JP2001238096A - Operating device for three-axis driven photographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operating device for a three-axis driven photographing device capable of obtaining a precise aerial photograph rotating and operating an image pickup means precisely without receiving influence from the tilting or turning of the body of an aircraft, etc., and allowing an operator to easily match a sight to a target photographing object without being affected by the tilting or turning of the body, even when the body is tilted or turned. SOLUTION: In the photographing device for aerial photographs obtained by supporting the image pickup means such as a video camera in a state where the direction of a lens can be varied with respect to the body, a role axis fitted with the image pickup means is supported rotatably around the roll axis core by a roll axis supporting part, the roll axis supporting part is supported rotatably around a pitch axis core by a pitch axis supporting part and the pitch axis supporting part is supported rotatably around a yaw axis core by a yaw axis supporting part. A rotary stool for the operator to sit on and the pitch axis supporting part in the body are connected to provide a yaw axis rotating mechanism for rotating the pitch axis supporting part around the yaw axis core linked with the rotation of the stool.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a three-axis image pickup device such as a video camera which supports a lens of the image pickup device so as to be rotatable around three axes of a roll axis, a pitch axis and a yaw axis. The present invention relates to a drive photographing apparatus, and more particularly to an operation apparatus in which a three-axis drive photographing apparatus which supports an image pickup means mounted on an aircraft for photographing an aerial photograph so as to be rotatable around the three axes is operated in an operation room inside the body. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Two-axis driving photographing for photographing aerial photographs by supporting an image pickup means such as a video camera so as to be rotatable about two axes perpendicular to each other and freely changing the direction of a lens of the image pickup means. Various types of devices mounted on a helicopter are provided. In the helicopter, when taking aerial photographs, the flight is almost horizontal, and the main focus is to deal with the body vibration.
It is sufficient to change the direction of the camera lens in the direction, and a desired aerial photograph can be obtained even with the two-axis drive type photographing device.

In recent years, however, in order to improve the photographing function of the helicopter or the like during inclined flight or turning flight, the lens of the camera can be turned around three axes including the two axes and a roll axis. A gimbal-type three-axis drive photographing apparatus has also been adopted.

[0004]

However, in a two-axis drive aerial photographing apparatus mounted on the helicopter, a two-axis drive that changes the direction of the lens in two directions, up, down, left and right, during normal horizontal flight. Although a desired aerial photograph can be obtained by using a photographing device of the type, when the aircraft turns, the camera itself also tilts with the aircraft, so that an accurate aerial photograph cannot be obtained.

Such a problem can be solved by a three-axis drive photographing apparatus which supports the camera so as to be rotatable around three axes obtained by adding the roll axis to the two axes, ie, the pitch axis and the yaw axis. is there. However, when the aircraft frequently tilts and turns during navigation, such as an aircraft, the camera can always be aimed at the subject without being affected by the tilt and turning of the aircraft, and It is necessary that the monitor displaying the middle screen also allows the operator to easily observe the monitor screen without being affected by the tilt and the turning.

[0006] However, in the conventional three-axis drive photographing apparatus, the camera can be accurately rotated around the three axes of the yaw axis, the pitch axis, and the roll axis without being affected by the inclination or turning of the body. In addition, when the operator sits on a chair fixed to the aircraft and tilts or turns when shooting while operating the camera, the camera and the operator also tilt or rotate with the aircraft. Because it is not possible to aim at the target shooting target,
Such a conventional technique has a problem that a precise aerial photograph cannot be obtained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and when an aircraft such as an aircraft is tilted or turned, the imaging means is not affected by the tilt or turn of the aircraft.
Rotational operation can be performed with high precision, and the operator can easily aim at the target shooting target without being affected by the inclination or turning of the aircraft, and obtain a precise aerial photograph It is an object of the present invention to provide an operation device of a three-axis drive photographing device that can perform the operation.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an image pickup device such as a video camera which is capable of changing the direction of a lens of the image pickup device with respect to the body. In an aerial photographing apparatus, the roll shaft to which the imaging means is attached is rotatably supported on a roll shaft support around a roll axis, and the roll shaft support is pitched to a pitch shaft support. A rotatable chair, which is rotatably supported around, and rotatably supports the pitch axis support portion around the yaw axis center on the yaw axis support portion, and is provided in the machine body and in which an operator is seated; An operation device for a three-axis drive photographing device, comprising: a yaw axis rotation mechanism that connects a support portion and rotates the pitch axis support portion around a yaw axis in conjunction with rotation of the chair. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a monitor device on which a photographing screen by the image pickup means is displayed is installed in front of the chair so as to be rotatable integrally with the chair. I do.

