Information processing method, information processing device, program, and measurement system

Abstract

To provide information for detecting an indication of subsidence in piped structures.SOLUTION: A data acquisition unit 40 acquires point group data generated by an internal measuring instrument that measures point group data indicating the internal wall geometry of a pipe at one or more points in the interior of the pipe and position data generated by a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the pipe. A position calculation unit 41 calculates the position of the center point of the cross-section of the pipe on the basis of the point group data and the position data. An output unit 42 outputs information indicating the relation between a distance in a travel direction of the internal measuring instrument and a height of the center point of the pipe with reference to the center point of the pipe at an inlet of the pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a measurement system. [Background technology]

[0002] In-pipe displacement measurement technology has been proposed for measuring radial displacement of pipe-shaped structures, such as sewer pipes and agricultural drainage pipes, that inspectors cannot enter inside. By using this technology, it is possible to measure the diameter displacement of pipes that have been partially deformed due to various external pressures, such as ground vibrations, earth pressure, and ground deformation due to floods, earthquakes, etc. (See, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-196935 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] After a pipe is laid underground, it may settle due to its own weight, causing the pipe between its inlet and outlet to drop lower than when it was installed. Since pipe settlement can lead to drainage problems or cause road collapses, it is desirable to measure pipe settlement. While the above-mentioned technologies can measure radial displacement of the pipe, they cannot measure pipe settlement.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide information for detecting signs of subsidence of a pipe-shaped structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is an information processing method, including the steps of acquiring point cloud data generated by an internal measuring instrument that measures point cloud data having spatial coordinate information of an inner wall shape of a pipe at one or more points inside the pipe, acquiring position data generated by a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the pipe, calculating a position of a center point of a cross section of the pipe based on the point cloud data and the position data, and outputting information indicating a relationship between a height of the center point of the pipe relative to the center point at an inlet of the pipe and a distance from the inlet of the pipe.

[0007] The step of calculating the position of the center point may include a step of converting the coordinate system of the point cloud data at each of the plurality of points into point cloud data in a unified coordinate system based on the fixed measuring instrument based on the position data; a step of generating a plurality of extracted point cloud data by extracting point cloud data in the unified coordinate system at a plurality of points at different distances from the inlet of the pipe; and a step of calculating the center coordinates of each of the plurality of extracted point cloud data as the position of the center point of the cross section of the pipe.

[0008] The information processing method may further include a step of acquiring the position of the fixed measuring instrument using a signal received by the fixed measuring instrument from a navigation satellite, and a step of converting the unified coordinate system into an absolute coordinate system including latitude and longitude based on the position of the fixed measuring instrument.

[0009] The step of converting into point cloud data may further include the steps of calculating the center point of the piping based on an ellipse obtained by elliptical approximation of the point cloud data at each of the multiple points, estimating a center line of the piping from the multiple center points, and estimating the yaw angle of the internal measuring instrument at each of the multiple points based on the estimated center line.

[0010] The step of converting into point cloud data may include a step of acquiring a roll angle and a pitch angle of the internal measuring instrument at each of the plurality of points based on measurement results of an attitude angle sensor provided in the internal measuring instrument, and in the step of converting into point cloud data of a unified coordinate system, the coordinate system of the point cloud data at each of the plurality of points may be converted into point cloud data of a unified coordinate system based on the fixed measuring instrument, further based on the yaw angle, roll angle, and pitch angle at each of the plurality of points.

[0011] In the step of outputting the information, plot data may be output in which the first axis represents the distance from the inlet of the pipe toward the internal measuring instrument and the second axis represents the height of the center point of the pipe relative to the center point of the pipe at the inlet of the pipe.

[0012] In the information output step, plot data may be further output in which the distance from the entrance of the pipe toward the internal measuring instrument is used as a first axis, and at least one of (1) the length from the top surface of the internal measuring instrument to the ceiling of the pipe, (2) the length from the bottom surface of the internal measuring instrument to the bottom of the pipe, and (3) the horizontal movement distance of the internal measuring instrument based on the center point of the pipe at the entrance of the pipe is used as a second axis.

[0013] In the step of outputting the information, plot data may be further output, with the distance from the inlet of the pipe in the direction toward the internal measuring instrument as the first axis and a value indicating the degree of deformation of the pipe calculated based on the ellipse obtained by the ellipse approximation as the second axis.

[0014] The internal measuring instrument may be provided with a plurality of targets that the fixed measuring instrument uses as reference to measure the position of the internal measuring instrument, and the fixed measuring instrument may measure position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument based on the position of an observable target among the plurality of targets provided by the internal measuring instrument.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to perform the following functions: acquire point cloud data that indicates the shape of the inner wall of a pipe at one or more points inside the pipe and that is generated by an internal measuring instrument that measures the point cloud data; acquire position data that indicates the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the pipe and that is generated by a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data; calculate the position of the center point of a cross section of the pipe based on the point cloud data and the position data; and output information that indicates the relationship between the height of the center point of the pipe relative to the center point at an inlet of the pipe and the distance from the inlet of the pipe.

[0016] A third aspect of the present invention is an information processing device comprising: a data acquisition unit that acquires point cloud data generated by an internal measuring instrument that measures point cloud data indicating an inner wall shape of a pipe at one or more points inside the pipe, the point cloud data being generated by the internal measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the pipe, and the position data being generated by a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the pipe, a position calculation unit that calculates the position of a center point of a cross section of the pipe based on the point cloud data and the position data, and an output unit that outputs information indicating a relationship between the height of the center point of the pipe relative to the center point at an inlet of the pipe and a distance from the inlet of the pipe.

[0017] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a measurement system including an internal measuring instrument that measures point cloud data having spatial coordinate information of an inner wall shape of a pipe at one or more points inside the pipe, a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the pipe, and the information processing device described above.

