Unmanned aircraft and storage media

Abstract

In an embodiment, a wireless LAN is installed in a factory. Mechanical equipment 4 of the factory includes a short-range wireless communication unit 41. An unmanned aerial vehicle 2 stores segmented regions of a three-dimensional map or a two-dimensional map of the factory, and wireless stations to which the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is to connect in the respective regions. The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 switches the wireless stations to connect to, in accordance with a region in which an own location is present on the three-dimensional map or the two-dimensional map.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone operating in a factory and a computer-readable storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a robot system including a robot, a robot control device for controlling the robot, a teaching device for sending a teaching signal of the robot to the robot control device according to an operator's teaching input, a drone equipped with an imaging device, and a flight control unit for controlling the flight of the drone so that the imaging device continuously acquires an image of an object necessary for teaching based on the teaching signal while the robot operates according to the teaching signal.

[0003] Generally, in a production site, a robot may be used inside a fence for safety considerations. The robot system of Patent Document 1 can teach the robot even in an environment where it is difficult for an operator to directly visually recognize the movement of the robot from outside the fence by controlling the flight of the drone based on the teaching signal for controlling the robot while the robot is operating.

[0004] Conventionally, the use of drones for inventory management in warehouses and condition monitoring in factories has been increasing. Since drones are flying objects and have a flexible movement area, new applications are expected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In a manufacturing site, a technology for utilizing drones is desired. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is an unmanned aircraft that flies within a factory and comprises: a first wireless communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication with machinery and equipment; a second wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with a longer communication range than short-range wireless communication; a machinery and equipment selection unit that determines whether or not the machinery and equipment has been selected in advance as a communication partner; and a wireless station switching unit that detects when the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory is near the selected machinery and equipment and switches its connection to a short-range wireless communication station attached to the machinery and equipment. A storage medium in one aspect of the present disclosure stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an unmanned aircraft, which includes a first wireless communication unit for short-range wireless communication with machinery and equipment, and a second wireless communication unit for wireless communication with a longer communication range than short-range wireless communication, determine whether the machinery and equipment has been selected as a communication partner in advance, cause the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory to detect that its own position is near the selected machinery and equipment, and switch to a short-range wireless communication station attached to the machinery and equipment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, unmanned aerial vehicles can be utilized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle control system. [Figure 2] This is a hardware configuration diagram for an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a hardware configuration diagram for a PC. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of the unmanned aircraft control system of the first disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of data stored in the wireless switching area memory unit. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle control system in the first disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram of the unmanned aircraft control system from the second disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle control system in the second disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing an example of a flight path for an unmanned aircraft. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [First Disclosure] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of the unmanned aircraft control system 100. The unmanned aircraft control system 100 comprises one or more unmanned aircraft 2, a personal computer (PC) 1 for creating flight plans for the unmanned aircraft 2, a wireless communication device 3 for mediating communication between the unmanned aircraft 2 and the PC 1, and mechanical equipment 4 for performing short-range wireless communication. The unmanned aircraft control system 100 is installed in a space such as a factory where multiple pieces of machinery 4 are arranged. The machinery 4 may include, but are not limited to, machine tools, robots, air conditioning and ventilation equipment, fire-resistant and smoke-exhaust equipment, inspection equipment, piping equipment, and cleanroom equipment. The PC1 of the unmanned aircraft control system 100 is not particularly limited to any information processing device such as a server or a mobile terminal. Machine equipment 4 may be connected to the factory's wireless LAN (Local Area Network). In this case, the flight plan created by PC1 can be output to the unmanned aircraft 2 via short-range wireless communication of machine equipment 4, and the unmanned aircraft 2 can be controlled.

[0011] The unmanned aircraft 2 has the hardware configuration shown in Figure 2. The CPU 211 of the unmanned aircraft 2 is the processor that controls the entire unmanned aircraft 2. The CPU 211 reads the system program stored in the ROM 212 via the bus and controls the entire unmanned aircraft 2 according to the system program. The RAM 213 temporarily stores temporary calculation data and various data input from external sources.

