A multi-agent device for protecting coral reef ecology and a method for capturing starfish

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-agent equipment for protecting coral reef ecology and a method for capturing starfish. The equipment comprises a main structure provided with a pumping device, the pumping device being used to provide the main structure with propulsion force for underwater travel, a water suction power chamber being provided inside the main structure, an absorption tube and a capture cavity connected to the water suction power chamber being provided on the main structure, the absorption tube sucking the starfish located near the end of the absorption tube into the capture cavity under the negative pressure provided by the water suction power chamber, and by providing the water suction power chamber on the multi-agent equipment and using a pumping method to capture the starfish, the starfish are stored in the capture cavity and transported and transferred, and the starfish are completely removed from the entire ecosystem without leaving any decayed tissue such as animal carcasses, thereby achieving convenient capture of the starfish and having no impact on the survival of the coral reef.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of marine ecological environment management, and in particular to a multi-agent device for protecting coral reef ecology and a method for capturing starfish. Background Art

[0002] Coral reef ecosystems are among the most biodiverse and productive marine ecosystems. The outbreak of long-spined sea stars is one of the primary drivers of the continued decline in global coral cover and coral reef degradation, and my country's South China Sea has also been severely affected, posing a serious threat to marine biodiversity and the safety of islands and reefs throughout the South China Sea. However, the world currently lacks sufficient equipment to prevent and control long-spined sea star infestations. The primary methods used are manual diving, underwater injection, or robotic underwater injection, which have the following drawbacks:

[0003] On the one hand, manual operation methods are risky, inefficient and costly; on the other hand, the decaying tissues of the long-spined sea stars left behind by the robotic injection killing method cause habitat deterioration and have new adverse effects on the survival of surrounding coral reefs.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an intelligent equipment that can easily capture starfish without affecting the survival of coral reefs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the shortcomings of the above-mentioned existing production technologies, the applicant provides a multi-agent equipment for protecting coral reef ecology and a method for capturing starfish, thereby achieving convenient capture of starfish without affecting the survival of coral reefs.

[0006] The technical solutions adopted in the present invention are as follows:

[0007] A multi-intelligent device for protecting coral reef ecology includes a main structure provided with a pumping device, the pumping device is used to provide propulsion force for the main structure to travel underwater, a water suction power chamber is provided inside the main structure, an absorption tube and a capture chamber connected to the water suction power chamber are provided on the main structure, and the absorption tube sucks a starfish located near the end of the absorption tube into the capture chamber under the negative pressure provided by the water suction power chamber.

[0008] The pumping device is a pump-jet propeller and there are multiple of them. Each pumping device is connected to a water suction power chamber through a pipeline, and the water suction power chamber provides a water source for the operation of the pumping device.

[0009] Its further technical solution is:

[0010] The main structure is a flat floating body, and the horizontal cross section is a symmetrical structure, and a plurality of pumping devices are distributed around the main structure.

[0011] A water suction power chamber is provided in the middle of the main structure, and the water suction power chamber is connected to the pumping device through a pipeline, so that negative pressure is generated in the water suction power chamber when the pumping device is working;

[0012] The capture chamber is a cylindrical structure, located at the center of the water absorption power chamber, and the annular side wall of the capture chamber is uniformly distributed with a plurality of water holes, which are used to connect the capture chamber and the water absorption power chamber. The head end of the absorption pipe passes through the water absorption power chamber and is fixedly installed on the side wall of the capture chamber, and the absorption pipe is connected to the interior of the capture chamber;

[0013] A first valve is provided on the top wall of the capture chamber, and the first valve is used to directly connect or isolate the capture chamber from the external water body;

[0014] It also includes an absorption valve installed on the absorption pipe, and the absorption valve is used to connect or isolate the capture chamber with the external water body through the absorption pipe.

[0015] The annular side wall of the capture chamber and the inner side wall of the water suction power chamber form an annular cavity, and the annular cavity is connected to the pumping device through a pipeline;

[0016] A receiving net box is provided outside the water absorption power chamber, and a second valve is installed at the bottom of the capture chamber. The second valve is used to connect or isolate the receiving net box from the capture chamber.

[0017] The top wall slides and seals with the annular side wall of the capture chamber. A lifting mechanism is provided on the outside of the top wall. The output end of the lifting mechanism is connected to the top wall. The lifting mechanism is fixedly connected to the water absorption power chamber through a bracket. The lifting mechanism is used to push the starfish inside the capture chamber into the storage net box when the second valve is opened.

