Land-and-air mobile body

Abstract

[Problem] To make it possible to fly stably using a large lift and thrust, continue flying or safely land when the rotation of one propeller has stopped mid-flight, land from a flying state onto a road on which vehicles are traveling and travel on the same, and stabilize the attitude in a left / right direction even against a sudden crosswind. [Solution] A land-and-air mobile body 1 comprises: a mobile body main body 10; front wheels 31, 32 and rear wheels 33, 34 that are for travel and are at the front and rear of an occupant cabin 11 of the mobile body main body; and a set of an upper front section propeller 421 and a lower front section propeller 441 and a set of an upper rear section propeller 461 and a lower rear section propeller 481 that are for flight and are in positioning spaces of a front section and a rear section of the mobile body main body, wherein the front wheels are driven by an electric motor, and inner rotary shafts 411, 451 and outer rotary shafts 431, 471 of the propellers, said inner rotary shafts and said outer rotary shafts using electric motors 231, 241, 251, 261 to rotate in the opposite manner from each other and generate lift and thrust, are positioned coaxially and parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile body main body.

Description

Amphibious vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to an amphibious vehicle capable of moving both in the air and on land.

[0002] Conventionally, as a vehicle capable of moving both in the air and on land, for example, a propulsion device for a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The propulsion device for a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a fuselage, propellers provided one by one in the front and rear of the fuselage and rotated by individual drive sources, an arcuate plate provided on the fuselage so as to face the propellers and changing the direction of the wind from the propellers to move or stop the fuselage, and a large number of holes provided in the floor of the fuselage to eject the wind generated by the rotation of the propellers outside the fuselage.

[0003] Further, SYSTEMS AND METHODS (hereinafter omitted) disclosed in Patent Document 2 is an amphibious vehicle including a frame, a cockpit supported by the frame and rotatable with respect to the frame, and a plurality of propellers arranged between the frame and the cockpit. When flying or traveling, the angle of the cockpit with respect to the frame can be changed so that the cockpit is in a horizontal state and in the moving direction.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-53207 US Patent Application Publication No. 2023 / 0159161

[0005] The vertical take-off and landing propulsion system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the wind force from the rotation of the propeller is weakened by the arc-shaped plate and the floor of the aircraft which has many holes, so sufficient lift cannot be obtained and stable flight cannot be performed. In addition, because there are only two propellers, it is difficult to land safely if the rotation of one propeller stops during flight. Furthermore, it is difficult to stabilize the attitude in the lateral direction against sudden crosswinds during flight. The SYSTEMS AND METHODS (hereinafter omitted) disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a problem in that it requires a mechanism to change the angle of the cockpit relative to the frame. Furthermore, when the frame is long in the front-to-back direction, it is difficult to land on a road where cars are driving and drive from a flying state. Furthermore, when the frame is long in the left-to-right direction, it is difficult to stabilize the attitude in the lateral direction against sudden crosswinds during flight.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an amphibious mobile vehicle that can achieve stable flight with sufficiently large lift and thrust, can continue flying or land safely when one propeller stops rotating during flight, can land on a road where a vehicle is traveling and drive, and can stabilize its attitude in the lateral direction against sudden crosswinds during flight, in order to solve the aforementioned problems.

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, the amphibious mobile vehicle according to the present invention comprises a mobile vehicle body having a propeller arrangement space at the front and rear and a crew compartment in the center for the crew to ride in; two sets of running wheels provided on the front and rear sides of the crew compartment of the mobile vehicle body; a set of front propellers provided in the arrangement space at the front of the mobile vehicle body in close proximity in the vertical direction without protruding from the side of the mobile vehicle body; a set of rear propellers provided in the arrangement space at the rear of the mobile vehicle body in close proximity in the vertical direction without protruding from the side of the mobile vehicle body; a driving source for driving at least one set of running wheels; a driving source for the front propellers that rotates the set of front propellers in the opposite direction; and a driving source for the rear propellers that rotates the set of rear propellers in the opposite direction.

[0008] With this configuration, a pair of front propellers and a pair of rear propellers are provided in the front and rear spaces of the mobile body, respectively. This allows for the generation of large lift and thrust similar to that of a contra-rotating propeller, enabling stable flight with sufficiently large lift and thrust.

[0009] Furthermore, the crew compartment is provided with a camera that photographs at least the front of the mobile body, which has an enlarged front and rear placement space, and a display device that displays the images captured by the camera.

[0010] With this configuration, the mobile vehicle is equipped with a camera that captures at least the area in front of it and a display device that displays the images captured by the camera. This makes it possible to check the situation at least in front of the crew compartment using the display image on the display device, eliminating the need to provide windows for visualizing the situation at least in front of the mobile vehicle. This also allows for a larger mobile vehicle to secure space for mounting a high-output propeller power source.

[0011] Furthermore, the rotation axes of each of the pair of front propellers are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile body and spaced apart in the left-right direction of the mobile body, and the rotation axes of each of the pair of rear propellers are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile body and spaced apart in the left-right direction of the mobile body.

[0012] With this configuration, by creating a structure similar to a so-called contra-rotating propeller, it is possible to generate sufficiently large amounts of lift and thrust during flight.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the pair of front propellers is attached to an inner and outer rotating shaft that are arranged parallel and coaxially to the vertical direction of the mobile body, and each of the pair of rear propellers is attached to an inner and outer rotating shaft that are arranged parallel and coaxially to the vertical direction of the mobile body.

[0014] With this configuration, the counter-rotating propeller structure allows for the generation of sufficiently large lift and thrust during flight, and the vertical distance between the center of gravity of the mobile body and each propeller can be maximized to the extent that the propellers do not protrude from the mobile body.

[0015] Furthermore, it is equipped with a flight-to-running switching control means that has a control function for transitioning the mobile body from a flight state to a running state while it is moving through the air.

[0016] The drive-flight switching control means includes an altitude detection means that detects the altitude of the mobile body from the ground and outputs an altitude detection signal, a speed detection means that detects the ground speed of the mobile body and outputs a speed detection signal, a ground contact detection means that detects the contact of the driving wheels when the mobile body is traveling on a road and outputs a ground contact detection signal, and based on the altitude detection signal, controls the driving drive source so that the driving speed of the mobile body when at least one pair of driving wheels are in contact with the ground matches the detected speed output from the speed detection means, before the ground contact detection means detects that at least one of the driving wheels has made contact with the ground, and also controls the front propeller drive source and the rear propeller drive source to stop.