[0012] The non-volatile memory 214 is composed of, for example, a memory backed up by a battery (not shown), and the stored state is retained even when the power supply 221 of the unmanned aircraft 2 is turned off. The non-volatile memory 214 stores data read from an external device (not shown), data acquired from a communication device via a network, and the like. The data stored in the non-volatile memory 214 may be expanded to the RAM 213 during the execution / use of the unmanned aircraft 2. Also, various system programs such as known programs are pre-written in the ROM 212.

[0013] The sensors 215 are an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, an electronic compass, an air pressure sensor, a distance sensor, etc. The electronic compass acquires the direction of the unmanned aircraft by magnetic force. The distance sensor is, for example, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor, and measures scattered light with respect to laser irradiation that emits light in pulses.

[0014] The CPU 211 mounted on the unmanned aircraft 2 functions as, for example, a flight controller or a companion controller. The CPU 211 is not necessarily one, and a plurality of CPU 211 may be mounted according to the function. The CPU 211 as a flight controller appropriately controls the attitude and position of the aircraft based on the information acquired from the sensors 215. The CPU 211 calculates the tilt and movement of the unmanned aircraft 2 based on the change amount of the speed of the unmanned aircraft 2 acquired by the acceleration sensor, calculates the change in the tilt and direction of the unmanned aircraft 2 based on the change amount of the rotational speed of the unmanned aircraft 2 acquired from the angular velocity sensor, and calculates the altitude of the unmanned aircraft 2 from the air pressure acquired from the air pressure sensor.

[0015] As a companion controller, the CPU 211 also calculates two-dimensional or three-dimensional point cloud data based on the values of the scattered light acquired by the LIDAR sensor. The point cloud data becomes the environmental map around the unmanned aircraft 2. The CPU 211 can also sequentially estimate the movement amount of the unmanned aircraft 2 by matching the point clouds. The self-position can be estimated by integrating the movement amount. In addition, for the estimation of the self-position of the unmanned aircraft 2, the point cloud data from the LIDAR sensor and the values obtained from the acceleration sensor and the angular velocity sensor may be combined. Note that an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a radar sensor using radio waves may be used as the distance sensor instead of the LIDAR sensor. A camera or an image sensor can also be used as the distance sensor instead of the LIDAR sensor. When using a camera, AR markers, AR tags, QR codes (registered trademarks), etc. can also be used in combination. As an example of not using a distance sensor, there is also a method of estimating the self-position using a beacon. In the present disclosure, the method for estimating the self-position of the unmanned aircraft 2 is not particularly limited.

[0016] The image processing unit 216 converts the image captured by the camera 217 into appropriate data and outputs it to the CPU 211. The camera 217 of the unmanned aircraft 2 mainly photographs the machine equipment 4 selected by the user. Thereby, the operating state of the factory, such as the values displayed on the instruments provided in the machine equipment 4 and the operating state of the machine equipment 4, can be grasped.

[0017] The wireless communication unit 218 includes a wireless LAN communication unit 222 and a short-range wireless communication unit 223. The wireless LAN communication unit 222 is, for example, a wireless station of Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The wireless LAN communication unit 222 communicates with the wireless communication device 3. The communication range of the wireless communication device 3 includes the entire factory (or the entire flight path of the unmanned aircraft 2). The short-range wireless communication unit 223 is, for example, a wireless station of Bluetooth (registered trademark). The short-range wireless communication unit 223 of the unmanned aircraft 2 communicates with the short-range wireless communication unit 41 incorporated in the machine equipment 4.

[0018] The ESC (Electric Speed ​​Controller) 219, also known as an amplifier, is attached to each propeller. The ESC 219 controls the motor's rotation speed according to instructions from the CPU 211. By controlling the propeller's rotation speed, a pressure difference is created above and below the propeller 220. This pressure difference generates lift, causing the unmanned aircraft 2 to fly. Lift is the upward force that pushes the unmanned aircraft 2 upwards. The unmanned aircraft 2 can change its speed and direction of movement by changing the rotation speed of the propeller 220. Unmanned aircraft 2 performs actions such as hovering (lift equals gravity), ascending (the rotation speed of the four motors increases), descending (the rotation speed of the four motors decreases), moving forward, backward, left, and right (the rotation speed of the two propellers opposite the direction of travel increases, causing movement in the direction of travel), turning left (the rotation speed of the right-rotating propeller increases), and turning right (the rotation speed of the left-rotating propeller increases) by controlling the rotation speed of the 220 propellers.

