Drone measurement device
The drone measurement device uses a flexible arm and vibration mitigation means to stabilize sensor contact with the measurement object, addressing tilting and oscillations for improved measurement accuracy.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NIPPON STEEL TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-06-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing drone measurement systems face challenges in maintaining accurate contact with the measurement object due to tilting and oscillations caused by wind and operator movements, leading to reduced measurement accuracy.
The drone measurement device employs a flexible arm supported by a bending spring or elastic rubber, with vibration mitigation means at the connection points between the drone body and arm, allowing the sensor to maintain contact with the object while mitigating vibrations from the drone's movements.
This configuration improves measurement accuracy by reducing oscillations and maintaining consistent contact with the measurement object, enhancing the precision of sensors like ultrasonic thickness gauges.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
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[0001] The present invention relates to a drone measurement device that measures the characteristics of a structure such as a wall surface using a drone equipped with a sensor, and particularly to a drone measurement device that measures characteristics by bringing the sensor into contact with the object to be measured.
Background Art
[0002] To measure the characteristics of an object to be measured such as a chimney or a tank using a drone, it is necessary to approach the drone to the wall surface serving as the measurement point of the object to be measured, press the sensor unit against the wall surface, and measure characteristics such as the plate thickness.
[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure inspection device for inspecting a wall surface of a structure, which includes an aircraft remotely controlled wirelessly, a sensor unit having a sensor for inspecting the wall surface in proximity to the wall surface of the structure, and a connecting portion connecting the aircraft and the sensor unit. The connecting portion is provided to be stretchable and biased in the stretching direction. The sensor unit includes at least three wheels that roll on the wall surface of the structure and is provided to be swingable in two axial directions with respect to the connecting portion.
[0004] Accordingly, since the sensor unit is provided to be swingable in two axial directions, it becomes possible to appropriately press the wheels against the wall surface of the measurement target, increasing the degree of freedom of the position and attitude of the aircraft, facilitating the operation of the aircraft, and improving the measurement accuracy.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0007] Therefore, by providing the sensor unit so that it can swing in two axes relative to the connecting unit, the tilt and shaking of the drone body can be mitigated to some extent during sensor measurement.
[0008] However, because the drone itself sways up, down, left, and right during measurement due to wind and operator movements, not only is the tip of the arm supporting the sensor capable of swaying in two axes, but the connection point where the drone body and the arm are connected at the rear end is also capable of swaying up, down, left, and right relative to the drone body. etc. A strategy to mitigate the fluctuations as much as possible was desired.
[0009] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a drone measuring device in which a sensor is flexibly supported at the tip of the arm, and a vibration mitigation means is provided at the connection part between the drone body and the arm at the rear end to mitigate vibrations to the arm caused by the swinging of the drone body. This allows the sensor at the tip of the arm to make direct contact with the wall surface of the object to be measured when measuring the characteristics of the object to be measured, and furthermore, a vibration mitigation means is provided at the connection part between the arm and the drone body at the rear end to mitigate vibrations to the arm from the drone body, thus reducing vibrations from the drone body in all directions. etc. This reduces the oscillations, improving the measurement accuracy of the sensor during measurement. [Means for solving the problem]
[0010] The present invention comprises a drone body, a sensor that contacts an object to be measured and measures its characteristics, and the sensor Equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the tip in a flexible manner. A drone measuring device having an arm, The rear end of the arm is connected to an arm connecting component, and a single elastic body with a larger area than the arm connecting component is placed between the arm connecting component and the bottom surface of the drone body. The arm is fixed to the bottom surface of the drone body via the elastic body from two points on the left and right of the arm connecting component, which are perpendicular to the axis of the arm, by a single-axis fixing means. The swinging motion of the drone body on the arm Vertical oscillation and horizontal twisting It is characterized by being equipped with a means to mitigate oscillations.
