Unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting X-ray detection robot autonomous online and offline method and system

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of X-ray detection, and particularly relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting X-ray detection robot autonomous online and offline method and system, and online and offline of a robot are realized based on an unmanned aerial vehicle, an observation wing aircraft and a ground control station. Through fusing tower three-dimensional modeling, environment characteristic analysis, heuristic path planning and deviation value closed-loop control, an unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting robot accurate line falling off-line control strategy is designed, and the optimal crimping pipe detection sequence, the robot line falling position and the unmanned aerial vehicle accurate hoisting flight path are autonomously determined. Real-time closed-loop control of three deviation values of the robot and a to-be-detected line is used for carrying out machine body pose adjustment and wire contact state judgment, full-automatic precise hoisting on-line and safe off-line return of the robot are achieved, the automation level of on-line operation of the robot is improved, the diversified requirements of power transmission line detection are effectively met, and the working efficiency is improved. And an efficient and intelligent detection solution is provided for high-altitude power transmission line power inspection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of X-ray detection, and in particular relates to a method and system for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray detection robot hoisted by an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] As the area of ​​power transmission lines continues to grow, manual maintenance becomes increasingly difficult. Therefore, robots are being used to inspect overhead transmission lines, traveling along the phase lines. Robot on-line and off-line operations involve lifting the robot from the ground to the height of the phase line and suspending it over the phase line to be inspected. Alternatively, after completing an inspection, the robot is removed from the overhead inspection phase line and safely lowered to the ground.

[0004] Transmission line conductor tension tubes are components designed to withstand conductor tension. They maintain tension through external forces, ensuring the lines remain stable and taut despite various external forces, such as storms and large temperature fluctuations. Transmission line crimping tubes are installed at the junction of the transmission line and the conductor tension tubes. After crimping, the performance of these tubes cannot be verified through visual inspection; currently, X-ray testing is the only method.

[0005] Currently, a variety of X-ray inspection robots have been developed for X-ray inspection of transmission line crimped pipes, playing a significant role in improving the efficiency and safety of transmission line inspections. While these robots are primarily deployed online using insulated ropes and drones, while capable of transporting the X-ray inspection robots to the inspection location to a certain extent, they still have significant shortcomings. The insulated rope method relies on manual ground operation and requires specialized personnel for traction control. It has a low degree of automation and is significantly restricted by terrain conditions, making it difficult to implement in complex scenarios such as mountainous terrain and across rivers. While drone-based deployment eliminates the need for direct human involvement in high-risk operations, it relies heavily on remote control, failing to achieve true automation and intelligence. This not only increases operational complexity and labor costs, but can also lead to collisions and even damage between the drone and the inspection robot due to human error. Therefore, traditional deployment methods cannot meet the requirements for rapid and accurate inspection robot deployment in complex transmission line environments, nor can they guarantee the stability and reliability of inspection tasks under varying weather conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a method and system for autonomous online and offline operation of an X-ray inspection robot hoisted by a drone, which integrates three-dimensional modeling, navigation control and autonomous identification, and realizes the autonomous online, precise offline and autonomous offline operation of the X-ray inspection robot hoisted by a drone on the transmission line. While improving the automation level of the online and offline operations of the X-ray inspection robot, it also improves the safety of the X-ray inspection robot in complex environments, and effectively adapts to the diversified needs of transmission line pressure pipe detection.

[0007] According to some embodiments, a first solution of the present invention provides a method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by hoisting it with a drone, which adopts the following technical solutions: A method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by hoisting it with a drone, comprising: Obtain a three-dimensional model of the tower line area to be inspected; Based on the acquired 3D model, determine the landing position of the X-ray inspection robot and the flight trajectory of the UAV; After the drone is hoisted and connected to the X-ray inspection robot, it flies to the landing position and hovers safely at the determined flight trajectory. The X-ray inspection robot adjusts its posture and lands on the line, completing the hoisting and landing process. After landing, the drone returns to the ground along the flight trajectory, and the X-ray inspection robot performs the inspection work; The X-ray inspection robot returns to the drop-line position, and the drone flies to the drop-line position and hovers safely at a height, then is hoisted and connected to the X-ray inspection robot, and the X-ray inspection robot is taken offline; The drone returns to the ground along the determined flight trajectory and separates from the X-ray inspection robot, completing the lifting and offline process.

