Work device and work flight vehicle

Abstract

Provided are a work device and a work flight vehicle that are capable of stably performing work without separating a target object. A work device (4) is to have a target object (3) suspended therefrom, and comprises: a plurality of support members (41) which suspend and support the target object (3); an adjustment mechanism (42a) which adjusts the orientation of the support members (41); and a control unit (43) which at least controls the operation of the adjustment mechanism (42a). The control unit (43) causes the support members (41) to change the orientations thereof by controlling the adjustment mechanism (42a) in such a manner as to cancel out swaying motions of the target object (3).

Description

Work equipment and work aircraft

[0001] The present invention relates to a work device connectable to an aircraft or the like, and to a work aircraft.

[0002] In recent years, work devices for transporting loads (objects) or moving work machines (objects) using air vehicles such as drones have been studied. Patent Literature 1 discloses a drone equipped with a winch mechanism capable of winding up a wire rope for suspending loads.

[0003] The work device described in Patent Document 1 includes a flight control unit that controls the attitude and speed of the drone, and a fastening release unit that releases the fastening of the load based on the flight status of the drone. If the drone's flight is unstable, the fastening release unit cuts the wire rope with a cutting blade to release the fastening of the load. This reduces the drone's weight and maintains safe flight.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-125929

[0005] The work device described in Patent Document 1 detaches the target object to stabilize the drone's flight, which causes inconveniences such as the target object not being able to be transported to the destination and the work not being able to start. Moreover, it is time-consuming to retrieve the detached target object.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a work device and a work aircraft that can perform work stably without separating from the target object.

[0007] The working device of the present invention is a working device for suspending an object, and comprises a plurality of support members for suspending and supporting the object, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the posture of the plurality of support members, and a control unit for controlling the operation of at least the adjustment mechanism, wherein the control unit controls the adjustment mechanism to change the posture of the support members so as to counteract the swinging of the object.

[0008] According to this configuration, the adjustment mechanism changes the attitude of the support member to cancel out the rocking of the object, so that stable work can be performed, even when a work device is attached to the flying object. Furthermore, because stable work is possible simply by changing the attitude of the support member, it is possible to easily eliminate the inconvenience of not being able to transport the object to the destination and not being able to start work. Note that the concept of the object includes luggage, work machines such as a lawnmower, etc.

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described below.

[0010] In one aspect of the working device according to the present invention, the control unit preferably controls the adjustment mechanism so that the support member generates tension on the object.

[0011] With this configuration, the adjustment mechanism causes the support members to generate tension on the object, allowing the support members to maintain the correct posture of the object. In particular, even if the object sways left and right due to strong winds or other factors and the support members in the direction of the swing are bent, the bent support members can be contracted to generate tension, making it possible to even out the load on the support members.

[0012] In one aspect, the working device according to the present invention preferably further includes a swing detection unit that detects swing of the object.

[0013] According to this configuration, since the swing detector that detects the swing of the object is provided, appropriate control can be performed according to the swing direction.

[0014] In one aspect of the working device according to the present invention, the control unit preferably extends or contracts the support member located on the side of the direction of change in the swing acceleration of the object detected by the swing detection unit.

[0015] By expanding and contracting the support member in the direction of change in the swing acceleration as in this configuration, swinging can be reliably suppressed. In particular, the support member in the direction of change in the swing acceleration can effectively reduce the inertial force acting on the object, thereby quickly suppressing the swinging of the object.

[0016] In one aspect, the working device according to the present invention further includes a movement mechanism that moves the plurality of support members horizontally, and when the amount of swing of the object detected by the swing detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit preferably controls the movement mechanism to increase the maximum separation distance between the plurality of support members.

[0017] With this configuration, when the swing amount reaches a predetermined value or more, the maximum distance between the support members is increased, thereby reducing the inertial force caused by the swing of the object, thereby suppressing vibrations of the working device transmitted by the swing of the object.

[0018] In one aspect, the working device according to the present invention preferably further includes a position detection unit that detects the relative position between the support member and the object.

[0019] By detecting the relative position between the support member and the object as in this configuration, it becomes possible to detect horizontal shaking, improving the control performance of the adjustment mechanism.