[0011] This drone measurement device consists of the drone body, a sensor that contacts the object to be measured to measure its characteristics, and Equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the tip in a flexible manner. It has an arm, Furthermore, the rear end of the arm is connected to an arm connector, and a single elastic body with a larger area than the arm connector is placed between the arm connector and the bottom surface of the drone body. The arm connector is fixed to the bottom surface of the drone body via the elastic body from two points on the left and right sides of the arm connector, which are perpendicular to the axis of the arm, by a single-axis fixing means. With this configuration, the arm connector that connects the rear end of the arm can swing up, down, left and right relative to the drone body on the elastic body. Therefore, the shaking of the drone body affects the arm Vertical oscillation and horizontal twisting This reduces oscillation. Therefore, even if the drone body oscillates up, down, left, or right due to external factors such as wind while the sensor, which contacts the object being measured to measure its characteristics, is in measurement, the oscillation to the arm is reduced, and the impact on the sensor, which is flexibly supported at the tip of the arm, is also reduced. This improves the measurement accuracy of the sensor. .
[0012] Furthermore, the drone measuring device of the present invention comprises a drone body, a sensor that contacts an object to be measured and measures its characteristics, and the sensor Equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the tip in a flexible manner. A drone measuring device having an arm, wherein the swinging motion of the drone body causes the arm to Up and down oscillation and forward and backward movement As a means of reducing oscillation, it includes a body-side plate attached to the drone body and an arm-side plate to which an arm connecting component connecting the rear end of the arm is connected. The main body plate and the arm plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and a planar shape that is obliquely raised upward in at least one of the forward and backward directions of the drone body, the main body plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm plate is fixed to the main body plate by a single-axis fixing means, with a plurality of elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the main body plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and the portion of the main body plate that is obliquely raised upward in at least one of the forward and backward directions of the drone body. .
[0013] This drone measurement device consists of the drone body, a sensor that contacts the object to be measured to measure its characteristics, and Equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the tip in a flexible manner. It has an arm, and further comprises a body-side plate that is attached to the drone body and an arm-side plate that connects an arm connecting component that connects the rear end of the arm, The main body plate and the arm plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and a planar shape that is angled upward in at least one of the forward and backward directions of the drone body. The main body plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm plate is fixed to the main body plate by a single-axis fixing means, with multiple elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the main body plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and the portion that is angled upward in at least one of the forward and backward directions of the main body plate and the drone body. With this configuration, the arm plate, which connects the arm connecting component that connects the rear end of the arm, can swing in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the main body plate, sandwiching multiple elastic bodies. Therefore, the shaking of the drone body affects the arm Up and down oscillation and forward and backward movement This can mitigate oscillations. Therefore, while a sensor that contacts an object to measure its characteristics is measuring, the drone itself may move up and down due to external factors such as wind. Front and back Even when swinging in one direction, the swinging motion on the arm is mitigated, and the impact on the sensor, which is flexibly supported at the tip of the arm, is also reduced. This improves the measurement accuracy of the sensor. .
[0014] In addition, the drone measurement device of the present invention includes a drone body, a sensor that contacts a measurement object to measure its characteristics, and the sensor Equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the tip in a flexible manner. an arm, and is a drone measurement device having a swing mitigation means for mitigating the swing to the arm caused by the swing of the drone body, including a body side plate attached to the drone body and an arm side plate connecting an arm connection component connecting the rear end side of the arm. Up and down oscillation and left and right oscillation As a swing mitigation means for mitigating the swing to the arm caused by the swing of the drone body, it includes a body side plate attached to the drone body and an arm side plate connecting an arm connection component connecting the rear end side of the arm. The main body plate and the arm plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and a planar shape that is angled upward in the left-right direction relative to the drone body, the main body plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm plate is fixed to the main body plate by a single-axis fixing means, with a plurality of elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the main body plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and the portion of the main body plate that is angled upward in the left-right direction relative to the drone body. .