[0018] A method for capturing starfish using a multi-agent device for coral reef ecological protection. The multi-agent device comprises a main structure provided with a pumping device for providing propulsion for the main structure to travel underwater. The main structure is provided with an absorption tube for absorbing the starfish. The main structure is also provided with a sonar for acquiring three-dimensional environmental information around the main structure and an underwater camera for acquiring image information.

[0019] The method for capturing starfish comprises the following steps:

[0020] Target positioning: The control system determines the position of the starfish to be captured, i.e. the target position, based on the three-dimensional environmental information obtained by the sonar and the image information obtained by the underwater camera;

[0021] Traveling to the target location: Activating the pumping device drives the multi-agent equipment to travel along the path planned by the control system and reach the target location, so that the end of the starfish absorption tube is aligned with the starfish to be captured;

[0022] Capturing starfish: connecting the water absorption power chamber with the absorption pipe, starting the water absorption power chamber located in the main structure, generating negative pressure in the water absorption power chamber, causing the water in the absorption pipe to flow toward the water absorption power chamber, generating suction at the end of the absorption pipe, sucking the starfish into the absorption pipe, and following the water flow into the capture chamber connected to the water absorption power chamber.

[0023] Its further technical solution is:

[0024] The target positioning step includes the following steps:

[0025] Constructing a seabed map: As the multi-agent system moves, sonars located in front of and behind the main structure acquire three-dimensional environmental information, including the depth of coral reefs. Underwater cameras identify starfish and acquire seabed images containing them. The control system fuses these images with the corresponding three-dimensional environmental information to create a seabed map of the area where long-spined sea stars are found.

[0026] Self-positioning: The multi-agent equipment can locate itself through sonar and underwater cameras;

[0027] Starfish positioning: Identify the starfish located in the seabed topography map through the starfish visual recognition system and obtain the position of the starfish in the seabed map.

[0028] The method for identifying starfish by the starfish visual recognition system comprises the following steps:

[0029] S1. Underwater cameras capture and collect a dataset of seabed image information containing starfish, and annotate the location and bounding box of the starfish in each image.

[0030] S2, uses the YOLOv7 deep learning model for target detection tasks;

[0031] S3, data preprocessing, preprocessing the seabed image information, including operations such as image scaling and normalization, to adapt to the input requirements of the model in step S2;

[0032] S4. Conduct model training. Use the labeled starfish image dataset to train the YOLO v7 starfish recognition model. During the training process, use the multi-class cross entropy loss function and optimize the model parameters.

[0033] S5. Starfish recognition model testing and deployment: Use the test set to test the tuned model and evaluate the model's performance on unknown data. If the recognition error rate is lower than 5.1% and meets the requirements, it meets the conditions for deployment in multi-agent equipment.

[0034] The method for controlling a control system to plan a path includes the following steps:

[0035] Based on the multi-agent equipment's own positioning and the starfish positioning, the position of the multi-agent equipment in the seabed map is constructed, and the hybird A* strategy is used to plan the path from the current position to the location of the starfish to be captured.

[0036] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0037] The present invention has a compact and reasonable structure and is easy to operate. By arranging a water suction power chamber on the multi-intelligent equipment, the starfish are captured by a pump suction method, stored in a capture chamber and transported and transferred, and the starfish are completely taken away from the entire ecosystem without leaving any decayed tissue such as animal carcasses, thereby realizing convenient capture of starfish and having no impact on the survival of coral reefs.

[0038] At the same time, the present invention also has the following advantages:

[0039] (1) By adopting a pumping device with propulsion and water suction functions connected to the water suction power chamber, the moving power system of the multi-agent equipment and the power system for catching starfish are integrated, so that negative pressure is generated in the water suction power chamber when the pumping device absorbs water. By switching the water inlet method of the water suction power chamber, the control switching of the multi-agent equipment for catching starfish and the water jet propulsion of the pumping device is realized, which is convenient for the stability control of the equipment and the control of the suction force.

[0040] (2) A storage cage is set outside the water-absorbing power room. Through the combined storage method of the capture chamber and the storage cage, the equipment has the ability to work for a long time, which expands the storage capacity of long-spined sea stars and allows more long-spined sea stars to be captured in one operation.