[0020] In one aspect, the working device according to the present invention further includes an attitude detection unit that detects the attitude of the object, and the control unit preferably changes the attitude of the support member taking into account the detection information of the attitude detection unit.

[0021] By utilizing the detection information of the object orientation detection unit as in this configuration, it is possible to maintain the horizontal orientation of luggage, for example.

[0022] In one aspect of the working device according to the present invention, the control unit preferably controls the adjustment mechanism so that the extension / contraction speed of the support member increases as the weight of the object decreases.

[0023] By increasing the extension / contraction speed of the support member as the weight decreases, as in this configuration, the oscillation can be quickly canceled out when the weight is small, and the extension / contraction speed of the support member can be reduced when the weight is large, thereby avoiding a situation in which a sudden inertial force is applied to the object and the working device becomes uncontrollable.

[0024] The working aircraft of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned working device and an aircraft, and is characterized in that the control unit changes the attitude of the support member taking into account movement speed information of the aircraft.

[0025] With this configuration, even if the aircraft transitions from hovering flight to forward flight, the adjustment mechanism changes the attitude of the support member to counteract the rocking of the object, allowing for stable operation.

[0026] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which is given with reference to the drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a working aircraft in a working state; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a working aircraft; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a working aircraft showing a modified example; FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example of control of the working device; FIG. 5 is a top view showing an example of control of the working device; FIG. 6 is a plan view of a working aircraft according to another embodiment; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a working aircraft according to another embodiment.

[0028] A first embodiment of a working aircraft equipped with a work device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a work device 4 is described as an example of a work device connected between an aircraft 2 and a brush cutter 3 (an example of an object). However, this is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0029] (Basic Configuration of the Work Aircraft) The device configuration of the work air vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the work air vehicle 1 comprises an air vehicle 2, a brush cutter 3, and a work device 4 connected between the air vehicle 2 and the brush cutter 3. When the work air vehicle 1 is flying, the work device 4 causes the brush cutter 3 to assume an attitude that separates it from the air vehicle 2. In this attitude, the work air vehicle 1 can bring the brush cutter 3 into contact with sloping ground, causing the brush cutter 3 to perform grass cutting work. When referring to the front-to-rear direction in the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction of arrow F in FIG. 1 will be referred to as "forward" and the direction of arrow R will be referred to as "rear."

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the aircraft 2 includes a propulsion unit 21 (main wings 21 a and sub-wings 21 b), a power unit 22, an aircraft control device 23, a communication device 24, and a satellite positioning device 25. The propulsion unit 21 is implemented as multiple (two in this embodiment) main wings 21 a and multiple (four in this embodiment) sub-wings 21 b. The two main wings 21 a can change their attitude between a propulsion mode in which the rotors are positioned forward and a hovering mode in which the rotors are positioned upward. The four sub-wings 21 b are primarily used to control the attitude of the aircraft 2. In the propulsion mode, the aircraft 2 is easily propelled forward, and in the hovering mode, the aircraft 2 is easily kept stationary without changing its horizontal position. The propulsion unit 21 (main wings 21 a and sub-wings 21 b) may have a tail.

[0031] The power unit 22 is implemented as an electrically powered battery and / or an engine powered by a fuel such as gasoline. In this embodiment, the power unit 22 includes an engine, a generator, and a battery. The generator generates electricity using power output from the engine and stores the generated electricity in the battery. The propulsion unit 21 operates using power output from the engine, electricity generated by the generator, or electricity stored in the battery. For example, the main wing 21a operates using power output from the engine, and the sub-wing 21b operates using power generated by the generator or electricity stored in the battery. The flying object 2 operates the propulsion unit 21 (main wing 21a and sub-wing 21b) using driving force generated by the power unit 22, and flies using the thrust generated by the propulsion unit 21 (main wing 21a and sub-wing 21b).

[0032] The aircraft control device 23 is implemented as a computer having an arithmetic processing unit and a storage device. The aircraft control device 23 is configured to be able to receive input signals from various instruments provided on the aircraft 2 and to be able to output signals for controlling each part of the aircraft 2.

