Photographing method and unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

A photographing method and a UAV, the method comprising: controlling the UAV to fly according to a preset flight route, the preset flight route comprising a plurality of waypoints, a photographing point being arranged between adjacent waypoints and / or part or all of the plurality of waypoints being photographing points; in the process of the UAV flying from a current photographing point to a next photographing point, controlling a gimbal (300) on the UAV to switch poses, so that a photographing device (200) on the gimbal (300) is in a preset pose at each photographing point; acquiring images photographed by the photographing device (200) at each photographing point; a plurality of continuous photographing points form a queue, and adjacent queues have at least one photographing point with the same preset pose. The photographing process does not need to stop the UAV flight, thereby improving the photographing efficiency, and being particularly suitable for map surveying and mapping; the photographing method can be realized by controlling one photographing device (200) by the gimbal (300), compared with a traditional multi-patch photographing device, the weight of the photographing system is greatly reduced, so a UAV with a smaller size and weight can be selected to carry the photographing device, thereby reducing the use cost.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of image acquisition, in particular to a shooting method and a UAV. BACKGROUND

[0002] The tilt photography technology is to carry multiple shooting devices on a UAV, and simultaneously collect images from one vertical and four side views at different angles. Compared with the traditional photography, the tilt photography technology has four more shooting angles, so that more rich side texture information can be obtained. In order to realize the shooting in multiple directions, in the related technology, multiple shooting devices are combined, and the combined multi-patch shooting device (such as a 5-patch shooting device) is installed on the UAV. The multi-patch shooting device needs multiple independent shooting device systems, and has the defects of high cost and large weight. In addition, due to the large weight of the multi-patch shooting device, it needs to be carried on a UAV with large volume to work smoothly, which leads to high use cost, complex installation and transportation, and many other problems.

[0003] In the related technology, the UAV can also carry a shooting device with only one lens to perform multi-angle shooting. The UAV moves to a shooting point and stops at the shooting point, and then controls the shooting device to shoot the target from different angles. Taking the shooting device with only one lens as an example, after the UAV reaches the shooting point and stops stably, the shooting device is controlled to adjust the posture to realize the shooting at five shooting angles. Then, after the UAV reaches the next shooting point and stops stably, the shooting device is controlled to adjust the posture to realize the shooting at five shooting angles. However, this shooting method will result in low shooting efficiency and cannot meet the demand. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a shooting method and a UAV.

[0005] Specifically, the present application is realized by the following technical solutions:

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, a shooting method is provided, the method comprising:

[0007] controlling the UAV to fly according to a preset flight route, wherein the preset flight route comprises multiple waypoints, and a shooting point is arranged between adjacent waypoints and / or part or all of the multiple waypoints are shooting points;

[0008] controlling a gimbal on the UAV to switch the posture during the UAV flying from a current shooting point to a next shooting point, so that a shooting device on the gimbal is in a preset posture at each shooting point;

[0009] obtaining images shot by the shooting device at each shooting point;

[0010] The plurality of continuous shooting points form a queue, and adjacent queues have at least one shooting point with the same preset posture.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present application, an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided, comprising a body, a holder, a shooting device and a processor, the shooting device is carried on the body through the holder, the holder and the shooting device are electrically connected with the processor respectively; the processor is used for:

[0012] controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly according to a preset route, wherein the preset route comprises a plurality of waypoints, and a shooting point is arranged between adjacent waypoints and / or part or all of the plurality of waypoints are shooting points;

[0013] in the process that the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from a current shooting point to a next shooting point, controlling the holder on the unmanned aerial vehicle to switch postures, so that the shooting device on the holder is in a preset posture at each shooting point;

[0014] obtaining images shot by the shooting device at each shooting point;

[0015] The plurality of continuous shooting points form a queue, and adjacent queues have at least one shooting point with the same preset posture.

[0016] As can be seen from the technical solutions provided by the above embodiments of the present application, in the process that the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from a current shooting point to a next shooting point, the holder carrying the shooting device is controlled to switch postures, so that the shooting device is in a preset posture at each shooting point and performs shooting, and the shooting process does not need to stop the unmanned aerial vehicle from flying, thereby improving the shooting efficiency, and the present application is particularly suitable for map surveying and mapping; and the shooting method of the present application can be realized by controlling one shooting device through the holder, compared with the traditional multiple shooting devices, the weight of the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present application is greatly reduced, so that a smaller unmanned aerial vehicle can be selected to carry the shooting device, thereby reducing the use cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiment description will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0018] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is a method flowchart of a shooting method in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3is a posture switching schematic diagram of a gimbal in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 is a comparison diagram of images taken by a UAV in the related art at different shooting points in the same preset posture;

[0022] Figure 5 is another comparison diagram of images taken by a UAV in the related art at different shooting points in the same preset posture;

[0023] Figure 6 is a structural block diagram of a UAV in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of the present application.

