Mooring system and mooring method

Abstract

To save manpower for mooring and mooring release work.SOLUTION: A mooring system for mooring a floating structure to a mooring facility having one of the floating structure and the mooring facility be a first object and the other as a second object includes: A mooring rope; a winch arranged on the second object and capable of winding up and drawing the mooring rope; a restraining tool arranged on the second object for restraining so that engaging and disengaging with a tip unit of the mooring rope is possible; at least one drone with a holding tool for holding the mooring rope; and a controller for controlling the drone so that the drone goes to a mooring pillar arranged on the first object from the second object in a state of holding the mooring rope and hooking a middle portion between the tip unit and a base unit pulled out from the winch of the mooring rope to the mooring pillar.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mooring system and a mooring method for mooring a floating structure such as a ship to a mooring facility such as a quay. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, mooring work, which connects a ship to a quay with a mooring line, is performed by a shore worker and a ship's worker in cooperation with each other. Conventional mooring work is performed as follows. First, the ship's worker pulls out the mooring line from a hawser drum installed on the ship, and throws the throwing line tied to the end of the mooring line toward the quay. Next, the shore worker pulls on the throwing line to reel in the mooring line and secures one end of the mooring line to a bollard installed on the quay. Finally, the mooring line is wound up by the ship's hawser drum, applying tension to the mooring line, and the ship is moored to the quay.

[0003] In order to reduce the manpower required for mooring work as described above, Patent Document 1 proposes using an unmanned vehicle (aerial drone, amphibious drone) to carry the end of the mooring line connected to the first connector to the second connector. Here, the following cases are disclosed: the first connector is provided on the ship and the second connector is provided on a quay; the first connector is provided on a quay and the second connector is provided on the ship; and the first connector and the second connector are provided on the ship. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. WO2018 / 026285 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The drone in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 carries the tip of a mooring line, and although it is described that the tip of the mooring line can be fixed / unfixed to a second connector (e.g., a mooring post), no specific manner is disclosed. It may be possible to hook the tip of the mooring line to the second connector with a drone, but since a high degree of positional accuracy is required to control the drone, it is not realistic in terms of work efficiency.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to propose a mooring system for mooring and unmooring a floating body such as a ship to a mooring post installed on a quay or the like, which can reduce the manpower required for mooring and unmooring operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Honkai Show Such a mooring system comprises: A mooring system in which one of a floating structure and a mooring facility is a first object and the other is a second object, and the floating structure is moored to the mooring facility, Mooring lines and a winch disposed on the second object and capable of winding and unwinding the mooring line; A fastener is disposed on the second object and fastens the tip end of the mooring line so as to be capable of engaging and disengaging with the tip end of the mooring line; At least one drone having a holder for holding the mooring line; and a control device for controlling the drone so that the drone moves from the second object to a mooring pole arranged on the first object while holding the mooring line, and a middle portion of the mooring line between the tip end and the base portion pulled out from the winch is hooked onto the mooring pole. 。 A mooring system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a mooring system having the above-described configuration, wherein the drone is a transport drone that transports the mooring line, and further includes a leading drone that leads the movement of the transport drone, and the control device controls the transport drone to track the leading drone. It is characterized by the following. In addition, a mooring system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is a mooring system having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein the drones include a first drone that holds the tip portion of the mooring line during transportation of the mooring line, and a second drone that holds the middle portion of the mooring line during transportation of the mooring line.

[0008] In addition, Show The mooring method is as follows: A mooring method for mooring a floating structure to a mooring facility, the method comprising: a winch capable of winding and unwinding a mooring line and a fastener capable of engaging and disengaging a tip end of the mooring line are disposed on the second object; said mooring line being held by at least one unmanned aerial vehicle; The drone is controlled so that, while holding the mooring line, the drone moves from the second object to a mooring pole disposed on the first object, and a middle portion of the mooring line between the tip end and the base end pulled out from the winch is hooked onto the mooring pole; and The tip of the mooring line is engaged with the engaging device before or after the mooring line is hung on the mooring pole. 。 A mooring method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is the above-mentioned mooring method, in which the drone is a transport drone that transports the mooring line, and a leading drone leads the movement of the transport drone, and the transport drone tracks the leading drone. It is characterized by the following. In addition, a mooring method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the above mooring method, the drones include a first drone that holds the tip portion of the mooring line during transportation of the mooring line, and a second drone that holds the middle portion of the mooring line during transportation of the mooring line.

[0009] According to the mooring system and method, the mooring line is attached to the mooring pole by a drone. Since the drone attaches the middle part of the mooring line to the mooring pole, the drone is not required to have high positional accuracy. Therefore, even if an error occurs in the position of the drone relative to the mooring pole due to wind or the accuracy of instruments, the mooring line can be stably attached to the mooring pole. This eliminates the need for a worker on the mooring pole to tie the mooring line to the mooring pole, thereby reducing manpower. In addition, when the floating structure is released from the mooring, the tip of the mooring line is released from the fastening device and the mooring line is wound up by a winch. Therefore, even in the mooring release operation, a worker on the mooring pole to release the mooring line from the mooring pole is not required, thereby reducing manpower. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to propose a mooring system for mooring and unmooring a floating body such as a ship to a mooring pole installed on a quay or the like, which can reduce the number of people required for mooring and unmooring operations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a floating structure moored to a mooring facility by a mooring system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the mooring system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a winch. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the drone. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing embodiments of the holder. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the drone attaching a mooring line to a mooring pole. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which a drone attaches a mooring rope to a mooring pole in a mooring system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which a floating structure is moored to a mooring facility by the mooring system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the winding direction of a mooring rope around a mooring post. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the winding direction of a mooring rope around a mooring post. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which an unmanned vehicle attaches a mooring rope to a mooring pole in a mooring system according to a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which an unmanned vehicle attaches a mooring rope to a mooring pole in a mooring system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [First embodiment] Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a floating structure 10 being moored to a mooring facility 11 by a mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the mooring system 1 is provided on the floating structure 10, and the mooring poles 12 are provided on the mooring facility 11. However, the mooring system 1 may be provided on the mooring facility 11, and the mooring poles 12 may be provided on the floating structure 10. Some elements of the mooring system 1 may be provided on the floating structure 10, and the remaining elements may be provided on the mooring facility 11 or another structure (e.g., a small vessel).

[0013] The floating structure 10 according to this embodiment is a boat-shaped floating structure 10 (i.e., a ship). However, the floating structure 10 is not limited to a ship, and may be a structure floating on the ocean, such as an offshore platform (floating production facility, floating storage facility). Furthermore, the mooring facility 11 according to this embodiment is a quay at a port. However, the mooring facility 11 is not limited to a quay, and may be a ship separate from the floating structure 10, a mooring float, a floating production facility, or the like.

