Multi-objective sequential flushing method of insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras

Abstract

The present invention discloses a multi-target sequential flushing method for an insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras. Specifically, the method comprises the following steps: first, a monocular auto-zoom camera is used to capture real-time images of the work site and preliminarily identify and select multiple insulator targets in the image; the multiple insulator targets are numbered and sorted from left to right and from top to bottom according to their positions in the image; then, a binocular camera sequentially identifies and tracks the insulator targets according to the sorted order, obtaining the three-dimensional coordinates of the target insulators in the binocular camera coordinate system and converting them into world coordinates through matrix operations; further, a PLC control variable is calculated and transmitted to the PLC control system to adjust the flushing direction of the water gun. This invention enables the water flushing robot to better meet the needs of real-world work and greatly improves the automation level of contact network insulator flushing operations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of water flushing automation control, and in particular relates to a multi-target sequential flushing method of an insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras. Background Art

[0002] Electrified railways, with their high transport capacity, high speeds, low operating costs, and energy-saving and environmentally friendly advantages, have become a hallmark of modern rail transit. In recent years, electrified railway construction in my country has experienced rapid growth, and with it, the safety of electrified railway catenary power supply systems has become increasingly important. Insulators, as crucial components of the catenary power supply system, play a crucial role in electrical insulation. However, the increasing levels of air pollutants and the stirring up of dust and other microscopic particles by trains have led to increased contamination on the surfaces of insulators exposed to the outdoors, posing a serious safety hazard. Every year, flashover accidents caused by excessive insulator contamination occur nationwide, resulting in significant economic losses and even life-threatening consequences. Therefore, ensuring the cleanliness of catenary insulators is crucial for the safe and reliable operation of railway catenary power supply systems.

[0003] At the beginning of the development of electrified railways in my country, the method of cleaning insulators by periodically disconnecting the catenary network was often used. This method was not only inefficient but also required regular power outages, seriously affecting the normal operation of rail transit. As the proportion of electrified railways in my country continued to increase, this method has gradually been eliminated. Nowadays, the cleaning of insulators is mostly done by live water flushing. The main advantage of this method is that it does not require interrupting the power supply to the catenary network and can be cleaned at any time without time constraints.

[0004] Currently, live water flushing of contact network insulators is still primarily manual, creating a harsh working environment and significant safety risks for workers. While a small number of water flushing robots have emerged on the market, they also present several challenges: visible light image-based insulator flushing robots typically utilize a single image capture device, resulting in slow data processing and reduced efficiency. Current insulator water flushing robots can only clean a single insulator target, resulting in a low level of automation. They are unable to accurately identify and clean multiple insulator targets simultaneously on the contact network. Therefore, achieving automated multi-target insulator flushing, reducing manual effort, and improving the automation of flushing robots are crucial to addressing the challenges of real-world insulator flushing operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a multi-target sequential flushing method of an insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras.

[0006] The present invention provides a multi-target sequential flushing method for an insulator water flushing robot based on a multi-camera system. The visual system of the water flushing robot is composed of a monocular automatic zoom camera and a binocular camera. The monocular automatic zoom camera is responsible for identifying and capturing multiple insulator targets in the scene image, and the binocular camera is responsible for sequentially identifying the multiple captured insulator targets. The water flushing robot adopts a dual water gun design, with the two water guns located on either side of the water flushing robot, each responsible for flushing one side of the multiple target insulators. The flushing method specifically includes the following steps:

[0007] Step 1: Collect multiple insulator images in advance and input them into a YOLOv5-based deep learning model for training to establish a deep learning model for insulator identification and positioning.

[0008] Step 2: Use a monocular auto-zoom camera to capture real-time images of the flushing site, input them into the deep learning model obtained in step 1 for insulator recognition, and capture multiple insulator targets in the image.

[0009] Step 3: According to the positions of the captured multiple insulator targets in the image, the multiple insulator targets are numbered and sorted from left to right and from top to bottom.

[0010] Step 4: Use the automatic zoom camera to measure the distance between the water gun and the target insulator, and determine whether the target insulator is within the flushing range.

