Aerial robot configured to limitedly move not to deviate from trajectory formed by wire and wire traversing device therefor

Abstract

Disclosed are an aerial robot and a wire traversing device therefor, wherein the aerial robot performs a mission in a wide area together with the wire traversing device configured such that same can freely move in the wire length direction but can move limitedly so as not to deviate from a straight or curved trajectory defined by a wire, while being connected by the traversing device and powered by thrust resulting from pushing air. One aspect of the present invention provides a wire traversing device configured such that an aerial robot moves along a trajectory defined by a wire, the wire traversing device comprising: a housing connected to the aerial robot through a predetermined connection device; three guide spur gears accommodated in the housing, rotational axes of all guide spur gears being parallel to each other; a driving unit for transferring rotational power to a first spur gear which is one of the three guide spur gears; and a spiral sawtooth structure having sawteeth formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof so as to mesh with the three guide spur gears, the spiral sawtooth structure rotating with reference to the center axis while being constrained by the three guide spur gears, and the wire penetrating the inside of the spiral thereof such that the traversing device does not deviate from the wire.

Description

Aerial robot that moves within a restricted range so as not to deviate from a track formed by a wire, and a wire crossing device therefor

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerial robot that moves while being restricted from leaving a track formed by a wire, and a wire crossing device therefor. More specifically, the present invention relates to an aerial robot that moves while being restricted from leaving a straight or curved track formed by a wire, while being able to move freely in the direction of the length of the wire, and a wire crossing device that is connected to the crossing device and moves using thrust that pushes out air as power and performs a mission in a wide area.

[0002]

[0003] The need for a vehicle capable of moving across vast or inaccessible areas to perform tasks such as filming or surveillance has long been a necessity. Wire cams, which move along wires, are one solution. Typically, wire cams move linearly along an installed wire using rollers, capturing information using image sensors such as cameras. For example, the ends of the wire are fixed to a pole or frame, and the driving unit is configured to travel in a straight line between the two ends. Compared to fixed-position cameras, wire cams offer a relatively large working area for filming, significantly reducing the required installation space. However, wire cams, which move along wires, are difficult to operate in curves or at angles. Furthermore, their platform is fixed only on the top two axes, making them susceptible to external forces, limiting their practical applications.

[0004] On the other hand, although unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones can effectively monitor a very wide area, they often have the disadvantage of being restricted in carrying out missions due to the inability to fly in no-fly zones.

[0005]

[0006] * Prior art literature

[0007] - Patent literature

[0008] Korean Patent No. 10-2461173

[0009] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0125911

[0010] U.S. Patent No. US 9154673 B2

[0011]

[0012] The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide an aerial robot that can perform a mission in a wide area while traveling without departing from a straight or curved path formed by a wire, and a wire crossing device for performing the function.

[0013]

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, a wire crossing device is provided that is free to move in the length direction of a wire of a running track formed by a wire while restricting movement in a direction perpendicular to the track, and an aerial robot is provided that is connected to the wire crossing device and moves along the running track under the guidance of the wire crossing device.

[0015] In one embodiment, the wire crossing device may include a housing connected to the aerial robot through a predetermined connecting device, three guide spur gears accommodated inside the housing and having rotation axes all parallel to each other, a driving unit that transmits rotational force to a first spur gear that is one of the three guide spur gears, and a spiral-shaped tooth structure having teeth formed on an outer circumference thereof that mesh with the three guide spur gears and rotates about a central axis while being restrained by the three guide spur gears, and the wire penetrates the inside of the spiral so that the crossing device does not detach from the wire.

[0016] In one embodiment, the driving unit may include a driving gear that meshes with the first spur gear; and a motor that is connected to the driving gear and rotates the driving gear.

[0017] In one embodiment, the three guide spur gears are arranged so that their central axes form a triangle, thereby supporting the helical tooth structure at three points.

[0018] In one embodiment, the wire is supported by a wire track support, and the motor is configured to rotate the helical tooth structure so that when the traversing device encounters the wire track support, the helical tooth structure rotates and passes through the wire track support.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, a wire crossing device for allowing an aerial robot to move along a track formed by a wire is provided, the wire crossing device including: a housing connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle through a predetermined connecting device; three guide spur gears accommodated inside the housing, the rotation axes of which are all parallel; a driving unit transmitting rotational force to a first spur gear which is one of the three guide spur gears; and a spiral-shaped tooth structure having teeth formed on an outer circumferential surface that engage with the three guide spur gears and rotates about a central axis while being restrained by the three guide spur gears, the wire penetrating the inside of the spiral so that the crossing device does not deviate from the wire.

