On-water moving device and on-water moving method

Abstract

Provided are an on-water moving device and an on-water moving method that can easily be enjoyed by a user. This on-water movement device comprises: a float part that floats on water and has a cavity part connected to water in an inner-side part with respect to a peripheral edge part; and a unit part that can be attached to and detached from the cavity part, the unit part having arranged therein a plurality of thrusters that are positioned in the water when the unit part is attached to the cavity part. The unit part may be provided with, for example, a control unit that controls the number of rotations of each of the plurality of thrusters in a mutually independent manner. The plurality of thrusters may move in a direction designated by a controller unit due to provision of a difference between the rotational speeds of respective rotary shafts.

Description

Waterborne movement device and waterborne movement method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to waterborne transportation devices and methods.

[0002] Conventionally, there is a water boat used for physical fitness training and for games such as water handball and water soccer (see Patent Document 1). The water boat moves in a direction and at a speed corresponding to the operation of the handle by an operator, with fin members moving in a finning motion in response to the operation of the handle.

[0003] JP 2009-096214 A

[0004] Various activities and behaviors, including hobbies and sports, are carried out on water. Such activities and behaviors are sometimes referred to as "activities." However, water activities can be enjoyed in different ways by different users, such as simply floating on the water using a boat or enjoying movement on the water using a boat. The water boat described in Patent Document 1 requires the user to operate a handle to move the boat, which does not improve user satisfaction from the perspective of casual enjoyment for tourists and other users.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a waterborne vehicle and a method of waterborne movement that can be easily enjoyed by users.

[0006] One embodiment of a waterborne movement device comprises a float section that floats on the water and has a hollow section that connects to the water on the inner side of the peripheral section, and a unit section that is detachable from the hollow section and has multiple thrusters that are positioned underwater when attached to the hollow section.

[0007] The waterborne movement device and waterborne movement method disclosed herein can be enjoyed easily by users.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a first diagram for explaining a water movement device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a second diagram for explaining a water movement device according to one embodiment. (A) is a perspective view of the water movement device seen from above, and (B) is a perspective view of the water movement device seen from below. FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a water movement device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a case where the water movement device moves to a homing position. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a case where a slave moves in response to movement of a master. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a water movement method according to one embodiment.

[0009] An embodiment will be described below.

[0010] [Outline of Water Moving Device 1] First, an outline of the water moving device 1 according to one embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a first diagram for explaining the water moving device 1 according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a second diagram for explaining the water moving device 1 according to one embodiment. Fig. 2(A) is a perspective view of the water moving device 1 seen from above, and Fig. 2(B) is a perspective view of the water moving device 1 seen from below.

[0011] The water vehicle 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be, for example, any of a variety of motorized devices (water activity devices) used by users when enjoying water activities (water activities). Activities refer to a variety of activities and behaviors, including hobbies and sports. Accordingly, water activities refer to a variety of activities and behaviors performed on water, such as the ocean, lakes, rivers, and pools. The water vehicle 1 may be usable on calm water surfaces to enjoy such water activities.

[0012] The waterborne vehicle 1 comprises a float section 10, a unit section 20, and a controller section 30 (see FIG. 1).

[0013] The float unit 10 floats on the water (water surface) and can accommodate one or more people. The planar shape of the float unit 10 may be various shapes, such as a circle, a rectangle, or a polygon. As an example, the float unit 10 may be a life ring (float) into which air can be inserted. Note that the float unit 10 may be able to be folded up into a relatively small size by releasing air from the inside when stored.

[0014] The float part 10 has a hollow part 110 that is connected to the water in an inner part 102 relative to a peripheral part 101. The peripheral part 101 may be, for example, a part that forms the outer edge of the planar shape of the float part 10. The inner part 102 may be, for example, a part that is more inward than the outer edge of the planar shape of the float part 10. A specific example of the inner part 102 may be the center (approximately the center) of the planar shape of the float part 10. The hollow part 110 may be a hole (opening) that is connected to the water. The hollow part 110 may also be referred to as an opening or a hole.