[0014] The floating structure 10 comprises a hull 5, at least one longitudinal propulsion unit 2 that outputs thrust in the longitudinal direction to the hull 5, and at least one lateral propulsion unit 3 that outputs thrust in the lateral direction to the hull 5. Here, as shown in Fig. 1, the horizontal direction connecting the bow and stern of the hull 5 is defined as the "longitudinal direction" of the hull 5, and the horizontal direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is defined as the "lateral direction" of the hull 5. The floating structure 10 may be a type that is towed and moved without being equipped with propulsion units.

[0015] At least one mooring system 1 is provided on the floating structure 10. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the mooring systems 1 are provided at four locations distributed in the fore-aft direction of the hull 5. However, the number of mooring systems 1 provided on the floating structure 10 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0016] [Configuration of mooring system 1] Each of the mooring systems 1 has substantially the same configuration. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the mooring system 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the mooring system 1 includes a mooring line 20, a winch 30 capable of winding and unwinding the mooring line 20, a locking device 24, at least one transport drone (hereinafter simply referred to as "drone 6") for transporting the mooring line 20, and a control device 60. The drone 6 may be shared by a plurality of mooring systems 1. In this embodiment, the drone 6 is disposed on the floating structure 10, but the drone 6 may be disposed on the mooring facility 11. In this embodiment, the control device 60 is disposed on the floating structure 10, but the control device 60 may be disposed on the mooring facility 11 or on a small vessel independent of the floating structure 10.

[0017] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the winch 30. The winch 30 shown in Fig. 3 includes a hawser drum 31 around which the mooring rope 20 is wound, a motor 32 that rotates and drives the hawser drum 31, a hydraulic clutch 33 that switches between connection and disconnection of power transmission from the motor 32 to the hawser drum 31, a reducer 34 provided on the power transmission path from the motor 32 to the hawser drum 31, and a hydraulic release type brake 35 that constantly applies a braking force. The winch 30 according to this embodiment is an electric hydraulic type, but the structure of the winch 30 is not limited to the above, and the winch 30 may be an electric type.

[0018] When the mooring rope 20 is wound onto the hawser drum 31, the clutch 33 connects the power transmission path from the motor 32 to the hawser drum 31, and the hawser drum 31 is rotated in the winding direction. When the mooring rope 20 is withdrawn from the hawser drum 31, the clutch 33 is disconnected to cut off the power transmission path from the motor 32 to the hawser drum 31, and the hawser drum 31 is in an idling state and can rotate in the withdrawing direction. Alternatively, when the mooring rope 20 is withdrawn, the clutch 33 may connect the power transmission path from the motor 32 to the hawser drum 31, and the hawser drum 31 may be rotated in the withdrawing direction. The mooring rope 20 withdrawn from the hawser drum 31 is protected and guided by an appropriate mooring rope guider 23 such as a chock (mooring hole), a fairlead, a deck end roller, or a stand roller.

[0019] The mooring system 1 further includes a rotational position sensor 51, a tension sensor 26, a rope length meter 53, and a winch control device 50 that controls the operation of the winch 30 based on the detected values ​​thereof. The rotational position sensor 51 detects the rotational position and number of rotations of the motor 32 or the hawser drum 31. The rope length meter 53 measures the length of the mooring rope 20 drawn out from the hawser drum 31. The winch control device 50 measures the rotations of the motor 32 or the hawser drum 31 based on the detection signal of the rotational position sensor 51 and / or the measurement value of the rope length meter 53, and estimates the reeled length and drawn-out length of the mooring rope 20.

[0020] The fastening device 24 fastens the tip of the mooring rope 20 in an engageable / disengageable manner. The fastening device 24 is provided on the floating structure 10. The fastening device 24 is disposed at an appropriate position according to the route of the mooring rope 20, such as on the deck, on the side of the hull 5, or on the support base of the hawser drum 31 of the mooring system 1.

[0021] The engagement and disengagement of the mooring line 20 with the fastener 24 may be performed by an operator. Alternatively, the engagement of the mooring line 20 with the fastener 24 may be performed by an operator, and the engagement and disengagement of the mooring line 20 from the fastener 24 may be performed automatically. That is, the fastener 24 may have an automatic release function for the mooring line 20. In this case, for example, the fastener 24 has an actuator for performing an engagement and disengagement operation, and is configured to engage and disengage the mooring line 20 from the fastener 24 by operating the actuator upon receiving an engagement and disengagement signal from an operating device (not shown).

[0022] The fastener 24 is provided with a tension buffer 27. The tension buffer 27 includes a buffer member such as a spring. When an excessive tension is unexpectedly applied to the mooring line 20 fastened to the fastener 24, the tension buffer 27 absorbs the tension, thereby preventing the mooring line 20 from being cut and damage to the fastener 24 or the structure to which the fastener 24 is fixed.

[0023] The locking device 24 is provided with a tension sensor 26. The tension sensor 26 is, for example, a load cell, and is capable of estimating the tension of the mooring rope 20 based on the load detected by the load cell. The winch control device 50 controls the rotation of the hawser drum 31 based on the detection value of the tension sensor 26 so that the tension acting on the mooring rope 20 is maintained at a predetermined value that does not exceed a predetermined upper limit value.

[0024] The unmanned vehicle 6 moves the mooring line 20 from the floating structure 10 to the mooring pole 12. The unmanned vehicle 6 may travel on sea, land, or air as long as it is capable of moving between the floating structure 10 and the mooring facility 11. Examples of the unmanned vehicle 6 include an unmanned aerial vehicle called a drone and an amphibious unmanned vehicle called an amphibious drone.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the drone 6. As shown in FIG. 4, the drone 6 includes a plurality of sets of rotors 61 and motors 62, a battery 63, sensors 64, a transmitter 65, a receiver 66, a camera 67, and a controller 68. The motor 62 rotates and drives the rotor 61. The battery 63 supplies power to the motor 62. However, an engine may be mounted instead of the battery 63. The sensors 64 include at least one type of detector that detects the flight angle, flight speed, and position information (GPS position information) of the drone 6. However, the configuration of the drone 6 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be configured to fly and / or swim (dive) remotely or autonomously.

[0026] The drone 6 is controlled by a control device 60. The control device 60 is a control device for remotely controlling the drone 6. The control device 60 may be a device for autonomously moving (autonomous flying) the drone 6. The control device 60 includes an operating tool 41, a display 42, a transmitter 43, a receiver 44, a computing unit 45, and a communication device 46.