[0011] Step 5: After the target insulator enters the flushing range, the binocular camera is used to identify and track the target insulators sorted in step 3 in sequence to obtain the three-dimensional coordinates (X c ,Y c ,Z c ), and then converted into the world coordinate system coordinates of the target insulator (X w ,Y w ,Z w ).

[0012] The three-dimensional coordinates of the target insulator (X c ,Y c ,Z c ) refers to the coordinates of the target insulator in the binocular camera coordinate system; the world coordinate system coordinates of the target insulator (X w ,Y w ,Z w ) refers to the coordinates of the target insulator in the world coordinate system.

[0013] Step 6: According to the world coordinate system coordinates (X w ,Y w ,Z w) obtains the difference between the current position of the water gun on the robotic arm and the ideal position, further calculates the PLC control variables, and finally transmits the control variables to the PLC control system to control the two-free robotic arms of the water flushing robot to perform corresponding horizontal and pitch rotations, so that the water gun reaches the specified position and completes the sequential flushing of the single-side insulators.

[0014] Step 7: After the water flushing robot moves to the other side of the contact network insulator, the monocular automatic zoom camera and binocular camera on the other end of the machine execute steps 2 to 6 in sequence to complete the sequential flushing of the other side of the target insulator; at this point, multi-target sequential flushing of the contact network insulator is achieved.

[0015] Furthermore, the flushing range of the target insulator is set to 7 meters to 8 meters.

[0016] Furthermore, to ensure thorough flushing of the target insulators, the effective flushing time for each target insulator is set at 2 seconds. Throughout the flushing process, a monocular auto-zoom camera measures the distance between the water gun and the target insulator in real time. When the target insulator is not within the flushing range, the water flushing robot performs uniform linear motion at a speed of 2 meters per second. When the target insulator enters the flushing range, the speed of the water flushing robot is adjusted in real time based on the distance between the water gun and the insulator, ensuring an effective flushing time of 2 seconds for each target insulator, thus implementing servo control of the water flushing robot's speed.

[0017] Furthermore, the binocular camera coordinate system coordinates (X c ,Y c ,Z c ) and the world coordinate system coordinate (X w ,Y w ,Z w ) are as follows:

[0018]

[0019] Among them, R is the rotation matrix, which describes the rotation operation from the binocular camera coordinate system to the world coordinate system; T is the translation matrix, which describes the translation operation from the binocular camera coordinate system to the world coordinate system.

[0020] The beneficial technical effects of the present invention are:

[0021] (1) In order to solve the problem that the flushing robot previously used a single visual device to identify the target, resulting in slow data processing and low recognition accuracy, the present invention has made improvements on the visual device, using a monocular automatic zoom camera and a binocular camera to quickly and accurately identify the target, using a monocular automatic zoom camera to quickly identify multiple targets in the image, and then using a binocular camera to quickly and accurately locate the identified targets, thus realizing the rapid and accurate identification and positioning of the water flushing robot in the case of multiple targets, thereby further improving the efficiency of the contact network insulator flushing operation and ensuring the accuracy of target identification.

[0022] (2) Unlike conventional single-gun flushing robots, the present invention improves and upgrades the flushing device of the water flushing robot on which it is based, adopting a dual-gun design. The two guns are located at either end of the machine, each responsible for flushing one side of multiple target insulators. This effectively avoids the problem of a single gun rotating at a large angle during the flushing process, while also improving the stability of the gun during rotation and increasing the insulator flushing speed.

[0023] (3) In response to the problem that existing insulator flushing robots are unable to accurately identify and flush multiple targets, the present invention proposes a new multi-target sequential flushing method for contact network insulators based on multi-camera cooperation. First, a monocular automatic zoom camera in the visual system is used to capture the scene image and perform multi-target recognition. Then, according to the positions of the captured multiple insulator targets in the image, the multiple insulator targets are numbered and sorted from left to right and from top to bottom. Then, within the specified flushing distance range, the sorted insulator targets are sequentially identified, tracked, and flushed, thereby realizing the sequential flushing of multiple targets of the contact network insulators. The present invention solves the flushing problem when there are multiple insulators on the contact network, greatly reduces the labor input, improves the robot flushing efficiency, and greatly improves the automation and intelligence of the contact network insulator cleaning operation.