[0025] The shooting method and the UAV of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the case of no conflict, the features in the following embodiments and implementation manners can be combined with each other.

[0026] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a UAV in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 1 The UAV in the embodiment of the present application can include a fuselage 100, a shooting device 200 and a gimbal 300, wherein the shooting device 200 is carried on the fuselage 100 through the gimbal 300. The UAV can be a fixed-wing UAV or a multi-rotor UAV, and the type of the UAV can be selected according to actual needs, for example, when the weight of the gimbal 300 and the shooting device 200 is large, a fixed-wing UAV with large volume and weight can be selected to carry the gimbal 300 and the shooting device 200; when the weight of the gimbal 300 and the shooting device 200 is small, a multi-rotor UAV with small volume and weight can be selected to carry the gimbal 300 and the shooting device 200. The shooting device 200 can be an integrated camera or a device composed of an image sensor and a lens. In addition, the gimbal 300 in the embodiment can be a two-axis gimbal or a three-axis gimbal.

[0027] The unmanned aerial vehicle can be applied in the field of surveying and mapping. Taking the ground as an example, the unmanned aerial vehicle carries the photographing device 200 to collect ground images, and then the software is used to reconstruct a three-dimensional or two-dimensional map of the ground images. The map obtained by surveying and mapping can be applied in different industries, such as in the field of power inspection, the reconstructed map can be used to check the line fault; in the field of road planning, the reconstructed map can be used for site selection of roads; the three-dimensional map reconstructed by the drug suppression police can be used to check the opium planting situation in the deep mountains, and the like. Of course, the unmanned aerial vehicle is not limited to the field of surveying and mapping, but can also be applied in other fields that need to obtain multi-directional characteristic information of the photographed object. The photographed object is not limited to the ground, but can also be large buildings, mountains, and the like.

[0028] In the related art, the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle generally rarely carries a gimbal, because in the field of surveying and mapping, the pixel requirement for the photographing device is relatively high, such as higher than 20 million pixels. The requirement for high pixels makes the volume of the multi-patch photographing device increase. If the photographing device is carried on the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle through the gimbal, not only is there a high requirement for the volume and carrying weight of the gimbal, but also the overall volume of the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle is larger.

[0029] In view of this, when photographing is performed by using the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle, only one photographing device needs to be used in the present application. Although the pixel of the photographing device is large, the volume and weight of the photographing device are greatly reduced compared with the multi-patch photographing device, thereby greatly reducing the weight and size of the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle. In addition, compared with the multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle has a long flight time and a long flight range, which is usually 5-10 times that of the multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, and is more friendly to photographing applications such as the field of surveying and mapping. The present application is described by taking the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle carrying the gimbal and the photographing device for photographing as an example.

[0030] In the related art, whether it is a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle or a rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, when one photographing device is used to realize photographing at multiple angles, for example, 5 angles, due to speed or efficiency control reasons, the unmanned aerial vehicle generally flies 5 times along the same route, and each route corresponds to one photographing angle, so as to realize multi-angle photographing, but this is not conducive to the endurance of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Based on this, in the present application, the gimbal on the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled to switch the attitude during one flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, so as to realize photographing at multiple photographing angles, thereby not needing to realize repeated route patrolling, and thus not only being conducive to improving the photographing efficiency, but also being conducive to reducing the energy consumption of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0031] The following embodiments will describe the working process of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0032] Referring to Figure 2 The photographing method of the present embodiment can include the following steps:

[0033] Step S201: controlling the UAV to fly according to the preset flight route, wherein the preset flight route comprises a plurality of waypoints, and a photographing point is arranged between adjacent waypoints or a part or all of the plurality of waypoints are used as photographing points.

[0034] In this embodiment, the preset flight route is set by the user in advance. Alternatively, the user inputs the position information of each waypoint into the UAV through a terminal or a remote control device, and connects each waypoint in the input order to form the preset flight route. When the user updates the position of a part of the set waypoints, the position information of the part of the set waypoints can be modified by operating the terminal or the remote control device. The step of modifying the position information of the part of the set waypoints can be performed before the UAV flies or during the flight of the UAV.

[0035] The position setting relationship between the waypoints and the photographing points can be selected as required. For example, in one embodiment, one or more photographing points are arranged between adjacent waypoints. In another embodiment, a part of the plurality of waypoints are used as photographing points, and photographing points can be arranged between adjacent waypoints or not. In yet another embodiment, all of the plurality of waypoints are used as photographing points, and photographing points can be arranged between adjacent waypoints or not. It can be understood that one photographing point has one photographing and corresponds to one gimbal attitude, and one image is obtained.