[0027] The operating tool 41 is operated by an operator or a pilot, and information, operations, etc. are input to the calculator 45 via the operating tool 41. The operating tool 41 may be, for example, at least one of a keyboard, a lever, a button, a touch panel display, a joystick, etc. The display 42 may be at least one of a display unit of a smartphone or a tablet computer, a goggle-type display, and a head-mounted display. The transmitter 43 transmits command signals, etc. to the drone 6. The receiver 44 receives image signals, position information, information detected by the sensors 64, etc. from the drone 6. The communication device 46 transmits and receives information used in the mooring system 1, such as meteorological and oceanographic information and position information of the mooring pole 12, using a communication network or a GPS communication device. The computing device 45 acquires information and signals via the operating tool 41, the receiver 44, and the communication device 46, performs arithmetic processing, and outputs the results via the display 42 and the transmitter 43. The calculator 45 may be equipped with a manual piloting program that generates and transmits a command signal based on information input via the operating tool 41. Alternatively, the calculator 45 may be equipped with an automatic piloting program that generates and transmits a command signal based on image information from a camera 67 mounted on the drone 6 so that the drone 6 moves autonomously (flies autonomously) along a set route.

[0028] The command signal transmitted from the transmitter 43 of the control device 60 is received by the receiver 66 of the drone 6 and sent to the controller 68. The controller 68 processes the command signal together with information acquired from the sensors 64, and controls the rotation speed of the rotor 61 driven by the motor 62. The controller 68 also transmits image (or video) information captured by the camera 67 to the control device 60 via the transmitter 65. The control device 60 outputs the received image information to the display 42. The pilot can control the drone 6 using the image information displayed on the display 42.

[0029] The drone 6 is provided with a holder 69 for holding the mooring line 20. The middle part of the mooring line 20 is passed through the holder 69. The middle part of the mooring line 20 is between the tip part that is engaged with the engagement device 24 and the part that is wound around the hawser drum 31. The holder 69 has a ring part through which the mooring line 20 can be passed. The mooring line 20 is loosely inserted into the holder 69, and the position at which the holder 69 holds the mooring line 20 is variable. Examples of such holders 69 include a ring shape (FIG. 5A), a hook shape (FIG. 5B), and an openable claw shape (FIG. 5C). The openable / closable claw-shaped holder 69 (FIG. 5C), for example, has two claws, each of which is provided with an arc-shaped link 69a at its tip, two straight links 69b, 69c connected to the arc-shaped link 69a, a joint connecting adjacent links, and an actuator (not shown) that drives the joint, and is configured so that the space between the two claws can be opened and closed by rotating the joint.

[0030] [Mooring method using mooring system 1] Next, a mooring method using the mooring system 1 configured as above will be described. The mooring method is roughly divided into (1) a preparation process, (2) a rigging process, and (3) a rigging process. The rigging process may be performed manually or automatically.

[0031] (1) Preparation process The tip of the mooring line 20 is engaged with the anchor 24, and the mooring line 20 is pulled out from the hawser drum 31 of the winch 30. Here, the mooring line 20 may be pulled out in advance to a length sufficient for the round trip to the mooring post 12, or the mooring line 20 may be pulled out little by little as the drone 6 moves. The middle part of the pulled out mooring line 20 is held by the holder 69 of the drone 6. The drone 6 waits at a waiting position specified by the floating structure 10.

[0032] (2) Roping process (if done manually) When the tethering process is performed manually, the operator remotely controls the drone 6 using the operating tool 41 connected to the control device 60. The drone 6 operated by the operator leaves the waiting position and heads toward the mooring pole 12, hooks the mooring rope 20 to the mooring pole 12, and returns to the waiting position again. The operator can control the drone 6 by visually checking the image captured by the camera 67 mounted on the drone 6, or by visually grasping the positional relationship between the drone 6 and the mooring pole 12.

[0033] (If it's done automatically) When the rope-hanging process is performed automatically, the position of the target mooring pole 12 and the mooring system 1 having the mooring rope 20 to be hung on the mooring pole 12 are input to the control device 60 by an operator. The position of the target mooring pole 12 can be obtained from map information. Alternatively, the mooring pole 12 may be provided with a position information transmitter, and the position information of the mooring pole 12 may be transmitted from the position information transmitter to the control device 60 via a communication network. As the position information transmitter, a GPS transmitter that receives radio waves from a GPS satellite, calculates position information, and transmits the position information to the control device 60, or an IC tag that grasps position information using a communication network and transmits the position information to the control device 60, may be used. Alternatively, the mooring pole 12 may be provided with a light source, and a position information detector that uses a light sensor that detects light from the light source to obtain position information of the mooring pole 12 and transmits the position information to the control device 60 may be provided.

[0034] A command to start tethering is input to the control device 60 by an operator. The control device 60 receives the command to start tethering and calculates the flight path of the drone 6. The calculation of the flight path uses weather and sea condition information of the mooring facility 11, position information of the drone 6, position information of the mooring pole 12, etc., and calculates a flight path in which the drone 6 departs from the waiting position, heads toward the mooring pole 12, attaches the mooring rope 20 to the mooring pole 12, and returns to the waiting position again. In order to reduce the influence of wind, it is desirable that the flight path of the drone 6 passes close to the water surface. The control device 60 automatically steers the drone 6 so that the drone 6 moves along the calculated flight path. Here, the control device 60 can analyze images captured by a camera 67 mounted on the drone 6 and control the operation of the drone 6.

[0035] In the rope-hanging process (both manual and automatic), the drone 6 moves from the standby position toward the mooring pole 12 while holding the middle part of the mooring rope 20. It is preferable that the drone 6 moves close to the water surface to reduce the influence of wind. The mooring rope 20, the middle part of which is held by the drone 6, forms a relatively large loop using the mooring rope 20 that is approximately twice the length of the distance between the floating structure 10 and the mooring pole 12. The holder 69 of the drone 6 jumps over the mooring pole 12 and descends, so that the loop of the mooring rope 20 is caught on the mooring pole 12 (see FIG. 6). It is possible to determine that the mooring rope 20 has been caught on the mooring pole 12 from an image captured by the camera 67 of the drone 6. Once the mooring rope 20 is caught on the mooring pole 12, the drone 6 releases the mooring rope 20 and returns to the standby position of the floating structure 10. However, the drone 6 may return to the waiting position of the floating structure 10 along the mooring line 20 without releasing the mooring line 20. When the movement of the drone 6 is restrained by the mooring line 20 in this manner, the drone 6 can be recovered even if the drone 6 becomes uncontrollable or breaks down while returning along the mooring line 20 to the waiting position of the floating structure 10.