[0015] This drone measurement device has a drone body, a sensor that contacts a measurement object to measure its characteristics, and a sensor Equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the tip in a flexible manner. an arm, and further includes a body side plate attached to the drone body and an arm side plate connecting an arm connection component connecting the rear end side of the arm. The main body plate and the arm plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and a planar shape that is angled upward in the left-right direction relative to the drone body. The main body plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm plate is fixed to the main body plate by a single-axis fixing means, with multiple elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the main body plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and the portion of the main body plate that is angled upward in the left-right direction relative to the drone body. With this configuration, the arm plate, which connects the arm connecting component that connects the rear end of the arm, can swing in the vertical and left-right directions relative to the main body plate by sandwiching multiple elastic bodies. Therefore, the swing to the arm caused by the swing of the drone body Up and down oscillation and left and right oscillation can be mitigated. Thus, even when the drone body swings in the vertical and horizontal directions due to external factors such as wind during the measurement by the sensor that contacts the measurement object to measure its characteristics, the swing to the arm is mitigated, and the influence on the sensor that is supported in a bendable manner on the tip side of the arm is also reduced. This improves the measurement accuracy of the sensor. .
[0016] In addition, the drone measurement device of the present invention includes a drone body, a sensor that contacts a measurement object to measure its characteristics, and the sensor Equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the tip in a flexible manner. an arm, and is a drone measurement device having a swing mitigation means for mitigating the swing to the arm caused by the swing of the drone body, including a body side plate attached to the drone body and Up and down, front and back, and left and right directions . The drone comprises an arm-side plate to which an arm connecting component is connected to the rear end of the arm, and the main body-side plate and the arm-side plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body, a planar shape that is angled upward in at least one of the forward and rear directions of the drone body, and a planar shape that is angled upward in the left-right direction, the main body-side plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm-side plate is fixed to the main body-side plate by a single-axis fixing means, with a plurality of elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the main body-side plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body, the portion that is angled upward in at least one of the forward and rear directions of the main body-side plate and the drone body, and the portion that is angled upward in the left-right direction. .
[0017] This drone measurement device has a drone body, a sensor that contacts a measurement object to measure its characteristics, and a sensor Equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the tip in a flexible manner. an arm, and further includes a body side plate attached to the drone body and The drone body includes an arm-side plate to which an arm connecting component connects the rear end of the arm. The main body plate and the arm-side plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body, a planar shape that is angled upward in at least one of the forward and backward directions of the drone body, and a planar shape that is angled upward in the left-right direction. The main body plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm-side plate is fixed to the main body plate by a single-axis fixing means, with multiple elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the main body plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body, the portion that is angled upward in at least one of the forward and backward directions of the main body plate and the drone body, and the portion that is angled upward in the left-right direction. With this configuration, the arm-side plate to which the arm connecting component connects the rear end of the arm can swing relative to the main body plate in the vertical, forward / backward, and left-right directions with multiple elastic bodies sandwiched between them. Therefore, the swing to the arm caused by the swing of the drone body Up and down, front and back, and left and right directionsVibration can be mitigated. Therefore, while the sensor that contacts the object to be measured and measures its characteristics is in the process of measurement, even if the drone body swings in the vertical, horizontal, and before and after and lateral directions due to external factors such as wind, the swing to the arm is mitigated, and the influence on the sensor that is supported in a bendable manner on the tip side of the arm is also reduced. This improves the measurement accuracy of the sensor. .
[0018] Also, preferably in the present invention, the elastic body is made of rubber.
[0019] Since the elastic body is not made of a special material but of rubber made of a general material, it can be easily applied.
[0020] Also, preferably in the present invention, the uniaxial fixing means is a bolt and a nut.
[0021] If the uniaxial fixing means is a bolt and a nut, this configuration can be easily adopted.