[0041] (3) The top wall of the capture chamber is slid and sealed with the annular side wall of the capture chamber, and a lifting mechanism is used to drive the top wall to move, thereby improving the efficiency of transferring the starfish in the capture chamber to the storage cage, and also preventing too many long-spined starfish from blocking the water hole.

[0042] (4) Through the combined structure of a pumping device with water suction and water jet propulsion and a water suction power chamber, the starfish can be captured away from the coral reef. By setting up two detection devices, sonar and underwater camera, the control system of the multi-agent equipment can sense the position of the starfish, automatically make decisions, plan and control functions, and realize the capture of long-spined sea stars in an intelligent recognition manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-agent equipment structure of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of .

[0045] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0046] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle (when transferring the starfish).

[0047] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of section BB.

[0048] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of point C in the middle.

[0049] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Cross-sectional view of the DD section.

[0050] Figure 8 The figure is a flow chart of the method for capturing starfish of the present invention.

[0051] Among them: 1. Main structure; 2. Pumping device; 3. Absorption tube; 301. Absorption valve; 4. Capture chamber; 401. Water hole; 41. Top wall; 411. Protective net; 412. Lifting mechanism; 42. Second valve; 4201. Flip cover; 4202. Frame; 5. Storage box; 7. Water absorption power chamber; 8. First valve; 801. Through hole; 802. Cover plate; 9. Bracket; 11. Sonar; 12. Underwater camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Example 1:

[0054] In order to conveniently capture long-spined sea stars without affecting the survival of coral reefs, the multi-intelligent equipment for coral reef ecological protection in this embodiment, by catching, storing and transporting long-spined sea stars, not only achieves the goal of not requiring manpower to capture long-spined sea stars, but also avoids the problem of injection robots leaving the decayed tissue of long-spined sea stars in place and affecting the ecological environment. It is suitable for protecting coral reef ecosystems, and the specific structure of the equipment is introduced as follows.

[0055] like Figure 1-Figure 3As shown, the multi-intelligent equipment for coral reef ecological protection of this embodiment includes a main structure 1 provided with a pumping device 2, the pumping device 2 is used to provide propulsion force for the main structure 1 to travel underwater, a water suction power chamber 7 is provided inside the main structure 1, and an absorption tube 3 and a capture chamber 4 connected to the water suction power chamber 7 are provided on the main structure 1. Under the negative pressure provided by the water suction power chamber 7, the absorption tube 3 sucks the starfish located near the end of the absorption tube 3 into the capture chamber 4.

[0056] Specifically, the starfish mentioned in this embodiment mainly refers to the long-spined starfish, also called the crown-of-thorns starfish; the water absorption power chamber 7 mainly provides suction so that the starfish near the end of the absorption tube 3 can flow from the absorption tube 3 into the capture chamber 4 along the water flow under the action of negative pressure and be stored in the capture chamber 4; for the water absorption power chamber 7, a power machine can be used to pump water through the water absorption power chamber 7 to generate negative pressure in the water absorption power chamber 7. The power machine can be a submersible pump or a propeller, etc.; in order to improve the efficiency of capturing starfish, the rotation function of the absorption tube 3 can be added, and the absorption tube 3 can be driven to move by the mechanical arm structure to facilitate the end of the absorption tube 3 to align with the long-spined starfish. The implementation method of the rotation function is the existing technology and will not be repeated here.

[0057] By setting up a water suction power chamber 7 on the multi-agent equipment, the starfish is captured by pumping, stored in the capture chamber 4 and transported, and the starfish is completely taken away from the entire ecosystem without leaving any decayed tissue such as animal carcasses, thereby achieving convenient capture of starfish without affecting the survival of coral reefs.

[0058] Further, if Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the pumping device 2 is a pump-jet propeller and there are multiple of them. Each pumping device 2 is connected to the water suction power chamber 7 through a pipeline, and the water suction power chamber 7 provides a water source for the operation of the pumping device 2.

[0059] Further, if Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the main structure 1 is a flat floating body, and the horizontal cross section is a symmetrical structure, and multiple pumping devices 2 are evenly distributed around the main structure 1.