[0017] With this configuration, the mobile vehicle can smoothly and stably switch from flight mode to driving mode, allowing it to land on roads where cars are driving and to utilize nearby parking lots. In this case, if the drive source for driving and the drive source for the propellers are configured with electric motors powered by secondary batteries, it becomes possible to charge the secondary batteries by switching to driving mode near an EV charging station, enabling long-distance flight and driving.

[0018] Furthermore, the ground contact detection means outputs the ground contact detection signal based on the change in wheel speed detected by at least one wheel-side detector provided on the two sets of running wheels.

[0019] With this configuration, ground contact detection can be performed using wheel-side detectors that are normally installed in vehicles such as automobiles, and the ground contact detection means can be constructed at a low cost.

[0020] Furthermore, the system includes tilt detection means for detecting the tilt of the mobile body in the left-right direction, and attitude control means for controlling the rotation of the front propeller drive source and the rear propeller drive source to correct the left-right attitude of the mobile body when the tilt detection means detects the tilt of the mobile body.

[0021] With this configuration, during flight, the mobile body may tilt laterally due to an imbalance in the lateral load or wind. When the tilt detection means detects this tilt, the attitude control means controls the drive sources for the front and rear propellers to control the rotation of each propeller, thereby correcting the lateral tilt of the mobile body and maintaining a stable flight state during flight.

[0022] According to the present invention, an amphibious vehicle can achieve stable flight due to the large lift and thrust of contra-rotating propellers or large lift and thrust close to that of so-called contra-rotating propellers, and can continue flying or land safely when one propeller stops rotating during flight, and can land on a road where a vehicle is traveling and drive, and can also stabilize its attitude in the lateral direction against sudden crosswinds during flight.

[0023] This is a top view of an amphibious mobile vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a partial cross-sectional front view of the amphibious mobile vehicle in Figure 1, taken along the line A-A. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the amphibious mobile vehicle in Figure 1. This is a right side view showing the operation of the amphibious mobile vehicle in Figure 1. This is a top view of an amphibious mobile vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This is a partial cross-sectional front view of the amphibious mobile vehicle in Figure 5, taken along the line B-B. This is a top view of an amphibious mobile vehicle according to the third embodiment of the present invention, showing its operation. This is a partial cross-sectional front view of the amphibious mobile vehicle in Figure 7, taken along the line C-C. This is a cross-sectional view (excluding the propeller) of the electric motor that is the drive source for the propeller in Figure 8. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the amphibious mobile vehicle in Figure 7.

[0024] For the sake of explanation, the left side of the front view will be labeled "front," the right side "rear," the top side "up," and the bottom side "down." The bottom side of the top view will be labeled "left," and the top side "right." However, these definitions of front, back, up, down, left, and right do not limit the orientation or positional relationship of the amphibious mobile vehicle during use. Furthermore, parts indicated by parentheses are assumed to be located in positions hidden when the drawing is viewed from above. In addition, in the top view, dashed lines indicate that parts are located inside the crew compartment and are visible through them. The propeller in the front view is a schematic diagram, and the blacked-out portion of the propeller represents the cross-sectional shape of the propeller. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] (First Embodiment) <Configuration of the Amphibious Mobile Vehicle> The first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment has a mobile vehicle body 10 made of aluminum and having an external shape like a sedan, formed by die-casting. Two sets of left front wheels 31 and right front wheels 32, driven by electric motors 21 and 22 (see Figure 3), are positioned in front of the passenger compartment 11 in the center of the mobile vehicle body 10, and a set of left rear wheels 33 and right rear wheels 34 are positioned behind the passenger compartment 11. The occupant compartment 11 is provided with front and rear doors on the left and right sides, respectively, which have windows that can be opened and closed, similar to those of an automobile. Furthermore, an electric motor 23 is fixed between support members 12 and 13 supported by the mobile body 10 above the front space of the occupant compartment 11, an electric motor 24 is fixed between support members 14 and 15 supported by the mobile body 10 below the front space of the occupant compartment 11, an electric motor 25 is fixed between support members 16 and 17 supported by the mobile body 10 above the rear space of the occupant compartment 11, and an electric motor 26 is fixed between support members 18 and 19 supported by the mobile body 10 below the rear space of the occupant compartment 11. Here, electric motors 21 and 22 correspond to the "driving power source" in this invention, electric motors 23 and 24 correspond to the "driving power source for the front propeller" in this invention, and electric motors 25 and 26 correspond to the "driving power source for the rear propeller" in this invention.

[0026] The left front propeller 42 is fixed to the rotating shaft 41 of the electric motor 23, the right front propeller 44 is fixed to the rotating shaft 43 of the electric motor 24, the left rear propeller 46 is fixed to the rotating shaft 45 of the electric motor 25, and the right rear propeller 48 is fixed to the rotating shaft 47 of the electric motor 26. The rotation of the left and right front propellers 42, 44 and the left and right rear propellers 46, 48 generates lift and thrust for the amphibious mobile vehicle 1. The rotating shafts 41 and 43 are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile vehicle body 10 and spaced apart in the left and right direction of the mobile vehicle body 10, and similarly, the rotating shafts 45 and 47 are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile vehicle body 10 and spaced apart in the left and right direction of the mobile vehicle body 10. Here, the left and right front propellers 42 and 44 correspond to "a pair of front propellers" in the present invention, and the left and right rear propellers 46 and 48 correspond to "a pair of rear propellers" in the present invention.

[0027] To prevent the mobile body 10 from rotating horizontally while in flight, the left front propeller 42 and the right front propeller 44 rotate in opposite directions, and similarly, the left rear propeller 46 and the right rear propeller 48 rotate in opposite directions. However, the left front propeller 42 and the left rear propeller 46 rotate in the same direction, and the right front propeller 44 and the right rear propeller 48 also rotate in the same direction.

[0028] The pair of forward propellers 42 and 44 are positioned close together with vertical and horizontal offsets, and the pair of rear propellers 46 and 48 are also positioned close together with vertical and horizontal offsets. As a result, it is possible to generate large lift and thrust similar to that of so-called counter-rotating propellers.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a front safety plate 95 and a rear safety plate 96 made of a semi-circular carbon fiber composite material, having a front bumper 97 and a rear bumper 98, are fixed to the mobile body 10 near the support members 12 to 15 and support members 16 to 19, respectively. The front safety plate 95 is provided with headlights 91 and 92, including side marker lights and turn signals, and the rear safety plate 96 is provided with taillights 93 and 94, including side marker lights, turn signals, and brake lights.