[0036] The UAV flying according to the preset flight route in this embodiment specifically comprises: controlling the real-time height between the lens of the photographing device 200 and the photographed object to be within the preset height range. When the UAV is used for surveying, the GSD (Ground Sampling Distance) is not uniform during the surveying process due to the ups and downs of the terrain. Therefore, the height between the lens of the photographing device 200 and the ground is controlled to maintain the uniformity of the GSD. For example, when the terrain is high, the UAV ascends; when the terrain is low, the UAV descends, so as to ensure that the GSD is substantially equal during the surveying process. For a fixed-wing UAV, the ascending height and the descending height are limited, so the fixed-wing UAV can only ascend or descend within the ascending height or the descending height of the fixed-wing UAV to keep the GSD as consistent as possible.

[0037] It can be understood that when the real-time height between the lens of the photographing device 200 and the photographed object is controlled to be within the preset height range, the UAV and the photographed object can be controlled to have a real-time height within the preset height range, or the photographing device 200 and the photographed object can be controlled to have a real-time height within the preset range, or the attitude of the gimbal can be controlled so that the real-time height between the lens of the photographing device 200 and the photographed object is within the preset height range. Of course, the above methods can also be used in combination, which is not limited herein.

[0038] Step S202: In the process that the UAV flies from the current shooting point to the next shooting point, the gimbal 300 on the UAV is controlled to switch the posture, so that the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is in the preset posture at each shooting point.

[0039] In the embodiment, the plurality of continuous shooting points form a queue, and the adjacent queues have at least one shooting point with the same preset posture.

[0040] The composition of the queue can be selected as needed. For example, in a specific embodiment, shooting points are arranged between adjacent waypoints, and each waypoint also serves as a shooting point. For example, a preset flight route has waypoints A, B and C arranged in sequence, the flight time of the waypoint A is before the flight time of the waypoint B, the flight time of the waypoint B is before the flight time of the waypoint C, one or more shooting points are arranged between the waypoint A and the waypoint B, and one or more shooting points are arranged between the waypoint B and the waypoint C. The waypoint A, the waypoint B and the waypoint C are also shooting points. In the embodiment, the waypoint A and the one or more shooting points between the waypoint A and the waypoint B form a queue, the waypoint B and the one or more shooting points between the waypoint B and the waypoint C form a queue, and so on. Optionally, the shooting points between adjacent waypoints can include 1, 2, 3, 4 or more. In another specific embodiment, the number of shooting points in each queue is equal, and the shooting points in each queue can be determined according to the number of shooting points and the initial shooting point.

[0041] In the embodiment, each queue can have the same number of shooting points, or can have different numbers of shooting points. The number of shooting points in each queue can be selected according to the shooting requirements.

[0042] In the embodiment, the preset postures corresponding to the plurality of shooting points in each queue are different, and the shooting device 200 can shoot at different preset postures at different shooting points. For example, in a specific embodiment, each queue includes 5 shooting points, and the 5 shooting points correspond to 5 different preset postures. The shooting device 200 can shoot in 5 directions at the 5 shooting points. In other embodiments, the preset postures corresponding to part of the shooting points in each queue are the same, and the shooting device 200 shoots at the same preset posture at the part of the shooting points.

[0043] The preset poses can be set according to actual requirements. For example, the preset poses can include: the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 is vertically downward (the photographing device 200 is used to shoot a lower view of a photographed object), the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the front direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (the photographing device 200 is used to shoot a front view of a photographed object), the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the left direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (the photographing device 200 is used to shoot a left view of a photographed object), the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the rear direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (the photographing device 200 is used to shoot a rear view of a photographed object), the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the right direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle (the photographing device 200 is used to shoot a right view of a photographed object), or other poses, and the embodiments will not be enumerated one by one.

[0044] In the following embodiments, the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 vertically downward is referred to as vertical shooting, and the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 inclined relative to the vertical direction is referred to as inclined shooting. When inclined shooting, the angle of the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 inclined relative to the vertical direction can be set according to requirements. In the embodiments, the angle of the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 inclined relative to the vertical direction is greater than 0° and less than 90°, such as 10°, 20°, 30°, 45°, and the like.

