A multifunctional airbag rotor drone system and control method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system and control method, wherein a carbon fiber skeleton is mounted on a UAV body, and an airbag module is mounted on the carbon fiber skeleton; the carbon fiber skeleton comprises a main ring skeleton, a plurality of secondary ring skeletons and a plurality of connecting skeletons, the main ring skeleton is fixedly connected to the UAV body, and the connecting skeleton is used to connect the main ring skeleton and the secondary ring skeleton; in the airbag module, the main ring airbag is mounted on the main ring skeleton, the secondary ring airbag is mounted on the secondary ring skeleton, and the rod-shaped airbag is mounted on the connecting skeleton; an electronic skin system and an air valve are arranged on the airbag module. Compared with the prior art, the present invention arranges a carbon fiber skeleton outside the UAV body, and an inflatable and deflable airbag module is mounted on the carbon fiber skeleton, which not only protects the UAV body and the detection module, but also provides buoyancy for the UAV body to reduce energy consumption without affecting the operation of the UAV body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a multifunctional airbag rotor unmanned aerial vehicle system and a control method. Background Art

[0002] With the development of drone technology, drones are playing an increasingly important role in various fields, especially in inspection and exploration. Since inspection and exploration in closed and narrow underground environments are extremely dangerous, in order to obtain accurate survey data, using drones to replace workers to complete the work underground has become an important issue that needs to be solved. To realize drone inspection and exploration in closed and narrow environments, the problems that need to be solved are obstacle avoidance and protection of drones in narrow environments, as well as the limitations of drone range and load capacity without resupply.

[0003] In the prior art, in order to protect drones, an airbag is basically installed on the drone. When a collision occurs, compressed gas is released to make the airbag expand rapidly to protect the drone. However, such a system can only trigger the airbag when the drone collides violently. For drones flying in narrow environments, it cannot well protect the drone and the detection equipment carried by the drone. Once the airbag is triggered, the volume occupied by the drone will be greatly increased, making it difficult to continue operations or even return. It is not suitable for narrow environments. Some drones are also equipped with lifting airbags to increase endurance and load capacity. These airbags are often installed on the drone body, which are bulky and increase the space occupied by the drone, making it difficult to cope with complex underground environments. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned prior art and to provide a multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system and control method. A carbon fiber frame is arranged outside the UAV body, and an airbag module is installed on the carbon fiber frame. Without affecting the operation of the UAV body, the UAV body and the detection module are protected, and buoyancy can be provided for the UAV body to reduce energy consumption.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] A multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system, comprising a UAV body, a carbon fiber frame, an airbag module, a detection module and a controller, wherein the carbon fiber frame is mounted on the UAV body, and the airbag module is mounted on the carbon fiber frame;

[0007] The carbon fiber skeleton comprises a main annular skeleton, a plurality of secondary annular skeletons and a plurality of connecting skeletons, the main annular skeleton is fixedly connected to the drone body, the secondary annular skeleton is parallel to the portion corresponding to the main annular skeleton, the shape of the secondary annular skeleton is geometrically similar to that of the main annular skeleton, and the area of ​​the secondary annular skeleton is smaller than that of the main annular skeleton, the connecting skeleton is used to connect the main annular skeleton and the secondary annular skeleton, and the connecting skeleton is connected to the connection between the main annular skeleton and the secondary annular skeleton using a four-way connector;

[0008] The airbag module comprises a main annular airbag, a secondary annular airbag and a rod-shaped airbag, wherein the main annular airbag is mounted on a main annular frame, the secondary annular airbag is mounted on a secondary annular frame, and the rod-shaped airbag is mounted on a connecting frame;

[0009] The airbag module is provided with an electronic skin system and an air valve, and both the electronic skin system and the air valve are communicatively connected with the controller.

[0010] Furthermore, the main annular airbag, the secondary annular airbag and the rod-shaped airbag are filled with hydrogen, and a portable NaBH gas detector connected to the controller and the airbag module is installed on the drone body. 4 Hydrogen Generator, Portable NaBH 4 The hydrogen generator can controllably inflate the airbag module. The hydrogen released by the airbag module is transmitted to the fuel cell of the drone body to convert chemical energy into electrical energy, thereby charging the drone body.

[0011] Furthermore, the multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system also includes an environmental detector communicatively connected to the controller, and the environmental detector includes an ultrasonic ranging sensor, an infrared sensor and a laser radar.

