Unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, unmanned underwater exploration method, and unmanned underwater exploration program

Abstract

The present invention provides an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, etc., that can be safely controlled based on control signals from multiple control units, without the control signals received from each control unit conflicting or contradicting the control signals from other control units. [Solution] The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle is equipped with a navigation control unit that controls the propulsion system, receives satellite positioning signals to determine its position on the water surface, detects the direction of movement, measures the speed of movement underwater, receives a control signal, and autonomously navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle based on any or a combination of the position on the water surface, direction of movement, and speed of movement, and remotely navigates the vehicle through the navigation control unit based on the control signal, and selects either autonomous control or remote control, and if the received control signal is for autonomous navigation, the selection unit selects autonomous control and makes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle navigate autonomously, and if the control signal is for remote control, the selection unit selects remote control and makes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle navigate remotely.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an unmanned underwater exploration method, and an unmanned underwater exploration program, and particularly to an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an unmanned underwater exploration method, and an unmanned underwater exploration program suitable for autonomous navigation.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to reduce the human operation burden of robots such as unmanned underwater exploration vehicles, a part of the robot's operation has been automated, and a mechanism for switching between autonomous control and remote control has been widely used in robotics (for example, see Patent Document 1). The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to stop the autonomous control of the autonomous unit and transfer the control of the autonomous unit to a remote monitoring control center based on the incident risk level which is the danger level.

[0003] A control hub has been used as a control switching mechanism for integrating control signals sent from a plurality of control systems or control devices (hereinafter referred to as a plurality of control units) for the control of one robot. Such a control hub is generally connected to each control unit by one-way communication. For this reason, although the control hub can receive control signals from each control unit, it cannot transmit the connection state between each control unit of the control hub to other control units, and there is a possibility that a control signal received from one control unit may conflict or contradict with a control signal of another control unit, and there is a risk that safe control cannot be performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an unmanned underwater exploration method, and an unmanned underwater exploration program that can be safely controlled based on control signals from multiple control units, without the control signals received from each control unit conflicting or contradicting the control signals from other control units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In other words, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the first embodiment is an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle that autonomously navigates, comprising a propulsion system and a navigation control unit that controls the propulsion system, a positioning unit that receives satellite positioning signals to determine the position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle on the water surface, an attitude detection unit that detects the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an underwater speed measuring unit that measures the underwater speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, a receiving unit that receives control signals from outside the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an autonomous control unit that causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to autonomously navigate via the navigation control unit based on any or a combination of the position on the water surface, direction of movement, and speed of movement, and the underwater speed measuring unit that controls the underwater speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle via the navigation control unit based on satellite positioning signals The system comprises an autonomous control unit that autonomously navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, a remote control unit that remotely controls the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle via a navigation control unit based on a control signal, and a selection unit that, when the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle is navigating, selects either the autonomous control unit or the remote control unit and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle via the navigation control unit according to the selected navigation method. The system is characterized in that, when the control signal received by the receiving unit is for autonomous navigation, the selection unit selects the autonomous control unit and autonomously navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle via the navigation control unit, and when the control signal received by the receiving unit is for remote control navigation, the selection unit selects the remote control unit and remotely controls the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle via the navigation control unit.

[0007] In a second embodiment, the autonomous control unit may autonomously navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle on the water surface based on its position on the water surface, and autonomously navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle underwater based on its direction of movement and speed of movement.

[0008] A third embodiment is an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the first embodiment, further comprising a leak sensor for detecting water leakage inside the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle and a leak sensor control unit for controlling the leak sensor, wherein the selection unit may, when the leak sensor detects water leakage, prioritize selecting the autonomous control unit and cause the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to navigate autonomously through the navigation control unit.

[0009] A fourth embodiment is an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the first embodiment, further comprising a battery and a remaining charge detection unit for detecting the remaining charge of the battery, wherein the selection unit, when the remaining charge detection unit detects that the remaining charge of the battery is below a threshold, prioritizes selecting the autonomous control unit and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to navigate autonomously through the navigation control unit.

[0010] A fifth embodiment is an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the first embodiment, further comprising: an underwater camera; an underwater camera control unit for controlling the underwater camera; an image acquisition unit for acquiring images captured by the underwater camera; and an identification unit for identifying linear objects in the water by performing image analysis on the images, wherein the autonomous control unit may autonomously navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle through the navigation control unit to follow the linear objects identified by the identification unit.

[0011] The sixth aspect of the unmanned underwater exploration method is an unmanned underwater exploration method used for an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle that autonomously navigates, comprising a computer, a positioning step of receiving satellite positioning signals to determine the position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle on the water surface, an attitude detection step of detecting the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an underwater speed measurement step of measuring the underwater speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, a receiving step of receiving a control signal from outside the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an autonomous control step of autonomously navigating the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle through the navigation control unit based on any or a combination of the position on the water surface, direction of movement, and speed of movement, and a navigation control unit that controls the computer based on the control signal The system is characterized by performing a remote control step in which an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle is remotely controlled and navigated via a navigation control unit, and a selection step in which, when the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle is navigating, either an autonomous control step or a remote control step is selected, and the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle is navigated via the navigation control unit according to the selected navigation method, wherein if the control signal received in the reception step is for autonomous navigation, the selection step selects the autonomous control step and the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle is navigated autonomously via the navigation control unit, and if the control signal received in the reception step is for remote control navigation, the selection step selects the remote control step and the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle is navigated via the navigation control unit.

