Agricultural flying bodies

Abstract

An agricultural aerial vehicle 1, which is for performing an agricultural task while airborne, comprises: an airframe 10 equipped with a thrust generating device; a first storage part 20 which is supported by the airframe 10 and which stores agricultural material or harvests; and a second storage part 30 which is supported by the airframe at a position higher than the first storage part 20 and which stores harvests or agricultural material. The first storage part 20 storing therein agricultural material or harvests is heavier than the second storage part 30 storing therein agricultural material or harvests.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to agricultural air vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a multicopter. This multicopter is equipped with a spraying device that sprays fertilizer, water, pesticides, etc. A tank that contains the materials to be sprayed is provided at the bottom of the multicopter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-104814 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Reducing the frequency of replenishment of spray material improves work efficiency. Therefore, it is preferable for a multicopter to be able to store a larger amount of spray material. However, because the tanks that store spray material are heavy, depending on their placement and weight, this could degrade the flight performance of the multicopter.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a method in the field of agricultural aircraft that can increase the amount of agricultural materials or harvested products stored while suppressing a decrease in flight performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the agricultural aircraft of the present invention is an agricultural aircraft that performs agricultural work while flying, and is characterized in that it comprises an airframe equipped with a thrust generating device, a first storage section supported by the airframe and storing agricultural materials or harvested products, and a second storage section supported by the airframe at a position higher than the first storage section and storing harvested products or agricultural materials, and the first storage section storing the agricultural materials or harvested products is heavier than the second storage section storing the agricultural materials or harvested products.

[0007] If a heavy object is placed at the top of an agricultural aircraft, it may lose balance during flight, making flight difficult. According to the above feature, the second storage section is located higher than the first storage section, and the first storage section is heavier than the second storage section. Therefore, by placing the second storage section at a relatively high position in the agricultural aircraft, the total storage volume can be increased, while the overall center of gravity of the agricultural aircraft can be positioned at a relatively low position. This makes it possible to increase the storage volume of agricultural materials or harvested products while suppressing a decrease in flight performance.

[0008] As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the agricultural aircraft of the present invention is an agricultural aircraft that performs agricultural work while flying, and is characterized by comprising: an airframe equipped with a thrust generating device; a first storage section supported by the airframe and storing agricultural materials or harvested products; a second storage section supported by the airframe at a position higher than the first storage section and storing the harvested products or agricultural materials; a mass acquisition section that acquires the mass of the first storage section and the mass of the second storage section; and a flight prohibition section that prohibits flight if the mass of the second storage section is greater than the mass of the first storage section.

[0009] If a heavy object is placed at the top of an agricultural aircraft, it may lose balance during flight, making flight difficult. According to the above feature, flight is prohibited when the second storage section is located higher than the first storage section and is heavier than the first storage section. Therefore, while the total storage volume is increased by placing the second storage section at a relatively high position in the agricultural aircraft, flight is prohibited in a state where flight performance may be reduced (when the second storage section is heavier than the first storage section and the center of gravity of the entire agricultural aircraft is relatively high). This makes it possible to increase the storage volume of agricultural materials or harvested products while suppressing a reduction in flight performance.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the amount of mass loss of the second storage section due to use of the agricultural material in the agricultural work is greater than the amount of mass loss of the first storage section due to use of the agricultural material in the agricultural work.

[0011] According to the above feature, the first storage section is likely to be kept heavier than the second storage section, thereby making it possible to appropriately suppress a decrease in flight performance.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that an increase in mass of the second storage section due to the storage of the harvested product during the agricultural work is smaller than an increase in mass of the first storage section due to the storage of the harvested product during the agricultural work.

[0013] According to the above feature, the first storage section is likely to be kept heavier than the second storage section, thereby making it possible to appropriately suppress a decrease in flight performance.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable to further provide a usage control unit that controls the use of the agricultural materials in the first storage unit and the second storage unit in the agricultural work so that the amount of mass reduction in the second storage unit is greater than the amount of mass reduction in the first storage unit.

