A multi-functional integrated automated testing system and method suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Abstract

This invention discloses a multi-functional integrated automated testing system and method suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), belonging to the field of big data. The system includes: a test item acquisition module for interacting with the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to acquire test tasks and extract test items; an action command sending module for controlling a robotic arm to perform actions on the UAV; a remote control command sending module for sending remote control commands and receiving status feedback; a data acquisition module, including a ground terminal and a web backend; a visualization subsystem for real-time display of test process logs and telemetry data, supporting anomaly detection and test process termination; a data judgment and storage module for comparing and storing test data with reference indicators; and a result sending module for integrating test results into a structured format and uploading them to the MES system. This invention solves the problems of inefficient product quality testing processes and the need to operate different systems.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of big data and relates to a software system that realizes automated testing of drone production lines by integrating the automatic testing, control and data acquisition functions of drone products and the control and data acquisition functions of different systems. Specifically, it relates to a multi-functional integrated automated testing system and method suitable for drones. Background Technology

[0002] Compared with traditional manual testing, automated testing of drone products has advantages such as low cost, high efficiency, and high mission reliability. It can meet the production needs of more complex environments in terms of mobility, flexibility, precision, and intelligence by "winning with quantity, offsetting costs with low cost, and increasing efficiency with intelligence".

[0003] Production Execution Management (MES) systems improve the production efficiency and quality of drone manufacturers by monitoring production progress, quality control, material tracking, and equipment management in real time. This is a standard application scenario in the industrial manufacturing field. Existing drone testing systems still consist of multiple independent modules, with the MES system only responsible for task assignment and information statistics. These existing systems cannot automate the testing process; manual control is still required between different test items. Furthermore, they cannot achieve real-time reception of aircraft telemetry data or transmission of remote control data, necessitating manual data recording using external software. The robotic arm software that performs maneuvers such as flipping and descent is also a separate system requiring individual manual operation. Therefore, previous testing processes required the simultaneous operation of multiple systems, making the workflow extremely cumbersome and complex.

[0004] Therefore, how to integrate the functions of different systems, achieve interconnection and interoperability between different systems, and automate the testing system process to receive and send UAV data are urgent problems to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the above problems, this invention proposes a multi-functional integrated automated testing system and method suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Based on the deficiencies in UAV product manufacturing, and considering the advantages, disadvantages, and adaptability of various commonly used methods, this invention provides a multi-functional integrated automated testing system for UAVs, solving the problems of inefficient product quality testing processes and the need to operate different systems. It mainly includes: 1. Information independence between different systems: The Production Execution System (MES) includes task dispatch and task statistics; the robotic arm host computer software system directly performs operations on the robotic arm through software operation; while the automatic testing software needs to receive task dispatch and upload results from the MES system, and connect with the robotic arm host computer software system to realize the specified operations on the robotic arm in the testing process. 2. Automated implementation of test project processes, including automatic execution of different test items, acquisition of telemetry data involved in each test item process, sending of remote control commands, result judgment and storage; 3. Real-time control of UAV products and real-time feedback of telemetry information.

[0006] Specifically, according to a first aspect of the technical solution of the present invention, a multifunctional integrated automated testing system suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is provided. The testing system is used for information interaction between the UAV, a robotic arm host computer, and a MES system, including: The test project acquisition module is used to interact with MES through the first communication interface to obtain test tasks and extract the corresponding test projects from the test process library based on the task. The motion command sending module is used to communicate with the host computer of the robotic arm through the first communication interface to control the robotic arm to perform motion operations on the drone; The remote control command transmission module is used to send remote control commands to the UAV through the second communication interface and receive its status feedback. The data acquisition module includes a ground terminal and a web backend; the ground terminal receives raw telemetry data sent by the UAV through the second communication interface, parses and converts the data according to the first communication protocol corresponding to the UAV model, and then transmits the results to the web backend in real time through the second communication protocol; The visualization subsystem is used to display test process logs and telemetry data in real time, and supports anomaly detection and test process termination. The data judgment and storage module is used to compare the test data with the reference indicators in the standard result library and store the results in the test result library; The result sending module is used to integrate the test results into a structured format and upload them to the MES system through the first communication interface.