[0019] PC1 has the hardware configuration shown in Figure 3. The CPU 111 in PC1 is the processor that controls PC1 as a whole. The CPU 111 reads the system program stored in ROM 112 via bus 122 and controls the entire PC1 according to the system program. RAM 113 temporarily stores temporary calculation data, display data, and various data input from external sources.

[0020] The non-volatile memory 114 is composed of, for example, a battery-backed memory (not shown) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and its memory state is maintained even when the PC1 is powered off. The non-volatile memory 114 stores data read from external devices 125 via interface 115, data input via input unit 124, data acquired from unmanned aircraft via wireless communication device, etc. The data stored in the non-volatile memory 114 may be expanded into RAM 113 during execution / use. In addition, various system programs, such as well-known programs, are pre-written in ROM 112.

[0021] The display unit 123 displays data loaded into memory, data obtained as a result of program execution, etc., which are output via the interface 117. The input unit 124, which consists of a keyboard and pointing device, passes programmer input to the CPU 111 via the interface 118.

[0022] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the unmanned aircraft control system 100. The unmanned aircraft control system 100 comprises one or more unmanned aircraft 2, a personal computer (PC) 1 for creating flight plans for the unmanned aircraft 2, a wireless communication device 3 as a wireless LAN access point, and mechanical equipment 4 as a wireless station for short-range wireless communication.

[0023] PC1 includes a self-position acquisition unit 11 that acquires the self-position of the unmanned aircraft 2, an environment map acquisition unit 12 that acquires an environment map of the unmanned aircraft 2, a mapping unit 13 that maps the self-position of the unmanned aircraft 2 onto a 3D map, a flight plan creation unit 14 that creates a flight plan for the unmanned aircraft 2, and a flight plan output unit 15 that outputs the flight plan to the unmanned aircraft 2.

[0024] The self-position acquisition unit 11 acquires the self-position of the unmanned aircraft 2 via the wireless communication device 3. The self-position of the unmanned aircraft 2 is the position of the unmanned aircraft 2 calculated by the unmanned aircraft 2 based on the values ​​of the acceleration, angular velocity sensors and distance sensors.

[0025] The environmental map acquisition unit 12 acquires an environmental map of the unmanned aircraft 2 via the wireless communication device 3. The environmental map is point cloud data of the area around the unmanned aircraft 2. The environmental map is created based on values ​​from distance sensors, etc. The unmanned aircraft 2's own position can also be estimated using the strength of radio waves such as beacons or Wi-Fi. When using beacon or Wi-Fi radio waves, the coordinates of the unmanned aircraft 2 can be determined from the radio waves, so an environmental map is not always necessary. When an environmental map is created, the situation around the unmanned aircraft 2 can be acquired in real time, and unexpected obstacles can be detected.

[0026] The mapping unit 13 associates the environment map of the unmanned aircraft 2 with the 3D map based on feature points and other factors, and maps the unmanned aircraft 2's own position to the coordinate system of the 3D map. The flight plan creation unit 14 creates a flight plan for the unmanned aircraft 2.

[0027] The flight plan output unit 15 outputs a flight plan to the unmanned aircraft 2 via a wireless LAN using the wireless communication device 3. The flight plan includes the unmanned aircraft 2's position on a 3D map. The flight plan may also be stored in the unmanned aircraft 2's non-volatile memory 214. The flight plan may also include the flight start time, etc.