[0012] The seventh aspect of the unmanned underwater exploration program is an unmanned underwater exploration program used for an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle that autonomously navigates, comprising a propulsion system and a navigation control unit that controls the propulsion system, On the computer, A positioning function that receives satellite positioning signals to determine the position of the unmanned underwater submersible above the water surface; a receiving function that receives control signals from outside the unmanned underwater submersible; an attitude detection function that detects the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater submersible; an underwater speed measurement function that measures the speed of movement of the unmanned underwater submersible underwater; an autonomous control function that allows the unmanned underwater submersible to autonomously navigate via the navigation control unit based on any or a combination of the position above the water surface, direction of movement, and speed of movement; and a remote control function that allows the unmanned underwater submersible to remotely control and navigate via the navigation control unit based on control signals. The system features a selection function that allows the unmanned underwater submersible to choose either an autonomous control function or a remote control function when navigating, and to navigate the unmanned underwater submersible through the navigation control unit according to the selected navigation method. Specifically, when the receiving function receives a control signal indicating autonomous navigation, the selection function selects the autonomous control function and navigates the unmanned underwater submersible autonomously through the navigation control unit. When the receiving function receives a control signal indicating remote control navigation, the selection function selects the remote control function and navigates the unmanned underwater submersible remotely through the navigation control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the present invention is an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle that autonomously navigates, comprising a propulsion system and a navigation control unit that controls the propulsion system, a positioning unit that receives satellite positioning signals to determine the position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle on the water surface, an attitude detection unit that detects the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an underwater speed measuring unit that measures the underwater speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, a receiving unit that receives control signals from outside the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, an autonomous control unit that autonomously navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle through the navigation control unit based on any or a combination of the position on the water surface, direction of movement, and speed of movement, a remote control unit that remotely controls the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle through the navigation control unit based on the control signals, and the navigation of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle The system includes a selection unit that selects either an autonomous control unit or a remote control unit and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle through the navigation control unit according to the selected navigation method. When the control signal received by the receiving unit is for autonomous navigation, the selection unit selects the autonomous control unit and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle autonomously through the navigation control unit. When the control signal received by the receiving unit is for remote control navigation, the selection unit selects the remote control unit and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle remotely through the navigation control unit. This ensures that when controlling based on control signals from multiple control units, the control signals received from each control unit do not conflict with or contradict the control signals from other control units, allowing for safe control.

[0014] Furthermore, the unmanned underwater exploration method and unmanned underwater exploration program according to the present invention, like the unmanned underwater exploration machine according to the present invention, can be controlled safely when controlled based on control signals from multiple control units, without the control signals received from each control unit conflicting or contradicting the control signals from other control units. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the external appearance of an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the external appearance of an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to this embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the hardware configuration of the control system of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the function of the selection unit of the conventional unmanned underwater exploration vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a first utilization example of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a second utilization example of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows an example of a flowchart of the unmanned underwater exploration program according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows an example of a flowchart of the unmanned underwater exploration program according to another embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] (Overview of Unmanned Underwater Exploration Vehicle 10) The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. In these drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Also, in all the drawings, the constituent elements for explaining the present disclosure are illustrated in an extract, and other constituent elements may be omitted from the illustration. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. First, the outline of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining an example of the appearance of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0017] The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 refers to a small unmanned aircraft that can dive and navigate underwater, and is also called an underwater drone or ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle). The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can also navigate on the water (move on the water) and can also be used as an unmanned surface vehicle (Unmanned Surface Vehicle: USV, Autonomous Surface Vehicle: ASV). The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is assumed to be used for investigating the marine ecosystem, as well as for investigating structures on the seabed and underwater, underwater operations, etc., but is not limited to these and may be used for various purposes. Also, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 may be used not only in the sea but also in rivers, lakes, ponds, pools, reservoirs, etc. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 includes an autonomous control unit 13 and a remote control unit 14 described later. The autonomous control unit 13 is a control system or control device that navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 on the water or underwater in an autonomous navigation mode. The autonomous control unit 13 autonomously navigates the water movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 based on the position on the water surface, and autonomously navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 underwater based on the movement direction and movement speed. Note that the movement direction is the movement direction of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, and is detected by the attitude detection unit 28a using the IMU24 described later. The movement speed is the movement speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 underwater, and is measured by the underwater speed measurement unit 28b using the DVL25 described later. The remote control unit 14 is a control system or control device that navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 in a remote control navigation mode based on an external control signal based on manual operation by the user 36 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The manual operation is performed by the user 36 using a controller or keyboard of an external control system or control device. The remote control unit 14 may be used when it is unable to receive satellite positioning signals and cannot perform autonomous navigation. Because satellite positioning signals are attenuated underwater, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 cannot navigate autonomously based on satellite positioning signals. For this reason, for example, when the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is navigating underwater, surfacing from underwater, or diving underwater, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is remotely controlled using the remote control unit 14. Furthermore, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 may also be remotely controlled by the remote control unit 14 when it hovers to remain stationary at the same location while performing underwater work. Furthermore, even when the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is able to receive satellite positioning signals, it can perform surface navigation using the remote control unit 14 via remote control. A control system refers to the overall mechanism for integrating the operation of various devices, and is an integrated entity in which multiple elements work together. A control device refers to a single component or device that performs a specific function. The autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14 may be constructed as a control system or as a control device.

