Obstacle avoidance system for cruise ships

Abstract

The present invention provides an obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship, comprising a controller, a millimeter-wave radar, a power supply system and a mounting frame; the controller is installed in the cabin of the cruise ship, and can connect and monitor the operating conditions of the millimeter-wave radar and the power supply system; the mounting frame is arranged at the bow and / or stern of the cruise ship, and is used to mount the millimeter-wave radar; the millimeter-wave radar provides obstacle scanning information to the controller; the power supply system is installed in the cabin of the cruise ship, and provides power to the controller and the millimeter-wave radar. The present invention expands the scanning capability of the obstacle avoidance system by symmetrically arranging multiple millimeter-wave radars on a support seat; the scanning angles of multiple millimeter-wave radars are superimposed or complementary, providing multiple or complementary scanning information to the controller, which can reduce the detection error of the obstacle avoidance system, reduce missed detection, and reduce the influence of the periodic pitching or bowing of the cruise ship on the obstacle avoidance detection during navigation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of intelligent control, and in particular to an obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship, which can be installed in the cruise ship to scan obstacle information at the bow and / or stern. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, more and more intelligent auxiliary control equipment has become a research hotspot; traditional cruise ships rely on human control, rarely have obstacle avoidance systems, and cannot achieve automatic obstacle avoidance.

[0003] In intelligent ships that use obstacle avoidance and collision avoidance technology, the main equipment used includes laser radar, maritime radar, camera or millimeter wave radar, etc.; among them, laser radar has high accuracy, but is expensive and has poor penetration. It cannot be used normally in rainy and foggy weather, and it is difficult to promote it to low-cost small and medium-sized cruise ship projects; the imaging effect of the camera is unstable in rainy, foggy or strong light environments, especially at night, and it cannot work effectively all day long, and it is difficult to meet the obstacle avoidance needs of small and medium-sized cruise ships; maritime radars are generally large in size, have a long detection distance, and are expensive. They are suitable for installation on official boats over 7 meters, and are not suitable for small and medium-sized cruise ships; millimeter wave radars have been widely used in fields such as automobile collision avoidance. They are low in cost and can work all day long in different environments such as rain, snow, fog, and strong light. The detection distance is often in the range of a few meters to 200m, which can meet the detection needs of low-speed yachts for collision avoidance.

[0004] However, in the use of millimeter-wave radar, since the radar's upper and lower beam emission angles are small, about 14 degrees, it is easy to lose the detection target during navigation, resulting in detection blind spots or false alarms; although repeated adjustment of the installation height and installation angle of the millimeter-wave radar can enable the cruise ship to further adapt to the different scenarios of the navigation waters it faces, due to the limited height of the entire ship of small and medium-sized cruise ships, the detection effect of a single millimeter-wave radar is not good, and it cannot substantially solve the problem of detection blind spots or false alarms; especially when the cruise ship pitches or pitches in the water, the detection area of ​​the millimeter-wave radar is changed from fixed detection to scanning detection, which is not conducive to continuous tracking of obstacles, nor is it conducive to filtering water wave interference information; therefore, in view of the special usage scenarios and cost characteristics of small and medium-sized yachts, a new system solution is required to eliminate the impact of the pitch or pitch of the cruise ship on the millimeter-wave radar.

[0005] In view of this, overcoming the defects of the above-mentioned prior art is an urgent problem to be solved in the field of this technology. Summary of the invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that when the cruise ship shakes in the water, a scanning blind area appears in the obstacle avoidance system, scanning information is lost, and it is difficult to continue to avoid obstacles.

[0007] The present invention achieves the above-mentioned object through the following technical solutions: providing an obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship, including a controller, a millimeter wave radar, a power supply system and a mounting frame;

[0008] The controller is installed in the cabin of the cruise ship and can connect to and monitor the operating conditions of the millimeter wave radar and the power supply system;

[0009] The mounting frame is arranged at the bow and / or stern of the cruise ship and is used to mount the millimeter wave radar;

[0010] The millimeter wave radar is installed on the mounting frame to provide obstacle scanning information to the controller;

[0011] The power supply system is installed in the cabin of the cruise ship to provide power for the controller and the millimeter wave radar. Specifically, the power supply system is the battery of the cruise ship and its corresponding charging system, and a dedicated battery can also be set separately.

