Panoramic camera drone

Abstract

This application belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle technology, and particularly relates to a panoramic camera unmanned aerial vehicle. The panoramic camera unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage with a hollow structure, a plurality of cameras, a stabilizer, and a main power device. The main power device can be configured in the form of a first rotor system and a first rotating mechanism, and the first rotating mechanism controls the rotation of the first rotor system to generate a thrust for the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The main power device can also be configured in the form of a second rotor system. The second rotor system includes a rotor and a swashplate tilting mechanism, and the swashplate tilting mechanism can control the swashplate of the rotor to rotate relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust for the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The first rotor system or the second rotor system is arranged inside the fuselage. The stabilizer can output a torque for rotating the fuselage and / or a thrust for translating the unmanned aerial vehicle. The panoramic camera unmanned aerial vehicle of this application can capture 720° panoramic images, and the attitude of the fuselage can be maintained within a preset range during flight to ensure the stability of the captured panoramic images.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and particularly relates to a panoramic camera unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the development of microelectronics technology and new materials, consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles (mainly helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles) have developed rapidly. Early consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles were traditional helicopters, mainly with two configurations: coaxial double rotors and single rotor plus tail rotor. In recent years, multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles, mainly quad-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles, have become the mainstream in the market.

[0003] The most important application of consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles is photography. With the rapid development of AR / VR applications, panoramic images are an important direction in the future imaging field. The shooting of panoramic images requires multiple cameras to be arranged in a surrounding manner and all cameras to shoot synchronously, and then image algorithms are used for stitching. The current method for unmanned aerial vehicles to shoot panoramic images is: using a gimbal to hang a spherical pod, and arranging multiple cameras around the pod for shooting. Since the pod is hung under the unmanned aerial vehicle, it is impossible to shoot the scene above the pod, that is, it is impossible to shoot 720° images.

[0004] In addition, according to the flight control principles of traditional helicopters and multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles, during flight, the unmanned aerial vehicle is not stable and motionless. In cases such as acceleration and deceleration, wind speed change, or wind direction change, the unmanned aerial vehicle needs to make pitching motion and / or rolling motion to achieve flight control. For example: when flying forward, the unmanned aerial vehicle needs to lower its head to generate forward thrust, and when flying sideways or there is a lateral wind, the unmanned aerial vehicle needs to roll to generate lateral thrust. Since the panoramic image is formed by multiple cameras shooting synchronously, this pitching motion and rolling motion of the unmanned aerial vehicle will affect the quality of the captured panoramic image. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of this application is to provide a panoramic camera unmanned aerial vehicle to solve the technical problems that existing unmanned aerial vehicles cannot shoot 720° panoramic images and the stability of the captured panoramic images is relatively low.

[0006] The embodiments of this application provide a panoramic camera unmanned aerial vehicle, including:

[0007] A fuselage, which is a hollow structure;

[0008] At least two cameras, installed on the fuselage, for shooting panoramic images;

[0009] A stabilizer, for outputting a torque to rotate the fuselage so that the attitude of the fuselage is controlled within a preset range and / or a thrust to translate the panoramic camera unmanned aerial vehicle; and

[0010] The main power device includes a first rotor system, a rotor bracket, and a first rotating mechanism. The first rotor system is mounted on the rotor bracket, and the rotor bracket is rotatably connected to the fuselage through the first rotating mechanism. The first rotor system is inside the fuselage. The first rotating mechanism can control the first rotor system to rotate around the rotation axis of the first rotating mechanism to generate a thrust for translating the panoramic camera drone along a first direction.

[0011] Alternatively, the main power device includes a second rotor system. The second rotor system is mounted inside the fuselage. The second rotor system includes a rotor and a swashplate tilting mechanism. The number of rotors is one or more, and the swashplate tilting mechanism can control the swashplate of at least one rotor to rotate relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust for translating the panoramic camera drone.

[0012] Optionally, at least one of the stabilizers can output a moment for causing the fuselage to perform a pitching motion.

[0013] At least one of the stabilizers can output a moment for causing the fuselage to perform a rolling motion.

[0014] Optionally, at least one of the stabilizers can output a moment for causing the fuselage to perform a yawing motion.

[0015] Optionally, when the main power device includes a first rotor system, at least one of the stabilizers can output a thrust for translating the panoramic camera drone along a second direction, and the second direction is not parallel to the first direction.

[0016] Optionally, the included angle range between the first direction and the second direction is 75° to 90°.

