Evacuation guidance systems and unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

To provide an evacuation guidance system capable of further quickly performing evacuation guidance.SOLUTION: An evacuation guidance system (100) includes an equipment operation panel (1) receiving a fire signal from one or more sensors (3) that transmit the fire signal when detecting an outbreak of a fire, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (2) capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the equipment operation panel (1). When receiving the fire signal from the sensor (3), the equipment operation panel (1) transmits fire location information for identifying a location where a fire occurs to the unmanned aerial vehicle (2), based on the fire signal. The unmanned aerial vehicle (2) flies along an evacuation guidance route, the route avoiding the location where the fire has occurred among routes from a current location to an evacuation exit based on the fire location information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle and an evacuation guidance system using the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when a fire breaks out in a building such as a commercial building or a factory facility, the people inside the building need to evacuate immediately. However, in a situation where the smoke is filled and the visibility is blocked, the people inside the building may not be able to determine where to evacuate.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a system that can quickly evacuate the people inside the building.

[0004] Regarding evacuation guidance, a system that uses an unmanned aerial vehicle to perform evacuation guidance has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the evacuation guidance system according to Patent Document 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle flies to a specific location where disasters such as river flooding, landslides, ground fissures, and fires may occur, and performs evacuation guidance after grasping the situation at the scene.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the evacuation guidance system of Patent Document 1, it is mainly assumed that evacuation guidance is performed outdoors, and in order to grasp the occurrence situation of disasters, the unmanned aerial vehicle moves to a designated location.

[0007] On the other hand, if a fire breaks out inside a building, there is no time to assess the situation, and it is necessary to evacuate everyone inside the building as quickly as possible. In addition, it is necessary to guide people inside the building to prevent them from entering the area where the fire is occurring.

[0008] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide an evacuation guidance system and an unmanned aerial vehicle that can provide faster evacuation guidance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The evacuation guidance system relating to this disclosure comprises one or more sensors that transmit a fire occurrence signal when they detect the occurrence of a fire, an equipment control panel that receives the fire occurrence signal, and an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of sending and receiving data with the equipment control panel. When the equipment control panel receives a fire occurrence signal from a sensor, it transmits fire location information to the unmanned aerial vehicle to identify the location where the fire has occurred, based on the fire occurrence signal. The unmanned aerial vehicle flies along an evacuation guidance route, which is a route from its current position to an evacuation exit that avoids the location where the fire has occurred. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to obtain an evacuation guidance system and an unmanned aerial vehicle that can provide faster evacuation guidance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of the evacuation guidance system in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the evacuation guidance system. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows the initial actions of an unmanned aerial vehicle when a fire breaks out. [Figure 5]This flowchart shows the flight behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle after the completion of its initial movements, as shown in Figure 2. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing notification control in an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle when smoke is detected. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the evacuation guidance system of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The evacuation guidance system described in this disclosure uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to guide and evacuate people inside a building in the event of a fire. The UAV in this disclosure acquires information indicating the location of the fire from a fire alarm receiver and determines an evacuation route to an emergency exit based on that information. Subsequently, the UAV flies along the evacuation route while notifying people inside the building that evacuation guidance is being carried out, thereby quickly evacuating people inside the building.

[0013] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the evacuation guidance system in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0014] The evacuation guidance system 100 is comprised of a fire alarm receiver 1, an unmanned aerial vehicle 2, and a detector 3.

[0015] The fire alarm receiver 1 is a centralized control device in the building's fire prevention system. The fire alarm receiver 1 monitors fire alarm signals from the detectors 3, and upon receiving a fire alarm signal, activates fire prevention equipment (not shown), such as emergency broadcasting equipment, district sound systems, and sprinklers.

[0016] The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is an aircraft that flies autonomously while maintaining its attitude. In Embodiment 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 does not require human operation and performs autonomous flight while avoiding contact with walls and obstacles by detecting them on its own.

[0017] In normal times, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 waits at a fixed position within the facility. This fixed position is the starting point during guidance and is referred to as the "start position" here. In the first embodiment, the start position is set at a position as far away from the emergency exit as possible.

[0018] Also, when the area of the building is large, a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 2 may be provided.

[0019] The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is configured to be able to perform wireless communication with the fire receiver 1. When a fire occurs, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is activated upon receiving the fire location information described below from the fire receiver 1 and flies to guide the people inside the building to the emergency exit. Hereinafter, the people inside the building are referred to as the rescued persons 10.