[0012] Furthermore, the mounting frame includes a positioning seat, a supporting seat and a connector;

[0013] The positioning seat is vertically installed at the bow and / or stern of the cruise ship, that is, the positioning seat is perpendicular to the water surface, and the installation position of the positioning seat can be appropriately adjusted according to the installation requirements of the millimeter wave radar for angle and height;

[0014] One end of the connector is fixed on the positioning seat, and the other end is connected to the bottom end surface of the support seat, so that the support seat is mounted on the connector;

[0015] A plurality of millimeter-wave radars are symmetrically arranged on the top surface of the support base to expand the scanning capability of the obstacle avoidance system; the scanning angles of the plurality of millimeter-wave radars are superimposed or complementary to provide the controller with multiple or complementary scanning information, which can reduce the detection error of the obstacle avoidance system, especially reduce missed detection.

[0016] Furthermore, a plurality of intersecting rectangular panels are symmetrically arranged on the top surface of the support base, and the corresponding intersections are protruding outwards. The angle between adjacent rectangular panels corresponds to the upper and lower beam emission angles of a single millimeter-wave radar. When the upper and lower beam emission angles of the millimeter-wave radar are a degrees, the angle range between adjacent rectangular panels is greater than or equal to b degrees and less than 180 degrees, wherein a+b=180; a millimeter-wave radar is horizontally arranged on each rectangular panel, that is, the number of rectangular panels is equal to the number of millimeter-wave radars, and adjacent millimeter-wave radars are arranged in an outward-facing "eight" shape. The lower edge of the emission angle of the upper millimeter-wave radar among adjacent millimeter-wave radars is tangent to or overlaps with the upper edge of the emission angle of the lower millimeter-wave radar, forming a larger combined emission angle; specifically, when the cruise ship produces a pitch attitude change with the bow higher and the stern lower during navigation, the lower millimeter-wave radar is lifted up to compensate for the influence of the cruise ship's attitude being higher in the front and lower in the back, and continuously detects obstacles ahead; when the cruise ship produces a pitch attitude change with the bow lower and the stern higher during navigation, the upper millimeter-wave radar is pressed down to compensate for the influence of the cruise ship's attitude being lower in the front and higher in the back, and continuously detects obstacles ahead.

[0017] Furthermore, the connector includes a plurality of springs; the springs are evenly distributed between the support seat and the positioning seat; specifically, the springs are arranged on the corresponding apex angles of the spherical seat and the positioning seat; in the initial state, the springs are in a natural extension state, and when the cruise ship produces periodic pitch or bow roll posture changes during navigation, springs at different positions provide different pulling forces or thrusts, which can greatly reduce the synchronous rigid vibration between the spherical seat and the positioning seat, thereby improving the scanning stability of the millimeter-wave radar.

[0018] Furthermore, the connector also includes a ball pin and a ball seat that are matched together;

[0019] One end of the ball pin is a cylinder that can be fixed on the positioning seat, and the other end is provided with a ball head;

[0020] One end of the spherical seat is a cylinder and can be fixed on the bottom end surface of the support seat, and the other end is provided with a spherical groove; the diameter of the spherical head is the same as the diameter of the spherical groove, and the spherical head of the ball pin can be matched to be inserted into the spherical groove of the spherical seat, so that the spherical seat can be mounted on the positioning seat in an omnidirectional rotation, thereby fixing the longitudinal distance between the spherical seat and the positioning seat. When the cruise ship produces periodic pitch attitude changes or bow attitude changes during navigation, the spherical seat can flexibly rotate around the spherical head, which greatly reduces the synchronous rigid swing between the spherical seat and the positioning seat, and improves the scanning stability of the millimeter wave radar.

