary to fly drones while avoiding collisions.

[0004] In response to this, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which unmanned aircraft flying around a base station equipped with an anemometer are notified of a no-fly zone whose shape corresponds to the wind speed, so that the unmanned aircraft can take a safer flight route.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for obtaining weather information such as wind speed from a weather information database and predicting the actual route of an unmanned aerial vehicle based on the planned flight route and the weather information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-34691 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-81675 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, with the above-mentioned technology, there was a risk that a collision with an obstacle could not be avoided if the drone moved away from the base station or if there was a discrepancy between the weather information from the weather information database and the actual wind speed.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and makes it possible to more reliably avoid collisions with obstacles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The information processing device of the present disclosure is The predicted position of the aircraft after a predetermined time is predicted using and based on wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information, a region calculation unit that calculates a possible region of the flying object after the predetermined time; a collision determination unit that determines whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with an obstacle after the predetermined time based on the possible region of the flying object; and if it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision, The flying object The above The information processing device includes an avoidance trajectory setting unit that sets an avoidance trajectory capable of avoiding a collision with an obstacle.

[0010] The information processing method of the present disclosure is an information processing device that detects the position information of an aircraft. The predicted position of the aircraft after a predetermined time is predicted using and based on wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information, A possible presence area of ​​the flying object after the predetermined time is calculated, and based on the possible presence area, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with an obstacle after the predetermined time. If it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision, The flying object The above This is an information processing method for setting an avoidance trajectory capable of avoiding a collision with an obstacle.

[0011] The program of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to The predicted position of the aircraft after a predetermined time is predicted using and based on wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information, A possible presence area of ​​the flying object after the predetermined time is calculated, and based on the possible presence area, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with an obstacle after the predetermined time. If it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision, The flying object The above This is a program for executing a process of setting an avoidance trajectory that can avoid a collision with an obstacle.

[0012] In this disclosure, the position information of the flying object The predicted position of the aircraft after a predetermined time is predicted using and based on wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information, A possible presence area of ​​the flying object after the predetermined time is calculated, and based on the possible presence area, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with an obstacle after the predetermined time. If it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision, The flying object The above An avoidance trajectory capable of avoiding a collision with an obstacle is set. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an air traffic control system to which the technology disclosed herein is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a drone. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a drone. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an air traffic control device. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an air traffic control device. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an obstacle map. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of drone operation. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of operations of the air traffic control device. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a possible existence region. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a possible existence region. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a possible existence region. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the possibility of a collision. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the possibility of a collision. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the possibility of a collision. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing another example of the functional configuration of the drone. [Figure 16] 11 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of drone operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present disclosure (hereinafter, referred to as embodiments) will be described in the following order.

[0015] 1. Overview of the Air Traffic Control System 2. Drone configuration 3. Configuration of Air Traffic Control Equipment 4. Drone operation 5. Air traffic control equipment operation 6. Other configurations and operations of the drone

[0016] <1. Overview of the Air Traffic Control System> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an air traffic control system to which the technology according to the present disclosure (the present technology) is applied.

[0017] In the air traffic control system of FIG. 1, a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) 10, which are flying objects, fly under the control of an air traffic control device 20 constituted by an information processing device such as a PC (personal computer) or a smartphone.

[0018] The drone 10 and the air traffic control device 20 exchange information with each other via wireless communication.

[0019] For example, while flying, the drone 10 transmits to the air traffic control device 20 position information indicating its own flight position and wind speed information at that flight position.

[0020] Based on the positional information and wind speed information from the drone 10, the air traffic control device 20 sets an avoidance trajectory that allows the drone 10 to avoid colliding with an obstacle, and transmits an avoidance instruction based on the avoidance trajectory to the drone 10.

[0021] The drone 10 flies along an avoidance trajectory based on an avoidance instruction from the air traffic control device 20, thereby avoiding collision with obstacles.

[0022] <2. Drone configuration> First, the configuration of the drone 10 that constitutes the air traffic control system of the present technology will be described.

[0023] (Drone hardware configuration) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the drone 10.

[0024] The drone 10 is equipped with a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, a memory unit 33, a flight mechanism 34, and a sensor 35.

[0025] The control unit 31 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and the like, and controls the communication unit 32, the storage unit 33, the flight mechanism 34, and the sensor 35 by executing a predetermined program. For example, the control unit 31 controls the flight mechanism 34 based on information acquired via the communication unit 32 and information stored in the storage unit 33.

[0026] The communication unit 32 is composed of a network interface and performs wireless communication with the air traffic control device 20 that issues instructions to the drone 10 and with any other device. For example, the communication unit 32 performs network communication with the communication partner device via a base station or repeater such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), 4G, or 5G.

[0027] The storage unit 33 is configured with a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, and stores various information under the control of the control unit 31. For example, the storage unit 33 stores (stores) a flight plan, which will be described later.

