An unmanned supply ship with a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm

Abstract

The present invention discloses an unmanned supply vessel comprising a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator. This relates to the field of unmanned vessel equipment. To address the existing problems of using a crane connected to a retractor via a wire rope to capture underwater robots, which suffer from low accuracy, high capture difficulty, and the risk of the wire rope becoming entangled in the underwater robot's propeller, the present invention proposes a catamaran supply vessel with a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator. The catamaran supply vessel comprises a left hull, a right hull, a left power unit, a right power unit, a connecting bridge, a front gantry, a rear gantry, a first camera, a second camera, a third camera, a controller, and a mushroom antenna. The present invention has a novel structure and effectively solves the existing problems of using a crane connected to a retractor via a wire rope to capture underwater robots, which suffer from low accuracy, high capture difficulty, and the risk of the wire rope becoming entangled in the underwater robot's propeller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned ship equipment, and in particular to an unmanned supply ship comprising a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging mechanical arm. Background Art

[0002] An autonomous supply vessel (hereinafter referred to as a support mother vessel) is an unmanned vessel capable of docking, capturing, charging, resupplying, and deploying underwater robots (AUVs). Research results include a design for a support mother vessel with a scientifically designed form factor that provides sufficient wave resistance, strong carrying capacity, and long-term operational reliability. A robotic arm and matrix fixture maintain relative stationary contact between the AUV and the support mother vessel, a matrix fixture that adapts to the shape of different AUVs without requiring positioning and provides a tight fit. The AUV includes a wireless charging base and receiver. A multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm, equipped with visual recognition and multiple position detection sensors, and its algorithm enables autonomous replenishment of the AUV on the surface, including autonomous recovery. The system also includes a data and communication system encompassing the AUV, the support mother vessel, and a bottom-surface control base station. A relay control algorithm specifically developed for the support mother vessel and a hardware core with GPS positioning and multiple environmental sensing capabilities are also included. The system also includes the capability to develop partial information processing and feedback closed-loop control for the AUV swarm. Current autonomous supply vessels all use mechanical equipment customized for underwater robots (AUVs) for salvage and recovery. The most representative example is the autonomous submersible recovery system developed by the Shenyang Institute of Automation under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. However, this system primarily uses a crane connected to a retractor via a wire rope to capture the AUV. This process is characterized by low accuracy, high capture difficulty, and the wire rope can become entangled in the AUV's propellers. To address these issues, we propose an unmanned supply vessel featuring a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention proposes an unmanned supply vessel comprising a matrix clamp and a multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm, which solves the existing problem of using a crane to connect a retractor via a wire rope to capture underwater robots, resulting in low accuracy and great difficulty in fishing, and the possibility that the wire rope may be entangled in the propeller of the underwater robot's thruster.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] An unmanned supply vessel comprising a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm, including a catamaran supply vessel with a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm. The catamaran supply vessel comprises: a left hull, a right hull, a left power group, a right power group, a connecting bridge plate, a front gantry, a rear gantry, a first camera, a second camera, a third camera, a controller, a mushroom antenna, and a matrix fixture group.

[0006] Preferably, the left power group and the right power group are identical except for the motor direction. Each power group comprises a motor and a propeller, which are used to provide power to the vessel, and the steering is achieved by the direct speed difference between the two power groups.

[0007] Preferably, the camera is used for visual obstacle avoidance during navigation and to ensure the docking accuracy of the robotic arm during charging, and the data is directly transmitted to the controller, which can control the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm, the matrix clamp group, and the hull power group.

[0008] Preferably, the matrix clamp group comprises N bilaterally symmetrical electromagnetic lock clamps, arranged in A rows and B columns.

[0009] Preferably, the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm includes a base, a rotating pan-tilt platform, an upper arm, a lower arm, a multi-claw palm plate, C wireless charging claw fingers, a first servo motor, a second servo motor, a third servo motor, a connecting rod and an electromagnetic lock. The base is coaxially matched with the rotating pan-tilt platform and can rotate relative to each other through the first servo motor.

[0010] Preferably, the electromagnetic locking clamp comprises a spring, a push rod, and an electromagnet. When the power is on, the push rod is pulled backward, and when the power is off, the spring pushes the push rod out of the fixed object.