[0036] (3) Cable stringing process With the mooring rope 20 hung on the mooring post 12, the winch 30 is operated to wind the mooring rope 20 around the hawser drum 31, thereby applying tension to the mooring rope 20 and mooring the floating structure 10 to the mooring facility 11. Here, the mooring rope 20 slides against the mooring post 12, but in order to reduce wear on the mooring post 12 and / or the mooring rope 20, the part of the mooring post 12 on which the mooring rope 20 is hung may be formed of a rotating roller. For example, in the example shown in Figures 2 and 6, at least the body part of the mooring post 12 on which the mooring rope 20 is hung is formed of a pulley (or roller) that rotates around a vertical axis.

[0037] [Mooring release method using mooring system 1] In the mooring system 1, the floating structure 10 can be released from its mooring. First, the mooring line 20 is pulled out from the hawser drum 31, and the tension of the mooring line 20 is sufficiently reduced. Next, the mooring line 20 is released from the fastening device 24. Here, the mooring line 20 may be released from the fastening device 24 either manually or automatically. After the mooring line 20 is released from the fastening device 24, the winch 30 is operated to wind the mooring line 20 around the hawser drum 31, and the floating structure 10 is released from its mooring.

[0038] [Summary] As described above, the mooring system 1 according to this embodiment is configured such that one of the floating structure 10 and the mooring facility 11 is a first object and the other is a second object, and the floating structure 10 is moored to the mooring facility 11. A mooring line 20; a winch 30 disposed on the second object and capable of winding and unwinding the mooring line 20; A fastener 24 is disposed on the second object and fastened to the tip end of the mooring line 20 so as to be capable of engaging with and disengaging from the tip end of the mooring line 20; At least one drone 6 having a holder 69 for holding a mooring line 20; The drone 6 is characterized by being equipped with a control device 60 that controls the drone 6 so that the drone 6, while holding the mooring line 20, moves from the second object to the mooring post 12 attached to the first object, and the intermediate portion of the mooring line 20 between the tip end and the base pulled out from the winch 30 is hooked onto the mooring post 12.

[0039] Similarly, the mooring method according to the present embodiment is a mooring method in which one of the floating structure 10 and the mooring facility 11 is a first object and the other is a second object, and the floating structure 10 is moored to the mooring facility 11, A winch 30 capable of winding and unwinding the mooring rope 20 and a locking device 24 to which the tip end of the mooring rope 20 is locked so as to be engageable and detachable are disposed on the second object, a mooring line 20 is held by at least one drone 6; The drone 6 is controlled so that, while holding the mooring line 20, the drone 6 moves from the second object to the mooring post 12 attached to the first object, and a mid-portion of the mooring line 20 between the tip end and the base pulled out from the winch 30 is hooked onto the mooring post 12; and This method is characterized in that the tip of the mooring line 20 is anchored to the anchor 24 before the mooring line 20 is hung on the mooring post 12.

[0040] In the mooring system 1 and mooring method configured as above, the operation of hanging the mooring rope 20 on the mooring pole 12 is performed by the drone 6. Here, since the drone 6 hangs the middle part of the mooring rope 20 on the mooring pole 12, high positional accuracy is not required for controlling the drone 6. Therefore, even if an error occurs in the position of the drone 6 relative to the mooring pole 12 due to wind or the accuracy of instruments, the operation of hanging the mooring rope 20 on the mooring pole 12 can be stably performed. As a result, workers for tying the mooring rope 20 to the mooring pole 12 are not required, and manpower saving can be achieved. In particular, the number of workers who directly touch or approach the mooring rope 20 during the mooring operation can be reduced. In addition, for example, when an area having a quay on which the mooring pole 12 is installed is damaged by a fire, earthquake, or the like, even if it is difficult to assign workers to the quay, it is possible to moor the floating structure 10 to the quay, and it is possible to realize early transportation of goods to the disaster area via a sea route.

[0041] In the mooring system 1 configured as above, the holder 69 may hold the middle part of the mooring line 20 between the tip part engaged with the hook 24 and the base part pulled out from the winch 30, and the control device 60 may control the drone 6 to move from the second object to the mooring pole 12 while holding the middle part of the mooring line 20. Similarly, in the above mooring method, the drone 6 may hold the middle part of the mooring line 20 between the tip part engaged with the hook 24 and the base part pulled out from the winch 30, and the drone 6 may be controlled to move from the second object to the mooring pole 12 while holding the middle part of the mooring line 20. Here, the tip part of the mooring line 20 is hooked to the hook 24 before the mooring line 20 is hung on the mooring pole 12.

[0042] According to the mooring system 1 and mooring method configured as described above, the drone 6 only needs to be attached to the mooring post 12 using a sufficiently large loop formed by a mooring line 20 whose length is approximately twice the distance between the mooring post 12 and the second object, so high positional accuracy is not required for controlling the drone 6.

[0043] In the mooring system 1 and mooring method configured as above, when the floating structure 10 is released from the mooring device 24, the mooring line 20 is wound up by the winch 30. Therefore, even in the mooring release operation, a worker on the mooring pole 12 side to release the mooring line 20 from the mooring pole 12 is not required, and manpower can be saved. For example, when the floating structure 10 is moored to the mooring pole 12 installed on a quay in a disaster area, even if it is difficult to assign a worker to the quay, the floating structure 10 can be released from the quay in an emergency by releasing the mooring. When the floating structure 10 is released from the mooring device 24 after the tip of the mooring line 20 is held by the drone 6 in advance, the control device 60 may control the drone 6 so that the drone 6 flies along the moving path of the tip of the mooring line 20. This makes it possible to prevent the tip of the mooring rope 20 from falling into the sea when the mooring is released.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned mooring system 1 and mooring method, the mooring rope 20 is folded back at the mooring post 12 and used in a double state, so the tension applied to the mooring rope 20 is approximately half that when used in a single state. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the winch 30 that applies tension to the mooring rope 20. Furthermore, since a mooring rope 20 that is low in strength, thin, and light can be used, it is suitable for transportation by the unmanned vehicle 6.

[0045] In the mooring system 1 configured as above, the position of the fastening device 24 is not particularly limited, but the fastening device 24 may be provided on the support base of the winch 30. In this case, it is easy to secure a space for arranging the fastening device 24, and further, although the mooring rope 20 pulled out from the winch 30 is folded back at the mooring post 12 and doubled, the route of this double mooring rope 20 is substantially the same.