[0015] The float portion 10 may be provided with, for example, a roof, or may be provided with other cavities (openings) different from the cavity portion 110 so that a user riding on the float portion 10 can put their legs in the water.

[0016] The unit section 20 is detachable from the hollow section 110, and has a plurality of thrusters 230 disposed therein that are located underwater when the unit section 20 is attached to the hollow section 110. The unit section 20 may have a waterproof housing that can be attached to the hollow section 110. The housing may be detachable from the float section 10. A plurality of thrusters 230 are disposed on the underside (underwater side) of the housing.

[0017] The multiple thrusters 230 may be fixed to the underside of the housing, or may be arranged on the underside of the housing so that their orientations are variable. When the multiple thrusters 230 are fixed to the underside of the housing, they may be arranged so that their rotation axes face the same direction (parallel to each other) or so that their rotation axes face different directions. The unit section 20 controls the movement of the float section 10 based on the difference in output power of the multiple thrusters 230. The multiple thrusters 230 may be two thrusters, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, or three or more thrusters. The thrusters 230 may also be referred to as screws, propellers, or the like. The thrusters 230 may be provided with protective covers to prevent fingers or other body parts from getting caught.

[0018] The unit section 20 has, for example, an internal power source. The power source may be a primary battery, a secondary battery, or the like. The unit section 20 may be provided with a kill switch 240 (see FIG. 1 ). When the waterborne vehicle 1 is in use, the kill switch 240 may be attached to the unit section 20, and in an emergency, if the kill switch 240 is removed from the unit section 20, the thruster 230 may be stopped.

[0019] The controller unit 30 may be an instruction input device operated by a user riding on the float unit 10. The controller unit 30 accepts input of instructions from a user riding on the float unit 10, such as instructions regarding the direction of movement of the float unit 10 and stopping the movement of the float unit 10. The controller unit 30 may, for example, include a joystick and accept an input operation to move the float unit 10 in the direction the stick (lever) is tilted. The controller unit 30 is not limited to a joystick, but may also include multiple buttons for specifying the direction of movement and accept an input operation to move the float unit 10 in the direction one of the multiple buttons is operated. The controller unit 30 may be waterproof and may float even if dropped in water. The controller unit 30 may transmit the user's input via wireless or wired communication to a device disposed inside the unit unit 20 (e.g., the control unit 210 (see FIG. 3 described later)). The control unit 210 may, for example, be an information processing device such as a processor or computer.

[0020] The water moving device 1 is capable of moving the float unit 10 in a direction corresponding to the operation (e.g., forward / backward, left / right, right rotation, left rotation, etc.) by a user riding on the float unit 10 operating the controller unit 30. In this case, the water moving device 1 can move the float unit 10 in a direction corresponding to the operation by independently controlling the multiple thrusters 230 (e.g., controlling the rotation speed, etc.) in accordance with the operation of the controller unit 30. In other words, when the rotation axes of the multiple thrusters 230 are oriented in the same direction (the rotation axes are parallel), the water moving device 1 may move in a direction specified by the controller unit 30 by providing a difference (output difference) in the rotation speed of each rotation axis (the rotation speed of the multiple thrusters 230).

[0021] As an example, when the water moving device 1 moves forward, the rotation speeds of multiple (e.g., two) thrusters 230 may be the same. Also, as an example, when the water moving device 1 moves rightward, the rotation speed of the thruster 230 located on the left side in a plan view of the multiple (e.g., two) thrusters 230 may be higher than the rotation speed of the thruster 230 located on the right side. Also, as an example, when the water moving device 1 moves leftward, the rotation speed of the thruster 230 located on the right side in a plan view of the multiple (e.g., two) thrusters 230 may be higher than the rotation speed of the thruster 230 located on the left side. Note that the multiple (e.g., two) thrusters 230 may be arranged in parallel along a direction intersecting (e.g., perpendicular to) the forward movement direction of the water moving device 1, and further, each rotation axis may be arranged along the forward movement direction. Alternatively, the multiple thrusters 230 are not limited to the above and may be arranged in any position. Furthermore, in the case where there are three or more thrusters 230, the waterborne moving device 1 can move in a direction specified by the controller unit 30 by changing the rotation speed of each of the three or more thrusters 230 (by providing an output difference between the multiple thrusters 230), as described above.

