Handheld SLAM device

Abstract

The utility model provides a hand-held SLAM device which comprises a handle, a main frame, a laser radar, a motor and a synchronizing wheel, a laser radar support is arranged on the inner side of a main body of the laser radar, and the laser radar support is fixedly connected with a rotating shaft of the synchronizing wheel driven by the motor. Therefore, when the laser radar performs circumferential scanning in the circumferential direction and the pitch angle range of the preset range, the synchronous wheel is driven by the motor to drive the laser radar to perform transverse overturning around the horizontal axis of the laser radar, so that the radar can collect longitudinal data through transverse overturning while performing circumferential scanning. The vertical field of view is expanded for the laser radar, more environmental data can be acquired, and the sensing accuracy of the laser radar to a complex environment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of lidar technology, and more particularly to a handheld SLAM device. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of autonomous driving and robot navigation technologies, LiDAR, as an important environmental perception sensor, plays a crucial role in providing high-precision depth information. However, LiDAR has a large scanning blind zone in its vertical field of view, making it impossible for a single LiDAR to fully perceive complex environments. Furthermore, existing SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) systems often face the problem of decreased positioning accuracy in feature-sparse environments (such as complex outdoor environments). Therefore, a technical solution is needed to improve the accuracy and robustness of LiDAR in SLAM systems in complex outdoor environments. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention provides a handheld SLAM device to address the shortcomings of existing lidar technology, which suffers from incomplete information in complex environments due to the limited field of view.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a handheld SLAM device, including: a handle, a main frame, a LiDAR, a motor, and a synchronization wheel.

[0005] The main frame includes a top plate and a bottom plate that are opposite each other in the height direction, a front side plate and a rear side plate that are opposite each other in the length direction perpendicular to the height direction, and a left side plate and a right side plate that are opposite each other in the width direction. The top plate, bottom plate, front side plate, rear side plate, left side plate and right side plate together enclose to form a receiving space within the main frame, and the motor and the synchronous pulley are received in the receiving space.

[0006] The handle extends in a direction perpendicular to the base plate, and one end of its length is connected to the outer surface of the base plate;

[0007] The motor is disposed on the inner surface of the base plate and extends in the length direction of the main frame. The motor has a rotation axis parallel to the length direction of the main frame, and one end of the rotation axis near the front side plate extends beyond the motor.

[0008] The synchronous pulley is rotatably fixed to the inner surface of the front side plate and has a rotation axis extending in the length direction of the main frame, one end of the rotation axis of the synchronous pulley extending through the front side plate.

[0009] The lidar includes a lidar body and a lidar bracket. One end of the lidar bracket is fixed to the side of the lidar near the front side plate, and the other end is fixedly connected to one end of the rotation axis of the synchronous pulley that extends through the front side plate.

[0010] Wherein, one end of the rotating shaft of the motor is connected to the portion of the rotating shaft of the synchronous pulley located inside the front side plate via a synchronous belt, and the center of the rotating shaft of the synchronous pulley is on the same straight line as the center of gravity of the lidar.

[0011] The handheld SLAM device provided in this embodiment of the invention features a lidar bracket mounted on the inner side of the lidar body. The lidar bracket is fixedly connected to the rotation axis of a synchronous wheel driven by a motor. This allows the lidar to perform circumferential scanning within a predetermined pitch angle range while simultaneously rotating laterally around its horizontal axis via the synchronous wheel driven by the motor. This expands the lidar's vertical field of view, enabling it to collect more environmental data and improving its accuracy in perceiving complex environments.