Advantages of the Invention
[0022] According to the drone measurement device of the present invention, not only is the tip side of the arm that supports the sensor bendable, but also at the connection part of the arm connected to the rear end side of the drone body, the vertical, horizontal etc. and lateral vibrations from the drone body are mitigated. Therefore, the vibration from the drone body that swings vertically, horizontally etc. and laterally due to the influence of wind or the operation of the operator can be mitigated, and the measurement accuracy of the sensor that presses the sensor part against the wall surface of the object to be measured and measures characteristics such as the plate thickness of the object to be measured is improved. [[ID=3&]]
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0023] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a plan view of a drone measurement device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view of a drone measurement device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a left side view of a drone measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the arm tip side of the present invention, where Figure 4(a) is a plan view of the arm tip side and Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Figure 4(a). [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the swing mitigation means at the rear end of the arm of the present invention, where Figure 5(a) is a front view of the drone body, Figure 5(b) is a bottom view of the drone body, and Figure 5(c) is a cross-sectional view of Figure 5(b) along line BB. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of the oscillation mitigation means, where Figure 6(a) is a front view of the drone body, Figure 6(b) is a bottom view of the drone body, and Figure 6(c) is a cross-sectional view of Figure 6(b) along line CC. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of a third embodiment of the oscillation mitigation means, where Figure 7(a) is a front view of the drone body, Figure 7(b) is a bottom view of the drone body, Figure 7(c) is a cross-sectional view along line DD of Figure 7(b), and Figure 7(d) is a cross-sectional view along line EE of Figure 7(b). [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of a fourth embodiment of the oscillation mitigation means, where Figure 8(a) is a front view of the drone body and Figure 8(b) is a bottom view of the drone body. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a front view of the drone body according to the fifth embodiment of the oscillation mitigation means. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0024] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0025] <First Embodiment> Figures 1, 2, and 3 are a plan view, a front view, and a left side view of a drone measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] In the first embodiment, the drone measuring device 1 comprises a drone body 2, a sensor 3 that contacts an object to be measured to measure its characteristics, and an arm 4 that flexibly supports the sensor 3 at its tip and is connected to the drone body 2 at its rear end. The connection part 5 between the drone body 2 and the arm 4 is equipped with a swing mitigation means 6 that reduces the swinging of the arm 4 caused by the swinging of the drone body 2.
[0027] In this embodiment, the drone body 2 has four motors 22A, 22B, 22C, and 22D mounted on a quad X-shaped frame 21, which rotate four two-bladed rotors 23A, 23B, 23C, and 23D, respectively. The rotation of each rotor generates lift, but adjacent rotors rotate in opposite directions to cancel out the rotational moment generated in the drone body 2. In addition, guard wires 25 that cover and protect each rotor portion to prevent direct contact with obstacles are fixed to guard wire fixing parts provided on each frame 21. Although not shown in the figures, the drone body 2 incorporates a battery, a flight control device, and a wireless transceiver. The flight control device controls the drive state of each motor to control the drone's attitude, direction of movement, speed, etc. The wireless transceiver receives flight instructions from the operator's transmitter and transmits images from the imaging device 7 to the monitor.
[0028] When the drone body 2 moves forward (towards the side with the imaging device 7), the rotation speeds of the rear motors 22C and 22D are increased to match the horizontal movement speed, and the drone moves forward with horizontal thrust obtained in a posture where the front is tilted low by about 10°.
[0029] The sensor 3 in this embodiment is a sensor that comes into contact with the object to be measured and evaluates its characteristics, and is an ultrasonic thickness gauge or the like.
[0030] The imaging device 7 is a camera mounted on the front of the drone body 2 that can obtain FPV (First Person View) images, and is used for observing the condition of the wall surface of the object being measured and the contact state between the object being measured and the sensor 3.
[0031] The distance measuring device 8 is mounted on top of the drone body 2 and measures the distance to the object being measured. It consists of an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, and the like.
[0032] In the case of a sensor 3 that measures the characteristics of an object by contacting the wall surface of the object being measured, it is necessary to constantly press forward to prevent the sensor 3 from moving away from the wall surface during measurement. This means that the drone body 2 will perform the measurement in a posture where the front is tilted low at an angle of 10° or less. Therefore, an arm 4 that flexibly supports the sensor 3 at its tip compensates for the tilt, enabling the sensor 3 to make direct contact with the wall surface of the object being measured. Furthermore, the arm 4 that flexibly supports the sensor 3 at its tip compensates not only for the forward and backward tilt of the drone body 2, but also for the up, down, left, and right tilt of the drone body 2, enabling the sensor 3 to make direct contact with the wall surface of the object being measured.