[0018] Any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, device, system, computer program, data structure, recording medium, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention. In order to provide the program or to update part of the program, a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded may be provided, or the program may be transmitted over a communication line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide information for detecting signs of subsidence of a pipe-shaped structure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a measurement system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of position data of an internal measuring instrument measured by a fixed measuring instrument according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating point cloud data in a unified coordinate system. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a center point calculation process for calculating the center point of a cross section of a pipe from extracted point cloud data. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an internal configuration of a conversion unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a process of estimating the yaw angle of an internal measuring instrument by a conversion unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of information output by an output unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating another example of information output by the output unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams for explaining the degree of crushing of a cylindrical pipe. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating yet another example of information output by the output unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of information processing executed by an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a center point position calculation process executed by a position calculation unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a measurement system S according to a fourth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] <Outline of the embodiment> 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a measurement system S according to an embodiment. The overview of the embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, a measurement system S according to an embodiment includes an internal measuring instrument V, a fixed measuring instrument M, and an information processing device 1. The internal measuring instrument V is a device for measuring point cloud data having spatial coordinate information of the inner wall shape of the pipe P at multiple points while moving inside the pipe P, and is, for example, a mobile LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) measuring device or an ultrasonic sensor. The fixed measuring instrument M is installed outside the pipe P and is a device for measuring position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument V while it is moving inside the pipe P, and is, for example, a fixed LiDAR. Note that while FIG. 1 shows an example in which the internal measuring instrument V is equipped with a moving means such as caterpillar tracks or wheels, the internal measuring instrument V is not limited to this and may be, for example, a flying device such as a drone.

[0023] In the measurement system S shown in FIG. 1, the first coordinate system C1 is a coordinate system fixed with respect to the fixed measuring instrument M, and as an example, is a coordinate system with the LiDAR equipped in the fixed measuring instrument M as its origin. In the example of the measurement system S shown in FIG. 1, the optical axis of the camera of the LiDAR equipped in the fixed measuring instrument M is a right-handed coordinate system in which the Y axis is the optical axis and the Z axis is vertically upward, and the Y axis roughly coincides with the direction of the longitudinal axis of the pipe P. Note that, since the fixed measuring instrument M is also fixed with respect to the ground, the first coordinate system C1 can be said to be a stationary coordinate system. Note that the LiDAR equipped in the fixed measuring instrument M may be a 2D LiDAR or a 3D LiDAR. Furthermore, the fixed measuring instrument M may use a depth camera instead of or in addition to the LiDAR to measure position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument V.

[0024] The second coordinate system C2 is a coordinate system fixed with respect to the internal measuring instrument V, and as an example, is a coordinate system with the LiDAR equipped in the internal measuring instrument V as its origin. In the example of the measurement system S shown in Figure 1, it is a right-handed coordinate system in which the optical axis of the LiDAR camera equipped in the internal measuring instrument V is the y-axis, and the vertical upward direction is the z-axis when the internal measuring instrument V is placed on horizontal ground. Because the internal measuring instrument V travels and moves within the piping P, the second coordinate system C2 can be said to be a moving coordinate system when viewed from the first coordinate system C1.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, sediment D, such as earth and sand, has accumulated inside the pipe P over many years of use, and the internal measuring device V runs on top of the sediment D. For this reason, although the internal measuring device V moves roughly straight from the entrance to the exit of the pipe P, its posture changes due to the influence of the sediment D. As a result, the orientation of each axis of the second coordinate system C2, which is fixed relative to the internal measuring device V, changes randomly when viewed from the first coordinate system C1.

[0026] The internal measuring instrument V travels inside the pipe P and measures data related to the shape of the inner wall of the pipe P at one or more different points inside the pipe P. Therefore, when viewed from the first coordinate system C1, the data measured by the internal measuring instrument V becomes data in a coordinate system at one or more different points. As shown in FIG. 1, the internal measuring instrument V measures data related to the shape of the inner wall at a certain point inside the pipe P as data having a certain depth in the direction of travel of the internal measuring instrument V.

[0027] The information processing device 1 receives information measured by the fixed measuring instrument M and the internal measuring instrument V, and calculates, based on that information, the locus of the center point of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pipe P. Specifically, the locus of the center point is calculated by performing the following operations (1) to (6) in this order.

[0028] (1) First, the information processing device 1 calculates the position of the internal measuring instrument V at one or more points in the piping P in the first coordinate system C1 from the position data measured by the fixed measuring instrument M.

[0029] (2) Next, the information processing device 1 converts the coordinate system of the point cloud data measured by the internal measuring device V at one or more points from the second coordinate system C2 to the first coordinate system C1 based on the position of the internal measuring device V in the first coordinate system C1. This allows the information processing device 1 to unify the coordinate systems of the point cloud data measured by the internal measuring device V at each position in the piping P into the first coordinate system C1.

[0030] (3) When the internal measuring instrument V measures point cloud data at multiple positions within the piping P, the information processing device 1 connects the point cloud data measured at each position under the first coordinate system C1 to generate one point cloud data.

[0031] (4) The information processing device 1 extracts point cloud data of the first coordinate system C1 at multiple points at different distances from the inlet of the pipe P. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the cross section of the pipe P is approximately circular, so the point cloud data extracted by the information processing device 1 is data that includes at least a part of an arc of a circle or an ellipse.

[0032] (5) The information processing device 1 calculates the center point of the pipe P at each point based on the point cloud data extracted at a plurality of points that are different distances from the inlet of the pipe P.

[0033] (6) The information processing device 1 outputs the calculated center points at each measurement point using the center point of the pipe P at the inlet of the pipe P as a reference point.

[0034] The information processing device 1 of the embodiment can provide the user of the measurement system S with information for detecting signs of subsidence of a pipe-shaped structure by converting the information obtained by measuring the inside of the pipe P while moving inside the pipe P into information in a unified coordinate system and then calculating the trajectory of the center point of the pipe P.

[0035] <Functional configuration of information processing device 1 according to the embodiment> FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the functional configuration of an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing device 1 includes a storage unit 2, a communication unit 3, and a control unit 4. In FIG. 2, arrows indicate main data flows, and there may be data flows not shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, each functional block indicates a configuration in functional units, rather than a configuration in hardware (device) units. Therefore, the functional blocks shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented in a single device, or may be implemented separately in multiple devices. Data may be exchanged between functional blocks via any means, such as a data bus, a network, or a portable storage medium.

[0036] The memory unit 2 is a large-capacity storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) of the computer that realizes the information processing device 1, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that serves as the working area of ​​the information processing device 1, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores the OS (Operating System), application programs, and various information referenced when the application programs are executed.

[0037] The communication unit 3 is a communication interface that enables the information processing device 1 to exchange information with external devices such as a fixed measuring instrument M or an internal measuring instrument V, and is realized, for example, by a known LAN (Local Area Network) module or a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) module.

[0038] The control unit 4 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) of the information processing device 1, and functions as a data acquisition unit 40, a position calculation unit 41, an output unit 42, a position acquisition unit 43, and a coordinate conversion unit 44 by executing programs stored in the storage unit 2. The position calculation unit 41 also includes a conversion unit 410, a generation unit 411, and a center coordinate calculation unit 412.