[0020] The rescued person 10 can move to the emergency exit by relying on the illumination light, voice, etc. from the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and following the unmanned aerial vehicle 2.

[0021] The sensor 3 is connected to the fire receiver 1 and outputs a fire occurrence signal to the fire receiver 1 when a fire is detected. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that N sensors 3, namely sensors 3(1), 3(2), ···, 3(N), are arranged at various locations inside the building.

[0022] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 shown in Figure 1.

[0023] In Figure 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 includes a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, an imaging unit 23, an illumination unit 24, a voice output unit 25, a light emitting unit 26, a storage unit 27, and an autonomous flight control unit 28.

[0024] The communication unit 21 communicates wirelessly with the fire alarm receiver 1. In this embodiment 1, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard is used as the communication means, but short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) may also be used if the communication range is supported. Alternatively, communication between the fire alarm receiver 1 and the communication unit 21 may be performed by a cloud system that comprehensively manages the fire alarm receiver 1.

[0025] The control unit 22 performs various calculation processes and outputs command signals to various hardware components within the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to control them. The control unit 22 has a configuration that includes a calculation processing unit, main memory, and interfaces for controlling various hardware components.

[0026] The imaging unit 23 captures images of the area around the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. The imaging unit 23 is, for example, a 360-degree camera mounted on the top and bottom surfaces of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. By mounting 360-degree cameras on the top and bottom surfaces of the vehicle in this way, it is possible to acquire images of the entire sphere in both the top and bottom directions.

[0027] The illumination unit 24 is a light source for illuminating the surroundings. The illumination unit 24 is designed to illuminate the underside of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 in order to illuminate the feet of the person to be rescued 10. In addition, illumination units 24 may be provided at various positions on the aircraft to illuminate areas where sufficient light is needed when imaging is performed by the imaging unit 23.

[0028] The audio output unit 25 has a speaker and outputs sound to the surroundings.

[0029] The light-emitting unit 26 has an LED light and visually notifies the person to be rescued 10 whether the unmanned aircraft 2 is in a guided state, guiding the person to be rescued 10 toward an escape route, or in an unguided state. In Embodiment 1, the light-emitting unit 26 emits blue light when in a guided state, and red light when in an unguided state.

[0030] Alternatively, the system could be distinguished by switching the lighting pattern between the inductive and non-inductive states, or by switching between being on or off.

[0031] The memory unit 27 stores various data, including control parameters for rapidly flying the unmanned aircraft 2, audio data output by the audio output unit 25, map information of the building, and candidate evacuation routes from the starting position to the emergency exit. The memory unit 27 also records operation logs in the event of a fire.

[0032] The autonomous flight control unit 28 is a module that controls the unmanned aircraft 2 to fly while maintaining its attitude and avoiding contact with obstacles. The autonomous flight control unit 28 is equipped with a GPS receiver, an inertial measurement unit, multiple object detection sensors, a control circuit, and multiple motors for rotating each rotor.

[0033] Furthermore, object detection sensors are installed at least above and below the aircraft, and in all directions (front, back, left, and right) to detect obstacles, the ceiling, the floor, and the side walls. The control circuit receives acceleration, rotational angular velocity, and axial direction measurement signals from the inertial measurement unit, as well as detection signals from the object detection sensors, and controls the rotational speed of each motor based on these signals.

[0034] Figure 3 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the evacuation guidance system 100 shown in Figure 1. The operation shown in Figure 3 is performed each time a fire is detected by one of the detectors 3.

[0035] When a fire breaks out inside the building, in step S101, a detector 3 located near the location of the fire detects the fire.

[0036] In step S102, the detector 3 that has detected the fire transmits a fire alarm signal to the fire alarm receiver 1.

[0037] In step S103, the fire alarm receiver 1 obtains the address associated with the detector 3 that transmitted the fire alarm signal. The fire alarm receiver 1 has a pre-configured address for uniquely managing each detector 3, and the fire alarm receiver 1 obtains this address.

[0038] Furthermore, in step S103, the fire alarm receiver 1 identifies the fire location information based on the address of the detector 3 that transmitted the fire alarm signal.

[0039] Here, the fire location information is information that identifies the location where a fire occurred, and specifically, it is location information that uniquely represents the installation location of the detector 3 by latitude and longitude. In addition, the fire alarm receiver 1 has a table that associates addresses with fire location information, and the fire alarm receiver 1 can identify the fire location information from an address by referring to this table.

[0040] Then, in step S104, the fire receiver 1 transmits fire location information to the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 via wireless communication.

