Data processing device, drone, and control device, method, and processing program therefor

A drone control method, capable of controlling a drone according to a battery level, comprising:

• a step of calculating a flight distance, in which a flight distance is calculated according to an airframe position at any time point, a highest attitude attained during a current flight, and a landing position of the drone;
• a step of acquiring a battery status, in which a battery level of the drone is acquired;
• a step of calculating estimated battery consumption, in which the estimated battery consumption when the drone flies over the flight distance calculated in the step of calculating a flight distance, is calculated based on a battery consumption corresponding to actions performed by the drone while in flight, the estimated battery consumption is corrected in a manner of making the estimated battery consumption relatively higher, when the flight distance calculated by the flight distance calculation unit is relatively long, and the estimated battery consumption is corrected in a manner of making the estimated battery consumption relatively higher, when the battery consumption after the flight is started is relatively high;
• and
• a step of deciding to return, in which whether the drone is capable of flying over the flight distance and return is decided, on the basis of the estimated battery consumption and the battery level of the drone.

A program for controlling a drone, which is a control program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and read and executed by a computer to control the drone according to a battery level, wherein the computer is made to perform following functions:

• a flight distance calculation unit calculates a flight distance, according to an airframe position at any time point, a highest attitude attained during a current flight, and a landing place of the drone;
• a battery status acquisition unit acquires the battery level of the drone;
• an estimated battery consumption calculation unit calculates an estimated battery consumption when the drone flies over the flight distance calculated by the flight distance calculation unit, the estimated battery consumption calculated based on a battery consumption corresponding to actions performed by the drone while in flight, the estimated battery consumption is corrected in a manner of making the estimated battery consumption relatively higher, when the flight distance calculated by the flight distance calculation unit is relatively long, and the estimated battery consumption is corrected in a manner of making the estimated battery consumption relatively higher, when the battery consumption after the flight is started is relatively high;
• and
• a return decision unit decides, on the basis of the estimated battery consumption and the battery level of the drone, whether the drone is capable of flying over the flight distance and return.