[0030] <Control System for Amphibious Vehicle> The control system for the amphibious vehicle is configured as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, motor 21 operates with the output a of inverter (hereinafter referred to as INV) 51, motor 22 operates with the output b of INV 52, motor 23 operates with the output c of INV 53, motor 24 operates with the output d of INV 54, motor 25 operates with the output e of INV 55, and motor 26 operates with the output f of INV 56. The rotational position signals g, h, i, j, k, and l output from motors 21 to 26 are input to INVs 51 to 56, respectively. Power for INVs 51 to 56 is supplied from a secondary battery 5, such as a lithium-ion secondary battery.

[0031] The flight and ground control unit 6 in Figure 3 comprises a main calculation unit 61, various databases 62, a power supply unit 63, and a signal conversion unit 64, and is composed of a microcomputer and the like. The main calculation unit 61 includes a communication unit 65, a flight control unit 66, and a ground control unit 67. Power for the power supply unit 63 is supplied from a secondary battery 5 such as a lithium-ion secondary battery.

[0032] The main calculation unit 61 inputs two-dimensional position information m from the Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS or GLONASS) or the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) to the communication unit 65 via the radio receiver 68. Combining this with altitude information from the barometric pressure detector 71 of the various detectors 7 (described later), it acquires three-dimensional position information for use in the flight and driving of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 (altitude information from the barometric pressure detector 71 is unnecessary if three-dimensional position information m can be received from the Global Positioning Satellite System, etc.). The main calculation unit 61 also outputs the three-dimensional position information n of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 from the communication unit 65 via the radio transmitter 69 for use by other aircraft and base stations. Furthermore, the main calculation unit 61 receives flight angle signals, driving angle signals, and driving / flight switching signals from the steering wheel 81 located in the crew compartment 11, as well as airspeed signals and driving speed signals from the pedals 82 located in the crew compartment 11. Furthermore, the main calculation unit 61 receives rotation speed signal o, rotation speed signal p, and various detector information q from the left front wheel 31, the right front wheel 32, and various detectors 7, including the wheel speed detector which will be described later.

[0033] Furthermore, the main calculation unit 61 exchanges various information r with various databases 62 that store map information and the like. The rotational speed signal s output from the main calculation unit 61 to the signal conversion unit 64 is converted by the signal conversion unit 64 into the optimal rotational speed signal t, rotational speed signal u, rotational speed signal v, rotational speed signal w, rotational speed signal x, and rotational speed signal y for each of the electric motors 21 to 26. In addition, the main calculation unit 61 supplies the data necessary for flight and driving, as well as the power z for displaying the data, to the various display devices 101. The power for the main calculation unit 61, various databases 62, signal conversion unit 64, steering wheel 81, pedals 82, and various detectors 7 is supplied from the power supply unit 63, which steps down and stabilizes the voltage of the secondary battery 5.

[0034] In addition to the aforementioned barometric pressure detector 71, the various detectors 7 consist of detectors such as the ultrasonic detector 72, gyro detector 73, acceleration detector 74, magnetic direction detector 75, wheel-side detectors (not shown) that detect the rotational speed of the left and right front wheels 31 and 32, and an airspeed detector (not shown) consisting of a pitot tube that detects the airspeed of the amphibious vehicle 1. For example, the barometric pressure detector 71 is a detector that detects the altitude of the amphibious vehicle 1, detecting the altitude of the amphibious vehicle 1 based on changes in atmospheric pressure due to altitude, and is used for low, medium, and high altitude control of the amphibious vehicle 1. The ultrasonic detector 72 is provided because the barometric pressure detector 71 cannot respond to ground contact, especially landing, by utilizing the reflection of ultrasonic waves. Here, the altitude can be detected by either detecting the altitude of the mobile body 10 of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 from the ground using the ultrasonic detector 72, or by calculating the altitude using position information m from the Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) or the main calculation unit 61. Therefore, the ultrasonic detector 72 or the GPS or the main calculation unit 61 correspond to the "altitude detection means" in this invention. In this way, altitude maintenance is performed by combining the barometric pressure detector 71 during flight in the air and the ultrasonic detector 72 during flight near the ground, and airspeed control is performed based on the airspeed detected by the airspeed detector. Furthermore, the ground speed can be detected by calculating the ground speed using position information m from the GPS or the main calculation unit 61 (interpolating by integrating acceleration using information q from the acceleration detector 74 during periods of measurement failure). Therefore, the GPS or the main calculation unit 61 correspond to the "speed detection means".

[0035] The gyro detector 73 is a detector that detects the amount of change in the angle of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1. By combining it with the acceleration detector 74, which detects the amount of change in the speed of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1, the tilt and speed of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 can be calculated. These detectors control the mobile vehicle body 10 in the opposite direction to its tilt, enabling stable flight and stationary flight of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1. The magnetic direction detector 75 detects which direction (east, west, north, or south) the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 is facing. Note that the magnetic direction detector 75 is affected by magnetism depending on the flight location, so the magnetic direction is adjusted when changing the flight location of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1. Here, the gyro detector 73 constitutes the "tilt detection means" in this invention, which detects the left-right tilt of the mobile vehicle body 10 of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1.

[0036] The flight control unit 66 performs calculations based on information obtained from the steering wheel 81, pedals 82, and various detectors 7 shown in Figure 1, and controls the flight of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1. Specifically, the flight control unit 66 changes the rotational speed of the left and right front propellers 42, 44 and the left and right rear propellers 46, 48 to perform ascent, descent, forward, backward, direction change, and hovering flight of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1. In addition, the flight control unit 66 can simultaneously receive multiple two-dimensional position information m from the Global Positioning Satellite System and the like, detect the position information of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1, and, in combination with map information stored in various databases 62, can control automatic flight and hovering flight.

[0037] Furthermore, when the flight control unit 66 detects the lateral tilt of the mobile body 10 of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 using the gyro detector 73, it controls the electric motors 23, 24 and 25, 26 to control the rotation of each propeller 42, 44, 46, 48 to correct the lateral attitude of the mobile body 10. This attitude correction function of the flight control unit 66 corresponds to the "attitude control means" in the present invention.

[0038] The driving control unit 67 performs calculations based on information obtained from the steering wheel 81, pedals 82, and various detectors 7 to control the movement of the amphibious vehicle 1. Specifically, the driving control unit 67 changes the rotation speed and direction of the left and right front wheels 31 and 32 to move the amphibious vehicle 1 forward, backward, and change direction. The driving control unit 67 can also simultaneously receive multiple two-dimensional position information m from the Global Positioning Satellite System and the like, detect the position information of the amphibious vehicle 1, and control automatic driving in combination with map information stored in various databases 62. Here, the various databases 62 may be external databases, and necessary data may be obtained from external databases via communication by the communication unit 65. Also, in Figure 3, the various display devices 101 consist of an LCD, meters, lamps, etc., which are located in the front of the crew compartment 11 and display information necessary for flight and driving on the screen.