[0033] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the arm tip side of the present invention, where Figure 4(a) is a plan view of the arm tip side and Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 4(a). The arm 4 of the present invention extends forward from the drone body 2 and is characterized by supporting the sensor 3 in a flexible manner. In this embodiment, the arm 4 consists of a front arm 41 to which a sensor holder 44 that holds an ultrasonic plate thickness gauge 31 as the sensor 3 is attached, and a rear arm 42 whose one end is connected to the front arm 41 by a bending spring 46 and whose other end is attached to the drone body 2. Since the spring coil of the bending spring 46 is tightly wound, the front arm 41 can move flexibly by this bending spring 46. Furthermore, a sensor cover 43 that protects the ultrasonic plate thickness gauge 31 and makes direct contact with the wall surface of the object to be measured is attached to the front arm 41, and the sensor cover 43 is pushed forward by a front / rear spring 45 in which the spring coil is loosely wound. The arm 4 is hollow inside, and although not shown in the diagram, electrical signal wiring to the sensor 3 and, in the case of the ultrasonic plate thickness gauge 31, piping for supplying the ultrasonic transmission medium also pass through the hollow section.
[0034] With the arm configuration of this embodiment, even if the direction of arm 4, i.e., the contact direction of sensor 3, is not initially directly facing the wall surface of the object to be measured, as sensor 3 approaches the wall surface of the object to be measured, the bending spring 46 bends so that the sensor cover 43 of the front arm 41 directly contacts the wall surface of the object to be measured. Under pressure from the drone body 2, the sensor cover 43 then retracts while pushing the front / rear spring 45, and finally, sensor 3 directly contacts the wall surface of the object to be measured, enabling measurement of the characteristics of the object to be measured. Note that if the contact surface of sensor 3 is large, sensor 3 can directly contact the wall surface of the object to be measured using only the bending spring 46, without the sensor cover 43 and front / rear spring 45.
[0035] In this embodiment, a bending spring 46 is used as the mechanism for the arm 4 that flexibly supports the sensor 3, but the invention is not limited to this, and a highly elastic rubber or the like may be used instead of the bending spring 46.
[0036] Furthermore, since the front arm 41 and rear arm 42, like the outer shell and frame 21 of the drone body 2, require both lightness and strength, materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic are preferable.
[0037] The following describes the oscillation mitigation means 6, which is provided at the connection point 5 between the drone body 2 and the arm 4 and reduces the oscillation of the arm 4 caused by the oscillation of the drone body 2.
[0038] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the swing mitigation means at the rear end of the arm of the present invention, where Figure 5(a) is a front view of the drone body, Figure 5(b) is a bottom view of the drone body, and Figure 5(c) is a cross-sectional view along line BB of Figure 5(b). Note that in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the frame 21 and leg portion 24 are omitted from the illustration of the drone body 2 in order to explain the swing mitigation means 6.
[0039] In this embodiment, the oscillation mitigation means 6 is characterized by sandwiching an elastic body 61 between the connection part 5 between the drone body 2 and the arm 4, and fixing it via the elastic body 61 with a single-axis fixing means 64. Specifically, a rubber disc, which is the elastic body 61, is sandwiched between the bottom of the drone body 2 and the rear end of the arm 4, and a bolt 641 is fixed from above the arm connection part 643 that fixes the arm 4 to a nut 642 provided on the bottom surface of the drone body 2 via the rubber disc. The arm connection part 643 is made of metal or plastic and fixes the arm 4 on the rubber disc.