[0028] The flight mechanism 34 is a mechanism for flying the drone 10, and is composed of propellers, a motor for rotating the propellers, etc. The flight mechanism 34 is driven under the control of the control unit 31 to fly the drone 10.

[0029] The sensor 35 is configured to include, for example, a camera, a stereo camera, a depth sensor such as a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor, and an anemometer. The sensor 35 may also be configured to include an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor and a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor. The sensor data collected by the sensor 35 is used for flight control of the drone 10.

[0030] (Drone functional configuration) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the drone 10.

[0031] The drone 10 in Figure 3 is composed of an information acquisition unit 41, a communication control unit 42, a flight plan memory unit 43, and a flight control unit 44.

[0032] The information acquisition unit 41 corresponds to the sensor 35 in Figure 2, acquires position information and wind speed information of the drone 10, and supplies them to the communication control unit 42.

[0033] The position information includes the flight position, attitude, and ground speed of the drone 10, as well as time information when the position information was acquired. The position information may be acquired by a GPS sensor, or may be acquired by estimating the flight position using an IMU sensor. The position information may also be acquired by estimating the flight position using Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) based on an image acquired by a camera.

[0034] The wind speed information includes at least the direction and magnitude of the wind speed at the flight position of the drone 10. The wind speed information is acquired by an ultrasonic anemometer provided on the drone 10 body and is associated with the position information. The wind speed information may also be acquired by calculating the difference between the airspeed measured by an airspeed meter provided on the body and the ground speed acquired as the position information. Furthermore, the wind speed information may also be acquired by determining the component of the force that the aircraft receives from the airflow from the difference between the planned flight route and the flight route actually flown by the drone 10.

[0035] The communication control unit 42 controls the communication unit 32 in FIG. 2 to transmit the position information and wind speed information from the information acquisition unit 41 to the air traffic control device 20.

[0036] In addition, the communication control unit 42 controls the communication unit 32 in FIG. 2 to receive avoidance instructions transmitted from the air traffic control device 20 and supply them to the flight control unit 44.

[0037] The flight plan memory unit 43 corresponds to the memory unit 33 in Figure 2 and stores the flight plan for the drone 10.

[0038] The flight plan includes at least a flight start point and a flight end point, and may further include waypoints, which are passing points along the way. The flight plan is created, for example, by a user designating points on a map using an application installed in advance on a smartphone, and is stored in the flight plan storage unit 43.

[0039] The flight control unit 44 controls the flight of the drone 10 by controlling the flight mechanism of FIG.

[0040] Specifically, the flight control unit 44 controls the flight of the drone 10 based on the flight plan stored in the flight plan storage unit 43. Furthermore, when an avoidance instruction is supplied from the communication control unit 42, the flight control unit 44 controls the flight of the drone 10 based on the avoidance trajectory included in the avoidance instruction.

[0041] <3. Air traffic control system configuration> Next, the configuration of the air traffic control device 20 constituting the air traffic control system of the present technology will be described.

[0042] (Air traffic control system hardware configuration) FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the air traffic control device 20. As shown in FIG.

[0043] The air traffic control device 20 includes a CPU 51. An input / output interface 55 is connected to the CPU 51 via a bus .

[0044] When an operator or the like operates an input unit 56 to input a command via an input / output interface 55, the CPU 51 executes a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52 in accordance with the command. The CPU 51 also loads a program stored in a storage unit 58, which is a hard disk, into a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53 and executes the program.

[0045] The CPU 51 performs various processes to cause the air traffic control device 20 to function as an information processing device having predetermined functions. The CPU 51 outputs the results of various processes from the output unit 57, records them in the storage unit 58, or transmits them from the communication unit 59 via the input / output interface 55, as necessary.

[0046] The input unit 56 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, etc. The output unit 57 is composed of an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, a liquid crystal display, a speaker, etc. The input unit 56 may be composed of a touch panel formed integrally with the display serving as the output unit 57.

[0047] The programs executed by the CPU 51 can be stored in advance in the ROM 52 or memory unit 58 as recording media built into the air traffic control device 20, or can be stored in removable media 61 via the drive 60.

[0048] (Functional configuration of air traffic control equipment) FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the air traffic control device 20.

[0049] The air traffic control device 20 in FIG. 5 is made up of a communication control unit 71, a course prediction unit 72, a possible presence area calculation unit 73, an obstacle map storage unit 74, a 3D map generation / update unit 75, a collision determination unit 76, and an avoidance trajectory setting unit 77.

[0050] At least a part of each functional block shown in FIG. 5 is realized by the CPU 51 executing a predetermined program.

[0051] The communication control unit 71 receives position information and wind speed information transmitted from the drone 10 by controlling the communication unit 59 in Fig. 4. When multiple drones 10 exist in an airspace under the control of the air traffic control device 20 (controlled airspace), the communication control unit 71 receives position information and wind speed information transmitted from each drone 10. The received position information is supplied to a course prediction unit 72, and the wind speed information is supplied to a presence possibility area calculation unit 73.