[0028] The unmanned aircraft 2 includes a self-position estimation unit 21 for estimating its own position, an environment map creation unit 22 for creating an environment map of the surrounding environment of the unmanned aircraft 2, a flight plan acquisition unit 23 for acquiring the flight plan of the unmanned aircraft 2, an autonomous flight unit 24 for performing autonomous flight according to the flight plan and movement commands, a wireless LAN communication unit 222 for performing wireless LAN communication, a short-range wireless communication unit 223 for performing wireless communication with each piece of machinery 4, a wireless switching area storage unit 25 for storing areas that indicate the boundaries of wireless switching, a wireless station switching unit 26 for switching wireless stations, and a piece of machinery selection unit 29 for selecting a base station that has been selected in advance. The self-position estimation unit 21 calculates the tilt and movement of the unmanned aircraft 2 based on the change in the speed of the unmanned aircraft 2 acquired by the acceleration sensor, calculates the change in tilt and orientation of the unmanned aircraft 2 based on the change in the rotational speed of the unmanned aircraft 2 acquired by the angular velocity sensor, calculates the altitude of the unmanned aircraft 2 from the air pressure acquired by the barometric pressure sensor, and calculates its own displacement. In addition, the self-position estimation unit 21 sequentially estimates the displacement of the unmanned aircraft 2 by matching it with an environmental map. It estimates its own position by accumulating the displacement. The environmental map creation unit 22 is LID A Acquired by R sensor Scattered Based on the diffuse light values, two-dimensional or three-dimensional point cloud data is also calculated. This point cloud data serves as an environmental map of the area surrounding the unmanned aircraft 2.

[0029] The flight plan acquisition unit 23 acquires the flight plan from the radio communication device 3 or the mechanical equipment 4. The flight plan includes the unmanned aircraft 2's position on a three-dimensional map. The wireless LAN communication unit 222 is, for example, a Wi-Fi® adapter. The wireless LAN communication unit 222 communicates with the wireless communication device 3. The communication area of ​​the wireless communication device 3 includes the entire factory (or the entire flight path of the unmanned aircraft 2). The short-range radio communication unit 223 is, for example, a Bluetooth® adapter. The short-range radio communication unit 223 of the unmanned aircraft 2 communicates with the short-range radio communication unit 41 incorporated into the mechanical equipment 4.

[0030] The wireless switching area storage unit 25 stores areas obtained by dividing a 3D or 2D map of the factory, and the radio stations that the unmanned aircraft 2 should connect to in each area. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the wireless switching area storage unit 25 stores "area 1" as "wireless LAN," "area 2" as "short-range radio station (device ID)," and so on. The radio station switching unit 26 refers to the radio switching area storage unit 25 and detects radio stations located in the area where the unmanned aircraft 2's own position exists on a 3D map or a 2D map. The machine equipment selection unit 29 determines whether a radio station located in the area where the unmanned aircraft 2 is present is attached to a pre-selected machine equipment 4. If a radio station is attached to a pre-selected machine equipment, the radio station is switched. If a radio station is attached to a machine equipment that has not been pre-selected, the radio station is not switched. The selection of mechanical equipment 4 may be made before autonomous flight or during autonomous flight.

[0031] Furthermore, the selection of machine equipment 4 can be entered manually or by an information processing device such as an external system. For example, if a drone performs periodic tasks based on an external program, the machine equipment 4 specified in the program can be automatically selected. Also, if the path to the target machine equipment 4 is automatically calculated based on a path calculation algorithm, the machine equipment (radio station) can be selected based on which area the drone's current position falls within.

[0032] In this disclosure, "radio station" means a transmitter, receiver, or combination of a transmitter and receiver that communicates using radio waves. In other words, in this disclosure, the wireless LAN communication unit 222 and short-range radio communication unit 223 of the unmanned aircraft 2, the radio communication device 3, and the short-range radio communication unit 223 of the mechanical equipment 4 are all radio stations.

[0033] The mechanical device 4 is equipped with a short-range wireless communication unit 41. The short-range wireless communication unit 41 is, for example, a Bluetooth adapter. The short-range wireless communication unit 41 outputs packets at regular intervals. These packets contain the device address and device name of the mechanical device 4. The short-range wireless communication unit 223 of the unmanned aircraft 2, upon receiving these packets, replies to the short-range wireless communication unit 41 of the mechanical device 4, establishing a connection.