[0010] The invention according to claim 3 relates to a specific configuration of the yaw axis rotation mechanism according to the invention according to claim 1, wherein the yaw axis rotation mechanism is a pulley that is interlocked with the rotation of the chair. And a flexible torque tube for transmitting the rotation of the pulley to the rotation pulley of the pitch shaft support.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a specific structure of the means for rotating the pitch axis according to the first aspect of the present invention. And a pitch axis rotating mechanism for transmitting the operating force to the roll shaft support to rotate the roll shaft support about the pitch axis.

In claim 4, preferably, in claim 5,
As described above, the pitch axis rotating mechanism is configured by an operation wire connecting the operation handle and the roll shaft support.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a specific structure of the roll shaft rotating means according to the first aspect of the present invention. It is configured to be driven by an electric motor whose operation is controlled by the device.

According to the invention, 3
When taking an aerial photograph by mounting the axis drive photographing device and its operating device on an aircraft, when the body of the aircraft turns left and right, that is, around the yaw axis, the operator changes the chair on which he is seated, The aircraft is rotated by a desired amount with respect to the floor in accordance with the turning of the aircraft. The rotation of the chair is transmitted to a pulley interlocked with the rotation of the chair, and transmitted from the pulley to a rotation pulley of the pitch shaft support via a flexible torque tube. The rotation of the pulley causes the pitch axis support supported by the yaw axis support to rotate about the yaw axis, and the rotation causes the imaging means such as the video camera to rotate about the yaw axis by an amount corresponding to the rotation of the chair. Rotate.

Therefore, even if the body turns in the left-right direction, that is, around the yaw axis, only the chair on which the operator is seated is rotated with respect to the floor surface, without being affected by the turning of the body.
The photographing can be performed by directing the imaging unit in a desired direction.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the monitor device on which the photographing screen by the image pickup means is displayed is installed in front of the chair so as to be rotatable integrally with the chair. The screen of the monitor device also rotates at the same time as the rotation of the chair by the user, the monitor screen is always located in front of the operator, and the scene to be photographed is always located in front of the screen of the monitor device. Thus, the monitoring of the photographing target can be performed without being affected by the turning of the body. Further, since the monitor screen always moves integrally with the operator, even if the body turns, the operator watching the monitor screen does not turn his eyes.

According to the invention of claims 4 and 5,
When the body is tilted up and down, that is, swings around the pitch axis, when the operation handle provided in the operation room inside the body is operated up and down, the operation force of the operation handle is changed via the operation wire. The power is transmitted to the roll shaft support, and the roll shaft support is rotated about the pitch axis. Thus, the imaging unit can be directed in a desired direction without being affected by the vertical inclination of the body.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 6, when the body rotates around the roll axis, the electric motor is switched on by operating a roll switch provided on the operation handle, The electric motor rotates the roll shaft by a desired amount. Thus, the imaging unit can be oriented in a desired direction without being affected by the rolling rotation of the body.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto, but are merely illustrative examples. It's just

FIG. 1 shows an aircraft 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an in-machine operation unit of the operating device, FIG. 3 is a side view showing an operation procedure of the in-machine operation unit, FIG. 2 (A) is a side view, and FIG. Is a plan view,
(C) is a view on arrow Z of (A). FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an external installation portion of the three-axis drive photographing device, and FIG. 5 is a schematic external view showing a state where the three-axis drive photographing device is attached to an aircraft.

In FIG. 5, a three-axis drive photographing apparatus 100 to which the present invention is applied is installed on a lower surface of a front part of an aircraft body 101 with its lens facing forward. 1
02 is a front wheel.