[0024] (4) In terms of the movement of the insulator flushing robot, the present invention proposes a speed servo control method. First, a monocular automatic zoom camera is used to measure the distance between the water gun and the target insulator in real time. When the target insulator enters the flushing range, the speed of the water flushing robot is adjusted in real time according to the distance between the water gun and the insulator, further ensuring the effective flushing time of each target insulator and the insulator cleaning effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 The invention comprises a multi-target sequential flushing system of an insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of the multi-target sequential flushing method of the insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm control system of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the speed servo control principle of the water flushing robot of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The method of the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0030] The multi-target sequential flushing system of the insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras of the present invention is as follows Figure 1 As shown in the figure, after the visual system captures the scene image, it is transmitted to the computer for target recognition. Then, the captured multiple insulator targets are sorted and identified and located in sequence through the multi-target sequential aiming program to obtain the three-dimensional coordinates of the insulator in the binocular camera coordinate system. The control processing program then converts the three-dimensional coordinates into world coordinates, and further calculates the PLC control variables. Finally, the control signal is transmitted to the control system of the contact network insulator water flushing robot, and the water gun is adjusted to reach the specified position to complete the multi-target sequential flushing.

[0031] The vision system of the water-flushing robot underlying this invention consists of a monocular auto-zoom camera and a binocular camera. The monocular auto-zoom camera is responsible for identifying and capturing multiple insulator targets in the on-site image, while the binocular camera is responsible for sequentially identifying the captured multiple insulator targets. The water-flushing robot utilizes a dual-water gun design, with two water guns located on either side of the robot, each responsible for flushing one side of the multiple target insulators.

[0032] The present invention provides a multi-target sequential flushing method for an insulator water flushing robot based on a multi-camera. Figure 2 As shown, the details are as follows:

[0033] Step 1: Collect multiple insulator images in advance and input them into a YOLOv5-based deep learning model for training to establish a deep learning model for insulator identification and positioning.

[0034] Step 2: Use a monocular auto-zoom camera to capture real-time images of the flushing site, input them into the deep learning model obtained in step 1 for insulator recognition, and capture multiple insulator targets in the image.

[0035] Step 3: According to the positions of the captured multiple insulator targets in the image, the multiple insulator targets are numbered and sorted from left to right and from top to bottom.

[0036] Step 4: Set the flushing range of the target insulator to 7-8 meters, measure the distance between the water gun and the target insulator through the automatic zoom camera, and determine whether the target insulator is within the flushing range.

[0037] Step 5: After the target insulator enters the flushing range, the binocular camera is used to identify and track the target insulators sorted in step 3 in sequence to obtain the three-dimensional coordinates (X c ,Y c ,Z c ), and then converted into the world coordinate system coordinates of the target insulator (X w ,Y w ,Z w ).

[0038] The three-dimensional coordinates of the target insulator (X c ,Y c ,Z c ) refers to the coordinates of the target insulator in the binocular camera coordinate system; the world coordinate system coordinates of the target insulator (X w ,Y w ,Z w ) refers to the coordinates of the target insulator in the world coordinate system.

[0039] The binocular camera coordinate system coordinates of the target insulator (X c ,Y c ,Z c ) and the world coordinate system coordinate (X w ,Y w ,Z w ) are as follows:

[0040]

[0041] Among them, R is the rotation matrix, which describes the rotation operation from the binocular camera coordinate system to the world coordinate system; T is the translation matrix, which describes the translation operation from the binocular camera coordinate system to the world coordinate system.

[0042] Step 6: According to the world coordinate system coordinates (X w ,Y w ,Z w ) to obtain the difference between the current position of the water gun on the robot arm and the ideal position, and further calculate the PLC control variable. Finally, the control variable is transmitted to the PLC control system to control the two-freedom robot arm of the water flushing robot to perform the corresponding horizontal and pitch rotation (the control principle of the robot arm is as follows Figure 3 As shown), the water gun reaches the designated position and completes the sequential flushing of the insulators on one side.

[0043] Step 7: After the water flushing robot moves to the other side of the contact network insulator, the monocular automatic zoom camera and binocular camera on the other end of the machine execute steps 2 to 6 in sequence to complete the sequential flushing of the other side of the target insulator; at this point, multi-target sequential flushing of the contact network insulator is achieved.