[0033] Examples of instruments (not shown) that may be provided on the aircraft 2 include, but are not limited to, instruments that indicate the operating status of the entire aircraft 2 (such as a speedometer and an altimeter), instruments that indicate the operating status of the propulsion unit 21 (such as a tachometer for the main wing 21a and the sub-wing 21b), and instruments that indicate the operating status of the power unit 22 (such as a battery level indicator).

[0034] The communication device 24 is a communication interface that enables communication between the aircraft control device 23 and devices provided outside the aircraft 2. The aircraft control device 23 can communicate with the brush cutter control device 33 of the brush cutter 3 via the communication device 24. The aircraft control device 23 can also communicate via the mobile phone network N with a computer P and a smartphone S that constitute a slope management system that manages the slopes on which the work aircraft 1 performs work.

[0035] The satellite positioning device 25 receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals from artificial satellites, acquires positioning data indicating the position of the aircraft 2 based on the received signals, and transmits the data to the aircraft control device 23. GNSS such as GPS, QZSS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou can be used.

[0036] A work device 4 for suspending a brush cutter 3 (target object) is connected to the underside of the flying vehicle 2 when in flight. "Suspending the brush cutter 3" refers to a state in which the flying vehicle 2 is configured to change the attitude of the brush cutter 3 and the brush cutter 3 is provided below the flying vehicle 2 in the weight direction. The work device 4 includes a support member 41, a drive unit 42, and a control unit 43. Because the work device 4 is connected to the flying vehicle 2, it also includes a communication device 24 and a satellite positioning device 25 that can be used with the flying vehicle 2. The work device 4 also includes a load detection unit 44 (an example of an attitude detection unit) that detects the load on the support member 41, and a swing detection unit 45 (an example of an attitude detection unit) that detects the swing of the brush cutter 3. In this embodiment, the work device 4 generates lift using the main wing 21a to propel the flying vehicle 2 (flying, ascending, and descending) and fly, and uses the sub-wing 21b to control the attitude of the flying vehicle 2. The work device 4 may have the communication device 24 and the satellite positioning device 25 separately from the aircraft 2, or may share the communication device 24 and the satellite positioning device 25 with the brush cutter 3, which will be described later. The control unit 43 may be built into the aircraft control device 23 or the brush cutter control device 33, which will be described later, or may be provided in a server located in a remote location.

[0037] The work device 4 is a unit connected at one end to the aircraft 2 and at the other end to the brush cutter 3. Because the aircraft 2 and the brush cutter 3 are connected via the work device 4, when the working aircraft 1 is flying, the brush cutter 3 connected to the work device 4 assumes a position away from the aircraft 2.

[0038] The support member 41 includes multiple (four in this embodiment) rope-like wires 41b that suspend and support the brush cutter 3, and multiple (four in this embodiment) winches 41a that extend and retract the wires 41b. Each winch 41a is individually provided for each wire 41b, and the controller 43 controls the driving force of an adjustment mechanism 42a (e.g., a motor) that rotates the winch 41a to individually adjust the attitude (length) of each wire 41b. In other words, the adjustment mechanism 42a operates the winch 41a to adjust the amount of payout of the rope-like wire 41b, thereby actively changing the relative position of the aircraft 2 and the brush cutter 3, which are connected via the wire 41b. The support member 41 may also be composed of a hydraulically, pneumatically, or electrically extendable metal member, in which case the winch 41a can be omitted.

[0039] One end of each wire 41b is connected to a winch 41a, and this winch 41a is connected to the aircraft 2 via a movement mechanism 42b. The other end of each wire 41b is connected to the brush cutter 3 by engaging portions 41b1 (e.g., hooks) that engage with multiple corners (four corners in this embodiment) of the brush cutter 3. The support load of the multiple support members 41 is set to be equal to or greater than the weight of the brush cutter 3, and the multiple support members 41 bear the entire weight of the brush cutter 3. As a result, the brush cutter 3 is prevented from falling and can be transported up a slope without cutting the wire 41b. Furthermore, the support load of each support member 41 is set to be equal to or greater than the weight of the brush cutter 3, and the structure is such that it can withstand even if the weight of the brush cutter 3 is temporarily concentrated on one support member 41.