[0040] In this embodiment, since the arm 4 is in direct contact with the rubber disc which is the elastic body 61, it is possible to mitigate oscillations, especially in the vertical direction. When the drone body 2 oscillates upward while the sensor 3 is taking measurements, the angle of the arm 4 relative to the drone body 2 tends to open up, causing the arm 4 to compress the rear of the elastic body 61 and receive a counter-rebounding force, which acts to restore the angle between the arm 4 and the drone body 2 to its original position. Conversely, when the drone body 2 oscillates downward, the angle of the arm 4 relative to the drone body 2 tends to close, causing the arm 4 to compress the front of the elastic body 61 and receive a counter-rebounding force, which acts to restore the angle between the arm 4 and the drone body 2 to its original position. Due to the energy absorption effect of the viscoelastic effect of the elastic body 61, the oscillations on the arm 4 caused by the oscillations of the drone body 2 can be mitigated.
[0041] <Second Embodiment> Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of the oscillation mitigation means, with Figure 6(a) being a front view of the drone body, Figure 6(b) being a bottom view of the drone body, and Figure 6(c) being a cross-sectional view of the CC line of Figure 6(b). Note that in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the frame 21 and legs 24 of the drone body 2 are omitted from the illustration in order to explain the oscillation mitigation means 6.
[0042] In this embodiment, the oscillation mitigation means 6 is characterized by sandwiching an elastic body 61 between the drone body 2 and the arm connecting part 643, and fixing it via the elastic body 61 with a single-axis fixing means 64. Specifically, a rubber rectangular parallelepiped, which is the elastic body 61, is sandwiched between the bottom of the drone body 2 and the arm connecting part 643. The rear end of the arm 4 passes through the arm connecting part 643 and is fixed to the arm connecting part 643. A bolt 641 is fixed from above the arm connecting part 643 to a nut 642 provided on the bottom surface of the drone body 2 via the rubber rectangular parallelepiped, which is the elastic body 61. The arm connecting part 643 is made of metal or plastic.
[0043] In this embodiment, since the arm connecting component 643 is in direct contact with the rubber rectangular parallelepiped, which is the elastic body 61, the arm connecting component 643 receives mitigation of the swinging of the drone body 2 by the elastic body 61, but the arm 4, which is indirectly fixed to the arm connecting component 643, also has its swinging mitigated. In this embodiment, in addition to swinging in the vertical direction, twisting swinging in the horizontal direction can also be mitigated. For example, when the drone body 2 swings upward while the sensor 3 is taking measurements, the angle of the arm 4 with respect to the drone body 2 tends to open up, causing the rear of the arm connecting component 643 that fixes the arm 4 to tilt closer to the drone body 2, compressing the rear of the elastic body 61 and receiving a counter-rebound force. The arm connecting component 643 acts to return its angle with respect to the drone body 2, and ultimately the swinging of the arm 4 is also mitigated. Conversely, when the drone body 2 swings downward, the angle of the arm 4 relative to the drone body 2 tends to close, causing the front of the arm connecting part 643 that fixes the arm 4 to tilt closer to the drone body 2, compressing the front of the elastic body 61 and receiving a counter-rebound force. The arm connecting part 643 then acts to return its angle with the drone body 2 to its original position, ultimately mitigating the swinging motion of the arm 4.
[0044] For example, if the drone body 2 twists and oscillates to the right while the sensor 3 is taking measurements, the right end of the arm connecting part 643 that fixes the arm 4 tilts closer to the drone body 2, compressing the right side of the elastic body 61 and receiving a counter-repulsive force. The arm connecting part 643 acts to return the twist angle with respect to the drone body 2 to its original position, and ultimately the twisting and oscillation of the arm 4 to the right is also mitigated. The same applies when the drone body 2 twists and oscillates to the left. In this embodiment, in addition to the vertical oscillation of the drone body 2, it is also possible to mitigate the oscillation of the arm 4 in the horizontal twisting and oscillation.
[0045] <Third Embodiment> Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of a third embodiment of the oscillation mitigation means, where Figure 7(a) is a front view of the drone body, Figure 7(b) is a bottom view of the drone body, Figure 7(c) is a cross-sectional view along line DD of Figure 7(b), and Figure 7(d) is a cross-sectional view along line EE of Figure 7(b). Note that in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the frame 21 and legs 24 of the drone body 2 are omitted from the illustration in order to explain the oscillation mitigation means 6.