[0060] Specifically, the main structure 1 has a flat bean shape, has low navigation resistance, is in a suspended state in the water, and is propelled by water spraying through the pumping device 2 to maintain its posture and movement. The pumping device 2 is a pump-jet propeller, and the nozzle of the pump-jet propeller can be rotated to change the propulsion direction, so that the equipment can flexibly control the direction of travel when sailing.

[0061] In addition, the flat main structure 1 is easier to equip with the integration of internal devices. When multiple pumping devices 2 are arranged around the main structure 1, the flat structure can distribute these pumping devices 2 more evenly, which not only improves the working efficiency and maneuverability of the pumping devices 2, but also makes the stability or navigation performance of the intelligent body better; in addition, when sailing on the vast ocean, such as the seabed or other uneven terrain to capture long-spined sea stars, the flat structure can better adapt to terrain changes, reduce the load pressure or vibration caused by non-uniform flow due to uneven terrain, thereby improving the stability of the vehicle.

[0062] The water suction power chamber 7 provides a water source for the operation of the pumping device 2, which means that when the pumping device 2 is working, the water inlet of the pumping device 2 is connected to the water suction power chamber 7 through a pipeline, and multiple pumping devices 2 suck out the water in the water suction power chamber 7 and spray it out from the nozzle, generating negative pressure in the water suction power chamber 7. The water in the water suction power chamber 7 comes from the absorption pipe 3 or other water inlets. The pumping devices 2 distributed around the main structure 1 selectively open or adjust the direction of the nozzle according to the travel mode of the equipment.

[0063] By controlling the pumping device 2, the position and posture of the equipment are adjusted to achieve the movement of the equipment along the predetermined track, and finally reach the location of the target long-spined sea star. Then, the water inlet mode of the water suction power chamber 7 is switched to capture the long-spined sea star through the absorption pipe 3, and then the long-spined sea star is transported away by the equipment.

[0064] Further, if Figure 1 、 Figure 3 As shown, a water suction power chamber 7 is provided in the middle of the main structure 1, and the water suction power chamber 7 is connected to the pumping device 2 through a pipeline, so that a negative pressure is generated in the water suction power chamber 7 when the pumping device 2 is working;

[0065] The capture chamber 4 is a cylindrical structure, located at the center of the water absorption power chamber 7. The annular side wall of the capture chamber 4 is uniformly distributed with multiple water holes 401, which are used to connect the capture chamber 4 and the water absorption power chamber 7. The head end of the absorption tube 3 passes through the water absorption power chamber 7 and is fixedly installed on the side wall of the capture chamber 4, so that the absorption tube 3 is connected to the interior of the capture chamber 4.

[0066] A first valve 8 is provided on the top wall 41 of the capture chamber 4. The first valve 8 is used to directly connect or isolate the capture chamber 4 from the external water body;

[0067] It also includes an absorption valve 301 installed on the absorption pipe 3, and the absorption valve 301 is used to connect or isolate the capture chamber 4 with the external water body through the absorption pipe 3.

[0068] Specifically, the pumping device 2 provides propulsion for the main structure 1 to travel underwater, and at the same time generates negative pressure after sucking out the water in the water suction power chamber 7. Since the interior of the capture chamber 4 is directly connected to the absorption tube 3, the annular side wall of the capture chamber 4 is evenly distributed with multiple water holes 401. Therefore, the negative pressure generated in the water suction power chamber 7 can act on the absorption tube 3, so that the end of the absorption tube 3 has suction force; in addition, the water source required by the pumping device 2 first passes through the water suction power chamber 7 and then enters the pumping device 2 through the pipeline, so that the water body has a smoother transition when entering the interior of the main structure 1.

[0069] The first valve 8 and the absorption valve 301 can be purchased valves, and the absorption valve 301 is a large-diameter valve suitable for the entry and exit of long-spined starfish. The first valve 8 and the absorption valve 301 can both be automatically opened and closed by electronic control; when the absorption valve 301 is closed, the equipment does not catch starfish, and the first valve 8 is opened, and the first valve 8 serves as the water inlet of the water absorption power chamber 7; when the absorption valve 301 is opened, the equipment catches starfish, the first valve 8 can be closed, and the absorption pipe 3 is the water inlet of the water absorption power chamber 7, and the suction force of the absorption pipe 3 is the largest at this time; when the absorption valve 301 is opened, the equipment catches starfish, the first valve 8 is opened, and the absorption pipe 3 and the first valve 8 are both the water inlets of the water absorption power chamber 7, and the suction force of the absorption pipe 3 can be adjusted in this way; in addition, the number of first valves 8 can be one or more.