[0041] Upon receiving information about the location of the fire, the unmanned aircraft 2 flies in step S105 to evacuate the person in need of rescue 10.

[0042] The operation of the unmanned aircraft 2 in step S105 will be described below.

[0043] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the initial actions of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 shown in Figure 2 when a fire breaks out. The actions in Figure 4 are repeated until the flight action in step S203 begins.

[0044] In step S201, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 determines whether it has received fire location information. If the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 does not receive fire location information, it terminates the operation of the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0045] When the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 receives fire location information, in step S202, it sets the variable K to 0. This variable K indicates whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is in a guided or unguided state. Here, K=0 is defined as guided state and K=1 as unguided state.

[0046] In step S202, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 determines an evacuation guidance route based on the received fire location information. The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 selects an evacuation guidance route from among the candidate evacuation routes stored in the memory unit 27 that avoids the location where the fire occurred. If there are multiple such evacuation routes, the route requiring the most urgency, i.e., the route that passes closest to the fire location, is selected as the evacuation guidance route. In this way, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 can guide the persons in need of rescue 10 who are near the fire location with the highest priority.

[0047] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may utilize AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology to identify a suitable route that avoids the location of the fire and determine it as an evacuation route.

[0048] In step S203, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 starts its flight by rotating the motor of the autonomous flight control unit 28. The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 also turns on the imaging unit 23, the illumination unit 24, the audio output unit 25, and the light-emitting unit 26.

[0049] Subsequently, the control unit 22 of the unmanned aircraft 2 instructs the autonomous flight control unit 28 to fly along the evacuation guidance path. The autonomous flight control unit 28 flies along the evacuation guidance path while avoiding obstacles and other objects.

[0050] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flight operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 after the completion of its initial operation as shown in Figure 2. Note that the operation in Figure 5 is repeated.

[0051] Furthermore, in the flowchart of Figure 5, the route for steps S302, S303, ... represents the process of flying from the starting position to the evacuation exit, and is a flow that shows the operation during the guidance state for evacuating the person in need of rescue 10. On the other hand, the route for steps S310, S311, ... represents the process during the unguided state, returning from the evacuation exit to the starting position, and the process until evacuation guidance is restarted, and is a flow that shows the operation during the unguided state.

[0052] If the value set for variable K in step S301 is 0, the unmanned aircraft 2 proceeds to step S302. On the other hand, if the value set for variable K in the unmanned aircraft 2 is 1, the process proceeds to step S310.

[0053] In step S302, the unmanned aircraft 2 determines its own current position based on position information obtained by the GPS receiver and measurements from the inertial measurement unit.

[0054] In step S303, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 determines whether it has received new information about another fire location. If the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 has received new information about another fire location, it proceeds to step S304; otherwise, it proceeds to step S305.

[0055] In step S304, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 reconstructs the evacuation guidance route from its current position, including the newly received fire location information. At this time, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 reconstructs the evacuation guidance route from its current position to the evacuation exit using conventional pathfinding technology or AI technology. Furthermore, if a route is constructed that passes through a newly occurring fire location, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 reconstructs the evacuation guidance route so that it bypasses this location.

[0056] In step S305, the unmanned aircraft 2 flies along the evacuation guidance path. If the evacuation guidance path is reconstructed in step S304, the unmanned aircraft 2 flies along the reconstructed evacuation guidance path. On the other hand, if step S304 is not performed, the unmanned aircraft 2 flies along the evacuation guidance path that was previously used.

[0057] In step S306, the unmanned aircraft 2 determines whether it has reached the target evacuation exit. The unmanned aircraft 2 makes the determination in step S306 based on its current position obtained in step S302 and the location information of the designated evacuation exit.

[0058] If the unmanned aircraft 2 has not reached the target evacuation exit, it terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 and then repeats steps S301, S302, ...

[0059] On the other hand, if the unmanned aircraft 2 reaches the target evacuation exit, in step S307, it changes the value of variable K to 1, terminates the processing of the flowchart in Figure 5, and then performs the processing of step S301 again.

[0060] If K=1 in step S301, the unmanned aircraft 2 proceeds to step S310. The operations in steps S310 to S312 are flight operations to return from the evacuation exit to the starting position, and the operations in steps S313 to S315 are operations from returning to the starting position until evacuation guidance is started again.

[0061] In step S310, the unmanned aircraft 2 flies from the escape route to the starting position as its target. The escape route may be predetermined; for example, the shortest route from the escape route to the starting position may be set as the escape route.