[0052] In addition, the communication control unit 71 controls the communication unit 59 in Figure 4 to transmit an avoidance instruction from the avoidance trajectory setting unit 77 to the drone 10.

[0053] The course prediction unit 72 predicts the course of the drone 10 using the position information from the communication control unit 71, thereby obtaining a predicted position of the drone 10 after a predetermined time. The obtained predicted position is supplied to the existence possibility area calculation unit 73.

[0054] The presence possibility area calculation unit 73 calculates a presence possibility area, which is an area where the drone 10 is likely to be present after a predetermined time, based on the predicted position from the course prediction unit 72 and wind speed information from the communication control unit 71. When multiple drones 10 are present in the airspace controlled by the air traffic control device 20, presence possibility areas for the multiple drones 10 are calculated. The calculated presence possibility area is supplied to the 3D map generation / update unit 75.

[0055] The obstacle map memory unit 74 stores an obstacle map of the airspace controlled by the air traffic control device 20.

[0056] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an obstacle map.

[0057] 6 includes, as three-dimensional position information of obstacles present in the controlled airspace expressed in an xyz coordinate system, coordinates representing the position and height of a structure 101 and coordinates representing the positions of no-fly zones 102 defined by the administrator of the controlled airspace. The obstacle map may have the same coordinate system as the position information from the drone 10, or may be converted to the same coordinate system as the position information from the drone 10.

[0058] The obstacle map is input into the obstacle map storage unit 74 by an operator of the air traffic control system or a manager of the controlled airspace. Without being limited to this, the obstacle map may be obtained from a map information service via the Internet, for example, or may be constructed based on satellite photos.

[0059] Such an obstacle map is read by the 3D map generating / updating unit 75 .

[0060] The 3D map generating / updating unit 75 generates a 3D map that maps the presence possibility area onto the obstacle map, based on the presence possibility area from the presence possibility area calculation unit 73 and the obstacle map read from the obstacle map storage unit 74. The presence possibility areas of all drones 10 that exist in the controlled airspace of the air traffic control device 20 are reflected on the 3D map. The generated 3D map is supplied to a collision determination unit 76 and an avoidance trajectory setting unit 77.

[0061] The collision determination unit 76 determines whether or not there is a possibility (collision possibility) that the flying drone 10 will collide with an obstacle or another drone 10 after a predetermined time based on the 3D map from the 3D map generation / update unit 75. The result of the determination of the presence or absence of the collision possibility is supplied to the avoidance trajectory setting unit 77.

[0062] When the collision determination unit 76 determines that there is a possibility of collision, the avoidance trajectory setting unit 77 sets an avoidance trajectory that enables the drone 10 to avoid collision with an obstacle or another drone 10, based on the 3D map from the 3D map generating / updating unit 75. The avoidance trajectory setting unit 77 supplies an avoidance instruction based on the set avoidance trajectory to the communication control unit 71.

[0063] <4. Drone operation> Next, the flow of operations of the drone 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0064] In step S11, the information acquisition unit 41 acquires position information and wind speed information of the drone 10. Specifically, the information acquisition unit 41 acquires position information of the drone 10, and further acquires wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information.

[0065] In step S12, the communication control unit 42 transmits the acquired position information and wind speed information to the air traffic control device 20. The position information and wind speed information may be transmitted at a period previously determined by the drone 10 or the air traffic control device 20, or may be transmitted at a timing requested by the air traffic control device 20. Furthermore, the current position information and wind speed information may be transmitted when there is a difference of a certain amount or more compared with previously acquired position information and wind speed information.

[0066] After transmitting the position information and wind speed information, in step S13, the communication control unit 42 determines whether or not an avoidance instruction has been received from the air traffic control device 20.

[0067] If an avoidance instruction is received from the air traffic control device 20, processing proceeds to step S14, and the flight control unit 44 controls the flight of the drone 10 based on the avoidance trajectory included in the avoidance instruction from the air traffic control device 20.

[0068] On the other hand, if it is determined that an avoidance command has not been received from the air traffic control device 20, the process proceeds to step S15, and the flight control unit 44 controls the flight of the drone 10 based on the flight plan stored in the flight plan storage unit 43. For example, the flight of the drone 10 is controlled so that the drone 10 flies in the direction that provides the shortest route from the current position to the next waypoint or the flight end point at a cruising speed determined for the aircraft.

[0069] After step S14 or step S15, in step S16, the flight control unit 44 determines whether the flight plan is completed. Here, when the current position coincides with the flight end point of the flight plan, it is determined that the flight plan is completed.

[0070] If the flight plan is not complete, the process returns to step S11 and the subsequent steps are repeated.

[0071] On the other hand, when the flight plan is completed, the flight control unit 44 ends the flight of the drone 10.

[0072] <5. Operation of Air Traffic Control Equipment> Next, the flow of operations of the air traffic control device 20 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0073] In step S21, the communication control unit 71 receives position information and wind speed information transmitted from a drone 10 present in the controlled airspace.