[0008] As a further technical limitation, based on the acquired three-dimensional model of the pole tower line area to be inspected, the ground control station automatically analyzes the transmission line splitting type, transmission line spacing, transmission line inclination and transmission line obstacle conditions of the pole tower line to be inspected, and determines the type and model of the UAV and the X-ray inspection robot; marks the position of the transmission line pressure tube in the current pole tower line area to be inspected in the acquired three-dimensional model, and determines the pressure tube to be inspected; based on the determined pressure tube to be inspected and the position of the pressure tube in the three-dimensional model, the greedy algorithm and the heuristic A* search algorithm are used to determine the landing position of the X-ray inspection robot and the hoisting flight trajectory of the UAV.

[0009] As a further technical limitation, before the UAV is hoisted and connected to the X-ray detection robot, the UAV takes off to a safe hovering height on the ground, that is, the safe height difference between the UAV and the X-ray detection robot, and performs takeoff alignment between the UAV and the X-ray detection robot. The optical images collected by the UAV are processed in real time based on the visual target recognition algorithm of the directional gradient histogram feature and the support vector machine classifier, and the visual features of the X-ray detection robot's lifting ring are automatically identified. The deflection angle of the UAV and the angle of the UAV's lifting claws are adjusted based on the position of the lifting ring. The UAV's lifting claws are opened, and the lifting claws are located on both sides of the X-ray detection robot's lifting ring. The UAV descends vertically from the safe hovering height on the ground. When the UAV descends to the preset lifting height of the X-ray detection robot, the UAV's lifting claws are closed, and the lifting claws are engaged with the X-ray detection robot's lifting ring. After determining that the UAV and the X-ray detection robot are firmly connected, the UAV hoists the X-ray detection robot and takes off, and flies to the safe hovering height of the landing position according to the determined flight trajectory.

[0010] As a further technical limitation, after the drone lifts the X-ray inspection robot and flies to the safe hovering height of the landing position, the X-ray inspection robot is powered on and runs. Based on the three-dimensional laser point cloud data of the transmission line obtained by the X-ray inspection robot, the posture offset between the X-ray inspection robot and the transmission line is calculated, and the posture of the X-ray inspection robot is adjusted according to the posture offset. The drone descends, and when all the driving wheels of the X-ray inspection robot are safely in contact with the transmission line, the X-ray inspection robot has successfully landed. The drone opens the lifting claw, and the lifting claw separates from the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. The drone rises, and the drone and the X-ray inspection robot are completely separated, completing the lifting and online connection of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring and claw.

[0011] Furthermore, the posture offset includes angle deviation, position deviation and height deviation; the angle deviation is the angle difference between the center line of the transmission line and the center axis of the X-ray inspection robot; the position deviation is the position difference between the transmission line and the V-shaped groove of the front drive wheel of the X-ray inspection robot; the height deviation is the height difference between the upper end of the transmission line and the three-dimensional laser radar of the X-ray inspection robot.

[0012] Furthermore, when the angle deviation, position deviation and height deviation between the X-ray inspection robot and the power transmission line are all within the preset deviation range, all driving wheels of the X-ray inspection robot are in safe contact with the power transmission line.

[0013] As a further technical limitation, after completing the inspection operation, the X-ray inspection robot returns to the drop line position of the hoisting line, the X-ray inspection robot is powered off and shut down, and the UAV flies to the drop line position based on the hoisting flight trajectory and then performs takeoff alignment with the X-ray inspection robot. The visual target recognition algorithm based on the directional gradient histogram feature and the support vector machine classifier identifies the horizontal position and angle of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. After the UAV flies horizontally to the center position of the horizontal position of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring, the UAV adjusts the deflection angle of the UAV, opens the lifting claws, and the lifting claws are located on both sides of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. The UAV descends vertically from the safe hovering height of the drop line position. When the UAV descends to the preset lifting height of the X-ray inspection robot, the UAV lifting claws close, and the lifting claws engage with the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. After judging that the UAV and the X-ray inspection robot are firmly connected, the UAV lifts the X-ray inspection robot and takes off. The X-ray inspection robot is separated from the transmission line, and the UAV flies to a safe hovering height on the ground according to the determined flight trajectory.

[0014] As a further technical limitation, the drone flies to a safe hovering height on the ground and then descends vertically until it descends to a preset lifting height. The drone determines whether the X-ray inspection robot has landed smoothly. If it has landed smoothly, the drone opens the lifting claws, the lifting claws separate from the X-ray inspection robot's lifting rings, the drone rises, and the drone and the X-ray inspection robot are completely separated, completing the lifting and offline of the X-ray inspection robot.

[0015] As a further technical limitation, three-dimensional laser point cloud data of the tower area to be inspected and transmission line image data are obtained, and the acquired data are modeled using an iterative closest point algorithm to obtain a three-dimensional model of the tower and line area to be inspected.