[0039] <Flight and Driving Operation of the Amphibious Vehicle> When flying, with the steering wheel 81 in the neutral position (initial position), pressing the flight button (not shown) on the driving / flight switching button (not shown) of the steering wheel 81, and then pressing the pedal 82, the main calculation unit 61 calculates that the left front propeller 42, the right front propeller 44, the left rear propeller 46, and the right rear propeller 48 rotate at the same speed according to the amount the pedal 82 is pressed. As a result, the amphibious vehicle 1 ascends vertically at the required speed. Then, after the amphibious vehicle 1 has risen to a predetermined height, pulling the steering wheel 81, the main calculation unit 61 calculates that the rotation speed of the left rear propeller 46 and the right rear propeller 48 becomes higher than that of the left front propeller 42 and the right front propeller 44, and the amphibious vehicle 1 ascends diagonally according to the amount the steering wheel 81 is pulled and the amount the pedal 82 is pressed. Furthermore, by adjusting the amount the steering wheel 81 is pulled and the amount the pedal 82 is pressed, the amphibious vehicle 1 can fly horizontally forward at the required airspeed.

[0040] When the amphibious vehicle 1 is in flight, turning the steering wheel 81 to the left causes the rotation speed of the left front propeller 42 to increase in proportion to the steering amount of the steering wheel 81, and the rotation speed of the right front propeller 44 to decrease in proportion to the steering amount, thereby causing the amphibious vehicle 1 to turn left. Once the required amount of left turn has been reached, the steering wheel 81 is returned to its original position, ending the left turn. Similarly, when the amphibious vehicle 1 is in flight, turning the steering wheel 81 to the right causes the rotation speed of the right front propeller 44 to increase in proportion to the steering amount, and the rotation speed of the left front propeller 42 to decrease in proportion to the steering amount, thereby causing the amphibious vehicle 1 to turn right. Once the required amount of right turn has been reached, the steering wheel 81 is returned to its original position, ending the right turn.

[0041] When the amphibious vehicle 1 is in flight, pushing the steering wheel 81 forward causes the rotational speed of the left front propeller 42 and the right front propeller 44 to become higher than that of the left rear propeller 46 and the right rear propeller 48, according to the control based on calculations by the main calculation unit 61. As a result, the amphibious vehicle 1 begins to descend diagonally, depending on the amount the steering wheel 81 is pushed and the amount the pedal 82 is pressed. Then, by returning the steering wheel 81 to the neutral position (initial position), the left front propeller 42, the right front propeller 44, the left rear propeller 46, and the right rear propeller 48 rotate at a reduced speed according to the amount the pedal 82 is pressed, according to the control based on calculations by the main calculation unit 61. As a result, the amphibious vehicle 1 descends vertically at the required speed.

[0042] A method for stabilizing the left - right attitude of the moving body main body 10 of the amphibious moving body 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4(a), (b), and (c). As shown in FIG. 4(a), in a state where the amphibious moving body 1 is flying horizontally (the center of gravity of the passenger compartment 11 is at the center and there is no wind), the left front propellers 42, the right front propellers 44, the left rear propellers 46, and the right rear propellers 48 are rotating at the same speed (during horizontal flight, the rotation speeds of the left rear propellers 46 and the right rear propellers 48 are higher than those of the left front propellers 42 and the right front propellers 44). The lift force F in this case is F = F1 + F2 + F3. Here, F1, F2, and F3 are the lift forces at the center, left side, and right side of the moving body main body 10 of the amphibious moving body 1.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4(b), when the center of gravity of the passenger compartment 11 moves to the left or the moving body 1 receives wind from the right, the amphibious moving body 1 will temporarily tend to tilt to the left. However, through the calculation of the main arithmetic unit 61 that receives the information q on the left - right tilt from the gyro detector 73 and the acceleration detector 74, the rotation speeds of the left front propeller 42 and the left rear propeller 46 are controlled to be higher than those of the right front propeller 44 and the right rear propeller 48 so that F2 > F3. Then, the attitude control function of the flight control unit 66 performs control to horizontally correct the tilted attitude of the amphibious moving body 1 to the left.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4(c), when the center of gravity of the passenger compartment 11 moves to the right or the moving body 1 receives wind from the left, the amphibious moving body 1 will temporarily tend to tilt to the right. However, through the calculation of the main arithmetic unit 61 that receives the information q on the left - right tilt from the gyro detector 73 and the acceleration detector 74, the rotation speeds of the right front propeller 44 and the right rear propeller 48 are controlled to be higher than those of the left front propeller 42 and the left rear propeller 46 so that F2 < F3. Then, the attitude control function of the flight control unit 66 performs control to horizontally correct the tilted attitude of the amphibious moving body 1 to the right.

[0045] The reason the amphibious vehicle 1 tilts in this manner is that, even with two or more crew members (not shown) in the crew compartment 11, the center of gravity of the amphibious vehicle 1 is low due to the large mass of the secondary battery 5. For these and other reasons, if the amphibious vehicle 1 tilts to the left or right, the attitude control function of the flight control unit 66, as described above, controls the rotation of each propeller 42, 44, 46, and 48 to prevent the vehicle body 10 from rotating horizontally and to correct its attitude in the left or right direction.

[0046] Next, when driving, if the forward driving button (not shown) on the steering wheel 81's drive / flight switching button (not shown) is pressed and then the pedal 82 is pressed, the main calculation unit 61 calculates that the electric motors 21 and 22 rotate the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 counterclockwise in the plane of Figure 2 according to the amount the pedal 82 is pressed, and the amphibious vehicle 1 moves forward at a speed corresponding to the amount the pedal 82 is pressed. On the other hand, if the reverse driving button (not shown) on the steering wheel 81's drive / flight switching button (not shown) is pressed and then the pedal 82 is pressed, the main calculation unit 61 calculates that the electric motors 21 and 22 rotate the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 clockwise in the plane of Figure 2 according to the amount the pedal 82 is pressed, and the amphibious vehicle 1 moves backward at a speed corresponding to the amount the pedal 82 is pressed.

[0047] Furthermore, when turning left on the road, turning the steering wheel 81 to the left causes the left front wheel 31 and right front wheel 32 to steer to the left or right, respectively, allowing the vehicle to turn left or right. Additionally, when reducing the vehicle's speed, decreasing the amount the pedal 82 is pressed down causes the electric motors 21 and 22 to regenerate braking through calculations performed by the main calculation unit 61, and the amphibious vehicle 1 is decelerated to the required speed. When the pedal 82 is returned to its initial position (no pressure), the amphibious vehicle 1 comes to a stop in conjunction with the brake device (not shown).