[0074] Here, it is assumed that at least one drone 10 is flying in the controlled airspace. In other words, two or more drones 10 may be flying in the controlled airspace.

[0075] Furthermore, the communication control unit 71 does not need to constantly receive position information and wind speed information from all drones 10 present in the controlled airspace. For example, if position information and wind speed information are received from a certain drone 10 at a certain time, it is not necessarily necessary to receive position information and wind speed information from that drone 10 at the next time.

[0076] The communication control unit 71 may receive at least the position information of the position information and the wind speed information from the drone 10. For example, if there is a specific device capable of acquiring wind speed information in a controlled airspace in a fine mesh, the communication control unit 71 may receive only the position information from the drone 10 present in the controlled airspace, and may receive wind speed information of the flight position represented by the received position information from the specific device.

[0077] In step S22, the course prediction unit 72 predicts the course of the drone 10 that transmitted the position information based on the received position information. Specifically, based on the flight position and time information represented by the most recent position information transmitted from the drone 10 that is the subject of course prediction, the arrival point when moving to a future time t at the current speed vector v is obtained as the predicted position.

[0078] In step S23, the presence possibility area calculation unit 73 calculates a presence possibility area of ​​the drone 10 existing in the controlled airspace based on the predicted position obtained by the course prediction unit 72 and the received wind speed information. When multiple drones 10 exist in the controlled airspace, the presence possibility areas for the multiple drones 10 are calculated.

[0079] Here, the calculation of the possible existence area will be described in detail.

[0080] The possible presence area is an area where the drone 10, which is an air vehicle, may arrive after a certain time if the drone 10 moves from a certain point at a certain speed. The possible presence area is calculated according to errors in acquiring position information, errors in flight control, and wind speed information.

[0081] With reference to FIG. 9, calculation of a possible presence region at a future time t for an aircraft flying at a current point O with a velocity vector v will be described.

[0082] If the resultant vector of the maximum flight control error vector and the velocity vector v is v', then the possible existence area at time t is within the range expressed by r = |vt - v't|, that is, the circular area 111 hatched with diagonal lines where point p expressed by the following equation (1) can exist.

[0083]

number

[0084] The error vector constituting the resultant vector v' can be obtained, for example, from the aircraft body design information of the aircraft, or from the average value of the deviation of flight control in past flights.

[0085] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the possible existence region at time t may be a region 111' hatched with diagonal lines in which point p may exist when time t' varies from 0 to t, where t in the above equation (1) is t' (0≦t'≦t).

[0086] Furthermore, the possible presence area is expanded according to the direction of the wind speed, and the expansion rate of the possible presence area is changed according to the magnitude of the wind speed.

[0087] For example, if the expansion rate of the existence possibility area is set to 1x when the wind speed is 0m, then for every 1m / s increase in the observed wind speed, the expansion rate of the existence possibility area is increased linearly by 0.1x in the same direction as the wind speed.

[0088] Here, the wind speed W is expressed by the following equation (2), and the velocity vector v of the drone 10 is expressed by the following equation (3).

[0089]

number

[0090]

number

[0091] At this time, the possible existence region is transformed, for example, by an affine transformation using a matrix T expressed by the following equation (4).

[0092]

number

[0093] As a result, for example, the possible presence area represented by the circular area 111 in FIG. 9 is converted into an elliptical area 112 as shown in FIG. 11, in which the circular area 111 is expanded at a predetermined expansion rate in the direction of the wind speed W (to the right in the figure).

[0094] In addition to the above-mentioned method, the presence possibility area may be expanded in the direction of the wind speed depending on the magnitude of the change in the wind speed.

[0095] Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 8, once the existence possibility region is calculated, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0096] In step S24, the 3D map generation and update unit 75 reads out the obstacle map from the obstacle map memory unit 74, and generates a 3D map for time t by mapping the possible presence area of ​​the drone 10 in the controlled airspace onto the obstacle map.

[0097] The 3D map for time t is generated by updating the 3D map generated for time t-1. That is, for the drone 10 whose possible presence area at time t-1 has been calculated, if new position information and wind speed information are not received from the drone 10 after time t-1, the possible presence area at time t is calculated using information at the time of calculation of the possible presence area at time t-1, and is mapped onto the 3D map for time t.

[0098] In step S25, the collision determination unit 76 determines, based on the 3D map from the 3D map generating / updating unit 75, whether or not there is a possibility of collision of the drone 10 in the controlled airspace at time t.

[0099] Specifically, in the 3D map generated by the 3D map generation and update unit 75, it is determined whether or not an obstacle (a structure or a no-fly zone) included in the obstacle map is present within the possible presence area of ​​the flying drone 10 at time t.

[0100] For example, as shown in FIG. 12, if a building 101 exists on a three-dimensional map but the building 101 does not exist within an elliptical area 112 calculated as a possible presence area, it is determined that there is no possibility of collision.

[0101] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, if a building 101 is present on the three-dimensional map and at least a portion of the building 101 is present within an elliptical area 112 calculated as a possible presence area, it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision.