[0046] In the mooring system 1 configured as described above, the fastener 24 is provided with a tension sensor 26 that detects the tension applied to the mooring line 20. Since the tension is detected on the side of the tip of the mooring line 20 that is fastened to the fastener 24, it is possible to perform more stable tension measurement compared to the case where a tension sensor is provided on the winch 30 side.

[0047] In addition, in the mooring system 1 having the above configuration, the fastener 24 is provided with a tension buffer 27 that buffers changes in the tension applied to the mooring line 20. Usually, the ship 5 moored to a quay is connected to a plurality of mooring lines 20 (mooring lines), and each mooring line 20 has different elasticity depending on the material of the mooring line 20. When an external force acts on the ship 5, the tension of each mooring line 20 changes, and there is a risk that the mooring line 20 with less elasticity will be subjected to a larger load than the others and break. In such a case, by providing the tension buffer 27 on the fastener 24, the possibility of breakage can be reduced even in the mooring line 20 with less elasticity compared to the others. This makes it possible to omit the tail rope provided on the mooring line 20 as a means for absorbing tension. Since the tail rope, which has a larger diameter than the mooring line 20, can be omitted, the handling of the mooring line 20 becomes easier, and since the types of lines can be reduced, the management of the lines becomes easier.

[0048] Furthermore, in the mooring system 1 configured as described above, the holder 69 provided on the drone 6 has a ring-shaped portion into which the mooring line 20 is loosely inserted. This ring-shaped portion does not need to be a complete ring, and may be a partially open ring. This allows the holder 69 to move freely along the mooring line 20. This prevents the mooring line 20 from becoming twisted when the drone 6 transports the mooring line 20. Furthermore, even if the drone 6 becomes uncontrollable, the drone 6 will not fly away because its movement is restrained by the mooring line 20, making it easy to recover the drone 6.

[0049] (Modification) Here, a modified example of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how drones 6A and 6B hang mooring ropes 20 on mooring poles 12 in the mooring system 1 according to the modified example of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the mooring system 1 according to the modified example is different from the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment described above in that it includes multiple transport drones (first drone 6A and second drone 6B) and that it includes control devices (first control device 60A that controls the first drone 6A and second control device 60B that controls the second drone 6B) provided for each of the multiple transport drones. In this modified example, the same or similar members as those in the second embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their description will be omitted.

[0050] The first drone 6A and the second drone 6B have substantially the same configuration as the drone 6 of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. The first control device 60A has substantially the same configuration as the control device 60 of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. The first drone 6A is manually or automatically piloted by the first control device 60A. The second control device 60B has substantially the same configuration as the control device 60 of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. The second control device 60B may further have a function of controlling the second drone 6B so that the second drone 6B automatically tracks the first drone 6A. The position at which the second drone 6B tracks the first drone 6A is set in advance. For example, the second drone 6B flies several meters behind the first drone 6A at the same height as the first drone 6A. The first control device 60A and / or the second control device 60B can switch the control method so that the first drone 6A and / or the second drone 6B are manually piloted.

[0051] [Mooring method using the mooring system 1 according to the modified example] Next, a mooring method using the mooring system 1 according to the modified example will be described. The mooring release method using the mooring system 1 according to the modified example is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment described above. The mooring method using the mooring system 1 according to the modified example is broadly divided into (1) a preparation process, (2) a rigging process, and (3) a rigging process. However, the (3) rigging process using the mooring system 1 according to the modified example is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] (1) Preparation process The mooring line 20 is pulled out from the hawser drum 31. Here, the mooring line 20 may be pulled out in advance from the hawser drum 31 to a length sufficient for the round trip to the mooring post 12, or the mooring line 20 may be pulled out little by little from the hawser drum 31 as the drones 6A and 6B move. The tip of the pulled out mooring line 20 is hooked to the hook 24. The middle part of the mooring line 20 between the tip hooked to the hook 24 and the base pulled out from the winch 30 is held by the first drone 6A and the second drone 6B. The first drone 6A and the second drone 6B are waiting at the waiting positions defined by the floating structure 10.

[0053] (2) Roping process During the rigging process, the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6A and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6B may be manually piloted by a pilot, or at least one of the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6A and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6B may be automatically piloted to fly autonomously.

[0054] The first unmanned aerial vehicle 6A and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6B leave the waiting position, head toward the mooring pole 12, hook the mooring line 20 to the mooring pole 12, and return to the waiting position again. Desirably, the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6A and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6B fly while maintaining a distance from each other so that the line connecting the two is approximately parallel to the quay of the mooring facility 11, and the mooring line 20 is hooked to the mooring pole 12 between the holder 69 of the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6A and the holder 69 of the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6B. After the mooring line 20 is hooked to the mooring pole 12, the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6A and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6B release the mooring line 20 and then return to the waiting position, or return to the waiting position along the mooring line 20 while holding the mooring line 20. In this way, by transporting the mooring line 20 by two drones 6A, 6B, the load on the mooring line 20 associated with each drone 6A, 6B can be reduced compared to when there is only one drone 6, and the loop of the mooring line 20 that is hung on the mooring post 12 is reliably formed, allowing for stable hanging of the line.

[0055] [Second embodiment] Next, the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a mooring system 1A according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The mooring system 1A according to the second embodiment differs from the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment in that the drone 6 does not hold the middle of the mooring line 20, but holds the tip of the mooring line 20 or a line connected to the tip, and the mooring system 1A according to the second embodiment is attached to the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment in a mooring method, and the configuration of the mooring system 1A itself is substantially the same as that of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the description of this embodiment, the same or similar members as those of the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description will be omitted.

[0056] [Mooring method using mooring system 1A] A mooring method using the mooring system 1A will be described. The mooring release method using the mooring system 1A is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment described above. The mooring method using the mooring system 1A is broadly divided into (1) a preparation process, (2) a rigging process, and (3) a rigging process. The rigging process may be performed manually or automatically. The (3) rigging process using the mooring system 1A is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0057] (1) Preparation process The mooring line 20 is pulled out from the hawser drum 31. Here, the mooring line 20 may be pulled out in advance from the hawser drum 31 to a length sufficient for a round trip to the mooring post 12, or the mooring line 20 may be pulled out little by little from the hawser drum 31 as the drone 6 moves. The tip of the pulled out mooring line 20 (or a throwing line connected to the tip) is held by a holder 69 of the drone 6. Here, the tip of the mooring line 20 may be a loop, and the loop may be hooked on the holder 69. Alternatively, the tip of the mooring line 20 may be tied to the holder 69. The drone 6 waits at a waiting position defined by the floating structure 10.