[0020]

[0021] An aerial robot employing a wire crossing device according to the technical idea of ​​the present invention has a mechanism structure that only travels on a fixed orbit, and thus has the effect of being able to fly without being restricted by general drone flight restrictions.

[0022] In addition, according to the present invention, a driving track can be formed with a wire that is easy to install and has no significant restrictions on the environment in which it can be installed, so that desired work can be performed in a wide area.

[0023] In addition, it is possible to drive not only on a simple straight driving track but also on a curved driving track and on a section with an ascent / descent, and it is also possible to respond to changes in the shape of the track, so that the aerial robot according to the embodiment of the present invention can be operated in a wide variety of environments.

[0024]

[0025] In order to more fully understand the drawings cited in the detailed description of the present invention, a brief description of each drawing is provided.

[0026] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are drawings for explaining the concept of an aerial robot moving along a wire track and a crossing device limiting the movement of the aerial robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1c is a drawing showing an example in which a wire track support forms a curved track.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the front of a wire crossing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wire crossing device (10) of FIG. 2.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a drawing of the front part of the housing in Fig. 2 with the housing removed, and Fig. 5 is a drawing of the front part and left side part of the housing in Fig. 3 with the housing removed.

[0030] Figure 6 is a left side view of Figure 5 viewed from the left.

[0031] Fig. 7a is a front view of a spiral-shaped gear structure, and Fig. 7b is a perspective view of the spiral-shaped gear structure.

[0032] Figure 8 shows an example of a wire crossing device and an aerial robot just before passing through a wire track support.

[0033] Figure 9 is a drawing showing the process in which a spiral-shaped gear structure passes through a wire track support while rotating.

[0034]

[0035] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related known technologies will be omitted if they are deemed to obscure the gist of the present invention.

[0036] Terms such as "first," "second," etc. may be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. Terms such as "first," "second," etc. do not denote a particular order and are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0037] The terminology used in this application is solely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0038] In this specification, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0039] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail, focusing on embodiments thereof, with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numerals in each drawing represent the same components.

[0040] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are drawings for explaining the concept of an aerial robot moving along a wire track and a crossing device limiting the movement of the aerial robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, an aerial robot (1) can perform a predetermined task while moving along a wire (2) forming a linear orbit. The aerial robot (1) can perform tasks such as photographing, monitoring, and issuing an alarm for a surveillance area.

[0042] The above aerial robot (10) may be in the form of a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that generates thrust with a propeller or the like, as shown in FIG. 1b, but the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited thereto, and any type of robot or device that can levitate in the air and move up, down, left, and right can be the aerial robot (10) of the present invention.

[0043] The linear track formed by the above wire (2) can be formed in an air space a certain height above the ground, and can be a straight line, a curve, or a mixture of these.

[0044] The above wire (2) can be supported by a wire track support (3), and the wire track support (3) can be provided on a post installed on the ground. The post can be an urban structure such as a streetlight, a utility pole, or a traffic light.

[0045] The movement of the above aerial robot (1) can be restricted by a crossing device (10).

[0046] The above wire crossing device (10) may be a device that is installed on the wire (2) and moves freely in the length direction of the wire (2) and has restricted movement in other directions, and may be connected to the aerial robot (1) through a predetermined connecting device (20). The wire crossing device (10) may guide the movement of the aerial robot (1) so that the aerial robot (1) can move only in the direction in which the wire (2) is installed.

[0047] The above-mentioned connecting device (20) may be in the form of a bar with a fixed length as illustrated in Fig. 1b, but may also be in the form of a connecting line. A cable for transmitting power, various signals, and / or data between the wire crossing device (10) and the aerial robot (1) may be embedded within the connecting device (20).

[0048] The above aerial robot (1) may be called a drone or the like, and may be in the form of a quadcopter in particular. The quadcopter can provide power to move along a wire track while moving forward or backward depending on the thrust direction of the rotation of the four propellers. In addition, various devices suitable for the task performed while moving along the wire (2) may be installed on the aerial robot (1). For example, the robot body (20) may be installed with various sensing units (not shown) such as an RGB camera, an IR camera, a microphone, a lidar, a gas sensor, a communication module (not shown) for wireless communication such as WiFi, LTE, and 5G, a battery, a processor, a memory device, etc.

[0049] Figure 1c is a drawing showing an example in which a wire track support (3) forms a curved track.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 1c, the wire track support (3) may have a plurality of cylindrical pins (e.g., 5) arranged in a curve, and the plurality of cylindrical pins (e.g., 5) support the wire (2), thereby allowing the wire (2) to form a curved track.