[0039] 2 shows an example in which the information processing device 1 is configured as a single device. However, the information processing device 1 may be realized by multiple processors, memories, and other computing resources, such as a cloud computing system. In this case, each unit constituting the control unit 4 is realized by at least one of the multiple different processors executing a program.

[0040] The data acquisition unit 40 acquires point cloud data generated by the internal measuring instrument V measuring at one or more points while moving inside the piping P. The data acquisition unit 40 may acquire the point cloud data by wireless communication from the internal measuring instrument V while it is moving, or may acquire the point cloud data after the internal measuring instrument V has finished measuring by wireless communication or via a recording medium.

[0041] The data acquisition unit 40 also acquires position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument V generated by the fixed measuring instrument M. As with the point cloud data, the data acquisition unit 40 may acquire the position data wirelessly from the fixed measuring instrument M that is measuring the position data, or may acquire the position data wirelessly or via a recording medium after the measurement has been completed from the fixed measuring instrument M.

[0042] Based on the point cloud data and the position data, the position calculation unit 41 calculates the position of the center point of the cross section of the pipe P. Details of the calculation of the center point by the position calculation unit 41 will be described later, but the position calculation unit 41 unifies the coordinate systems of the point cloud data based on the position data, thereby converting the shape of the inner wall from the inlet to the outlet of the pipe P into spatial coordinate information in the unified coordinate system, thereby calculating the trajectory of the center point of the pipe P.

[0043] The output unit 42 outputs information indicating the relationship between the height of the center point of the pipe P relative to the center point of the pipe P at the inlet of the pipe P and the distance from the inlet of the pipe P. Specifically, the output unit 42 outputs this information to a display device (not shown) connected to the information processing device 1 or to a terminal (not shown) carried by the user of the information processing device 1. This allows the user of the information processing device 1 to notice signs of sinking of the pipe P by looking at the information output by the output unit 42.

[0044] (Calculation of the center point of the pipe P) Next, a description will be given of a calculation process of the center point of the pipe P executed by the position calculation unit 41 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the position calculation unit 41 includes a conversion unit 410, a generation unit 411, and a center coordinate calculation unit 412.

[0045] First, based on the position data of the internal measuring instrument V measured by the fixed measuring instrument M, the conversion unit 410 converts the coordinate system of the point cloud data measured by the fixed measuring instrument M at one or more points in the piping P into point cloud data of a first coordinate system C1 based on the fixed measuring instrument M. Hereinafter, in this specification, the point cloud data converted by the conversion unit 410 from the point cloud data of the second coordinate system C2 to the point cloud data of the first coordinate system C1 may be referred to as "point cloud data of a unified coordinate system."

[0046] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of position data of an internal measuring instrument V measured by a fixed measuring instrument M according to an embodiment, and is a diagram illustrating an example of position data measured by the fixed measuring instrument M using LiDAR. The position data shown in FIG. 3 is point cloud data composed of multiple points. The relative distance from the fixed measuring instrument M to each point constituting the point cloud data shown in FIG. 3 is known. For convenience of illustration, the point cloud data shown in FIG. 3 is represented so that point cloud data with different intensities of reflected light from the measurement object in measurement using LiDAR has different contrasts, but point cloud data with different distances from the fixed measuring instrument M may also be represented so that they have different colors. Note that the fixed measuring instrument M can determine the coordinates of the measurement object according to the intensity of reflected light.

[0047] In FIG. 3, the circular area indicated by the symbol T is a target T provided on the internal measuring instrument V. The target T is made of a material (e.g., a reflector or prism) that easily reflects light irradiated during measurement using LiDAR, and is referenced in the point cloud data so that the fixed measuring instrument M can measure the position of the internal measuring instrument V. Note that FIG. 3 shows an example in which the internal measuring instrument V has one target T. The number of targets T is not limited to one, and the internal measuring instrument V may have multiple targets T. In this case, the fixed measuring instrument M measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument V based on the position of an observable target T (i.e., a target T captured in the position data) among the multiple targets T provided by the internal measuring instrument V. As a result, even if a target T that cannot be observed from the fixed measuring instrument M appears due to tilting of the internal measuring instrument V, the fixed measuring instrument M can measure the position of the internal measuring instrument V using the observable target T as the starting point.

[0048] In Figure 3, the approximate circles P1 and P2 indicated by dashed lines are not point cloud data but figures added for convenience of explanation. The area surrounded by the approximate circles P1 and P2 corresponds to the inner wall of the pipe P, and the approximate circle P1 is a larger figure because it is closer to M than the approximate circle P2. Also, the ellipse indicated by the dashed dotted line in Figure 3 indicates the area where the internal measuring instrument V is located. The conversion unit 410 can obtain the distance of the internal measuring instrument V relative to the fixed measuring instrument M, i.e., the position of the internal measuring instrument V in the first coordinate system C1, from the distance of the point cloud data constituting the internal measuring instrument V.

[0049] 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing point cloud data in a unified coordinate system. Specifically, Fig. 4(a) is a diagram showing the coordinates of the origin o of the second coordinate system C2 in the first coordinate system C1, which is a unified coordinate system, and Fig. 4(b) is a diagram showing data in which multiple point cloud data are linked in the first coordinate system C1, which is also a unified coordinate system.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4(a), the conversion unit 410 converts the coordinate o (Xo, Yo, Zo) of the origin o of the second coordinate system C2 into the coordinate o (Xo, Yo, Zo) in the first coordinate system C1 based on the position data measured by the fixed measuring instrument M. T (T is the transpose of a vector or matrix). This calculates the coordinates (x, y, z) of point Q in the second coordinate system C2. T are the coordinates (Xq, Yq, Zq) in the first coordinate system C1 T =(x+Xo,y+Yo,z+Zo) T This can be expressed as:

[0051] Although the details will be described later, the conversion unit 410 acquires the orientation of the internal measuring device V at the coordinate o (Xo, Yo, Zo), that is, the amount of rotation of the second coordinate system C2 at the coordinate o (Xo, Yo, Zo). As a result, the conversion unit 410 can calculate a rotation matrix R (a matrix with 3 rows and 3 columns) for converting the coordinates of the second coordinate system C2 rotated with respect to the first coordinate system C1 into the first coordinate system C1. As a result, the conversion unit 410 first calculates the coordinates (x, y, z) of the point Q in the second coordinate system C2. Tcan be transformed into coordinates in a coordinate system that is not tilted relative to the first coordinate system C1 using the rotation matrix R. Then, the transformation unit 410 transforms the coordinate o(Xo, Yo, Zo) in the first coordinate system C1 of the origin o of the second coordinate system C2 into coordinates in a coordinate system that is not tilted relative to the first coordinate system C1 using the rotation matrix R. T Based on this, the point cloud data described in the second coordinate system C2 is converted into point cloud data in the first coordinate system C1, which is a unified coordinate system.