[0070] By adopting a pumping device 2 with propulsion and water suction functions connected to the water suction power chamber 7, the moving power system of the multi-agent equipment and the power system for catching starfish are integrated, so that negative pressure is generated in the water suction power chamber 7 when the pumping device 2 absorbs water. By switching the water inlet method of the water suction power chamber 7, the control switching of the multi-agent equipment for capturing starfish and the water jet propulsion of the pumping device 2 is realized, which facilitates the stability control of the equipment and the control of the suction force.

[0071] The pumping device 2 of this embodiment has the characteristics of flexible adjustment and high generalization, which is mainly reflected in the control of the absorption capacity of the pumping device 2 and the absorption object. On the one hand, the pumping device 2 is related to the navigation ability of the equipment itself, and on the other hand, it is related to the absorption capacity of long-spined sea stars. The pumping device 2 is immersed in water, and its main absorption object is seawater, and the long-spined sea star is its auxiliary absorption object. The overall absorption capacity of the pumping device 2 is related to the capacity of a single pumping device 2 and the number of pumping devices 2. By flexibly configuring the pumping device 2, the water inlet of the pumping device 2 and adjusting the number of pumping devices 2, the suction and capture requirements of various long-spined sea stars can be met. The pumping device 2 referred to here is a pump-jet propeller, and can also be a water pump.

[0072] The multi-agent equipment for coral reef ecological protection in this embodiment has a simple structure and is easy to operate. The function of capturing starfish can be switched simply by switching the water intake mode of the water jet propulsion system composed of multiple pumping devices 2.

[0073] like Figure 6 、 Figure 7 As shown, when the first valve 8 is a non-standard design, this embodiment also illustrates the structure of the first valve 8: including a through hole 801 provided on the top wall 41 of the capture chamber 4, a cover plate 802 hingedly mounted on the outside of the top wall 41, and a first driving mechanism for driving the cover plate 802 to rotate, with the cover plate 802 matching the through hole 801. The cover plate 802 preferably opens to the outside of the capture chamber 4.

[0074] like Figure 7 As shown, in order to prevent starfish from entering the outside through the through hole 801, a protective net 411 is installed on the inner side of the top wall 41.

[0075] Further, if Figure 1 、 Figure 3-Figure 5 As shown, the annular side wall of the capture chamber 4 and the inner side wall of the water suction power chamber 7 form an annular cavity, and the annular cavity is connected to the pumping device 2 through a pipeline;

[0076] A receiving net box 5 is provided outside the water absorption power chamber 7 , and a second valve 42 is installed at the bottom of the capture chamber 4 . The second valve 42 is used to connect or isolate the receiving net box 5 from the capture chamber 4 .

[0077] Specifically, such as Figure 3 、 Figure 4 As shown, the water absorption power chamber 7 and the capture chamber 4 are both cylindrical structures, and the height of the water absorption power chamber 7 is consistent with the height of the annular side wall of the capture chamber 4. When the second valve 42 at the bottom of the capture chamber 4 is opened, the storage cage 5 is connected to the capture chamber 4, and the starfish in the capture chamber 4 can enter the storage cage 5. Without expanding the water absorption power chamber 7, the space for the equipment to carry starfish is expanded, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost; the storage cage 5 is made of synthetic fiber material.

[0078] like Figure 3-Figure 5 As shown, the second valve 42 can be a large-diameter valve purchased from outside. When the second valve 42 is a non-standard self-made valve, the structure of the second valve 42 includes a second driving mechanism and a pair of flip covers 4201 hingedly installed at the bottom of the capture chamber 4. After the two flip covers 4201 are closed, they fit into the holes at the bottom of the capture chamber 4. The flip covers 4201 are hinged to the bottom of the water suction power chamber 7 through the frame 4202. The flip cover 4201 can be a rectangular plate structure. The second driving mechanism is used to drive the semicircular flip cover 4201 to rotate. When the second valve 42 is opened, the flip cover 4201 rotates toward the outside of the capture chamber 4. The rectangular flip cover 4201 can withstand the suction force of the pumping device 2 when the second valve 42 is closed.