[0015] According to the above feature, the first storage section is likely to be kept heavier than the second storage section, thereby making it possible to appropriately suppress a decrease in flight performance.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferable to further provide a storage control unit that controls the storage of the harvested product in the first storage unit and the storage of the harvested product in the second storage unit during the agricultural work so that the increase in mass of the second storage unit is smaller than the increase in mass of the first storage unit.

[0017] According to the above feature, the first storage section is likely to be kept heavier than the second storage section, thereby making it possible to appropriately suppress a decrease in flight performance.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferable that the first storage section and the second storage section store the same type of agricultural materials or the same type of harvested products.

[0019] According to the above features, it is possible to store large amounts of the same type of harvested produce or agricultural materials, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0020] In the present invention, it is preferable that different types of agricultural materials or different types of harvested products are stored in the first storage section and the second storage section.

[0021] According to the above feature, different types of harvested products or agricultural materials can be stored in the first storage section and the second storage section, making it easy to handle a variety of tasks.

[0022] In the present invention, it is preferable that the first reservoir is located below the thrust generating device.

[0023] According to the above feature, the position of the first storage section is relatively low, so that the deterioration of flight performance can be further suppressed.

[0024] In the present invention, it is preferable that the upper end of the second reservoir is located above the upper end of the thrust generating device.

[0025] According to the above feature, since the second reservoir is disposed at a relatively high position, the second reservoir can be made larger in size to further increase the reservoir capacity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an agricultural aircraft. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to control of the agricultural aircraft. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to control of the agricultural aircraft. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to control of the agricultural aircraft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The agricultural aircraft according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0028] [First embodiment] 1 shows an agricultural aircraft 1. The agricultural aircraft 1 is configured to be able to perform agricultural work while flying.

[0029] The agricultural aircraft 1 includes an airframe 10, a first storage unit 20, a second storage unit 30, a transfer unit 40, and a spraying device 50. While flying, the agricultural aircraft 1 sprays agricultural materials stored in the first storage unit 20 and the second storage unit 30 from the spraying device 50 onto a field or the like.

[0030] The airframe 10 includes landing gear 10a, a thrust generator 11, a satellite positioning device 12, a communication device 13, and a control device 14. The thrust generator 11 is connected to the airframe 10 via an arm 15.

[0031] The thrust generating devices 11 are propellers that rotate when driven. The driving source of the thrust generating devices 11 may be an engine or an electric motor. The number of thrust generating devices 11 is preferably three or more, and may be four, five, six, seven or more. The aircraft 10 may be equipped with multiple types of thrust generating devices 11 that differ in size and output.

[0032] The satellite positioning device 12 receives positioning signals from artificial satellites used in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems, such as GPS, QZSS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou). Based on the received positioning signals, the satellite positioning device 12 generates positioning data indicating the position of the agricultural aircraft 1.

[0033] The communication device 13 communicates with the remote controller held by the operator and with a higher-level farming system.

[0034] The control device 14 controls the operation of the agricultural aircraft 1.

[0035] The control device 14 includes a memory (such as a HDD or nonvolatile RAM, not shown) that stores programs corresponding to the functional modules described below, and a CPU (not shown) that executes the programs. The functions of each functional unit are realized by the CPU executing the programs. In other words, the control device 14 includes a non-transitory recording medium that stores the programs.

[0036] The control device 14 may be configured by one or more ECUs installed on the agricultural aircraft 1.

[0037] The control device 14 includes a flight control unit 14a and a usage control unit 14b as functional modules. The functions and operations of these functional modules will be described later.

[0038] [First storage section, second storage section] The first storage section 20 is supported by the machine body 10 and stores agricultural materials. In this embodiment, the first storage section 20 is disposed below the machine body 10. The first storage section 20 may be disposed outside the machine body 10 or may be built into the lower part of the machine body 10.