[0017] Optionally, the panoramic camera drone further includes a second rotating mechanism. At least one of the stabilizers is connected to the fuselage or the rotor bracket through the second rotating mechanism. The second rotating mechanism can control the rotation of the stabilizer to adjust the direction of the moment output by the stabilizer and / or control the stabilizer to output a thrust for translating the panoramic camera drone.

[0018] Optionally, at least one of the stabilizers includes a deflector and a servo. The deflector is disposed above or below the rotor, and the servo is used to control the rotation of the deflector to control the moment output by the stabilizer.

[0019] Optionally, at least one of the stabilizers is a rotor or a fan.

[0020] Optionally, the fuselage includes a first frame, a second frame, and a folding mechanism. The first frame and the second frame are rotatably connected by the folding mechanism so that the second frame can be folded and unfolded relative to the first frame.

[0021] Optionally, the fuselage includes a first frame, a second frame, and a guide rail mechanism. The second frame is slidably connected to the first frame through the guide rail mechanism so that the second frame can be retracted and opened relative to the first frame.

[0022] The technical effects of the panoramic camera drone provided by the embodiments of the present application compared with the prior art are as follows: The fuselage of the panoramic camera drone is a hollow structure, and a plurality of cameras are arranged around the fuselage, which can capture 720° panoramic images; the panoramic camera drone includes a main power device and a stabilizer. The main power device can be configured in the form of a first rotor system and a first rotating mechanism. The first rotating mechanism controls the first rotor system to rotate around the rotation axis of the first rotating mechanism to generate a thrust for the drone to translate in the first direction. The main power device can also be configured in the form of a second rotor system. The second rotor system includes a rotor and a swashplate tilting mechanism. The swashplate tilting mechanism can control the swashplate of the rotor to rotate relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust for the drone to translate; at the same time, the stabilizer can also output a thrust for the drone to translate; therefore, the panoramic camera drone can achieve flight control without adjusting the fuselage attitude. In addition, the panoramic camera drone is also provided with a stabilizer, which can output a torque for the fuselage to rotate to control the fuselage attitude within a preset range and ensure the stability of the captured panoramic images. Compared with multi-rotor drones of the same size, the panoramic camera drone has larger rotor sizes and higher power efficiency. Description of the Drawings

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional assembly drawing of a panoramic camera drone provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 For Figure 1 the three-dimensional exploded view of the panoramic camera drone;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional assembly drawing of a panoramic camera drone provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4The three-dimensional assembly drawing of the panoramic camera drone provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 The three-dimensional assembly drawing of the panoramic camera drone provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 6 The three-dimensional assembly drawing of the panoramic camera drone provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 7 (a), Figure 7 (b) are respectively the three-dimensional assembly drawings of two second rotor systems of the panoramic camera drone applicable to Figure 6 ;

[0031] Figure 8 The three-dimensional assembly drawing of the panoramic camera drone provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 9 The three-dimensional assembly drawing of the panoramic camera drone provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 10 For Figure 5 the schematic structural diagram of the folded panoramic camera drone. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the embodiments of the present application.

[0036] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present application, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0037] In the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, terms such as "installation", "connection", "coupling", "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0038] The present application provides a panoramic camera drone. Please refer to Figure 1 , which includes a fuselage 100, a plurality of cameras 200, stabilizers (310, 320, 330) and a main power device 400. The fuselage 100 has a hollow structure. The main power device includes rotors 411, and the rotors 411 are inside the fuselage 100. The main power device 400 is the main power device of the drone, providing most of the lift, translational thrust and yaw moment for the drone to fly. The stabilizers (310, 320, 330) are used to output at least one of the torque for rotating the fuselage 100 and the thrust for translating the drone. Among them, the thrust for translating the drone is used to assist the main power device to achieve the flight control of the drone, and the torque for rotating the fuselage 100 is used to control the attitude of the fuselage 100 within a preset range.

[0039] A plurality of cameras are provided on the fuselage 100. These cameras shoot synchronously, and then the images they shoot can be synthesized into a panoramic image using image algorithms. However, if the attitude of the fuselage 100 swings frequently, it will affect the quality of the panoramic image. The fuselage attitude includes the pitch angle, roll angle and yaw angle of the fuselage 100. Assuming that the arrow direction of the X-axis points to the nose direction, then, according to the description habit of the drone, the drone's rotation around the Y-axis is called pitch motion, the rotation around the X-axis is called roll motion, and the rotation around the Z-axis is called yaw motion. Since the panoramic camera drone is provided with a plurality of cameras 200 around the fuselage 100 for shooting, therefore, compared with the yaw angle, the stability of the pitch angle and roll angle has a greater impact on the quality of the panoramic image, that is, the pitch motion and roll motion of the fuselage 100 have a greater impact on the quality of the panoramic image. Therefore, the primary goal of controlling the fuselage attitude is to control the swing range of the pitch angle and roll angle of the fuselage. For example, the control range of the pitch angle and roll angle of the fuselage 100 can be preset to ±3°, that is, to control the Z-axis of the drone to be basically vertically upward. The stabilizers (310, 320, 330) output the torque for rotating the fuselage 100, and are used to control the attitude of the fuselage 100 within a preset range.