1 and 4, reference numeral 1 denotes the body 10
A base fixed to 1, 9 is a yaw shaft bearing mounted on the inner periphery of the base 1, 3 is a pitch shaft support yoke, and the cylindrical portion 3 a of the pitch shaft support yoke 3 is the yaw shaft bearing. 9, the pitch axis support yoke 3 is rotatably supported by the gantry 1 about the yaw axis 50. Reference numeral 2 denotes a yaw axis pulley for driving the pitch axis support yoke 3 to rotate, and is fixed to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 3a.

The pitch shaft support yoke 3 has a bifurcated yoke portion 3c extending downward from both upper ends thereof, and a pitch shaft bearing 12 is provided at a lower end portion of the bifurcated yoke portion 3c. It is mounted along a pitch axis 52 perpendicular to the yaw axis 50. Reference numeral 10 denotes a roll shaft support housing, which is formed in a hollow spherical shape, and a pitch shaft 141 supported by the pitch shaft bearing 12 is fixed to both ends of the housing. Thus, the roll shaft support housing 10 is supported by the pitch shaft support yoke 3 so as to be rotatable around the pitch axis 52.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a roll shaft bearing mounted inside the roll shaft support housing 10. The roll shaft bearing 14 is provided along a roll shaft 51 perpendicular to the pitch shaft 52 and the yaw shaft 50. It has a large diameter so that a video camera 4 described later can be stored inside.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a video camera constituting the image pickup device;
Is a lens portion of the video camera 4. The video camera 4 is installed in a camera storage space formed in the roll shaft support housing 10, and is provided with the roll shaft bearing 14.
Is fixed to a roll shaft 54 (or a camera mount) fixed to the inner race of the vehicle. Thereby, the video camera 4 is rotatable around the roll axis 51,
It is installed at the center of the spherical roll shaft support housing 10 inside the roll shaft bearing 14. 11
Reference numeral denotes a photographing window opened in the roll shaft support housing 10 and is provided in front of the lens unit 6 of the video camera 4. In addition, the outer periphery of the roll shaft support housing 10 may be formed in a polygonal shape as shown in FIG.

As will be described later, the yaw axis pulley 2 is driven by rotation of a chair 21 provided in an operation room 35 in the machine, and rotates the pitch axis support yoke 3 around a yaw axis 50. The roll shaft support housing 10
Is independently and rotationally driven around a pitch axis 52 by a pitch operation handle 22 described later. Further, the video camera 4 and the roll shaft 54 are provided with a roll operation motor 5 operated by rotation of a pitch operation handle 22 described later.
And is independently driven to rotate about the roll axis 51 via a rack and pinion mechanism 8.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, reference numeral 200 denotes an operating device, which is configured as follows. That is, 35 is an operation room in the body 101, and 33 is a floor surface 3 in the body.
A gantry 21 fixed on 4 is a chair provided above the gantry 33. The chair 21 includes a pulley 30 described later.
Is fixed to the upper end of a rotating shaft 41 fixed to the upper part of the shaft, and is rotatable 360 degrees integrally with the pulley 30. 2
Reference numeral 6 denotes an abutment provided integrally with the chair 21 and at a portion opposed thereto, and a monitor 27 is provided at an upper end of the abutment 26.
Is provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the monitor 27 is arranged such that when the operator 23 hangs on the chair 21, the screen thereof faces the eyes of the operator 23.

Reference numerals 30 and 31 denote pulleys rotatably mounted on the gantry 33, and reference numeral 32 denotes a belt erected between the pulleys 30 and 31. One of the pulleys 30 is provided at the center of the rotary shaft 41 and is directly connected to the rotary shaft 41 of the rotary chair 21, and the other pulley 31 is rotated by the pulley 30 via a belt 32. It has become. Reference numeral 40 denotes a gantry fixed to the inside of the outer plate of the body 101, and 36 denotes a pulley rotatably mounted on the gantry 40. The pulley 36 is connected to the yaw shaft pulley 2 via a belt 38. ing.

Numeral 25 is a flexible torque tube having flexibility, the upper end of which is connected to the pulley 31 and the lower end of which is connected to the pulley 36. Accordingly, the rotation of the pulley 31 on the operation chamber 35 side is transmitted to the lower pulley 36 via the flexible torque tube 25, and further transmitted to the yaw shaft pulley 2 via the belt 38. .