[0022] [Details of the Water Moving Device 1] Next, the water moving device 1 according to one embodiment will be described in detail. In particular, the function of the unit section 20 will be described. Figure 3 is a block diagram for explaining the water moving device 1 according to one embodiment.

[0023] The unit section 20 includes a communication section 221 , a storage section 222 , a physical quantity detection section 223 , a receiving section 224 and a control section 210 .

[0024] The communication unit 221 is, for example, a communication interface capable of transmitting and receiving various information to and from devices (external devices) outside the water moving device 1. The external devices may be, for example, the controller unit 30 and the ground base 400 (see FIG. 4 described later), etc. In other words, the communication unit 221 receives, for example, the movement of the float unit 10 input by the controller unit 30.

[0025] The storage unit 222 may store, for example, various types of information and programs. Examples of the storage unit 222 may include a memory, a solid state drive, and a hard disk drive.

[0026] The physical quantity detection unit 223 detects a physical quantity related to the movement of the float unit 10. The physical quantity may be, for example, at least one of geomagnetism, angular velocity, and acceleration. Therefore, the physical quantity detection unit 223 may be, for example, at least one physical quantity sensor of a geomagnetic sensor, an angular velocity (gyro) sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

[0027] The receiver 224 receives a positioning signal. The positioning signal may be, for example, a signal transmitted from a GNSS satellite (GNSS signal). The positioning signal is not limited to a GNSS signal, but may also be a signal transmitted from the ground (for example, two points) that can identify a position on water based on the arrival time difference or phase difference of multiple signals.

[0028] When the movement of the float portion 10 received by the communication portion 221 differs from the movement of the float portion 10 estimated based on the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection portion 223, the control portion 210 corrects (cancels) the estimated movement of the float portion 10 and controls each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the movement of the float portion 10 matches the movement input by the controller portion 30.

[0029] As a specific example, when the movement (movement direction) of the float section 10 received by the communication section 221 is forward (straight forward), and the actual movement (movement direction) of the float section 10 estimated based on the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detection section 223 is to the right (diagonally right) (or to the left (diagonally left)), the control section 210 controls the multiple thrusters 230 in a PID control-like manner so that the input value (actual movement of the float section 10) matches the target value (movement of the float section 10 received by the communication section 221), causing the float section 10 to move to the left (diagonally left) (or to the right (diagonally left)). In this case, the control section 210 may control the rotation speed of each of the multiple thrusters 230 independently of one another. That is, as an example, the control unit 210 may control each thruster 230 of the multiple thrusters 230 arranged in parallel along a direction intersecting (e.g., perpendicular to) the forward direction of the float unit 10 so that the rotation speed of the thruster 230 arranged on the right (or left) is higher than the rotation speed of the thruster 230 arranged on the left (or right).

[0030] As a specific example, when the movement of the float portion 10 received by the communication portion 221 is neutral (stopped), and the actual movement of the float portion 10 estimated based on the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection portion 223 is rotating horizontally to the right (clockwise) (or left (counterclockwise)) (rotating in place), the control portion 210 may control each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the rotation speed of the thruster 230 arranged on the right (or left) of the multiple thrusters 230 arranged in parallel is greater than the rotation speed of the thruster 230 arranged on the left (or right).

