Autonomous control of underwater robots based on image processing

Abstract

The application discloses an underwater robot which is autonomously controlled based on image processing. The robot is provided with an image acquisition assembly in the underwater robot. The image acquisition assembly is arranged at the edge of a mounting cover through a mounting shaft. The mounting shaft can rotate around the circumference thereof. A telescopic driving element two is fixedly arranged on the mounting shaft. The image acquisition assembly is moved along the axis direction of the telescopic driving element two through the telescopic driving element two. A rotating driving element three is connected to the end of the telescopic driving element two. The rotating driving element three drives the mounting box to rotate around the axis direction of the telescopic driving element two. A driving assembly four in the mounting box can drive the camera to move along the radial direction of the mounting box. The robot moves the camera through multiple telescopic and rotating driving elements and motors. The camera angle and position of the underwater camera are flexibly adjusted. The image acquisition range is ensured. The visual blind spot is reduced. The accuracy of image acquisition is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of underwater robot technology, specifically relating to an autonomously controlled underwater robot based on image processing. Background Technology

[0002] Underwater robots, also known as unmanned remotely operated vehicles (UAVs), are robots designed for extreme underwater operations. Due to their safety, adaptability, wide operating range, and economic efficiency, underwater robots have become essential equipment for underwater operations, with applications spanning numerous fields such as marine environmental surveys, seabed geological exploration, installation and maintenance of marine structures, water conservancy and hydropower projects, and scientific research.

[0003] In existing technologies, most underwater robots are controlled via tethered systems. They exchange data with a host computer on a mother ship through a cable to obtain underwater images, attitude information, and control feedback from the shore. However, current underwater robots lack intelligence and automation, place high demands on operators, acquire limited image information, and struggle to operate in complex underwater environments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an autonomous underwater robot based on image processing, so as to solve the problem of insufficient intelligence and automation of underwater robots in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution:

[0006] An image processing-based autonomous underwater robot includes a mounting frame, a control box installed inside the mounting frame, and a mounting cover installed on the outer surface of the mounting frame.

[0007] Each of the four sides of the mounting cover is connected to a telescopic drive component two via a mounting shaft. The mounting shaft is fixedly connected to a rotary drive component one. The telescopic end of the telescopic drive component two is connected to a rotary drive component three. The power output end of the rotary drive component three is connected to a mounting box. The mounting box has a circular cross-section.

[0008] The installation box contains a drive assembly four. Several installation sleeves are slidably connected to the lower end face of the installation box. The drive assembly four drives the installation sleeves to slide on the lower end face of the installation box.

[0009] All mounting sleeves extend radially from the mounting box, and are positioned around the center of the mounting box. A connecting rod is rotatably connected to the outer end of each mounting sleeve, and an underwater camera is mounted on the outer end of the connecting rod. The connecting rod is driven to rotate by a waterproof motor. The underwater camera is electrically connected to the control box.

[0010] A further improvement of the present invention is that:

[0011] Preferably, the first rotary drive component is disposed on the inner side wall of the mounting cover, and both ends of the mounting shaft are inserted into the mounting cover; the power output end of the first rotary drive component passes through the inner side wall of the mounting cover and is connected to one end of the mounting shaft.

[0012] Preferably, the drive assembly four includes a waterproof motor two, the power output end of the waterproof motor two is connected to a gear one, the gear one bevel gear meshes with several gear twos, the central shaft of each gear two is connected to one end of a lead screw, each lead screw is fitted with a moving block, and the lower end of the moving block is fixedly connected to a mounting sleeve.

[0013] Preferably, each lead screw is arranged radially along the mounting box, and the inner end of the lead screw is connected to the gear.

[0014] Preferably, the inner end of each lead screw passes through a mounting base and is connected to gear two. Each gear two is fixedly mounted inside the mounting box by a mounting base, and the lead screw and the mounting base are rotatably connected.

[0015] Preferably, the movable block and the mounting box are internally slidably connected, and the lower end of the movable block protrudes from the lower end face of the mounting box and connects with the mounting sleeve.

[0016] Preferably, the lower end of the mounting sleeve has a storage groove along its length, and the length of the storage groove is longer than the length of the connecting rod.

[0017] Preferably, a storage component is provided at the center of the lower end face of the mounting box, and the storage component has several storage holes, with one storage hole corresponding to one underwater camera.

[0018] Preferably, the mounting cover has four horizontal drive components and two vertical drive components installed inside; the four horizontal drive components are evenly distributed around the circumference of the control box, and the two vertical drive components are located on both sides of the control box.