Reference numeral 22 denotes a pitch operation handle,
6 is attached to a support shaft 28 provided on the upper part of the robot 6 so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 28. An operation wire 24 for pitch operation has an upper end connected to a wire fulcrum 29 provided at an intermediate portion of the pitch operation handle 22, and a lower end connected to the pitch shaft 141. The vertical movement about the axis 28 is controlled by the operation wire 2
4 to the pitch axis 141, and the pitch axis
1 rotates around a pitch axis 52.

Reference numeral 29 denotes the pitch operation handle 22
And a roll switch for controlling the rotation of the roll operation motor 5. The roll switch 29 is turned clockwise or counterclockwise by the ON time in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. To change the angle of rotation.

In the operation device of the three-axis drive photographing apparatus having the above-mentioned configuration, when the three-axis drive photographing device and the operation device are mounted on an aircraft to take an aerial photograph, the aircraft body 101 is moved in the left-right direction. That is, when turning around the yaw axis 50, the operator 23 sitting on the chair 21 in the operation room 35 moves the chair 21 on which he / she is sitting to the body 1.
In response to the turning of the airplane 01, the airframe 101 is rotated by a desired amount, that is, by an amount corresponding to the amount of turning of the body 101.

The rotation of the chair 21 is transmitted to the pulley 30 connected to the lower end of the chair 21 via the rotation shaft 41,
Further, it is transmitted to the other pulley 31 via the belt 32. The rotation of the pulley 31 is transmitted to the yaw axis pulley 2 of the pitch axis support yoke 3 via a flexible torque tube 25 having flexibility, and the pulley 2 rotates. The rotation of the pulley 2 causes the pitch axis support yoke 3 rotatably supported by the gantry 1 to rotate about the yaw axis 50. With this rotation, the video camera 4 moves the yaw by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the chair 21. It rotates around the axis 50.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the airframe 10
Even if 1 rotates in the left-right direction, that is, around the yaw axis 50, the chair 21 on which the operator 23 is seated only rotates with respect to the floor surface 34 without being affected by the rotation of the body 101. The video camera 4 can be shot in a desired direction to shoot.

The operator 23 operates the video camera 4
Can be taken while looking at a monitor 27 on which a shooting screen is displayed, and the monitor 27 is installed in front of the chair 21 so as to be rotatable integrally with the chair 21 on which an operator 23 is hung. Therefore, the screen of the monitor 27 also rotates at the same time as the rotation of the chair 21 by the operator 23. Therefore, the monitor screen is always located in front of the operator 23, and the scene of the photographing target is always located in front of the screen of the monitor 27. Thereby, the airframe 101
The monitoring of the photographing target can be performed without being affected by the turning of the camera. Further, since the monitor screen always moves integrally with the operator 23, even if the body 101 turns, the operator 23 watching the monitor screen obtains a shooting feeling equivalent to the camera hand-held shooting.

Further, the body 101 is inclined in the vertical direction,
That is, when swinging around the pitch axis 52, the operator 23
However, when the pitch operation handle 22 attached to the support 26 so as to be rotatable up and down is operated back and forth around the support shaft 28, the operation force of the operation handle 22 is applied to the pitch shaft via an operation wire 24. The pitch shaft 141 and the roll shaft support housing 10 are rotated around the pitch axis 52. Thus, the video camera 4 can be shot in a desired direction without being affected by the vertical inclination of the body 101.