[0034] The operation of the unmanned aircraft control system 100 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6. First, the unmanned aircraft 2 estimates its own position (step S1) and creates an environmental map (step S2). PC1 maps the unmanned aircraft 2's own position and environmental map onto a 3D map of the factory and obtains the position of the unmanned aircraft 2 on the 3D map (step S3). PC1 creates a flight plan for the unmanned aircraft 2 (step S4) and outputs it to the unmanned aircraft 2. The user selects the equipment 4 for radio communication (step S5). The selected equipment 4 is registered with the unmanned aircraft 2. Here, the equipment 4 for radio communication is selected before the start of autonomous flight, but it is also possible to select equipment 4 during autonomous flight and register it with the unmanned aircraft 2.

[0035] Unmanned aircraft 2 flies autonomously according to the flight plan received from PC1 (Step S6). The unmanned aircraft 2 refers to the wireless switching area memory unit 25 and determines the area that includes the unmanned aircraft 2's own position (step S7). If the area that includes the unmanned aircraft 2's own position changes (step S8; Yes), the unmanned aircraft 2 determines that it has entered a new area (step S9). If the area that includes the unmanned aircraft 2's own position does not change (step S8; No), the unmanned aircraft 2 proceeds to step S6 and continues autonomous flight. If it determines that it has entered a new area, the unmanned aircraft 2 checks the surrounding radio wave conditions (step S10). If the unmanned aircraft 2 is flying near the mechanical equipment 4, radio waves indicating the presence of the mechanical equipment 4 reach the unmanned aircraft 2. When the unmanned aircraft 2 receives radio waves from the mechanical equipment 4, the short-range radio communication unit of the unmanned aircraft 2 223 The system establishes a connection with the short-range radio communication unit 41 of the mechanical equipment 4 (step S11) and switches radio stations (step S12). Here, the mechanical equipment 4 may relay data from PC1, or the mechanical equipment 4 may directly control the unmanned aircraft 2. If the mechanical equipment 4 directly controls the unmanned aircraft 2, it is desirable that the mechanical equipment 4 is equipped with a computing device such as a numerical control device or a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).

[0036] As described above, the unmanned aircraft control system 100 of the first disclosure has a radio switching area memory unit 25 that divides a 3D map of the factory into areas and records a radio station suitable for each area. These areas can be created by actually measuring the radio wave conditions within the factory. The unmanned aircraft 2 switches radio stations while confirming which area it is flying in. Various wireless systems coexist within the factory, and wireless communication can become unstable due to radio noise from machinery 4. Furthermore, there are areas within the factory where radio waves have difficulty reaching, such as inside and near machine tools. When controlling the unmanned aircraft 2 inside the casing of a machine tool (especially a large one), communication interference due to the casing may occur. The unmanned aircraft control system 100 switches to short-range communication near the machinery 4 when the Wi-Fi signal strength is poor, so it can control the unmanned aircraft 2 even in places within the factory where radio waves are difficult to reach, such as inside or near machine tools.

[0037] The distance between the radio station and the unmanned aircraft 2 may be measured, and the connection may be switched when the unmanned aircraft 2 approaches the vicinity of the radio station. The distance from the radio station may be calculated using the Euclidean distance from the coordinates of the unmanned aircraft's position and the radio station, or the distance from the mechanical equipment 4 may be calculated from the image captured by the unmanned aircraft 2. Alternatively, the radio station's beacon may be used as a distance sensor. Since the range of short-range radio communication varies depending on the equipment, a threshold distance for switching may be set for each piece of equipment. The wireless connection protocol is not limited to those described above, and the concept of this disclosure also applies to wireless connections using protocols different from those disclosed herein.

[0038] [Second Disclosure] The unmanned aircraft control system 100 of the second disclosure, as shown in Figure 7, includes a signal strength detection unit 27 and a device ID storage unit 28 in the unmanned aircraft 2. The signal strength detection unit 27 detects the signal strength of the radio waves output by the wireless communication device 3 and the signal strength of the mechanical equipment 4. The device ID storage unit 28 stores the device ID, which is the identification information of the short-range wireless communication unit 41 incorporated into the mechanical equipment 4. The device ID storage unit 28 also stores the mechanical equipment 4 selected as the communication partner. The radio station switching unit 26 compares the signal strength detected by the signal strength detection unit 27 and switches the radio station if there is a radio station with a better signal condition than the currently connected radio station, and the device ID of this radio station is recorded in the device ID storage unit 28, and this machine equipment 4 is selected as the communication partner.