[0052] The conversion unit 410 can convert the point cloud data in the second coordinate system C2 measured by the internal measuring instrument V at multiple points within the piping P into point cloud data in a unified coordinate system and combine them to convert it into one point cloud data described in the unified coordinate system as shown in Figure 4(b).

[0053] The generation unit 411 generates a plurality of extracted point cloud data by extracting point cloud data in a unified coordinate system at a plurality of points at different distances from the inlet of the pipe P. The center coordinate calculation unit 412 calculates the center coordinates of each of the plurality of extracted point cloud data as the position of the center point of the cross section of the pipe P at that point.

[0054] 5(a)-(d) are diagrams for explaining a center point calculation process for calculating the center point of the cross section of the pipe P from the extracted point cloud data. Specifically, FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing extracted point cloud data at a point where the Y coordinate is Yt in the first coordinate system C1. In the example shown in FIGS. 5(a)-(d), the pipe P has a cylindrical shape, so the upper part in FIG. 5(a) is circular along the inner wall of the pipe P. On the other hand, because deposits are present at the lower part of the pipe P, the shape of the deposit surface is revealed at the lower part in FIG. 5(a), resulting in a shape that deviates from a circle.

[0055] Fig. 5(b) is a diagram showing the result of circular approximation of point cloud data in the XZ coordinate system when the Y coordinate is fixed to Yt in the first coordinate system C1. Specifically, in Fig. 5(b), the circle W indicated by the dashed dotted line shows the result of circular approximation using all the point cloud data shown in Fig. 5(b). Point Cw indicates the center of circle W.

[0056] In the XZ coordinate system shown in FIG. 5(b), the value of each point constituting the point cloud data is (X1, Z1) where N is the number of point cloud data. T ,(X2,Z2) T ,···,(X N ,Z N ) T In addition, in the XZ coordinate system, the coordinates of the center Cw are (X c ,Z c ) T , a circle with radius R is (XX c ) 2 +(ZZ c ) 2 =R 2 (1) It can be written as:

[0057] By transforming equation (1), we obtain the following equation (2). sX+tZ+u=X 2 +Z 2 (2)

[0058] In equation (2), s, t, and u are expressed by the following equation (3).

[0059]

number

[0060] Assuming that each point cloud data shown in FIG. 5(b) exists on the circle shown in equation (1), the following equation (4) holds.

[0061]

number

[0062] When equation (4) is expressed using a matrix, it becomes equation (5) below.

[0063]

number

[0064] In equation (5), if the matrix in the first term on the left side is A, the vector in the second term on the left side is x, and the vector on the right side is d, equation (5) becomes the following equation (6). Ax=d (6)

[0065] Here, each element of matrix A and vector d is known because it can be calculated from the coordinates of the point cloud data in the unified coordinate system calculated by the transformation unit 410. Vector x is unknown because it is a parameter that defines circle W. Since the number of elements of vector d is 3, if the number of elements of the extracted point cloud data shown in FIG. 5(b) is greater than 3, the problem of finding the unknowns in equations (5) and (6) becomes an overdetermined problem.

[0066] Now, the error e in equation (6) is expressed by equation (7). e=d-Ax (7) In this case, the optimal solution x in the sense of minimizing the square of the 2-norm of the error e is est is known as the least squares error solution and is expressed by the following equation (8). x est =(A T A) -1 A T d (8)

[0067] From the formula (8) and the formula (3), the center coordinate calculation unit 412 calculates X c , Z c , and R can be calculated to identify the circle W.

[0068] 5(b), the circle W approximated using all the point cloud data shown in FIG. 5(b) may be affected by deposits and may be fitted in a way that deviates from the actual inner wall of the pipe P. Therefore, the center coordinate calculation unit 412 deletes the point cloud data existing within a predetermined range from the point Cw, which is the center of the circle W, as noise data.

[0069] Fig. 5(c) is a diagram showing noise data determined by the center coordinate calculation unit 412. Specifically, in Fig. 5(c), black circles represent noise data determined by the center coordinate calculation unit 412, and white circles represent data that remains as a target for circular approximation.

[0070] 5(d) is a diagram showing the result of circular approximation performed by the center coordinate calculation unit 412 on the point cloud data indicated by the open circles in FIG. 5(c). In FIG. 5(d), circle F represents the circle resulting from circular approximation performed on the point cloud data indicated by the open circles in FIG. 5(c), and point C F indicates the center of circle F.

[0071] The center coordinate calculation unit 412 calculates the center coordinates of each of the multiple extracted point cloud data and sets them as the position of the center point of the cross section of the pipe P. This allows the position calculation unit 41 to calculate the center point of the pipe P at points with different Y coordinates in the first coordinate system C1.

[0072] (Estimation of the attitude of the internal sensor V) Next, the process of estimating the attitude of the internal measuring instrument V by the conversion unit 410, specifically the process of estimating the yaw angle ψ, roll angle φ, and pitch angle θ of the internal measuring instrument V, will be described.

[0073] Fig. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating the internal configuration of the conversion unit 410 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the conversion unit 410 according to the embodiment includes an ellipse approximation unit 4100, a center line estimation unit 4101, and an attitude estimation unit 4102. Figs. 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams for explaining the yaw angle estimation process of the internal measuring device V by the conversion unit 410 according to the embodiment. The yaw angle estimation process will be described below with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

[0074] As described above, the posture of the internal measuring instrument V while traveling inside the pipe P changes due to the influence of the deposits D. As a result, although the internal measuring instrument V moves generally straight from the entrance to the exit of the pipe P, it is possible that the direction of travel of the internal measuring instrument V may deviate from the central axis of the pipe P at a certain moment.

[0075] If the pipe P has a cylindrical shape and is cut along a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the pipe P, the cut surface of the pipe P will be circular. However, if the pipe P is cut along a plane that is not perpendicular to the central axis of the pipe P, in other words, a plane where the angle α between the central axis of the pipe P and the normal to the plane is greater than 0, the cut surface will be elliptical. The greater the angle α between the central axis of the pipe P and the normal to the plane, the greater the eccentricity of the ellipse at the cut surface.