[0016] According to some embodiments, a second solution of the present invention provides a drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot autonomous loading and unloading system, which adopts the following technical solutions: A drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot autonomously embarks and disembarks system, which adopts a drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot autonomously embarks and disembarks method provided by the first solution. The system includes a ground control station and an X-ray inspection robot, a drone, and an observation wingman, each of which is communicatively connected to the ground control station. The X-ray inspection robot is used to autonomously perform X-ray inspection tasks of crimping tubes on multiple split conductors, and includes at least an X-ray emission module, an X-ray detector, and a first three-dimensional laser radar, which acquires and transmits three-dimensional laser point cloud data and X-ray inspection images to the ground control station in real time. The drone is provided with a first image acquisition module and a lifting claw on its belly. The lifting claw is provided below the drone's belly and is used to connect to and lift the X-ray inspection robot. The observation wingman includes at least a second three-dimensional laser radar and a second image acquisition module, which are used to acquire three-dimensional laser point cloud data and transmission line image data of the tower area to be inspected.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The present invention creatively proposes a method for autonomous online and offline operation of a drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot, realizes the online and offline operation of the robot based on a drone, an observation wingman and a ground control station, and designs an offline control strategy for the precise online landing of the drone-mounted robot by integrating three-dimensional modeling of towers, environmental feature analysis, heuristic path planning and closed-loop control of deviation. The strategy autonomously determines the optimal inspection sequence of the pressure pipe, the robot's landing position and the precise online lifting flight trajectory of the drone, and utilizes the "three deviation values" (angle, position and height) of the robot and the line to be inspected for real-time closed-loop control to adjust the body posture and judge the contact status of the conductor, thus realizing fully automatic and precise online lifting and safe offline return of the robot, improving the automation level of the robot's online operation, effectively adapting to the diversified needs of transmission line inspection, and providing an efficient and intelligent detection solution for power inspection of high-altitude transmission lines.

[0018] The present invention creatively proposes a drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot autonomous on- and off-line system. The system uses three-dimensional laser point cloud data and transmission line image data to construct a three-dimensional model of the tower line area to be inspected. Based on the three-dimensional model, the landing position of the X-ray inspection robot and the drone's hoisting flight trajectory are determined. According to the determined flight trajectory, the drone performs the hoisting function and delivers the X-ray inspection robot to the desired location. At the same time, before the hoisting connection, the drone and the X-ray inspection robot are aligned and connected to ensure the safety and reliability of the hoisting flight. Before the landing, the X-ray inspection robot's posture is adjusted and the contact with the line is determined to ensure that the X-ray inspection robot lands accurately and stably on the transmission line. When landing, the X-ray inspection robot is judged to have landed smoothly to ensure the safe separation of the X-ray inspection robot and the drone. This solves the problem that traditional X-ray inspection robot on- and off-line methods cannot meet the requirements of precise deployment and efficient inspection of complex transmission lines and different weather conditions. It effectively reduces the operational difficulty and labor costs, improves the automation level of on- and off-line operations, effectively adapts to the diverse needs of transmission line inspection, and provides an efficient and intelligent inspection solution for high-altitude power inspection of transmission lines. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings constituting a part of the specification of this embodiment are used to provide a further understanding of this embodiment. The schematic embodiments and descriptions of this embodiment are used to explain this embodiment and do not constitute an improper limitation on this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of a method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone in the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an architectural diagram of a method for autonomously logging on and off a drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flow chart of the online implementation of the drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot in the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a flow chart of the offline process of the drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot in Example 1 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0022] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0024] In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof may be combined with each other.

[0025] Example 1 The first embodiment of the present invention introduces a method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by hoisting it with a drone.

[0026] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone includes: Obtain a three-dimensional model of the tower line area to be inspected; Based on the acquired 3D model, determine the landing position of the X-ray inspection robot and the flight trajectory of the UAV; After the drone is hoisted and connected to the X-ray inspection robot, it flies to the landing position and hovers safely at the determined flight trajectory. The X-ray inspection robot adjusts its posture and lands on the line, completing the hoisting and landing process. After landing, the drone returns to the ground along the flight trajectory, and the X-ray inspection robot performs the inspection work; The X-ray inspection robot returns to the drop-line position, and the drone flies to the drop-line position and hovers safely at a height, then is hoisted and connected to the X-ray inspection robot, and the X-ray inspection robot is taken offline; The drone returns to the ground along the determined flight trajectory and separates from the X-ray inspection robot, completing the lifting and offline process.