[0031] That is, the control unit 210 may independently control each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the float unit 10 moves in a direction that corrects (cancels) the movement of the float unit 10 estimated based on the physical quantities, and so that the float unit 10 moves in a direction input by the controller unit 30. The control unit 210 may also estimate the actual movement of the float unit 10 using known technology based on physical quantities detected by one or more physical quantity detection units 223. For example, when the actual movement (movement direction) of the float unit 10 estimated in this manner differs (or can be considered to be different, such as being substantially different) from the movement (movement direction) of the float unit 10 input by the controller unit 30 (accepted by the communication unit 221), the control unit 210 controls the rotation speed of each of the thrusters 230 arranged in parallel independently to correct (cancel) the actual movement of the float unit 10, thereby controlling the float unit 10 to move in the direction input by the controller unit 30 (accepted by the communication unit 221) (including the case of a neutral position).

[0032] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the case where the waterborne vehicle 1 moves to the home position.

[0033] The control unit 210 may acquire the position of the float unit 10 based on the positioning signal received by the receiving unit 224 and control each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the float unit 10 moves to a pre-designated position (homing position) at a predetermined timing (see FIG. 4 ). Information (reference position information) about a reference position (homing position) may be stored in advance in the memory unit 222. For example, when a predetermined button (e.g., a homing button, etc.) 301 arranged on the controller unit 30 is operated, or when a predetermined signal (homing signal) is transmitted from the ground base 400, the control unit 210 receives an operation of the controller unit 30 (operation of the homing button 301, etc.) or the homing signal via the communication unit 221, and acquires the current position (position information) of the float unit 10 based on the positioning signal received by the receiving unit 224. The control unit 210 estimates the direction (azimuth) from the current position to the homing position based on the current position and the homing position. The control unit 210 controls each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the float unit 10 moves in the estimated direction, moving the float unit 10 from its current position toward its home position. The control unit 210 may control each of the multiple thrusters 230 to stop rotating when the float unit 10 reaches its home position.

[0034] Note that, when a region R (see FIG. 4) whose outer edge is indicated by multiple pieces of position information is specified in advance, the control unit 210 may compare the current position of the float unit 10 with the region R and control the multiple thrusters 230 so that the float unit 10 does not go outside the region R. That is, the control unit 210 may, for example, compare the current position of the float unit 10 with the region R, and if the current position of the float unit 10 goes outside the region R, stop the multiple thrusters 230 or perform control such as moving the multiple thrusters 230 backward.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a case where the slave 1S moves in response to the movement of the master 1M.

[0036] There may be multiple water moving devices 1, each of which is a set of one float section 10 and one unit section 20. In this case, one of the multiple water moving devices 1 may be designated as a master (main device) 1M, and the other surface moving devices 1 other than the master 1M may be designated as slaves (subordinate devices) 1S.

[0037] The control unit 210 of the master 1M transmits the acquired position to the control unit 210 of one or more slaves 1S. That is, the control unit 210 (control unit 210 of the master 1M) arranged in the water moving device 1 (main device) that becomes the master 1M acquires the current position based on the positioning signal received by the receiving unit 224. The control unit 210 of the master 1M controls the communication unit 221 to transmit the acquired current position (position 501) (master position information) to the control unit 210 of the slave 1S as needed. Alternatively, the control unit 210 of the master 1M stores the acquired current position information for a predetermined period of time and generates a trajectory 502 of the position 501. The control unit 210 of the master 1M controls the communication unit 221 to transmit the trajectory 502 of the position 501 (master position information) to the control unit 210 of the slave 1S. The control unit 210 of the slave 1S may be the control unit 210 arranged in the water moving device 1 (slave device) that becomes the slave 1S.

[0038] The control unit 210 of the slave 1S may control each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the float unit 10 moves along a trajectory 502 of the position 501 (master position information) acquired from the master 1M. The control unit 210 of the slave 1S may control each of the multiple thrusters 230 arranged in the slave 1S so that the float unit 10 of the slave 1S moves along the trajectory 502 of the position 501 of the master 1M, based on the position 501 (trajectory 502) of the master 1M acquired via the communication unit 221 of the slave 1S and the current position of the slave 1S based on the positioning signal received by the receiving unit 224 of the slave 1S. In other words, the control unit 210 of the slave 1S controls each of the multiple thrusters 230 of the slave 1S so that the current position of the slave 1S coincides (or substantially coincides) with the position 501 (trajectory 502) of the master 1M and follows the movement of the master 1M.