[0011] Preferably, the connecting rod is connected to the forearm and the rotating platform through a hinge, and the upper arm is connected to the forearm and the rotating platform through a hinge, with two degrees of freedom of rotation. The relative rotation between the upper arm and the rotating platform is completed by the second servo motor, and the relative rotation between the forearm and the upper arm is completed by the connecting rod and the third servo motor, thereby completing the movement of the robotic arm in space.

[0012] Preferably, the multi-claw palm plate is connected to the forearm through a top hinge, and is connected to the six centrally symmetrical wireless charging claws through a hinge. The C wireless charging claws can be connected by a winch installed at the top of the forearm to synchronously control the retraction and extension. When the C wireless charging claws are fully opened, they can also charge a conventional disc-type wireless charging receiving end. When the C wireless charging claws are fully retracted, they can be charged with a retractable charging base.

[0013] Preferably, the wireless charging claw contains D small coils for electromagnetic induction with the coil at the charged end, and the retractable charging seat includes a charging seat cylinder, a motor column, a lifting motor, a gear, and a rack; the retractable charging seat is divided into C groups, each group contains E coils, the same as the number of wireless charging claws, and E must be greater than or equal to D. The charging seat cylinder is fixed to the lower end of the motor column, and the upper end of the motor column is fixed to the lifting motor. The lifting motor and the gear are coaxially fixed by a pin, and the gear and rack constitute an up and down movement mechanism. The upper end of the rack is fixed to the retractable charging seat, so that the motor rotates to control the lifting and lowering of the retractable charging seat.

[0014] Preferably, N is 24, A is 3, B is 4, C is 6, and D is 6.

[0015] A control method for an unmanned supply vessel including a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator includes the following steps:

[0016] The docking process is divided into three stages: search, positioning and docking of the underwater robot;

[0017] During the search phase, the underwater robot first uses its own visual system to search for the location of the large unmanned water supply ship. When the robot detects the supply ship, it sends a signal to notify the supply ship.

[0018] During the positioning phase, once the robot detects the supply ship, it uses its own positioning system to calculate the distance and relative position between itself and the supply ship. At the same time, the supply ship also positions the underwater robot to better control the position and posture of the robotic arm.

[0019] During the docking phase, when the underwater robot is close enough to the supply ship, the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm will automatically extend to guide the grasping operation of the underwater robot. After the grasping is completed through the matrix clamp, the robot will be stably fixed in the supply ship, and then the multi-claw wireless charging will be used to complete the supply mission.

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

[0021] The matrix fixture can be used to fix underwater robots with different shapes, which has a wider range of applications;

[0022] The use of a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator can reduce the steps of docking, fixing and salvaging to directly charge the underwater robot, which is more efficient and less difficult to implement;

[0023] The retractable charging base transforms wireless charging from a two-dimensional layout to a three-dimensional layout, which can fully utilize the surface area of ​​the charging base, improve charging efficiency, and increase the payload and space of the underwater robot.

[0024] In summary, the device effectively solves the problems of using a crane to connect a retractor through a wire rope to capture underwater robots, which has low accuracy, great difficulty in fishing, and the possibility that the wire rope may be entangled in the propeller of the underwater robot's thruster. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure from another perspective.

[0027] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure from another perspective.

[0028] Figure 4 It is a top view of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 For the present invention Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure from another perspective.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the retractable charging base structure of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of fixing an underwater drone by a matrix clamp according to the present invention.

[0033] Numbers in the figure: 1. Left hull; 2. Right hull; 3. Left power group; 4. Right power group; 5. Connecting bridge plate; 6. Front gantry; 7. Rear gantry; 8. First camera; 9. Second camera; 10. Third camera; 11. Controller; 12. Mushroom antenna; 13. Matrix fixture group; 14. Base; 15. Rotating pan / tilt head; 16. Upper arm; 17. Lower arm; 18. Multi-claw palm plate; 19. Wireless charging claw; 20. First servo motor; 21. Second servo motor; 22. Third servo motor; 23. Connecting rod; 29. ​​Retractable charging stand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments.