[0027] Below, this embodiment describes in detail a method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by hoisting it onto and off the line by a drone, which is divided into four implementation steps: inspection operation preparation, flight route planning, loading and unloading. (1) Preparation for testing Operators should place the X-ray inspection robot, ground control station, drone, observation wingman and their respective ancillary equipment in an orderly manner in the ground safety area in accordance with the operation requirements; strictly ensure a reasonable distance between the equipment to avoid mutual interference, and fully consider the convenience of subsequent operations.

[0028] When placing the X-ray inspection robot, it must be placed stably on the ground away from various obstacles, and a safe distance must be maintained from ground personnel to eliminate potential safety hazards and equipment damage risks.

[0029] Similar to the X-ray inspection robot's placement rules, the drone and observation wingman should also be placed in a safe location on the ground, away from obstacles and personnel. During placement, check that the drone's landing gear is firmly planted to prevent tipping due to uneven ground. Ensure that there is no debris around the drone that could affect subsequent takeoff operations.

[0030] The ground control station should be placed in a safe location on the ground with good visibility and no obstructions to communication signals; at the same time, it must be equipped with necessary protective measures, such as sunscreen and rainproof covers, to cope with the impact of different weather conditions on the control station.

[0031] It should be noted that after all types of equipment are placed, the operating personnel need to conduct a comprehensive status inspection of all equipment, including appearance inspection, connection inspection, function inspection, etc., to ensure that the equipment is in normal condition to ensure the smooth progress of subsequent inspection work.

[0032] (2) Flight route planning ① 3D point cloud modeling.

[0033] The control and observation wingman uses the second 3D laser radar and the second image acquisition module to perform 3D scanning in the area to be inspected of the tower line, and transmits the collected 3D point cloud data and transmission line image data back to the ground control station; the ground control station uses the received 3D point cloud data and transmission line image data, and adopts the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm for modeling and processing to construct a 3D model of the area to be inspected of the tower line.

[0034] ②Operation analysis and equipment adaptation Based on the three-dimensional model of the tower line area to be inspected, the ground control station autonomously analyzes the line split type (such as single conductor, double split, quad split, etc.), line spacing, conductor inclination, and obstacle conditions in the area to be inspected. Combined with real-time environmental information such as ground wind speed and air humidity, the ground control station recommends the type and model of X-ray inspection robots and drones to be used in this inspection operation. Operators select the model of X-ray inspection robots and drones to be used for this operation through the graphical interface of the ground control station.

[0035] ③Selection of work objects The ground control station automatically transfers the determined model models of the X-ray inspection robot and the lifting drone into the analysis system, and marks the positions of the pressure tubes that can be inspected on the current tower in the three-dimensional model interface. The operators select the pressure tubes that need to be inspected according to the work tasks.

[0036] ④Flight trajectory planning Based on the manually selected crimped tube conditions, X-ray inspection operation specifications and on-site environmental data, the ground control station uses a greedy algorithm to autonomously determine the optimal crimped tube inspection sequence and three-dimensional coordinate position. Based on the heuristic A* algorithm, it autonomously plans the drop line sequence and flight trajectory suitable for drone lifting operations to conduct safety verification.

[0037] (3) Hoisting and online The process of hoisting and putting on line in this embodiment is as follows Figure 3 As shown, specifically: ① Online preparation stage After the ground control station generates the drone landing sequence and flight trajectory, it sends a prompt signal to the drone that it can be hoisted online. The operator confirms whether to allow the operation by pressing a button.

[0038] ②Takeoff alignment phase After the operator presses a button to authorize the hoisting operation, the ground control station sends a command to the hoisting drone to take off and hover at a safe hovering altitude of (set hoist height + 2m). A camera on the drone's belly captures images from below. Using a visual target recognition algorithm based on HOG (histogram of oriented gradients) features and an SVM (support vector machine) classifier, the drone processes the captured images in real time, automatically identifying the visual features of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring and calculating its horizontal position through coordinate transformation. After determining the horizontal position of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring, the drone flies horizontally to the center of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring plane, maintaining a safe hovering altitude of (set hoist height + 2m) from the ground. The drone adjusts its deflection angle based on the lifting ring angle identified by the optical image until precise alignment is achieved. At this point, the drone opens its lifting claws to the appropriate angle, preparing for docking with the X-ray inspection robot.