[0079] A storage net box 5 is provided outside the water absorption power chamber 7. Through the combined storage method of the capture chamber 4 and the storage net box 5, the equipment has the ability to work for a long time, expands the storage capacity of long-spined sea stars, and allows more long-spined sea stars to be captured in one operation. If necessary, the space inside the equipment can be reserved for the storage net box 5.

[0080] Further, if Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 As shown, the top wall 41 slides and seals with the annular side wall of the capture chamber 4, and a lifting mechanism 412 is provided on the outside of the top wall 41. The output end of the lifting mechanism 412 is connected to the top wall 41, and the lifting mechanism 412 is fixedly connected to the water absorption power chamber 7 through the bracket 9. The lifting mechanism 412 is used to push the starfish inside the capture chamber 4 into the storage cage 5 when the second valve 42 is opened.

[0081] Specifically, the lifting mechanism 412 is a piston cylinder, which drives the top wall 41 to move up and down along the axial direction of the capture chamber 4.

[0082] The top wall 41 of the capture chamber 4 is slid and sealed with the annular side wall of the capture chamber 4, and the lifting mechanism 412 is used to drive the top wall 41 to move, thereby improving the efficiency of transferring the starfish in the capture chamber 4 to the storage cage 5, and also preventing too many long-spined starfish from blocking the water hole 401.

[0083] When the lifting mechanism 412 is working, the absorption valve 301 is closed, the first valve 8 can be closed or opened, and the second valve 42 is opened. If the first valve 8 is opened, the pumping device 2 works to ensure the water supply of the pumping device 2; if the first valve 8 is closed, the pumping device 2 is also closed. Since the main structure 1 maintains neutral buoyancy, the posture of the equipment can also be kept stable.

[0084] Example 2:

[0085] The multi-agent equipment for coral reef ecological protection in this embodiment adds the function of capturing long-spined sea stars by intelligent identification based on the first embodiment, thereby achieving the capture of sea stars in an environmentally friendly and more convenient way. At the same time, the intelligent identification method improves the efficiency and accuracy of capture.

[0086] like Figure 8 As shown, the method for capturing starfish using the multi-agent equipment for coral reef ecological protection of this embodiment includes a main structure 1 provided with a pumping device 2, which is used to provide propulsion for the main structure 1 to travel underwater. The main structure 1 is provided with an absorption tube 3, which is used to absorb the starfish; the main structure 1 is equipped with a sonar 11 and an underwater camera 12, the sonar 11 is used to obtain three-dimensional environmental information around the main structure 1, and the underwater camera 12 is used to obtain image information;

[0087] The method for capturing starfish includes the following steps:

[0088] Target positioning: The control system determines the position of the starfish to be captured, i.e., the target position, based on the three-dimensional environmental information obtained by the sonar 11 and the image information obtained by the underwater camera 12;

[0089] Traveling to the target position: starting the pumping device 2 to drive the multi-agent equipment to travel according to the path planned by the control system and reach the target position, so that the end of the starfish absorption tube 3 is aligned with the starfish to be captured;

[0090] Capturing starfish: connect the water absorption power chamber 7 with the absorption tube 3, start the water absorption power chamber 7 located in the main structure 1, generate negative pressure in the water absorption power chamber 7, make the water flow in the absorption tube 3 flow to the water absorption power chamber 7, generate suction at the end of the absorption tube 3, suck the starfish into the absorption tube 3, and follow the water flow into the capture chamber 4 connected to the water absorption power chamber 7.

[0091] Specifically, the underwater camera 12 can also be used to assist in controlling the rotation function of the absorption tube 3 .

[0092] Through the combined structure of the pump suction device 2 with water suction and water jet propulsion and the water suction power chamber 7, the starfish can be captured away from the coral reef. By setting up two detection devices, sonar and underwater camera, the control system of the multi-agent equipment has the ability to sense the position of the starfish, automatically make decisions, plan and control functions, and realize the capture of long-spined starfish in an intelligent identification manner.

[0093] Further, if Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the pumping device 2 is a pump-jet propulsion device and there are multiple of them. Each pumping device 2 is connected to the water suction power chamber 7 through a pipeline. When the pumping device 2 is started, the pumping device 2 absorbs the seawater in the water suction power chamber 7 to form a negative pressure in the water suction power chamber 7. The nozzle of the pumping device 2 sprays water to provide propulsion for the main structure 1 to travel underwater.