[0039] [Method of Moving on Water] Next, a method of moving on water according to one embodiment will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a method of moving on water according to one embodiment.

[0040] In step ST101 , the control unit 210 receives the movement of the float unit 10 input by the controller unit 30 via the communication unit 221 .

[0041] In step ST102, the physical quantity detection unit 223 detects a physical quantity related to the movement of the float unit 10. The physical quantity detection unit 223 may be at least one physical quantity sensor selected from, for example, a geomagnetic sensor, an angular velocity (gyro) sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

[0042] In step ST103, if the movement of the float section 10 received in step ST101 differs from the movement of the float section 10 estimated based on the physical quantities detected in step ST102, the control section 210 controls each of the multiple thrusters 230 to correct the estimated movement of the float section 10 to match the movement of the float section 10 input by the controller section 30. In this case, the control section 210 may control the rotation speed of each of the multiple thrusters 230 independently. Here, the control section 210 may independently control each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the float section 10 moves in a direction that corrects the movement of the float section 10 estimated based on the physical quantities detected in step ST102, and so that the float section 10 moves in the direction input by the controller section 30 received in step ST101.

[0043] In step ST104, the receiving unit 224 receives the positioning signal.

[0044] In step ST105, the control unit 210 acquires the position of the float section 10 based on the positioning signal received in step ST104, and controls each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the float section 10 moves to a pre-specified position (home position) at a predetermined timing.

[0045] In step ST106, if one of the multiple surface moving devices 1 is designated as a master (main device) 1M and the other surface moving devices 1 other than the master 1M are designated as slaves (subordinate devices) 1S, the control unit 210 of the slave 1S controls each of the multiple thrusters 230 arranged on the slave 1S so that the float unit 10 of the slave 1S moves along a trajectory 502 of a position 501 (master position information) acquired from the master 1M. Here, the control unit 210 of the master 1M transmits the position 501 (trajectory 502) (master position information) acquired by the master 1M to the control units 210 of one or more slaves 1S.

[0046] The above-mentioned processing of steps ST101 to ST103, the processing of steps ST104 to ST105, and the processing of steps ST104 and ST106 may be performed consecutively, or may be performed independently of each other.

[0047] [Modifications] Next, modifications will be described.

[0048] The water moving device 1 may include, for example, a camera unit (not shown). The camera unit is capable of capturing still images and videos (images). The camera unit may be disposed on or underwater. The camera unit may also be disposed on a drone that flies to follow the movement of the water moving device 1. The water moving device 1 may be capable of transmitting images captured by the camera unit to a device used by the user (e.g., a laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) via the communication unit 221.

[0049] The waterborne moving device 1 may be remotely operable, for example, using a controller unit 30 disposed in the ground base 400. In this case, the waterborne moving device 1 may acquire a direction (input instruction) input in response to operation of the controller unit 30 disposed in the ground base 400 via the communication unit 221, and control each of the multiple thrusters 230 to move in the direction corresponding to the input instruction.

[0050] The waterborne vehicle 1 may be monitored, for example, by a monitoring device (monitoring terminal) (not shown) located at the ground base 400. In this case, the waterborne vehicle 1 may transmit its own identification information, the remaining amount of power stored in the power source (e.g., remaining battery charge), its current location, and images to the monitoring device via the communication unit 221. The monitoring device may display information acquired from the waterborne vehicle 1 on a display unit (not shown) and store the acquired information as a log in a memory unit (not shown) to monitor one or more waterborne vehicles 1. Note that when the monitoring device acquires images from the waterborne vehicle 1, the monitoring device may stream the images.