[0076] Therefore, the ellipse approximation unit 4100 calculates the center point of the pipe P based on an ellipse obtained by elliptical approximation of the point cloud data (point cloud data in the second coordinate system C2) at each of the multiple points. As described with reference to Fig. 1, the internal measuring instrument V measures data related to the inner wall shape at each point in the pipe P with a certain depth toward the traveling direction of the internal measuring instrument V. Therefore, the ellipse approximation unit 4100 performs ellipse approximation on multiple pieces of data extracted from the point cloud data measured by the internal measuring instrument V at a certain point in the pipe P.

[0077] The equation of an ellipse is the length of the major axis 2a, the length of the minor axis 2b, and the coordinate of the center of the ellipse (X c ,Z c ), and the inclination ξ of the ellipse with respect to the X axis. This is a known technique and will not be described in detail, but if there are six or more pieces of data to be used for ellipse approximation, the ellipse approximation unit 4100 can achieve ellipse approximation using the least squares method, similar to the circular approximation described above.

[0078] FIG. 7(a) is a schematic diagram of an internal measuring instrument V advancing through a pipe P, viewed vertically from above downward. For ease of explanation, the tilt of the internal measuring instrument V is exaggerated in FIG. 7(a). In FIG. 7(a), the arrow indicated by the symbol G1 indicates the direction of travel of the internal measuring instrument V. Furthermore, the arrow indicated by the symbol G2 indicates the direction of the optical axis of the LiDAR camera equipped on the internal measuring instrument V, i.e., the direction in which the internal measuring instrument V is facing. The angle ψ formed by the direction G1 and the direction G2 is the yaw angle of the internal measuring instrument V.

[0079] In FIG. 7(a), the figure indicated by the symbol E is an ellipse obtained by approximation by the ellipse approximation unit 4100, and the point C E indicates the center of the ellipse E. To avoid complication, only one figure is labeled with the symbol E in FIG. 7(a), but a figure similar to the ellipse E in FIG. 7(a) is an ellipse approximated by the ellipse approximation unit 4100, and the black circle indicates the center of that ellipse. The ellipse approximation unit 4100 performs ellipse approximation on multiple data extracted from point cloud data measured by the internal measuring instrument V at a certain point in the piping P, and calculates multiple corresponding centers C. E Calculate.

[0080] FIG. 7B shows the ellipse approximation unit 4100 calculated the centers C E and the center line L of the pipe P. The center line estimation unit 4101 estimates the center lines C E Specifically, the center line estimation unit 4101 estimates the center line of the pipe P by using a known least squares method in a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system in which the direction parallel to the moving direction of the internal measuring instrument V is the α axis and the direction perpendicular to the α axis is the β axis. E A straight line passing through the center line L of the pipe P is approximated.

[0081] The attitude estimation unit 4102 estimates the yaw angle of the internal measuring instrument V at each of the multiple points based on the center line L of the piping estimated by the center line estimation unit 4101. Specifically, based on the center line L estimated for each of the multiple points by the center line estimation unit 4101, the angle between the direction G1 (i.e., the α axis in FIG. 7(b)), which is the traveling direction of the internal measuring instrument V at each point, and the center line L is estimated as the yaw angle ψ.

[0082] The internal measuring instrument V is equipped with an attitude angle sensor (not shown) for detecting the attitude angle of the internal measuring instrument V, but it is known that the accuracy of the yaw angle ψ of the internal measuring instrument V is significantly reduced compared to the roll angle φ and pitch angle θ due to the influence of geomagnetism. By estimating the yaw angle ψ using the above method, the conversion unit 410 can obtain a yaw angle ψ with higher accuracy than the yaw angle ψ detected by the attitude angle sensor.

[0083] The attitude estimation unit 4102 acquires the roll angle φ and pitch angle θ of the internal measuring instrument V at each of the multiple points based on the measurement results of the attitude angle sensor included in the internal measuring instrument V. The conversion unit 410 calculates a rotation matrix R for converting coordinates of a second coordinate system C2 rotated with respect to the first coordinate system C1 into the first coordinate system C1 based on the yaw angle ψ, roll angle φ, and pitch angle θ at each of the multiple points. This allows the conversion unit 410 to convert the second coordinate system C2, which is the coordinate system of the point cloud data at each of the multiple points, into point cloud data in a unified coordinate system (first coordinate system C1) based on the fixed measuring instrument M.

[0084] The point cloud data in the unified coordinate system generated by the conversion unit 410 is a coordinate based on the fixed measuring instrument M, and without the position information of the fixed measuring instrument M, it is not possible to know where on the map the point cloud data in the unified coordinate system is located. Therefore, the fixed measuring instrument M may be equipped with a signal receiving unit that receives signals from a navigation satellite (not shown). Specifically, the signal reception of the fixed measuring instrument M is realized by a known GPS module or the like that receives signals from navigation satellites such as GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites.

[0085] The position acquisition unit 43 of the information processing device 1 acquires the position of the fixed measuring instrument M using a signal received by the fixed measuring instrument M from a navigation satellite. The coordinate conversion unit 44 converts the unified coordinate system into an absolute coordinate system including latitude and longitude, using the position of the fixed measuring instrument M as a reference. This allows the point cloud data to be represented in the absolute coordinate system, and the user of the information processing device 1 can grasp where on the map the piping P that is the assumed target of the point cloud data is located.

[0086] (Output information) Next, the information output by the output unit 42 will be described.

[0087] Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of information output by the output unit 42 according to the embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 8 illustrates an example in which the output unit 42 outputs plot data as information, with the first axis representing the distance in the traveling direction of the internal measuring instrument V and the second axis representing the height of the center point of the pipe P relative to the center point of the pipe P at the inlet of the pipe P.

[0088] In the graph shown in Figure 8, the horizontal axis (first axis) represents the distance from the inlet of the pipe P, i.e., the distance X in the direction of travel of the internal measuring instrument V, in meters. The vertical axis (second axis) represents the height of the center point of the pipe P relative to the center point of the pipe at the inlet of the pipe P, in centimeters.

[0089] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the pipe P to be measured is approximately 100 meters long from the entrance to the exit, with the entrance located 30 centimeters higher than the exit. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the center of the pipe P to be measured has a downward trend. In FIG. 8, the solid line indicates the trend of the center point when the pipe P is a straight line from the entrance to the exit. Furthermore, the black dots (pentagonal dots) indicate the center points of the cross section of the pipe P calculated at each position within the pipe P. From FIG. 8, it can be seen that although the center points of the cross sections of the pipe P have a downward trend overall, they are moving locally in the up and down direction. By checking the information output by the output unit 42, the user of the information processing device 1 can grasp signs of subsidence of the pipe-shaped structure.