[0039] Moreover, first reservoir 20 is located below thrust generating device 11. As in the illustrated example, it is preferable that the entire first reservoir 20 is located below thrust generating device 11 (propeller).

[0040] More specifically, first reservoir 20 is located below thrust generating surface 11 a of thrust generating device 11 .

[0041] Here, the thrust generating surface 11a is a plane that overlaps with the propeller of the thrust generating device 11 in a side view and is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the propeller. If the aircraft 10 is equipped with multiple thrust generating devices 11 at different heights, the midpoint of the multiple thrust generating surfaces 11a is defined as the representative thrust generating surface 11a.

[0042] The second storage section 30 is supported by the machine body 10 and stores agricultural materials. In this embodiment, the second storage section 30 is disposed on the machine body 10. The second storage section 30 may be disposed outside the machine body 10 or may be built into an upper portion of the machine body 10.

[0043] In this embodiment, the second storage section 30 is supported by the machine body 10 at a position higher than the first storage section 20. It is preferable that the entire second storage section 30 is located higher than the upper end of the first storage section 20.

[0044] It is preferable that the lower end of the second reservoir 30 is located above the upper end of the first reservoir 20 .

[0045] It is preferable that the upper end of second reservoir 30 is located higher than the upper end of first reservoir 20.

[0046] It is preferable that the center of gravity of the second storage section 30 in a state where agricultural materials are stored therein is located above the center of gravity of the first storage section 20 in a state where agricultural materials are stored therein.

[0047] In this embodiment, the upper end of second reservoir 30 is located above the upper end of thrust generating device 11 (propeller). Second reservoir 30 may be entirely located above the upper end of thrust generating device 11.

[0048] The upper end of second reservoir 30 may be located above thrust generation surface 11a of thrust generator 11. Second reservoir 30 may be entirely located above thrust generation surface 11a of thrust generator 11.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first storage section 20 storing agricultural materials is heavier than the second storage section 30 storing agricultural materials. Specifically, the maximum amount of agricultural materials that can be stored in the first storage section 20 is greater than the maximum amount of agricultural materials that can be stored in the second storage section 30.

[0050] It is preferable that the same type of agricultural materials be stored in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30. Examples of agricultural materials stored in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30 include fertilizers (liquid or solid), chemicals (liquid or solid, pesticides, insecticides), seeds, etc.

[0051] It is preferable that different types of agricultural materials are stored in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30. For example, water for dilution is stored in the first storage section 20, and concentrated fertilizer or concentrated chemicals is stored in the second storage section 30. For example, seeds are stored in the first storage section 20, and chemicals or fertilizer are stored in the second storage section 30.

[0052] The transfer unit 40 transfers the agricultural materials stored in the first storage unit 20 and the second storage unit 30 to the spraying device 50. Specifically, the transfer unit 40 is a hose or a pipe. The transfer unit 40 may be equipped with a valve for adjusting the flow rate or switching between stopping and starting the transfer. The transfer unit 40 may have a function for mixing the agricultural materials in the first storage unit 20 and the second storage unit 30 and a function for changing the mixing ratio.

[0053] The spraying device 50 sprays agricultural materials onto a field. Specifically, the spraying device 50 sprays onto a field the agricultural materials transferred from the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30 by the transfer section 40. The spraying device 50 may be configured to be able to spray the agricultural materials in the first storage section 20 and the agricultural materials in the second storage section 30 separately and independently. The spraying device 50 may be configured to be able to spray a mixture of the agricultural materials in the first storage section 20 and the agricultural materials in the second storage section 30.

[0054] [Control of agricultural aircraft] 2, the control device 14 is connected to the thrust generating device 11, the satellite positioning device 12, the communication device 13, and the spraying device 50. The control device 14 controls these devices to cause the agricultural aircraft 1 to fly and perform agricultural work. In this embodiment, the agricultural work is the spraying of agricultural materials in a field.