[0046] In the third embodiment, the oscillation mitigation means 6 comprises a body-side plate 62 attached to the drone body 2 and an arm-side plate 63 to which the arm 4 is attached, an elastic body 61 is sandwiched between the body-side plate 62 and the arm-side plate 63, and the elastic body 61 is fixed by a single-axis fixing means 64.
[0047] In this embodiment, the main body plate 62 is screwed to the four corners of the bottom surface of the drone body 2, and four rubber elastic bodies 61 are sandwiched between it and the arm-side plate 63, and it is fixed with bolts 641 and nuts 642, which are single-axis fixing means 64. The rear end of the arm 4 is attached to the arm-side plate 63 by an arm connecting part 643. The effect of sway reduction in this embodiment is that, because multiple rubber elastic bodies 61 are spaced apart between the main body plate 62 and the arm-side plate 63 and each is fixed with a single-axis fixing means 64, the sway reduction effect on the arm 4 is significant not only against vertical swaying from the drone body 2 due to the elastic bodies 61, but also against left-right twisting swaying.
[0048] <Fourth Embodiment> Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of a fourth embodiment of the oscillation mitigation means, where Figure 8(a) is a front view of the drone body and Figure 8(b) is a bottom view of the drone body. Note that in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the frame 21 and legs 24 are omitted from the illustration of the drone body 2 in order to explain the oscillation mitigation means 6.
[0049] In the third embodiment, both the main body plate 62 and the arm plate 63, when viewed from the front, have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body 2, with an elastic body 61 sandwiched between them. However, in the fourth embodiment, both the main body plate 62 and the arm plate 63 have a shape that is angled upward in the front direction of the drone body 2. The main body plate 62 is screwed to the drone body 2 on the front and bottom sides. The arm plate 63 sandwiches multiple rubber elastic bodies 61 between the main body plate 62 and the angled upward in the front direction of the drone body 2, and between the part parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body 2, and is fixed with a bolt 641 and nut 642, which are a single-axis fixing means 64. Since the upward-sloping portion of the swing-mitigating means 6 is more effective in mitigating the forward-backward swing of the drone body 2, this embodiment has a swing-mitigating effect on the arm 4, which is attached to the arm-side plate 63 by the arm connecting component 643, not only against the vertical swing of the drone body 2 but also against the forward-backward swing.
[0050] <Fifth Embodiment> Figure 9 is a front view of the drone body according to the fifth embodiment of the oscillation mitigation means. In order to explain the oscillation mitigation means 6, the frame 21 and legs 24 are omitted from the illustration of the drone body 2.
[0051] In the fourth embodiment, both the main body plate 62 and the arm plate 63 were shaped to be angled upward in the front direction of the drone body 2 when viewed from the front. However, in the fifth embodiment, both the main body plate 62 and the arm plate 63 are shaped to be angled upward in both the front and rear directions of the drone body 2. Multiple rubber elastic bodies 61 are sandwiched in these angled upward-curving parts and fixed to each with bolts 641 and nuts 642, which are single-axis fixing means 64. This provides a oscillation mitigation effect on the arm 4 not only against vertical oscillation of the drone body 2 but also against oscillation in the front and rear directions.
[0052] Furthermore, if the main body plate 62 and the arm plate 63 are also shaped to be raised diagonally upward in the left-right direction, and multiple rubber elastic bodies 61 are sandwiched in these raised parts and fixed to each with a single-axis fixing means 64, then the swinging effect on the arm 4 against the left-right swinging of the drone body 2 will be further enhanced.
[0053] According to the drone measuring device of the present invention, not only is the tip of the arm supporting the sensor flexible, but the connection part of the arm connected to the drone body at the rear end is also equipped with a means to mitigate up-and-down and left-and-right swinging from the drone body. As a result, the swinging from the drone body to the arm, which swings up-and-down and left-and-right due to wind or operator operation, can be mitigated, improving the measurement accuracy of the sensor that measures characteristics such as the thickness of the plate of the object to be measured by pressing the sensor part against the wall surface of the object to be measured.