[0090] 9(a)-(d) are diagrams schematically illustrating another example of information output by the output unit 42 according to the embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 9(a) is a diagram for explaining the amount of left-right movement of the internal measuring instrument V within the pipe P and the height of the deposit D within the pipe P. The arrow indicated by (1) in FIG. 9(a) indicates the upper clearance and indicates the length from the upper surface of the internal measuring instrument V to the ceiling of the pipe P. Furthermore, the arrow indicated by (2) in FIG. 9(a) indicates the height of the deposit D and indicates the length from the lower surface of the internal measuring instrument V to the bottom of the pipe P. Furthermore, the arrow indicated by (3) in FIG. 9(a) indicates the horizontal movement of the internal measuring instrument V within the pipe P.

[0091] FIG. 9(b) is a graph showing the change in the clearance above the internal measuring device V. In FIG. 9(b), the horizontal axis (first axis) represents the distance from the entrance of the pipe P toward the internal measuring device V, measured in meters. The vertical axis (second axis) represents the length from the top of the internal measuring device V to the ceiling of the pipe P, measured in centimeters. FIG. 9(c) is a graph showing the change in the height of the deposit D inside the pipe P. In FIG. 9(c), the horizontal axis (first axis) represents the distance from the entrance of the pipe P toward the internal measuring device V, measured in meters. The vertical axis (second axis) represents the length from the bottom of the internal measuring device V to the bottom of the pipe P, measured in centimeters. As shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 9(c), there is a correlation between the height of the deposit D inside the pipe P and the clearance above the internal measuring device V; the higher the deposit height, the smaller the clearance above the internal measuring device V.

[0092] 9(d) is a graph showing the displacement of the horizontal movement of the internal measuring instrument V. In FIG. 9(d), the horizontal axis (first axis) represents the distance from the entrance of the pipe P toward the internal measuring instrument V, in meters. The vertical axis (second axis) represents the horizontal movement distance of the internal measuring instrument V, with the center point of the pipe P at the entrance of the pipe P as the reference point, in centimeters. In the example shown in FIG. 9(d), the pipe P has a straight shape, and it can be seen that the internal measuring instrument V moves approximately near the center of the pipe P.

[0093] The output unit 42 further outputs plot data in which the distance from the entrance of the pipe P toward the internal measuring instrument V is used as a first axis, and at least one of (1) the length from the top surface of the internal measuring instrument V to the ceiling of the pipe P, (2) the length from the bottom surface of the internal measuring instrument V to the bottom of the pipe P, and (3) the horizontal movement distance of the internal measuring instrument V relative to the center point of the pipe P at the entrance of the pipe P is used as a reference. This allows the user of the information processing device 1 to understand the state of the internal measuring instrument V within the pipe P by checking the information output by the output unit 42.

[0094] 10(a)-(d) are schematic diagrams for explaining the degree of crushing of a cylindrical pipe P. Specifically, FIG. 10(a) shows a cross section of an undeformed pipe P (a cut surface on a plane perpendicular to the long axis of the pipe). When the pipe P is cylindrical, its cross section is a circle as shown in FIG. 10(a). Now, let us assume that the diameter of the cross section of the pipe P is "1".

[0095] FIG. 10(b) is a diagram schematically illustrating a pipe P crushed in the vertical direction (vertical direction), and FIG. 10(c) is a diagram schematically illustrating a pipe P crushed in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction). In FIG. 10(b), the pipe P is crushed in the vertical direction, so the length of the vertical axis of the cross section is s (<1). Similarly, in FIG. 10(c), the pipe P is crushed in the horizontal direction, so the length of the horizontal axis of the cross section is t (<1). The ellipse approximation unit 4100 approximates the cross section of the pipe P as an ellipse at various positions of the point cloud data in the unified coordinate system, and calculates the lengths of its major axis and minor axis. The output unit 42 expresses the ratio of the difference between the major axis and the minor axis to the length of the major axis calculated by the ellipse approximation unit 4100 as a percentage, and calculates it as the degree of crushing of the pipe P. For example, in the example of Fig. 10(b), the degree of crushing is (1-s) / 1 x 100, and in the example of Fig. 10(c), the degree of crushing is (1-t) / 1 x 100. Note that the degree of crushing is not limited to this, and may be other values ​​such as the eccentricity or flattening of the ellipse.

[0096] 10(b) and 10(c) show examples in which the pipe P is deformed in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, but the pipe P may also be crushed in other directions. FIG. 10(d) is a diagram for explaining the crushing direction of the pipe P. For ease of explanation, the horizontal axis before rotation shown in FIG. 10(a) is referred to as the horizontal axis, and the vertical axis before rotation is referred to as the vertical axis. In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 10(d), the angle Θ between the vertical axis before rotation (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 10(d)) and the horizontal axis after rotation is defined as the crushing direction.

[0097] 11(a)-(b) are diagrams schematically illustrating yet another example of information output by the output unit 42 according to the embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 11(a) is a diagram illustrating, in a graph format, the change in the degree of crushing of the pipe P, and FIG. 11(b) is a diagram illustrating, in a graph format, the change in the direction of crushing of the pipe P. In FIG. 11(a), the horizontal axis (first axis) represents the distance from the inlet of the pipe P toward the internal measuring device V, measured in meters. The vertical axis (second axis) represents a value, measured in percentage, indicating the degree of crushing of the pipe P calculated based on an ellipse obtained by elliptical approximation of the cross section of the pipe P. In this way, the output unit 42 further outputs plot data indicating the degree of crushing of the pipe P, allowing the user of the information processing device 1 to understand the condition of the pipe P and determine whether or not the pipe needs to be replaced.

[0098] <Processing flow of information processing method executed by information processing device 1> 12 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of information processing executed by the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment. The processing in this flowchart starts, for example, when the information processing device 1 is started.

[0099] The data acquisition unit 40 acquires point cloud data generated by an internal measuring instrument V that measures point cloud data having spatial coordinate information of the inner wall shape of the pipe P at multiple points while moving inside the pipe P (S2). The data acquisition unit 40 acquires position data generated by a fixed measuring instrument M that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument V while moving inside the pipe P (S4).

[0100] The position calculation unit 41 calculates the position of the center point of the cross section of the pipe P based on the point cloud data and the position data (S6). The output unit 42 outputs information indicating the position of the center point of the cross section of the pipe P, specifically, information indicating the relationship between the height of the center point of the pipe P relative to the center point of the pipe P at the inlet of the pipe P and the distance from the inlet of the pipe P (S8). When the output unit 42 outputs the information, the processing in this flowchart ends.

