Attitude control device and attitude control method

Abstract

To provide a biaxial attitude control device that is lightweight and can be miniaturized, and an attitude control method.SOLUTION: An attitude control device 20 which is installed to an unmanned submersible so as to control its attitude comprises: a flywheel 21; a drive motor 27 that rotates the flywheel 21; a first gimbal 24 that rotatably supports the flywheel 21, and has a tilt shaft 25 extending outward in the diametrical direction of the flywheel 21; and a second gimbal 31 that rotatably supports the tilt shaft 25, and fixes a mounting shaft 32 extending in a direction perpendicular to the tilt shaft 25. The attitude control device 20 is installed to an unmanned submersible via a support 40 that rotatably supports the mounting shaft 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an attitude control device and an attitude control method for controlling an inclined device to maintain its attitude. [Background technology]

[0002] Remotely operated unmanned underwater vehicles have been developed for underwater inspections of dams, port structures, and the like (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). The unmanned underwater vehicle described in this Non-Patent Document is equipped with an attitude control device that maintains a predetermined attitude even when its attitude changes due to waves on the water surface. This attitude control device is installed in a pressure-resistant container mounted on the unmanned underwater vehicle and is equipped with two uniaxial rotation control devices that use the gyro effect. Each of the two rotation control devices is equipped with a flywheel, a drive motor, and a gimbal, and the support axes of the gimbals are positioned so that they are perpendicular to each other. When the gimbal tilts while the flywheel is rotating at high speed due to the drive motor, a force that counteracts the tilt of the gimbal is generated in the rotation control device due to the gyro effect, and the attitude of the attitude control device is controlled to remain constant. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Obayashi Corporation, "Development of the underwater infrastructure inspection robot "DiagTM" equipped with Aquajaster R," [online], [Retrieved May 9, 2020], Internet <URL: https: / / www.obayashi.co.jp / news / detail / news20170510_01.html> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, conventional attitude control devices are equipped with two rotation control devices, one for each axis, to accommodate tilt in two axial directions, which makes the attitude control device larger and heavier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The attitude control device for solving the above problem is an attitude control device provided in a target device whose attitude is to be controlled, and includes a disk-shaped flywheel, a drive motor for rotating the flywheel, a first gimbal for rotatably supporting the flywheel and having a tilt shaft fixed thereto that extends outward in the diameter direction of the flywheel, and a second gimbal for rotatably supporting the tilt shaft and having a mounting shaft fixed thereto that extends in a direction perpendicular to the tilt shaft. 、 The first gimbal has a shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the flywheel in the radial direction, the second gimbal supports both sides of the tilting axis, the drive motor is attached to the first gimbal and is supplied with power by power lines arranged along the shapes of the first and second gimbals, the mounting axis is located directly below the center line of the flywheel and is rotatably attached to a support plate, and a plurality of spaced support bases provided on the support plate are fixed to the target device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the weight and size of the attitude control device in two axial directions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an unmanned underwater vehicle equipped with an attitude control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the attitude control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the attitude control device according to the embodiment, seen from an oblique direction behind the device; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of the attitude control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the attitude control device according to the embodiment, with the first gimbal rotated. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the attitude control device according to the embodiment, in which the second gimbal is rotated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of an attitude control device and an attitude control method will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In this embodiment, as with the prior art, the attitude control device will be described as controlling the attitude of an unmanned underwater vehicle as a target device.

[0009] As shown in Figure 1, an unmanned submersible 10 equipped with an attitude control device comprises a frame 11 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, multiple buoyant bodies 12, an underwater photography device 13, and a pressure-resistant container 15. The buoyant bodies 12, the underwater photography device 13, and the pressure-resistant container 15 are attached to the frame 11. The buoyant bodies 12 float the unmanned submersible 10. The underwater photography device 13 is equipped with a main camera 14 and takes photographs underwater, such as of the wall of an underwater dam. The pressure-resistant container 15 is positioned approximately in the center of the unmanned submersible, and houses the attitude control device.

[0010] 2 to 4 are a front view, a perspective view, and a top view, respectively, of the attitude control device 20 housed in a pressure-resistant container. As shown in FIG. 2, the attitude control device 20 includes a disk-shaped flywheel 21, a first gimbal 24, a drive motor 27, and a second gimbal 31.

[0011] The first gimbal 24 has a band shape that surrounds the outer periphery in the radial direction of the flywheel 21. Specifically, the first gimbal 24 has a height H1 that corresponds to the diameter of the drive motor 27, with the plane including the center line C1 of the flywheel 21 as its center. As a result, the flywheel 21 is supported by the first gimbal 24 with both opposing ends (upper end and lower end) exposed beyond the first gimbal 24. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the first gimbal 24 has a plate shape with a thickness W1 and a protruding central portion on the front side.