[0039] ③Connection and lifting stage The drone slowly descends vertically from a safe hovering height on the ground. The lifting claws open the two grippers located on either side of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. When the drone reaches the set lifting height, the claws close to the closed position, firmly connecting the drone to the X-ray inspection robot. The ground control station analyzes the optical images captured by the drone's belly camera in real time. Based on feature matching, the image analysis determines whether the lifting claws are firmly connected to the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. If so, the drone slowly ascends, lifting the X-ray inspection robot vertically. During this process, the ground control station records the RTK coordinates, which serve as the ground landing position of the X-ray inspection robot when it comes off the assembly line.

[0040] ④Self-launch stage After the X-ray inspection robot leaves the ground, the drone quickly flies to the top of the line to be inspected according to the order and flight trajectory of the crimped pipes to be inspected, and maintains a safe hovering height of (height of the conductor to be inspected + set lifting height + 1m) at the drop line position.

[0041] ⑤Equipment startup phase After the drone reaches a safe hovering height at the drop line, the ground control station uses the X-ray inspection robot's wireless remote control to power it on and start operating. The X-ray inspection robot then establishes a wireless communication connection with the ground control station. The first 3D LiDAR sensor, mounted on the front of the X-ray inspection robot, simultaneously activates, collecting real-time information about the surrounding environment and transmitting the 3D point cloud data back to the ground control station via a wireless communication link.

[0042] ⑥Posture adjustment stage The ground control station calculates the three robot posture offsets in real time based on the 3D point cloud data sent back by the X-ray inspection robot to ensure that the X-ray inspection robot lands safely and accurately on the transmission line conductors. Specifically: a. Adjust the angle deviation Δ θ The ground control station calculates the angular deviation Δ between the middle line of the wires on both sides and the center axis of the X-ray detection robot body (lidar reference line) θ ; If the angle deviation Δ θ ≥±1°, the ground control station sends a body angle deflection command to the UAV, and the UAV responds by slowly adjusting the body flight angle until the middle line of the wires on both sides is completely consistent with the angle of the center axis of the X-ray inspection robot body.

[0043] b. Adjust the position deviation Δ d The ground control station calculates the position deviation Δ between the wire and the V-shaped groove of the front driving wheel of the X-ray inspection robot body d Position deviation Δ d Δ is the position deviation between the left and right wires and the V-shaped grooves of the driving wheels on both sides of the front of the robot body d 1 、 Δ d 2 average value; if the position deviation Δ d ≥±1cm, the ground control station sends a body position offset command to the UAV, and the UAV slowly adjusts the flight position accordingly to ensure that the positions of the wires on both sides are accurately aligned with the V-shaped grooves of the driving wheels on both sides of the front of the X-ray inspection robot body.

[0044] c. Adjust the height deviation Δ h The ground control station calculates the height deviation Δ between the upper end of the wire and the position of the first three-dimensional laser radar installed on the X-ray detection robot bodyh ; Height deviation Δ h The height deviation Δ between the upper ends of the left and right wires and the position of the first three-dimensional laser radar installed on the X-ray detection robot body h 1 、 Δ h 2 average value; if it does not meet the preset height value Δ h y , the ground control station sends a flight altitude increase or decrease command to the UAV, and the UAV steadily lowers its flight altitude, so that the height deviation between the upper end of the wires on both sides and the installation height of the first 3D laser radar is Δ h Strictly comply with the preset value Δ h y ;Preset height value Δ h y The height deviation between the height below the V-shaped groove of the X-ray detection robot's driving wheel and the installation position of the first three-dimensional laser radar is calculated by manually measuring the height deviation between the height below the V-shaped groove of the X-ray detection robot's driving wheel and the installation position of the first three-dimensional laser radar.

[0045] ⑦Contact and line stage When determining the angular deviation Δ between the X-ray inspection robot and the wires on both sides θ , position deviation Δ d , height deviation Δ h When the operation requirements are met, the ground control station sends a body height increase or decrease command to the drone, and the drone is made to descend to a certain height (e.g. 5cm). During the descent of the drone, the angle deviation between the X-ray detection robot and the wires on both sides, Δ θ , position deviation Δ d , height deviation Δ h There were no obvious changes, and the ground control station believed that all the driving wheels of the X-ray inspection robot had made safe contact with the wires on both sides.

[0046] ⑧Connection and separation stage If the ground control station determines that all of the X-ray inspection robot's drive wheels have made secure contact with the wires on both sides, the X-ray inspection robot has successfully landed. A command to open the lifting claws is sent to the drone, and the claws accurately open. After confirming that the claws are in the open state, the ground control station sends another command to raise or lower the drone, causing it to steadily ascend to a safe height (e.g., 50 cm), completely separating the drone from the X-ray inspection robot and recording the drone's current RTK coordinates.