[0012] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this utility model more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this utility model are given below. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a handheld SLAM device according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0016] With the continuous development of autonomous driving and robot navigation technologies, LiDAR, as an important environmental perception sensor, plays a crucial role in providing high-precision depth information. However, LiDAR has a large scanning blind zone in its vertical field of view, making it impossible for a single LiDAR to comprehensively perceive complex environments. Furthermore, existing SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) systems often face the problem of decreased positioning accuracy in feature-sparse environments (such as complex outdoor environments). For example, LiDAR typically has a cylindrical shape and sends laser scanning signals in a circumferential scanning manner to a fan-shaped area in front of it, collecting reflected signals to form point cloud data of the area in front. Simultaneously, the circumferential scan of LiDAR usually also has a certain pitch angle in the vertical direction, such as 16 degrees. Thus, LiDAR can provide a scanning range of 360 degrees horizontally and approximately 16 degrees vertically through circumferential scanning. However, such a scanning range has insufficient vertical coverage. In complex environments, traditional LiDAR cannot collect enough information to achieve comprehensive perception of the surrounding environment.

[0017] Therefore, this application provides a handheld SLAM device, such as Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a handheld SLAM device according to an embodiment of this application. The handheld SLAM device according to an embodiment of this application may include: a handle 1, a main frame 2, a LiDAR 3, a motor 4, and a timing wheel 5.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the main frame 2 may include a front side plate 21, a rear side plate 22, a top plate 23, a bottom plate 24, and a main frame support 25. The front side plate 21 and the rear side plate 22 may be opposite each other in the length direction of the main frame, and the top plate 23 and the bottom plate 24 may be opposite each other in the height direction. In this embodiment, the height direction may be the vertical direction of the LiDAR scanning, and the length direction of the main frame may be the front-back direction of the LiDAR in the horizontal direction.

[0019] The handle 1 can be positioned below the main frame 2 and can extend outward in a direction perpendicular to the base plate 24, with one end connected to the outer surface of the base plate 24 along its length. This allows the user to hold the handle 1 while using the handheld SLAM device according to this embodiment to scan the target direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the handle 1 can be positioned below the overall center of gravity of the handheld SLAM device, meaning the centerline of the handle 1 along its length can extend through the overall center of gravity of the handheld SLAM device, making it easier for the user to maintain overall stability of the device while holding the handle 1. Additionally, the front of the handle 1, i.e., the side facing the LiDAR 3, can have one or more grooves extending horizontally. When the user holds the handle 1, these grooves correspond to the user's fingers, enhancing the grip on the handle 1 and reducing the risk of the user's hand slipping on the handle 1 when moving the device, thus reducing the risk of the device falling.

[0020] In addition, in the width direction perpendicular to the length direction, the main frame 2 may also include a left side plate and a right side plate opposite to each other, so that the top plate 23, bottom plate 24, front side plate 21, rear side plate 22, and left and right side plates can be enclosed together to form an accommodating space within the main frame 2.

[0021] The receiving space can accommodate various components of the handheld SLAM device according to this application, such as the motor 4 and the timing wheel 5. The motor 4 can be disposed on the inner surface of the base plate 24 and extend in the length direction of the main frame. The motor 4 may have a rotation axis parallel to the length direction of the main frame 2, and one end of the rotation axis near the front side plate 21 may extend beyond the motor 4.

[0022] The synchronous wheel 5 is rotatably fixed to the inner surface of the front side plate 21 and has a rotation shaft 51 extending along the length of the main frame 2. The rotation shaft 51 of the synchronous wheel 5 can be parallel to the rotation shaft of the motor 4, and one end of it can extend through the front side plate 21 to a predetermined distance, so that the lidar 3 can be fixed to that end. For example, the lidar 3 can include a lidar body 31 and a lidar bracket 32. The lidar body can be a cylindrical shell that houses the lidar components. The lidar bracket 32 ​​can have a horizontally extending cylindrical shape and can be connected to the middle part of the lidar body 31. Specifically, it can be connected to the middle of the side of the lidar body 31 near the front side plate 21, and the other end of the lidar bracket 32 ​​can be fixedly connected to one end of the rotation shaft 51 of the synchronous wheel 5. The rotation shaft 51 of the synchronous wheel 5 can be configured such that its center is on the same straight line as the center of gravity of the lidar 3, that is, the rotation shaft of the synchronous wheel 5 can be configured to be perpendicular to the front side plate 21 and its axis can pass through the center of gravity of the lidar 3. Therefore, when the synchronous wheel 5 rotates around its rotation axis under the drive of the motor 4, the lidar 3 can rotate around the axis that extends in the horizontal direction, that is, in the front-to-back direction of the lidar.