[0044] To ensure that the target insulator is thoroughly flushed, the effective flushing time for each target insulator is set to 2 seconds. During the entire flushing process, the monocular automatic zoom camera measures the distance between the water gun and the target insulator in real time. When the target insulator is not within the flushing range, the water flushing robot performs uniform linear motion at a speed of 2 meters per second; when the target insulator enters the flushing range, the speed of the water flushing robot is adjusted in real time according to the distance between the water gun and the insulator to ensure that the effective flushing time for a single target insulator is 2 seconds, realizing the speed servo control of the water flushing robot. Figure 4 shown.

Claims

1. A multi-target sequential flushing method for an insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras, characterized in that: The vision system of the water-flushing robot is composed of a monocular auto-zoom camera and a binocular camera. The monocular auto-zoom camera is responsible for identifying and capturing multiple insulator targets in the on-site image, while the binocular camera is responsible for sequentially identifying the captured multiple insulator targets. The water-flushing robot adopts a dual-water gun design, with two water guns located on either side of the water-flushing robot, each responsible for flushing one side of the multiple target insulators. The flushing method specifically includes the following steps: Step 1: Collect multiple insulator images in advance and input them into a YOLOv5-based deep learning model for training to establish a deep learning model for insulator identification and positioning; Step 2: Use a monocular auto-zoom camera to capture real-time images of the flushing site, input them into the deep learning model obtained in step 1 for insulator recognition, and capture multiple insulator targets in the image; Step 3: According to the positions of the captured multiple insulator targets in the image, the multiple insulator targets are numbered and sorted from left to right and from top to bottom; Step 4: Use the automatic zoom camera to measure the distance between the water gun and the target insulator, and determine whether the target insulator is within the flushing range; Step 5: After the target insulator enters the flushing range, the binocular camera is used to identify and track the target insulators sorted in step 3 in sequence to obtain the three-dimensional coordinates (X c ,Y c ,Z c ), and then converted into the world coordinate system coordinates of the target insulator (X w ,Y w ,Z w ); The three-dimensional coordinates (X c ,Y c ,Z c ) refers to the coordinates of the target insulator in the binocular camera coordinate system; the world coordinate system coordinates of the target insulator (X w ,Y w ,Z w ) means the coordinates of the target insulator in the world coordinate system; Step 6: According to the world coordinate system coordinates (X w ,Y w ,Z w ) obtains the difference between the current position of the water gun on the manipulator arm and the ideal position, further calculates the PLC control variable, and finally transmits the control variable to the PLC control system to control the two-freedom manipulator arm of the water flushing robot to perform the corresponding horizontal and pitch rotations, so that the water gun reaches the specified position and completes the sequential flushing of the insulator on one side; Step 7: After the water flushing robot moves to the other side of the contact network insulator, the monocular automatic zoom camera and binocular camera on the other end of the machine execute steps 2 to 6 in sequence to complete the sequential flushing of the other side of the target insulator; at this point, multi-target sequential flushing of the contact network insulator is achieved.

2. The multi-target sequential flushing method of an insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The flushing range of the target insulator in step 4 is set to 7 meters to 8 meters.

3. The multi-target sequential flushing method of an insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras according to claim 1 is characterized in that: To ensure that the target insulator is thoroughly flushed, the effective flushing time of each target insulator is set to 2 seconds; during the entire flushing process, the monocular automatic zoom camera measures the distance between the water gun and the target insulator in real time. When the target insulator does not enter the flushing range, the water flushing robot performs uniform linear motion at a speed of 2 meters per second; when the target insulator enters the flushing range, the speed of the water flushing robot is adjusted in real time according to the distance between the water gun and the insulator to ensure that the effective flushing time of a single target insulator is 2 seconds, thereby realizing speed servo control of the water flushing robot.

4. The multi-target sequential flushing method of an insulator water flushing robot based on multiple cameras according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The binocular camera coordinate system coordinates (X c ,Y c ,Z c ) and the world coordinate system coordinate (X w ,Y w ,Z w ) are as follows: Among them, R is the rotation matrix, which describes the rotation operation from the binocular camera coordinate system to the world coordinate system; T is the translation matrix, which describes the translation operation from the binocular camera coordinate system to the world coordinate system.

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