[0054] Although the oscillation mitigation means has been described as an embodiment, there are various specific options for elastic bodies and uniaxial fixing means, and they are not limited to those described above; other options that produce similar effects are also included.
[0055] Although the drone measurement device of the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiments, and its configuration can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0056] 1. Drone measuring device 2. Drone body 3 sensors 4 Arms 5 Connection part 6. Means for mitigating oscillation 7. Imaging device 8. Distance measuring device 21 frames 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D motors 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D rotors 24 Legs 25 Guard Wire 31. Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge 41 Front Arm 42 Rear arm 43 Sensor cover 44 Sensor holder 45 Front and rear springs 46. Flexing spring 61 Elastic body 62 Main unit side plate 63 Arm-side plate 64 Uniaxial fixing means 641 volts 642 Nut 643 Arm connection parts
Claims
1. A drone measuring device comprising a drone body, a sensor that contacts an object to be measured to measure its characteristics, and an arm equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that bends the sensor at its tip, wherein the rear end of the arm is connected to an arm connecting component, and a single elastic body having a larger area than the arm connecting component is sandwiched between the arm connecting component and the bottom surface of the drone body, and the arm is fixed to the bottom surface of the drone body via the elastic body from two points on the left and right of the arm connecting component perpendicular to the axis of the arm by a single-axis fixing means, thereby mitigating vertical swinging and left-right twisting of the arm caused by the swinging of the drone body.
2. A drone measuring device comprising a drone body, a sensor that contacts an object to be measured to measure its characteristics, and an arm equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the sensor so as to bendable at its tip, wherein the device includes a swing mitigation means for mitigating vertical and longitudinal swings of the arm caused by the swing of the drone body, a body-side plate attached to the drone body, and an arm-side plate to which an arm connecting component connecting the rear end of the arm is connected, wherein the body-side plate and the arm-side plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and a planar shape that is obliquely raised upward in at least one of the forward and rear directions of the drone body, the body-side plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm-side plate is fixed to the body-side plate by a single-axis fixing means, with a plurality of elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the body-side plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and the portion that is obliquely raised upward in at least one of the forward and rear directions of the body-side plate and the drone body.
3. A drone measuring device comprising a drone body, a sensor that contacts an object to be measured to measure its characteristics, and an arm equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the sensor so as to bendable at its tip, wherein the device includes a swing mitigation means to mitigate vertical and horizontal swings to the arm caused by the swing of the drone body, a body-side plate attached to the drone body, and an arm-side plate to which an arm connecting component connecting the rear end of the arm is connected, wherein the body-side plate and the arm-side plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and a planar shape that is obliquely raised upward in the left-right direction of the drone body, the body-side plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm-side plate is fixed to the body-side plate by a single-axis fixing means, with a plurality of elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the body-side plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body and the portion of the body-side plate that is obliquely raised upward in the left-right direction of the drone body.
4. A drone measuring device comprising a drone body, a sensor that contacts an object to be measured to measure its characteristics, and an arm equipped with a bending spring or elastic rubber that supports the sensor so as to bend at its tip, wherein the device includes a swing mitigation means for mitigating swinging in the vertical, forward / backward, and left / right directions of the arm due to the swinging of the drone body, a body-side plate attached to the drone body, and an arm-side plate to which an arm connecting component connecting the rear end of the arm is connected, wherein the body-side plate and the arm-side plate have a planar shape parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body, a planar shape that is obliquely raised upward in at least one of the forward and backward directions of the drone body, and a planar shape that is obliquely raised upward in the left / right direction, the body-side plate is screwed to the drone body, and the arm-side plate is fixed to the body-side plate by a single-axis fixing means, with a plurality of elastic bodies sandwiched between the portion of the body-side plate parallel to the bottom surface of the drone body, the portion that is obliquely raised upward in at least one of the forward and backward directions of the body-side plate and the drone body, and the portion that is obliquely raised upward in the left / right direction.
5. The drone measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the elastic body is made of rubber.
6. The drone measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the single-axis fixing means is a bolt and a nut.