[0102] In addition to determining that there is a possibility of a collision when an obstacle is present within the possible presence area, it may also be determined that there is a possibility of a collision when the distance between the edge of the possible presence area and the obstacle is shorter than a predetermined distance.

[0103] Here, the possibility of collisions between drones 10 is also determined.

[0104] Specifically, when the possible presence areas of multiple drones 10 are included on a three-dimensional map, when the possible presence area of ​​one drone 10 overlaps with the possible presence area of ​​another drone 10, it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision for each drone 10.

[0105] For example, as shown in Figure 14, a three-dimensional map may include a possible presence area 121 of a first flying object calculated based on the direction and magnitude of wind speed W1, and a possible presence area 122 of a first flying object calculated based on the direction and magnitude of wind speed W2.

[0106] The wind speeds W1 and W2 are directed in opposite directions due to, for example, so-called building winds that occur in a small area around a large building.

[0107] In the example of FIG. 14, since the presence possibility area 121 and the presence possibility area 122 overlap, it is determined that there is a possibility of collision between the first flying object and the second flying object.

[0108] In addition to determining that there is a possibility of a collision when the possible presence areas of drones 10 overlap, it may also be determined that there is a possibility of a collision when the distance between one possible presence area and the other possible presence area is shorter than a predetermined distance.

[0109] Now, in step S25, if it is determined that there is a possibility of collision for a specific drone 10, the processing proceeds to step S26.

[0110] In step S26, the avoidance trajectory setting unit 77 sets an avoidance trajectory for the drone 10 determined to have a collision possibility based on the three-dimensional map. When there are multiple drones 10 determined to have a collision possibility, avoidance trajectories for the multiple drones 10 are set.

[0111] Specifically, a flight path is set that changes the direction and speed of the drone 10 that is determined to have a collision risk.

[0112] For example, a flight path is set that changes the direction of travel by 10 degrees clockwise until time t based on the current direction of travel of the drone 10. For a drone 10 that is determined to have a possibility of colliding with another drone 10, a flight path is set that changes the speed in addition to the direction of travel until time t.

[0113] After the flight path is set in this manner, the collision possibility for the drone 10 is determined again.

[0114] These processes are repeated until it is determined that there is no possibility of collision, and an avoidance trajectory is set for the drone 10 that is determined to have a collision possibility.

[0115] Note that, as the avoidance trajectory, a flight path may be set in which the drone 10 changes its traveling direction and speed as much as possible based on the aircraft information provided by the drone 10. Also, the operator of the air traffic control system or the manager of the controlled airspace may set multiple patterns of changing the traveling direction and speed in advance, and the avoidance trajectory may be set by sequentially selecting a flight path from among the change patterns.

[0116] Once the avoidance trajectory has been set in the above manner, in step S27, the 3D map generating / updating unit 75 updates the 3D map based on the set avoidance trajectory. Specifically, the presence possibility area calculating unit 73 recalculates the presence possibility area based on the set avoidance trajectory, and the 3D map generating / updating unit 75 updates the 3D map based on the recalculated presence possibility area.

[0117] In step S28, the communication control unit 71 transmits an avoidance instruction based on the set avoidance trajectory to the drone 10. If there are multiple drones 10 determined to have a collision possibility, the avoidance instruction based on the avoidance trajectory set for the multiple drones 10 is transmitted to each of the multiple drones 10. After that, the process proceeds to step S29.

[0118] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S25 that there is no possibility of collision for a particular drone 10, steps S26 to S28 are skipped and processing proceeds to step S29.

[0119] In step S29, the air traffic control device 20 determines whether the drone 10 is flying in the controlled airspace. The fact that the drone 10 is not flying is determined by receiving information indicating the end of flight from the drone 10, or by not receiving position information and wind speed information for a predetermined period of time or more.

[0120] If it is determined in step S29 that the drone 10 is in flight, the process returns to step S21, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

[0121] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S29 that the drone 10 is not in flight, the processing ends.

[0122] According to the above processing, even if a drone in the airspace controlled by an air traffic control system deviates from the flight longitude set in its flight plan due to the influence of wind, it can be prevented from unintentionally approaching obstacles such as structures or no-fly zones, or other drones.

[0123] In particular, even in environments where wind conditions vary locally, the impact of wind conditions on drone flight can be accurately determined compared to a configuration that notifies no-fly zones based on measurements from an anemometer installed in a fixed base station.

[0124] In this way, drones can more reliably avoid collisions with obstacles and other drones in airspace where flying would normally be difficult due to the risk of collisions.

[0125] In the above-described process, an avoidance trajectory may be set for a drone 10 determined to have a collision possibility based on the flight plans of all drones 10 present in the controlled airspace. In this case, regardless of the presence or absence of a collision possibility, the flight plans of all drones 10 present in the controlled airspace may be updated collectively and distributed to each drone 10 as, for example, an avoidance instruction.