[0048] When the amphibious vehicle 1 in flight is traveling on a road, before the amphibious vehicle 1 touches the ground, it is detected by the altitude detection signal of the "altitude detection means" that the amphibious vehicle 1 has reached a predetermined height or below, and the traveling speed of the amphibious vehicle 1 is controlled so that the traveling speed after the amphibious vehicle 1 touches the ground substantially matches the ground speed. Specifically, by the speed detection signal from the "speed detection means", the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 are rotated in advance so that the traveling speed of the amphibious vehicle 1 after touching the ground matches the detected ground speed. When the rotation speed signal o of the left front wheel 31 and / or the rotation speed signal p of the right front wheel 32 detected by the wheel speed detector changes (usually, the rotation speed instantaneously decreases when the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 touch the ground), the flight / travel control unit 6 generates a ground detection signal indicating that the amphibious vehicle 1 has touched the ground. Based on this ground detection signal, the rotation drive of the left and right front propellers 42, 44 and the left and right rear propellers 46, 48 is stopped respectively to shift to the traveling state. After that, traveling is performed according to the amount of depression of the pedal 82 by the occupant (not shown). Here, the function of the flight / travel control unit 6 that generates the ground detection signal corresponds to the "ground detection means" in the present invention, and the control function of shifting from the above-described flight state to the traveling state by the flight / travel control unit 6 corresponds to the "flight / travel switching control means" in the present invention. Further, since the amphibious vehicle 1 in flight touches the ground while descending obliquely (in a state tilted forward or backward), the lower sides of the front and rear of the moving body main body 10 of the left front wheel 31, the right front wheel 32, the left rear wheel 33, and the right rear wheel 34 are formed obliquely (see FIG. 2).

[0049] Accordingly, according to the first embodiment, a pair of front propellers 42, 44 and a pair of rear propellers 46, 48, positioned in front of and behind the crew compartment 11, rotate in opposite directions as a pair to generate lift and thrust. Furthermore, since the rotation axis 41 of the left front propeller 42, the rotation axis 43 of the right front propeller 44, the rotation axis 45 of the rear propeller 46, and the rotation axis 47 of the right rear propeller 48 are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile body 10 and separated to the left and right in the left-right direction of the mobile body 10, the rotation speed can be individually changed, allowing for free flight in airspace excluding no-fly zones. Moreover, it is possible to smoothly switch from flight to ground driving, for example, by smoothly cutting in between vehicles traveling on a road and smoothly transitioning to driving. In this case, for example, by utilizing information from millimeter-wave radar or laser radar, not only can cutting in be done even more smoothly, but it is also possible to cut in and drive automatically. Furthermore, the attitude of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 can be stably maintained horizontally during flight.

[0050] Furthermore, since a pair of front propellers 42 and 44 are positioned close together vertically and horizontally, and a pair of rear propellers 46 and 48 are also positioned close together vertically and horizontally, it is possible to generate large lift and thrust similar to that of a so-called contra-rotating propeller.

[0051] Furthermore, before the landing of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 during flight is detected, the "flight-to-running switching control means" of the flight / running control unit 6 controls the electric motors 21 and 22 so that the running speed of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 at the time of landing matches the ground speed, and the drive of all propellers 42, 44, 46, and 48 is stopped. As a result, the mobile vehicle body 10 can be smoothly and stably switched from flight to running, for example, by using a nearby parking lot. In addition, if the capacity of the secondary battery 5 becomes low during flight, the flight can be temporarily stopped, the vehicle can be smoothly switched to running mode, the secondary battery 5 can be charged at a nearby EV charging station, and then the vehicle can fly again, thereby significantly extending the flight range.

[0052] Furthermore, the amphibious vehicle 1 can travel on roads using the left front wheel 31 and right front wheel 32 at the front of the crew compartment 11, and the left rear wheel 33 and right rear wheel 34 at the rear of the crew compartment 11, and can also be parked in hourly parking lots and mechanical parking lots.

[0053] Furthermore, if one of the two sets of propellers 42, 44, 46, 48 malfunctions during flight, for example, if the left front propeller 42 malfunctions, the main calculation unit 61 calculates from the changes in various detector information q from the gyro detector 73 and acceleration detector 74 and outputs a minimum rotation speed signal v to INV 53 and a minimum rotation speed signal y to INV 56 from the signal conversion unit 64, allowing the left front propeller 42 and the right rear propeller 48 to rotate freely. The maximum rotation speed signals w and x are then output to INV 54 and INV 55, respectively, causing the right front propeller 44 and the left rear propeller 46 to rotate at maximum output, enabling continued flight or a safe landing while maintaining the attitude of the mobile body 10. Furthermore, if the two propellers, which are positioned separately on the left and right sides of the front and rear, fail to function, for example, if the left front propeller 42 and the right rear propeller 48 fail to function, the signal conversion unit 64 outputs a minimum rotation speed signal v to INV 53 and a minimum rotation speed signal y to INV 56, allowing the left front propeller 42 and the right rear propeller 48 to rotate freely. At the same time, maximum rotation speed signals w and x are output to INV 54 and INV 55, respectively, causing the right front propeller 44 and the left rear propeller 46 to rotate at maximum output, thereby maintaining the attitude of the mobile body 10 and enabling continued flight or a safe landing. Furthermore, even if two or more propellers other than those mentioned above fail to function, the signal conversion unit 64 outputs minimum rotation speed signals v, w, x, and y to INV53, INV54, INV55, and INV56, causing all propellers 42, 44, 46, and 48 to rotate freely (in the opposite direction to that during flight), allowing for a safe landing without rotating the mobile body 10 horizontally.

[0054] (Second Embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3, 5, and 6. In Figures 3, 5, and 6, components and parts that are the same or equivalent as those in the first embodiment described above are given the same part names and the same reference numerals, and the characteristic configuration of the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0055] As shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6, the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 of the first embodiment in that it has an external shape like a minivan made of aluminum molded by die-casting, and in front of the central crew compartment 11, there is a pair of left front wheels 31 and right front wheels 32 driven by electric motors 21 and 22, and behind the crew compartment 11 there is a pair of left rear wheels 33 and right rear wheels 34.