[0051] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the front of a wire crossing device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wire crossing device (10) of FIG. 2.

[0052] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the wire crossing device (10) may include a housing (11) and a spiral-shaped tooth structure (12).

[0053] The housing (11) can accommodate other components included in the wire crossing device (10) inside and protect other components included in the wire crossing device (10). The housing can be formed by assembling front and rear panels having the same shape and left and right side panels having the same shape.

[0054] The above housing (11) can be connected to the aerial robot (1) through the above connecting device (20).

[0055] The wire (2) can penetrate the inside of the spiral of the above-mentioned spiral-shaped gear structure (12). The above-mentioned spiral-shaped gear structure (12) will be described in more detail later.

[0056] Fig. 4 is a drawing of the housing (11) in Fig. 2 with the front part removed, and Fig. 5 is a drawing of the housing (11) in Fig. 3 with the front part and left side part removed.

[0057] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the wire crossing device (10) may include a first guide spur gear (13), a second guide spur gear (14), a third guide spur gear (15), and a driving unit (16).

[0058] The first guide spur gear (13), the second guide spur gear (14), and the third guide spur gear (15) can be accommodated inside the housing (11), and the rotation axes of the three guide spur gears (13, 14, 15) can all be parallel.

[0059] The above three guide spur gears (13, 14, 15) can be supported by the left and right side panels of the housing (11).

[0060] The three guide spur gears (13, 14, 15) above may all have teeth formed on their outer surfaces, and may mesh with the teeth formed on the outer surface of the spiral-shaped gear structure (12).

[0061] The above driving unit (16) can transmit rotational force to any one of the three guide spur gears (13, 14, 15). FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an example in which the driving unit (16) transmits rotational force to the first guide spur gear (13), but depending on the implementation example, the driving unit (16) may also transmit rotational force to the second guide spur gear (14) or the third guide spur gear (15).

[0062] The above driving unit (16) may include a driving gear (18) that meshes with the first spur gear (13) and a motor (17) that is connected to the driving gear (18) and rotates the driving gear (18).

[0063] The motor shaft of the above motor (17) can be directly connected to a rotation shaft fixed to a drive gear (18) to transmit driving power. Alternatively, a predetermined power transmission means for transmitting power may be arranged between the motor (17) and the drive gear (18), so that the motor shaft of the motor (17) can be indirectly connected to the rotation shaft of the drive gear (18).

[0064] Meanwhile, the rotational power of the above motor (17) can rotate the first spur gear (13) via the above drive gear (18).

[0065] Depending on the embodiment, the rotational power of the motor (17) may be transmitted to the first spur gear (13) via another transmission means instead of the drive gear (18). For example, a timing belt or a gearbox may be employed as the transmission means. However, the transmission means is not limited to the examples described above, and any other mechanism may be employed as long as it can smoothly transmit the driving power of the motor (17) to the drive gear (18).

[0066] Meanwhile, the spiral-shaped gear structure (12) may have teeth formed on the outer surface thereof that mesh with the three guide spur gears (13, 14, 15). In addition, the spiral-shaped gear structure (12) may be constrained by the three guide spur gears (13, 14, 15) and may rotate about a central axis. At this time, the central axis of the spiral-shaped gear structure (12) may be parallel to the rotation axes of the three guide spur gears (13, 14, 15).

[0067] In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotational force generated from the motor (17) is transmitted to the first guide spur gear (13) via the drive gear (18), and when the first guide spur gear (13) rotates, the rotational force can be transmitted to the spiral-shaped gear structure (12) through the teeth of the first guide spur gear (13) and the teeth of the spiral-shaped gear structure (12) that are meshed with each other.

[0068] Figure 6 is a left side view of Figure 5 viewed from the left.

[0069] Referring to Fig. 6, the three guide spur gears (13, 14, 15) are arranged so that their central axes form a triangle, so that the spiral-shaped gear structure can be supported at three points.

[0070] Fig. 7a is a front view of a spiral-shaped gear structure (12), and Fig. 7b is a perspective view of the spiral-shaped gear structure (12).

[0071] The above spiral-shaped tooth structure (12) allows the wire (2) to penetrate the inside of the spiral so that the wire crossing device (10) does not detach from the wire (2). By doing so, the spiral-shaped tooth structure (12) and the wire crossing device (10) employing the same can move freely in the longitudinal direction of the track formed by the wire (2), but movement in other directions is restricted.