[0007] Furthermore, the first communication interface is an HTTP interface.

[0008] Furthermore, the second communication interface is a serial port.

[0009] Furthermore, the second communication protocol is gRPC.

[0010] Furthermore, the test task received by the test project acquisition module includes the drone model, task number, production line name, test time, test personnel, robotic arm code, and production barcode information.

[0011] Furthermore, the motion command sending module supports sending various motion commands to the robotic arm, including "deliver the drone to the hatch", "move to the initial test position", "roll", and "lift / lower", and resends and controls the process if no feedback is received within the timeout period.

[0012] Furthermore, the remote control command sending module parses the communication protocol according to the UAV model, sends program control commands, training machine settings, and motor start commands in binary stream form via serial port, and verifies the execution status by querying the commands.

[0013] Furthermore, in the data acquisition module, the ground terminal has a built-in protocol parser that receives the raw data stream from the UAV via a serial port. Based on the communication protocol that matches the UAV flight control system, it completes data frame synchronization, field extraction, and physical quantity conversion to obtain structured telemetry data. The converted data is then pushed to the Web backend in real time via the gRPC protocol.

[0014] Furthermore, the data acquisition module uses the gRPC remote call framework to realize real-time data transmission between the ground terminal and the Web backend, and uses the Protobuf protocol to define data structures to improve parsing efficiency.

[0015] Furthermore, the visualization subsystem is developed based on the Vue.js front-end framework, supports cross-platform deployment, and obtains real-time telemetry data from the Web backend through polling for display and verification.

[0016] Furthermore, the data judgment and storage module compares the collected data with preset indicators in real time during the test, automatically determines whether the test item is qualified or not, and writes the result into the database.

[0017] Furthermore, the result sending module integrates the test results into a JSON format document and uploads it to the MES system via an HTTP interface to complete the closed-loop management of the test task.

[0018] Furthermore, the test process library stores test items for each model in JSON format, including test order, instruction parameters and execution logic, and supports dynamic calling based on the model.

[0019] Furthermore, the system supports customized configuration of the testing process, allowing users to adapt to the specific testing needs of different drones by modifying the items and parameters in the testing process library.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a multi-functional integrated automated testing method suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is provided. The method is based on system operation according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the method includes the following steps: S1: Receive test tasks from the MES system, parse the task information and match the corresponding test process; S2: Execute each test item in the test process sequentially, and automatically perform the following operations for each test item: control the robotic arm to complete the specified actions on the drone; send the corresponding remote control commands to the drone and verify the execution status; collect drone telemetry data in real time and transmit it to the backend system; display the data and test progress in real time on the visual interface, and monitor for anomalies. S3: Automatically compare the collected data with preset standards, determine the test results, and store them; S4: After all test items have been executed, integrate the test results and report them to the MES system.

[0021] Furthermore, in step S2, the process of controlling the robotic arm includes: sending action command parameters through an HTTP interface, waiting for feedback from the robotic arm, and triggering a retry mechanism if a timeout occurs.

[0022] Furthermore, in step S2, the process of real-time acquisition of telemetry data includes: the ground terminal receiving binary stream data through a serial port, parsing it, and then streaming it to the Web backend via gRPC.

[0023] Furthermore, in step S2, the visualization includes: obtaining the latest telemetry data through the front-end polling interface, updating the chart and log interface, and automatically triggering test pause or termination when data is abnormal.

[0024] Furthermore, in step S5, the test process supports dynamic selection based on the device model, and the test items and judgment thresholds can be flexibly adjusted through the configuration library to adapt to different test scenarios.

[0025] The advantages of this invention compared to the prior art are as follows: 1. By constructing a unified system integration platform based on standardized interfaces (HTTP / gRPC), the principle of interconnection and centralized scheduling of heterogeneous systems such as MES, robotic arm control system and UAV data link was realized, which fundamentally solved the problems of fragmented testing process and cumbersome operation.