[0012] Furthermore, the environmental detector is mounted on the carbon fiber frame and / or the drone body.

[0013] Furthermore, the electronic skin system is a capacitive skin system, including a detection circuit and an electrode electrically connected to the detection circuit, the electrode can form a capacitor with a nearby conductor, and transmit an electrical signal used to characterize the capacitance or its change to the detection circuit; the detection circuit is used to convert the electrical signal characterizing the capacitance or its change into an electrical signal of the capacitance value or its change.

[0014] Furthermore, the electronic skin system is also provided with a force tactile perception sensor and a tension sensor which are communicatively connected with the controller.

[0015] Furthermore, the detection module includes a laser radar, a visible light gimbal camera, a lighting device and a wireless communication device.

[0016] Furthermore, the detection module is mounted on the carbon fiber frame and / or the drone body.

[0017] Furthermore, the main annular skeleton is a polygon, the secondary annular skeleton is a polygon, and the vertices of the main annular skeleton and the vertices of the secondary annular skeleton are connected through the connecting skeleton.

[0018] Furthermore, the top ends of the connection frames are connected to each other to form a polygon, and the bottom ends of the connection frames are connected to each other to form a polygon.

[0019] A control method for a multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system comprises the following steps:

[0020] S1: The controller obtains the current information of the drone, which includes the surrounding environment information of the drone, the operating parameter information of the drone and the airbag module information;

[0021] S2: Determine the state of the drone system based on the current information of the drone. If the state of the drone system is an emergency protection state or an obstacle avoidance state, generate a control instruction for the emergency protection state or the obstacle avoidance state. Otherwise, detect the current working mode of the drone system, which includes a manual control mode and an automatic control mode.

[0022] S3: If the UAV system is in manual control mode, the controller receives the control instruction and executes step S4; otherwise, the UAV system is in automatic control mode: if the state of the UAV system is energy-saving state, a control instruction of energy-saving state is generated; otherwise, the state of the UAV system is narrow travel state, a control instruction of narrow travel state is generated;

[0023] S4: The UAV system executes the control instruction and repeats steps S1 to S4.

[0024] Furthermore, when a failure occurs in the drone system, the state of the drone system is an emergency protection state, and the control instructions of the emergency protection state include inflating the airbag module; when a collision occurs in the drone system, the state of the drone system is an obstacle avoidance state, and the control instructions of the obstacle avoidance state include exhausting the airbag module toward the location where the collision occurred; when the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system in the surrounding environment of the drone system is greater than a preset threshold, the state of the drone system is an energy-saving state, and the control instructions of the energy-saving state include inflating the airbag module; when the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system in the surrounding environment of the drone system is less than a preset threshold, the state of the drone system is a narrow travel state, and the control instructions of the narrow travel state include exhausting the airbag module according to the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] (1) A carbon fiber frame is set outside the UAV body, and an inflatable airbag module is installed on the carbon fiber frame. Without affecting the operation of the UAV body, it not only protects the UAV body and the detection module, but also provides buoyancy for the UAV body to reduce energy consumption.

[0027] (2) The shape of the carbon fiber frame is adapted to the shape of the UAV body and does not affect the flight of the UAV body in a narrow environment. The airbag module includes a main annular airbag, a secondary annular airbag and a rod-shaped airbag, which are adapted to the shape of the carbon fiber frame and can better protect the UAV body and the detection module.

[0028] (3) An electronic skin system and an air valve are installed on the airbag module to facilitate the acquisition of environmental information and adjust the volume of the airbag module according to the environmental information, so as to better enable the drone to fly or avoid obstacles.

[0029] (4) Determine the status of the drone system based on the current information of the drone, obtain control instructions based on different status and control modes, and adjust the inflation and deflation of the airbag module to protect the drone system or achieve obstacle avoidance, energy saving, etc. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a front view of the multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a top view of the multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system;

[0032] Figure 3 is a flow chart of the control method;

[0033] Figure numerals: 1. UAV body, 2. main annular frame, 3. secondary annular frame, 4. connecting frame, 5. main annular airbag, 6. secondary annular airbag, 7. rod-shaped airbag. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. This embodiment is implemented based on the technical solution of the present invention, and provides a detailed implementation method and specific operation process, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0035] In the drawings, components with the same structure are indicated by the same numerical labels, and components with similar structures or functions are indicated by similar numerical labels. The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown, and the present invention does not limit the size and thickness of each component. In order to make the illustration clearer, some parts in the drawings are appropriately exaggerated.