[0040] The support member 41 is configured so that the connection angle between the winch 41a and the wire 41b is adjustable. Each winch 41a is configured so that it can be moved horizontally by a movement mechanism 42b, and the multiple support members 41 move horizontally as a group of winches 41a and wires 41b. In other words, the movement mechanism 42b can increase or decrease the maximum separation distance between the multiple support members 41 to change their attitude. The attitude control of the adjustment mechanism 42a and the movement mechanism 42b by the control unit 43 is preferably performed while the aircraft 2 is hovering. Furthermore, attitude control may be performed not only during normal flight of the aircraft 2, but also when the aircraft 2 suddenly stops.

[0041] The drive unit 42 has an adjustment mechanism 42a and a movement mechanism 42b. The adjustment mechanism 42a is composed of a motor that rotates the winch 41a, and extends and contracts the wire 41b to change the attitude of the support member 41, thereby canceling out the swinging of the grass cutter 3. The adjustment mechanism 42a also rotates and drives the winch 41a so that the wire 41b generates tension on the grass cutter 3.

[0042] The movement mechanism 42b is formed by a rectangular frame-like member fixed to the bottom of the aircraft 2. This movement mechanism 42b has a rail 42b1 that guides the horizontal movement of the winch 41a, a gear unit 42b2 that moves the winch 41a along the rail 42b1, and a motor 42b3 that changes the position of the rail 42b1 of the gear unit 42b2. For example, the gear unit 42b2 on the rail 42b1 may be a rack and pinion that converts the rotational force of the motor 42b3 into a linear force. In this embodiment, the movement mechanism 42b is configured so that the position of each support member 41 can be changed individually by the gear unit 42b2. Note that the movement mechanism 42b may be configured to move a pair of support members 41 or all of the support members 41 simultaneously.

[0043] The control unit 43 is implemented as a computer having an arithmetic processing unit and a storage device. The control unit 43 controls the driving of the adjustment mechanism 42a and the movement mechanism 42b. The control unit 43 is also configured to be able to receive input signals from various instruments (e.g., the load detection unit 44) provided on the working device 4, and to be able to output signals for controlling each part of the working device 4.

[0044] The load detection unit 44 is composed of a known load cell or the like connected to the locking portion 41b1 provided on the other end of each support member 41. The swing detection unit 45 is composed of a known IMU sensor or the like that detects the swing of the brush cutter 3, and in this embodiment, the IMU sensor is fixed to the brush cutter 3, and the control unit 43 receives a signal from the IMU sensor. The swing detection unit 45 detects physical movement parameters such as acceleration, rotation, and position change of the brush cutter 3. Note that the swing detection unit 45 may be installed on the support member 41 to detect the swing of the brush cutter 3, or the swing detection unit 45 may detect the swing of the flying object 2 itself.

[0045] The brush cutter 3 includes a brush cutter drive unit 31 , a connected member 32 , a brush cutter control device 33 , a satellite positioning device 34 , and a communication device 35 .

[0046] The grass-cutting drive unit 31 has a battery 31 a, an inverter 31 b, a motor 31 c, and a rotary cutting blade 31 d. The inverter 31 b converts direct current from the battery 31 a into alternating current to drive the motor 31 c, which then rotates the rotary cutting blade 31 d to perform grass cutting.

[0047] The connected member 32 serves as a locking portion to which the other end of the wire 41b of the working device 4 is locked. The connected member 32 is configured with a U-shaped block, a hook hole, or the like that is locked to the locking portion 41b1 on the other end of the wire 41b. The connection structure between the connected member 32 and the wire 41b of the working device 4 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a male-female engagement like a socket and a plug. In this embodiment, four connected members 32 are provided at the corners of the top surface of the brush cutter 3, corresponding to the four wires 41b of the working device 4. Each of the four connected members 32 may be provided with a sensor that can detect that the other end of the wire 41b has been connected.