[0012] 3, a drive motor 27 is attached to the rear side of the first gimbal 24 via a mounting member 26. The mounting member 26 has an L-shaped angle with a rib formed in the center, and is fixed to the first gimbal 24 and also fixes the drive motor 27.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 4, a rotary shaft 27a of a drive motor 27 is fixed to pass through the center line C1 of the flywheel 21. The tip (front side) of the rotary shaft 27a is rotatably supported by the first gimbal 24 via a bearing (not shown). A weight 23 is fixed to the rotary shaft 27a between the flywheel 21 and the first gimbal 24. This weight 23 balances the drive motor 27 side with respect to the tilt axis 25 of the first gimbal 24.

[0014] 2, two tilt shafts 25 extending in opposite directions along a center line C2 are fixed to the outside of the first gimbal 24. The center line C2 is perpendicular to the center line C1 in a plane including the center line C1. The second gimbal 31 has a U-shape, and bearings (not shown) that rotatably support the tilt shaft 25 are fixed to both ends. Therefore, the first gimbal 24 is rotatably attached to the end of the second gimbal 31 via the tilt shaft 25, and tilts around the center line C2.

[0015] Furthermore, a slip ring 29 is provided between one end of the first gimbal 24 and the second gimbal 31. Specifically, a ring portion of the slip ring 29 is fixed to one of the tilt shafts 25 in a state where it penetrates through the shaft. 3, the ring portion of the slip ring 29 is connected to the drive motor 27 via power lines 28a and 28b. Furthermore, a brush portion of the slip ring 29 is fixed to one end of the second gimbal 31 (the end on the slip ring 29 side).

[0016] The second gimbal 31 has a mounting shaft 32 and a weight 30w fixed thereto. The weight 30w is provided so as to balance the weight of the second gimbal 31 on the left and right sides of the center line C3 of the mounting shaft 32. This allows the second gimbal 31 to rotate smoothly.

[0017] The mounting shaft 32 is provided directly below the flywheel 21, at the center of the second gimbal 31, protruding outward from the U-shape of the second gimbal 31. The mounting shaft 32 is supported at the center of the support part 40 so as to be rotatable around a center line C3. This center line C3 is perpendicular to the support plate 41, is perpendicular to the center line C2, and passes through the intersection of the center lines C1 and C2. A slip ring 34 is provided between the second gimbal 31 and the support part 40. Specifically, the ring part of the slip ring 34 is fixed to the mounting shaft 32 on the support part 40 side in a state where it penetrates the mounting shaft 32. The brush part of the slip ring 34 is fixed to the center of the support plate 41 of the support part 40.

[0018] Power lines 33a and 33b are arranged from the second gimbal 31 along the tip of the mounting shaft 32. Both ends of the power lines 33a and 33b are connected to the brush portion of the slip ring 29 and the ring portion of the slip ring .

[0019] The support unit 40 includes a substantially square support plate 41, a rectangular parallelepiped support base 42, and a cylindrical support base 45. On the back surface of the support plate 41 (the side opposite the second gimbal 31), the support bases 42 are provided on both sides in the front-to-rear direction, and the support base 45 is provided in the center. A bearing (not shown) that supports the mounting shaft 32 and the brush portion of the slip ring 34 are provided on the support base 45. Power lines 38a and 38b are connected to the brush portion of the slip ring 34, and the power lines 38a and 38b are connected to a battery device (not shown). The support bases 42, 45 of the support part 40 are fixed inside the pressure-resistant vessel 15 of the unmanned submersible vehicle 10. In this way, the attitude control device 20 is attached to the unmanned submersible vehicle 10 via the support part 40.

[0020] (Attitude control method) Next, a method for controlling the attitude of the unmanned submersible vehicle 10 equipped with the above-described attitude control device 20 will be described.

[0021] When the attitude control device 20 is operated, power is supplied to the drive motor 27 via the power lines 38a and 38b, the slip ring 34, the power lines 33a and 33b, the slip ring 29, and the power lines 28a and 28b. This causes the rotary shaft 27a of the drive motor 27 to rotate, causing the flywheel 21 to rotate around the center line C1.

[0022] Thereafter, waves or the like cause the unmanned submersible vehicle 10 and the attitude control device 20 fixed thereto to tilt. In this case, because the flywheel 21 of the attitude control device 20 is rotating, a force acts to return the attitude of the flywheel 21 to its original position due to the inertial force (gyro effect) caused by the centrifugal force of the flywheel 21. As a result, the first gimbal 24 rotates relative to the second gimbal 31, and the second gimbal 31 rotates relative to the support part 40, and a force acts on the unmanned submersible vehicle 10 via the support part 40 to maintain its attitude.