[0026] Specifically, this method enables task assignment, robotic arm action execution, and drone remote control and telemetry data flow to automatically flow within a single platform, replacing the original mode that required manual switching and operation of multiple independent systems. It not only simplifies the complex multi-system collaborative operation into a "one-click" automated process, significantly reducing the difficulty of operation and labor costs, but also ensures that the input conditions and execution steps of each test are completely consistent, significantly improving the repeatability and comparability of test results.

[0027] 2. By adopting a configurable JSON format test process library and an automated process execution engine, the principle of separating test logic from business code and programmable test sequences was achieved, resulting in highly flexible test processes and significantly improved execution efficiency.

[0028] Specifically, this approach allows users to flexibly define, combine, and adjust test items, parameters, and judgment logic by modifying configuration files, enabling the system to quickly adapt to different models and testing requirements, thus achieving "flexible testing." Simultaneously, the engine automatically drives the robotic arm to operate, send commands, and collect data sequentially, transforming the previously discrete process of manual step-by-step operation, recording, and judgment into a continuous, high-speed automated pipeline. This reduces the cycle time of a single complete test from hours to minutes, resulting in an order-of-magnitude improvement in testing efficiency.

[0029] 3. By introducing a high-performance communication link based on the gRPC remote procedure call framework and the Protobuf protocol, the principle of low-latency, high-reliability streaming transmission and real-time parsing of telemetry data from the UAV to the monitoring end was realized, achieving the technical effect of visualized monitoring and online security intervention capabilities in the testing process.

[0030] Specifically, this method ensures that key parameters such as flight attitude and motor status are refreshed and graphically displayed on the front-end interface in real time with millisecond latency, providing testers with an immersive monitoring experience. Based on this real-time data stream, the system can dynamically execute preset judgment logic. Once an anomaly is detected, it can automatically trigger a pause or termination of the process, thus proactively intervening before equipment failure or loss of flight attitude occurs. This effectively avoids potential property damage during testing and improves the safety and reliability of the entire testing system.

[0031] 4. By implementing a fully automated data collection, standardized judgment, and structured storage mechanism, the principle of accurate correlation and accumulation of test data with test tasks and test projects throughout the entire process has been realized, resulting in the technical effect of building high-quality test data assets and empowering product iteration and process optimization.

[0032] Specifically, this approach ensures that the raw data, process logs, judgment results, and environmental context of each test are automatically linked and stored, forming a complete and traceable data chain. This not only enables rapid and accurate root cause location and analysis when quality issues arise, shortening troubleshooting time, but more importantly, the accumulated structured big data provides a solid data foundation for subsequent use of data analysis to optimize UAV control algorithms, improve testing standards, and predict component lifespan. This transforms testing from a simple "quality inspection" step into a "data engine" driving continuous product improvement. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This invention illustrates a multi-functional integrated automated testing system suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A flowchart of an action instruction sending module according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0035] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure are for distinguishing similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this disclosure described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0036] Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0037] Multiple, including two or more.

[0038] And / or, it should be understood that, for the purposes of this disclosure, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0039] This invention proposes a multi-functional integrated automated testing system and method suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which mainly includes three parts: It features information exchange capabilities with different systems, allowing users to either wait for task assignments or proactively send information. Through integrated multi-functional interfaces, it enables interconnectivity with various systems, achieving real-time control of the drone and linking it to production line tasks. This improves the efficiency of information exchange between different systems and facilitates the efficient mass production of drone products.

[0040] The workflow for each test item is automated, including data acquisition, command sending, result judgment, and storage. By controlling and fully automating the testing, recording, and judgment of multiple test items, errors that may be caused by manual operation are reduced, and testing efficiency is effectively improved.

[0041] Real-time control of UAV products and real-time feedback of flight test information. Interconnection between the software backend and aircraft data is achieved through polling and a gRPC (gRPC) framework, enabling visualized data operation and real-time data verification on the front-end interface.

[0042] Example like Figure 1 As shown, a multi-functional integrated automated testing system suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles includes the following sub-modules: 1. Test project acquisition module and test process library The test project acquisition module interacts with the MES system via an HTTP interface to obtain the test tasks issued by the MES system. Based on the test machine model in the issued test task, it retrieves the current test project from the test process library and begins to execute the test of a specific test project.