[0055] The flight control unit 14a controls the thrust generating device 11 to fly the agricultural aircraft 1. The flight control unit 14a may fly the agricultural aircraft 1 in response to operations received from a remote controller held by an operator. The flight control unit 14a may fly the agricultural aircraft 1 according to a flight plan stored in advance in memory. The flight control unit 14a may fly the agricultural aircraft 1 based on a flight plan received from a higher-level farming system.

[0056] The use control unit 14b controls the use of agricultural materials. Specifically, the use control unit 14b controls the use of agricultural materials in the first storage unit 20 and the second storage unit 30 in agricultural work so that the amount of mass reduction in the second storage unit 30 is greater than the amount of mass reduction in the first storage unit 20.

[0057] Specifically, the use control unit 14b controls the use of the agricultural materials by controlling the spraying device 50. The use control unit 14b may be configured to control the use of the agricultural materials by controlling the transfer unit 40 (more specifically, the valves and the like provided in the transfer unit 40).

[0058] For example, the use control unit 14b controls the use of agricultural materials so that the amount of agricultural materials used per unit time in the second storage unit 30 is greater than the amount of agricultural materials used per unit time in the first storage unit 20. In this case, fluctuations in the weight balance (shifts in the center of gravity) in the vertical direction of the agricultural aircraft 1 can be suppressed.

[0059] For example, the use control unit 14b first uses the agricultural materials stored in the second storage unit 30. When the agricultural materials stored in the second storage unit 30 reach a predetermined amount (zero or a finite positive value), the use control unit 14b uses the agricultural materials stored in the first storage unit 20. In this case, the center of gravity of the entire agricultural aircraft 1 can be made as low as possible.

[0060] The amount (mass or volume) of agricultural materials stored in the second storage section 30 (or the first storage section 20) may be detected by a sensor (not shown), or may be calculated by subtracting the amount used from the amount stored at the start of work.

[0061] [Modification of the first embodiment] (1) In the above-described embodiment, the use control unit 14b controls the spraying device 50 or the transfer unit 40 to realize the use of agricultural material such that the amount of mass loss in the second storage unit 30 is greater than the amount of mass loss in the first storage unit 20. Similar use of agricultural material may be realized by other methods. For example, the internal structure or shape of the spraying device 50 or the transfer unit 40 may be configured to make the amount of mass loss in the second storage unit 30 due to use of the agricultural material in agricultural work greater than the amount of mass loss in the first storage unit 20 due to use of the agricultural material in agricultural work. In other words, the control device 14 does not need to be equipped with the use control unit 14b. For example, the inner diameter of the path from the second storage unit 30 to the spraying device 50 in the transfer unit 40 is larger than the inner diameter of the path from the first storage unit 20 to the spraying device 50 in the transfer unit 40. For example, the inner diameter of the outlet for agricultural materials from the second storage section 30 of the spraying device 50 is larger than the inner diameter of the outlet for agricultural materials from the first storage section 20 of the spraying device 50.

[0062] (2) A modified example will be described in which the agricultural material in the first storage unit 20 is a dilution liquid (e.g., water) and the agricultural material in the second storage unit 30 is a liquid to be diluted (e.g., concentrated chemicals or concentrated fertilizer). The agricultural material in the first storage unit 20 and the agricultural material in the second storage unit 30 are mixed in the transfer unit 40 or the spraying device 50. The diluted agricultural material is sprayed by the spraying device 50. The use control unit 14b controls the transfer unit 40 or the spraying device 50 to adjust the dilution concentration. The use control unit 14b may be configured to adjust the dilution concentration depending on the location in the field. More specifically, the use control unit 14b may be configured to adjust the dilution concentration so that the dilution concentration of the agricultural material to be sprayed is appropriate based on the location of the agricultural material itself, as determined by the satellite positioning device 12, and a map that predetermines the dilution concentration for each location in the field. The map may be downloaded from a higher-level farming system.