[0126] <6. Other configurations and operations of the drone> The above describes an example in which the air traffic control device 20 in an air traffic control system sets an avoidance trajectory, causing the drone 10 to fly while avoiding collisions with obstacles and other drones 10.

[0127] In the following, an example will be described in which the drone 10 itself sets an avoidance trajectory to fly while avoiding collision with an obstacle.

[0128] (Drone functional configuration) FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing another example of the functional configuration of the drone 10.

[0129] The drone 10 in Figure 15 is composed of an information acquisition unit 211, a course prediction unit 212, a presence possibility area calculation unit 213, an obstacle map memory unit 214, a 3D map generation and update unit 215, a collision determination unit 216, an avoidance trajectory setting unit 217, a flight plan memory unit 218, and a flight control unit 219.

[0130] The information acquisition unit 211, flight plan memory unit 218, and flight control unit 219 in the drone 10 of Figure 15 basically have the same functions as the information acquisition unit 41, flight plan memory unit 43, and flight control unit 44 in the drone 10 of Figure 3, respectively.

[0131] In addition, the course prediction unit 212, the presence possibility area calculation unit 213, the obstacle map memory unit 214, the 3D map generation and update unit 215, the collision determination unit 216, and the avoidance trajectory setting unit 217 in the drone 10 in FIG. 15 basically have the same functions as the course prediction unit 72, the presence possibility area calculation unit 73, the obstacle map memory unit 74, the 3D map generation and update unit 75, the collision determination unit 76, and the avoidance trajectory setting unit 77 in the air traffic control device 20 in FIG. 5, respectively.

[0132] (Drone operation flow) Next, the flow of operations of the drone 10 in FIG. 15 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0133] In step S51, the information acquisition unit 211 acquires position information and wind speed information of the drone 10 (own aircraft).

[0134] In step S52, the course prediction unit 212 predicts the course of the host aircraft based on the acquired position information.

[0135] Unlike the course prediction unit 72 which predicts the courses of multiple drones 10, the course prediction unit 212 predicts only the course of its own drone to obtain a predicted position of the drone after a predetermined time. The course prediction unit 212 predicts the course using the position information of the drone itself, and may also use a flight route included in a flight plan stored in the flight plan storage unit 218 as the predicted course.

[0136] In step S53, the presence possibility area calculation unit 213 calculates a presence possibility area based on the predicted position obtained by the path prediction unit 212 and the acquired wind speed information.

[0137] Unlike the presence possibility area calculation unit 73 which calculates the presence possibility area for multiple drones 10, the presence possibility area calculation unit 213 calculates only the presence possibility area of ​​its own drone.

[0138] In step S54, the 3D map generating / updating section 215 reads out the obstacle map from the obstacle map storage section 214, and generates a 3D map in which the host vehicle's possible presence area is mapped onto the obstacle map.

[0139] The obstacle map stored in the obstacle map storage unit 214 may be obtained from a map information service before the start of flight, or may be obtained by communicating with a wireless base station during flight. The obstacle map may also be obtained based on a depth sensor provided on the drone 10.

[0140] In addition, when the wind speed exceeds a certain level, there is a risk that accurate depth values ​​cannot be obtained from the depth sensor due to significant fluctuations in the aircraft body. In this case, the reliability of the obstacle map obtained based on the depth sensor may be reduced.

[0141] In addition, when an obstacle map is acquired during flight, an obstacle map may be acquired only for a specified range in the direction of travel of the drone 10.

[0142] In step S55, the collision determination unit 216 determines, based on the 3D map from the 3D map generating / updating unit 215, whether or not there is a possibility of collision between the host vehicle and an obstacle.

[0143] If it is determined in step S55 that there is a possibility of collision, the process proceeds to step S56, and the avoidance trajectory setting section 77 sets an avoidance trajectory for the aircraft based on the three-dimensional map.

[0144] The avoidance trajectory setting unit 217 basically has the same functions as the avoidance trajectory setting unit 77, but when an obstacle map for only a specified range in the direction of travel of the drone 10 is stored in the obstacle map storage unit 214, it sets an avoidance trajectory limited to that range.

[0145] In step S57, the 3D map generating / updating unit 215 updates the 3D map based on the set avoidance trajectory. Specifically, the presence possibility area calculating unit 213 calculates a presence possibility area based on the set avoidance trajectory, and the 3D map generating / updating unit 215 updates the 3D map based on the calculated presence possibility area.

[0146] In step S58, the flight control unit 219 controls the flight of the drone 10 based on the set avoidance trajectory.

[0147] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S55 that there is no possibility of collision, the processing proceeds to step S59, and the flight control unit 219 controls the flight of the drone 10 based on the flight plan stored in the flight plan memory unit 218.

[0148] After step S58 or step S59, in step S60, the flight control unit 219 determines whether the flight plan is completed.

[0149] If the flight plan is not complete, the process returns to step S51 and the subsequent steps are repeated.