[0048] The brush cutter control device 33 is implemented as a computer having an arithmetic processing unit and a storage device. The brush cutter control device 33 is configured to be able to receive input signals from various instruments provided in the brush cutter 3, and to be able to output signals for controlling each part of the brush cutter 3.

[0049] Examples of instruments that can be provided on the lawnmower 3 include, but are not limited to, instruments that indicate the operating status of the entire lawnmower 3 (such as a speedometer) and instruments that indicate the operating status of the lawnmower drive unit 31 (such as a blade tachometer and a battery remaining capacity meter).

[0050] The satellite positioning device 34 receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals from artificial satellites, acquires positioning data indicating the position of the grass mower 3 based on the received signals, and transmits the data to the grass mower control device 33. GPS, QZSS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, etc. can be used as the GNSS.

[0051] The communication device 35 is a communication interface that enables communication between the brush cutter control device 33 and devices provided external to the brush cutter 3. The brush cutter control device 33 can communicate with the aircraft control device 23 of the aircraft 2 via the communication device 35. The brush cutter control device 33 can also communicate via the mobile phone network N with a computer P and smartphone S that constitute a slope management system that manages the slopes on which the work aircraft 1 performs work.

[0052] (Modification of the Work Air Vehicle) As shown in Figure 3, the work air vehicle 1 may omit the movement mechanism 42b in the above-described embodiment. In this case, the winch 41a may be attached to the air vehicle 2. Even if the movement mechanism 42b is omitted, the oscillation of the brush cutter 3 can be counteracted by extending and contracting the support member 41 with the adjustment mechanism 42a.

[0053] (Control Mode of Work Device) The control mode of the work device 4 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 . In this embodiment, the control unit 43 controls the adjustment mechanism 42a to extend and retract the support member 41 (wire 41b) so as to counteract the swinging of the brush cutter 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , when an external force such as a strong wind acts on the brush cutter 3 from the front to the rear of the working aircraft 1, the rear side of the brush cutter 3 swings downward, as indicated by the two-dot chain line in the lower diagram. Therefore, the control unit 43 controls the adjustment mechanism 42a to shorten the length of the wire 41b on the rear side, thereby winding up the winch 41a. As a result, the brush cutter 3 is placed in a horizontal position along the slope, as indicated by the solid line in the lower diagram of FIG. 4 , thereby counteracting the external force acting on the brush cutter 3. In this way, the control unit 43 controls the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the support member 41 (wire 41b) generates tension on the brush cutter 3. In other words, tension is always applied to the wire 41b of the working device 4 relative to the mower 3, and the support member 41 can maintain the correct posture of the mower 3. In particular, even if the mower 3 swings left and right due to strong winds or the like and the support member 41 in the swinging direction is bent, the bent support member 41 can be shortened to generate tension, making it possible to even out the load on the support member 41.

[0054] The control unit 43 also controls the adjustment mechanism 42a to extend or retract the support member 41 located in the direction of change in the swing acceleration of the brush mower 3 detected by the swing detection unit 45. In particular, the support member 41 located in the direction of change in swing acceleration can effectively reduce the inertial force acting on the brush mower 3, thereby quickly suppressing the swing of the brush mower 3. As shown in FIG. 4, when the brush mower 3 is blown by a strong wind, swinging can be reliably suppressed by extending or retracting the support member 41 located in the direction of change in swing acceleration (the rear support member 41 shown in FIG. 4). At this time, it is preferable that the control unit 43 detects the relative positions of the support member 41 and the brush mower 3 by receiving signals from the satellite positioning device 25 of the flying object 2 and the satellite positioning device 34 of the brush mower 3 as position detection units. In this way, by detecting the relative position between the support member 41 and the lawnmower 3, it becomes possible to detect horizontal shaking, and by controlling the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the support center of the multiple support members 41 is at the center of gravity of the lawnmower 3, the control performance of the adjustment mechanism 42a is improved.