[0045] In the embodiments, each queue includes the following preset poses: the shooting direction of the photographing device 200 is vertically downward, so that the adjacent queue has at least one shooting point with the same preset pose. Further, the preset poses can also include the preset poses corresponding to the inclined shooting in the above-mentioned embodiments, and the images obtained by the inclined shooting are used as reference images of the images obtained by the vertical shooting. Of course, in other embodiments, the same preset poses in the adjacent queue can also select other poses in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0046] In some examples, multiple shooting points in adjacent queues correspond to the same preset posture. In one specific implementation, each queue includes five shooting points: shooting point 1, shooting point 2, shooting point 3, shooting point 4, and shooting point 5. Their corresponding preset postures are: shooting direction of the shooting device 200 vertically downwards; shooting direction of the shooting device 200 tilted relative to the vertical direction and facing the rear of the drone; shooting direction of the shooting device 200 tilted relative to the vertical direction and facing the left side of the drone; shooting direction of the shooting device 200 tilted relative to the vertical direction and facing the front of the drone; and shooting direction of the shooting device 200 tilted relative to the vertical direction and facing the right side of the drone. In this embodiment, during drone flight, the shooting order of the shooting points in a queue is: shooting point 1 -> shooting point 2 -> shooting point 3 -> shooting point 4 -> shooting point 5. Optionally, shooting point 1 is the drone's current waypoint, and shooting points 2, 3, 4, and 5 are located between the current waypoint and the next waypoint.

[0047] Taking the ground as the subject of the photograph as an example, see Figure 3 Before the drone reaches the current waypoint (i.e., shooting point 1), control the gimbal attitude so that the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is vertically downward, and the intersection of the lens centerline of the shooting device 200 and the ground is point A; before the drone flies from the current waypoint to shooting point 2, control the gimbal attitude so that the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is tilted relative to the vertical direction and facing the rear of the drone, and the intersection of the lens centerline of the shooting device 200 and the ground is point B; before the drone flies from the current waypoint to shooting point 3, control the gimbal attitude so that the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is tilted relative to the vertical direction and facing the drone. From the left side of the drone, the intersection of the lens centerline of the shooting device 200 and the ground is point C; before the drone flies from the current waypoint to shooting point 4, control the gimbal attitude so that the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is tilted relative to the vertical direction and facing the front of the drone, and the intersection of the lens centerline of the shooting device 200 and the ground is point D; before the drone flies from the current waypoint to shooting point 5, control the gimbal attitude so that the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is tilted relative to the vertical direction and facing the right side of the drone, and the intersection of the lens centerline of the shooting device 200 and the ground is point E; thus, one cycle ends.

[0048] In the next cycle, the drone's flight sequence at each shooting point is as follows: shooting point 5 of the current queue -> shooting point 1 of the next queue -> shooting point 2 of the next queue -> shooting point 3 of the next queue -> shooting point 4 of the next queue -> shooting point 5 of the next queue.

[0049] Of course, the preset poses corresponding to the shooting points 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the above embodiments can also be changed as needed, for example, the preset poses corresponding to the shooting points 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are respectively: the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the rear of the UAV, the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the left side direction of the UAV, the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the front of the UAV, the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the right side direction of the UAV, and the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is vertically downward.

[0050] In other examples, the preset poses corresponding to the multiple shooting points in adjacent queues are partially the same to alleviate the conflict between the image storage speed and the flight speed of the UAV. In a specific embodiment, the preset poses corresponding to the multiple shooting points in one of the adjacent queues include: the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is vertically downward, the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the front of the UAV, and the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the rear of the UAV. The preset poses corresponding to the multiple shooting points in the other of the adjacent queues include: the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is vertically downward, the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the left side direction of the UAV, and the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the right side direction of the UAV.

[0051] For example, the preset flight route is provided with flight points A, B and C in sequence, the flight time of flight point A is before the flight time of flight point B, the flight time of flight point B is before the flight time of flight point C, and there are two shooting points between flight points A and B and between flight points B and C, respectively. At flight point A, the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is controlled to be vertically downward, and the preset poses of the two shooting points between flight points A and B are respectively: the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the front of the UAV, and the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the rear of the UAV. At flight point B, the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is controlled to be vertically downward again, and the preset poses of the two shooting points between flight points B and C are respectively: the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the left side direction of the UAV, and the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is inclined relative to the vertical direction and faces the right side direction of the UAV.

[0052] As demonstrated by the above embodiments, one frontal shot can be taken at each waypoint, and two or four oblique shots can be taken between each adjacent waypoint to obtain frontal shots and oblique shots in four directions (forward, backward, left, and right) between three consecutive waypoints or two consecutive waypoints. This allows for the examination of the overlap between images obtained from frontal shots and the overlap between images obtained from oblique shots in corresponding directions. This embodiment primarily examines the overlap between images obtained from frontal shots, using images obtained from oblique shots as reference images for those obtained from frontal shots. In comparison, while two oblique shots between each adjacent waypoint reduce the overlap between oblique shots, these images can still serve as reference images for those obtained from frontal shots. Furthermore, since fewer images are taken between adjacent waypoints, fewer images need to be stored, which helps alleviate the conflict between image storage speed and UAV flight speed. For example, when the UAV's flight speed is too high and the image storage speed is too slow, too many images may be lost due to excessive storage.