[0018] The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is equipped with eight or four thrusters 11, enabling horizontal movement in the forward, backward, left, and right directions, as well as rotation in the pitch direction and low direction to change the angle of the vehicle's body 22, allowing it to move freely within a predetermined angular range. This predetermined angular range varies depending on the model of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 used; some models can move freely 360 degrees, while others can move freely within an angular range of less than 360 degrees. The thrusters 11 are also called slicers and consist of screws, etc. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 has a built-in battery 21 (see Figure 3), but it may also be powered and driven by being connected to a power supply cable that also serves as a tether cable 41 (see Figures 6 and 7).

[0019] The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is equipped with a forward-facing underwater camera 22a at the front tip of the vehicle body 22 (see Figures 1 and 2). The forward-facing underwater camera 22a is used to photograph the area in front of the vehicle body 22. Furthermore, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is equipped with a downward-facing underwater camera 22b on the side of the vehicle body 22 (see Figures 1 and 2). As shown in Figure 2, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 may also use the forward-facing underwater camera 22a to photograph the area downwards by orienting the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 22 downwards. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is equipped with a positioning signal receiver 17. The positioning signal receiver 17 is a device that receives satellite positioning signals transmitted by GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning satellites.

[0020] (Hardware configuration of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10) Referring to Figure 3, an example of the hardware configuration of the control system for the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control system for the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to this embodiment. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is equipped with a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10b, a storage unit 10c, a processing unit 10d, and an input / output interface 10e. The ROM 10a, RAM 10b, storage unit 10c, processing unit 10d, and input / output interface 10e are connected to each other by a bus 23, enabling bidirectional data transfer. Furthermore, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is equipped with a propulsion unit 11, a navigation control unit 12, an autonomous control unit 13, a remote control unit 14, a selection unit 15, a positioning signal receiver 17, an antenna 18, a leak sensor 19, an underwater camera 20, a battery 21, an IMU (inertial measurement unit) 24, and a DVL (Doppler Velocity Log) 25, among others. The autonomous control unit 13, remote control unit 14, selection unit 15, positioning signal receiver 17, antenna 18, leak sensor 19, underwater camera 20, battery 21, IMU 24, and DVL 25 are connected to the input / output interface 10e, enabling bidirectional data transfer to and from the input / output interface 10e.

[0021] The memory unit 10c can be used as a storage device for the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 and consists of, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, and flash memory. Furthermore, the memory unit 10c of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 stores the wireless underwater exploration program described later, firmware necessary for the operation of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, various other applications, and various data used by those applications. Furthermore, the memory unit 10c may temporarily store image data of images captured by the underwater camera 20.

[0022] The processing unit 10d includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., and is realized by logic circuits and dedicated circuits formed by integrated circuits (IC (Integrated Circuit) chips, LSI (Large-Scale Integration)), etc. The processing unit 10d is mainly used for executing wireless underwater exploration programs and firmware.

[0023] The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 stores the wireless underwater exploration program in ROM 10a or storage unit 10c and loads the wireless underwater exploration program into the main memory, which is composed of RAM 10b or the like. The processing unit 10d accesses the main memory containing the wireless underwater exploration program and executes the wireless underwater exploration program.

[0024] The input / output interface 10e transmits and receives data to and from external devices of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. The propulsion unit 11, navigation control unit 12, autonomous control unit 13, remote control unit 14, selection unit 15, positioning signal receiver 17, antenna 18, leak sensor 19, underwater camera 20, and battery 21 are treated as external devices and transmit and receive data via the input / output interface 10e. However, these components may be connected directly to the bus 23 without going through the input / output interface 10e, and data may be transmitted and received via the bus 23.

[0025] (propulsion unit 11) The propulsion system 11 is a device that generates thrust for the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, and consists of a propeller, a motor that rotates the propeller, and a mechanism that changes the direction of the propeller.

[0026] (Navigation control unit 12) The navigation control unit 12 controls the propulsion system 11. In other words, the navigation control unit 12 is a control circuit that drives the thruster 11, and controls the drive of the thruster 11 based on the control signal output from the selection unit 15.

[0027] (Autonomous control unit 13) The autonomous control unit 13 causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate autonomously via the navigation control unit 12 based on any one or a combination of the following: position on the water surface, direction of movement, and speed of movement. Specifically, the autonomous control unit 13 determines the position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 on the water surface based on the GNSS satellite positioning signal received by the positioning signal receiver 17, controls the navigation control unit 12 to drive the propulsion unit 11, and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 towards a pre-set target point on the water surface using an autonomous navigation method. Furthermore, the autonomous control unit 13 uses the IMU 24 to detect the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 in the attitude detection unit 28a and the underwater speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 measured by the underwater speed measurement unit 28b using the DVL 25, and uses the navigation control unit 12 to autonomously navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. Therefore, the autonomous control unit 13 may autonomously navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 on the water surface based on its position on the water surface, and autonomously navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 underwater based on its direction of movement and speed of movement. The autonomous control unit 13 may be a system or device built by a computer, and may be built by a computer on which navigation software related to maritime navigation (for example, Navigation PLANNER provided by Yachting Software Inc.) is implemented. An autonomous navigation system refers to a method by which an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can recognize its own situation, make decisions, and navigate to its destination without direct human control or intervention.

