Mars drone placement and detachment device

Abstract

The application discloses a Mars unmanned plane placing and separating device and belongs to the technical field of Mars unmanned planes. The device comprises a rocker grabbing mechanism, a motor and a mechanical arm grabbing mechanism. The rocker grabbing mechanism and the mechanical arm grabbing mechanism are connected with the motor. The rocker grabbing mechanism is installed at the central position of a Mars explorer landing platform and is used for rotating an unmanned plane from a horizontal state to a vertical state. The mechanical arm grabbing mechanism is installed on the Mars explorer landing platform and is used for placing the unmanned plane in the vertical state on the surface of Mars. Meanwhile, the landing gear of the unmanned plane naturally falls under the action of gravity, supports the unmanned plane, and the unmanned plane flies away from the ground by its own power to start performing a reconnaissance task. The separating mode does not interfere with the flight structure, energy supply system and scientific equipment of the unmanned plane as a whole, and effectively avoids the damage of the unmanned plane or the incomplete separation and expansion of the unmanned plane when the unmanned plane separates by itself.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of Mars drone technology, specifically relating to a Mars drone placement and detachment device. Background Technology

[0002] Regarding research on Mars drones, the United States first used a rotorcraft for a planetary mission in 2021, with the "Ingenuity" Mars drone successfully flying on Mars. Currently, NASA's Ames Research Center at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is exploring the possibility of a Mars Science Drone (MSH), a second-generation Mars rotorcraft capable of conducting scientific research independently of landers or rovers. The goal of the Mars Science Drone (MSH) survey is to determine the feasibility of flying a larger, more powerful rotorcraft on Mars. Aside from the instruments required for flight, "Ingenuity" does not have a dedicated scientific payload; its flights utilize a visual-inertial navigation system on relatively flat, rock-free terrain. The MSH is capable of carrying more payloads, longer sorties, all-terrain flights, and communication via an orbiter, enabling it to operate at unrestricted distances from other landing assets. The initial design requirements for the MSH mission include a 2-3 kg payload (e.g., airborne scientific instruments for mapping, stratigraphy, remote sensing, etc.), extended range (2-4 km), and increased hover time (2-4 minutes) sufficient for significant scientific research in the air and on the ground.

[0003] However, as early as 2019, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) had already conducted preliminary research on Mars drones. After two years of development, the preliminary research project on the prototype of the independently designed and developed Mars drone has passed acceptance. my country's Mars drone uses the same coaxial dual-propeller hovering technology as the US's "Ingenuity" rover. However, the drone developed by the CAS adds a miniature spectrometer and has two parallel propellers, each 1.4 meters long. Furthermore, my country's Mars drone uses wireless charging technology, giving it a slight advantage over Ingenuity in both range and energy storage. In addition, my country's Mars drone is equipped with a more advanced miniature spectrometer, which can clearly detect various signs on the Martian surface, better collect scientific data, and help the Mars probe better understand the terrain, allowing it to successfully avoid emergencies.

[0004] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are of great significance for exploring the Martian surface, as they can overcome terrain obstacles and increase the area of ​​exploration and inspection. The Ingenuity rover is a coaxial UAV weighing 1.8 kg with a rotor diameter of 1.21 meters. The existing Ingenuity UAV was suspended under the Perseverance rover, close to the bottom surface, with the ends of its four landing gears fixed to four points on the bottom. After the rover landed, it drove off the landing platform and, upon reaching the Martian surface, released the landing gear on both sides, allowing gravity to allow the UAV to land on the Martian surface. The advantages of this placement and detachment method are its simple structure and operation, and it does not increase weight by adding mechanical components. However, the disadvantages are that this bottom-mounted method places certain requirements on the size of the UAV and the height of the rover chassis. An excessively high rover chassis would raise the rover's center of gravity, making it prone to instability and damage when moving on the rocky Martian surface. Furthermore, the scientific load on the rover's bottom limits the number of UAVs that can be placed there. Meanwhile, during the descent of the Mars drone, there is a possibility that the drone may be damaged by colliding with objects on the ground. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a device for placing and detaching a Mars drone, which effectively avoids damage when the drone falls off on its own, overcomes the disadvantage of mutual size limitations in the design of the Mars rover and the drone, and solves the problem of limited storage space and the limited number of drones that can be carried.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A Mars drone placement and detachment device includes a joystick gripping mechanism, a motor, and a robotic arm gripping mechanism. The joystick gripping mechanism and the robotic arm gripping mechanism are respectively connected to the motor. The joystick gripping mechanism is installed at the center of the Mars probe landing platform and is used to grip the drone and rotate it from a horizontal state to a vertical state. The robotic arm gripping mechanism is installed on the Mars probe landing platform and is used to place the vertically positioned drone on the Martian surface.