[0053] In related technologies, the camera control device 200 takes pictures at fixed time intervals. However, fixed-wing drones encounter tailwinds and headwinds, causing changes in their actual flight speed. This results in inconsistent overlap between images captured by the camera control device 200 at adjacent shooting points. During the drone's shooting process, the photos taken along its flight path need to maintain a certain degree of overlap. Taking a frontal shot as an example, for instance... Figure 4 As shown, shooting point 1 is the shooting point corresponding to the orthogonal view of shooting device 200 in queue 1; shooting point 2 is the shooting point corresponding to the orthogonal view of shooting device 200 in queue 2; shooting point 3 is the shooting point corresponding to the orthogonal view of shooting device 200 in queue 3, and so on. Shooting point 1 and shooting point 2 are on the same vertical ( Figure 4 In the vertical direction of the image shown, the overlap ratio between the image captured by the imaging device 200 at shooting point 1 and the image captured by the imaging device 200 at shooting point 2 in the vertical direction is called the forward overlap. If shooting points 1 and 12 are located on two adjacent vertical routes, the overlap ratio between the image captured by the imaging device 200 at shooting point 1 and the image captured by the imaging device 200 at shooting point 12 in the vertical direction is called the lateral overlap.

[0054] In this regard, in one embodiment, the distance between adjacent shooting points is a fixed interval, which makes it easy to determine new shooting points. Furthermore, since the distance between adjacent shooting points is a fixed interval, the distance between two adjacent shooting points with the same preset posture is also the same, ensuring that the overlap of images captured by the shooting device 200 in the same position is basically consistent.

[0055] In an embodiment, the interval between the photographing points corresponding to two adjacent same preset poses is the same, which ensures that the overlapping degrees of the images photographed by the photographing device 200 in the same direction are basically consistent.

[0056] In addition, in some examples, the positions of the plurality of photographing points are all predetermined, i.e., the position information of each photographing point is stored in advance before the flight of the UAV. In other examples, the positions of part of the plurality of photographing points are predetermined, and the positions of the other photographing points are determined during the flight of the UAV. For example, part or all of the waypoints can be determined as photographing points, and then the positions of the other photographing points can be determined according to the position information of the waypoints, the interval between adjacent photographing points, and / or the number of photographing points, etc. during the flight of the UAV. In yet other examples, all of the plurality of photographing points are determined during the flight of the UAV, e.g., the initial photographing point is determined by the UAV triggered by the terminal or the remote control device during the flight of the UAV, and then the positions of the other photographing points are determined according to the position information of the initial photographing point, the interval between adjacent photographing points, and / or the number of photographing points, etc. during the flight of the UAV.

[0057] In the embodiment, before step S202 is performed, the flight information of the UAV and / or the photographing information of the photographing device 200 are also acquired, and then the new photographing point of the photographing device 200 is determined according to the flight information and / or the photographing information. The flight information can include at least one of the flight distance of the UAV on the preset flight path, the flight distance of the UAV to the previous photographing point, and the current position of the UAV, and the photographing information includes the current photographing times or the position information of at least one photographing point.

[0058] When the new photographing point of the photographing device 200 is determined according to the flight information and / or the photographing information, specifically, when the distance between the current position of the UAV and the previous photographing point is the preset interval, the current position of the UAV is determined as the new photographing point of the photographing device 200. The distance between the current position of the UAV and the previous photographing point can be determined according to the flight information and / or the photographing information, e.g., in an embodiment, the flight distance of the UAV to the previous photographing point is the distance between the current position of the UAV and the previous photographing point.

[0059] In another embodiment, the interval between two adjacent photographing points is a fixed value, and after the flight distance of the UAV on the preset flight path and the current photographing times are acquired, the position information of the previous photographing point can be determined according to the flight distance of the UAV on the preset flight path, the current photographing times, and the interval between two adjacent photographing points, and then the distance between the current position of the UAV and the previous photographing point can be determined according to the position information of the previous photographing point and the current position of the UAV.

[0060] In yet another embodiment, the distance between two adjacent shooting points is a fixed value, after obtaining the flight distance of the UAV on the preset flight path and the position information of the initial shooting point, the position information of the previous shooting point can be determined according to the flight distance of the UAV on the preset flight path, the position information of the initial shooting point, and the distance between two adjacent shooting points; and then the distance between the current position of the UAV and the previous shooting point can be determined according to the position information of the previous shooting point and the current position of the UAV.