[0040] The fuselage 100 of the drone in this application is a hollow structure, and a plurality of cameras 200 are arranged around the fuselage 100, which can capture 720° panoramic images. The drone in this application adopts the tilt-rotor technology, and the flight control of the drone can be realized while keeping the attitude of the fuselage 100 unchanged. At the same time, the drone in this application is provided with stabilizers (310, 320, 330) to counteract external interference (such as wind force) or movement inertia, and control the attitude of the fuselage 100 within a preset range. During flight, the fuselage attitude of the drone in this application is highly stable and is suitable for being used as a camera platform, especially suitable for capturing panoramic images.

[0041] Example Group 1:

[0042] An example drone in this example group is as Figure 1 , Figure 2 shown, and includes a fuselage 100, a plurality of cameras 200, stabilizers (310, 320, 330) and a main power device 400. The main power device 400 includes a first rotor system 410, a rotor bracket 420 and a first rotating mechanism 430.

[0043] The fuselage 100 is a hollow structure and may include a frame 110 and a movement 120. Usually, the movement 120 is inside the frame 110. Inside the movement 120, components such as a battery, a main control circuit board, a flight controller, and a wireless communication module can usually be placed, and it has a relatively large weight. What specific modules are included in the movement 120 is not limited in this application. The cameras 200 are arranged around the fuselage 100, usually on the frame 110, for capturing panoramic images. The modules inside the movement 120 and the cameras 200 are prior art.

[0044] The first rotor system 410 includes one or more rotors 411, which is the main power device of the drone and provides most of the lift, thrust, and yaw moment required for the drone to fly. The first rotor system 410 is installed on the rotor bracket 420 and is inside the fuselage 100. The first rotor system 410 has various implementation manners. One implementation manner is as Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the first rotor system 410 includes two rotors 411 and two motors 412. The two motors 412 are mounted on the rotor bracket 420, one facing upward and the other facing downward. The two rotors 411 are respectively mounted on the two motors 412 and rotate in opposite directions. The rotational torques of the two rotors 411 can cancel each other out or their difference is used as a yaw moment. Another implementation of the first rotor system 410 is that the first rotor system 410 includes one rotor, one motor, and a yaw mechanism. The rotor is mounted on the motor, and the motor is mounted on the rotor bracket 420; the yaw mechanism includes some control surfaces provided below the rotor. The control surfaces can be mounted on the rotor bracket 420 or on the fuselage 100. The control surfaces use the downwash airflow of the rotor to generate a moment that causes the UAV to rotate around the Z axis. The moment and the rotational torque of the rotor can cancel each other out or their difference is used to control the yaw movement of the UAV. The yaw mechanism is a prior art and is commonly used in ducted UAVs, so it will not be elaborated in this application.

[0045] The rotor bracket 420 is rotatably connected to the fuselage 100 through a first rotation mechanism 430. The first rotation mechanism 430 can control the first rotor system 410 to rotate around the rotation axis of the first rotation mechanism 430 (i.e., the Y axis), so as to generate a thrust for translating the fuselage 100 along the first direction. The first direction is the X axis direction, which can control the UAV to fly along the X axis or cancel the external force in the X axis direction.

[0046] The two stabilizers (320, 330) are used to output a thrust for translating the fuselage 100 along the second direction. The second direction is the Y axis direction, that is, the stabilizers (320, 330) can drive the UAV to fly along the Y axis or cancel the external force in the Y axis direction. In principle, as long as the second direction and the first direction are not parallel, flight control of the UAV can be achieved. Usually, the included angle range between the first direction and the second direction is 75° to 90°, which can be specifically set as required. Figure 1 As shown in the preferred solution, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0047] As described above, by synergistically controlling the main power device and the two stabilizers (320, 330), the UAV in this embodiment is different from traditional helicopters and multi-rotor UAVs. The fuselage 100 can achieve flight control without making pitch and roll movements.