[0047] ⑨Autonomous return stage The drone returned to the ground smoothly according to the flight trajectory planned by the ground control station and entered a stationary standby state.

[0048] ⑩Detection operation stage After the drone returns, the X-ray inspection robot begins to perform autonomous inspection operations.

[0049] (4) Hoisting and unloading The process of hoisting and unloading in this embodiment is as follows Figure 4 As shown, specifically: ① Offline preparation stage After completing its inspection, the X-ray inspection robot returns to the same drop-off position it was at during the lift-on process, shuts down, and waits for the robot to be lifted off the line. This shutdown ensures safety during the lift-off process. The ground control station issues a signal indicating the robot can be lifted off the line, and the operator confirms permission by pressing a button.

[0050] ②Takeoff alignment phase After the operator presses a button to authorize the lifting and unloading operation, the drone, following the planned flight trajectory and sequence of the inspected crimped pipes, rapidly flies directly above the conductor to be inspected, maintaining a safe hovering altitude of (the height of the conductor to be inspected + the height of the aircraft's lifting ring + 1m). A camera mounted on the drone's belly captures optical images from below. The ground control station uses a visual object recognition algorithm based on HOG (histogram of oriented gradients) features and an SVM (support vector machine) classifier to process the captured optical images in real time. This automatically identifies the visual features of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring and calculates its horizontal position and angle through coordinate transformation. After determining the horizontal position of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring, the drone flies horizontally to the center of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring plane. The drone maintains a safe hovering altitude of (the height of the conductor to be inspected + the height of the aircraft's lifting ring + 1m) from the ground. The identified lifting ring angle is used to adjust the drone's body deflection angle until precise alignment is achieved. At this point, the drone opens its lifting claws to the appropriate angle, preparing for docking with the X-ray inspection robot. The height of the lifting ring of the X-ray inspection robot body can be obtained by manually measuring the height from the bottom of the V-shaped groove of the driving wheel of the X-ray inspection robot to the center of the lifting ring above the X-ray inspection robot body.

[0051] ③Connection and lifting stage The drone slowly descends vertically from its safe hovering height. Lifting claws are located on either side of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting rings. When the drone reaches (the height of the conductor to be inspected + the height of the aircraft's lifting rings), the claws close to securely connect the drone to the robot. The ground control station analyzes the optical images captured by the drone's belly camera in real time and uses a feature-matching image analysis algorithm to autonomously determine whether the lifting claws are securely connected to the X-ray inspection robot's lifting rings. If a secure connection is established, the drone slowly ascends, vertically lifting the X-ray inspection robot from the transmission line conductor.

[0052] ④Autonomous offline stage After the X-ray inspection robot detaches from the transmission line conductor, the drone quickly flies to the recorded preset ground landing position according to the planned flight trajectory, and maintains a safe hovering height on the ground (set lifting height + 2m).

[0053] ⑤Equipment landing stage After the drone reaches the preset landing position and safe hovering height, it slowly descends vertically to the set lifting height. The ground control station uses the optical images collected by the camera on the drone's belly to determine whether the X-ray inspection robot has landed smoothly.

[0054] ⑥Connection and separation stage If the X-ray inspection robot has landed smoothly, the ground control station sends a command to open the lifting claws to the drone, and the lifting claws accurately open to the open state; after confirming that the lifting claws are in the open state, the ground control station sends a body height increase or decrease command to the drone again, so that the drone rises smoothly to a certain safe height (such as 50cm), realizing the complete separation of the drone and the X-ray inspection robot.

[0055] ⑦Ground landing phase The drone lands at a location on the ground far away from the X-ray inspection robot according to the control instructions of the ground control station, shuts down after the landing is stable, and the entire inspection operation process is completed.

[0056] This embodiment uses three-dimensional laser point cloud data and transmission line image data to construct a three-dimensional model of the tower line area to be inspected. Based on the three-dimensional model, the landing position of the X-ray inspection robot and the flight trajectory of the drone are determined. According to the determined flight trajectory, the drone performs the lifting function and delivers the X-ray inspection robot to the required location. At the same time, before the lifting connection, the drone and the X-ray inspection robot are aligned and connected to ensure the safety and reliability of the lifting flight. Before the landing, the X-ray inspection robot's posture is adjusted and the contact with the line is determined to ensure that the X-ray inspection robot lands accurately and stably on the transmission line. When landing, the X-ray inspection robot is judged to have landed smoothly to ensure the safe separation of the X-ray inspection robot and the drone. This solves the problem that traditional X-ray inspection robot landing and landing methods cannot meet the requirements of precise deployment and efficient inspection of complex transmission lines and different weather conditions. It effectively reduces the operational difficulty and labor costs, improves the automation level of landing and landing operations, effectively adapts to the diverse needs of transmission line inspection, and provides an efficient and intelligent inspection solution for high-altitude power inspection of transmission lines.