[0023] 2 to 4, the unmanned submersible vehicle 10 is assumed to be tilted so that the rear of the support unit 40 of the attitude control device 20 is higher. In this case, the tilted flywheel 21 attempts to return to its original position, tilting so that the upper part of the first gimbal 24 falls backward relative to the second gimbal 31, and accompanying this tilt, the support plate 41 tilts in a direction returning to its original position. As a result, the support unit 40 and the unmanned submersible vehicle 10 maintain their attitude. 5, when the rear side is tilted upward several times in succession, the first gimbal 24 may be positioned so as to be substantially parallel to the support plate 41.

[0024] 2 to 4, it is further assumed that the support part 40 of the attitude control device 20 is tilted so that the left side is higher. In this case, the second gimbal 31 rotates relative to the support part 40 as the rotated flywheel 21 attempts to return to its original position, and the support part 40 and the unmanned submersible 10 maintain their attitude. 6, when the left side is tilted higher several times in succession, the second gimbal 31 may be positioned so as to be substantially parallel to the direction in which the support base 42 extends.

[0025] In this way, when the unmanned submersible vehicle 10 tilts due to the gyroscopic effect of the rotating flywheel 21, a force that counteracts this tilt acts on the support part 40, so the attitude of the unmanned submersible vehicle 10 can be kept constant.

[0026] (action) The first gimbal 24, which rotatably supports the flywheel 21 rotated by the drive motor 27, is supported by the second gimbal 31 so as to be rotatable about a center line C2. Furthermore, the second gimbal 31 is supported by the support part 40 so as to be rotatable about a center line C3 that is perpendicular to the center line C2. This allows the gyro effect of the single flywheel 21 to suppress pitching and rolling on two axes, thereby enabling attitude control.

[0027] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In this embodiment, the second gimbal 31 is rotatably supported around the center line C3 of the mounting shaft 32, which is perpendicular to the center line C2 about which the first gimbal 24, which rotatably supports the flywheel 21, tilts. As a result, when a force that tilts in two axial directions is generated in the support unit 40 of the attitude control device 20, which has one flywheel 21, the gyro effect of the rotating flywheel 21 generates a force that cancels out the generated force, making it possible to maintain attitude using a space-saving, lightweight mechanism.

[0028] (2) In this embodiment, slip rings 29, 34 are provided between one end of the first gimbal 24 and the second gimbal 31, and between the second gimbal 31 and the support part 40, respectively. In this case, in order to maintain the attitude of the attitude control device 20, the first gimbal 24 and the second gimbal 31 rotate according to the direction in which a force that cancels out the generated tilt is generated. Therefore, even if the first gimbal 24 or the second gimbal 31 continues to rotate in the same direction depending on the force received, power can be supplied to the drive motor 27 via the power lines 28a, 28b, 33a, and 33b.

[0029] (3) In this embodiment, the power lines 28a, 28b, 33a, and 33b that supply power to the drive motor 27 are arranged along the first gimbal 24 and the second gimbal 31. This allows the power lines 28a, 28b, 33a, and 33b to be fixed, thereby preventing excessive force from being applied to the power lines 28a, 28b, 33a, and 33b.

[0030] (4) In this embodiment, the first gimbal 24 has a band shape that covers only the central portion of the flywheel 21. This reduces the weight of the first gimbal 24 compared to when the first gimbal 24 covers the entire flywheel 21, thereby further reducing the weight of the attitude control device 20.

[0031] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. In the above embodiment, power is supplied to the drive motor 27 via the power lines 28a, 28b, 33a, 33b, 38a, 38b and the slip rings 29, 34. The method of supplying power to the drive motor 27 is not limited to using the slip rings 29, 34. For example, a coil or the like may be placed at the position of the slip ring, and power may be supplied to the drive motor wirelessly. Furthermore, although the slip ring 29 is provided between the first gimbal 24 and the second gimbal 31, it may also be provided outside the second gimbal 31. Even in this case, the ring portion of the slip ring is provided on the tilt shaft 25, and the brush portion of the slip ring is provided at the tip of the second gimbal 31.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the slip ring 29 is provided on one of the tilt shafts 25. In addition, a weight corresponding to the weight of the slip ring 29 may be provided on the other tilt shaft 25 on which the slip ring 29 is not provided. Also, the other tilt shaft 25 on which the slip ring 29 is not provided may be lengthened, and the mounting shaft 32 may be located at the center of the second gimbal 31.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the first gimbal 24 has a band shape that covers only the central portion of the flywheel 21. The shape of the first gimbal 24 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a shape that covers the entire flywheel 21.