[0023] One end of the rotating shaft of motor 4, extending beyond motor 4 and closer to the front side plate 21, can be connected via a timing belt to the portion of the rotating shaft 51 of timing pulley 5 located inside the front side plate. For example, the timing belt can be a rubber belt with meshing teeth on its inner circumference, and the portion of the rotating shaft 51 of timing pulley 5 and that end of motor 4 can have toothed structures on their outer surfaces corresponding to the meshing teeth of the timing belt. Thus, when the timing belt is fitted onto that portion and that end of motor 4, the meshing teeth on the inner circumference of the timing belt can engage with the corresponding toothed structures. As the rotating shaft of motor 4 rotates, the timing belt can drive the rotating shaft of timing pulley 5 to rotate synchronously, thereby transmitting the rotation of motor 4 to timing pulley 5.

[0024] In this embodiment, the synchronizing pulley 5 can be a planetary gear mechanism, and the synchronizing belt can be connected to the planet carrier of the planetary gear mechanism via, for example, meshing teeth on its inner circumference. The other end of the rotating shaft 51 of the synchronizing pulley 5 can be connected to the rotation center of the sun gear of the planetary gear mechanism, and the housing of the planetary gear mechanism can be fixedly connected to the inner surface of the front side plate 21 by a fastener. Therefore, by means of the speed-changing function of the planetary gear mechanism, the rotational speed at which the final lidar body 31 is driven to rotate can be reduced, thereby achieving smooth rotation of the lidar 3 around the horizontal axis.

[0025] Furthermore, the handheld SLAM device according to embodiments of this application may also include a camera 6, and the main frame support 25 may be located on the side of the top plate 23 near the rear side plate 22. The camera 6 may be disposed at the end of the main frame support 25 away from the top plate 23, and the lens group of the camera 6 may be configured such that its lens surface is directly above the lidar 3. That is, the front end of the camera 6 may be directly above the center of gravity of the lidar 3. The distance between the camera 6 and the lidar 3 in the height direction of the main frame 2 may be, for example, 15 cm. Through this structural relationship between the camera 6 and the lidar 3, the imaging field of view of the camera 6 lens can be avoided from being blocked by the lidar 3 or its data cable, ensuring the imaging effect of the camera on the external environment, thereby enabling more accurate determination of the position of the point cloud data collected by the lidar 3 by means of the image of the surrounding environment collected by the camera 6, and improving the positioning accuracy of the device.

[0026] Furthermore, the handheld SLAM device according to embodiments of this application may also include an inertial measurement unit 7. The inertial measurement unit 7 can be disposed on the inner surface of the rear side plate 22. The center of the inertial measurement unit 7 can be located on the axis of rotation 51 of the synchronous wheel 5, and the midpoint of the inertial measurement unit 7 in the width direction is located directly below the point where the axis of rotation 51 of the synchronous wheel 5 intersects with the plane containing the inner surface of the rear side plate 22. Therefore, the mounting position of the inertial measurement unit 7 can coincide with the rotation axis 51 of the synchronous wheel 5 used to rotate the lidar 3, reducing measurement errors caused by eccentricity during lidar rotation around the horizontal axis. Furthermore, since the inertial measurement unit 7 and the lidar 3 are only spaced a predetermined distance apart in the front-back direction, the coordinate transformation calculation of the acquired data is simplified. In addition, the inertial measurement unit 7 and the lidar 3 are set coaxially, making it easier to unify their inertial coordinate systems with the lidar's coordinate system, thus improving the overall data fusion accuracy of the device.