[0051] The water moving device 1 may be capable of, for example, specifying a travel route in advance. That is, the water moving device 1 may be capable of acquiring multiple pieces of pre-specified position information (travel route information) via the communication unit 221, for example, along a travel route indicated by multiple pieces of position information (e.g., position coordinates, etc.), or passing through multiple pieces of position information as waypoints. The water moving device 1 may control each of the multiple thrusters 230 so that the float unit 10 moves based on the position information of the float unit 10 acquired based on the positioning signal and the pre-specified position information (travel route information).

[0052] The above-described water moving device 1 is not limited to a device for users to enjoy water activities, but may also be used as a marker (buoy) in a waterway, or as a measuring device that secures power while performing energy harvesting and performs measurements using various sensors. Note that the water moving device 1 may be configured such that the unit section 20 is fitted into a commercially available swim ring, for example.

[0053] A plurality of water moving devices 1 may be connectable. The connected water moving devices may be controlled to switch positions on the water by driving the thrusters at predetermined intervals.

[0054] [Aspects and Effects of the Present Embodiment] Next, one aspect of the present embodiment and the effects of each aspect will be described. Note that each aspect described below is an example at the time of filing, and the present embodiment is not limited to the aspects described below. In other words, the present embodiment is not limited to each aspect described below, and may be realized by appropriately combining each of the above-mentioned parts. Furthermore, a lower aspect may in some cases cite any of the higher aspects. Furthermore, the effects described below are an example, and the effects of each aspect are not limited to those described below. Furthermore, each aspect may, for example, achieve at least one of the effects described below.

[0055] (Aspect 1) A water-borne vehicle of one aspect includes a float section that floats on water and has a cavity that is connected to the water inside the periphery, and a unit section that is detachable from the cavity and has a plurality of thrusters that are located underwater when attached to the cavity. This allows a user riding on the float section to easily enjoy activities on water.

[0056] (Aspect 2) In one aspect of the water-borne moving device, the multiple thrusters may have their respective rotation axes facing the same direction, and the rotation speeds of the respective rotation axes may be differentiated to allow the water-borne moving device to move in a direction specified by the controller unit. This allows the user riding on the float unit to move in a direction specified by operating the controller unit.

[0057] (Aspect 3) In one aspect of the water moving device, the unit unit may include a physical quantity detection unit that detects physical quantities related to the movement of the float unit; a communication unit that receives input of the float unit movement operated by the controller unit; and a control unit that, when the float unit movement received by the communication unit differs from the float unit movement estimated based on the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detection unit, corrects the estimated float unit movement to match the float unit movement input by the controller unit and controls each of the multiple thrusters. That is, the water moving device controls the multiple thrusters independently of each other so that the actual float unit movement estimated based on the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detection unit matches (or approximately matches) the float unit movement received by the communication unit. Therefore, the water moving device moves the float unit in response to instructions from a user riding on the float unit, allowing the user to easily enjoy water activities.

[0058] (Aspect 4) In one aspect of the water moving device, the control unit may independently control each of the multiple thrusters so that the float unit moves in a direction that corrects the movement of the float unit estimated based on the physical quantities and so that the float unit moves in a direction input by the controller unit. This allows the water moving device to make the actual movement of the float unit estimated based on the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detection unit match (or approximately match) the movement of the float unit received by the communication unit.

[0059] (Aspect 5) In one aspect of the waterborne vehicle, the control unit may control the rotation speed of each of the plurality of thrusters independently of one another. This allows the waterborne vehicle to move the float unit in accordance with instructions from a user riding on the float unit by changing the rotation speed of each of the plurality of thrusters.

[0060] (Aspect 6) In one aspect of the water-borne moving device, the unit section may include a receiver section for receiving a positioning signal, and the controller section may acquire the position of the float section based on the positioning signal received by the receiver section and control each of the multiple thrusters to move the float section to a pre-designated position at a predetermined timing. This allows the water-borne moving device to automatically return to a home position (a reference position) without instructions from a user riding on the float section.