[0035] Reference Figures 1-8 , an unmanned supply vessel including a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm, including a catamaran supply vessel with a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm, the catamaran supply vessel includes: a left hull 1, a right hull 2, a left power group 3, a right power group 4, a connecting bridge plate 5, a front gantry 6, a rear gantry 7, a first camera 8, a second camera 9, a third camera 10, a controller 11, a mushroom antenna 12, and a matrix fixture group 13. The left power group 3 and the right power group 4 are exactly the same except for the different motor steering. Each power group includes a motor and a propeller, which is used to provide power to the vessel, and steering is achieved through the direct speed difference between the two power groups.

[0036] The camera is used for visual obstacle avoidance during navigation and to ensure the docking accuracy of the robotic arm during charging. The data is directly transmitted to the controller 11, which can control the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm, the matrix clamp group 13, and the hull power group; the matrix clamp group 13 includes N electromagnetic lock clamps that are symmetrical on both sides and arranged as A rows and B columns. The matrix clamps are simultaneously powered off to fix the underwater drone to prevent it from moving relative to the supply ship, making the docking of the wireless charging robotic arm easier and the charging process more stable.

[0037] The multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm includes a base 14, a rotating pan-tilt platform 15, an upper arm 16, a lower arm 17, a multi-claw palm plate 18, C wireless charging claw fingers 19, a first servo motor 20, a second servo motor 21, a third servo motor 22, a connecting rod 23 and an electromagnetic lock. The base 14 and the rotating pan-tilt platform 15 are coaxially matched and can rotate relative to each other through the first servo motor 20.

[0038] The electromagnetic locking clamp consists of a spring, a push rod, and an electromagnet. When the power is on, the push rod is pulled backward, and when the power is off, the spring pushes the push rod out of the fixed object.

[0039] The connecting rod 23 is connected to the forearm 17 and the rotating platform 15 through a hinge, and the upper arm 16 is connected to the forearm 17 and the rotating platform 15 through a hinge, with two degrees of freedom of rotation. The relative rotation of the upper arm 16 and the rotating platform 15 is completed by the second servo motor 21, and the relative rotation of the forearm 17 and the upper arm 16 is completed by the connecting rod and the third servo motor 22, thereby completing the movement of the robotic arm in space.

[0040] The multi-claw palm plate 18 is connected to the forearm 17 through a top hinge, and is connected to the six centrally symmetrical wireless charging claws through a hinge. The C wireless charging claws can be connected to the winch installed at the top of the forearm 17 to synchronously control the retraction and extension. When the C wireless charging claws are fully opened, they can also charge the conventional disc-type wireless charging receiving end. When the C wireless charging claws are fully retracted, they can be charged with the retractable charging base 29.

[0041] The wireless charging claw finger 19 contains D small coils for electromagnetic induction with the charged end coil. The retractable charging seat 29 includes a charging seat cylinder, a motor column, a lifting motor, a gear, and a rack. The retractable charging seat 29 is divided into C groups, each group contains E coils, the same number as the wireless charging claw finger 19, and E must be greater than or equal to D. The charging seat cylinder is fixed to the lower end of the motor column, and the upper end of the motor column is fixed to the lifting motor. The lifting motor and the gear are coaxially fixed by a pin. The gear and rack constitute an up and down movement mechanism, and the upper end of the rack is fixed to the retractable charging seat 29, so that the rotation of the motor can control the lifting and lowering of the retractable charging seat 29. The retractable charging seat 29 can reduce its volume when it is folded. After being fixed by the matrix clamp, the retractable charging seat 29 can be released to dock with the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm and then start charging.

[0042] Specifically, N is 24, A is 3, B is 4, C is 6, and D is 6.

[0043] A control method for an unmanned supply vessel including a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator includes the following steps:

[0044] The docking process is divided into three stages: search, positioning and docking of the underwater robot;

[0045] During the search phase, the underwater robot first uses its own visual system to search for the location of the large unmanned water supply ship. When the robot detects the supply ship, it sends a signal to notify the supply ship.

[0046] During the positioning phase, once the robot detects the supply ship, it uses its own positioning system to calculate the distance and relative position between itself and the supply ship. At the same time, the supply ship also positions the underwater robot to better control the position and posture of the robotic arm.