[0058] (2) Roping process (if done manually) When the tethering process is performed manually, the operator remotely controls the drone 6 using the operating tool 41 of the control device 60. The drone 6 operated by the operator leaves the waiting position and heads toward the mooring pole 12, hooks the mooring rope 20 to the mooring pole 12, and returns to the waiting position again. The operator can control the drone 6 by visually checking the image captured by the camera 67 mounted on the drone 6, or by visually grasping the positional relationship between the drone 6 and the mooring pole 12.

[0059] (If it's done automatically) When the rake-hooking process is performed automatically, the operator inputs the designation of the target mooring pole 12 (or the position of the mooring pole 12) to which the mooring line 20 of the mooring system 1 is to be hooked to the control device 60. However, a single control device 60 may be used to control multiple drones 6. In this case, the designation of the target mooring pole 12 and the mooring system 1 equipped with the mooring line 20 to be hooked to the mooring pole 12 is input. The operator inputs a command to start rake-hooking to the control device 60. The control device 60 acquires the command to start rake-hooking and calculates the flight path of the drone 6. A flight path is calculated such that the drone 6 departs from the waiting position, heads toward the mooring pole 12, hooks the mooring line 20 to the mooring pole 12, and returns to the waiting position again. The control device 60 automatically controls the drone 6 so that the drone 6 moves along the calculated flight path.

[0060] In the roping process (both manual and automatic), the drone 6 moves from the standby position toward the mooring pole 12 while holding the tip of the mooring line 20. The holder 69 rotates in an arc around the mooring pole 12, so that the mooring line 20 is hooked onto the mooring pole 12. Once the mooring line 20 is hooked onto the mooring pole 12, the drone 6 returns to the standby position of the floating structure 10 while still holding the tip of the mooring line 20. The operator receives the tip of the mooring line 20 from the drone 6 and engages it with the locking device 24.

[0061] [Winding direction of mooring rope 20 around mooring post 12] Here, the winding direction of the mooring rope 20 around the mooring pole 12 will be described. In the mooring system 1A, when the drone 6 hooks the mooring rope 20 around the mooring pole 12, the drone 6 can control the winding direction of the mooring rope 20 around the mooring pole 12. More specifically, whether the mooring rope 20 is hooked around the mooring pole 12 from the front side to the rear side or from the rear side to the front side can be controlled by the rotation direction of the drone 6 around the mooring pole 12. For example, the drone 6 can hook the mooring rope 20 around the mooring pole 12 by turning from the front side to the rear side, or the drone 6 can hook the mooring rope 20 around the mooring pole 12 by turning from the rear side to the front side. Note that the front side and the rear side are defined as the front side as viewed parallel to the fore-and-aft direction of the hull 5 of the floating structure 10, and the opposite side as the rear side. In addition, in the mooring rope 20 hung on the mooring post 12, the section from the tip engaged with the locking device 24 to the mooring post 12 is defined as a first section 21, and the section from the mooring post 12 to the hawser drum 31 is defined as a second section 22.

[0062] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the winding direction of the mooring rope 20 around the mooring post 12. As shown in Fig. 9, the mooring rope 20 provided on the floating structure 10 has a first portion 21 located aft of the second portion 22. In other words, the mooring rope 20 is hung on the mooring post 12 from the front side to the rear side. By hanging the mooring rope 20 on the mooring post 12 in this manner, the mooring rope 20 is less likely to get tangled when the floating structure 10 is moved forward to move away from the mooring facility 11.

[0063] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the winding direction of the mooring rope 20 around the mooring pole 12. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the first portion 21 of the mooring rope 20 provided at the front of the floating structure 10 is located behind the second portion 22, and the first portion 21 of the mooring rope 20 provided at the rear of the floating structure 10 is located ahead of the second portion 22. In other words, the mooring rope 20 provided at the front of the floating structure 10 is hung on the mooring pole 12 from the front to the rear, and the mooring rope 20 provided at the rear of the floating structure 10 is hung on the mooring pole 12 from the rear to the front. In this state in which the mooring rope 20 is hung on the mooring pole 12, the tensions applied to the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 are substantially the same, but the first portion 21 may be subjected to a higher tension than the second portion 22. In such a case, the increase in tension can be promptly detected by the tension sensor 26 provided on the locking device 24.

[0064] (Modification) Here, a modified example of the mooring system 1A according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how drones 6C and 6D hang mooring ropes 20 on mooring poles 12 in the mooring system 1A according to the modified example of the second embodiment. The mooring system 1A according to the modified example is different from the mooring system 1A according to the second embodiment described above in that it includes multiple transport drones (first drone 6C and second drone 6D) and that it includes control devices (first control device 60C that controls the first drone 6C and second control device 60D that controls the second drone 6D) provided for each of the multiple drones. In this modified example, the same or similar members as those in the second embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their description will be omitted.

[0065] The first drone 6C and the second drone 6D have substantially the same configuration as the drone 6 of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. The first control device 60C has substantially the same configuration as the control device 60 of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. The first drone 6C is manually or automatically piloted by the first control device 60C. The second control device 60D has substantially the same configuration as the control device 60 of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. The second control device 60D may further have a function of controlling the second drone 6D so that the second drone 6D automatically tracks the first drone 6C. The position at which the second drone 6D tracks the first drone 6C is set in advance. For example, the second drone 6D flies several meters behind the first drone 6C at the same height as the first drone 6C. The first control device 60C and / or the second control device 60D can switch the control method so that the first drone 6C and / or the second drone 6D are manually piloted.

[0066] [Mooring method using the mooring system 1A according to the modified example] Next, a mooring method using the mooring system 1A according to the modified example will be described. The mooring release method using the mooring system 1A according to the modified example is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment described above. The mooring method using the mooring system 1A according to the modified example is roughly divided into (1) a preparation process, (2) a rigging process, and (3) a rigging process. However, the (3) rigging process using the mooring system 1A according to the modified example is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0067] (1) Preparation process The mooring line 20 is pulled out from the hawser drum 31. Here, the mooring line 20 may be pulled out in advance from the hawser drum 31 to a length sufficient for the round trip to the mooring pole 12, or the mooring line 20 may be pulled out little by little from the hawser drum 31 as the drone 6C moves. The tip of the pulled out mooring line 20 (or the throwing line connected to the tip) is held by the holder 69 of the first drone 6C. Here, the tip of the mooring line 20 may be a loop, and the loop may be hooked on the holder 69. Alternatively, the tip of the mooring line 20 may be tied to the holder 69. The intermediate part of the mooring line 20 between the tip engaged with the locking device 24 and the base pulled out from the winch 30 is held by the holder 69 of the second drone 6D. The first drone 6C and the second drone 6D are waiting at the waiting positions defined by the floating structure 10.