[0028] (Remote control unit 14) The remote control unit 14 remotely controls the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 via the navigation control unit 12 based on the control signal. In other words, the remote control unit 14 controls the navigation control unit 12 based on the external control signals received by the receiving unit 27, and drives the propulsion unit 11 to navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 using a remote control navigation system. Therefore, the remote control unit 14 can navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 using a remote control navigation system based on control signals transmitted from a controller operated by a user 36 located at a remote location. Remote control navigation refers to a method of controlling and navigating an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 from a remote location using wireless communication or other means, without the operator being directly on board the equipment.

[0029] (Selection section 15) The selection unit 15 selects either the autonomous control unit 13 or the remote control unit 14 when the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is navigating, and then navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 through the navigation control unit 12 according to the selected navigation method. Furthermore, if the control signal received by the receiving unit 27 is for autonomous navigation, the selection unit 15 selects the autonomous control unit 13 and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate autonomously through the navigation control unit 12. If the control signal received by the receiving unit 27 is for remote control navigation, the selection unit 15 selects the remote control unit 14 and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate remotely through the navigation control unit 12. The selection unit 15, also known as a control hub, is a device, software, or apparatus that centrally manages information or signals collected from multiple systems or devices and controls or adjusts the overall operation of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. The selection unit 15 may be, for example, a multiplexer. A multiplexer is a device that outputs multiple inputs as a single signal.

[0030] The autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14, which are integrated into the selection unit 15, may be subject to the following requirements in order to work seamlessly with each other and to achieve optimal performance as a whole for the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10.

[0031] (1) Interoperability The autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14 may be required to comply with standardized protocols and data formats in bidirectional communication with the selection unit 15. This makes it possible for the selection unit 15 to seamlessly integrate different data from the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14.

[0032] (2) Security In the selection unit 15, integrating the data from the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14 may concentrate security risks. Therefore, the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14 may be required to implement security measures such as encryption, authentication, and access control for data transmission and reception.

[0033] (3) Real-time In the selection unit 15, it is required that data from the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14 be transmitted to the navigation control unit 12 in real time. In order to suppress the control delay of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, it is necessary for the selection unit 15 to be able to process the data from the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14 with low latency and high throughput.

[0034] (4) Data integrity and management functions The data from the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14 is required to be accurate and consistent before being sent to the selection unit 15. Data consistency means maintaining the accuracy, completeness, and quality of the data. The selection unit 15 is bidirectionally connected 16 to both the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14, and can transmit the selected navigation method to both the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14. As a result, the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14 can recognize which navigation method the selection unit 15 has selected, and can prevent sending commands to the selection unit 15 that conflict with or contradict the current navigation method. Furthermore, by suspending the operation of the remote control unit 14 when the selection unit 15 selects the autonomous navigation method, and suspending the operation of the autonomous control unit 13 when the selection unit 15 selects the remotely controlled navigation method, the overall operational efficiency of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can be improved.

[0035] (Positioning signal receiver 17) As described above, the positioning signal receiver 17 receives positioning signals transmitted by GNSS positioning satellites.

[0036] (Antenna 18) Antenna 18 receives external control signals transmitted via wireless communication.

[0037] (Leak sensor 19) The leak sensor 19 detects water leaks inside the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. In other words, the leak sensor 19 detects whether or not water has entered the internal compartments (watertight areas) of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, which are sealed to protect against the intrusion of external water. The watertight areas of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 include, for example, the electronic equipment compartment, the inside of the underwater camera 20, the battery 21 installation area, and the wiring connection area. The leak sensor 19 is controlled by the leak sensor control unit 29, which will be described later.

[0038] (Underwater camera 20) The underwater camera 20 includes a forward-facing underwater camera 20a and a downward-facing underwater camera 20b, but may include either one. The underwater camera 20 is controlled by the underwater camera control unit 31, which will be described later.

[0039] (Battery 21) Battery 21 is connected to each component of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 by power lines (not shown) and supplies power. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is powered by the power supplied from battery 21. Furthermore, if the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 receives power from an external power source via a power cable (not shown), the battery 21 is not an essential component of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10.

[0040] (IMU (inertial measurement unit) 24) The IMU24 is a device that detects three-dimensional inertial motion (translational and rotational motion in three orthogonal axes). The IMU24 detects translational motion using an accelerometer and rotational motion using an angular velocity (gyroscope) sensor. The IMU24 is installed inside the pressure vessel of the unmanned underwater vehicle 10 and is mainly used to detect the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater vehicle 10.

[0041] (DVL (Doppler Velocity Log) 25) The DVL25 is a device that emits sound waves from the seabed or into the ocean while moving, and measures ground speed and water speed from the amount of Doppler shift of reflected and scattered waves from the seabed or into the ocean. The DVL25 is attached to the outside of the unmanned underwater vehicle 10 and is used to measure the speed at which the unmanned underwater vehicle 10 moves in the sea 38. The unmanned underwater vehicle 10 estimates its own position in the ocean 38 by using the IMU 24 and DVL 25 in combination. For example, even in the ocean 38 where satellite positioning signals cannot be received, the unmanned underwater vehicle 10 can estimate its own position by constantly measuring and accumulating the direction and speed at which it is moving. Furthermore, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can estimate its own position in the underwater area 38 as seen from land, using the IMU 24 and DVL 25, starting from its position above the water surface when it began to descend into the underwater area 38.