[0021] Furthermore, the support seat is configured as a hollow box body to facilitate wiring burying, and wire holes are set at corresponding positions on the support seat, spherical seat, spherical pin and positioning seat to facilitate pulling the communication line of the millimeter-wave radar from the wire hole to the controller, and pulling the power line of the millimeter-wave radar from the wire hole to the power system.

[0022] Furthermore, a counterweight is provided at the bottom of the support seat; when the cruise ship undergoes periodic pitching posture changes during navigation, the support seat can be flexibly rotated around the spherical head to a vertical state under the action of the counterweight.

[0023] The advantages of the present invention over the prior art are as follows: the present invention provides a low-cost, millimeter-wave radar-based yacht collision avoidance solution, especially by symmetrically arranging multiple millimeter-wave radars on a support seat to expand the scanning capability of the obstacle avoidance system; the scanning angles of multiple millimeter-wave radars are superimposed or complementary, providing multiple or complementary scanning information to the controller, which can reduce the detection error of the obstacle avoidance system, reduce missed detection, and reduce the impact of the periodic pitch or bow pitch of the cruise ship on obstacle avoidance detection during navigation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 It is an overall stereoscopic diagram of the cruise ship equipped with the obstacle avoidance system in the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a top view of the mounting frame equipped with a millimeter-wave radar in the embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the positioning seat in the embodiment when it is isolated.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the mounting frame equipped with a millimeter-wave radar when viewed from above.

[0029] Figure 5 It is a bottom perspective view of the support base in the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 6 It is a top perspective view of the support base in the embodiment.

[0031] Figure 7 It is a bottom perspective view of the ball pin in the embodiment.

[0032] Figure 8 It is a top perspective view of the spherical pin in the embodiment.

[0033] Fig. 9 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the spring in the embodiment.

[0034] Fig.10 This is a top view of the support seat after the counterweight block is installed in the embodiment.

[0035] In the figure: 1-cruise boat; 2-controller; 3-millimeter wave radar; 4-mounting frame; 5-communication line; 6-counterweight block 401-positioning seat; 402-support seat; 403-spring; 404-ball pin; 405-ball head; 406-ball seat; 407-ball groove; 408-wire hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, the terms "inside", "outside", "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and do not require that the present invention must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0038] In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0039] Examples, such as Figure 1-9 As shown, an obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship 1 is provided, including a controller 2, a millimeter-wave radar 3, a power supply system and a mounting frame 4; wherein the controller 2 is a control box composed of a SIM32F series CPU processor as a core, and the model of the millimeter-wave radar 3 is an SP70C anti-collision radar, and the corresponding upper and lower beam emission angles are 14 degrees;

[0040] The controller 2 is installed in the cabin of the cruise ship 1, connected to and monitors the operating conditions of the millimeter wave radar 3 and the power supply system;

[0041] The mounting frame 4 is arranged at the bow and stern of the cruise ship 1 and is used to mount the millimeter wave radar 3;

[0042] The millimeter wave radar 3 is mounted on a mounting frame 4 to provide obstacle scanning information to the controller 2;

[0043] The power supply system is a battery and a corresponding charging system of the cruise ship 1 , which are installed in the cabin of the cruise ship 1 to provide power for the controller 2 and the millimeter wave radar 3 .

[0044] In this embodiment, the mounting frame 4 includes a positioning seat 401, a supporting seat 402 and a connector;

[0045] The positioning seat 401 is 36 cm long and 20 cm wide, and is vertically installed at the bow and stern of the cruise ship 1; that is, the positioning seat 401 is perpendicular to the water surface. The user can adjust the installation position of the positioning seat 401 appropriately according to the installation requirements of the millimeter wave radar 3 for angle and height, and especially should comply with the requirements for the installation height: between 50-150 cm from the water surface;

[0046] One end of the connector is fixed on the positioning seat 401, and the other end is connected to the bottom end surface of the support seat 402, so that the support seat 402 is mounted on the connector; the support seat 402 is 36 cm long and 20 cm wide at the bottom end surface, and can be completely covered on the positioning seat 401;

[0047] Two millimeter-wave radars 3 are symmetrically arranged on the top surface of the support base 402 to expand the scanning capability of the obstacle avoidance system; the scanning angles of the two millimeter-wave radars 3 are superimposed or complementary, providing multiple or complementary scanning information to the controller 2, which can reduce the detection error of the obstacle avoidance system, especially reduce missed detection.