[0068] (2) Roping process During the rigging process, the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D may be manually piloted by a pilot, or at least one of the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D may be automatically piloted to fly autonomously.

[0069] The first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C leaves the waiting position, heads toward the mooring post 12, hooks the mooring line 20 to the mooring post 12, and returns to the waiting position. The holder 69 of the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C rotates in an arc around the mooring post 12, thereby hooking the mooring line 20 to the mooring post 12. The second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D leaves the waiting position following the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C, heads toward the mooring post 12. The second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D may fly autonomously from the waiting position to the mooring post 12, so as to track the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C.

[0070] The second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D stops flying beyond the mooring pole 12 until the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C returns to the standby position again or until the tip of the mooring line 20 is engaged with the engagement device 24. Here, the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D pulls the mooring line 20 on the mooring facility 11 side so that the mooring line 12 is positioned within the loop of the mooring line 20. As a result, even if the mooring line 20 loosens before the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C returns from the mooring pole 12 to the standby position, the mooring pole 12 is maintained within the loop of the mooring line 20, and the mooring line 20 will not come off the mooring pole 12.

[0071] When the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C returns to the waiting position, the operator receives the tip of the mooring line 20 from the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C and engages it with the anchor 24. After the tip of the mooring line 20 is anchored in the anchor 24, the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D releases the mooring line 20.

[0072] As described above, the mooring system 1A according to the modified example of this embodiment is configured such that one of the floating structure 10 and the mooring facility 11 is a first object and the other is a second object, and the floating structure 10 is moored to the mooring facility 11. A mooring line 20; a winch 30 disposed on the second object and capable of winding and unwinding the mooring line 20; A fastener 24 is disposed on the second object and fastened to the tip end of the mooring line 20 so as to be capable of engaging with and disengaging from the tip end of the mooring line 20; A first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C and a second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D each having a holder 69 for holding a mooring line 20; a first control device 60C for controlling the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C to move from the second object to a mooring post 12 attached to the first object while holding the tip of the mooring line 20, and to hook a mid-portion of the mooring line 20 between the tip of the mooring line 20 fastened to the fastening device 24 and the base of the mooring line 20 pulled out from the winch 30 onto the mooring post 12; The second unmanned vehicle 6D is equipped with a second control device 60D that controls the second unmanned vehicle 6D so that the second unmanned vehicle 6D moves from the second object to the mooring post 12 while holding the intermediate portion of the mooring line 20, and stops in a state of pulling the mooring line 20 on the first object side until the first unmanned vehicle 6C returns to the second object or until the tip of the mooring line 20 is engaged with the engaging device 24.

[0073] In addition, a mooring method according to a modified example of this embodiment is a mooring method in which one of the floating structure 10 and the mooring facility 11 is a first object and the other is a second object, and the floating structure 10 is moored to the mooring facility 11, A winch 30 capable of winding and unwinding the mooring rope 20 and a locking device 24 to which the tip end of the mooring rope 20 is locked so as to be engageable and detachable are disposed on the second object, The tip of the mooring rope 20 is held by the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C; The second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D holds the middle portion of the mooring line 20 between the tip end of the mooring line 20 that is engaged with the engaging device 24 and the base end of the mooring line 20 that is pulled out from the winch 30; The first control device 60C controls the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C so that the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C moves from the second object to the mooring post 12 attached to the first object while holding the tip of the mooring line 20, hooks the middle part of the mooring line 20 onto the mooring post 12, and returns to the second object; The second control device 60D controls the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D to move from the second object to the mooring post 12 while holding a middle portion of the mooring line 20, and to stop on the first object side until the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C returns to the second object or the tip of the mooring line 20 is engaged with the engaging device 24, thereby maintaining tension on the mooring line 20; After the mooring line 20 is hung on the mooring post 12, the tip of the mooring line 20 is fastened to the fastener 24.

[0074] According to the mooring system 1A and the mooring method configured as above, the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D cooperate to perform the tethering work. In particular, the second unmanned aerial vehicle 6D maintains the tension of the mooring line 20 from the time the first unmanned aerial vehicle 6C tethers the mooring line 20 to the mooring pole 12 until it returns to the second object, so that the mooring line 20 can be prevented from loosening and coming off the mooring pole 12.

[0075] [Third embodiment] Next, the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of a mooring system 1B according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The mooring system 1B according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 12 is different from the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment in that it further includes a leading drone 6E and a leading control device 60E that controls the leading drone 6E. Except for this difference, the configuration of the mooring system 1B according to the third embodiment is substantially the same as that of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the description of this embodiment, the differences from the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment described above will be described in detail, and the same or similar members as those of the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description will be omitted.

[0076] The leading control device 60E has substantially the same configuration as the control device 60 of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment. The leading drone 6E is manually or automatically controlled by the leading control device 60E. In addition to being substantially the same configuration as the control device 60 of the mooring system 1 according to the first embodiment, the control device 60 has a function of controlling the transport drone 6 so as to automatically track the leading drone 6E. The control device 60 can switch the control method so that the transport drone 6 is manually controlled. The position at which the transport drone 6 tracks the leading drone 6E is set in advance. For example, the transport drone 6 flies at the same height as the leading drone 6E and several meters behind it.

[0077] The transport drone 6 has a holder 69 for the mooring line 20, and the mooring line 20 is held by the transport drone 6. Therefore, a vehicle that is larger and has a greater carrying capacity than the leading drone 6E is adopted as the transport drone 6. Also, since the leading drone 6E does not carry the mooring line 20, a lighter vehicle than the transport drone 6 is adopted, and more comprehensive sensors for route search are installed.

[0078] As described above, the mooring system 1B according to this embodiment is configured such that one of the floating structure 10 and the mooring facility 11 is a first object and the other is a second object, and the floating structure 10 is moored to the mooring facility 11. A mooring line 20; a winch 30 disposed on the second object and capable of winding and unwinding the mooring line 20; A fastener 24 is disposed on the second object and fastened to the tip end of the mooring line 20 so as to be capable of engaging with and disengaging from the tip end of the mooring line 20; At least one transport drone 6 having a holder 69 for holding a mooring line 20; A leading drone 6E that leads the movement of the transport drone 6, It is equipped with a leading control device 60E that controls the leading drone 6E, and a control device 60 that controls the transport drone 6. The control device 60 controls the transportation drone 6 so that the transportation drone 6 tracks the leading drone 6E. The leading control device 60E controls the leading drone 6E so that the transport drone 6, which is following the leading drone 6E, moves from the second object to the mooring post 12 attached to the first object while holding the mooring line 20, and hooks the midpoint of the mooring line 20 between the tip end engaged with the fastening device 24 and the base end pulled out from the winch 30 onto the mooring post 12.