[0019] Preferably, the control box is equipped with a control module, a data acquisition module, a data processing module, a route planning module, and a communication module;

[0020] The data acquisition module is used to acquire images from the underwater camera and convert them into data information;

[0021] The data processing module is used to identify objects in the environment as targets or obstacles based on data information;

[0022] The route planning module is used to plan routes based on targets or obstacles;

[0023] The control module is used to drive the horizontal and vertical drive components on the mounting cover to move.

[0024] The communication module is used for data interaction with external control and monitoring devices.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] This invention discloses an autonomous underwater robot based on image processing. The robot incorporates an image acquisition component, which is mounted on the edge of a mounting housing via a mounting shaft capable of circumferential rotation. A telescopic drive component two is fixedly mounted on the mounting shaft, enabling the image acquisition component to move along its axis. A rotary drive component three is connected to the end of the telescopic drive component two, causing the mounting housing to rotate circumferentially around the axis of the telescopic drive component two. A drive component four inside the mounting housing moves the camera radially along the housing. This robot, through multiple telescopic and rotary drive components and a motor driving the camera's movement, allows for flexible adjustment of the underwater camera's angle and position, ensuring a wide image acquisition range, reducing blind spots, and guaranteeing image acquisition accuracy.

[0027] Furthermore, both ends of the mounting shaft are inserted into the mounting cover to ensure the stability of the mounting shaft installation. The power output end of the rotation drive is connected to one end of the mounting shaft, driving the mounting shaft to rotate.

[0028] Furthermore, the mounting box is equipped with a gear structure, which drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby causing the mounting sleeve and the connecting rod therein to move radially along the mounting box.

[0029] Furthermore, when the equipment is not in operation, the mounting rod rotates to engage with the storage slot, while the mounting sleeve moves until the underwater camera engages with the storage hole. At the same time, the image acquisition component rotates into the mounting cover, reducing the size of the equipment and serving both storage and protection purposes, making it easy to move.

[0030] Furthermore, in this invention, the robot acquires underwater environment images through an image acquisition component. The underwater camera's viewing angle and position are flexibly adjustable, ensuring the range of image acquisition, reducing blind spots, and guaranteeing the accuracy of image acquisition. Then, through the coordinated efforts of the data acquisition module, data processing module, route planning module, positioning module, and control module, a route is planned, and the horizontal and vertical drive components are controlled to move along the planned route. It exhibits strong automation and intelligence, achieving autonomous control in complex underwater environments. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a bottom view of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of a portion of point A in the middle;

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Side view;

[0035] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A sectional view of the mounting box.

[0036] The components are as follows: 1. Control box; 2. Mounting bracket; 3. Horizontal drive component; 4. Mounting cover; 5. Vertical drive component; 6. Image acquisition assembly; 7. Mounting shaft; 8. Rotary drive component one; 9. Telescopic drive component two; 10. Rotary drive component three; 11. Waterproof motor two; 12. Mounting box; 13. Camera assembly; 14. Storage component; 15. Mounting sleeve; 16. Waterproof motor one; 17. Mounting rod; 18. Underwater camera; 19. Storage hole; 20. Moving block; 21. Lead screw; 22. Gear one; 23. Gear two; 24. Mounting base; 25. Compensation light; 26. Notch; 27. Storage slot. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0038] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. The terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection or a detachable connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] This invention proposes an autonomous underwater robot based on image processing, comprising a control box, a mounting frame, a horizontal drive component, a mounting cover, a vertical drive component, and an image acquisition component. The control box is housed within the mounting frame and includes a control module, a data acquisition module, a data processing module, a positioning module, a route planning module, a lighting compensation module, and a communication module. The horizontal and vertical drive components are arranged around the control box on the mounting frame. The mounting cover is located at the upper end of the mounting frame. The image acquisition component is located on the outer periphery of the mounting cover.

[0040] The image acquisition component captures underwater environmental images and is electrically connected to the underwater camera 18; the images are then sent to the data acquisition module. The data acquisition module processes the images, converting them into data information, which is then sent to the data processing module. The data processing module identifies objects in the environment as targets or obstacles. Based on the identification results and the current positioning, the route planning module plans a route. The control module controls the horizontal and vertical actuators according to the planned route, allowing the device to move along the planned path. It features strong automation and intelligence, enabling autonomous control in complex underwater environments. The positioning module uses BeiDou satellite positioning, ensuring accurate positioning of the entire device.