[0043] Once the testing software is accessed, it will continuously wait for the MES to issue test tasks until a timeout occurs or a test task is received, at which point the waiting will cease. The test tasks received by the system include basic information such as the drone model being tested, task number, production line name, test time, test personnel, robotic arm code used, and production barcode. Based on the drone model, the system retrieves the test items for that model from the test process library. These test items are in JSON format, specifying the instructions, parameters, and corresponding test order for each item.

[0044] 2. Action command sending module Each test item's process includes performing actions on the drone and sending remote control commands to it. The drone's actions are achieved through interaction with the robotic arm's host computer, using an HTTP interface. The interaction flowchart for this module is shown in Figure 2.

[0045] The system sends motion commands to the robotic arm's host computer software. Upon receiving the commands, the robotic arm software identifies the robotic arm number and the specific motion to be executed, and then performs the corresponding actions on the drone. Common robotic arm actions include "deliver the drone to the hatch," "move the drone to the initial test position," "roll right / left and tilt 90 degrees," and "move up / down 50cm to the lowest test position." These commands are transmitted to the robotic arm's host computer software via HTTP interface parameters. After receiving the commands, the host computer first sends a feedback message confirming receipt. Subsequently, it executes the corresponding operations on the robotic arm. Because the robotic arm has grasped the drone, the drone will follow suit.

[0046] After the robotic arm completes its action, the robotic arm's host computer software sends a completion notification to the automatic testing software. In this section, after sending the action command, the automatic testing software automatically calls a wait function to continuously wait for action feedback from the robotic arm's host computer software. If no response is received within a timeout period, the command will be resent twice. If no response is received after three resentments, the testing process ends. If a response is received, the sending of this part of the action command ends, and remote control command sending continues.

[0047] 3. Remote control command transmission module The remote control command sending module is implemented by the ground terminal. The ground terminal parses the communication protocol according to the UAV model and sends remote control commands to the UAV in binary stream form through the serial port. These commands include sending program control commands, setting the UAV as a training machine, and starting the motors. The ground terminal also obtains the UAV status through remote control query commands and verifies whether the remote control commands were sent successfully.

[0048] 4. Data Acquisition Module The data acquisition module consists of a web application backend and a ground terminal. The ground terminal receives telemetry data via a serial port and converts the binary stream into specific numerical values ​​using the UAV protocol. Then, the ground terminal and the system's web backend transmit data in real time via the gRPC communication protocol, and the data is displayed in real time on the web frontend.

[0049] This system utilizes gRPC (gRemote Procedure Call), a high-performance, open-source framework that allows client applications to directly invoke server application methods located on different machines. This enables non-local deployment of the system and simplifies application and service creation. Furthermore, the protocol supports calls between different languages. By leveraging the Protobuf mechanism, data structures are defined in the .proto file, and the protoc compiler generates data access classes for different languages, accelerating system communication efficiency and providing faster data parsing speeds.

[0050] The web backend is implemented using the Spring Boot framework, enabling rapid application setup and deployment. This part uses the gRPC framework to communicate with the ground terminal and provides an HTTP interface for the system front-end interface, robotic arm host computer software, and MES system to call.

[0051] 5. Visualization Subsystem The visualization subsystem module not only displays each test process as logs on the interface, but also periodically retrieves and queries aircraft telemetry data from the system's web backend via polling for real-time verification. It terminates the test process upon detecting extremely abnormal data. This module is developed using the lightweight front-end framework Vue.js, resulting in a clean, flexible, and efficient interface. The compiled interface can be deployed on various platforms, such as Linux, Windows, and ARM.

[0052] 6. Data Decision and Storage Module The standard results database stores reference indicators for each test item of each model. The system compares the data results of the current test item with the reference indicators and stores the data and results of the test item and whether they are qualified into the data results database.

[0053] 7. Result Sending Module and Test Result Library If all test items are not completed, the system will continue to send action commands, send remote control commands, collect data, judge data and store data based on the test items obtained from the test process library at the beginning, until all test items are completed.

[0054] Once all tests are completed, the results sending module integrates the data, generates a test result document, and uploads the results to the MES system via an HTTP interface. This module reads all results from the test result database and integrates them into JSON format.