[0072] As described above with reference to FIG. 1A, the wire (2) can be supported by the wire track support (3). In this case, the motor (17) can rotate only when the wire crossing device (10) encounters the wire track support (3). Normally, that is, when the wire crossing device (10) moves over the wire (2) without encountering the wire track support (3), the motor (17) can be stopped, and when it is determined that the wire crossing device (10) encounters the wire track support (3), the motor (17) can rotate so that the spiral-shaped sawtooth structure (12) rotates and passes through the wire track support (3).

[0073] In one embodiment, whether the wire crossing device (10) encounters the wire track support (3) can be determined by the aerial robot (1) or the wire crossing device (10). For example, it can be determined by a processor built into the aerial robot (1) or the wire crossing device (10). If it is determined that the aerial robot (1) or the wire crossing device (10) cannot move, the aerial robot (1) or the wire crossing device (10) can control the motor (17) to rotate to rotate the spiral-shaped sawtooth structure (12).

[0074] Fig. 8 shows an example of a wire crossing device (10) and an aerial robot (1) just before passing through a wire track support (3), and Fig. 9 is a drawing showing a process in which the spiral-shaped sawtooth structure (12) passes through the wire track support (3) while rotating.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d), the spiral-shaped gear structure (12) can pass through the wire track support (3) by rotating downward (in the direction of the solid arrow) and moving to the left (in the direction of the dotted arrow).

[0076] As described above, according to the present invention, an aerial robot (1) such as a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle can be made to travel on a fixed orbit made of a wire at a certain height from the ground.

[0077] An aerial robot (1) employing a wire crossing device (10) according to the technical idea of ​​the present invention has a mechanism structure that only travels on a fixed orbit, so it has the effect of being able to fly without being restricted in general drone flight prohibition zones.

[0078] Furthermore, the present invention allows for the formation of a driving path using wires that are easy to install and have minimal restrictions on the environment in which they can be installed, thereby enabling the performance of desired tasks over a wide area. Furthermore, in addition to simple straight driving paths, driving is also possible on curved paths and sections with rising / falling sections, and can also respond to changes in the shape of the path, thereby enabling the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention in a wide variety of environments.

[0079] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is determined by the claims that follow rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

[0080]

[0081] * Explanation of symbols

[0082] 1: Aerial robot

[0083] 2: Wire

[0084] 3: Wire track support

[0085] 10: Wire crossing device

[0086] 11: Housing

[0087] 12: Spiral-shaped gear structure

[0088] 13: 1st guide spur gear

[0089] 14: Second guide spur gear

[0090] 15: Third Guide Spur Gear

[0091] 16: Drive unit

[0092] 17: Motor

[0093] 18: Drive gear

[0094] 20: Connector

[0095]

[0096] The present invention can be used in an aerial robot that moves while being restricted from leaving a track formed by a wire, and a wire crossing device therefor.

Claims

1. A wire crossing device that is free to move in the wire length direction of the running track formed by the wire while restricting movement in the direction perpendicular to the track; and An aerial robot connected to the above wire crossing device and moving along the driving path guided by the above wire crossing device.

2. In paragraph 1, The above wire crossing device, A housing connected to the aerial robot through a predetermined connecting device; Three guide spur gears housed inside the housing, all of which have parallel axes of rotation; A driving unit that transmits rotational power to a first spur gear, which is one of the three guide spur gears; and An aerial robot including a spiral-shaped gear structure having teeth formed on the outer surface thereof that mesh with the three guide spur gears, and rotating about a central axis while being restrained by the three guide spur gears, and in which the wire penetrates the inside of the spiral so that the traversing device does not detach from the wire.

3. In paragraph 2, The above driving part, A driving gear meshing with the first spur gear; and An aerial robot including a motor connected to the above driving gear and rotating the above driving gear.

4. In paragraph 2, The above three guide spur gears are, A wire crossing device characterized in that the central axes are arranged to form a triangle and support the spiral-shaped tooth structure at three points.

5. In paragraph 2, The above wire is supported by a wire track support, The above motor, An aerial robot that rotates so that when the above-mentioned crossing device encounters the above-mentioned wire track support, the above-mentioned spiral-shaped sawtooth structure rotates and passes through the above-mentioned wire track support.

6. A wire crossing device for allowing an aerial robot to move along a track formed by a wire. A housing connected to the aerial robot through a predetermined connecting device; Three guide spur gears housed inside the housing, all of which have parallel axes of rotation; A driving unit that transmits rotational power to a first spur gear, which is one of the three guide spur gears; and A wire crossing device including a spiral-shaped tooth structure in which teeth that mesh with the three guide spur gears are formed on the outer surface, the teeth are constrained by the three guide spur gears and rotate about a central axis, and the wire penetrates the inside of the spiral so that the crossing device does not detach from the wire.

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