[0061] In the above embodiments, the current position information of the UAV can be obtained by a positioning module on the UAV, which can be a GPS positioning module or other types of positioning modules, such as an RTK positioning module.

[0062] Further, before obtaining the current position of the UAV, the initial shooting point also needs to be determined. The determination of the initial shooting point can include various methods. In some examples, the initial shooting point is the starting flight position of the UAV. In other examples, the initial shooting point is the position of the UAV when a trigger instruction for instructing the shooting device 200 to shoot an image is received. The trigger instruction can be sent by a terminal that controls the UAV or by a remote control device of the UAV. In yet other examples, the initial shooting point is the initial flight point of the preset flight path. The initial shooting point can be determined according to the need by selecting one of the above embodiments. It can be understood that the determination of the initial shooting point is not limited to the above-mentioned several methods, and other methods can also be used to determine the initial shooting point.

[0063] In addition, in this embodiment, the control method of the gimbal attitude switching can be selected according to the type of the gimbal 300. For example, for a three-axis gimbal, the gimbal 300 is configured to move around the yaw axis, the roll axis, and the pitch axis. Optionally, the switching of the gimbal attitude can be realized by controlling one or more of the roll axis attitude, the pitch axis attitude, and the yaw axis attitude of the gimbal 300.

[0064] Generally, the yaw axis of the gimbal cannot rotate a full circle, so the yaw axis attitude of the gimbal is not used to control the shooting device 200 to be in multiple preset attitudes in each queue, so in an embodiment, the roll axis attitude and the pitch axis attitude of the gimbal 300 are controlled to control the gimbal 300 to switch attitudes. In another embodiment, the yaw axis of the gimbal 300 can rotate a full circle (360°), and the yaw axis attitude of the gimbal 300 can be controlled to control the gimbal 300 to switch attitudes.

[0065] In the embodiment, the gimbal 300 on the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled to switch the posture, so that the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is in the preset posture at each shooting point. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring the real-time posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle; determining the first deviation between the real-time posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the preset posture corresponding to the next shooting point; and controlling the gimbal 300 on the unmanned aerial vehicle to switch the posture according to the first deviation, so that the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is in the preset posture at each shooting point.

[0066] In the related art, most multi-pie shooting devices are directly fixed on the unmanned aerial vehicle body, and the posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle body directly determines the orientation of the shooting device. When the unmanned aerial vehicle flies in a windy environment, the posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle body changes greatly, which leads to uneven overlapping degrees of the photos taken by the shooting device for the shooting object, and greatly affects the subsequent surveying and mapping accuracy. For example, when the roll angles of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the shooting point 1 and the shooting point 12 are different, and when the heading of the shooting point 12 is not strictly aligned with the flight line, the photos taken by the shooting device are as shown in FIG. 8. As can be seen, the overlapping degrees of the images taken by the shooting device at different shooting points in the same preset posture are greatly affected by the posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle body, and sometimes the overlapping degrees are increased, and sometimes the overlapping degrees are reduced, which leads to uneven overlapping degrees between the images taken by the shooting device at different shooting points in the same preset posture. Figure 5

[0067] The shooting device of the embodiment is carried on the unmanned aerial vehicle body 100 through the gimbal 300. When the posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle body 100 changes greatly, the posture of the gimbal 300 can be controlled, so that the relative positions of the shooting device 200 at different shooting points in the same preset posture remain unchanged, the change of the posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle body 100 does not affect the shooting of the shooting device 200, and the overlapping degrees of the images taken by the shooting device 200 at different shooting points in the same preset posture are uniform.

[0068] Specifically, before the gimbal 300 on the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled to switch the posture according to the first deviation, so that the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is in the preset posture at each shooting point, the current position of the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is acquired, and the second deviation between the current position of the shooting device 200 and the preset flight line is determined. In the embodiment, the gimbal 300 on the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled to switch the posture according to the first deviation and the second deviation, so that the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is in the preset posture at each shooting point. The second deviation of the embodiment is within the preset deviation range. Therefore, when the head of the unmanned aerial vehicle cannot be aligned with the current direction of the preset flight line due to the crosswind, the shooting device 200 can still be aligned with the current direction of the preset flight line, and the images taken by the shooting device 200 will not be as shown in FIG. 8. Figure 5 ​The yaw axis twist exists in the shooting point 12, or the twist of the image shot by the shooting device 200 in the yaw axis is reduced, so as to ensure that the image shot by the shooting device in the same preset posture at different shooting points is consistent as much as possible.