[0048] Three stabilizers (310, 320, 330) are used to output the torque that rotates the fuselage 100 to counteract the motion inertia and external forces and control the attitude of the fuselage 100 within a preset range. Assuming that the arrow direction of the X-axis points to the nose direction, according to the description convention of the drone, the rotation of the drone around the Y-axis is called the pitch motion, and the rotation around the X-axis is called the roll motion. Then, the stabilizer 310 can output the torque that causes the drone to perform the pitch motion to control the pitch angle of the fuselage 100, and the stabilizers 320 and 330 can output the torque that causes the drone to perform the roll motion to control the roll angle of the fuselage 100. According to the current attitude of the fuselage 100, by controlling the magnitude of the torque output by the three stabilizers (310, 320, 330), the pitch angle and roll angle of the fuselage 100 can be controlled within a preset range. There are many mature algorithms for calculating the output of the stabilizers (310, 320, 330) based on the attitude of the fuselage 100, such as the traditional PID algorithm, which will not be elaborated in this application.

[0049] It should be noted that Figure 1 The shown drone is not provided with a stabilizer that can output the yaw torque, and the yaw angle of the fuselage is controlled by the first rotor system 410.

[0050] It should be noted that Figure 1 In the shown drone, the stabilizers 320 and 330 are used not only to output the thrust for the drone to translate but also to output the torque for controlling the attitude of the fuselage.

[0051] The first rotating mechanism 430 has various implementation manners. In one implementation manner, the first rotating mechanism 430 is a shaft system structure, including a first bearing 431, a first rotating shaft 432, and a first rotation controller 433. The first rotating shaft 432 is provided on the rotor bracket 420, the first bearing 431 is provided on the fuselage 100, and the first rotation controller 433 is provided on the fuselage 100 and connected to the first rotating shaft 432. Or vice versa, the first bearing 431 is provided on the rotor bracket 420, the first rotating shaft 432 is provided on the fuselage 100, and the first rotation controller 433 is provided on the rotor bracket 420 and connected to the first rotating shaft 432. The first rotation controller 433 can control the rotor bracket 420 to rotate around the rotation axis of the first rotating mechanism 430 (i.e., the Y-axis). The first rotation controller 433 has various implementation manners. One implementation manner includes a motor, a transmission and reduction component, and a motor control component, etc. In Figure 2 it is schematically shown by the motor 4331 and the gear set 4332, which belongs to the prior art.

[0052] There are various implementation manners of the stabilizer. The stabilizers (310, 320, 330) in this embodiment are rotors or fans, such as Figure 1As shown. The stabilizer can be a small-sized rotor with two or more blades, usually with a relatively small pitch; the stabilizer can also be a fan with two or more blades, usually with more blades and a relatively large pitch. Further, as Figure 1 shown, the stabilizer based on rotor or fan technology can also include a duct, which can improve power efficiency. The stabilizer (310, 320, 330) can output a unidirectional torque and / or thrust, or can output a bidirectional torque and / or thrust. One implementation of outputting a bidirectional torque and / or thrust is: setting two motors and two sets of blades, and each motor drives one set of blades to rotate to output bidirectional wind force; another implementation is: only setting one motor and one set of blades, and controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the motor to output bidirectional wind force.

[0053] Another embodiment of the unmanned aerial vehicle is as Figure 3 shown. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage 100, a plurality of cameras 200, stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340, 350) and a main power device 400. The main power device 400 includes a first rotor system 410, a rotor bracket 420 and a first rotating mechanism 430. Among them, the fuselage 100, the cameras 200 and the main power device 400 are the same as those of the Figure 1 unmanned aerial vehicle shown and will not be described in detail.

[0054] Figure 3 In the unmanned aerial vehicle shown, the stabilizer 350 is used to output a thrust for the unmanned aerial vehicle to translate along the Y axis (i.e., the second direction). Four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) are used to control the attitude of the fuselage 100. They adopt another implementation of the stabilizer, including guide vanes (311, 321, 331, 341) and a servo (not shown in the figure). The guide vanes (311, 321, 331, 341) are arranged below the rotor 411, and the downwash airflow of the rotor 411 flows through the guide vanes (311, 321, 331, 341) to generate a torque for rotating the fuselage 100; the servo controls the rotation of the guide vanes (311, 321, 331, 341) to control the output torque, and can control the magnitude of the torque and also the direction of the torque. The servo usually includes components such as a motor, a transmission and reduction component, and a motor control component, which belong to the prior art. There are various implementations of the guide vanes. One implementation is based on the principle of a fixed wing. When the rotor airflow flows through the guide vanes, a pressure difference will be generated on both sides of the guide vanes, thereby outputting a torque; another implementation is that one surface of the guide vane faces the rotor airflow, and the pressure of the rotor airflow on the guide vane is used to output a torque. Figure 3The stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) shown adopt the latter implementation mode, and their basic working process is as follows: Assuming that the arrow direction of the X-axis is the nose direction of the UAV, then the stabilizers 310 and 320 can output roll torques, that is, torques that cause the UAV to rotate around the X-axis. For example, controlling the guide vanes 311 of the stabilizer 310 to open outwards, increasing the pressure of the rotor airflow on the guide vanes 311, and controlling the guide vanes 321 of the stabilizer 320 to move closer inwards, reducing the pressure of the rotor airflow on the guide vanes 321, can cause the fuselage 100 to roll in the D1 direction around the X-axis. Similarly, the stabilizers 330 and 340 can output pitch torques, that is, torques that cause the UAV to rotate around the Y-axis. It should be noted that Figure 3 Each of the stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) shown includes two guide vanes. In fact, it is also feasible to include only one guide vane. It should be noted that the stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) can be provided with two servos to respectively control their two guide vanes (311, 321, 331, 341) to output yaw torques for controlling the yaw angle of the fuselage.