[0027] Specifically, in this embodiment, high-precision point cloud data can be collected using LiDAR 3, and environmental image data can be acquired using camera 6. Inertial measurement unit 7 can collect the attitude and motion information of the device. Therefore, these three components have a fixed relative positional relationship in the device provided in this embodiment and the coordinate calibration is simplified, so that the data collected by each component can be aligned and fused in the same coordinate system. Thus, deep fusion of the collected data can be achieved, enabling the SLAM device according to this embodiment to achieve more accurate environmental perception capabilities through collaborative data collection and fusion from multiple data sources.

[0028] Furthermore, the handheld SLAM device according to embodiments of this application may also include a display screen 8, which may be disposed on the outer surface of the rear panel 22. For example, in embodiments of this application, a display screen bracket 26 may be further provided. This bracket may have an L-shape, and one end of the short side of the L-shaped bracket may be fixedly connected to the rear panel 22. The display screen 8 may be fixed to the long side of the bracket 26 on the back, thereby achieving a larger fixed area. In embodiments of this application, the bracket may be configured such that the angle between the long and short sides is adjustable, thereby adjusting the viewing angle of the display screen as needed for user convenience.

[0029] Furthermore, the handheld SLAM device according to embodiments of this application may also include a battery pack and a data processing unit. The battery pack may be electrically connected to the motor 4, inertial measurement unit 7, lidar 3, and camera 6 to provide them with power, and the data processing unit may be communicatively connected to the motor 4, inertial measurement unit 7, lidar 3, and camera 6 to receive data from them. For example, in embodiments of this application, the battery pack and data processing unit may be disposed in the receiving space of the main frame 2, and the power lines and data lines may extend to the outside of the main frame 2 through holes provided on the main frame 2 to connect with the motor 4, inertial measurement unit 7, lidar 3, and camera 6. Alternatively, the battery pack and data processing unit may be disposed inside the handle 1, and the power cables for electrical connection to the motor 4, inertial measurement unit 7, lidar 3, and camera 6, and the data cables for communication with the motor 4, inertial measurement unit 7, lidar 3, and camera 6 may pass through the base plate 24 at the location where the handle 1 is fixedly connected to the base plate 24 and enter the receiving space, to electrically and communicatively connect to the motor 4, inertial measurement unit 7, lidar 3, and camera 6, respectively.

[0030] Furthermore, the handheld SLAM device according to embodiments of this application may also include an electric slip ring 9. The electric slip ring 9 can be fixed to the side of the synchronous wheel 5 facing the rear plate 22, and the data cable and power cable of the LiDAR 3 can be connected to a first connection end on the bearing portion of the electric slip ring 9. The second connection end on the side of the electric slip ring 9 facing the rear plate 22 can be connected to the battery pack and the data processing unit, respectively. For example, in this embodiment, the cable of the LiDAR 3 is fixed to the rotation axis of the synchronous wheel 5, so that when the LiDAR 3 rotates under the drive of the synchronous wheel 5, the cable of the LiDAR 3 can rotate with it. On the other hand, since these cables of the LiDAR 3 are connected to the connection end on the bearing portion of the electric slip ring 9, during the rotation of the LiDAR, the cables of the LiDAR 3 can maintain electrical and communication connections with the battery pack and the data processing unit through the connection end on the bearing portion while rotating.

[0031] The handheld SLAM device provided in this embodiment of the invention features a lidar bracket mounted on the inner side of the lidar body. The lidar bracket is fixedly connected to the rotation axis of a synchronous wheel driven by a motor. This allows the lidar to perform circumferential scanning within a predetermined pitch angle range while simultaneously rotating laterally around its horizontal axis via the synchronous wheel driven by the motor. This expands the lidar's vertical field of view, enabling it to collect more environmental data and improving its accuracy in perceiving complex environments.