[0036] Embodiment 1:

[0037] A multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a drone body 1, a carbon fiber skeleton, an airbag module, a detection module and a controller. The carbon fiber skeleton is installed on the drone body 1, and the airbag module is installed on the carbon fiber skeleton; the carbon fiber skeleton includes a main ring skeleton 2, a plurality of secondary ring skeletons 3 and a plurality of connecting skeletons 4. The main ring skeleton 2 is fixedly connected to the drone body 1, and the secondary ring skeleton 3 is parallel to the portion corresponding to the main ring skeleton 2. The shape of the secondary ring skeleton 3 is geometrically similar to that of the main ring skeleton 2, and the area of ​​the secondary ring skeleton 3 is smaller than that of the main ring skeleton 2. The connecting skeleton 4 is used to connect the main ring skeleton 2 and the secondary ring skeleton 3. The connecting skeleton 4 is connected to the connection between the main ring skeleton 2 and the secondary ring skeleton 3 using a four-way connector;

[0038] The airbag module includes a main annular airbag 5, a secondary annular airbag 6 and a rod-shaped airbag 7. The main annular airbag 5 is mounted on the main annular frame 2, the secondary annular airbag 6 is mounted on the secondary annular frame 3, and the rod-shaped airbag 7 is mounted on the connecting frame 4. The airbag module is provided with an electronic skin system and an air valve, and both the electronic skin system and the air valve are connected to the controller for communication. The main annular airbag 5, the secondary annular airbag 6 and the rod-shaped airbag 7 are filled with hydrogen, which can provide upward buoyancy to offset part of the gravity, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the drone, increasing the maximum flight mileage, and increasing the load capacity.

[0039] The drone body 1 is equipped with a portable NaBH 4 Hydrogen generator, gas valve including charging valve and exhaust valve, charging valve and portable NaBH 4 The hydrogen generator is connected to the portable NaBH 4 Hydrogen generator and exhaust valve communication connection. Portable NaBH 4 The hydrogen generator can controllably inflate the airbag module through the inflation valve. The hydrogen released by the airbag module is transmitted to the fuel cell of the drone body 1 through the exhaust valve for conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy, thereby charging the drone body 1 and further reducing energy consumption.

[0040] In this embodiment, the drone body 1 is a four-rotor inspection drone with a small size, light weight and stable operation. The drone body 1 is located at the center of the carbon fiber skeleton. The carbon fiber skeleton has high strength and low weight. The airbag module installed on the carbon fiber skeleton can provide lift and cushioning without affecting the function of the rotor of the drone body 1. The main annular airbag 5, the secondary annular airbag 6 and the rod-shaped airbag 7 are installed on the carbon fiber skeleton, which can not only save energy but also protect the drone body 1 from different positions and directions.

[0041] An electronic skin system and an air valve are provided on the airbag module. In the present embodiment, the electronic skin system is a capacitive skin system, including a detection circuit and an electrode electrically connected to the detection circuit. The electrode can form a capacitor with a nearby conductor, and transmit an electrical signal used to characterize the capacitance or its change to the detection circuit. The detection circuit is used to convert the electrical signal characterizing the capacitance or its change into an electrical signal of the capacitance value or its change, so as to detect the distance between the obstacle or external object and the airbag module. The controller can better adjust the flight of the drone body 1, or inflate and deflate the air to change the volume of the airbag module to avoid collision.

[0042] The electronic skin system is also equipped with a force tactile sensing sensor and a tension sensor that are connected to the controller for communication. When a collision occurs, the force tactile sensing sensor can sense the position and intensity of the collision, and the controller can adjust the multi-functional airbag rotor drone system accordingly. The tension sensor can sense the surface tension of the airbag module, and the controller can obtain the internal gas pressure and the volume of the airbag, thereby realizing feedback control of the volume of the airbag module.

[0043] The multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system also includes an environmental detector that is communicatively connected to the controller. The environmental detector includes ultrasonic ranging sensors, infrared sensors, lidar and other detectors that can detect the external environment and obstacles and cooperate with the electronic skin system so that the controller can better control the multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system.

[0044] The detection module includes a laser radar, a visible light gimbal camera, lighting equipment and wireless communication equipment. The detection module sends the detected information to ground staff for inspection and exploration. The detection module and the environmental detector are mounted on the carbon fiber frame and / or the drone body 1.