[0034] Furthermore, the second gimbal 31 has a U-shape and is provided with a mounting shaft 32 at its center. The shape of the second gimbal 31 is not limited to this, and may have, for example, a semicircular arc shape or an inverted π shape, and the mounting shaft 32 may be provided at a position corresponding to the center of gravity of the flywheel 21 or the second gimbal 31, rather than directly below the center line C1 of the flywheel 21.

[0035] The support part 40 of the attitude control device 20 in the above embodiment includes a substantially square support plate 41. The support part 40 fixed to the unmanned submersible vehicle 10, which is the device whose attitude is to be controlled, is not limited to this shape. For example, the shape of the support part 40 may be a shape including a disk-shaped support plate or a block shape corresponding to the shape of the part to be fixed, as long as it is a shape that can be expected to produce a gyro effect in which a force acts in a direction that cancels out the tilt. Furthermore, the support part 40 of the attitude control device 20 may be omitted, and the attachment shaft 32 may be rotatably supported directly on the device whose attitude is to be controlled, thereby fixing the attitude control device 20.

[0036] Next, the technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and other examples will be described below. (a) The attitude control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first gimbal supports a central portion of the flywheel while exposing both opposing ends of the flywheel, and fixes the drive motor. (b) the second gimbal has a shape that supports both sides of the tilt axis, the mounting shaft is provided at the center of the second gimbal, 3. The attitude control device according to claim 1, 2 or (a), wherein a power line for supplying power to the drive motor is arranged along the second gimbal and the mounting shaft. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] C1, C2, C3...center line, 10...unmanned underwater vehicle as target device, 11...frame, 12...buoyancy body, 13...underwater photography device, 14...main camera, 15...pressure-resistant container, 20...attitude control device, 21...flywheel, 23, 30w...weight, 24...first gimbal, 25...tilting axis, 26...mounting member, 27...drive motor, 27a...rotating axis, 28a, 28b, 33a, 33b, 38a, 38b...power lines, 29, 34...slip ring, 31...second gimbal, 32...mounting axis, 40...support part, 41...support plate, 42, 45...support base.

Claims

1. An attitude control device provided in a target device whose attitude is to be controlled, A disk-shaped flywheel; a drive motor that rotates the flywheel; a first gimbal that rotatably supports the flywheel and has a tilt shaft fixed thereto, the tilt shaft extending outward in a radial direction of the flywheel; a second gimbal that rotatably supports the tilt shaft and has a mounting shaft fixed thereto, the mounting shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the tilt shaft; the first gimbal has a shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the flywheel in a radial direction, the second gimbal supports both sides of the tilt axis, the drive motor is attached to the first gimbal and is supplied with power by a power line arranged along the shapes of the first gimbal and the second gimbal; the mounting shaft is provided directly below the center line of the flywheel and is rotatably attached to a support plate, A posture control device characterized in that a plurality of spaced apart support bases provided on the support plate are fixed to the target device.

2. The support base is a cylindrical first support base provided at the center of the support plate and having a bearing for supporting the mounting shaft; 2. The attitude control device according to claim 1, further comprising: two rectangular parallelepiped second support bases arranged on both sides of the support plate at a distance wider than the width of the second gimbal.

3. 1. An attitude control method for controlling the attitude of a target device using a gyroscopic effect produced by tilting the rotating flywheel, the method comprising: an attitude control device including a flywheel, a drive motor for rotating the flywheel, and a first gimbal for rotatably supporting the flywheel and having a tilting shaft fixed thereto that extends outward in a radial direction of the flywheel, the attitude control device comprising: the attitude control device further includes a second gimbal that rotatably supports the tilt axis and has a mounting axis fixed thereto, the mounting axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the tilt axis; the first gimbal has a shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the flywheel in a radial direction, the second gimbal supports both sides of the tilt axis, the drive motor is attached to the first gimbal and is supplied with power by a power line arranged along the shapes of the first gimbal and the second gimbal; the mounting shaft is provided directly below the center line of the flywheel and is rotatably attached to a support plate, a plurality of spaced support bases provided on the support plate are fixed to the target device; the drive motor, powered via the power line, rotating the flywheel; and when the target device and the attitude control device fixed thereto tilt, a gyroscopic effect caused by the centrifugal force of the rotating flywheel is used to control the attitude of the target device to be maintained by using a force that acts to return the attitude of the flywheel to its original position.

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