[0061] (Aspect 7) In one aspect of the water transportation device, there are multiple devices, each of which is a pair of a float section and a unit section, and one of the multiple devices is designated as a master, while the remaining devices other than the master are designated as slaves. The master's control unit transmits the acquired position to the slave's control unit, and the slave's control unit controls each of the multiple thrusters so that the float section moves along the trajectory of the position acquired from the master. The water transportation device can cause the movement of one or more slaves (slave devices) to follow the movement of the master (main unit). As a result, when a guide (e.g., a tour guide) rides on the master and tourists ride on the slaves, the slaves automatically follow the movement of the master without the tourists having to operate the controller, allowing the tourists to enjoy sightseeing (activities) on the water.

[0062] (Aspect 8) In one aspect of the method for moving on water, a surface water moving device including a float section, a unit section, and a controller section executes the following steps: a physical quantity detection step of detecting physical quantities related to the movement of the float section using a physical quantity detection section; a communication step of receiving, via a communication section, the movement of the float section input by the controller section; and, if the movement of the float section received by the communication section differs from the movement of the float section estimated based on the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detection section, a control step of controlling, via a control section, each of a plurality of thrusters to correct the estimated movement of the float section to match the movement of the float section input by the controller section. This allows the method for moving on water to achieve the same effects as the surface water moving device of the aspect described above.

[0063] 1 Water moving device 1M Master (main device) 1S Slave (slave device) 10 Float section 20 Unit section 210 Control section 221 Communication section 222 Memory section 223 Physical quantity detection section 224 Detection section 230 Thruster 240 Kill switch 30 Controller section 400 Ground base 501 Position (position of master 1M) 502 Trajectory (trajectory of position (movement) of master 1M)

Claims

1. A water-borne movement device comprising: a float section that floats on the water and has a hollow section that connects to the water on its inner side relative to its peripheral section; and a unit section that is detachable from the hollow section and has a number of thrusters that are located underwater when attached to the hollow section.

2. The water-based moving device according to claim 1, wherein the multiple thrusters have their respective rotational axes facing in the same direction, and the rotation speeds of the respective rotational axes are differentiated to cause the device to move in a direction specified by a controller unit.

3. The unit unit of the water moving device described in claim 1 or 2 comprises: a physical quantity detection unit that detects physical quantities related to the movement of the float unit; a communication unit that accepts the movement of the float unit input by a controller unit; and a control unit that, when the movement of the float unit accepted by the communication unit differs from the movement of the float unit estimated based on the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detection unit, corrects the estimated movement of the float unit to match the movement of the float unit input by the controller unit, and controls each of the multiple thrusters.

4. The water moving device described in claim 3, wherein the control unit independently controls each of the multiple thrusters so that the float section moves in a direction that corrects the movement of the float section estimated based on physical quantities, and so that the float section moves in a direction input by the controller unit.

5. The waterborne moving device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the rotation speed of each of the plurality of thrusters independently of one another.

6. The water moving device described in claim 3, wherein the unit section is provided with a receiving section for receiving a positioning signal, and the control section obtains the position of the float section based on the positioning signal received by the receiving section, and controls each of the multiple thrusters so that the float section moves to a pre-designated position at a predetermined timing.

7. A water moving device as described in claim 6, comprising a plurality of devices each having one of the float parts and one of the unit parts as a pair, one of the plurality of devices being a master and the other devices of the plurality of devices other than the master being slaves, the control unit of the master transmitting the acquired position to the control unit of the slave, and the control unit of the slave controlling each of the plurality of thrusters so that the float part moves along the trajectory of the position acquired from the master.

8. A method for moving on water as described in claim 1, in which a surface water moving device having a float section, a unit section and a controller section executes the following steps: a physical quantity detection step of detecting physical quantities related to the movement of the float section by a physical quantity detection section; a communication step of receiving by a communication section the movement of the float section input by the controller section; and, if the movement of the float section received by the communication section differs from the movement of the float section estimated based on the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detection section, a control step of controlling each of the multiple thrusters by a control section to correct the estimated movement of the float section to match the movement of the float section input by the controller section.

Images