[0057] Example 2 The second embodiment of the present invention introduces a system for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone.

[0058] A drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot autonomously embarks and disembarks system, comprising a ground control station, an X-ray inspection robot, a drone, and an observation wingman, each of which is in communication with the ground control station. Specifically: (1) X-ray inspection robot The X-ray inspection robot integrates key components such as the robot body frame, motion control module, X-ray transmitter, X-ray detector, and the first three-dimensional laser radar. It can autonomously perform X-ray inspection tasks for crimped tubes on multiple split conductors and transmit three-dimensional laser point cloud data and X-ray inspection images back to the ground control station in real time.

[0059] (2) Ground control station The ground control station is equipped with high-performance computers, high-resolution displays, multi-key remote controls, multi-channel wireless communication interfaces and other hardware. It runs powerful system control software and data processing software in real time to achieve remote monitoring and data processing of the entire system.

[0060] The ground control station establishes wireless communication connections with the robot, lifting drone, and observation wingman. It can remotely receive and process the transmitted three-dimensional point cloud data and optical images in real time, intelligently identify basic conditions and operating parameters such as tower type and the number of transmission line splits, generate the autonomous on-line and off-line flight trajectory of the drone lifting robot, and adjust the robot's landing posture.

[0061] (3) Drones The drone is a heavy-load drone that can lift a robot. A first image acquisition module and a lifting claw are installed on its belly. The lifting claw is installed under the belly of the lifting drone and is an auxiliary connection device used to lift the robot onto the overhead transmission line conductor.

[0062] (4) Observation wingman The observation wingman is a light UAV that performs observations before the X-ray inspection operation is carried out. It is equipped with a second image acquisition module and a second three-dimensional laser radar, which can perform high-definition image observation and collect three-dimensional laser point cloud data of the transmission line conductor inspection operation area.

[0063] The detailed steps are the same as the working principles of the autonomous online and offline method for a drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot provided in Example 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0064] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this embodiment and is not intended to limit this embodiment. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that this embodiment may be modified and varied in various ways. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this embodiment shall be within the scope of protection of this embodiment.

Claims

1. A method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone, characterized in that: include: Obtain a three-dimensional model of the tower line area to be inspected; Based on the acquired 3D model, the landing position of the X-ray inspection robot and the flight trajectory of the UAV are determined autonomously; After the drone is hoisted and connected to the X-ray inspection robot, it flies to the landing position and hovers safely at the determined flight trajectory. The X-ray inspection robot adjusts its posture and lands on the line, completing the hoisting and landing process. After landing, the drone returns to the ground along the flight trajectory, and the X-ray inspection robot performs the inspection work; The X-ray inspection robot returns to the drop-line position, and the drone flies to the drop-line position and hovers safely at a height, then is hoisted and connected to the X-ray inspection robot, and the X-ray inspection robot is taken offline; The drone returns to the ground along the determined flight trajectory and separates from the X-ray inspection robot, completing the lifting and offline process.

2. The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Based on the acquired three-dimensional model of the tower line area to be inspected, the ground control station automatically analyzes the transmission line splitting type, transmission line spacing, transmission line inclination, and transmission line obstacle conditions of the tower line to be inspected, and determines the type and model of the UAV and X-ray inspection robot; the position of the transmission line pressure tube in the current tower line area to be inspected is marked in the acquired three-dimensional model, and the pressure tube to be inspected is determined; based on the determined pressure tube to be inspected and the pressure tube position in the three-dimensional model, the greedy algorithm and the heuristic A* search algorithm are used to determine the landing position of the X-ray inspection robot and the hoisting flight trajectory of the UAV.

3. The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Before the drone is hoisted and connected to the X-ray inspection robot, the drone takes off to a safe hovering height on the ground, which is the safe height difference between the drone and the X-ray inspection robot. The drone and the X-ray inspection robot are aligned for takeoff. The optical image collected by the drone is processed in real time based on the visual target recognition algorithm of the oriented gradient histogram feature and the support vector machine classifier. The visual features of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring are automatically identified, and the deflection angle of the drone and the angle of the drone's lifting claw are adjusted based on the position of the lifting ring. The UAV lifting claws are opened, and the lifting claws are located on both sides of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting rings. The UAV descends vertically from the ground's safe hovering height. When the UAV descends to the preset lifting height of the X-ray inspection robot, the UAV lifting claws are closed, and the lifting claws are connected with the X-ray inspection robot's lifting rings. After determining that the UAV and the X-ray inspection robot are firmly connected, the UAV lifts the X-ray inspection robot and takes off, flying to the safe hovering height of the landing line position according to the determined flight trajectory.