[0047] During the docking phase, when the underwater robot is close enough to the supply ship, the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm will automatically extend to guide the grasping operation of the underwater robot. After the grasping is completed through the matrix clamp, the robot will be stably fixed in the supply ship, and then the multi-claw wireless charging will be used to complete the supply mission.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field, within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, who makes equivalent replacements or changes based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An unmanned supply vessel comprising a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator, comprising a catamaran supply vessel with a matrix fixture and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator, characterized in that: The catamaran supply ship comprises: a left hull (1), a right hull (2), a left power group (3), a right power group (4), a connecting bridge plate (5), a front gantry (6), a rear gantry (7), a first camera (8), a second camera (9), a third camera (10), a controller (11), a mushroom antenna (12), and a matrix fixture group (13); The multi-claw wireless charging mechanical arm comprises a base (14), a rotating platform (15), a large arm (16), a small arm (17), a multi-claw palm plate (18), C wireless charging claw fingers (19), a first servo motor (20), a second servo motor (21), a third servo motor (22), a connecting rod (23) and an electromagnetic lock. The base (14) and the rotating platform (15) are coaxially matched and rotate relative to each other through the first servo motor (20); The multi-claw palm plate (18) is connected to the forearm (17) via a top hinge, and is connected to six centrally symmetrical wireless charging claws via a hinge. The C wireless charging claws are connected to the top of the forearm (17) via a winch to synchronously control the retraction and extension. When the C wireless charging claws are fully opened, they can also be charged by a conventional disc-type wireless charging receiving end. When the C wireless charging claws are fully retracted, they can be charged with a retractable charging seat (29). The wireless charging claw finger (19) contains D small coils for electromagnetic induction with the charged end coil. The retractable charging seat (29) includes a charging seat cylinder, a motor column, a lifting motor, a gear, and a rack. The retractable charging seat (29) is divided into C groups, each group containing E coils, which is the same as the number of the wireless charging claw finger (19). E must be greater than or equal to D. The charging seat cylinder is fixed to the lower end of the motor column, and the upper end of the motor column is fixed to the lifting motor. The lifting motor and the gear are coaxially fixed by a pin. The gear and the rack constitute an up and down motion mechanism. The upper end of the rack is fixed to the retractable charging seat (29), so that the motor rotates to control the retractable charging seat (29) to rise and fall.

2. The unmanned supply ship comprising a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left power group (3) and the right power group (4) are identical except for the motor direction. Each power group comprises a motor and a propeller, and is used to provide power to the vessel. Steering is achieved through the direct speed difference between the two power groups.

3. The unmanned supply ship comprising a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The camera is used for visual obstacle avoidance during navigation and ensuring the docking accuracy of the robotic arm during charging. The data is directly transmitted to the controller (11), and the controller (11) can control the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm, the matrix clamp group (13), and the hull power group.

4. The unmanned supply ship comprising a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The matrix fixture group (13) comprises N bilaterally symmetrical electromagnetic lock fixtures arranged in A rows and B columns.

5. The unmanned supply ship comprising a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The electromagnetic lock fixture comprises a spring, a push rod and an electromagnet. When power is on, the push rod is pulled backward, and when power is off, the spring pushes the push rod out of the fixed object.

6. The unmanned supply ship comprising a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting rod (23) is connected to the small arm (17) and the rotating platform (15) through a hinge, and the large arm (16) is connected to the small arm (17) and the rotating platform (15) through a hinge, and has two degrees of freedom of rotation. The relative rotation of the large arm (16) and the rotating platform (15) is completed by the second servo motor (21), and the relative rotation of the small arm (17) and the large arm (16) is completed by the connecting rod and the third servo motor (22), thereby completing the movement of the robot arm in space.

7. A control method for an unmanned supply vessel comprising a matrix gripper and a multi-claw wireless charging manipulator, characterized in that: The unmanned supply ship according to any one of claims 1 to 6 comprises the following process: The docking process is divided into three stages: search, positioning and docking of the underwater robot; During the search phase, the underwater robot first uses its own visual system to search for the location of the large unmanned water supply ship. When the robot detects the supply ship, it sends a signal to notify the supply ship. During the positioning phase, once the robot detects the supply ship, it uses its own positioning system to calculate the distance and relative position between itself and the supply ship. At the same time, the supply ship also positions the underwater robot to better control the position and posture of the robotic arm. During the docking phase, when the underwater robot is close enough to the supply ship, the multi-claw wireless charging robotic arm will automatically extend to guide the grasping operation of the underwater robot. After the grasping is completed through the matrix clamp, the robot will be stably fixed in the supply ship, and then the multi-claw wireless charging will be used to complete the supply mission.

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