[0048] In this embodiment, two intersecting rectangular panels are symmetrically arranged on the top surface of the support base 402, and the corresponding intersection is protruding outward. The angle between the two rectangular panels corresponds to the upper and lower beam emission angles of a single millimeter-wave radar 3, that is, the upper and lower beam emission angles of the millimeter-wave radar 3 are 14 degrees, and the angle between the two rectangular panels is set to 166 degrees; a millimeter-wave radar 3 is horizontally arranged on each rectangular panel, and the two millimeter-wave radars 3 are arranged in an outward-facing "eight" shape, and the lower edge of the emission angle of the upper millimeter-wave radar 3 is aligned with the lower millimeter-wave radar 3. The upper edge of the emission angle of the meter-wave radar 3 is tangent to form a larger combined emission angle, and the value of the combined emission angle is 28 degrees; specifically, when the cruise ship 1 produces a pitch attitude change with the bow higher and the stern lower during navigation, the lower millimeter-wave radar 3 is lifted up to compensate for the influence of the cruise ship 1's high front and low back attitude, and continuously detects obstacles ahead; when the cruise ship 1 produces a pitch attitude change with the bow lower and the stern higher during navigation, the upper millimeter-wave radar 3 is pressed down to compensate for the influence of the cruise ship 1's low front and high back attitude, and continuously detects obstacles ahead.

[0049] In this embodiment, the connector includes four springs 403, each spring 403 is 7 cm long; the springs 403 are evenly distributed between the support seat 402 and the positioning seat 401; specifically, the springs 403 are arranged on the top angles corresponding to the spherical seat 406 and the positioning seat 401; in the initial state, the springs 403 are in a natural extension state. When the cruise ship 1 produces periodic pitch or bow roll posture changes during navigation, the springs 403 at different positions provide different pulling forces or thrusts, which greatly slows down the synchronous rigid vibration between the spherical seat 406 and the positioning seat 401, thereby improving the scanning stability of the millimeter wave radar 3.

[0050] In this embodiment, the connector further includes a ball pin 404 and a ball seat 406 that are matched with each other;

[0051] One end of the ball pin 404 is a cylinder, fixed on the positioning seat 401, and the other end is provided with a ball head 405;

[0052] One end of the spherical seat 406 is a cylinder, which is fixed on the bottom end surface of the support seat 402, and the other end is provided with a spherical groove; the diameter of the spherical head and the diameter of the spherical groove are both 3 cm, and the spherical head 405 of the ball pin 404 is matched to be inserted into the spherical groove of the spherical seat 406, so that the spherical seat 406 can be mounted on the positioning seat 401 in an omnidirectional rotation, thereby fixing the longitudinal distance between the spherical seat 406 and the positioning seat 401. When the cruise ship 1 produces periodic pitch attitude changes or bow attitude changes during navigation, the spherical seat 406 can flexibly rotate around the spherical head, which greatly reduces the synchronous rigid swing between the spherical seat 406 and the positioning seat 401, thereby improving the scanning stability of the millimeter wave radar 3.

[0053] In this embodiment, the support base 402 is configured as a hollow box body to facilitate wiring burying, and wire holes 408 are set at corresponding positions on the support base 402, the spherical base 406, the spherical pin 404 and the positioning base 401, so as to facilitate pulling the communication line 5 of the millimeter wave radar 3 from the wire hole 408 to the controller 2, and pulling the power supply line of the millimeter wave radar 3 from the wire hole 408 to the power supply system.

[0054] Based on the above embodiments, Fig.10 As shown, a counterweight block 6 is provided at the bottom of the support seat 402, with a length of 15 cm, a height of 5 cm and a weight of 1 kg; when the cruise ship produces periodic pitching posture changes during navigation, under the action of the counterweight block (6), the support seat (402) can flexibly rotate around the spherical head 405 to a vertical state.