[0045] The main annular skeleton 2 is a polygon, and the sub-annular skeleton 3 is a polygon. The vertices of the main annular skeleton 2 and the vertices of the sub-annular skeleton 3 are connected by a connecting skeleton 4. The connecting skeleton 4 plays a supporting role. The top ends of each connecting skeleton 4 are connected to each other to form a polygon, and the bottom ends of each connecting skeleton 4 are connected to each other to form a polygon, which increases the stability of the carbon fiber skeleton and improves the supporting effect of the connecting skeleton 4.

[0046] In this embodiment, Figure 2As shown, the main annular frame 2 and the secondary annular frame 3 are regular octagons, the main annular frame 2 is horizontally fixed on the drone body 1, and the secondary annular frame 3 is arranged above and below the main annular frame 2. The vertices of the main annular frame 2 and the vertices of the secondary annular frame 3 are connected to each other through the connecting frame 4, and the airbag module is matched to form a carbon fiber protective cover to protect the drone body 1 in the protective cover. The secondary annular frame 3 is relatively small in shape, and the connecting frame 4 is inclined toward the direction of the drone body 1. The upper half or lower half of the carbon fiber frame is approximately in the shape of a prism or pyramid, which reduces the volume of the carbon fiber protective cover to a certain extent, and also reduces the influence of the carbon fiber frame on the flight of the drone body 1.

[0047] In other embodiments, according to the shape of the UAV body 1 and the flight environment of the UAV body 1, the main annular skeleton 2 and the secondary annular skeleton 3 can also be in the shape of a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a hexagon, a circle, an ellipse, etc., and the upper or lower part of the carbon fiber skeleton is approximately prism-shaped, pyramid-shaped, truncated cone, or cone-shaped, which can better protect the UAV body 1 without causing the carbon fiber protective cover to be too large and affecting the flight of the UAV body 1 in a narrow environment.

[0048] A control method for a multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system, wherein a controller controls the multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system according to the control method, such as Figure 3 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0049] S1: The controller obtains the current information of the drone, which includes the surrounding environment information of the drone, the operating parameter information of the drone and the airbag module information; the detection system and the electronic skin system sense the surrounding environment information of the drone, including the distance between the obstacle and the drone system, etc. The operating parameter information of the drone includes the speed, height, parameters of the power system of the drone body 1, etc. The airbag module information includes the volume and pressure of the airbag and the sensed collision information, etc.;

[0050] S2: Switch the state of the drone system based on the current information of the drone. If the state of the drone system is switched to an emergency protection state or an obstacle avoidance state, generate a control instruction for the emergency protection state or the obstacle avoidance state. Otherwise, detect the current working mode of the drone system, which includes a manual control mode and an automatic control mode.

[0051] S3: If the UAV system is in manual control mode, the controller receives the control instruction and executes step S4; otherwise, the UAV system is in automatic control mode, and if the state of the UAV system is switched to energy-saving state, a control instruction of the energy-saving state is generated; otherwise, the state of the UAV system is switched to narrow travel state, and a control instruction of the narrow travel state is generated;

[0052] S4: The UAV system executes the control instruction and repeats steps S1 to S4.

[0053] If the drone system fails, such as power failure, the state of the drone system is switched to an emergency protection state, and the control instructions of the emergency protection state include inflating the airbag module so that the airbag module expands rapidly to wrap the drone body 1 and various equipment to avoid damage; if the drone system collides, the state of the drone system is switched to an obstacle avoidance state, and the control instructions of the obstacle avoidance state include exhausting the airbag module to the location where the collision occurs, reducing the volume of the airbag module, and generating a thrust in the opposite direction of the collision to escape the obstacle; if the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system in the surrounding environment of the drone system is greater than a preset threshold, the mission flight environment is relatively wide, and the state of the drone system is switched to an energy-saving state, and the control instructions of the energy-saving state include inflating the airbag module to increase buoyancy to reduce energy consumption; if the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system in the surrounding environment of the drone system is less than a preset threshold, the flight environment is relatively narrow, and the state of the drone system is switched to a narrow travel state, and the control instructions of the narrow travel state include exhausting the airbag module according to the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system to reduce the volume of the airbag module to avoid collision.

[0054] In the manual control mode, the controller receives control instructions sent remotely by the staff, and enables the staff to remotely control the flight of the drone body 1 and the inflation and deflation of the airbag module.