[0042] (USBL(Ultra Short Baseline)) Furthermore, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can also measure its own position in the sea 38 using USBL (not shown). USBL is a type of acoustic system that enables underwater position measurement. USBL works by having a transducer (sound wave transmitter / receiver) mounted on a ship or mother ship at sea transmit sound wave signals towards the underwater 38, and receiving reflected signals from a receiver or reflector attached to the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 in the underwater 38, thereby measuring the angle and distance of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. Therefore, by using USBL, it is possible to measure the angle and distance of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 relative to the mother ship on which user 36 is aboard. Therefore, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can measure its own position in the sea 38 by using USBL instead of IMU24 and DVL25.

[0043] (INS (Inertial Navigation System)) Furthermore, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can also measure its own position in the sea 38 using INS (not shown). INS calculates velocity by integrating the acceleration detected by an accelerometer, determines the distance traveled by integrating the velocity, detects the direction of movement with a gyroscope, and calculates the distance traveled from the starting point by continuously measuring and combining the vectors of distance traveled and direction of movement. Therefore, by using INS, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can measure its own position in the underwater area 38 as seen from land, starting from its position on the water surface at the time it began to descend into the underwater area 38. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can determine its own position in the ocean 38 by using INS instead of using IMU24 and DVL25, as well as USBL.

[0044] The estimation of the self-position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 in the ocean 38 does not require the presence of all of the above-mentioned USBL, INS, and IMU24 and DVL25, but may be achieved by any one of them or any combination thereof. User 36 may determine the position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 in the ocean 38 using the IMU 24 and DVL 25 mentioned above and remotely control it. Furthermore, the autonomous control unit 13 may enable autonomous navigation of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 in the underwater 38 through the navigation control unit 12 based on its own position in the underwater 38 determined using the IMU 24 and DVL 25 mentioned above.

[0045] (Regarding the functional configuration of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10) The functional configuration of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, by executing the unmanned underwater exploration program described above, has a processing unit 10d equipped with functional units such as a positioning unit 26, a receiving unit 27, an attitude detection unit 28a, an underwater speed measurement unit 28b, an autonomous control unit 13, a remote control unit 14, a leak sensor control unit 29, a remaining amount detection unit 30, an underwater camera control unit 31, an image acquisition unit 32, an identification unit 33, and a selection unit 15.

[0046] (Positioning unit 26) The positioning unit 26 receives satellite positioning signals and determines the position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 on the water surface. In other words, the positioning unit 26 receives satellite positioning signals transmitted by GNSS positioning satellites received by the positioning signal receiver 17, and determines the current position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 on the water surface.

[0047] (Receiving unit 27) The receiving unit 27 receives control signals from outside the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. In other words, the receiving unit 27 receives control signals from an external source via the antenna 18.

[0048] (Attitude detection unit 28a) The attitude detection unit 28a detects the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. Specifically, the attitude detection unit 28a uses the IMU 24 to detect the attitude of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 and to detect the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10.

[0049] (Underwater speed measurement section 28b) The underwater speed measurement unit 28b measures the underwater movement speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. In other words, the underwater velocity measuring unit 28b measures the ground speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 using the DVL 25 to determine its underwater movement speed.

[0050] (Autonomous control unit 13) As described above, the autonomous control unit 13 causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate autonomously via the navigation control unit 12 based on any or a combination of the position on the water surface, direction of movement, and speed of movement. Furthermore, as described above, the autonomous control unit 13 may autonomously navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 on the water surface based on its position on the water surface, and autonomously navigate the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 underwater based on its direction of movement and speed of movement. Specifically, the autonomous control unit 13 recognizes the current position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 based on the satellite positioning signal received by the receiving unit 27, and autonomously navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 toward a pre-set target point (waypoint). Furthermore, the autonomous control unit 13 autonomously navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 toward a pre-set target point underwater, based on a combination of the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 detected using the IMU 24 and the underwater movement speed measured using the DVL 25.

[0051] (Remote control unit 14) As described above, the remote control unit 14 remotely controls and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 via the navigation control unit 12 based on the control signal. In other words, the remote control unit 14 remotely controls and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 via the navigation control unit 12 based on control signals transmitted from a controller operated by a user 36 located at a remote location.

[0052] (Leak sensor control unit 29) Error! The link is incorrect. This controls the operation of the leak sensor 19. In other words, when the leak sensor 19 detects a water leak, the leak sensor control unit 29 communicates to the selection unit 15 that the leak sensor 19 has detected a water leak. When the leak sensor 19 detects a water leak, the selection unit 15 prioritizes selecting the autonomous control unit 13 and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate autonomously via the navigation control unit 12.

[0053] (Remaining amount detection unit 30) The remaining charge detection unit 30 detects the remaining charge of the battery 21. Specifically, the remaining charge detection unit 30 detects whether the remaining charge of the battery 21 is below a threshold, and if it detects that the remaining charge of the battery is below the threshold, it communicates to the selection unit 15 that the remaining charge detection unit 30 has detected that the remaining charge of the battery 21 is below the threshold. When the remaining charge detection unit 30 detects that the remaining charge of the battery 21 is below a threshold, the selection unit 15 prioritizes selecting the autonomous control unit 13 and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate autonomously via the navigation control unit 12. Furthermore, if the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 receives power from an external power source via a power cable (not shown), the battery 21 is not an essential component of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, as described above. Therefore, in this case, the remaining charge detection unit 30 is also not an essential component of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. Furthermore, the remaining charge of the battery 21 being below a threshold may mean, for example, an amount of power sufficient for the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to surface from its activity area in the sea 38.