[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship (1), characterized in that: It includes a controller (2), a millimeter wave radar (3), a power supply system and a mounting frame (4); The controller (2) is installed in the cabin of the cruise ship (1) and can be connected to and monitor the operating conditions of the millimeter wave radar (3) and the power supply system; The mounting frame (4) is arranged at the bow and / or stern of the cruise ship (1) and is used to mount the millimeter wave radar (3); The millimeter wave radar (3) is mounted on a mounting frame (4) to provide obstacle scanning information to the controller (2); The power supply system is installed in the cabin of the cruise ship (1) to provide power for the controller (2) and the millimeter wave radar (3); The mounting frame (4) comprises a positioning seat (401), a supporting seat (402) and a connector; The positioning seat (401) is vertically installed on the bow and / or stern of the cruise ship (1); One end of the connector is fixed on the positioning seat (401), and the other end is connected to the bottom end surface of the support seat (402), so that the support seat (402) is mounted on the connector; The top surface of the support base (402) is symmetrically provided with a plurality of millimeter wave radars (3), which can expand the scanning capability of the obstacle avoidance system; the scanning angles of the plurality of millimeter wave radars (3) are superimposed or complementary, providing the controller (2) with multiple or complementary scanning information; A plurality of intersecting rectangular panels are symmetrically arranged on the top surface of the support seat (402), the corresponding intersections protrude outwards, and the angle between adjacent rectangular panels corresponds to the upper and lower beam emission angles of a single millimeter wave radar (3); a millimeter wave radar (3) is horizontally arranged on each rectangular panel, and adjacent millimeter wave radars (3) are arranged in an outward-facing "eight" shape, and the lower edge of the emission angle of the upper millimeter wave radar (3) among the adjacent millimeter wave radars (3) is tangent to or overlaps with the upper edge of the emission angle of the lower millimeter wave radar (3), thereby forming a larger combined emission angle.

2. The obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector comprises a plurality of springs (403); the springs (403) are evenly distributed between the support seat (402) and the positioning seat (401); when the cruise ship (1) produces periodic pitching or bowing posture changes during navigation, the springs (403) at different positions provide different pulling forces or thrusts, which can greatly reduce the synchronous rigid vibration between the spherical seat (406) and the positioning seat (401), thereby improving the scanning stability of the millimeter wave radar (3).

3. The obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connector also includes a ball pin (404) and a ball seat (406) that are matched with each other; One end of the ball pin (404) is a cylinder that can be fixed on the positioning seat (401), and the other end is provided with a ball head (405); One end of the spherical seat (406) is a cylinder that can be fixed on the bottom end surface of the support seat (402), and the other end is provided with a spherical groove; The spherical head (405) of the spherical pin (404) can be matched to be inserted into the spherical groove of the spherical seat (406), so that the spherical seat (406) can be mounted on the positioning seat (401) in an omnidirectionally rotatable manner, thereby fixing the longitudinal distance between the spherical seat (406) and the positioning seat (401). When the cruise ship (1) produces periodic pitch attitude changes or bow attitude changes during navigation, the spherical seat (406) can flexibly rotate around the spherical head, greatly reducing the synchronous rigid swing between the spherical seat (406) and the positioning seat (401), thereby improving the scanning stability of the millimeter wave radar (3).

4. The obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support base (402) is configured as a hollow box body, and wire holes (408) are provided at corresponding positions on the support base (402), the ball base (406), the ball pin (404) and the positioning base (401), so as to facilitate pulling the communication line (5) of the millimeter wave radar (3) from the wire hole (408) to the controller (2), and pulling the power line of the millimeter wave radar (3) from the wire hole (408) to the power system.

5. The obstacle avoidance system for a cruise ship according to claim 4, characterized in that: A counterweight (6) is arranged at the bottom of the support seat (402); when the cruise ship experiences periodic pitching changes during navigation, the support seat (402) can be flexibly rotated around the spherical head (405) to a vertical state under the action of the counterweight (6).

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