[0055] The preferred specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above. It should be understood that a person skilled in the art can make many modifications and changes based on the concept of the present invention without creative work. Therefore, any technical solution that can be obtained by a person skilled in the art through logical analysis, reasoning or limited experiments based on the concept of the present invention on the basis of the prior art should be within the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A multifunctional airbag rotor drone system, It is characterized in that It comprises a drone body (1), a carbon fiber frame, an airbag module, a detection module and a controller, wherein the carbon fiber frame is mounted on the drone body (1), and the airbag module is mounted on the carbon fiber frame; The carbon fiber skeleton comprises a main annular skeleton (2), a plurality of secondary annular skeletons (3) and a plurality of connecting skeletons (4); the main annular skeleton (2) is fixedly connected to the drone body (1); the secondary annular skeleton (3) is parallel to a portion of the main annular skeleton (2) at a corresponding position; the shape of the secondary annular skeleton (3) is geometrically similar to that of the main annular skeleton (2); the area of ​​the secondary annular skeleton (3) is smaller than that of the main annular skeleton (2); and the connecting skeleton (4) is used to connect the main annular skeleton (2) and the secondary annular skeleton (3); The airbag module comprises a main annular airbag (5), a secondary annular airbag (6) and a rod-shaped airbag (7), wherein the main annular airbag (5) is mounted on a main annular frame (2), the secondary annular airbag (6) is mounted on a secondary annular frame (3), and the rod-shaped airbag (7) is mounted on a connecting frame (4); The airbag module is provided with an electronic skin system and an air valve, and both the electronic skin system and the air valve are communicatively connected with the controller; The main annular skeleton (2) is a polygon, the secondary annular skeleton (3) is a polygon, and the vertices of the main annular skeleton (2) and the vertices of the secondary annular skeleton (3) are connected via the connecting skeleton (4); The top ends of the connection frames (4) are connected to each other to form a polygon, and the bottom ends of the connection frames (4) are connected to each other to form a polygon; The electronic skin system is a capacitive skin system, including a detection circuit and electrodes electrically connected to the detection circuit; the electronic skin system is also provided with a force tactile perception sensor and a tension sensor respectively connected to the controller for communication.

2. A multifunctional airbag rotor drone system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The main annular airbag (5), the secondary annular airbag (6) and the rod-shaped airbag (7) are filled with hydrogen, and a hydrogen generator connected to a controller and an airbag module is installed on the drone body (1).

3. A multifunctional airbag rotor drone system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system also includes an environmental detector that is communicatively connected to the controller, and the environmental detector includes an ultrasonic ranging sensor, an infrared sensor, and a laser radar.

4. A multifunctional airbag rotor drone system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The detection module includes a laser radar, a visible light gimbal camera, a lighting device and a wireless communication device.

5. A control method for a multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system, It is characterized in that The multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 comprises the following steps: S1: The controller obtains the current information of the drone, which includes the surrounding environment information of the drone, the operating parameter information of the drone and the airbag module information; S2: judging the state of the drone system based on the current information of the drone, if the state of the drone system is an emergency protection state or an obstacle avoidance state, generating a control instruction for the emergency protection state or the obstacle avoidance state, otherwise, detecting the current working mode of the drone system; S3: If the UAV system is in manual control mode, the controller receives the control instruction and executes step S4; otherwise, the UAV system is in automatic control mode, and if the state of the UAV system is energy-saving state, a control instruction of energy-saving state is generated; otherwise, the state of the UAV system is narrow travel state, and a control instruction of narrow travel state is generated; S4: The UAV system executes the control instruction and repeats steps S1 to S4.

6. A control method for a multifunctional airbag rotor UAV system according to claim 5, It is characterized in that When a failure occurs in the drone system, the drone system is in an emergency protection state, and the control instructions for the emergency protection state include inflating the airbag module; when a collision occurs in the drone system, the drone system is in an obstacle avoidance state, and the control instructions for the obstacle avoidance state include exhausting the airbag module toward the location where the collision occurred; when the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system in the surrounding environment of the drone system is greater than a preset threshold, the drone system is in an energy-saving state, and the control instructions for the energy-saving state include inflating the airbag module; when the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system in the surrounding environment of the drone system is less than a preset threshold, the drone system is in a narrow travel state, and the control instructions for the narrow travel state include exhausting the airbag module according to the minimum distance between the obstacle and the drone system.

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