[0055] There are other implementation modes for the stabilizer. In another embodiment of the stabilizer, the stabilizer includes a guide vane and a servo. The guide vane is arranged above the rotor, and the servo controls the rotation of the guide vane to control the air intake of the rotor, thereby controlling the output torque.

[0056] Another embodiment of the UAV is as Figure 4 shown. The UAV includes a fuselage 100, a plurality of cameras 200, stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) and a main power device 400. Among them, the fuselage 100, the cameras 200 and the main power device 400 are Figure 1 basically the same as the UAV shown and will not be elaborated here. The UAV includes four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340), where two stabilizers (320, 330) output roll torques and output thrusts for translating the UAV along the Y-axis (i.e., the second direction), and their functions are the same as those of Figure 1 the stabilizers 320 and 330 of the UAV shown. The other two stabilizers (310, 340) output pitch torques for controlling the pitch angle of the fuselage 100. By controlling the stabilizers 330 and 340 to output different magnitudes of wind forces, they can also output yaw torques for rotating the fuselage 100 around the Z-axis to control the stability of the yaw angle of the fuselage 100.

[0057] Another embodiment of the UAV is as Figure 5 shown. The UAV includes a fuselage 100, a plurality of cameras 200, stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340, 350) and a main power device 400. Among them, the fuselage 100, the cameras 200 and the main power device 400 areFigure 1 The drone shown is basically the same and will not be elaborated further. The stabilizer 350 outputs a thrust that causes the fuselage 100 to translate along the Y-axis (i.e., the second direction). Four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) are used to control the attitude of the fuselage 100. In this embodiment, the four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) are rotors or fans, which can be unidirectional or bidirectional. It should be noted that the torque output by any one of the four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) has both a pitch component and a roll component, and the four stabilizers need to cooperate to generate the required total torque. For example, by increasing the downward wind force output by stabilizer 310 and stabilizer 320, reducing the downward wind force output by stabilizer 330 and stabilizer 340 or increasing the upward wind force they output, the total torque of the four stabilizers is a pitch torque, which can offset the upward pitching of the fuselage caused by external forces; by increasing the downward wind force of stabilizer 310 and stabilizer 330, reducing the downward wind force of stabilizer 320 and stabilizer 340 or increasing the upward wind force they output, the total torque of the four stabilizers is a roll torque, which can offset the right-upward tilting of the fuselage 100 caused by external forces. The cooperative control process of the four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) is similar to the flight control process of a quadcopter drone and will not be elaborated further. Further, by adjusting the rotational speed difference of the four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340), a yaw torque can be output to control the stability of the yaw angle of the fuselage 100.

[0058] It should be noted that if the weight of the first rotor system 410 is relatively large, the drone in this embodiment group can extend the rotor bracket 420 to the other end of the fuselage 100 and connect it to the fuselage 100 through another rotating mechanism, so that both ends of the rotor bracket 420 are connected to the fuselage 100, which can improve the load-bearing capacity.

[0059] Embodiment Group Two:

[0060] An embodiment drone in this embodiment group is as Figure 6 shown, including a fuselage 100, a plurality of cameras 200, stabilizers (310, 320) and a main power device 500.

[0061] The fuselage 100 includes a frame 110 and a movement 120, and the cameras 200 are arranged around the fuselage 100.

[0062] The main power device 500 includes a second rotor system 510, and the second rotor system 510 is installed inside the fuselage 100. The second rotor system 510 includes a rotor 511 and a swashplate tilting mechanism. The number of rotors 511 is one or more, and the swashplate tilting mechanism can control the swashplate of at least one rotor to rotate relative to the fuselage 100 to output a thrust for the UAV to translate. The main power device 500 is the main power device of the UAV, providing most of the lift, translation thrust, and yaw moment.