[0054] (Underwater camera control unit 31) The underwater camera control unit 31 controls the underwater camera 20. In other words, the underwater camera control unit 31 operates the forward underwater camera 20a and the downward underwater camera 20b.

[0055] (Image acquisition unit 32) The image acquisition unit 32 acquires the images captured by the underwater camera 20. In other words, the image acquisition unit 32 acquires images captured by the forward underwater camera 20a and the downward underwater camera 20b. The images may be either videos or still images.

[0056] (Identification unit 33) The identification unit 33 identifies linear objects 46 (see Figure 7) in the water by performing image analysis on the image. In other words, the identification unit 33 identifies linear objects 46 (see Figure 7) in the sea 38 by performing image analysis using artificial intelligence on the images acquired by the image acquisition unit 32. The autonomous control unit 13 causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to autonomously navigate via the navigation control unit 12 so as to follow the linear object 46 identified by the identification unit 33. The linear object 46 may be a tube, rope, pipeline, mooring rope, cable, or metal wire, and the identification unit 33 may identify the linear object 46 by magnetic detection or metal detection.

[0057] (Selection section 15) As described above, the selection unit 15 selects either the autonomous control unit 13 or the remote control unit 14 when the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is navigating, and then navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 through the navigation control unit 12 according to the selected navigation method. Furthermore, if the control signal received by the receiving unit 27 is for autonomous navigation, the selection unit 15 selects the autonomous control unit 13 and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate autonomously through the navigation control unit 12. If the control signal received by the receiving unit 27 is for remote control navigation, the selection unit 15 selects the remote control unit 14 and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate remotely through the navigation control unit 12.

[0058] (Comparison with conventional technology) Referring to Figure 5, the problems of the selection unit 115 in the prior art will be explained. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the function of the selection unit 115 of a conventional unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 100. In the conventional technology, the selection unit 115 was connected to the input / output interface 110e, the autonomous control unit 113, the remote control unit 114, and the safety measures unit 134 via one-way communication. That is, the selection unit 115 in the conventional technology selectively selected data acquired from the autonomous control unit 113, the remote control unit 114, and the safety measures unit 134 and output it to the input / output interface 110e. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 100, input / output interface 110e, autonomous control unit 113, remote control unit 114, and selection unit 115 in the prior art correspond to the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, input / output interface 10e, autonomous control unit 13, remote control unit 14, and selection unit 15 in this embodiment. In the conventional technology, the selection unit 115 connected to multiple systems or devices via one-way communication, which sometimes led to concerns such as a deterioration in the overall operating efficiency of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 110 due to conflicts or inconsistencies between control commands obtained from multiple systems.

[0059] Specifically, the conventional selection unit 115 is connected to multiple systems or devices via one-way communication, making it difficult to transmit the state of the selection unit 115, which is a mechanism that outputs multiple inputs as a single signal, to the autonomous control unit 113 and the remote control unit 114. This raised concerns about a deterioration in the overall operational efficiency of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10. Furthermore, since the safety measures unit 134, which is provided to implement safety measures for the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10, is connected to the conventional selection unit 115 via one-way communication, there was a problem in that the behavior of the autonomous control unit 113 and the remote control unit 114 could not be directly monitored. Therefore, in this embodiment, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is connected to the selection unit 15, the autonomous control unit 13, and the remote control unit 14 by bidirectional communication, thereby enabling the state of the selection unit 15 to be transmitted to the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14.

[0060] Furthermore, by directly and bidirectionally connecting the selection unit 15 and the input / output interface 10e of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to add safety measures to the selection unit 15. Specifically, when the selection unit 15 receives a notification from the leak sensor control unit 29 that the leak sensor 19 has detected a water leak, it prioritizes selecting the autonomous control unit 13 and, through the navigation control unit 12, causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate autonomously, for example, to surface. Furthermore, when the selection unit 15 receives a notification from the remaining charge detection unit 30 that the remaining charge of the battery 21 is below a threshold, it prioritizes selecting the autonomous control unit 13 and, through the navigation control unit 12, causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to navigate autonomously, for example, to surface.

[0061] In this embodiment, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is capable of transmitting the state of the selection unit 15 to the autonomous control unit 13 and the remote control unit 14. Therefore, when the selection unit 15 selects the autonomous control unit 13, the operation of the remote control unit 14 is suspended, and when the selection unit 15 selects the remote control unit 14, the operation of the autonomous control unit 13 is suspended, thereby improving the overall operational efficiency of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10.

[0062] Furthermore, in the case of water leakage or when the battery 21 becomes low, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to this embodiment can avoid accidents and improve safety by having the selection unit 15 prioritize selecting the autonomous control unit 13, thereby suspending remote control and surfacing to the water surface.

[0063] (Examples of applications for the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10) With reference to Figures 6 and 7, examples of applications of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a first application example of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, and Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a second application example of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to this embodiment.