[0041] The image acquisition assembly includes a mounting shaft, a rotary drive component one, a telescopic drive component two, a rotary drive component three, a drive component four, a mounting box, camera components, and a storage component. The mounting shaft is rotated and mounted on the mounting cover via the rotary drive component one. The telescopic drive component two is mounted on the mounting shaft, and its telescopic end is connected to the rotary drive component three. The rotating end of the rotary drive component three is connected to the mounting box. The storage component is mounted on the mounting box. Multiple camera components are arranged around the storage component and move along the mounting box via the drive component four.

[0042] like Figure 1-2 As shown, the present invention proposes an autonomous underwater robot based on image processing, comprising a control box 1, a mounting frame 2, a horizontal drive component 3, a mounting cover 4, a vertical drive component 5, and an image acquisition component 6.

[0043] Mounting bracket 2 is a frame structure, and its composition and shape can be customized according to requirements. Control box 1 is installed inside mounting bracket 2. Control box 1 contains a control module, a data acquisition module, a data processing module, a positioning module, a route planning module, a lighting compensation module, and a communication module. Control box 1 has a cylindrical structure.

[0044] The horizontal drive unit 3 and the vertical drive unit 5 are arranged on the mounting bracket 2 around the control box 1. Preferably, there are four horizontal drive units 3, which are equally distributed with the center of the control box 1 as the center, and the included angle between two adjacent horizontal drive units 3 is 90°. The vertical drive units 5 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the control box 1, and are symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the control box 1.

[0045] As one of the preferred options, both the horizontal drive assembly 3 and the vertical drive assembly 5 are propeller propellers.

[0046] The upper end of the mounting bracket 2 is provided with a mounting cover 4, which is an arc-shaped structure, half of a cylindrical arc surface, and is positioned above the control box 1. The mounting cover 4 is an open structure and does not completely enclose the control box 1. Several compensation lamps 25 are provided on the outer side of the mounting cover 4. When the light compensation module detects insufficient light, the compensation lamps 25 are activated to illuminate. The upper ends of the vertical drive components 5 all penetrate through the mounting cover 2. The image acquisition components 6 are located on the outer periphery of the mounting cover 4. Specifically, one image acquisition component 6 is provided on each of the two arc edges and two straight edges of the mounting cover 4.

[0047] like Figures 3-4 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the image acquisition component 6 includes a mounting shaft 7, a first rotary drive component 8, a second telescopic drive component 9, a third rotary drive component 10, a fourth drive component, a mounting box 12, a camera component 13, and a storage component 14.

[0048] Each image acquisition component 6 is mounted on the side of the mounting cover 4 via a mounting shaft 7. Specifically, each side of the mounting cover 4 has a notch 26, and both ends of each mounting shaft 7 are inserted into the side of the mounting cover 4. One end of the mounting shaft 7 is connected to a rotary drive component 8, and the other end is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the mounting cover 4. The rotary drive component 8 is mounted on the inner side of the mounting cover 4, and its power output end can drive the mounting shaft 7 to rotate around its axis, thereby driving the components on the mounting shaft 7 to rotate around its axis. That is, the entire image acquisition component 6 can rotate around its respective edge of the mounting cover 4. Preferably, the rotary drive component 8 is a drive motor.

[0049] See Figures 3-5 A telescopic drive component 2 9 is fixedly connected to the mounting shaft 7. The telescopic drive component 2 9 is a drive-type telescopic rod. The inner end of the telescopic drive component 2 9 is fixedly connected to the mounting shaft 7, and the outer end is connected to the rotary drive component 3 10. The telescopic drive component 2 9 can drive the rotary drive component 10 and the mounting box 12 to perform telescopic movement along the axis of the telescopic drive rod 2 9.

[0050] The power output end of the rotary drive component 3 10 is connected to the mounting box 12. Preferably, the rotary drive component 3 10 is a drive motor, which can drive the mounting box 12 to rotate around its central axis. The mounting box 12 is disc-shaped and has an internal cavity. The drive component 4 is installed inside the mounting box 12. A storage component 14 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the mounting box 12. The camera component 13 is arranged radially on the lower surface of the mounting box 12, that is, the entire camera component 13 is arranged along the radial direction of the mounting box 12, so as to realize multi-direction and multi-point simultaneous image acquisition, ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of acquisition. Multiple sets of camera components 13 are arranged around the storage component 14 with the drive component 4 and the storage component 14 as the center, and move along the mounting box 12 through the drive component 4.