[0039] The operation of the unmanned aircraft control system 100 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 8. First, the unmanned aircraft 2 estimates its own position (step S21) and creates an environmental map (step S22). PC1 maps the unmanned aircraft 2's own position and environmental map onto a 3D map of the factory and obtains the position of the unmanned aircraft 2 on the 3D map (step S23). PC1 creates a flight plan for the unmanned aircraft 2 (step S24) and outputs it to the unmanned aircraft 2. The unmanned aircraft 2 flies autonomously according to the flight plan received from PC1 (step S25).

[0040] Unmanned aircraft 2 detects the signal strength (step S26). Unmanned aircraft 2 compares the signal strength of the currently connected radio station with the signal strength of other radio stations (step S27). If there are no radio stations with a better signal than the currently connected radio station (step S28; No), it proceeds to step S25 and continues autonomous flight. If there is a radio station with a better signal than the currently connected radio station (Step S28; Yes), and the device ID of this radio station exists in the device ID storage unit 28 (Step S29; Yes), a connection is established with the short-range radio communication unit 41 having this device ID (Step S30), and the radio station is switched (Step S31). If the device ID of the radio station detected in step S28 does not exist in the device ID storage unit 28 (step S29; No), the system proceeds to step S25 and continues autonomous flight.

[0041] As explained above, the unmanned aircraft control system 100 of the second disclosure uses signal strength to detect when it is approaching the vicinity of the target machinery 4. By using signal strength as the selection criterion for radio stations, it is possible to reliably switch to a radio station with a good signal condition.

[0042] [Third Disclosure] The unmanned aircraft control system 100 of the third disclosure has substantially the same configuration as the unmanned aircraft control system 100 of the second disclosure shown in Figure 6. The unmanned aircraft control system 100 of the third disclosure stores the device IDs of multiple mechanical equipment 4 in the device ID storage unit 28 of the unmanned aircraft 2. In the unmanned aircraft control system 100 of the third disclosure, the unmanned aircraft 2 flies while switching between the short-range radio communication units 41 of multiple mechanical equipment 4. For example, when the unmanned aircraft 2 moves along a flight path as shown in Figure 9, there are four mechanical equipment 4 in the vicinity of the unmanned aircraft 2's flight path. The aircraft flies while switching between the short-range radio communication unit 41 of mechanical equipment A, the short-range radio communication unit 41 of mechanical equipment B, the short-range radio communication unit 41 of mechanical equipment C, and the short-range radio communication unit 41 of mechanical equipment D, whichever has the best signal condition. This enables stable communication even in places with unstable radio wave conditions, such as factories.

[0043] The device ID storage unit 28 may store the device IDs of all short-range wireless communication units 41 present in the factory. Increasing the number of device IDs expands the area over which short-range wireless communication is possible. This broadens the range of communication options, and even without a wireless environment covering the entire factory, such as a wireless LAN, it becomes possible to control the unmanned aircraft 2 using only short-range wireless communication. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 100 Unmanned Aircraft Control Systems 1. Personal computer (PC) 2 unmanned aircraft 3. Wireless communication device 4. Mechanical equipment 11 Self-location acquisition unit 12. Environmental Map Acquisition Section 13 Mapping section 14 Flight Planning Department 15 Flight Plan Output Unit 21 Self-position estimation part 22 Environmental Mapping Department 23 Flight Plan Acquisition Department 24 Autonomous Flight Unit 25 Wireless switching area storage unit 26. Radio station switching unit 222 Wireless LAN Communication Section 223 Short-Range Radio Communication Section 41 Short-range radio communication section 211 CPU 214 Non-volatile memory 215 Sensor 216 Image Processing Unit 217 Camera