[0063] (3) A modified example will be described in which the agricultural materials in the first storage unit 20 are a dilution liquid (e.g., water) and the agricultural materials in the second storage unit 30 are a liquid to be diluted (e.g., concentrated chemicals or concentrated fertilizer). The transfer unit 40 is configured to supply the agricultural materials in the second storage unit 30 to the first storage unit 20. The use control unit 14b controls the transfer unit 40 to supply an appropriate amount of the agricultural materials in the second storage unit 30 to the first storage unit 20 so that the agricultural materials in the first storage unit 20 have a predetermined dilution concentration. The predetermined dilution concentration may be set based on input to a remote controller held by an operator or may be set by a higher-level farming system. The first storage unit 20 may include a sensor that detects the amount of dilution liquid stored therein. The use control unit 14b may be configured to calculate the amount of agricultural materials to be supplied from the second storage unit 30 to the first storage unit 20 based on the output of the sensor.

[0064] Alternatively, the first storage unit 20 may be configured to include a plurality of storage units, and the transfer unit 40 may be configured to supply agricultural materials from the second storage unit 30 to each storage unit of the first storage unit 20. The use control unit 14b may control the transfer unit 40 to supply an appropriate amount of agricultural materials from the second storage unit 30 to each storage unit of the first storage unit 20 so that the agricultural materials in each storage unit of the first storage unit 20 have a predetermined diluted concentration. In this case, it is possible to store agricultural materials with different diluted concentrations in each storage unit of the first storage unit 20. This makes it possible to use agricultural materials with different diluted concentrations for different fields or different parts of the field.

[0065] Second Embodiment In the following description, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted in some cases.

[0066] 3, the agricultural aircraft 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a harvesting device 60 instead of the spraying device 50, and a storage control unit 14c instead of the usage control unit 14b. The agricultural aircraft 1 harvests crops (crops, vegetables, fruit trees, etc.) while flying and stores them in the first storage unit 20 and the second storage unit 30.

[0067] The first storage section 20 is supported by the machine body 10 and stores the harvested product. The second storage section 30 is supported by the machine body 10 and stores the harvested product.

[0068] It is preferable that the same type of harvested product is stored in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30. Examples of harvested products stored in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30 include grains, vegetables, grass, and fruit trees.

[0069] It is preferable that different types of harvested products are stored in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30. For example, the first storage section 20 stores harvested products of relatively high quality and small quantity (e.g., harvested products without blemishes or harvested products with high color or shape grades), and stores harvested products of relatively low quality and large quantity (e.g., harvested products with blemishes or harvested products with low color or shape grades).

[0070] The harvesting device 60 harvests the crops. The harvesting device 60 is, for example, a reaping device or a robotic manipulator. The harvested crops may be stored in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30 by the harvesting device 60, or may be stored in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30 via the transfer section 40. In other words, the transfer section 40 has the function of storing the crops harvested by the harvesting device 60 in the first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30. Specifically, the transfer section 40 is an air chute (a device that transports crops using airflow), a robotic manipulator, or the like.

[0071] The storage control unit 14c controls the storage of harvested products. Specifically, the storage control unit 14c controls the storage of harvested products in the first storage unit 20 and the second storage unit 30 during agricultural work so that the increase in mass of the second storage unit 30 is smaller than the increase in mass of the first storage unit 20.

[0072] Specifically, the storage control unit 14c controls the storage of harvested products by controlling the harvesting device 60. The usage control unit 14b may be configured to control the storage of agricultural materials by controlling the transfer unit 40 (more specifically, the valves and the like provided in the transfer unit 40).

[0073] For example, the storage control unit 14c controls the storage of the harvest so that the amount of harvest stored per unit time in the second storage unit 30 is greater than the amount of harvest stored per unit time in the first storage unit 20. In this case, fluctuations in the weight balance (shifts in the center of gravity) in the vertical direction of the agricultural aircraft 1 can be suppressed.

