EP-4737330-A1 - WORK VEHICLE AND WORK VEHICLE SYSTEM

EP4737330A1EP 4737330 A1EP4737330 A1EP 4737330A1EP-4737330-A1

Abstract

A work vehicle includes: a body including a takeoff and landing section (5) on which an unmanned aerial vehicle (DR) is capable of taking off and landing, a travel device (2) supporting the takeoff and landing section (5) and capable of traveling on the ground, and a tilt acquisition section configured to acquire a tilt of the takeoff and landing section (5) from a horizontal plane; and an attitude adjustment mechanism (3) configured to adjust an attitude of the body (1) in accordance with the tilt acquired by the tilt acquisition section in such a manner that, in a case where the tilt is equal to or more than a threshold, the attitude adjustment mechanism (3) adjusts the attitude of the body to reduce the tilt below the threshold.

Inventors

HAZAWA, Yuhei
HIRAOKA, MINORU
YAMANAKA, YUKIFUMI
ISHIKAWA, JUNICHI
YOSHII, Kaichiro
IDA, YUSUKE
JINNOUCHI, Katsutoshi
NIKI, Ryota
YAMAGISHI, RYOTA

Assignees

Kubota Corporation

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240523

Claims (18)

A work vehicle, comprising: a body including a takeoff and landing section on which an unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of taking off and landing, a travel device supporting the takeoff and landing section and capable of traveling on ground, and a tilt acquisition section configured to acquire a tilt angle of the takeoff and landing section from a horizontal plane; and an attitude adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an attitude of the body in accordance with the tilt angle acquired by the tilt acquisition section, in such a manner that, in a case where the tilt angle is equal to or more than a threshold, the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body to reduce the tilt angle below the threshold.
The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the attitude adjustment mechanism includes extension-retraction mechanisms supported by respective traveling wheels in such a manner as to be extendable and retractable, and in a case where the tilt angle is equal to or more than the threshold at a time when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands on the takeoff and landing section, the attitude adjustment mechanism extends and retracts the extension-retraction mechanisms to adjust the attitude of the body to reduce the tilt angle below the threshold.
The work vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body such that the tilt angle reaches zero degrees at a time when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands on the takeoff and landing section.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a work-vehicle-side communication section communicable with an aerial-vehicle-side communication section of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a determination section configured to determine whether or not landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the takeoff and landing section is permissible, in such a manner that, in a case where the tilt angle is equal to or more than the threshold, the determination section determines that the takeoff and landing section is in a landing-prohibited state, and in a case where the tilt angle is smaller than the threshold, the determination section determines that the takeoff and landing section is in a landing-permitted state, wherein the work-vehicle-side communication section transmits information on whether the takeoff and landing section is in the landing-permitted state or not, to the aerial-vehicle-side communication section.
The work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the body further includes a sensor configured to detect surroundings of the body, and in a case where it is determined that an obstacle is present around the body, based on an output signal from the sensor, the work-vehicle-side communication section transmits information indicating that the takeoff and landing section is in the landing-prohibited state, to the aerial-vehicle-side communication section.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the takeoff and landing section includes a marker indicating a position of the takeoff and landing section to the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the body further includes a battery configured to supply electric power to the body, and the takeoff and landing section includes a supply mechanism capable of supplying the electric power from the battery to the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the travel device is stopped during landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the takeoff and landing section.
A work vehicle system, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle; and a work vehicle including a takeoff and landing section on which the unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of taking off and landing, a travel device supporting the takeoff and landing section and capable of traveling on ground, a tilt acquisition section configured to acquire a tilt angle of the takeoff and landing section from a horizontal plane, and an attitude adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an attitude of the work vehicle in accordance with the tilt angle acquired by the tilt acquisition section, in such a manner that, in a case where the tilt angle is equal to or more than a threshold, the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the work vehicle to reduce the tilt angle below the threshold.
A work vehicle capable of performing unmanned travel over a travel surface, the work vehicle comprising: a body; a travel device supporting the body and capable of traveling on the travel surface; a work device fixed to the body; and an attitude adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an attitude of the body, the work device being adjustable in attitude as the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body.
The work vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the travel device includes traveling wheels, the attitude adjustment mechanism includes extension-retraction mechanisms supported by the traveling wheels, respectively, in such a manner as to be extendable and retractable, and the attitude adjustment mechanism is capable of adjusting the attitude of the body between a traveling attitude enabling the work vehicle to travel on the travel surface and an operational attitude enabling the work device to perform an operation, by extending and retracing the extension-retraction mechanisms.
The work vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the attitude adjustment mechanism is capable of adjusting heights of the body and the work device by extending and retracting the extension-retraction mechanisms.