[0064] (First example of use) The first example of application shown in Figure 6 involves using an unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to investigate the underwater ecosystem or structures 38 or on the seabed in the ocean 37. In the first application example, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 receives GNSS satellite positioning signals to recognize its own position and reaches the first waypoint 39 using autonomous navigation. Accordingly, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 selects the autonomous control unit 13 using the selection unit 15 and controls the propulsion system 11 through the navigation control unit 12 using autonomous navigation to reach the first waypoint 39. At the first waypoint 39, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 selects the remote control unit 14 via the selection unit 15, and uses a remote control navigation system to control the propulsion system 11 via the navigation control unit 12 to dive 43. Once the work at the first waypoint 39 is completed, the remote control unit 14 causes the vehicle to surface 44. After surfacing, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 selects the autonomous control unit 13 again via the selection unit 15, and uses the autonomous navigation method to control the propulsion system 11 via the navigation control unit 12 to navigate towards the second waypoint 40. In the remote-controlled navigation system, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is remotely controlled by a user 36 on board the ship. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is connected to a tether cable 41, and the user 36 can retrieve the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 by pulling in the tether cable 41.

[0065] According to the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 of the first application example, it autonomously navigates on the surface to waypoints 39 and 40, and after arriving at waypoints 39 and 40, it switches to a remotely controlled navigation system and dives into the sea 38. This allows it to dive into the sea 38 without using expensive equipment that can estimate its own position in the sea 38, such as USBL (Ultra Short Baseline) and DVL (Doppler Velocity Log). Furthermore, according to the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 in the first application example, by using a relatively inexpensive GNSS positioning signal receiver 17, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 can acquire data from the sea 38 while retaining accurate latitude and longitude information, and can also autonomously navigate the surface to waypoints 39 and 40, thereby reducing the burden on the user 36 to operate the vehicle.

[0066] (Second example of use) The second application example shown in Figure 7 is similar to the first application example in that it involves surveying the underwater ecosystem or structures in the sea 38 or seabed using the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 in the sea 37. However, in the second application example, instead of receiving GNSS satellite positioning signals, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 uses the underwater camera 20 to track and autonomously navigate linear objects 46 laid in the sea 38 or seabed (see arrow 47 indicating the direction of navigation). The linear objects 46 may be tubes, ropes, pipelines, mooring lines, cables, and metal wires, as described above, and cables may include power transmission cables, communication cables, etc. User 36 can switch from autonomous navigation to remotely controlled navigation when they find an abnormal area in the linear object 46, such as an exposed area, a damaged area, a bent area, or a severed area, and investigate the abnormal area. Furthermore, when observing the coral reef ecosystem, if linear objects 46 have been laid in advance, the system can autonomously navigate by following the linear objects 46 (see arrow 47 indicating the direction of navigation), and after reaching a waypoint, it can switch to remotely controlled navigation to conduct a survey of the coral reef ecosystem.

[0067] The above configuration of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is merely an example of its configuration and does not limit the functions it may have. For example, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 does not need to have all of the above configurations, and may have only some of them. Furthermore, the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 may have other configurations besides those described above. For example, the propulsion system 11 of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is equipped with a screw, but instead of a screw, it may be equipped with a high-pressure pump and obtain thrust by forcefully discharging water from a nozzle facing backward. Furthermore, any of the above configurations may be implemented by dividing one configuration into multiple configurations. Alternatively, any two or more of the above configurations may be combined into a single configuration.

[0068] (Unmanned underwater exploration method and unmanned underwater exploration program according to this embodiment) Next, with reference to Figure 8, an unmanned underwater exploration program according to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described along with an unmanned underwater exploration method. Figure 8 shows an example of a flowchart of the unmanned underwater exploration program according to this embodiment. The unmanned underwater exploration method is executed by the processing unit 10d of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 based on the unmanned underwater exploration program.

[0069] The unmanned underwater exploration program includes a positioning step S26, a reception step S27, an attitude detection step S28a, an underwater speed measurement step S28b, an autonomous control step S13, a remote control step S14, and a selection step S15, among others.

[0070] The unmanned underwater exploration program enables the processing unit 10d of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to perform functions such as positioning, receiving, attitude detection, underwater speed measurement, autonomous control, remote control, and selection. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of Figure 8, but the order can be changed as appropriate. Since each function overlaps with the descriptions of the various functional parts of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 mentioned above, detailed explanations are omitted.

[0071] The positioning function receives satellite positioning signals to determine the position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 on the water surface (S26: Positioning step).

[0072] The receiving function receives control signals from outside the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 (S27: receiving step).

[0073] The attitude detection function detects the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 (S28a: attitude detection step).

[0074] The underwater speed measurement function measures the underwater speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 (S28b: underwater speed measurement step).

[0075] The autonomous control function allows the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to autonomously navigate the water surface via the navigation control unit 12 based on satellite positioning signals (S13: Autonomous control step).

[0076] The remote control function remotely controls the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 via the navigation control unit 12 based on the control signal (S14: remote control step).

[0077] The selection function allows the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 to be navigated by either the autonomous control unit 13 or the remote control unit 14, and the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 is navigated by the selected navigation method via the navigation control unit 12 (S15: Selection step).

[0078] (Another embodiment of unmanned underwater exploration method and unmanned underwater exploration program) Referring to Figure 9, an unmanned underwater exploration program according to another embodiment will be described along with an unmanned underwater exploration method according to another embodiment. Figure 9 shows an example of a flowchart for an unmanned underwater exploration program according to another embodiment.

[0079] The example flowchart of the unmanned underwater exploration program according to another embodiment shown in Figure 9 differs from the example flowchart of the unmanned underwater exploration program shown in Figure 8 in that it includes the addition of a leak sensor control step S29, a remaining amount detection step S30, an underwater camera control step S31, an image acquisition step S32, and an identification step S33.

[0080] An unmanned underwater exploration method according to another embodiment is executed by the processing unit 10d of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 based on the unmanned underwater exploration program according to another embodiment shown in Figure 9.