[0069] Further, the gimbal 300 on the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled according to the first deviation and the second deviation to switch the posture, so that the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is in the preset posture at each shooting point, and the second deviation is in the preset deviation range. Specifically, the gimbal 300 on the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled according to the first deviation and the second deviation to switch the posture, so that the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is in the preset posture at each shooting point, and the current direction of the preset flight path maintains a preset positional relationship with the shooting device 200. For example, when the shooting direction of the shooting device 200 is vertically downward, it is ensured that the current direction of the preset flight path is as much as possible in the center region of the lens field of view, so as to ensure that the image shot by the shooting device in the same preset posture at different shooting points is consistent as much as possible.

[0070] Optionally, the preset deviation range is determined according to the heading overlap and the lateral overlap between the images shot by the shooting device 200 in the same preset posture; wherein the heading overlap is greater than or equal to a first preset overlap threshold, and the lateral overlap is greater than or equal to a second preset overlap threshold. The first preset overlap threshold and the second preset overlap threshold can be set as needed, for example, in an embodiment, the first preset threshold is 80%, and the second preset overlap threshold is 70%.

[0071] Step S203: obtaining the image shot by the shooting device 200 at each shooting point.

[0072] In the related art, the image of each shooting point obtained by the shooting device is stored in the SD card, and the storage rate of the SD card is generally 30 MB / s, while the size of each image shot by the shooting device is generally 10M or even larger. In order to ensure the overlap between the images shot under the same preset posture, the time length of the unmanned aerial vehicle flying from the current shooting point to the next shooting point is usually small, and for the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle, the time length of flying from the current shooting point to the next shooting point is even smaller. In the process of the unmanned aerial vehicle flying from the current shooting point to the next shooting point, the image shot by the shooting device at the current shooting point may not be stored in time through the SD card, resulting in image loss. To this end, after step S203 is executed, the image can be stored in the solid state disk SSD, and the storage rate of the SSD is large, so as to ensure that the image shot by the shooting device 200 at the current shooting point can be stored by the SSD during the process of the unmanned aerial vehicle flying from the current shooting point to the next shooting point. In order to ensure that the image shot by the shooting device 200 at the current shooting point can be stored by the SSD during the process of the unmanned aerial vehicle flying from the current shooting point to the next shooting point as much as possible, in the embodiment, the storage rate of the SSD is greater than or equal to 150 MB / s, for example, 160 MB / s, 170 MB / s, 180 MB / s, 190 MB / s, 200 MB / s, etc.

[0073] In addition, in an embodiment, step S203 is executed after it is determined that the rotation angular velocity of the holder 300 relative to the geographic coordinate system is 0, and the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from the previous shooting point to the current shooting point, and the shooting device 200 is controlled to shoot after the holder 300 is stabilized, so as to ensure that the image shot by the shooting device 200 at each shooting point is stable. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the geographic coordinate system refers to a coordinate system established with the takeoff point of the unmanned aerial vehicle as the origin, the direction of the takeoff point pointing to the center of the earth as the first coordinate axis, the direction of the takeoff point pointing to the north as the second coordinate axis, and the direction of the takeoff point pointing to the east as the third coordinate axis.

[0074] The image obtained after the unmanned aerial vehicle operates can be reconstructed by a three-dimensional modeling software (such as pix4d, smart 3d), and a three-dimensional model of the object being shot can be obtained, which is often used in the fields of city planning, geological disaster survey, power inspection, etc.

[0075] Since the three-dimensional modeling accuracy is affected by the position information accuracy of the shooting device 200 at the time of shooting the image, the posture control accuracy of the shooting device 200, the distortion size of the lens, and the overlap between the images shot by the shooting device 200 under the same preset posture, the accuracy of the above parameters can be controlled to ensure the accuracy of the three-dimensional modeling.

[0076] In the process that the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from a current shooting point to a next shooting point, the gimbal 300 carrying the shooting device 200 is controlled to switch the posture, so that the shooting device 200 is in a preset posture at each shooting point and performs shooting, and the unmanned aerial vehicle does not need to stop flying in the shooting process, thereby improving the shooting efficiency, and the embodiment is particularly suitable for map surveying and mapping; and the shooting method of the embodiment can be realized by controlling one shooting device 200 through the gimbal 300, compared with a traditional multi-panning shooting device, the weight of the unmanned aerial vehicle of the embodiment is greatly reduced, so that a smaller unmanned aerial vehicle can be selected to carry the shooting device 200, and the use cost is reduced.

[0077] The embodiment of the present application also provides an unmanned aerial vehicle, referring to Figure 6 The unmanned aerial vehicle also comprises a processor 400, wherein the gimbal 300 and the shooting device 200 are electrically connected with the processor 400, and the processor 400 of the embodiment is used for executing the shooting control method as Figure 2 .