[0062] In step S311, the unmanned aircraft 2 determines its own current position based on position information obtained by the GPS receiver and the measurements of the inertial measurement unit.

[0063] In step S312, the unmanned aircraft 2 determines whether it has reached the target starting position based on its current position and the position information of the specified starting position.

[0064] If the unmanned aircraft 2 has not reached the target starting position, it terminates the process in the flowchart of Figure 5, returns to the beginning of the flowchart, and then performs steps S301, S310, ... again.

[0065] On the other hand, if the unmanned aircraft 2 reaches the target starting position, in step S313, the value of variable K is changed to zero.

[0066] Then, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 reconstructs the evacuation guidance route from the starting position to the evacuation exit. At this time, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 reconstructs the evacuation guidance route from the starting position to the evacuation exit using conventional route search technology or AI technology, including the fire location information received so far.

[0067] In step S315, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 begins evacuation guidance flight. Then, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 completes the processing of the flowchart in Figure 5 and returns to step S301 of the flowchart. At this time, since K=0, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 performs the processing of steps S302, S303, ... after the determination in step S301.

[0068] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the notification control in the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 shown in Figure 2. Note that the flowchart in Figure 6 is executed repeatedly.

[0069] Person 10 in need of rescue can move to the evacuation exit by following the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 when it is in a guided state. On the other hand, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is in an unguided state, returning from the evacuation exit to the starting position, it will fly away from the evacuation exit. Therefore, even if person 10 in need of rescue follows the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 when it is in an unguided state, it will still move away from the evacuation exit. Consequently, it is necessary to notify external parties so that they can distinguish whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is in a guided state or an unguided state.

[0070] The flowchart in Figure 6 illustrates the control mechanisms for correct guidance by distinguishing and notifying whether the user is in a guided or unguided state through visual and auditory means.

[0071] In step S401, if the value of variable K is zero, i.e., the unmanned aircraft 2 proceeds to step S402, and if the value of variable K is 1, i.e., the unguided state, the process proceeds to step S404.

[0072] In step S402, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 illuminates the light-emitting unit 26 in blue, and in step S403, it provides an audio notification via the voice output unit 25 indicating that evacuation guidance is being performed. After step S403, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 completes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0073] The person needing rescue 10 can determine that the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is guiding them to safety by observing the sound or light emitted from the vehicle at this time. Then, relying on the sound or light, the person needing rescue 10 can follow the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to reach the evacuation exit.

[0074] Furthermore, in step S404, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 illuminates the light-emitting unit 26 in red, and in step S405, it broadcasts a message via the voice output unit 25 indicating that evacuation guidance is not being performed. After step S405, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 completes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0075] At this time, the person needing rescue 10 will determine that the unmanned aircraft 2 is not related to evacuation by observing the sound or light color emitted from it. Therefore, the person needing rescue 10 will not follow the unmanned aircraft 2.

[0076] Next, we will explain the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 when smoke is detected during evacuation guidance.

[0077] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the actions taken when smoke is detected during evacuation guidance by the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 shown in Figure 2. Note that the flowchart in Figure 7 is executed repeatedly.

[0078] In step S501, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 acquires images of its surroundings using the imaging unit 23. In step S502, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 determines whether or not smoke is filling the area based on the acquired images.

[0079] The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may, for example, evaluate whether the captured video is a clear image by applying image processing such as edge extraction, and then determine whether or not smoke is filling the area. Alternatively, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may use AI technology to analyze the video and determine whether or not smoke is filling the area.

[0080] If the unmanned aircraft 2 determines in step S502 that it is not filled with smoke, it terminates the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 7.

[0081] Meanwhile, if the unmanned aircraft 2 determines in step S503 that the area is filled with smoke, it will use the voice output unit 25 to provide a voice notification prompting it to assume a low attitude.

[0082] Furthermore, in step S504, the unmanned aircraft 2 flies at a low altitude to maintain the set altitude. This allows the person being rescued 10, who is in a low attitude position, to see the unmanned aircraft 2.

[0083] In Embodiment 1, the position of the aircraft is determined based on position information acquired from a GPS receiver and measurements from an inertial measurement unit. To improve accuracy, marks or two-dimensional barcodes for position recognition may be placed on the side walls, floors, ceilings, etc., inside the building.

[0084] Furthermore, in the event of a fire, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may determine its current location by reading the mark or two-dimensional barcode via the imaging unit 23. Alternatively, if a two-dimensional barcode is used, information indicating the route from the current location to an evacuation exit may be added to the barcode, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may rely on this route information to fly.

