One step to realize the essential technology test success "flying car"

　Aerial movement technology, such as "cars" flying around the sky freely, are attracting attention.Many are already in the demonstration experiment stage, such as flying courier services and taxis.What is essential for these technologies is the avoidance of collisions in the air.This time, the government -related research institution Nedo succeeded in a manned helicopter and an unmanned aerial carrier at a relative speed of 100 km/h.

What is an autonomous robot aircraft?

　The other day, the actor Rutuger Hauer, who appeared as a replicant in the movie "Blade Runner" (1982), died, but the protagonist Deckard who confronted him was on a vertical disconnection landing car, a spinner.The spinner in the movie was flying while skillfully avoiding flying cars.

　The practical use of these flying cars is still ahead, but the so -called drone (small unmanned aerial aircraft) and unmanned helicopters are gradually become practical in general, such as delivery of courier service, in addition to special applications such as pesticide spraying and disaster transportation.I'm going ( * 1).

　Many of the current drones are wirelessly piloted within the scope of the visual world, but they may fly out of sight due to long -distance movements and long infrastructure inspections such as bridges and transmission lines.However, after establishing safety, it will fly in the sky as an autonomous robot aircraft in the future.

　The government is promoting the "Air Industrial Revolution", but the priority issues among them are technology development and environmental development for safe use of small and unmanned aircraft.According to this roadmap, in FY2019, luggage delivery system models for remote islands and mountainous areas will be constructed, and demonstration experiments will be conducted in urban areas.

　Autonomous air -piloting is an important technology for realizing a flying car.It is difficult for anyone to manipulate a car that flys in the sky by carrying people, both technically, legally, in terms of license system.

　The fact that a large drone with people flies autonomously is a realistic form of a flying car.But there are many hurdles that need to be overcome to achieve this.

　First, unmanned aircraft, such as small medium -sized drones, are required to avoid collisions between unmanned aircraft or manned aircraft.

　At present, as the use of unmanned aircraft increases, knear mistakes with manned aircraft, such as helicopters, are beginning to occur.According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism materials, the Near Miss of manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft occurred four times in 2016, and all of them were helicopters, including doctor helicopters.

　The Aviation Law has arranged for career priority and evasion behavior when aircraft flying in the air approach.Unmanned aircraft cannot fly at an altitude of 150m or more without permission from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, but in the case of disaster transportation, it seems that it often flies further.

　In addition, depending on the emergency, such as a doctor helicopter or a disaster rescue, or depending on the dismissal land of the helicopter, it may fly in the unmanned aircraft.Aircraft accidents can lead to human life -threatening serious events.In addition to flying cars, the practical use of unmanned aircraft requires technology to avoid collisions between manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft.

Collision avoidance technology essential for the air industrial revolution

　The abbreviation, NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), is a national research and development corporation under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's jurisdiction, but is also researching and developing robot drones.This time, NEDO is a relative speed of 100 km/h, using a manned aircraft (helicopter) and a medium -sized unmanned aircraft (made by Yamaha Motor) in a wide -area flight space in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, such as Subaru, Japan Radio, Japan Avionics, etc.It was announced that the unmanned aircraft had succeeded in an autonomous collision avoidance flight ( * 2).

Unmanned aircraft used in this flight test (Fazer G2 made by Yamaha Motor): From the release of NEDO

　This flight test was held on July 24 and 25, 2019 in the airspace, and the manned aircraft at an altitude of 60 km/h at an altitude of 60 km/h, and the unmanned aircraft with a speed of 40 km/h was 60m at an altitude of 60m.(Altitude difference 40m).The unmanned aerial aircraft is equipped with a light and radio wave sensor (all -directional radar), detection of manned aircraft with a radio wave sensor within about 5 km, and when approaching within about 500m, visualize with the image detection identification camera and go to the right.It was said that he was able to keep the distance of 150m when he turned and approached.

Details of collision avoidance tests.The autonomous management device provided on the unmanned aerial aircraft automatically determines the dangers of collisions, acts to keep a distance of 150m, and goes to the original air after all directional radar has lost the risk of collision.I returned.Image processing of the image detection identification camera identifies that the approaching aircraft is a manned helicopter, and the autonomous management device calculates the approach direction and relative speed, and automatically determines the route that can avoid collisions.bottom.: From the release of NEDO

　According to the flight test held in December 2017, the mutual distance should be 150m away in three dimensions.It was about 50m altitude difference that was no longer affected by the downwash (wind power of blowing) due to the rotation wing of the helicopter, and it was said that this test was less than that of the altitude difference (this time the altitude difference is 40m).In other words, if the altitude difference is 50m or more, avoidance behavior is not necessary.

　In December 2018, an unmanned aircraft approached the manned aircraft hovering and stationary, and a test was performed to identify manned aircraft and take evasion actions.It seems that a kind of AI is used for these opponents' image data analysis.

　Except for aircraft with low mobility like an airship, it will be difficult to see if you approach each other suddenly because you will travel a three -dimensional space of aerial air with clouds and fog at high speed.Therefore, it is necessary to increase the visibility with a strobe emission or the like, or to sensing it with a radar.It is also important to acquire accurate location information using quasi -top satellite systems.

　In the future, it will also be necessary to educate unmanned aircraft to the pilot and improve the education system.In addition, navigation rules, including arrangement of career rights and how to avoid in -manual aircraft, will be created.Did we take a step closer to a flying car with a manned robot drone?

* 1: In the case of simply a "aircraft", it means an airplane, a rotating aircraft, a glan aircraft, and an airship that people can ride for air and use, and in the case of "unmanned aircraft", use it for aviation.It is a remote control or automatic pilot (200 g or more), although it is a plane, a glan aircraft, a glan aircraft, and an airship that can be carried by remote control or automatic pilot.

* 2: Business name "Realization of energy -saving society where robot drones are active", implementation period: 5 years from FY2017 to 2021, 2019 budget 3.6 billion yen