[0101] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the center point position calculation process executed by the position calculation unit 41 according to the embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining the processing content of step S6 in 12 in detail.

[0102] The attitude estimation unit 4102 estimates the yaw angle ψ of the internal measurement instrument V based on point cloud data measured by the internal measurement instrument V at each of the multiple points (S60). The attitude estimation unit 4102 acquires the roll angle φ of the internal measurement instrument V at each of the multiple points based on the measurement results of the attitude angle sensor provided in the internal measurement instrument V (S61). The attitude estimation unit 4102 acquires the pitch angle θ of the internal measurement instrument V at each of the multiple points based on the measurement results of the attitude angle sensor provided in the internal measurement instrument V (S62).

[0103] Based on the position data of the internal measuring instrument V measured by the fixed measuring instrument M, the conversion unit 410 converts the coordinate system of the point cloud data measured by the fixed measuring instrument M at each of multiple points in the piping P into point cloud data in a unified coordinate system based on the fixed measuring instrument M, and unifies the point cloud data (S63). The generation unit 411 generates multiple extracted point cloud data by extracting point cloud data in the unified coordinate system at multiple points that are different distances from the entrance of the piping P (S64). The center coordinate calculation unit 412 calculates the center coordinates of each of the multiple extracted point cloud data as the position of the center point of the cross section of the piping P at that point (S65). This allows the position calculation unit 41 to accurately calculate the position of the center point of the piping P that is difficult for people to enter.

[0104] <Advantages of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment> As described above, the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment can detect signs of subsidence of a pipe-shaped structure.

[0105] The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of new embodiments resulting from the combination will also have the effects of the original embodiments. Such modifications will be described below.

[0106] <First Modification> The above describes a case where the internal measuring instrument V uses a LiDAR capable of identifying three-dimensional coordinates to measure point cloud data indicating the shape of the inner wall of the pipe P. Alternatively, the internal measuring instrument V may use a depth camera (a distance imaging camera or a stereo camera) to measure point cloud data indicating the shape of the inner wall of the pipe P.

[0107] <Second Modification> The above describes a case where the output unit 42 outputs information about the height of the center point of the pipe P. Instead of this, or in addition to this, the output unit 42 may output information about at least one of the measured value of the clearance within the pipe P, the estimated value of the water level accumulated within the pipe P, the estimated value of the height of the sediment accumulated within the pipe P, and the movement path of the internal measuring instrument V that moved within the pipe P from the inlet to the outlet of the pipe P.

[0108] Here, the output unit 42 can output the movement path of the internal measuring instrument V based on the position data generated by the fixed measuring instrument M. Furthermore, the output unit 42 can output the measurement value of the clearance within the pipe P, the estimated value of the water level of the water accumulated in the pipe P, and the estimated value of the height of the sediment accumulated in the pipe P by identifying the position of the ground or water surface between the entrance and the exit of the pipe P based on the data deleted as noise data by the center coordinate calculation unit 412 (point cloud data existing within a predetermined range from point Cw, which is the center of the circle W).

[0109] <Third Modification> In the above, a case where the cross section of the pipe P is circular (i.e., the pipe P is cylindrical) has been described. However, the cross section of the pipe P is not limited to a circle, and may be a polygon such as a square or a rectangle. When the cross section shape of the pipe P is known as prior information, the center coordinate calculation unit 412 may calculate the position of the center point of the pipe P by fitting the extracted point cloud data using a model that matches the cross section shape of the pipe P.

[0110] <Fourth Modification> In the above, a case has been described in which one internal measuring instrument V acquires point cloud data while moving inside the piping P. Alternatively, there may be two or more internal measuring instruments V. This case will be described below.

[0111] 14 is a diagram for explaining a measurement system S according to a fourth modified example, and is a schematic diagram of a fixed measuring instrument M and two mobile internal measuring instruments V in a pipe P viewed from above. Compared to the measurement system S according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the measurement system S according to the fourth modified example differs in that it is equipped with multiple (two) mobile internal measuring instruments V, a first internal measuring instrument V1 and a second internal measuring instrument V2, and in that the pipe P is curved rather than straight.

[0112] The relationship between the fixed measuring instrument M and the first internal measuring instrument V1 in Fig. 14 is the same as the relationship between the fixed measuring instrument M and the internal measuring instrument V in Fig. 1. That is, in Fig. 14, the fixed measuring instrument M measures the position of the first internal measuring instrument V1, so that the information processing device 1 can unify the coordinates of the point cloud data measured at one or more positions by the first internal measuring instrument V1.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 14, the fixed measuring instrument M cannot measure the position of the second internal measuring instrument V2 because the pipe P is bent. On the other hand, the first internal measuring instrument V1 can measure the position of the second internal measuring instrument V2. Therefore, the information processing device 1 converts the coordinates of the point cloud data measured by the second internal measuring instrument V2 into the coordinate system of the first internal measuring instrument V1. As a result, the information processing device 1 can unify the coordinates of the point cloud data measured by the first internal measuring instrument V1 and the coordinates of the point cloud data measured by the second internal measuring instrument V2. Even if there are three or more internal measuring instruments V, the information processing device 1 can similarly unify the coordinates of the point cloud data measured by each internal measuring instrument V. As described above, the measurement system S according to the fourth modified example can unify the coordinates of the point cloud data even when the internal measuring instrument V cannot be directly measured from the fixed measuring instrument M installed outside the pipe P.