[0056] In the second embodiment, the front and rear space of the crew compartment 11 is larger in height than the space in the first embodiment. Above the enlarged front space, an electric motor 23 is fixed between support members 12 and 13 supported by the mobile body 10, and below the front space of the crew compartment 11, an electric motor 24 is fixed between support members 14 and 15 supported by the mobile body 10. Above the enlarged rear space, an electric motor 25 is fixed between support members 16 and 17 supported by the mobile body 10, and below the rear space of the crew compartment 11, an electric motor 26 is fixed between support members 18 and 19 supported by the mobile body 10. Here, electric motors 21 and 22 correspond to the "driving source for propulsion" in the present invention, electric motors 23 and 24 correspond to the "driving source for the front propeller" in the present invention, and electric motors 25 and 26 correspond to the "driving source for the rear propeller" in the present invention.

[0057] The left front propeller 42 is fixed to the rotating shaft 41 of the electric motor 23, the right front propeller 44 is fixed to the rotating shaft 43 of the electric motor 24, the left rear propeller 46 is fixed to the rotating shaft 45 of the electric motor 25, and the right rear propeller 48 is fixed to the rotating shaft 47 of the electric motor 26. By rotating the left and right front propellers 42, 44 and the left and right rear propellers 46, 48, lift and thrust can be generated in the amphibious mobile vehicle 1, similar to the first embodiment. The rotating shafts 41 and 43 are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile vehicle body 10 and spaced apart in the left and right direction of the mobile vehicle body 10, and similarly, the rotating shafts 45 and 47 are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile vehicle body 10 and spaced apart in the left and right direction of the mobile vehicle body 10. Here, the left and right front propellers 42 and 44 correspond to "a pair of front propellers" in the present invention, and the left and right rear propellers 46 and 48 correspond to "a pair of rear propellers" in the present invention.

[0058] To prevent the mobile body 10 from rotating horizontally during flight, similar to the first embodiment, the rotation directions of one pair of front propellers 42 and 44 are set to be opposite, and the rotation directions of one pair of rear propellers 46 and 48 are also set to be opposite. Furthermore, the rotation directions of the left front propeller 42 and the left rear propeller 46 are the same, and the rotation directions of the right front propeller 44 and the right rear propeller 48 are also set to be the same.

[0059] The pair of front propellers 42 and 44 are positioned close together with vertical and horizontal offsets, and the pair of rear propellers 46 and 48 are also positioned close together with vertical and horizontal offsets. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to generate large lift and thrust close to that of a so-called counter-rotating propeller.

[0060] As shown in Figure 3, motor 21 operates with output a of INV 51, motor 22 operates with output b of INV 52, motor 23 operates with output c of INV 53, motor 24 operates with output d of INV 54, motor 25 operates with output e of INV 55, and motor 26 operates with output f of INV 56. The rotational position signals g, h, i, j, k, and l output from motors 21 to 26 are input to INVs 51 to 56, respectively. Power for INVs 51 to 56 is supplied from the secondary battery 5.

[0061] In addition to the various detectors 7 mentioned above, a left front camera 76 and a right front camera 77 are provided on the front safety plate 95 to capture three-dimensional images of the area in front of the amphibious vehicle 1, and a left rear camera 78 and a right rear camera 79 are provided on the rear safety plate 96 to capture three-dimensional images of the area behind the amphibious vehicle 1. Image information captured by the left front camera 76 and the right front camera 77, etc., is input via the main calculation unit 61 to a front display device 102 (see Figure 6), such as an LCD, which is located on the upper front of the crew compartment 11 and added to the various display devices 101, and the captured images of the area in front of the amphibious vehicle 1 are displayed. Similarly, image information captured by the left rear camera 78 and the right rear camera 79, etc., is input via the main calculation unit 61 to a rear display device 103 (see Figure 6), which is located on the upper rear of the crew compartment 11 and added to the various display devices 101, and the captured images of the area behind the amphibious vehicle 1 are displayed. Furthermore, information from the front and rear of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 is used in conjunction with information from other detectors necessary for autonomous driving and autopilot. Note that, because a rearview mirror is provided on the front door, when an occupant (not shown) operates the mobile vehicle body 10, the left rear camera 78, right rear camera 79, and rear display device 103 are not necessarily required, unlike in autonomous driving or autopilot.

[0062] In addition, in the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 of the second embodiment, if the mobile vehicle body 10 tilts in the left-right direction, the left-right attitude of the mobile vehicle body 10 can be corrected by the same function as the attitude control function of the flight control unit 66 in the first embodiment described above.

[0063] Accordingly, according to the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment described above, stable flight can be achieved with large lift and thrust close to that of so-called counter-rotating propellers, and a smooth switch from flight to ground driving can be made. In addition, the attitude of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 can be stably maintained horizontally during flight, and effects equivalent to the other effects of the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, by making the external shape of the mobile vehicle body 10 similar to that of a van, the space for the front and rear of the crew compartment 11 is larger than in the first embodiment, so that larger and more powerful electric motors 23 to 26 can be placed in the front and rear spaces than in the first embodiment, and as a result, it is possible to fly with a heavy person in the crew compartment 11 or heavy luggage in the rear seat. In addition, each propeller 42, 44, 46, and 48 can be placed at a higher position than in the first embodiment, and the degree of freedom in setting the position of each propeller 42, 44, 46, and 48 can be increased.

[0064] Furthermore, the spacing between the left front wheel 31, the right front wheel 32, the left rear wheel 33, and the right rear wheel 34 can be increased, improving the stability of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 during operation. In addition, the position of the pedals 82 can be set further to the right than in the first embodiment, making it easier to step on the pedals 82, and allowing for the use of a larger rear seat (not shown) in the crew compartment 11. It is also possible to install a large-capacity secondary battery 5 that matches the large, high-output electric motors 23 to 26. With the large electric motors 23 to 26, flight and driving can be performed without any problems as long as at least the front display device 102 is present.

[0065] (Third Embodiment) A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10. In Figures 7 to 10, components and parts that are the same or equivalent as those in the first embodiment described above are given the same part names and the same reference numerals, and the characteristic configuration of the third embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0066] As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 10, the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 according to the third embodiment, like the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 of the second embodiment, has an outer shape like a minivan made of aluminum by die-casting, and in front of the central crew compartment 11, there is a pair of left front wheels 31 and right front wheels 32 driven by electric motors 21 and 22, and behind the crew compartment 11, there is a pair of left rear wheels 33 and right rear wheels 34.

[0067] Furthermore, the front and rear layout spaces of the crew compartment 11 are larger in height than those of the first embodiment, similar to the second embodiment. Below the enlarged front layout space, large electric motors 231 and 241 are fixed between support members 14 and 15 supported by the mobile body 10, while below the enlarged rear layout space, large electric motors 251 and 261 are fixed between support members 18 and 19 supported by the mobile body 10. Here, electric motors 21 and 22 correspond to the "driving power source for propulsion" in this invention, electric motors 231 and 241 correspond to the "driving power source for the front propeller" in this invention, and electric motors 251 and 261 correspond to the "driving power source for the rear propeller" in this invention.