[0074] For example, the storage control unit 14c first stores the harvested products in the first storage unit 20. When the agricultural materials stored in the first storage unit 20 reach a predetermined amount (zero or a finite positive value), the storage control unit 14c stores the harvested products in the second storage unit 30. In this case, the center of gravity of the entire agricultural aircraft 1 can be made as low as possible.

[0075] The amount (mass or volume) of harvested produce stored in the second storage section 30 (or the first storage section 20) may be detected by a sensor (not shown), or may be calculated by adding the storage volume to the amount stored at the start of work.

[0076] The agricultural aircraft 1 of this embodiment does not include a spraying device 50 or a usage control unit 14b. The agricultural aircraft 1 may include both a spraying device 50 and a harvesting device 60 so that it can both use agricultural materials and store harvested crops. The agricultural aircraft 1 may also include both a usage control unit 14b and a storage control unit 14c. These components may also be detachable from the agricultural aircraft 1.

[0077] [Modification of the second embodiment] In the above-described embodiment, the storage control unit 14c controls the harvesting device 60 or the transfer unit 40 to store harvested material such that the increase in mass of the second storage unit 30 is smaller than the increase in mass of the first storage unit 20. Similar storage of harvested material may be achieved by other methods. For example, the internal structure or shape of the harvesting device 60 or the transfer unit 40 may be configured to cause the increase in mass of the second storage unit 30 resulting from the storage of harvested material during agricultural work to be smaller than the increase in mass of the first storage unit 20 resulting from the storage of harvested material during agricultural work. In other words, the control device 14 does not need to include the storage control unit 14c. For example, the inner diameter of the path from the harvesting device 60 to the second storage unit 30 in the transfer unit 40 is smaller than the inner diameter of the path from the harvesting device 60 to the first storage unit 20 in the transfer unit 40. For example, the inner diameter of the inlet of the spraying device 50 through which harvested material is sent to the second storage unit 30 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet of the harvesting device 60 through which harvested material is sent to the first storage unit 20.

[0078] Third Embodiment In this embodiment, the agricultural aircraft 1 is configured to prohibit flight when the mass of the second storage section 30 is greater than the mass of the first storage section 20. This prevents flight when the vertical mass balance is disrupted.

[0079] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the control device 14 includes a mass acquisition unit 14d and a flight prohibition unit 14e.

[0080] The mass acquisition unit 14d acquires the mass of the first storage unit 20 and the mass of the second storage unit 30. The mass may be acquired from a sensor (not shown) that measures the mass of the first storage unit 20 and a sensor (not shown) that measures the mass of the second storage unit 30. The mass may be calculated by subtracting the amount used from the amount stored at the start of work. The mass may also be acquired from a higher-level farming system (for example, by referring to a work plan).

[0081] The flight prohibition unit 14e prohibits flight when the mass of the second storage unit 30 is greater than the mass of the first storage unit 20. Specifically, the flight prohibition unit 14e compares the mass of the first storage unit 20 acquired by the mass acquisition unit 14d with the mass of the second storage unit 30. When the mass of the second storage unit 30 is greater than the mass of the first storage unit 20, the flight prohibition unit 14e issues a command to the flight control unit 14a to prohibit flight.

[0082] In response to receiving a flight prohibition command from the flight prohibition unit 14e, the flight control unit 14a halts the flight of the agricultural aircraft 1. Specifically, if the agricultural aircraft 1 is not yet about to take off, the flight control unit 14a does not take off. Even if a command to take off is received from the operator's remote controller, the flight control unit 14a does not execute the takeoff. If the agricultural aircraft 1 is in flight, the flight control unit 14a lands the agricultural aircraft 1 in a safe location.

[0083] The controller 14 may notify the operator that flight is prohibited.

[0084] In the illustrated example of FIG. 4, the agricultural aircraft 1 is equipped with the spraying device 50 and the usage control unit 14b, but the agricultural aircraft 1 may also be equipped with the harvesting device 60 and the storage control unit 14c.

[0085] The present invention is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be modified within the scope of the invention.