[0063] The stabilizers 310 and 320 are implemented as rotors or fans. Assuming the direction of the arrow on the X-axis is the nose of the UAV, according to the description habit of the UAV, then, the stabilizer 310 can output a moment that causes the UAV to pitch, and the stabilizer 320 can output a moment that causes the UAV to roll. According to the current attitude of the fuselage 100, by controlling the magnitudes of the moments output by the two stabilizers (310, 320), the pitch angle and roll angle of the fuselage 100 can be controlled within a preset range.

[0064] The second rotor system has various implementation manners. One implementation manner is as Figure 7 (a) shown. The second rotor system 510A includes two rotors 511A and a swashplate tilting mechanism 512A. The rotation axes of the two rotors 511A are the same, and the rotation directions are opposite. The rotation torques of the two rotors cancel each other out or the difference therebetween is used for yaw control. The swashplate tilting mechanism 512A adopts the swashplate technology, including a swashplate 5121A and a servo (not shown in the figure). The rotor bracket 5111A for mounting the blades is movably connected to the rotating shaft driving its rotation. The servo controls the pull rod to pull the swashplate 5121A to tilt, and the swashplate 5121A further drives the rotor bracket 5111A to tilt relative to the rotating shaft driving its rotation through the pull rod, thereby controlling the swashplate of the rotor 511A to rotate relative to the fuselage 100 and providing the thrust for the UAV to fly horizontally. The swashplate technology is the prior art of traditional helicopter models and will not be elaborated in this application. It should be noted that this embodiment can be simplified to: the swashplate tilting mechanism can only control the rotation of one of the rotors (for example, the lower rotor) relative to the fuselage 100, and the other rotor is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft driving its rotation.

[0065] Another implementation manner of the second rotor system is as Figure 7As shown in (b), the second rotor system 510B includes a rotor assembly 511B, a base 512B, and a swashplate tilting mechanism 513B. The rotor assembly 511B includes two rotors 5111B, a rotating shaft 5112B, and a rotor bracket 5113B. The rotational axes of the two rotors 5111B are the same and the rotational directions are opposite. The rotational torques of the two rotors cancel each other out or the difference therebetween is used for yaw control. The rotor bracket 5113B is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft that drives its rotation. The swashplate tilting mechanism 513B includes a transfer mechanism 5131B and a servo (not shown in the figure). The rotor assembly 511B is movably connected to the base 512B through the transfer mechanism 5131B. For example, the transfer mechanism 5131B is a universal joint. The base 512B is fixedly connected to the fuselage 100. The servo controls a pull rod to pull the entire rotor assembly 511B to tilt relative to the base 512B, thereby controlling the swashplate of the rotor 5111B to rotate relative to the fuselage 100 and providing the thrust for the UAV to fly horizontally.

[0066] In another embodiment of the second rotor system, the second rotor system 510 includes two sub-rotor assemblies, each sub-rotor assembly respectively includes a rotor, and the rotational directions of the two rotors are opposite. Both of the two sub-rotor assemblies may include swashplate tilting mechanisms, or only one sub-rotor assembly includes a swashplate tilting mechanism. The swashplate tilting mechanism may adopt Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 (b) of any of the implementation manners. One of the sub-rotor assemblies is installed on the lower half of the fuselage 100, for example, installed on the movement 120; the other sub-rotor assembly is installed on the upper half of the fuselage 100. A bracket may extend downward from the top of the frame 110, and the sub-rotor assembly is hoisted on the bracket.

[0067] It should be noted that it is also feasible for the second rotor system to include more than two rotors. The second rotor system may also include only one rotor. In this case, a yaw mechanism needs to be provided to cancel the rotational torque of the rotor. The yaw mechanism may be a control surface provided below the rotor, or the yaw mechanism may also be a fan.

[0068] Furthermore, Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 (b) The swashplate tilting mechanisms (512A, 513B) of the second rotor system shown may be simplified to be able to control the swashplate of the rotor to tilt only around an axis, for example, only around an axis parallel to the Y axis. For a UAV adopting the simplified second rotor system, a stabilizer capable of outputting the thrust for the UAV to translate needs to be provided.

[0069] It should be noted that if the control sensitivity of the swashplate tilt mechanism of the second rotor system 510 is insufficient, it may lead to low hover stability of the fuselage 100, thereby affecting the panoramic image captured. The stability of the fuselage 100 can be improved by setting a stabilizer that can output a thrust for translating the drone.