The work vehicle according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the body includes a tilt acquisition section configured to acquire a tilt angle of the body from a horizontal plane, while the work vehicle is in the traveling attitude, the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body, based on a detection result from the tilt acquisition section, such that a top surface of the body is horizontal, and while the work vehicle is in the operational attitude, the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body, based on a detection result from the tilt acquisition section, such that the top surface of the body tilts from the horizontal plane.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the work device is a measurement device configured to measure the travel surface, and the measurement device is capable of measuring the travel surface as the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising: a steering device capable of steering the travel device, wherein the travel device includes right and left traveling wheels and is capable of traveling on an inner surface of a water pipe, as the travel surface, and in a case where the body tilts from a horizontal plane in a right-left direction of the body at an angle equal to or more than a threshold, the steering device steers the travel device in a direction of a traveling wheel that is positioned lower out of the right and left traveling wheels.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the work device is a bucket configured to scoop up a target object on the travel surface, and the bucket is capable of scooping up the target object on the travel surface as the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the work device is a crane configured to lift and hold a target object on the travel surface, and the crane is capable of lifting and holding the target object as the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body.
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the body includes a mounting table on which an article is placeable, and the article placed on the mounting table is transported to outside the body as the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to a work vehicle and a work vehicle system. Background Art [1] Patent Literature 1 discloses an unmanned mobile body including a heliport used for taking-off and landing of a drone. The heliport has a two-stage structure including a base for a platform and a top plate for the platform which top plate is provided on the base. A drive mechanism for pivoting a rod member is provided on the base. The rod member is pivoted by the drive mechanism so that the rod member can catch the drone. [2] Patent Literature 2 discloses a self-propelled hose deployment machine for deploying a hose for transferring stagnant water into the stagnant water. The hose deployment machine includes a plurality of cameras. Among the plurality of cameras, a second camera is provided at a distal end of a rotational support member, and the attitude of the second camera is adjusted by rotating the rotational support member. Citation List Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: WO2016/143806 A1Patent Literature 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-188930 (JP 2019-188930 A) Summary of Invention Technical Problem [1] A problem of [1] in Background Art is as follows. The heliport described in Patent Literature 1 includes the rod member that can catch a drone. Hereby, the drone can be fixed to the heliport. However, the heliport is not provided with a mechanism for controlling the tilt of the top plate. In a case where a vehicle travels on bumpy ground or sloping ground, the body of the vehicle tilts, so that a takeoff and landing section on which an unmanned aerial vehicle can land tends to tilt. Since the takeoff and landing section tilts, it is hard for the unmanned aerial vehicle to land on the takeoff and landing section. The present invention provides a work vehicle that controls the tilt of a takeoff and landing section on which an unmanned aerial vehicle can land. [2] A problem of [2] in Background Art is as follows. The hose deployment machine disclosed in Patent Literature 2 includes a mechanism for adjusting the attitude of the second camera but does not include a mechanism for adjusting the attitude of the body of a vehicle. In a case where the vehicle travels on bumpy travel surfaces, the attitude of the body may be adjusted to clear bumps. In this case, it is necessary to individually adjust the attitude of the camera and the attitude of the body. The present invention provides a work vehicle which can simplify the operation to adjust the attitude of a body of the work vehicle and the attitude of a work device and which achieves a reduction in the number of components. Solution to Problem [1] The means for solving the problem of [1] is as follows. A work vehicle of the present invention includes: a body including a takeoff and landing section on which an unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of taking off and landing, a travel device supporting the takeoff and landing section and capable of traveling on ground, and a tilt acquisition section configured to acquire a tilt angle of the takeoff and landing section from a horizontal plane; and an attitude adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an attitude of the body in accordance with the tilt angle acquired by the tilt acquisition section, in such a manner that, in a case where the tilt angle is equal to or more than a threshold, the attitude adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the body to reduce the tilt angle below the threshold. With this configuration, even in a case where the body tilts when the work vehicle travels on bumpy ground or sloping ground, the unmanned aerial vehicle can easily land on the takeoff and landing section due to the attitude adjustment mechanism, as compared with the conventional devices. In the present invention, the attitude adjustment mechanism may include extension-retraction mechanisms supported by respective traveling wheels in such a manner as to be extendable and retractable, and in a case where the tilt angle is equal to or more than the threshold at a time when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands on the takeoff and landing section, the attitude adjustment mechanism may extend and retract the extension-retraction mechanisms to adjust the attitude of the body to reduce the tilt angle below the threshold. In a case where the tilt angle of the body is controlled to become small when the work vehicle travels on sloping ground, when a portion of the body which portion is positioned higher approaches an inclined surface, the body may come into contact with the ground. With this configuration, in comparison with a configuration to pivot the body around an axis passing through the body and extending horizontally, the attitude of the body is flexibly adjustable, so that the body is less likely to come into contact with the ground. In the present invention, the attitude adjustment mechanism may adjust the attitude of the body such that the tilt angle reaches zero degrees at a time