[0086] For example, the agricultural aircraft 1 may be configured so that the first reservoir 20 is located below the arm 15 that connects the thrust generator 11 to the airframe 10. The thrust generated by the thrust generator 11 acts on the airframe 10 via the arm 15. Therefore, the arm 15 is the reference for the position where the thrust of the thrust generator 11 acts on the rotation of the airframe 10 (rotation around an axis extending perpendicular to the up-down direction of the airframe, such as roll or pitch), i.e., the reference for the position where it contributes to the rotational moment. If the first reservoir 20 is located below the arm 15, a decrease in flight performance can be suppressed, which is preferable.

[0087] Note that second reservoir 30 may be disposed so that the upper end of second reservoir 30 is located above arm 15. Second reservoir 30 may be disposed so that the entire second reservoir 30 is located above arm 15.

[0088] [Reference example] (1) A fuel tank may be disposed at the position of the first storage section 20, and an engine may be disposed at the position of the second storage section 30.

[0089] (2) A high-pressure washer may be placed at the position of first reservoir 20, and a cleaning liquid tank may be placed at the position of second reservoir 30.

[0090] (3) A compressor device may be disposed at the position of the first storage section 20, and a compressed gas tank may be disposed at the position of the second storage section 30.

[0091] (4) A harvesting device may be placed at the location of the first storage section 20, and a harvested product tank, a fertilizer tank, or a pesticide tank may be placed at the location of the second storage section 30. [Industrial Applicability]

[0092] The present invention is applicable to agricultural aircraft 1 that perform agricultural work while flying. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1: Agricultural aircraft 10: Aircraft 11: Thrust generator 14b: Use control section 14c: Accommodation control section 14d: Mass acquisition part 14e: No-fly section 20: First storage section 30: Second storage section

Claims

1. An agricultural aircraft that performs agricultural work while flying, an airframe having a thrust generating device; a first storage section supported by the machine body and configured to store agricultural materials or harvested products; a second storage section supported on the machine body at a position above the first storage section and configured to store harvested products or agricultural materials; An agricultural aircraft, wherein the first storage section storing agricultural materials or harvested products is heavier than the second storage section storing agricultural materials or harvested products.

2. An agricultural aircraft that performs agricultural work while flying, an airframe having a thrust generating device; a first storage section supported by the machine body and configured to store agricultural materials or harvested products; a second storage section supported on the machine body at a position above the first storage section and configured to store harvested products or agricultural materials; a mass acquisition unit that acquires a mass of the first storage unit and a mass of the second storage unit; and a flight prohibition unit that prohibits flight when the mass of the second storage unit is greater than the mass of the first storage unit.

3. 3. The agricultural aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a mass reduction amount of the second storage section due to use of the agricultural material in the agricultural work is greater than a mass reduction amount of the first storage section due to use of the agricultural material in the agricultural work.

4. 3. The agricultural aircraft according to claim 1, wherein an increase in mass of the second storage section due to the storage of the harvested product during the agricultural work is smaller than an increase in mass of the first storage section due to the storage of the harvested product during the agricultural work.

5. 3. The agricultural aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a usage control unit that controls the use of the agricultural materials in the first storage unit and the second storage unit in the agricultural work so that a reduction in mass of the second storage unit is greater than a reduction in mass of the first storage unit.

6. 3. The agricultural aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a storage control unit that controls the storage of the harvested product in the first storage unit and the storage of the harvested product in the second storage unit during the agricultural work so that an increase in mass of the second storage unit is smaller than an increase in mass of the first storage unit.

7. 3. The agricultural aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the first storage section and the second storage section store the same type of agricultural materials or the same type of harvested products.

8. The agricultural aircraft according to claim 1 or 2, wherein different types of agricultural materials or different types of harvested products are stored in the first storage section and the second storage section.

9. 3. The agricultural aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the first reservoir is located below the thrust generating device.

10. 3. The agricultural aircraft according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the second reservoir is located above an upper end of the thrust generating device.

Images