[0068] At this time, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the outer rotation shaft 431 of the electric motor 231 is coaxial with the inner rotation shaft 411 of the electric motor 241 and is arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile body 10. Similarly, the outer rotation shaft 471 of the electric motor 251 is coaxial with the inner rotation shaft 451 of the electric motor 261 and is arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile body 10. As shown in Figure 8, the outer rotation shaft 431 of the electric motor 231 is fixed to the lower front propeller 441, and the inner rotation shaft 411 of the electric motor 241 is fixed to the upper front propeller 421. Similarly, the outer rotation shaft 471 of the electric motor 251 is fixed to the lower rear propeller 481, and the inner rotation shaft 451 of the electric motor 261 is fixed to the upper rear propeller 461. The rotation of each propeller 421, 441, 461, and 481 generates lift and thrust for the amphibious mobile body 1.

[0069] Furthermore, in order to prevent the mobile body 10 from rotating horizontally while in flight, the rotation directions of the upper and lower front propellers 421 and 441 are opposite, as in the first and second embodiments, and the rotation directions of the upper and lower rear propellers 461 and 481 are also set to be opposite. In addition, the rotation directions of the upper front propeller 421 and upper rear propeller 461 are opposite, and the rotation directions of the lower front propeller 441 and lower rear propeller 481 are also set to be opposite. Here, the upper and lower front propellers 421 and 441 correspond to "a pair of front propellers" in this invention, and the upper and lower rear propellers 461 and 481 correspond to "a pair of rear propellers" in this invention.

[0070] Next, a method for stabilizing the lateral attitude of the mobile body 10 of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 7. As shown in Figure 7, when the center of gravity of the crew compartment 11 shifts to the left or when it receives wind from the right, the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 will temporarily try to tilt to the left. However, the main calculation unit 61, which receives information q regarding the lateral tilt from the gyro detector 73 and the acceleration detector 74, calculates that F4 > F5, thereby controlling the rotation speed of the upper front propeller 421 and upper rear propeller 461 to be higher than that of the lower front propeller 441 and lower rear propeller 481. The attitude control function of the flight control unit 66 then corrects the leftward tilt of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 to a horizontal position.

[0071] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, when the center of gravity of the crew compartment 11 shifts to the right or when it receives wind from the left, the amphibious vehicle 1 will temporarily try to tilt to the right. However, the main calculation unit 61, which receives information q regarding the tilt in the left-right direction from the gyro detector 73 and acceleration detector 74, calculates that the rotation speed of the lower front propeller 441 and lower rear propeller 481 is controlled to be higher than that of the upper front propeller 421 and upper rear propeller 461 so that F4 < F5. The attitude control function of the flight control unit 66 corrects the leftward tilt of the amphibious vehicle 1 to a horizontal position.

[0072] The reason the amphibious vehicle 1 tilts in this manner is that, even with two or more crew members (not shown) in the crew compartment 11, and even with the propellers 421, 441, 461, and 481 located above the amphibious vehicle 1, the center of gravity of the amphibious vehicle 1 is lower due to the large mass of the secondary battery 5 and the electric motors 231, 241, 251, and 261. For these and other reasons, if the amphibious vehicle 1 tilts to the left or right, the attitude control function of the flight control unit 66, as described above, controls the rotation of the propellers 421, 441, 461, and 481 to prevent the vehicle body 10 from rotating horizontally and to correct its attitude in the left or right direction.

[0073] Incidentally, if one of the two sets of propellers 421, 441, 461, and 481 malfunctions during flight, unlike in the first and second embodiments, for example, if the lower front propeller 441 malfunctions, the lower front propeller 441 and the lower rear propeller 481 can be allowed to rotate freely, while the upper front propeller 421 and the upper rear propeller 461 can be rotated at maximum output to maintain the attitude of the mobile body 10 and continue flight or make a safe landing. Also, if both propellers malfunction, for example, if the lower front propeller 441 and the lower rear propeller 481 malfunction, the lower front propeller 441 and the lower rear propeller 481 can be allowed to rotate freely, while the upper front propeller 421 and the upper rear propeller 461 can be rotated at maximum output to maintain the attitude of the mobile body 10 and continue flight or make a safe landing. Furthermore, even if two of the front or rear propellers fail, or if three or four propellers fail, all propellers 421, 441, 461, and 481 can be allowed to rotate freely, allowing the mobile body 10 to land safely without horizontal rotation. The reason for this safe landing is that, as in the first and second embodiments, all propellers 421, 441, 461, and 481 rotate in the opposite direction to that during flight.

[0074] Therefore, according to the third embodiment, unlike the first and second embodiments, it is possible to generate large lift and thrust with the counter-rotating propellers and to smoothly switch from flight to ground driving. Furthermore, since the rotation axes of one pair of front propellers 421, 441 and one pair of rear propellers 461, 481 are arranged on the inner and outer axes parallel to and coaxial with the vertical direction of the mobile body 10, the diameter of each pair of propellers can be increased, thus enabling the construction of counter-rotating propellers capable of generating large lift and thrust. In addition, since the vertical distance between the center of gravity of the mobile body 10 and the pair of left and right front propellers 421, 441 and the pair of left and right rear propellers 461, 481 can be increased, it is possible to make it easier to keep the attitude of the amphibious mobile body 1 horizontal or nearly horizontal during flight. Moreover, even if the propeller function stops, safety is increased compared to the first and second embodiments.

[0075] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0076] For example, when the mobile body moving through the air transitions from a flight state to a driving state, the crew may, without using the flight-driving switching control means, maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front and cut in front of the vehicle behind at approximately the same speed as the vehicle in front, based on their judgment and operation.

[0077] Furthermore, in order to further stabilize the lateral movement of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 during flight, the electric motors 23 and 25 may be made larger in diameter and shorter in length, while the electric motors 24 and 26 may be made smaller in diameter and longer in length, thereby raising the vertical position of the pair of left and right front propellers 42 and 44 and the pair of left and right rear propellers 46 and 48 even higher than in the second embodiment.

[0078] Alternatively, the left front propeller 42 and left rear propeller 46 of the first and second embodiments may be positioned on the right side, and the right front propeller 44 and right rear propeller 48 may be positioned on the left side. Alternatively, the right front propeller 44 may be positioned on the upper side and the left front propeller 42 on the lower side, or / or the right rear propeller 48 may be positioned on the upper side and the left rear propeller 46 on the lower side.