[0051] The driving component four includes a waterproof motor 21, a moving block 20, a lead screw 21, a gear 1 22, a gear 23, and a mounting base 24. The waterproof motor 21 is located inside the mounting box 12. The gear 1 22 is connected to the main shaft of the waterproof motor 21 to achieve rotation. The axis of the gear 1 22 is coaxial with the mounting box 12. Several mounting bases 24 are arranged around the gear 1 22. Each mounting base 24 has a gear 23 mounted on its inner side. The main shaft of the gear 23 can rotate relative to the mounting base 24. The number of gears 23 is equal to the number of camera components 13. The gear 1 23 and each gear 22 are engaged with bevel teeth. When the gear 1 22 rotates, it can drive each gear 22 to rotate around its axis.

[0052] The number of mounting bases 24 corresponds to the number of camera components 13. The upper end of the mounting base 24 is fixedly connected to the inside of the mounting box 12. One end of a lead screw 21 passes through a mounting base 24. The lead screw 21 and the mounting base 24 are arranged around the circumference of the gear 1 22. The direction of the lead screw 21 is radial to the mounting box 12. The lead screw 21 is rotatably mounted on the corresponding mounting base 24. The inner end of the lead screw 21 is connected to the shaft of the gear 23. The other end is threadedly engaged with the moving block 20. The upper end of the moving block 20 is slidably connected to the inside of the mounting box 12. The moving block 20 moves along a stable trajectory to ensure the accuracy of the camera. The bottom of the moving block 20 extends out of the lower end face of the mounting box 12 and corresponds to and is connected to the mounting sleeve 15. When the gear 23 rotates, it drives the corresponding lead screw 21 to rotate. At the same time, the moving block 20 moves along the axis of the lead screw 21. The bottom of the mounting box 12 is provided with a sliding groove along the direction of each lead screw 21, so that the moving block 20 can move along the corresponding sliding groove.

[0053] The camera assembly 13 includes a mounting sleeve 15, a waterproof motor 16, a mounting rod 17, and an underwater camera 18. The mounting sleeve 15 is slidably mounted on the mounting box 12 and is arranged radially along the mounting box 12. Each mounting sleeve 15 is fixedly connected to the bottom of a moving block 20. The mounting sleeve 15 is cylindrical and has a storage groove 27 along its length at the bottom. The waterproof motor 16 is located at the outer end of the storage groove 27. The inner end of the mounting rod 17 is rotatably connected to one end of the storage groove 27 by a shaft pin. This shaft pin is connected to the power output end of the waterproof motor 16. The mounting rod 17 rotates under the action of the waterproof motor 16 and rotates into the corresponding storage groove 27. The outer end of the mounting rod 17 is connected to the underwater camera 18.

[0054] When the device is not in operation, the image acquisition component 6 is rotated into the mounting cover 4 to reduce its size, move its direction, and protect the image acquisition component 6.

[0055] When the camera assembly 13 is in operation, the waterproof motor 16 drives the mounting rod 17 to rotate, causing it to move out of the storage slot and expose the underwater camera 18, thus initiating image capture. Simultaneously, the rotation of the mounting rod 17 further adjusts the camera angle of the underwater camera 18, achieving flexibility in image capture.

[0056] When the drive unit is working, the waterproof motor 21 drives the gear 22 and gear 23 to rotate, the lead screw 21 rotates, and the moving block 20 that is threaded with it drives the mounting sleeve 15 to move. The mounting sleeve 15 slides along the lower surface of the mounting box 12, further adjusting the position of the underwater camera 18 and realizing the flexibility of image capture.

[0057] The storage component 14 is cylindrical and is located at the center of the mounting box 12. It has storage holes 19 on its side wall. The storage holes 19 correspond one-to-one with the underwater cameras 18 and fit together.

[0058] When the device is not in operation, the mounting rod 17 rotates until it is inserted into the storage slot 27, and at the same time the mounting sleeve 15 moves until the underwater camera 18 is inserted into the storage hole 19, which serves to store and protect the device.

[0059] Working Principle: When this robot moves underwater, the image acquisition component 6 acquires images of the underwater environment and sends them to the data acquisition module. The data acquisition module processes the images, converts them into data information, and sends it to the data processing module. The data processing module identifies objects in the environment as targets or obstacles. Based on the identification results and the current positioning, the route planning module plans a route. The control module controls the horizontal drive component 3 and the vertical drive component 5 according to the planned route, allowing the robot to move along the planned route. It features strong automation and intelligence, achieving autonomous control in complex underwater environments.