[0094] Furthermore, the target positioning step includes the following steps:

[0095] Constructing a seabed map: During the movement of the multi-agent device, the sonar 11 located in the front and rear directions of the main structure 1 obtains three-dimensional environmental information, including the stereoscopic depth information of the seabed coral reef terrain. The underwater camera 12 identifies starfish and obtains seabed image information containing starfish. The control system fuses the seabed image information with the corresponding three-dimensional environmental information to create a seabed map where long-spined sea stars are present.

[0096] Self-positioning: The multi-agent equipment is positioned by using sonar 11 and underwater camera 12;

[0097] Starfish positioning: Identify the starfish located in the seabed topography map through the starfish visual recognition system and obtain the position of the starfish in the seabed map.

[0098] Specifically, during the starfish positioning process, the visual sensor data from underwater camera 12 is fused with the sonar sensor data from sonar 11. The sonar sensor data contains depth and velocity information, while the visual sensor data contains the shape and texture of the target long-spined sea star. A Bayesian filtering method is used to fuse these two types of data. State estimation and measurement updates are used to facilitate the fusion of visual and sonar data, improving estimation accuracy. Based on this, the starfish's position on the seafloor map is determined, i.e., the target location. The long-spined sea star visual recognition system then performs image understanding based on the optical perception data and performs pattern recognition on the long-spined sea star.

[0099] During the self-positioning process, the equipment's positioning and motion estimation is to estimate its own motion based on the sonar sensor data, and use the kinematic model and sensor measurement model to estimate the motion parameters. This step is to plan the position and posture of the equipment in the underwater environment.

[0100] Furthermore, the underwater environment is mapped based on sensor data and motion estimation results. This method uses a three-dimensional rasterized map of the seafloor topography based on sonar data. Data association and correction are performed continuously. During the seafloor map construction process, the equipment associates new sensor data with existing maps through methods such as specific matching and motion estimation. After the association is complete, the map is corrected based on the data association results. The equipment's positioning and interaction with the environment are a cyclical process. The intelligent system continuously obtains sensor data from new time periods and re-estimates motion.

[0101] Steps such as seabed map construction, data association, path planning and motion control are used to continuously improve the map and achieve precise spatial positioning, and finally reach the target location of the long-spined sea star that needs to be captured.

[0102] Furthermore, the method for identifying starfish by the starfish visual recognition system comprises the following steps:

[0103] S1, underwater camera 12 captures and collects a seabed image information dataset with starfish, and annotates the position and bounding box of the starfish in each image;

[0104] S2, using the YOLO (you only look once) v7 deep learning model for target detection tasks;

[0105] S3, data preprocessing, preprocessing the seabed image information, including operations such as image scaling and normalization, to adapt to the input requirements of the model in step S2;

[0106] S4. Conduct model training. Use the labeled starfish image dataset to train the YOLO v7 starfish recognition model. During the training process, use the multi-category cross entropy loss function and optimize the model parameters. Specifically, you can use optimization algorithms such as gradient descent.

[0107] S5. Starfish recognition model testing and deployment: Use the test set to test the tuned model and evaluate its performance on unknown data. If the recognition error rate is lower than 5.1%, it meets the requirements and is suitable for deployment in multi-agent equipment. 5.1% is the recognition level of the human eye.

[0108] Furthermore, the method for controlling the path planning of the control system includes the following steps:

[0109] Based on the multi-agent equipment's own positioning and the starfish positioning, the position of the multi-agent equipment in the seabed map is constructed, and the hybrid A* strategy is used to plan the path from the current position to the location of the starfish to be captured.

[0110] Specifically, the multi-agent equipment performs motion control (i.e., navigation process) based on this path planning, while continuously updating its own position and posture, and finally reaches the target position of the long-spined sea star to be captured, generates suction through the end of the absorption tube 3, sucks the starfish into the absorption tube 3, and follows the water flow into the capture chamber 4 connected to the water absorption power chamber 7, completing the capture of the long-spined sea star.

[0111] Example 3:

[0112] like Figures 1-8 As shown, this embodiment provides a comprehensive description of the operating principles of the multi-agent equipment of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2.