[0055] Furthermore, when the flying object 2 moves forward from hovering flight, for example, a swinging acceleration occurs in the brush cutter 3 due to the movement of the flying object 2. Therefore, the control unit 43 may take into account information about the movement speed of the flying object 2 obtained from an instrument that indicates the operating state of the flying object 2 and control the adjustment mechanism 42a to expand or contract the support member 41 located on the side of the direction of change in the swinging acceleration of the brush cutter 3. This makes it possible to reliably cancel out the swinging of the brush cutter 3 caused by the movement of the flying object 2.

[0056] When the control unit 43 causes the load detection unit 44 (load cell) to function as the attitude detection unit, it may estimate the inclination of the grass mower 3 by taking into account the detection information from the load detection unit 44 as the load acting on the support member 41, and control the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the attitude of the grass mower 3 is horizontal. Furthermore, when the swing detection unit 45 (IMU sensor) functions as the attitude detection unit, it may also control the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the attitude of the grass mower 3 is horizontal by taking into account the detection information from the swing detection unit 45 as the inclination of the grass mower 3 itself. Note that instead of controlling the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the attitude of the grass mower 3 is horizontal, the grass mower 3 itself may be provided with an automatic attitude correction function. In this case, the inclination of the grass mower 3 may be detected by an IMU sensor mounted on the grass mower 3 itself, and a movable member may be provided to correct the axis position of the actuator of the grass mower 3 or adjust the weight balance.

[0057] Furthermore, the control unit 43 preferably controls the adjustment mechanism 42a so as to increase the extension / retraction speed of the support member 41 and / or improve the responsiveness as the weight of the brush cutter 3 decreases. Because the adjustment mechanism 42a extends and retracts the support member 41 to cancel out the swinging of the brush cutter 3, stable mowing operations can be performed when the working device 4 is attached to the working aircraft 1. In particular, by increasing the extension / retraction speed of the support member 41 and / or improving the responsiveness as the weight of the brush cutter 3 decreases, swinging can be quickly canceled out when the weight is small, and by reducing the extension / retraction speed of the support member 41 and / or slowing the responsiveness when the weight is large, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a sudden inertial force is applied to the brush cutter 3 and the working device 4 becomes uncontrollable. In this way, stable operation is possible simply by extending and retracting the support member 41 (wire 41b), which easily resolves the inconvenience of being unable to transport the brush cutter 3 to the destination and start work.

[0058] It is preferable that the control unit 43 controls the adjustment mechanism 42a to extend or contract the support members 41 so that the support loads of the respective support members 41 detected by the load detection unit 44 are uniform. By equalizing the support loads of the multiple support members 41, it is not necessary to set the support force of the support members 41 excessively large, and the weight of the support members 41 can be reduced. Furthermore, because the support members 41 only need to be extended or contracted to equalize the support loads, control is simple.

[0059] As described above, the working device 4 in this embodiment is configured to allow the connection angle between the winch 41a and the wire 41b to be adjustable. Therefore, when the swing amount of the brush cutter 3 detected by the swing detection unit 45 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 43 controls the movement mechanism 42b to increase the maximum separation distance between the multiple support members 41. For example, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5 , when the brush cutter 3 rotates around the vertical axis of its swing, the maximum separation distance between the multiple support members 41 is increased if the swing amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 , by increasing the separation distance between the four support members 41, it is possible to reduce the inertial force associated with the swing of the brush cutter 3. Furthermore, when the swings shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 occur simultaneously, the control unit 43 preferably controls the movement mechanism 42b to individually adjust the horizontal positions of the multiple support members 41 and controls the adjustment mechanism 42a so that the support center of the multiple support members 41 is located at the center of gravity of the brush cutter 3. By controlling the support centers of the multiple support members 41 to coincide with the center of gravity of the brush cutter 3, it is possible to prevent problems such as loss of balance due to swinging of the brush cutter 3. In this way, by changing the connection angle between the winch 41a and the wire 41b in accordance with the amount of swinging of the brush cutter 3, it is possible to reduce the inertial force associated with the swinging of the brush cutter 3. As a result, it is possible to suppress vibrations of the working device 4 transmitted by the swinging of the brush cutter 3.