[0079] In addition, the mooring method according to the present embodiment is a mooring method in which one of the floating structure 10 and the mooring facility 11 is a first object and the other is a second object, and the floating structure 10 is moored to the mooring facility 11, A winch 30 capable of winding and unwinding the mooring rope 20 and a locking device 24 to which the tip end of the mooring rope 20 is locked so as to be engageable and detachable are disposed on the second object, A mooring line 20 is held by at least one delivery drone 6; The leading drone 6E leads the movement of the transport drone 6, and the transport drone 6 tracks the leading drone 6E, thereby controlling the leading drone 6E and the transport drone 6 so that the transport drone 6, while holding the mooring line 20, moves from the second object to the mooring post 12 provided on the first object, and the leading drone 6E and the transport drone 6 are so controlled that the midpoint of the mooring line 20 between the tip end of the mooring line 20 engaged with the engaging device 24 and the base end of the mooring line 20 pulled out from the winch 30 is hooked onto the mooring post 12; and This method is characterized in that the tip of the mooring line 20 is fastened to the fastener 24 before (or after) the mooring line 20 is hung on the mooring post 12.

[0080] According to the mooring system 1B and method configured as above, by distributing the functions between the leading drone 6E, which is responsible for route search, and the transport drone 6, which is responsible for transporting the mooring line 20, it is possible to provide each drone with a function suitable for its role. This improves the route search accuracy of the leading drone 6E and the flight stability of the leading drone 6E and the transport drone 6 accordingly.

[0081] In this specification, several embodiments are disclosed, but two or more of the several embodiments may be appropriately combined. For example, the features of the mooring system 1B can be applied to the mooring system 1A according to the second embodiment described above. That is, in the mooring method using the mooring system 1A according to the second embodiment, the movement of the drone 6 may be led by the leading drone 6E, and the drone 6 may be controlled so that the drone 6 tracks the leading drone 6E.

[0082] The functions of the computing unit 45 and the controller 68 disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general purpose processors, special purpose processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1, 1A, 1B: Mooring system 6, 6A-6D: Unmanned aerial vehicles (for transport) 6E: Leading drone 10: Floating structures 11: Mooring facility 12: Mooring pole 20:Mooring line 24: Fastener 26: Tension sensor 27:Tension buffer 30: Winch 60,60A~60F: Control device 69: Holder

Claims

1. A mooring system in which one of a floating structure and a mooring facility is a first object and the other is a second object, and the floating structure is moored to the mooring facility, Mooring lines and a winch disposed on the second object and capable of winding and unwinding the mooring line; A fastener is disposed on the second object and fastens the tip end of the mooring line so as to be capable of engaging with and disengaging from the tip end of the mooring line; At least one drone having a holder for holding the mooring line; a control device that controls the drone to move from the second object to a mooring pole arranged on the first object while holding the mooring line, and to hook a middle portion of the mooring line between the tip end and the base portion pulled out from the winch onto the mooring pole; The drone is a transport drone that transports the mooring line, and further includes a leading drone that leads the movement of the transport drone, and the control device controls the transport drone to track the leading drone. Mooring system.

2. The control device controls the drone to move from the second object to the mooring pole while holding the intermediate portion of the mooring line between the tip portion engaged with the fastener and the base portion pulled out from the winch. The mooring system of claim 1 .

3. The anchor is provided with a tension sensor that detects the tension applied to the mooring rope. A mooring system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The anchor is provided with a tension buffer that relieves changes in tension applied to the mooring line. A mooring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The retainer has an annular portion through which the mooring rope is loosely inserted. A mooring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A mooring system comprising a floating structure and a mooring facility, one of which is a first object and the other of which is a second object, and which moor the floating structure to the mooring facility, Mooring lines and a winch disposed on the second object and capable of winding and unwinding the mooring line; A fastener is disposed on the second object and fastens the tip end of the mooring line so as to be capable of engaging with and disengaging from the tip end of the mooring line; At least one drone having a holder for holding the mooring line; a control device that controls the drone to move from the second object to a mooring pole arranged on the first object while holding the mooring line, and to hook a middle portion of the mooring line between the tip end and the base portion pulled out from the winch onto the mooring pole; The unmanned aerial vehicles include a first unmanned aerial vehicle that holds the tip portion of the mooring line during transportation of the mooring line, and a second unmanned aerial vehicle that holds the middle portion of the mooring line during transportation of the mooring line. Mooring system.

7. A mooring method for mooring a floating structure to a mooring facility, the method comprising: a winch capable of winding and unwinding a mooring line and a fastener capable of engaging and disengaging a tip end of the mooring line are disposed on the second object; said mooring line being held by at least one unmanned aerial vehicle; The drone is controlled so that, while holding the mooring line, the drone moves from the second object to a mooring pole disposed on the first object, and a middle portion of the mooring line between the tip end and the base end pulled out from the winch is hooked onto the mooring pole; and The tip end of the mooring line is engaged with the engaging device before or after the mooring line is hung on the mooring pole, The drone is a transport drone that transports the mooring line, and a leading drone leads the movement of the transport drone, and the transport drone tracks the leading drone. Mooring method.

8. The drone holds the intermediate portion of the mooring line between the tip portion engaged with the fastener and the base portion pulled out from the winch, and the drone moves from the second object to the mooring post while holding the intermediate portion of the mooring line. The mooring method according to claim 7.

9. A mooring method comprising: one of a floating structure and a mooring facility being a first object and the other being a second object, and mooring the floating structure to the mooring facility, a winch capable of winding and unwinding a mooring line and a fastener capable of engaging and disengaging a tip end of the mooring line are disposed on the second object; said mooring line being held by at least one unmanned aerial vehicle; The drone is controlled so that, while holding the mooring line, the drone moves from the second object to a mooring pole disposed on the first object, and a middle portion of the mooring line between the tip end and the base end pulled out from the winch is hooked onto the mooring pole; and The tip end of the mooring line is engaged with the engaging device before or after the mooring line is hung on the mooring pole, The unmanned aerial vehicles include a first unmanned aerial vehicle that holds the tip portion of the mooring line during transportation of the mooring line, and a second unmanned aerial vehicle that holds the middle portion of the mooring line during transportation of the mooring line. Mooring method.

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