[0070] Example group three:

[0071] The drone of this example group further includes a second rotating mechanism. At least one stabilizer is connected to the fuselage or the rotor bracket through the second rotating mechanism. The second rotating mechanism controls the rotation of the stabilizer to control the direction of the torque output by the stabilizer and / or control the thrust output by the stabilizer for translating the drone.

[0072] An example drone of this example group is as Figure 8 shown. This example is Figure 6 a variant of the drone shown. Relative to Figure 6 the drone shown, this example drone only includes one stabilizer 300. The stabilizer is rotatably connected to the fuselage 100 through a second rotating mechanism 600. The rotation axis of the second rotating mechanism 600 is parallel to the Z-axis. By controlling the rotation of the stabilizer 300, the torque output by the stabilizer 300 can control the rotation of the fuselage 100 around the X-axis and the Y-axis simultaneously, so as to control the pitch angle and roll angle of the fuselage 100 with one stabilizer.

[0073] Another example drone is as Figure 9 shown. This example is Figure 5 a variant of the drone shown. Relative to Figure 5 the drone shown, the difference lies in the configuration of the stabilizer. This example drone only has four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340), which are rotatably connected to the fuselage 100 through a second rotating mechanism (not shown in the figure). The second rotating mechanism drives the stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) to rotate, and can control the thrust output by the stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) for translating the drone. The stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) rotate as Figure 9 shown, and the direction of the output thrust is the same as the thrust direction output by the stabilizer 350 of the drone shown in Figure 5 shown. Therefore, while the stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) output the torque for controlling the fuselage attitude, they can also output the thrust for translating the drone. Therefore, relative to Figure 5 the drone shown, this example drone can not set a stabilizer specifically for outputting translation thrust (that is, Figure 5The stabilizers (350) of the shown drone. It should be noted that, according to specific requirements, only one or several of the four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) can be connected to the fuselage 100 through the second rotating mechanism.

[0074] It should be noted that the description of the torque direction or thrust direction output by the stabilizer in this application document is principle-based. The actual situation will be slightly more complex. Taking Figure 3 the shown drone as an example, the stabilizers (310, 320) do not output a pure roll torque, and there may also be a pitch torque component or a yaw torque component. The stabilizers (330, 340) do not output a pure roll torque either, and there may also be a roll torque component or a yaw torque component. Therefore, it is necessary to coordinately control the four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) to control the attitude of the fuselage.

[0075] It should be noted that the types of stabilizers used in the drones of each embodiment of this application are interoperable. For example, the stabilizer based on the deflector technology shown in Figure 3 Group One of the embodiments can also be used in the drones described in Group Two of the embodiments.

[0076] It should be noted that the number of stabilizers configured for the drones of each embodiment of this application is principle-based and can be further adjusted according to the needs of the application scenario. More stabilizers can be set to improve the control accuracy. For example, in Figure 6 the shown drone, a stabilizer that outputs a roll torque can be added at the lower part of the fuselage 100 (such as next to the stabilizer 310), and a stabilizer that outputs a pitch torque can also be added at the upper part of the fuselage (such as next to the stabilizer 320). Similarly, according to specific requirements, the number of stabilizers can also be reduced. For example, Figure 3 in the shown drone, only two of the four stabilizers (310, 320, 330, 340) can be retained, for example, only the stabilizer 310 and the stabilizer 330 are retained.

[0077] It should be noted that the positions of the stabilizers of the drones in each embodiment of this application are principle-based and can also be set at other feasible positions. It should be noted that the stabilizers used to output torque should be set at positions with a larger lever arm as much as possible to improve the power efficiency. Without affecting the camera view angle, the stabilizers can be set outside the fuselage frame 110.

[0078] Group Four of the embodiments:

[0079] This embodiment group provides a foldable drone.

[0080] In one embodiment, the fuselage of the drone includes a first frame, a second frame, and a folding mechanism. The first frame and the second frame are rotatably connected by the folding mechanism, and the folding mechanism can be a hinge structure. The folding and unfolding of the fuselage are realized by the rotation of the folding mechanism. As Figure 5 shown in the drone, the frame 110 of the fuselage 100 of the drone includes a first frame 111, a second frame 112, and a folding mechanism 113. The second frame 112 can be one or more. The first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are movably connected by the folding mechanism 113. The folding and unfolding of the fuselage are realized by the rotation of the folding mechanism 113. As Figure 10 shown.

[0081] In another embodiment, the fuselage of the drone is a scalable structure, including a first frame, a second frame, and a guide rail mechanism. The first frame and the second frame are slidably connected by the guide rail mechanism. The second frame can be one or more. The guide rail mechanism generally includes a guide rail and a slide rod (or slider). The guide rail is arranged on the first frame, and the slide rod is arranged on the second frame, or vice versa. The second frame can slide into the interior of the drone fuselage along the guide rail to realize the folding of the drone, and the second frame slides out along the guide rail mechanism to realize the unfolding of the drone.