[0032] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A handheld SLAM device, characterized in that, The handheld SLAM device includes: a handle, a main frame, a LiDAR, a motor, and a timing wheel. The main frame includes a top plate and a bottom plate that are opposite each other in the height direction, a front side plate and a rear side plate that are opposite each other in the length direction perpendicular to the height direction, and a left side plate and a right side plate that are opposite each other in the width direction. The top plate, bottom plate, front side plate, rear side plate, left side plate and right side plate together enclose to form a receiving space within the main frame, and the motor and the synchronous pulley are received in the receiving space. The handle extends in a direction perpendicular to the base plate, and one end of its length is connected to the outer surface of the base plate; The motor is disposed on the inner surface of the base plate and extends in the length direction of the main frame. The motor has a rotation axis parallel to the length direction of the main frame, and one end of the rotation axis near the front side plate extends beyond the motor. The synchronous pulley is rotatably fixed to the inner surface of the front side plate and has a rotation axis extending in the length direction of the main frame, one end of the rotation axis of the synchronous pulley extending through the front side plate. The lidar includes a lidar body and a lidar bracket. One end of the lidar bracket is fixed to the side of the lidar near the front side plate, and the other end is fixedly connected to one end of the rotation axis of the synchronous pulley that extends through the front side plate. Wherein, one end of the rotating shaft of the motor is connected to the portion of the rotating shaft of the synchronous pulley located inside the front side plate via a synchronous belt, and the center of the rotating shaft of the synchronous pulley is on the same straight line as the center of gravity of the lidar.

2. The handheld SLAM device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The synchronizing pulley is a planetary gear mechanism, and the synchronizing belt is connected to the planet carrier of the planetary gear mechanism. The other end of the rotating shaft of the synchronizing pulley is connected to the rotation center of the sun gear of the planetary gear mechanism. The housing of the planetary gear mechanism is fixedly connected to the inner surface of the front side plate by a fastener.

3. The handheld SLAM device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The device also includes a camera, and the main frame also includes a main frame support. The main frame support is disposed on the upper surface of the top plate and located on the side of the top plate closer to the rear side plate, and the main frame support extends in the height direction of the main frame. The camera is positioned at one end of the main frame support away from the top plate, and the lens group of the camera is configured such that its lens surface is directly above the lidar.

4. The handheld SLAM device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The device further includes an inertial measurement unit, which is disposed on the inner surface of the rear side plate and the center of the inertial measurement unit is located on the axis of rotation of the synchronous wheel. The midpoint of the inertial measurement unit in the width direction is located directly below the plane where the axis of rotation of the synchronous wheel intersects with the plane containing the inner surface of the rear side plate.

5. The handheld SLAM device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The distance between the camera and the lidar in the height direction of the main frame is 15cm.

6. The handheld SLAM device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The device also includes a display screen disposed on the outer surface of the rear panel.

7. The handheld SLAM device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The device also includes a battery pack and a data processing unit, wherein the battery pack is electrically connected to the motor, the inertial measurement unit, the lidar, and the camera to provide power thereto, and the data processing unit is communicatively connected to the motor, the inertial measurement unit, the lidar, and the camera to receive data therefrom.

8. The handheld SLAM device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The battery pack and the data processing unit are disposed inside the handle, and the power cables for electrically connecting to the motor, the inertial measurement unit, the lidar, and the camera, as well as the data cables for data communication with the motor, the inertial measurement unit, the lidar, and the camera, pass through the base plate at the position where the handle is fixedly connected to the base plate and enter the receiving space, so as to electrically and communicatively connect to the motor, the inertial measurement unit, the lidar, and the camera respectively.

9. The handheld SLAM device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The device further includes: an electric slip ring, which is fixed to the side of the synchronous pulley facing the rear plate, and the data cable and power cable of the lidar are connected to a first connection end on the bearing portion of the electric slip ring, and a second connection end on the side of the electric slip ring facing the rear plate is respectively connected to the battery pack and the data processing unit.

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