[0008] In the above-described device, the upper surface of the Mars probe landing platform has a rectangular recess, the recessed distance of which is approximately half the width of the UAV body. The UAV is placed sideways in the rectangular recess, with its top resting against the rectangular sidewall. The propeller shaft and blades extending from the top of the UAV rest against the unrecessed upper surface of the landing platform. The landing gears installed at the four corners of the upper surface of the UAV are parallel to the sidewalls of the rectangular recess. The size of the recess is designed to allow one UAV to be placed on each side.

[0009] The rocker gripping mechanism is installed at the very center of the rectangular recess, while the robotic arm gripping mechanism is installed on the surface of the Mars probe landing platform outside the rectangular recess.

[0010] The joystick gripping mechanism includes a retractable support shaft, a gripping device, and a tray. One end of the retractable support shaft is hinged to a motor. Rotating the motor 90° can rotate the retractable support shaft from a horizontal state to a vertical state. The other end of the retractable support shaft is equipped with a gripping device, and a tray is installed on the gripping device for placing the drone body. The retractable support shaft includes a sleeve and a retractable rod. One end of the retractable rod is retractably installed in the sleeve, and the other end is equipped with the gripping device. The bottom end of the sleeve is hinged to the motor.

[0011] The robotic arm gripping mechanism includes a base, a robotic arm, a robotic rocker arm, and a gripping mechanism. The base is installed on the surface of the Mars probe landing platform outside the rectangular recess. One end of the robotic rocker arm is hinged to the base, and the other end is connected to one end of the robotic arm. The gripping mechanism is installed at the other end of the robotic arm. A motor is installed on the base to control the movement of the robotic arm and the robotic rocker arm.

[0012] Beneficial effects: This invention provides a Mars drone placement and detachment device. By horizontally fixing the drone to the top of the landing platform, using a motor in the center of the landing platform to drive a connecting rod to change the drone's attitude, and then using the rover's robotic arm to vertically place the drone on the Martian surface, it achieves the goal of carrying two Mars drones simultaneously, making full use of the landing platform's space, effectively improving the utilization rate of placement space, and decoupling the size design of the Mars drone and the rover, without hindering the overall working structure, power supply system, and scientific equipment of the drone and the rover. It effectively avoids damage when the drone falls off on its own, overcomes the disadvantage of mutual size constraints in the design of the rover and the drone, and provides a new approach to placing drones on Mars probes. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the horizontal placement of the drone in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rocker gripping mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm gripping mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the joystick gripping mechanism in which the Mars drone is placed vertically in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the state of the robotic arm gripping mechanism picking up the Mars drone in an embodiment of the present invention - the joystick gripping mechanism unlocking.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the state of the robotic arm gripping mechanism in this invention as it pulls the Mars drone away from the landing platform and moves it to the Martian surface.

[0020] In the diagram, 1 is the Mars drone, 2 is the Mars rover landing platform, 3 is the hinge device of the joystick gripping mechanism, 4 is the sleeve of the joystick gripping mechanism, 5 is the gripping device of the joystick gripping mechanism, 6 is the tray of the joystick gripping mechanism, 7 is the telescopic rod of the joystick gripping mechanism, 8 is the motor, 9 is the base of the robotic arm, 10 is the hinge device between the robotic arm and the base, 11 is the robotic arm, 12 is the hinge device between the robotic arm and the robotic arm, 13 is the robotic arm, 14 is the connection device between the robotic arm and the gripping device, and 15 is the gripping device. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0022] A Mars drone placement and detachment device is installed on the surface of a Mars rover landing platform 2. The upper surface of the Mars rover landing platform 2 has a rectangular recess, the recessed distance of which is approximately half the width of the drone's body. The drone is placed sideways in the rectangular recess, with its top resting against the rectangular sidewall. The propeller shaft and blades extending from the top of the drone rest against the unrecessed upper surface of the landing platform. The landing gears installed at the four corners of the upper surface of the drone are parallel to the sidewalls of the rectangular recess. The size of the recess is designed to allow one drone to be placed on each side.

[0023] A motor 8 is installed in the center of a rectangular recess. A rocker gripping mechanism sleeve 4 is connected to the motor 8 via a rocker gripping mechanism hinge device 3. A telescopic rocker gripping mechanism telescopic rod 7 is telescopically installed inside the rocker gripping mechanism sleeve 4. A rocker gripping mechanism gripping device 5 is installed at the top of the telescopic rocker gripping mechanism 7. A motor is installed at the connection between the rocker gripping mechanism gripping device 5 and the rocker gripping mechanism telescopic rod 7 to drive the gripping process. A rocker gripping mechanism tray 6 is installed on the rocker gripping mechanism gripping device 5 to place the UAV body.