[0114] <Fifth Modification> In the above, a case has been described in which the internal measuring instrument V is powered and measures point cloud data at one or more points while moving inside the pipe P. Alternatively, the internal measuring instrument V may be one or more stationary measuring instruments installed inside the pipe P. This can be achieved, for example, by having a transport robot (not shown) install a LiDAR with a target T attached at one or more positions inside the pipe P in advance in preparation for measurement inside the pipe P. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1. Information processing device 2...Storage section 3. Communications Department 4. Control section 40 Data acquisition section 41...Position calculation section 410...Conversion unit 4100....Elliptical approximation 4101...Center line estimation section 4102...Posture estimation section 411...Generation section 412...Center coordinate calculation unit 42 Output section 43...Position acquisition unit 44... Coordinate conversion section V...Internal measuring instrument M... Fixed measuring instrument S···Measurement System

Claims

1. acquiring point cloud data generated by an internal measuring instrument that measures point cloud data having spatial coordinate information of an inner wall shape of the pipe at one or more points inside the pipe; acquiring position data generated by a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the piping; converting a coordinate system of the point cloud data at each of the plurality of points into point cloud data in a unified coordinate system based on the fixed measuring instrument, based on the position data; generating a plurality of extracted point cloud data extracted from the point cloud data in the unified coordinate system at a plurality of points at different distances from an inlet of the pipe; calculating a center point of an ellipse obtained by ellipsitizing the extracted point cloud data at each of the plurality of points as the position of the center point of the pipe; outputting information indicating a relationship between a height of the center point of the pipe relative to the center point of the pipe at the inlet of the pipe and a distance from the inlet of the pipe; a step of identifying the position of the ground or water surface between the inlet and the outlet of the pipe based on the data removed as noise data in the step of calculating the position of the center point of the pipe; a step of estimating at least one of a measured value of the clearance of the pipe, an estimated value of the water level accumulated in the pipe, and an estimated value of the height of the sediment accumulated in the pipe, based on the position of the ground or water surface identified in the identifying step; and outputting at least one of a measurement value of the clearance of the pipe estimated in the estimating step, an estimated value of the water level of the water accumulated in the pipe, and an estimated value of the height of the sediment accumulated in the pipe. Information processing methods.

2. acquiring a position of the fixed measuring instrument using a signal received by the fixed measuring instrument from a navigation satellite; and converting the unified coordinate system into an absolute coordinate system including latitude and longitude based on the position of the fixed measuring device. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

3. The step of converting into point cloud data includes: estimating a centerline of the piping from the plurality of center points; and estimating a yaw angle of the internal measuring instrument at each of the plurality of points based on the estimated center line. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

4. the step of converting into point cloud data includes a step of acquiring a roll angle and a pitch angle of the internal measuring instrument at each of the plurality of points based on a measurement result of an attitude angle sensor provided in the internal measuring instrument; and in the step of converting into point cloud data of a unified coordinate system, converting the coordinate system of the point cloud data at each of the plurality of points into point cloud data of a unified coordinate system based on the fixed measuring instrument, further based on the yaw angle, roll angle, and pitch angle at each of the plurality of points. The information processing method according to claim 3 .

5. In the step of outputting the information, plot data is output in which a first axis represents the distance from the inlet of the pipe in a direction toward the internal measuring instrument, and a second axis represents the height of the center point of the pipe relative to the center point of the pipe at the inlet of the pipe. The information processing method according to claim 3 .

6. In the information output step, plot data is further output in which the distance from the entrance of the pipe in the direction toward the internal measuring instrument is used as a first axis, and at least one of (1) the length from the top surface of the internal measuring instrument to the ceiling of the pipe, (2) the length from the bottom surface of the internal measuring instrument to the bottom of the pipe, and (3) the horizontal movement distance of the internal measuring instrument relative to the center point of the pipe in the distance from the entrance of the pipe in the direction of movement of the internal measuring instrument is used as a reference. The information processing method according to claim 5 .

7. In the step of outputting the information, plot data is further output, in which a first axis represents the distance from the inlet of the pipe in a direction toward the internal measuring instrument, and a second axis represents a value indicating the degree of deformation of the pipe calculated based on the ellipse obtained by the ellipse approximation. The information processing method according to claim 5 .

8. the internal measuring instrument includes a plurality of targets that the fixed measuring instrument uses as reference to measure the position of the internal measuring instrument; the fixed measuring instrument measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument based on the position of an observable target among a plurality of targets included in the internal measuring instrument; The information processing method according to claim 1 .

9. On the computer, a function of acquiring point cloud data generated by an internal measuring instrument that measures point cloud data indicating the inner wall shape of the pipe at one or more points inside the pipe; a function of acquiring position data generated by a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the piping; a function of converting the coordinate system of the point cloud data at each of the plurality of points into point cloud data in a unified coordinate system based on the fixed measuring instrument, based on the position data; a function of generating a plurality of extracted point cloud data extracted from the point cloud data in the unified coordinate system at a plurality of points at different distances from an inlet of the pipe; a function of calculating a center point of an ellipse obtained by ellipsitizing the extracted point cloud data at each of the plurality of points as the position of the center point of the pipe; a function of outputting information indicating a relationship between a height of the center point of the pipe relative to the center point of the pipe at the inlet of the pipe and a distance from the inlet of the pipe; a function of determining the position of the ground or water surface between the inlet and the outlet of the pipe based on data that has been deleted as noise data in the function of calculating the position of the center point of the pipe; a function of estimating at least one of a measured value of the clearance of the pipe, an estimated value of the water level accumulated in the pipe, and an estimated value of the height of the sediment accumulated in the pipe based on the identified position of the ground or water surface; and a function of outputting at least one of the estimated measurement value of the clearance of the pipe, the estimated value of the water level accumulated in the pipe, and the estimated value of the height of the sediment accumulated in the pipe. program.

10. a data acquisition unit that acquires point cloud data generated by an internal measuring instrument that measures point cloud data indicating the inner wall shape of the pipe at one or more points inside the pipe, and position data generated by a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the pipe; a conversion unit that converts, based on the position data, a coordinate system of the point cloud data at each of the plurality of points into point cloud data in a unified coordinate system based on the fixed measuring instrument; a generation unit that generates a plurality of extracted point cloud data extracted from the point cloud data in the unified coordinate system at a plurality of points that are different distances from an inlet of the pipe; an ellipse approximation unit that calculates a center point of an ellipse obtained by ellipsizing the extracted point cloud data at each of the plurality of points as the position of the center point of the pipe; an output unit that identifies the position of the ground or water surface between the inlet and the outlet of the pipe based on the data deleted as noise data by the ellipse approximation unit, estimates at least one of a measured value of the clearance of the pipe, an estimated value of the water level accumulated in the pipe, and an estimated value of the height of the sediment accumulated in the pipe based on the identified position of the ground or water surface, and outputs at least one of the estimated measured value of the clearance of the pipe, the estimated value of the water level accumulated in the pipe, and the estimated value of the height of the sediment accumulated in the pipe, and information indicating the relationship between the height of the center point of the pipe based on the center point of the pipe at the inlet and the distance from the inlet of the pipe. Information processing device.

11. an internal measuring instrument that measures point cloud data having spatial coordinate information of an inner wall shape of the pipe at one or more points inside the pipe; a fixed measuring instrument that measures position data indicating the position of the internal measuring instrument inside the piping; and the information processing device according to claim 10. Measurement system.

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