A shipboard unmanned equipment recovery system

Abstract

The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system of the present application comprises a universal hand, a short flexible arm, a telescopic long flexible arm and a central unit; one end of the telescopic long flexible arm is placed on a ship, the short flexible arm is arranged at the other end of the telescopic long flexible arm; the universal hand is arranged at one end of the short flexible arm; the universal hand, the short flexible arm and the telescopic long flexible arm are connected with the central unit; the universal hand is provided with a three-dimensional guiding positioning system connected with the central unit. The present application is mainly used for the recovery and mooring of unmanned equipments such as unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ships, and has the characteristics of flexibility, unmanned intelligence, strong expandability, small size, light weight and good adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine intelligent unmanned and ship auxiliary equipment technology, specifically to a shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, due to the advantages of unmanned equipment such as long maneuverability, strong endurance, fast reaction speed, good stealth, flexible mission methods, and high cost-effectiveness, unmanned equipment such as military and civilian drones, unmanned surface vessels, and unmanned underwater vehicles have been widely developed and applied at home and abroad, and have played an increasingly important role in various missions.

[0003] With the diversification of missions and the expansion of functions of unmanned helicopters, the demand for landing assistance devices for unmanned helicopters is becoming increasingly urgent. For shipborne unmanned helicopters, the safety and landing efficiency of recovery (including assisted landing and mooring) are crucial. The lack of mature, simple, reliable and effective landing assistance devices has become a bottleneck restricting the deployment of unmanned helicopters on small and medium-sized ships and the realization of high-sea-state take-off and landing and use in my country and even the world, and is a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0004] Currently, the recovery devices for drones and unmanned surface vessels on ships are complex in structure, requiring precise guidance and human intervention during the recovery process. They have a limited scope of application, low degree of automation, large size and weight, and one type of recovery device is only applicable to a specific equipment model and tonnage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system that is simple in structure, small and lightweight, highly intelligent, and highly expandable.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system, comprising a universal arm, a short flexible arm, a retractable long flexible arm, and a central unit; one end of the retractable long flexible arm is placed on the ship, and the short flexible arm is disposed at the other end of the retractable long flexible arm; the universal arm is disposed at one end of the short flexible arm; the universal arm, the short flexible arm, and the retractable long flexible arm are all connected to the central unit; the universal arm is equipped with a three-dimensional guidance and positioning system, and the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system is connected to the central unit.

[0007] The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system, wherein, for shipborne unmanned aerial vehicles, the retractable long flexible arm is a pneumatic scissor-type retractable long flexible arm.

[0008] The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system comprises a flexible cable tethering device for the ship's winch's flexible cable, which is attached to the universal hand. The shipborne UAV hovers above the landing area, and the central unit opens the deck cover of the landing platform, deploying a pneumatic scissor-type retractable long flexible arm. The central unit controls a short flexible arm to extend towards the UAV's position. The universal hand's three-dimensional guidance and positioning system acquires precise position information and sends it to the central unit. The central unit controls the pneumatic scissor-type retractable long flexible arm and the short flexible arm to follow the UAV's ski-jump landing gear or wheeled landing gear, and then the universal hand precisely captures the UAV. The flexible cable tethering device on the universal hand extends and docks with the UAV, and the recovery system disconnects from the flexible cable. The central unit controls the pneumatic scissor-type retractable long flexible arm and the short flexible arm to retract, closing the deck cover of the landing platform. The winch then uses the flexible cable to pull the UAV onto the landing platform.

[0009] The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system further includes a short flexible arm storage box, which is located at the other end of the pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm; the short flexible arm is connected to the short flexible arm storage box; the short flexible arm storage box is used to store the control device of the short flexible arm and to house the retracted short flexible arm.

[0010] The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system, wherein, for shipborne unmanned vessels, the retractable long flexible arm is a sleeve-type retractable long flexible arm.

[0011] The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system includes a ship-mounted launching device used in conjunction with the recovery system: When the ship detects the shipborne unmanned surface vessel (USV) returning, the central unit opens the cover and controls the extension of the telescopic long flexible arm and short flexible arm. The three-dimensional guidance and positioning system guides the universal arm to capture the hook at the end of the launching device. After the USV arrives at the recovery area, the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system acquires the structured light image of the USV and sends it to the central unit. The central unit locates the three-dimensional shape of the USV, calculates the positional deviation, and controls the universal arm to dock the hook at the end of the launching device with the USV based on the deviation correction amount. After docking, the universal arm releases the capture state, the telescopic long flexible arm and short flexible arm retract, and the launching device drive mechanism is activated to lift the USV back.