[0060] The image acquisition component 6 works as follows: The mounting shaft 7 rotates under the drive of the rotary drive component 8, and the telescopic drive component 9 rotates synchronously. The telescopic drive component 9 and the rotary drive component 10 work together to control the rotation or telescopic (up and down) movement of the mounting box 12. The waterproof motor 16 drives the mounting rod 17 to rotate, causing the underwater camera 18 to rotate out of the storage slot 27. The drive component 4 drives the lead screw 21 to rotate, which in turn drives the moving block 20 to move. The mounting base 24 follows the moving block 20 to move radially, thus capturing images. The camera angle and position are flexibly adjustable, ensuring the range of image acquisition, reducing blind spots, and guaranteeing the accuracy of image acquisition.

[0061] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An image processing-based autonomous underwater robot, characterized in that, Includes a mounting bracket (2), a control box (1) is installed inside the mounting bracket (2), and a mounting cover (4) is installed on the outer surface of the mounting bracket (2); Each of the four sides of the mounting cover (4) is connected to a telescopic drive component two (9) via a mounting shaft (7). The mounting shaft (7) is fixedly connected to a rotary drive component one (8). The telescopic end of the telescopic drive component two (9) is connected to a rotary drive component three (10). The power output end of the rotary drive component three (10) is connected to a mounting box (12). The mounting box (12) has a circular cross-section. The installation box (12) is equipped with a drive assembly four. Several installation sleeves (15) are slidably connected to the lower end face of the installation box (12). The drive assembly four drives the installation sleeves (15) to slide on the lower end face of the installation box (12). All mounting sleeves (15) are radially aligned with the mounting box (12) along their length, and are positioned around the center of the mounting box (12). A connecting rod is rotatably connected to the outer end of the mounting sleeve (15), and an underwater camera (18) is mounted on the outer end of the connecting rod. The connecting rod is driven to rotate by a waterproof motor (16). The underwater camera (18) is electrically connected to the control box (1).

2. The autonomous underwater robot based on image processing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary drive component 1 (8) is disposed on the inner side wall of the mounting cover (4), and both ends of the mounting shaft (7) are inserted into the mounting cover (4); the power output end of the rotary drive component 1 (8) passes through the inner side wall of the mounting cover (4) and is connected to one end of the mounting shaft (7).

3. The autonomous underwater robot based on image processing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly four includes a waterproof motor two (11), the power output end of the waterproof motor two (11) is connected to a gear one (22), the gear one (22) is meshed with several gear two (23) with bevel teeth, and the central shaft of each gear two (23) is connected to one end of a lead screw (21), and a moving block (20) is fitted on each lead screw (21), and the lower end of the moving block (20) is fixedly connected to an mounting sleeve (15).

4. The image processing-based autonomous underwater robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each lead screw (21) is arranged radially along the mounting box (12), and the inner end of the lead screw (21) is connected to the gear two (23).

5. The image processing-based autonomous underwater robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The inner end of each lead screw (21) passes through a mounting base (24) and is connected to the gear two (23). Each gear two (23) is fixedly installed inside the mounting box (12) through a mounting base (24). The lead screw (21) and the mounting base (24) are rotatably connected.

6. The autonomous underwater robot based on image processing according to claim 3, characterized in that, The movable block (20) and the mounting box (12) are internally slidably connected, and the lower end of the movable block (20) protrudes from the lower end face of the mounting box (12) and is connected to the mounting sleeve (15).

7. The autonomous underwater robot based on image processing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the mounting sleeve (15) is provided with a storage groove (27) along the length direction, and the length of the storage groove (27) is longer than the length of the connecting rod.

8. The autonomous underwater robot based on image processing according to claim 1, characterized in that, A storage component (14) is provided at the center of the lower end face of the mounting box (12). The storage component (14) has several storage holes (19), and each storage hole (19) corresponds to an underwater camera (18).

9. The image processing-based autonomous underwater robot according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The mounting cover (4) is equipped with four horizontal drive components (3) and two vertical drive components (5); the four horizontal drive components (3) are evenly distributed around the circumference of the control box (1), and the two vertical drive components (5) are set on both sides of the control box (1).

10. The image processing-based autonomous underwater robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control box (1) is equipped with a control module, a data acquisition module, a data processing module, a route planning module and a communication module; The data acquisition module is used to acquire images from the underwater camera (18) and convert them into data information; The data processing module is used to identify objects in the environment as targets or obstacles based on data information; The route planning module is used to plan routes based on targets or obstacles; The control module is used to drive the horizontal drive (3) and vertical drive (5) on the mounting cover (4) to move; The communication module is used for data interaction with external control and monitoring devices.

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