Claims

1. It is an unmanned aircraft that flies around inside the factory. A first radio communication unit that performs short-range radio communication with a radio station attached to mechanical equipment, A second wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with a longer communication range than the aforementioned short-range wireless communication, A machine equipment selection unit determines whether the radio station detected based on the self-position of the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory is attached to machine equipment that has been selected in advance as a communication partner, When the machine equipment selection unit determines that the radio station detected based on the self-position of the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory is a radio station attached to the machine equipment that has been selected in advance, the radio station switching unit switches from the second radio communication unit to the first radio communication unit and switches the connection to the radio station attached to the machine equipment, Equipped with, The second wireless communication unit communicates wirelessly with a wireless communication device whose communication area is the entire factory or the entire flight path of the unmanned aircraft. Unmanned aircraft.

2. An unmanned aircraft that flies inside a factory, A first radio communication unit that performs short-range radio communication with a radio station attached to mechanical equipment, A second wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with a longer communication range than the aforementioned short-range wireless communication, An autonomous flight unit that autonomously flies within the factory according to the flight plan, A map of the factory is divided into regions, and a wireless switching region storage unit stores the wireless stations to which the unmanned aircraft should connect in each region. A machine equipment selection unit determines whether a radio station detected based on the self-position of the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory by referring to the radio switching area storage unit is attached to machine equipment selected as a communication partner before or during the start of flight, The system includes a radio station switching unit that, when the machine equipment selection unit determines that a radio station detected based on the self-position of the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory by referring to the radio switching area storage unit is a radio station attached to the machine equipment selected before or during the start of flight, switches from the second radio communication unit to the first radio communication unit and switches the connection to the radio station of the selected machine equipment located in the area where the unmanned aircraft is located. The second wireless communication unit communicates wirelessly with a wireless communication device whose communication area is the entire factory or the entire flight path of the unmanned aircraft. Unmanned aircraft.

3. A signal strength detection unit that detects the signal strength for each radio station, It comprises an identification information storage unit that stores identification information of at least one radio station, The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the radio station switching unit compares the signal strength detected by the signal strength detection unit and switches the connection to a radio station with a good signal condition and whose identification information is stored in the identification information storage unit.

4. A first radio communication unit that performs short-range radio communication with a radio station attached to mechanical equipment, One or more processors of an unmanned aircraft, which includes a second wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with a longer communication range than the aforementioned short-range wireless communication, execute the following: Based on the self-position of the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory, it is determined whether the detected radio station is attached to machinery or equipment that has been previously selected by the user as a communication partner. If the radio station detected based on the self-position of the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory is determined to be a radio station attached to the machinery equipment that has been selected in advance by the user, Switch from the second wireless communication unit to the first wireless communication unit, and switch the connection to the wireless station attached to the machine equipment, The second wireless communication unit communicates wirelessly with a wireless communication device whose communication area is the entire factory or the entire flight path of the unmanned aircraft. A storage medium that stores instructions that a computer can read.

5. A first wireless communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication with a wireless station attached to a machine or equipment, One or more processors of an unmanned aircraft, which includes a second wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with a longer communication range than the aforementioned short-range wireless communication, execute the following: the unmanned aircraft autonomously flies within the factory according to a flight plan. The map of the factory is divided into regions, and the radio stations to which the unmanned aircraft should connect are stored in each region. Before the start of flight or during flight, the system will select the machine or equipment to which it will communicate. When, by referring to the memory, the radio station detected based on the self-position of the unmanned aircraft flying within the factory is determined to be a radio station attached to the selected machinery or equipment before or during the flight, the second radio communication unit switches to the first radio communication unit and switches the connection to the radio station of the selected machinery or equipment located in the area where the unmanned aircraft is located. The second wireless communication unit communicates wirelessly with a wireless communication device whose communication area is the entire factory or the entire flight path of the unmanned aircraft. A storage medium that stores instructions that a computer can read.

6. Store the identification information of at least one radio station, Detect the signal strength for each radio station, The signal strengths are compared, The storage medium according to claim 4, which stores a computer-readable command to switch the connection to a radio station among the radio stations that have detected the signal strength, the radio station having a good signal condition and in which an identification signal is stored.

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