[0055] In summary, this system effectively integrates the task distribution and management functions of the MES system, and the operation functions of the robotic arm's host computer software for the drone. It also enables remote control of the drone and real-time reception and visualization of telemetry data, simplifying the testing process, reducing manual testing costs, and improving testing efficiency. This system ensures test consistency and repeatability, guaranteeing the comparability and reliability of each test result. Furthermore, the system can be customized according to the specific needs of the drone by configuring the test process library to meet specific testing requirements. Compared to existing technologies, this invention integrates the interfaces of different systems, achieving interoperability between different system software, ensuring consistency in each test, and reducing errors caused by human factors. This invention is simple to operate, reducing reliance on professional personnel and lowering testing costs. This invention automates all test items, significantly reducing the time and cost of manual operation and improving testing efficiency. It also allows for customized configuration to meet specific testing needs. This invention provides automated real-time feedback of drone data and stores the drone's test data and results, facilitating rapid problem localization and enabling subsequent analysis by a professional team to optimize drone performance and testing processes.

[0056] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-functional integrated automated testing system suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the testing system being used for information interaction between the UAV, the robotic arm host computer, and the MES system, characterized in that, include: The test project acquisition module is used to interact with MES through the first communication interface to obtain test tasks and extract the corresponding test projects from the test process library based on the task. The motion command sending module is used to communicate with the host computer of the robotic arm through the first communication interface to control the robotic arm to perform motion operations on the drone; The remote control command transmission module is used to send remote control commands to the UAV through the second communication interface and receive its status feedback. The data acquisition module includes a ground terminal and a web backend; the ground terminal receives raw telemetry data sent by the UAV through the second communication interface, parses and converts the data according to the first communication protocol corresponding to the UAV model, and then transmits the results to the web backend in real time through the second communication protocol; The visualization subsystem is used to display test process logs and telemetry data in real time, and supports anomaly detection and test process termination. The data judgment and storage module is used to compare the test data with the reference indicators in the standard result library and store the results in the test result library; The result sending module is used to integrate the test results into a structured format and upload them to the MES system through the first communication interface.

2. The multifunctional integrated automated testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test task received by the test project acquisition module includes the drone model, task number, production line name, test time, test personnel, robotic arm code, and production barcode information.

3. The multifunctional integrated automated testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The remote control command sending module parses the communication protocol according to the UAV model, sends program control commands, training machine settings, and motor start commands in binary stream form through the serial port, and verifies the execution status by querying the commands.

4. The multifunctional integrated automated testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition module uses the gRPC remote call framework to realize real-time data transmission between the ground terminal and the web backend, and uses the Protobuf protocol to define the data structure to improve parsing efficiency.

5. The multifunctional integrated automated testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The visualization subsystem is developed based on the Vue.js front-end framework, supports cross-platform deployment, and obtains real-time telemetry data from the Web backend through polling for display and verification.

6. The multifunctional integrated automated testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data judgment and storage module compares the collected data with preset indicators in real time during the test, automatically determines whether the test item is qualified or not, and writes the result into the database.

7. The multifunctional integrated automated testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The result sending module integrates the test results into a JSON format document and uploads it to the MES system via an HTTP interface, thus completing the closed-loop management of the test task.

8. The multifunctional integrated automated testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test process library stores test items for each device model in JSON format, including test order, instruction parameters and execution logic, and supports dynamic calling based on device model.

9. The multifunctional integrated automated testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system supports customized configuration of test processes, allowing users to adapt to the specific testing needs of different drones by modifying the items and parameters in the test process library.

10. A multifunctional integrated automated testing method suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that, The method is based on system operation according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the method includes the following steps: S1: Receive test tasks from the MES system, parse the task information and match the corresponding test process; S2: Execute each test item in the test process sequentially, and automatically perform the following operations for each test item: control the robotic arm to complete the specified actions on the drone; send the corresponding remote control commands to the drone and verify the execution status; collect drone telemetry data in real time and transmit it to the backend system; display the data and test progress in real time on the visual interface, and monitor for anomalies. S3: Automatically compare the collected data with preset standards, determine the test results, and store them; S4: After all test items have been executed, integrate the test results and report them to the MES system.

Images