[0012] The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system, wherein the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system adopts a laser vision positioning system.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, the advantages of the present invention are: no human intervention is required during the unmanned equipment recovery process; the unmanned equipment can be captured flexibly with multiple degrees of freedom; it has strong scalability and is applicable to multiple types of unmanned equipment; it is small, lightweight and adaptable. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1This is a side view of the shipborne unmanned aerial vehicle recovery system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the shipborne UAV recovery system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a side view of the shipborne unmanned surface vessel recovery system in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the shipborne unmanned surface vessel recovery system in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The following will combine Figures 1-4 The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system of the present invention will be described in further detail.

[0019] Inspired by the biological movement characteristics of octopuses and elephant trunks, this invention uses a pulling and lowering device as a prototype and advanced bionic technology to conceive a shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system that utilizes a novel flexible robotic arm to achieve multi-degree-of-freedom extension and retraction and a versatile hand to achieve aerial capture.

[0020] The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system of the present invention includes a universal arm, a short flexible arm, a retractable long flexible arm, and a central unit; one end of the retractable long flexible arm is placed on the ship, and the short flexible arm is disposed at the other end of the retractable long flexible arm; the universal arm is disposed at one end of the short flexible arm; the universal arm, the short flexible arm, and the retractable long flexible arm are all connected to the central unit; the universal arm is equipped with a three-dimensional guidance and positioning system, and the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system is connected to the central unit.

[0021] Example 1:

[0022] See Figure 1 The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system of this embodiment includes a multi-purpose arm 11, a short flexible arm 12, a short flexible arm storage box 13, a telescopic long flexible arm 14, and a central unit 15.

[0023] The all-purpose handheld device 11 enables the capture and docking of shipborne UAVs. In this embodiment, the all-purpose handheld device 11 is equipped with a three-dimensional guidance and positioning system and a flexible cable tethering device.

[0024] The short flexible arm 12 can move flexibly with multiple degrees of freedom, enabling the recovery system to align with the shipborne UAV.

[0025] The short flexible arm storage box 13 is used to store the control device of the short flexible arm and to store the retracted short flexible arm.

[0026] In this embodiment, the telescopic long flexible arm 14 is a pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm, which can achieve large-size telescopic extension and has high rigidity, thus improving the overall rigidity of the flexible arm to a certain extent.

[0027] One end of the pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm 14 is placed on the ship's deck, and the short flexible arm storage box 13 is located at the other end of the pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm 14; the short flexible arm 12 is connected to the short flexible arm storage box 13; the universal arm 11 is located at one end of the short flexible arm 12; the central unit 15 is connected to the control device of the universal arm 11 and the short flexible arm 12, the pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm 14, and the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system on the universal arm 11, providing control and power.

[0028] In this embodiment, the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system adopts a laser vision positioning system.

[0029] See Figure 2 The working principle of the shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system in this embodiment is as follows:

[0030] The existing winch 31 on the ship is used as a landing and towing device for shipborne UAVs. The flexible cable tethering device of the flexible cable 32 of the winch 31 is assembled onto the universal arm 11 of the recovery system.

[0031] After the shipborne UAV flies from the stern of the landing platform to hover above the landing area, the ship identifies the UAV's position and sends the information to the central unit 15. The central unit 15 opens the "smart tentacle" cover on the landing platform deck, deploying a pneumatic scissor-type retractable long flexible arm 14. The central unit 15 then controls the short flexible arm 2 to extend towards the UAV's position and enter the guidance window via a control device. The 3D guidance and positioning system of the "all-purpose hand" 1 acquires precise position information and sends it to the central unit 15. The central unit 15 controls the pneumatic scissor-type retractable long flexible arm 14 and the short flexible arm 12 to follow the UAV's ski-jump landing gear or wheeled landing gear. The expert arm 1 accurately captures the drone; then the flexible cable tethering device on the expert arm 1 extends and docks with the drone, and the recovery system disconnects from the flexible cable 32; the central unit 15 controls the retraction of the pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm 14 and short flexible arm 12, wherein the short flexible arm 12 retracts into the short flexible arm storage box 13, and the pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm 4 retracts below the deck, and the "smart tentacle" cover on the take-off and landing platform deck is closed; the winch 31 uses the flexible cable 32 to pull the drone to the take-off and landing platform, and other flexible arms on the ship capture the drone and tether it to the take-off and landing platform. The whole process is completed automatically without human intervention.

[0032] Example 2:

[0033] See Figure 3The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system in this embodiment includes a multi-purpose arm 21, a short flexible arm 22, a telescopic long flexible arm 24, and a central unit 25.

[0034] One end of the telescopic flexible arm 24 is placed on the ship, and the short flexible arm 22 is disposed at the other end of the telescopic flexible arm 24; the universal arm 21 is disposed at one end of the short flexible arm 22; the central unit 25 is connected to the control device of the universal arm 21 and the short flexible arm 22, the telescopic flexible arm 24 and the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system on the universal arm 21, providing control and power.