[0060] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above-described embodiment, an example was shown in which the working device 4 was connected to one aircraft 2. However, as shown in FIG. 6, multiple aircraft 2 may be connected separately, each corresponding to a corresponding support member 41. In this case, the function of the movement mechanism 42b described above can be exerted by changing the relative positions of the respective aircraft 2. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the propulsion device 21 may be composed of only multiple main wings, in which case the multiple main wings also have an attitude change function. The number of main wings 21a and sub-wings 21b in the above-described embodiment is not limited; for example, eight sub-wings 21b may be provided.

[0061] (2) Each element constituting the work device 4 may be designed to be compatible with various types of working aircraft 1. For example, the connection structure between the work device 4 and the aircraft 2 may be designed to be a common standard for various types of aircraft 2. Furthermore, for example, the connection structure between the work device 4 and the brush cutter 3 may be designed to be a common standard for various types of brush cutters 3.

[0062] (3) The main wing 21 a of the aircraft 2 may be configured so that the rotation axis of the main wing 21 a can rotate around an axis extending in the left-right direction of the aircraft. In other words, the main wing 21 a may be a so-called tilt type, which enables vertical landing, hovering flight, and high-speed horizontal flight.

[0063] (4) A work result acquisition unit may be provided to acquire the results of work performed by the work device 4. This makes it possible to create work plans for subsequent processes and work plans for the next fiscal year and beyond. If this work plan is stored in the management server, it can be used for mowing work on various slopes.

[0064] (5) In the above-described embodiment, support members 41 are provided at the four corners of the mower 3 to provide four-point suspension, but it may also be three-point suspension, at two corners and the center of the opposite side of the mower 3, or there is no particular limitation as long as it is two or more points of suspension.

[0065] (6) The winch 41a of the support member 41 is provided on the aircraft 2 side, but the winch 41a may be provided on the grass cutter 3 side, and the grass cutter 3 may be suspended by the support member 40b or wire 41b that passes through the aircraft 2 side.

[0066] (7) In the above-described embodiment, a brush cutter 3 is used as an example of the target object, but the target object may be luggage, a chemical spraying device, a snow removal device, a seedling planting device, a combine harvester, an alarm device, a tilling device, etc., and there is no particular limitation on the target object that can be connected to the work device 4.

[0067] (8) In the above-described embodiment, the work device 4 is used in the work aircraft 1, but it may also be used for construction work, civil engineering work, etc. that uses a crane or the like.

[0068] The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

[0069] The present invention can be used for a work device that can be connected to an aircraft or the like, and for a work aircraft.

[0070] 1: Work aircraft 2: Aircraft 3: Grass cutter (object) 4: Work device 25: Satellite positioning device (position detection unit) 34: Satellite positioning device (position detection unit) 41: Support member 41a: Winch 41b: Wire 42a: Adjustment mechanism 42b: Movement mechanism 43: Control unit 44: Load detection unit (attitude detection unit) 45: Swing detection unit (attitude detection unit)

Claims

1. A work device for suspending an object, a plurality of support members for suspending and supporting the object; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the attitudes of the plurality of support members; a control unit that controls the operation of at least the adjustment mechanism, The control unit controls the adjustment mechanism to change the posture of the support member so as to counteract the swinging of the object.

2. The working apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the adjustment mechanism so that the support member generates tension on the object.

3. The working device according to claim 1 , further comprising a swing detector that detects swinging of the object.

4. The working device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit extends or contracts the support member located on a side of a direction of change in the swing acceleration of the object detected by the swing detection unit.

5. a moving mechanism that moves the plurality of support members in a horizontal direction; The working device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit controls the movement mechanism to increase the maximum separation distance between the plurality of support members when the amount of swing of the object detected by the swing detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

6. The working device according to claim 1 , further comprising a position detector that detects a relative position between the support member and the object.

7. further comprising an attitude detection unit that detects the attitude of the object; The working device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit changes the attitude of the support member in consideration of the detection information from the attitude detection unit.

8. The working device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the adjustment mechanism so that the extension / contraction speed of the support member increases as the weight of the object decreases.

9. A work device comprising: the work device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and an aircraft; The control unit changes the attitude of the support member by taking into account information about the movement speed of the aircraft.