[0082] It should be noted that the camera configuration method of the drone in the drawings of this application is a circle of cameras in the middle of the fuselage plus two cameras on the top and bottom. To obtain better panoramic images, more cameras may need to be configured. Then, some crossbeams need to be added to the frame of the fuselage for installing cameras. However, the drone is sensitive to weight. Under the condition of sufficient structural strength, the frame part should be reduced as much as possible, and then a protective frame made of lightweight materials is wrapped outside the frame to protect the rotors. For example, Figure 5 the frame of the drone shown is lighter than Figure 1 the frame of the drone shown.

[0083] The fuselage of the panoramic camera drone proposed in this application is a hollow structure, and multiple cameras are arranged around the fuselage, which can capture 720° panoramic images. The panoramic camera drone includes a main power device and a stabilizer. The main power device can be configured in the form of a first rotor system and a first rotating mechanism. The first rotating mechanism controls the first rotor system to rotate around the rotation axis of the first rotating mechanism to generate a thrust for the drone to translate in the first direction; the main power device can also be configured in the form of a second rotor system. The second rotor system includes a rotor and a swashplate tilting mechanism. The swashplate tilting mechanism can control the swashplate of the rotor to rotate relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust for the drone to translate; at the same time, the stabilizer can also output a thrust for the drone to translate. Therefore, different from multi-rotor drones, the panoramic camera drone can achieve flight control without adjusting the fuselage attitude. The panoramic camera drone is also provided with a stabilizer, which can output a torque for the fuselage to rotate to offset the motion inertia and external force of the drone, and control the fuselage attitude within a preset range to ensure the stability of the captured panoramic images.

[0084] Compared with multi-rotor drones of the same size, the panoramic camera drone proposed in this application has a large rotor size and high power efficiency.

[0085] Furthermore, the drone in this application can be a foldable structure or a scalable structure, which can further reduce the storage size of the drone, is simple to retract and deploy, and is convenient to carry.

[0086] The above are only the preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of this application shall be included in the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A panoramic camera drone, characterized in that, it includes: a fuselage, which is a hollow structure; at least two cameras, installed on the fuselage for taking panoramic images; a stabilizer for outputting a torque to rotate the fuselage to control the attitude of the fuselage within a preset range and / or a thrust for translating the panoramic camera drone; at least one of the stabilizers can output a torque to cause the fuselage to pitch; at least one of the stabilizers can output a torque to cause the fuselage to roll; and a main power device, which includes a first rotor system, a rotor bracket and a first rotating mechanism. The first rotor system is installed on the rotor bracket. The rotor bracket is rotatably connected to the fuselage through the first rotating mechanism. A first rotation controller can control the rotor bracket to rotate around the rotation axis of the first rotating mechanism. The first rotor system is inside the fuselage; the first rotating mechanism can control the first rotor system to rotate around the rotation axis of the first rotating mechanism to generate a thrust for translating the panoramic camera drone along a first direction; at least one of the stabilizers can output a thrust for translating the panoramic camera drone along a second direction, and the second direction is not parallel to the first direction; by synergistically controlling the main power device and the stabilizer, the fuselage does not need to pitch and roll to achieve flight control; at least one of the stabilizers includes a deflector and a servo. The deflector is arranged above or below the rotor, and the servo is used to control the rotation of the deflector to control the torque output by the stabilizer; or, at least one of the stabilizers is a rotor or a fan.

2. The panoramic camera drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, at least one of the stabilizers can output a torque to cause the fuselage to yaw.

3. The panoramic camera drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the main power device includes a first rotor system, the included angle range between the first direction and the second direction is 75° to 90°.

4. The panoramic camera drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, the panoramic camera drone further includes a second rotating mechanism. At least one of the stabilizers is connected to the fuselage or the rotor bracket through the second rotating mechanism; the second rotating mechanism can control the rotation of the stabilizer to adjust the direction of the torque output by the stabilizer and / or control the stabilizer to output a thrust for translating the panoramic camera drone.

5. The panoramic camera drone according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, the fuselage includes a first frame, a second frame and a folding mechanism. The first frame and the second frame are rotatably connected through the folding mechanism to enable the second frame to fold and unfold relative to the first frame.

6. The panoramic camera drone according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The fuselage includes a first frame body, a second frame body and a guide rail mechanism. The second frame body is slidably connected to the first frame body through the guide rail mechanism, so that the second frame body can be folded and unfolded relative to the first frame body.

Images