[0035] In this embodiment, the ship's existing hoisting device 33 is used in conjunction with the recovery system; the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system adopts a laser vision positioning system.

[0036] See Figure 4 The working principle of the shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system in this embodiment is as follows:

[0037] When the ship detects the return of the shipborne unmanned surface vessel (USV), the central unit 25 opens the "smart tentacle" cover, controlling the extension of the telescopic long flexible arm 24 and the short flexible arm 22. The three-dimensional guidance and positioning system guides the universal arm 21 to capture the end hook 34 of the hoisting device 33. When the USV approaches the ship and reaches the recovery area, the three-dimensional guidance and positioning system collects the structured light image of the USV through a laser vision sensor and sends it to the central unit 25. The central unit 25 locates the three-dimensional shape of the target, calculates the positional deviation, and controls the universal arm 21 to dock the end hook 34 of the hoisting device 33 with the USV based on the correction amount. After docking, the universal arm 9 releases the capture state, the telescopic long flexible arm 24 and the short flexible arm 22 retract, and the hoisting device drive mechanism is activated to hoist the USV back to complete the recovery process.

[0038] The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system of the present invention has a simple structure, small size and weight, high degree of automation in the recovery process, no human intervention is required, and it has a wide range of applications.

Claims

1. A shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system, characterized in that, It includes a multi-functional arm, a short flexible arm, a retractable long flexible arm, and a central unit; one end of the retractable long flexible arm is placed on the ship, and the short flexible arm is disposed at the other end of the retractable long flexible arm; The universal arm is located at one end of the short flexible arm; the universal arm, the short flexible arm, and the retractable long flexible arm are all connected to the central unit; the universal arm is equipped with a three-dimensional guidance and positioning system, which is connected to the central unit. For shipborne UAVs, the telescopic long flexible arm is a pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm; The flexible cable tethering device of the ship winch's flexible cable is assembled onto the universal hand; the shipborne UAV hovers above the landing area, the central unit opens the deck cover of the take-off and landing platform, and the pneumatic scissor-type telescopic long flexible arm pops out; the central unit controls the short flexible arm to extend toward the UAV's position. The all-purpose handheld device's 3D guidance and positioning system acquires precise location information and sends it to the central unit. The central unit controls the pneumatic scissor-type retractable long flexible arm and short flexible arm to follow the drone's skid-mounted or wheeled landing gear. Then, the all-purpose handheld device precisely captures the drone. The flexible cable tethering device on the all-purpose handheld device extends and docks with the drone, and the recovery system disconnects from the flexible cable. The central unit controls the pneumatic scissor-type retractable long flexible arm and short flexible arm to retract and close the cover plate on the take-off and landing platform. The drone is then pulled onto the take-off and landing platform using a winch via the flexible cable.

2. The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The recovery system also includes a short flexible arm storage box, which is located at the other end of the pneumatic scissor-type telescopic flexible arm; the short flexible arm is connected to the short flexible arm storage box; the short flexible arm storage box is used to store the control device of the short flexible arm and to store the retracted short flexible arm.

3. The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The three-dimensional guidance and positioning system adopts a laser vision positioning system.

4. A shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system, characterized in that, It includes a multi-functional arm, a short flexible arm, a retractable long flexible arm, and a central unit; one end of the retractable long flexible arm is placed on the ship, and the short flexible arm is disposed at the other end of the retractable long flexible arm; The universal arm is located at one end of the short flexible arm; the universal arm, the short flexible arm, and the retractable long flexible arm are all connected to the central unit; the universal arm is equipped with a three-dimensional guidance and positioning system, which is connected to the central unit. For shipborne unmanned surface vessels, the telescopic long flexible arm is a sleeve-type telescopic long flexible arm; The shipboard hoisting device is used in conjunction with the recovery system: When the ship detects that the shipboard unmanned surface vessel is returning to port, the central unit opens the cover plate and controls the extension of the telescopic long flexible arm and short flexible arm. The three-dimensional guidance and positioning system guides the universal hand to capture the hook at the end of the hoisting device. After the shipborne unmanned surface vessel (USV) arrives at the recovery area, the 3D guidance and positioning system acquires the structured light image of the USV and sends it to the central unit. The central unit locates the 3D shape of the USV, calculates the positional deviation, and controls the universal arm to dock the hook at the end of the hoisting device with the USV based on the deviation correction amount. After docking, the universal arm releases the capture state, the telescopic long flexible arm and short flexible arm retract, and the hoisting device drive mechanism is activated to hoist the USV back.

5. The shipborne unmanned equipment recovery system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The three-dimensional guidance and positioning system adopts a laser vision positioning system.

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