[0079] Furthermore, the electric motors 23 to 26 may be fixed by a single support member extending from the front and rear moving body 10 of the crew compartment 11. Also, for improved safety, the upper parts of the front and rear moving body 10 of the crew compartment 11 may be covered with a material that allows air to pass through easily.

[0080] Furthermore, the rotation speed signals of the rear wheels 33 and 34 may be input to the main calculation unit 61, allowing for rear-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive, or even four-wheel drive. A portion of the front display device 102 may also display a photograph of the rear of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1.

[0081] Furthermore, to ensure that there are no problems even if the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 lands while descending diagonally during flight, the front safety plate 95 and the rear safety plate 96 may be shaped like a U, with a pair of left front wheels 31 and right front wheels 32 positioned near the front safety plate 95, and a pair of left rear wheels 33 and right rear wheels 34 positioned near the rear safety plate 96.

[0082] Furthermore, bearings may be provided between the inner and outer shafts near the propeller in the third embodiment, or between the two propellers, to suppress lateral vibrations of the propellers.

[0083] Furthermore, although the flight and driving operations of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 were described as being performed by the crew, the flight / driving control unit 6 may be configured to enable automatic flight and automatic driving.

[0084] Furthermore, the mobile body 10 of the amphibious mobile vehicle 1 may be made of carbon fiber composite material instead of aluminum molded by die-casting.

[0085] Furthermore, the left front camera 76, right front camera 77, left rear camera 78, and right rear camera 79 in the second and third embodiments may be provided in groups of three or more at the front and rear of the mobile body 10.

[0086] Additionally, to prevent the aforementioned camera from becoming difficult to use due to raindrops, you may use wipers, coating agents, or ultrasonic transducers to remove raindrops and other debris.

[0087] Furthermore, to prepare for emergencies where visibility is lost due to malfunctions of the aforementioned cameras or other equipment, mirrors that reflect the view ahead may be installed on the left and right front doors.

[0088] Furthermore, the present invention can be broadly applied to amphibious vehicles capable of moving both in the air and on land.

[0089] 1...Amphibious mobile vehicle, 10...Mobile vehicle body, 11...Crew compartment, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19...Support members, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26...Electric motor, 31...Left front wheel, 32...Right front wheel, 33...Left rear wheel, 34...Right rear wheel, 41...Rotation axis (Rotation axis of the left front propeller 42), 43...Rotation axis (Rotation axis of the right front propeller 44), 45...Rotation axis (Rotation axis of the left rear propeller (Rotation axis of propeller 46), 47...Rotation axis (Rotation axis of the right rear propeller 48), 42...Left front propeller, 44...Right front propeller, 46...Left rear propeller, 48...Right rear propeller, 5...Secondary battery, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56...Inverter (INV), 6...Flight / running control unit, 61...Main calculation unit, 63...Power supply unit, 64...Signal conversion unit, 65...Communication unit, 66...Flight control unit, 67... Driving control unit, 68... Radio wave receiver, 69... Radio wave transmitter, 7... Various detectors, 71... Barometric pressure detector, 72... Ultrasonic detector, 73... Gyro detector, 74... Accelerometer, 75... Magnetic compass detector, 76... Left front camera, 77... Right front camera, 78... Left rear camera, 79... Right rear camera, 81... Steering wheel, 82... Pedals, 91, 92... Headlights, 93, 94... Taillights, 95... Front safety plate, 96... Rear Side safety plate, 97...front bumper, 98...rear bumper, 101...various display devices, 102...front display device, 103...rear display device, 231, 241, 251, 261...electric motor (for counter-rotating propellers), 411, 451...inner rotating shaft, 431, 471...outer rotating shaft, 421...upper front propeller, 441...lower front propeller, 461...upper rear propeller, 481...lower rear propeller.

Claims

1. An amphibious mobile vehicle comprising: a mobile body having a propeller arrangement space at the front and rear and a crew compartment in the center; two sets of running wheels provided on the front and rear sides of the crew compartment of the mobile body; a set of front propellers provided in the arrangement space at the front of the mobile body in close proximity in the vertical direction without protruding from the side of the mobile body; a set of rear propellers provided in the arrangement space at the rear of the mobile body in close proximity in the vertical direction without protruding from the side of the mobile body; a driving source for driving at least one set of running wheels; a driving source for the front propellers that rotates the set of front propellers in the reverse direction; and a driving source for the rear propellers that rotates the set of rear propellers in the reverse direction.

2. The amphibious mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a camera for photographing at least the front of the mobile vehicle body having an enlarged front and rear placement space, and a display device for displaying images taken by the camera are provided in the crew compartment.

3. The aerial and land mobile vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotation axes of each of the pair of front propellers are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile vehicle body and spaced apart in the left-right direction of the mobile vehicle body, and the rotation axes of each of the pair of rear propellers are arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the mobile vehicle body and spaced apart in the left-right direction of the mobile vehicle body.

4. The aerial and land mobile vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the pair of front propellers is mounted on an inner rotation shaft and an outer rotation shaft arranged parallel and coaxially with the vertical direction of the mobile vehicle body, and each of the pair of rear propellers is mounted on an inner rotation shaft and an outer rotation shaft arranged parallel and coaxially with the vertical direction of the mobile vehicle body.

5. The aerial and land mobile vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a drive-and-flight switching control means having a control function for transitioning the mobile vehicle body, which is moving in the air, from a flight state to a driving state.

6. The amphibious mobile vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the run-and-fly switching control means includes an altitude detection means that detects the altitude of the mobile vehicle body from the ground and outputs an altitude detection signal, a speed detection means that detects the ground speed of the mobile vehicle body and outputs a speed detection signal, a ground contact detection means that detects the contact of the running wheels when the mobile vehicle body is traveling on a road and outputs a ground contact detection signal, and controls the running drive source based on the altitude detection signal so that the running speed of the mobile vehicle body when at least one pair of the running wheels have made contact matches the detected speed output from the speed detection means, before the ground contact detection means detects that at least one of the running wheels has made contact, and also controls the front propeller drive source and the rear propeller drive source to stop.

7. The amphibious mobile vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the ground contact detection means outputs the ground contact detection signal based on a change in wheel speed detected by at least one wheel-side detector provided on the two sets of running wheels.

8. The amphibious mobile vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: tilt detection means for detecting the tilt of the mobile vehicle body in the left-right direction; and attitude control means for controlling the rotation of the front propeller drive source and the rear propeller drive source to correct the left-right attitude of the mobile vehicle body when the tilt detection means detects the tilt of the mobile vehicle body.

Images