[0150] On the other hand, if the flight plan is completed, the flight control unit 219 ends the flight of the drone 10 and the processing ends.

[0151] According to the above processing, drones can more reliably avoid collisions with obstacles in airspace where flight is normally difficult due to the risk of collisions, even when there is no air traffic control system present or communication with the air traffic control system is not possible.

[0152] In addition, with the configuration of Figure 15, the possible presence area of ​​other drones is not acquired, so collisions with other drones cannot be avoided.

[0153] Therefore, for example, the presence or absence of a collision possibility may be determined using the result of object detection using a depth sensor. This makes it possible to avoid collisions with other drones even when the area where other drones may be present is not acquired, and also makes it possible to avoid collisions with bodies other than drones.

[0154] The above-mentioned series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. When the series of processes is executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed in a computer. Here, the computer includes a computer built into dedicated hardware, and a general-purpose personal computer, for example, capable of executing various functions by installing various programs.

[0155] In the drone 10 described above, the control unit 31 loads and executes a program stored in the storage unit 33, thereby performing the above-mentioned series of processes. In the air traffic control device 20, the CPU 51 loads and executes a program stored in the ROM 52 or the storage unit 58, thereby performing the above-mentioned series of processes.

[0156] The program executed by the computer (control unit 31, CPU 51) can be provided by being recorded on a removable medium such as a package medium, etc. Also, the program can be provided via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, or digital satellite broadcasting.

[0157] In a computer, the program can be installed in the storage unit 33, ROM 52, or storage unit 58 by inserting the removable medium into a drive. The program can also be installed in the storage unit 33, ROM 52, or storage unit 58 via a wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0158] In addition, the program executed by the computer may be a program in which processing is performed chronologically in the order described in this specification, or it may be a program in which processing is performed in parallel or at the required timing, such as when called.

[0159] In this specification, the steps of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium include not only processes that are performed chronologically in the order described, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically but are performed in parallel or individually.

[0160] The embodiments of the technology according to the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the technology according to the present disclosure.

[0161] Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be obtained.

[0162] Furthermore, the technology according to the present disclosure can have the following configuration. (1) an avoidance trajectory setting unit that sets an avoidance trajectory that enables the flying object to avoid a collision with an obstacle based on position information of the flying object and wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information; An information processing device comprising: (2) The system further includes a communication control unit that transmits an avoidance instruction based on the set avoidance trajectory to the flying object. An information processing device as described in (1). (3) the avoidance trajectory setting unit sets the avoidance trajectories for the plurality of flying objects based on the position information and the wind speed information of the plurality of flying objects; The communication control unit transmits the avoidance instruction based on the avoidance trajectories set for the plurality of flying objects to each of the plurality of flying objects. An information processing device according to (2). (4) The avoidance trajectory setting unit sets the avoidance trajectory that enables the first flying object to avoid collision with the obstacle and the second flying object. (3) An information processing device. (5) The communication control unit receives at least the location information from the flying object. An information processing device according to any one of (2) to (4). (6) The communication control unit receives the position information and the wind speed information acquired by the flying object from the flying object. (5) An information processing device according to the present invention. (7) The communication control unit receives the wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information acquired by the flying object from a predetermined device. (5) An information processing device according to the present invention. (8) an information acquisition unit that acquires the location information and the wind speed information; and a flight control unit that controls the flight of the aircraft based on the set avoidance trajectory. An information processing device as described in (1). (9) a collision determination unit that determines whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with the obstacle based on the position information and the wind speed information, The avoidance trajectory setting unit sets the avoidance trajectory when it is determined that there is a possibility of the collision. An information processing device according to any one of (1) to (8). (10) a region calculation unit that calculates a possible region of the flying object after the predetermined time based on a predicted position of the flying object after the predetermined time predicted using the position information and the wind speed information, The collision determination unit determines whether or not there is a possibility of a collision after the predetermined time based on the existence possibility area. An information processing device according to (9). (11) The area calculation unit calculates the possible presence area by transforming an area based on the predicted position in accordance with a direction and a magnitude of the wind speed represented by the wind speed information. An information processing device according to (10). (12) The area calculation unit deforms a circular area having the predicted position as a center in accordance with a direction and a magnitude of the wind speed represented by the wind speed information. An information processing device according to (11). (13) The area calculation unit calculates the possible presence areas of the plurality of flying objects based on the predicted positions of the plurality of flying objects and the wind speed information, The collision determination unit further determines whether or not there is a possibility of collision between the flying objects based on the presence possibility areas of the multiple flying objects. An information processing device according to any one of (10) to (12). (14) a map generating unit that generates a three-dimensional map in which the presence possibility area is mapped onto an obstacle map including three-dimensional position information of the obstacles; The collision determination unit determines whether or not there is a possibility of the collision after the predetermined time based on the three-dimensional map. An information processing device according to any one of (10) to (13). (15) the area calculation unit re-calculates the existence possibility area based on the set avoidance trajectory, The map generation unit updates the three-dimensional map based on the recalculated possible existence area. An information processing device according to (14). (16) The avoidance trajectory setting unit sets, as the avoidance trajectory, a flight path that changes at least a traveling direction of the flying object determined to have the collision possibility. An information processing device according to any one of (9) to (15). (17) The avoidance trajectory setting unit sets, as the avoidance trajectory, a flight path that changes the traveling direction and the speed of the flying object determined to have the possibility of collision. An information processing device according to (16). (18) An information processing device, Based on the position information of the flying object and the wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information, an avoidance trajectory is set that enables the flying object to avoid a collision with an obstacle. Information processing methods. (19) On the computer, Based on the position information of the flying object and the wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information, an avoidance trajectory is set that enables the flying object to avoid a collision with an obstacle. A program for executing a process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0163] 10 drone, 20 air traffic control device, 41 information acquisition unit, 42 communication control unit, 43 flight plan memory unit, 44 flight control unit, 71 communication control unit, 72 course prediction unit, 73 existence possibility area calculation unit, 74 obstacle map memory unit, 75 3D map generation and update unit, 76 collision judgment unit, 77 avoidance trajectory setting unit, 211 information acquisition unit, 212 course prediction unit, 213 existence possibility area calculation unit, 214 obstacle map memory unit, 215 3D map generation and update unit, 216 collision judgment unit, 217 avoidance trajectory setting unit, 218 flight plan memory unit, 219 flight control unit