[0024] A robotic arm base 9 is installed on the Mars rover landing platform 2 outside the rectangular recess. One end of the robotic arm 11 is mounted on the base via a mechanical arm-base hinge device 10, and the other end is connected to one end of the robotic arm 13. The other end of the robotic arm 13 is connected to a gripper device 15 via a robotic arm-gripper device connection device 14. The robotic arm 11 and robotic arm 13 can be folded and placed reasonably on the landing platform without interfering with other scientific payloads on the landing platform. A motor is installed on the robotic arm base 9 to drive the robotic arm to rotate in the plane of the landing platform. A motor is installed inside the hinge of the mechanical arm-base hinge device 10 to drive the mechanical arm 11 to rotate around the hinge. A motor is installed inside the hinge of the mechanical arm-robotic ...

[0025] The telescopic rod 7 of the rocker gripping mechanism extends horizontally, moving the rocker gripping mechanism tray 6 until it is in contact with the bottom of the drone. After contact, the drone is secured using the gripper. The motor rotates 90°, causing the drone connected to the telescopic rod 7 of the rocker gripping mechanism to rotate from a horizontal to a vertical position. The robotic arm on the landing platform then places the drone on the Martian surface. Simultaneously, the drone's landing gear naturally falls under gravity, supporting the drone. The drone then takes off under its own power to begin its reconnaissance mission. This detachment method does not interfere with the overall flight structure, power supply system, or scientific equipment of the drone, effectively avoiding damage or incomplete detachment during self-detonation. Throughout the process, there is no dimensional coupling or mutual interference between the drone and the rover's scientific payloads; therefore, the two are designed to be effectively separated and independent of each other.

[0026] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for placing and detaching a Mars drone, characterized in that, The device includes a joystick gripping mechanism, a motor, and a robotic arm gripping mechanism. The joystick gripping mechanism is installed at the center of the Mars probe landing platform and is used to grip the drone and rotate it from a horizontal to a vertical position. The robotic arm gripping mechanism is installed on the Mars probe landing platform and is used to place the vertically positioned drone on the Martian surface. Both the joystick gripping mechanism and the robotic arm gripping mechanism are driven by motors to rotate and grip. The joystick gripping mechanism includes a retractable support shaft, a gripping device, and a tray. One end of the retractable support shaft is hinged to a motor. Rotating the motor 90° can drive the retractable support shaft to rotate from a horizontal state to a vertical state. The other end of the retractable support shaft is equipped with a gripping device for gripping a drone. The robotic arm gripping mechanism includes a base, a robotic arm, a robotic rocker arm, and a gripping mechanism. The base is mounted on the surface of the Mars probe landing platform outside the rectangular recess. One end of the robotic rocker arm is hinged to the base, and the other end is connected to one end of the robotic arm. The gripping mechanism is mounted on the other end of the robotic arm. A motor is mounted on the base to drive the robotic arm gripping mechanism to rotate in the plane of the landing platform. A motor is installed inside the hinge between the robotic rocker arm and the base to drive the robotic rocker arm to rotate around the hinge. A motor is also installed inside the hinge between the robotic rocker arm and the robotic arm to drive the robotic arm to rotate around the hinge. Finally, a motor is installed inside the connection between the robotic arm and the gripping mechanism to drive the gripping mechanism to rotate around the hinge. The surface of the Mars probe landing platform has a rectangular recess. The depth of the recess is about half the width of the drone's body. The drone is placed sideways in the rectangular recess, and two Mars drones can be carried at the same time.

2. The Mars drone placement and detachment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rocker gripping mechanism is installed at the very center of the rectangular recess, while the robotic arm gripping mechanism is installed on the surface of the Mars rover landing platform outside the rectangular recess.

3. The Mars drone placement and detachment device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The top of the drone rests against the rectangular side wall, and the propeller shaft and blades extending from the top of the drone rest against the unrecessed upper surface of the landing platform. The landing gear, placed at the four corners of the upper surface of the drone, is parallel to the rectangular recessed side wall.

4. The Mars drone placement and detachment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A motor is installed at the connection between the gripping device and the retractable support shaft to drive the gripping device to grab and fix the drone.

5. The Mars drone placement and detachment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping device is equipped with a tray for placing the drone body.

6. The Mars drone placement and detachment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retractable support shaft includes a sleeve and a retractable rod. One end of the retractable rod is retractably installed in the sleeve, and the other end is equipped with a gripping device. The bottom end of the sleeve is connected to a motor via a hinge.

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