[0081] The unmanned underwater exploration program according to another embodiment shown in Figure 9 includes a positioning step S26, a reception step S27, an attitude detection step S28a, an underwater velocity measurement step S28b, an autonomous control step S13, a remote control step S14, a leak sensor control step S29, a remaining amount detection step S30, an underwater camera control step S31, an image acquisition step S32, an identification step S33, and a selection step S15, among others.

[0082] The unmanned underwater exploration program according to another embodiment shown in Figure 9 provides the processing unit 10d of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 with functions such as positioning, receiving, attitude detection, underwater speed measurement, autonomous control, remote control, leak sensor control, remaining amount detection, underwater camera control, image acquisition, identification, and selection. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart in Figure 9, but the order can be changed as needed.

[0083] Below, we will describe the unmanned underwater exploration method and program according to another embodiment shown in Figure 9, focusing only on the differences from the unmanned underwater exploration method and program shown in Figure 8. Furthermore, since each function overlaps with the descriptions of the various functional parts of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 mentioned above, detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0084] The leak sensor control function controls the operation of the leak sensor 19 (S29: Leak sensor control step).

[0085] The remaining charge detection function detects the remaining charge of battery 21 (S30: remaining charge detection step).

[0086] The underwater camera control function controls the underwater camera 20 (S31: underwater camera control step).

[0087] The image acquisition function acquires images captured by the underwater camera 20 (S32: Image acquisition step).

[0088] The identification function identifies linear objects 46 (see Figure 7) in the water by performing image analysis (S33: Identification step).

[0089] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle 10 according to the above embodiment, and can be implemented by various other modifications or applications without departing from the gist of the present invention as described in the claims. Also, although the word "information" is used in the above embodiment, the word "information" can be replaced with "data," and the word "data" can be replaced with "information." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 10 Unmanned underwater exploration vehicles 10a ROM 10b RAM 10c storage section 10d Processing Unit 10e Input / Output Interface 11 Propulsion machine 12 Navigation Control Unit 13 Autonomous Control Unit 14 Remote Control Unit 15 Selection Section 16. Bidirectional connection 17 Positioning signal receiver 18 Antennas 19 Leak Sensor 20 Underwater Cameras 20a Forward-facing underwater camera 20b Downward-facing underwater camera 21 batteries 22 aircraft 23 Bus (Data Transfer Path) 24 IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 25 DVL (Ground Speedometer) 26 Positioning Unit 27 Receiving section 28a Attitude detection unit 28b Underwater speed measurement section 29 Leak Sensor Control Unit 30. Remaining amount detection unit 31 Underwater Camera Control Unit 32 Image acquisition unit 33 Identification unit 34 Safety Measures Department 36 users 37 Sea 38 Undersea 39. First Waypoint 40 Second Waypoint 41 Tether Cable 42 Autonomous Navigation 43 Insidious 44. Surfacing 46 Linear objects 47 Follow 100 Unmanned underwater exploration vehicle (conventional technology) 110e Input / Output Interface (Conventional Technology) 113 Autonomous Control Unit (Conventional Technology) 114 Remote control unit (conventional technology) 115 Selection section (conventional technology) 134 Safety Measures Department (Conventional Technology)

Claims

1. An unmanned underwater exploration vehicle that autonomously navigates, comprising a propulsion system and a navigation control unit that controls the propulsion system, A positioning unit that receives satellite positioning signals and determines the position of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle on the water surface, An attitude detection unit for detecting the direction of movement of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, The underwater speed measuring unit measures the underwater movement speed of the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, A receiving unit that receives control signals from outside the aforementioned unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, An autonomous control unit that causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to autonomously navigate via the navigation control unit based on any one or any combination of the position on the water surface, the direction of movement, and the speed of movement, A remote control unit that remotely controls and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle via the navigation control unit based on the aforementioned control signal, A selection unit that, when the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle is in operation, selects either the autonomous control unit or the remote control unit, and navigates the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle through the navigation control unit according to the selected navigation method, Equipped with, The selection unit is connected to the autonomous control unit and the remote control unit via bidirectional communication, and can notify each of the control units of the selection status of the selection unit. An unmanned underwater exploration vehicle characterized in that, when the control signal received by the receiving unit is for autonomous navigation, the selection unit selects the autonomous control unit and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to navigate autonomously through the navigation control unit, and when the control signal received by the receiving unit is for remote control navigation, the selection unit selects the remote control unit and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to navigate remotely through the navigation control unit.

2. The system further comprises a leak sensor for detecting water leaks inside the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle, and a leak sensor control unit for controlling the leak sensor. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the selection unit, when the leak sensor detects a water leak, prioritizes selecting the autonomous control unit and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to navigate autonomously through the navigation control unit.

3. The system further comprises a battery and a remaining charge detection unit for detecting the remaining charge of the battery. The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the selection unit, when the remaining charge detection unit detects that the remaining charge of the battery is below a threshold, prioritizes selecting the autonomous control unit and causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to navigate autonomously through the navigation control unit.

4. An underwater camera, and an underwater camera control unit that controls the underwater camera, An image acquisition unit that acquires images captured by the underwater camera, An identification unit identifies linear objects in water by performing image analysis on the aforementioned image, Furthermore, The unmanned underwater exploration vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the autonomous control unit causes the unmanned underwater exploration vehicle to autonomously navigate through the navigation control unit so as to follow the linear object identified by the identification unit.

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