4. The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: After the drone hoisted the X-ray inspection robot to a safe hovering height at the landing position, the X-ray inspection robot was powered on and started running. Based on the three-dimensional laser point cloud data of the transmission line obtained by the X-ray inspection robot, the posture offset between the X-ray inspection robot and the transmission line was calculated, and the posture of the X-ray inspection robot was adjusted according to the posture offset. The drone descended, and when all the driving wheels of the X-ray inspection robot were in safe contact with the transmission line, the X-ray inspection robot successfully landed. The drone opened the lifting claw, and the lifting claw separated from the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. The drone rose, and the drone and the X-ray inspection robot were completely separated, completing the lifting and landing of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring and claw connection.

5. The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The posture deviation includes angle deviation, position deviation and height deviation; the angle deviation is the angle difference between the center line of the transmission line and the central axis of the X-ray inspection robot; the position deviation is the position difference between the transmission line and the V-shaped groove of the front drive wheel of the X-ray inspection robot; the height deviation is the height difference between the upper end of the transmission line and the three-dimensional laser radar of the X-ray inspection robot.

6. The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone as described in claim 5, characterized in that: When the angle deviation, position deviation and height deviation between the X-ray inspection robot and the power transmission line are all within the preset deviation range, all driving wheels of the X-ray inspection robot are in safe contact with the power transmission line.

7. The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone as described in claim 1, characterized in that: After completing the inspection operation, the X-ray inspection robot returns to the drop line position of the hoisting line. The X-ray inspection robot is powered off and shut down. The UAV flies to the drop line position and a safe hovering height based on the hoisting flight trajectory. After that, the UAV and the X-ray inspection robot are aligned for takeoff. The visual target recognition algorithm based on the directional gradient histogram feature and the support vector machine classifier identifies the horizontal position and angle of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. The UAV flies horizontally to the center of the horizontal position of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring and adjusts the UAV's deflection angle. The UAV opens the lifting claws, and the lifting claws are located on both sides of the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. The UAV descends vertically from the safe hovering height of the drop line position. When the UAV descends to the preset lifting height of the X-ray inspection robot, the UAV lifting claws close, and the lifting claws engage with the X-ray inspection robot's lifting ring. After determining that the UAV and the X-ray inspection robot are firmly connected, the UAV lifts the X-ray inspection robot and takes off. The X-ray inspection robot is separated from the transmission line, and the UAV flies to a safe hovering height on the ground according to the determined flight trajectory.

8. The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone as described in claim 7, characterized in that: After the drone reaches a safe hovering height on the ground, it descends vertically until it reaches the preset lifting height. The drone determines whether the X-ray inspection robot has landed smoothly. If so, the drone opens the lifting claws, and the lifting claws separate from the X-ray inspection robot's lifting rings. The drone rises, and the drone and the X-ray inspection robot are completely separated, completing the lifting and offline of the X-ray inspection robot.

9. The method for autonomously loading and unloading an X-ray inspection robot by a drone as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The three-dimensional laser point cloud data of the tower area to be inspected and the transmission line image data are obtained, and the acquired data are modeled using the iterative closest point algorithm to obtain a three-dimensional model of the tower and line area to be inspected.

10. A drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot autonomous on-line and off-line system, which adopts a drone-mounted X-ray inspection robot autonomous on-line and off-line method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The invention comprises a ground control station and an X-ray inspection robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an observation wingman respectively connected to the ground control station in communication; wherein the X-ray inspection robot is used to autonomously perform X-ray inspection tasks of crimping tubes on multiple split conductors, and comprises at least an X-ray emission module, an X-ray detector and a first three-dimensional laser radar, and acquires and transmits three-dimensional laser point cloud data and X-ray detection images to the ground control station in real time; a first image acquisition module and a lifting claw are provided on the belly of the UAV, and the lifting claw is provided under the belly of the UAV and is used to connect to and lift the X-ray inspection robot; the observation wingman comprises at least a second three-dimensional laser radar and a second image acquisition module, and is used to acquire three-dimensional laser point cloud data and transmission line image data of the tower area to be inspected.

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