[0085] Alternatively, as another method for determining the current location, various locations within the facility may be photographed in advance, and the captured images may be stored in the memory unit 27, associated with the location information of the locations where the images were taken, as reference images. Then, in the event of a fire, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may determine its current location by comparing the images obtained by the imaging unit 23 with the reference images.

[0086] In Embodiment 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 flies back and forth between the starting position and the evacuation exit. Alternatively, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may fly around inside the building, and if it finds a person in need of rescue 10 via the video obtained from the imaging unit 23, it may notify the person to guide it and begin the guidance.

[0087] In this case as well, the unmanned aircraft 2 will determine an evacuation guidance route from its current location where it discovered the person in need of rescue 10 to the evacuation exit, which will avoid the area where the fire occurred, and will fly along that evacuation guidance route.

[0088] In Embodiment 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 was described as having map information stored in the memory unit 27 in advance and utilizing it during flight. Alternatively, the vehicle may fly to the evacuation exit by following the side wall using the object detection sensor of the autonomous flight control unit 28 while understanding the relative positional relationship between its current position and the evacuation exit.

[0089] By flying along walls in this way, it is possible to reach an evacuation exit even without map information. In addition, in this case, the process of determining an evacuation guidance route becomes unnecessary, and the route along the wall can be used as the evacuation guidance route, allowing the aircraft to fly along that route.

[0090] Furthermore, Embodiment 1 described a configuration in which the fire alarm receiver 1 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 directly transmit and receive data, or transmit and receive data via a cloud system. However, in this case, the fire alarm receiver 1 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 must use the same communication standard, and the fire alarm receiver 1 already installed in the facility may not have the necessary hardware to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle 2.

[0091] In such cases, a separate control panel may be prepared to receive transmissions from the fire alarm receiver 1, and this control panel may relay data by communicating wirelessly with the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. This configuration minimizes the need for modifications to the existing fire alarm receiver 1.

[0092] Furthermore, if the system includes a control panel or cloud system for data relay, the control panel or cloud system may store a table associating the addresses of the detectors 3 with fire location information, instead of the fire receiver 1. In this case, the control panel or cloud system receives the address of the detector 3 that detected the fire from the fire receiver 1, identifies the fire location information from that address, and transmits the identified fire location information to the unmanned aerial vehicle 2.

[0093] In this way, a mechanism and structure that receives a fire alarm signal from the detector 3 and transmits fire location information to the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 can be provided as an "equipment control panel".

[0094] The equipment control panel may consist only of the fire alarm receiver 1, as described in Embodiment 1. Alternatively, the equipment control panel may have at least the fire alarm receiver 1, and in addition, a control panel, cloud system, etc., for sending and receiving data with the unmanned aerial vehicle 2.

[0095] The above features may be combined with each other.

[0096] The features of this evacuation guidance system 100 can be summarized as follows, and it will be able to achieve its intended effect.

[0097] The evacuation guidance system 100 includes an equipment control panel that receives a fire alarm signal from one or more detectors 3 that transmit a fire alarm signal when they detect a fire, and an unmanned aerial vehicle 2 that can send and receive data between the equipment control panel and the equipment control panel. When the equipment control panel receives a fire alarm signal from a detector 3, it transmits fire location information to the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to identify the location where the fire has occurred, based on the fire alarm signal.

[0098] Based on the fire location information, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 flies along the evacuation guidance route, which is a route from its current location to the evacuation exit that avoids the area where the fire has occurred.

[0099] Therefore, the person in need of rescue 10, upon seeing the unmanned aircraft 2, can evacuate more quickly by moving in accordance with the aircraft's movement.

[0100] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is equipped with a lighting unit 24, and flies along the evacuation guidance route while the lighting unit 24 is illuminated. As a result, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 can illuminate its surroundings even inside buildings without light, allowing the person to be rescued 10 to evacuate while visually assessing the situation.

[0101] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is equipped with an audio output unit 25 and flies along the evacuation guidance route while providing voice notifications via the audio output unit 25 indicating that it is guiding people to evacuate. As a result, the person in need of rescue 10 can confirm the presence and purpose of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 through hearing.

[0102] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is equipped with an imaging unit 23 that captures images of its surroundings and an audio output unit 25. Based on the images captured by the imaging unit 23, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 determines whether or not smoke is present. If the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 determines that smoke is present, it uses the audio output unit 25 to provide an audio notification prompting the vehicle to assume a low-profile position.

[0103] Therefore, the amount of smoke inhaled by the person being rescued (10) can be reduced. In addition, because the notification is given via voice, the situation can also be communicated to visually impaired individuals.