When the body 101 rotates around the roll axis 51, the operator 23 operates the roll switch 29 provided on the pitch operation handle 22 as shown in FIG.
When the roll shaft operating motor 5 is moved clockwise or counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow Y in (A), the roll shaft operating motor 5 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise by an angle corresponding to the operating direction and operating time of the roll switch 29. You. The rotation of the roll shaft operation motor 5 causes the roll shaft 54 and the video camera 4 to rotate by a desired amount via the rack and pinion mechanism 8. Thereby, the video camera 4 is
The photographing can be performed in a desired direction without being affected by the rolling rotation of the body 101.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, a rotary chair provided in an airframe and on which an operator is seated is connected to the pitch shaft support, and the pitch shaft is linked to the rotation of the chair. With the provision of the yaw axis rotation mechanism for rotating the support portion about the yaw axis, the imaging means such as a video camera can be rotated about the yaw axis by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the chair. Therefore, even if the body turns in the left-right direction, that is, around the yaw axis, the operator only needs to rotate the chair on which the user is seated with respect to the floor, and is not affected by the turning of the body. , And a highly accurate aerial photograph can be obtained.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the monitor device on which the photographing screen by the image pickup means is displayed is installed in front of the chair so as to be rotatable integrally with the chair. The monitor screen is always located in front of the operator, and the scene of the object to be photographed is also always located in front of the screen of the monitor device, whereby the monitor of the object to be photographed is not affected by the turning of the aircraft. It can be carried out.
In addition, since the monitor screen always moves integrally with the operator, even if the body turns, it is possible to obtain a shooting feeling equivalent to that of hand-held camera shooting.

According to the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention,
When the body tilts up and down, the operation force of the operation handle is transmitted to the roll shaft support portion via an operation wire by operating the operation handle provided in the body back and forth, and The shaft support can be rotated about the pitch axis. Thus, the imaging unit can be directed in a desired direction without being affected by the vertical inclination of the body.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 6, when the body rotates around the roll axis, the electric motor is turned on by operating the operating device in the body,
The electric motor can rotate the roll shaft by a desired amount. Thus, the imaging unit can be oriented in a desired direction without being affected by the rolling rotation of the body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side configuration diagram of an operation device of an aircraft three-axis drive photographing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an in-machine operation unit of the operation device.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show operation procedures of the in-machine operation unit, wherein FIG. 3A is a side view, FIG. 3B is a plan view, and FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an external installation portion of the three-axis drive photographing device.

FIG. 5 is a schematic external view showing a state in which the three-axis drive photographing device is attached to an aircraft.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Yaw shaft pulley 3 Pitch shaft support yoke 4 Video camera 6 Lens unit 8 Rack and pinion mechanism 9 Yaw shaft bearing 10 Roll shaft support housing 12 Pitch shaft bearing 14 Roll shaft bearing 24 Operation wire 25 Flexible torque tube 27 Monitor 28 Support shaft 29 Roll Switch 30, 31, 36 Pulley 32, 38 Belt 33 Mount 41 Rotary axis 50 Yaw axis 51 Roll axis 52 Pitch axis 54 Roll axis 100 3-axis drive photographing apparatus 101

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/225 H04N 5/225 C 5/232 5/232 B

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An aerial photographing apparatus which supports an image pickup means such as a video camera so that the direction of a lens of the image pickup means can be changed with respect to an airframe, wherein the image pickup means is rotatable about a roll axis. The roll shaft support is rotatably supported around the pitch axis by the pitch shaft support, and the pitch shaft support is rotatable around the yaw axis by the yaw support. And a rotary chair provided in the body and seated by an operator and connected to the pitch axis support, and the pitch axis support is rotated about the yaw axis in conjunction with the rotation of the chair. An operating device for a three-axis drive photographing device, comprising: a yaw axis rotating mechanism for causing rotation. 2. A three-axis drive photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a monitor device on which a photographing screen by said photographing means is displayed is installed in front of said chair so as to be rotatable integrally with said chair. Operating device. 3. The yaw axis rotation mechanism includes a pulley that is interlocked with the rotation of the chair, and a flexible torque tube that transmits the rotation of the pulley to a rotation pulley of the pitch axis support. The operating device for a three-axis drive photographing device according to claim 1, wherein: 4. An operation handle provided in the airframe, and a pitch axis rotation mechanism for transmitting an operation force of the operation handle to the roll axis support to rotate the roll axis support about a pitch axis. The operation device for a three-axis drive photographing device according to claim 1, further comprising: 5. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein the pitch axis rotating mechanism includes an operating wire for connecting the operating handle and a roll shaft support. 6. The roll shaft to which the imaging means is attached,
The operating device for a three-axis drive photographing device according to claim 1, wherein the operating device is configured to be driven by an electric motor whose operation is controlled by the operating device in the body.