Claims

1. a region calculation unit that calculates a possible region of the flying object after a predetermined time based on a predicted position of the flying object after the predetermined time, which is predicted using position information of the flying object, and wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information; a collision determination unit that determines whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with an obstacle after the predetermined time based on the existence possibility area; an avoidance trajectory setting unit that sets an avoidance trajectory that allows the flying object to avoid collision with the obstacle when it is determined that there is a possibility of the collision; An information processing device comprising:

2. The system further includes a communication control unit that transmits an avoidance instruction based on the set avoidance trajectory to the flying object. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the avoidance trajectory setting unit sets the avoidance trajectories for the plurality of flying objects based on the position information and the wind speed information of the plurality of flying objects; The communication control unit transmits the avoidance instruction based on the avoidance trajectories set for the plurality of flying objects to each of the plurality of flying objects. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The avoidance trajectory setting unit sets the avoidance trajectory that enables the first flying object to avoid collision with the obstacle and the second flying object. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The communication control unit receives at least the location information from the flying object. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

6. The communication control unit receives the position information and the wind speed information acquired by the flying object from the flying object. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. The communication control unit receives the wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information acquired by the flying object from a predetermined device. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

8. an information acquisition unit that acquires the location information and the wind speed information; and a flight control unit that controls the flight of the aircraft based on the set avoidance trajectory. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

9. The area calculation unit calculates the possible presence area by transforming an area based on the predicted position in accordance with a direction and a magnitude of the wind speed represented by the wind speed information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

10. The area calculation unit deforms a circular area having the predicted position as a center in accordance with a direction and a magnitude of the wind speed represented by the wind speed information. The information processing device according to claim 9.

11. The area calculation unit calculates the possible presence areas of the plurality of flying objects based on the predicted positions of the plurality of flying objects and the wind speed information, The collision determination unit further determines whether or not there is a possibility of collision between the flying objects based on the presence possibility areas of the multiple flying objects. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

12. a map generating unit that generates a three-dimensional map in which the presence possibility area is mapped onto an obstacle map including three-dimensional position information of the obstacles; The collision determination unit determines whether or not there is a possibility of a collision after the predetermined time based on the three-dimensional map. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

13. the area calculation unit re-calculates the existence possibility area based on the set avoidance trajectory, The map generation unit updates the three-dimensional map based on the recalculated possible existence area. The information processing device according to claim 12.

14. The avoidance trajectory setting unit sets, as the avoidance trajectory, a flight path that changes at least a traveling direction of the flying object determined to have the collision possibility. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

15. The avoidance trajectory setting unit sets, as the avoidance trajectory, a flight path that changes the traveling direction and the speed of the flying object determined to have the possibility of collision. The information processing device according to claim 14.

16. An information processing device, Calculating a possible presence area of ​​the flying object after a predetermined time based on a predicted position of the flying object after the predetermined time, which is predicted using the position information of the flying object, and wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information; determining whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with an obstacle after the predetermined time based on the possible existence area; If it is determined that there is a possibility of collision, an avoidance trajectory is set that enables the flying object to avoid collision with the obstacle. Information processing methods.

17. On the computer, Calculating a possible presence area of ​​the flying object after a predetermined time based on a predicted position of the flying object after the predetermined time, which is predicted using the position information of the flying object, and wind speed information of the flight position represented by the position information; determining whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with an obstacle after the predetermined time based on the possible existence area; If it is determined that there is a possibility of collision, an avoidance trajectory is set that enables the flying object to avoid collision with the obstacle. A program for executing a process.

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