[0104] Furthermore, if the unmanned aircraft 2 determines that the area is filled with smoke, it will fly at a low altitude to maintain its set altitude. This allows the person being rescued 10, who is in a low position, to visually confirm the unmanned aircraft 2, enabling rapid evacuation guidance.

[0105] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is equipped with a light-emitting unit 26. The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 controls the light-emitting unit 26 so that at least one of the following changes—the color of the light emitted, the pattern of the light emitted, and the state of illumination (whether it is lit or off)—changes depending on whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is in a guided state, which is when it is flying along an evacuation guidance path, or in an unguided state, which is when it is not flying along an evacuation guidance path.

[0106] As described above, if the unmanned aircraft 2 is in an unguided state, even if the person to be rescued 10 follows the unmanned aircraft 2, they will not reach the evacuation exit. Therefore, by notifying whether or not the unmanned aircraft 2 is in a guided state, proper evacuation guidance can be carried out.

[0107] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is equipped with an audio output unit 25. The audio output unit 25 is controlled so that the content of the message output from the audio output unit 25 switches depending on whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is in a guided state, where it is flying along an evacuation guidance path, or in an unguided state, where it is not flying along an evacuation guidance path. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the person to be rescued 10 does not reach the evacuation exit even if they follow the unmanned aerial vehicle 2.

[0108] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 in Embodiment 1 includes a communication unit 21 that transmits and receives data with an equipment control panel that receives fire occurrence signals from one or more sensors, and receives fire location information, which is information identifying the location where the fire has occurred, from the equipment control panel, and a control unit 22 that controls the vehicle to fly along an evacuation guidance route, which is a route from the current location to an evacuation exit that avoids the location where the fire has occurred, based on the fire location information.

[0109] Therefore, the person in need of rescue 10, upon seeing the unmanned aircraft 2, can evacuate more quickly by moving in accordance with the aircraft's movement. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1 Fire alarm receiver (control panel), 2 Unmanned aircraft, 3 Sensor, 10 Person to be rescued, 21 Communication unit, 22 Control unit, 23 Imaging unit, 24 Lighting unit, 25 Audio output unit, 26 Light-emitting unit, 27 Memory unit, 28 Autonomous flight control unit, 100 Evacuation guidance system.

Claims

1. From one or more detectors that transmit a fire alarm signal when they detect a fire, to an equipment control panel that receives the said fire alarm signal, An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of sending and receiving data with the aforementioned equipment control panel, Equipped with, When the control panel of the equipment receives the fire occurrence signal from the detector, it transmits fire location information to the unmanned aerial vehicle to identify the location where the fire occurred, based on the fire occurrence signal. The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle flies along an evacuation guidance route, which is a route from its current location to an evacuation exit that avoids the location where the fire occurred, based on the fire location information. Evacuation guidance system.

2. The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with a lighting unit and flies along the evacuation guidance path while the lighting unit is illuminated. The evacuation guidance system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with an audio output unit and flies along the evacuation guidance route while broadcasting a message indicating that evacuation guidance is being provided via the audio output unit. The evacuation guidance system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises an imaging unit for capturing images of its surroundings and an audio output unit. Based on the images captured by the imaging unit, it determines whether or not smoke is present, and if it determines that smoke is present, it provides an audio notification via the audio output unit prompting the vehicle to assume a low-profile posture. The evacuation guidance system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. If the aforementioned unmanned aircraft determines that the area is filled with smoke, it will fly at a low altitude to maintain the set altitude. The evacuation guidance system according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with a light-emitting unit, The light-emitting unit is controlled such that at least one of the following changes occurs depending on whether the aircraft is flying along the evacuation guidance path (guided state) or not (unguided state): the light-emitting color, the light-emitting pattern, or the illumination state (on or off). The evacuation guidance system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with an audio output unit, The audio output unit is controlled so that the content of the message output from the audio output unit switches between a guided state, where the aircraft is flying along the evacuation guidance path, and an unguided state, where the aircraft is not flying along the evacuation guidance path. The evacuation guidance system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. A communication unit that transmits and receives data between itself and an equipment control panel that receives fire alarm signals from one or more detectors, and receives fire location information, which is information identifying the location where a fire has occurred, from the equipment control panel. Based on the fire location information, a control unit controls the aircraft to fly along an evacuation guidance route, which is a route from the current location to an evacuation exit that avoids the location where the fire occurred. An unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with [specific features / equipment].

Images