電力線からの自律充電でドローンの連続運用を実現
Autonomous Overhead Powerline Recharging for Uninterrupted Drone Operations
送電線に着陸して充電する機構を備えたドローンを開発し、屋外の三相電力線環境で飛行・着陸・充電・離陸を繰り返す完全自律の長時間運用を実証した。
著者: Viet Duong Hoang, Frederik Falk Nyboe, Nicolaj Haarhøj Malle, Emad Ebeid
分類: cs.RO
原文アブストラクト
We present a fully autonomous self-recharging drone system capable of long-duration sustained operations near powerlines. The drone is equipped with a robust onboard perception and navigation system that enables it to locate powerlines and approach them for landing. A passively actuated gripping mechanism grasps the powerline cable during landing after which a control circuit regulates the magnetic field inside a split-core current transformer to provide sufficient holding force as well as battery recharging. The system is evaluated in an active outdoor three-phase powerline environment. We demonstrate multiple contiguous hours of fully autonomous uninterrupted drone operations composed of several cycles of flying, landing, recharging, and takeoff, validating the capability of extended, essentially unlimited, operational endurance.