[0078] Specifically, the processor 400 is used for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly according to a preset flight route, controlling the gimbal 300 on the unmanned aerial vehicle to switch the posture in the process that the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from a current shooting point to a next shooting point, so that the shooting device 200 on the gimbal 300 is in a preset posture at each shooting point, acquiring images shot by the shooting device 200 at each shooting point, and in the embodiment, the preset flight route comprises a plurality of flight points, a shooting point is arranged between adjacent flight points, and / or part or all of the plurality of flight points are shooting points, a plurality of continuous shooting points form a queue, and adjacent queues have at least one shooting point with the same preset posture.

[0079] The implementation process and working principle of the processor 400 can be referred to the description of the shooting method of the above embodiment, which will not be described here.

[0080] In the embodiment, the processor 400 can be one or more of a flight controller, a gimbal processor and a processor of the shooting device 200, and can also be or comprise other controllers arranged on the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0081] In addition, the processor 400 of the embodiment can be a central processing unit (CPU). The processor 400 can further include a hardware chip. The hardware chip can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD can be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0082] In addition, the embodiment of the present application further provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. The program is executed by the processor 400 to implement the steps of the photographing method of the above embodiment.

[0083] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes of the above-mentioned embodiments can be completed by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. When the program is executed, the processes of the above-mentioned embodiments can be included. The storage medium can be a magnetic disc, an optical disc, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), or the like.

[0084] The above only describes some embodiments of the present application, and of course cannot limit the scope of the present application. Therefore, equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present application are still within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A photographing method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly according to a preset flight route, wherein the preset flight route comprises a plurality of waypoints, and a shooting point is arranged between adjacent waypoints and / or part or all of the plurality of waypoints are shooting points; in the process that the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from a current shooting point to a next shooting point, controlling a gimbal on the unmanned aerial vehicle to switch from a current posture to a next posture, so that a shooting device on the gimbal is in a preset posture corresponding to each shooting point at each shooting point; in response to the fact that there is a deviation between a real-time posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the next shooting point and a preset posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to the next shooting point, controlling the gimbal to switch postures, so that the shooting device on the gimbal is in a preset posture corresponding to each shooting point at each shooting point; obtaining images shot by the shooting device at each shooting point; wherein a plurality of continuous shooting points form a queue, and adjacent queues have at least one shooting point with the same preset posture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The preset postures corresponding to the plurality of shooting points in adjacent queues are partially the same.

3. The method according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that, Each queue has the same number of shooting points; or each queue has different numbers of shooting points.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The preset postures comprise: a vertical downward direction of the shooting device, a direction of the shooting device inclined relative to the vertical direction and towards a front direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a direction of the shooting device inclined relative to the vertical direction and towards a left direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a direction of the shooting device inclined relative to the vertical direction and towards a rear direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle, or a direction of the shooting device inclined relative to the vertical direction and towards a right direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The initial shooting point of the unmanned aerial vehicle is: a starting flight position of the unmanned aerial vehicle; or the initial shooting point is: a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle when a trigger instruction for instructing the shooting device to shoot images is received; or the initial shooting point is: an initial waypoint of the preset flight route.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The distance between adjacent shooting points is a fixed interval.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The intervals between different shooting point pairs are the same, and each shooting point pair comprises two shooting points corresponding to adjacent preset postures with the same preset posture.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, The control of the gimbal to switch postures specifically comprises: obtaining a real-time posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle; determining a first deviation between the real-time posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the next shooting point and the preset posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to the next shooting point, controlling the gimbal on the unmanned aerial vehicle to switch postures according to the first deviation, so that the shooting device on the gimbal is in a preset posture at each shooting point.

9. A drone, characterized in that, The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a body, a gimbal, a shooting device and a processor, the shooting device is carried on the body through the gimbal, and the gimbal and the shooting device are electrically connected with the processor; the processor is configured to: control the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly according to a preset flight route, wherein the preset flight route comprises a plurality of waypoints, and a shooting point is arranged between adjacent waypoints and / or part or all of the plurality of waypoints are shooting points; In the process that the unmanned aerial vehicle flies from a current shooting point to a next shooting point, a gimbal on the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled to switch from a current attitude to a next attitude, so that a shooting device on the gimbal is in a preset attitude corresponding to each shooting point at each shooting point; In response to a deviation between a real-time attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the next shooting point and the preset attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to the next shooting point, the gimbal is controlled to switch the attitude, so that the shooting device on the gimbal is in the preset attitude corresponding to each shooting point at each shooting point; An image shot by the shooting device at each shooting point is acquired; The plurality of continuous shooting points form a queue, and adjacent queues have at least one shooting point with the same preset attitude.

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