[0113] There are a total of six pumping devices 2 arranged around the main structure 1 and evenly distributed in the horizontal direction. Sonars 11 are provided at the front and rear ends of the equipment in the direction of travel. An underwater camera 12 is provided at the front end of the equipment in the direction of travel. The end of the absorption tube 3 is located at the front end of the equipment in the direction of travel, which facilitates the underwater camera 12 to detect the position of the end of the absorption tube 3.

[0114] 1. Starfish visual recognition system training:

[0115] The underwater camera 12 captures and collects a seabed image information dataset with sea stars, and annotates the position and bounding box of the sea star in each image;

[0116] Use the YOLO (you only look once) v7 deep learning model for target detection tasks;

[0117] Data preprocessing: preprocessing the seabed image information, including operations such as image scaling and normalization, to meet the input requirements of the model in step S2;

[0118] Conduct model training, using a dataset of labeled starfish images to train the YOLO v7 starfish recognition model. During training, use a multi-class cross-entropy loss function and optimize the model parameters, using optimization algorithms such as gradient descent.

[0119] The starfish recognition model is tested and deployed. The tuned model is tested using a test set to evaluate its performance on unknown data. If the recognition error rate is lower than 5.1%, it meets the requirements and is suitable for deployment in multi-agent equipment. 5.1% is the recognition level of the human eye.

[0120] 2. Move the multi-agent equipment to the target location:

[0121] The multi-agent system maps the underwater environment based on sensor data and motion estimation from sonar 11 and underwater camera 12. The method used is to create a three-dimensional rasterized map of the seafloor topography based on sonar data. Data association and correction are continuously performed. During the seafloor map construction process, the system associates new sensor data with existing maps through methods such as specific matching and motion estimation. Once the association is complete, the map is corrected based on the data association results. The system's positioning and interaction with the environment are a cyclical process. The agents continuously acquire sensor data from new time periods and re-estimate motion. The steps of seafloor map construction, data association, path planning, and motion control continuously refine the map and achieve precise spatial positioning, ultimately reaching the target location of the long-spined sea star to be captured.

[0122] 3. Movement of Multi-Agent Equipment and Capture of Long-Spike Sea Stars

[0123] When the multi-agent device moves in seawater, the absorption valve 301 at the end of the absorption tube 3 is closed, the first valve 8 is opened, and the pumping device 2 is activated. Under the uniform suction force generated by the water suction power chamber 7, the external water enters the capture chamber 4 through the through hole 801. Then, it evenly enters the water suction power chamber 7 through the water hole 401 on the capture chamber 4. After a buffered transition in the water suction power chamber 7, the water is removed by the pumping device 2 and then propelled by water spray. The pumping device 2 is controlled according to the above planning and control scheme until it reaches the target position.

[0124] When capturing the long-spined sea star, open the absorption valve 301 at the end of the absorption tube 3, and aim the pump suction port 3 at the long-spined sea star. At this time, the six pump suction devices 2 absorb water and absorb the long-spined sea star into the capture chamber 4. It should be noted that the horizontal momentum of the equipment has been balanced, and the suction along the end of the absorption tube 3 will cause the intelligent body to move toward the long-spined sea star. This movement is small and slow, and at the same time it can improve the position of the suction port and the long-spined sea star and increase the suction force. Of course, by adjusting the direction of the nozzle of the pump suction device 2, the force in this direction can also be balanced and compensated.

[0125] The long-spined sea star absorbed into the capture chamber 4 is restrained by the steel wall of the capture chamber 4. When the long-spined sea star is firmly attached to the reef, it is necessary to increase the suction force of the water absorption power chamber 7. At this time, the first valve 8 is closed, and the water inlet of the water absorption power chamber 7 is only the absorption pipe 3, which can increase the suction force.

[0126] After collecting a certain amount of long-spined sea stars when there are many and dense long-spined sea stars, close the absorption valve 301 on the long-spined sea star absorption tube 3, open the first valve 8, and under the action of water flow, the long-spined sea stars in the capture chamber 4 are difficult to adsorb on the wall of the capture chamber 4.

[0127] Then close the pumping device 2, open the second valve 42, and the lifting mechanism 412 is a piston cylinder, which drives the top wall 41 to move downward along the axis of the capture chamber 4, pushing the long-spined sea stars in the long-spined sea star capture chamber 4 into the storage net box 5, that is, transferring the long-spined sea stars in the capture chamber 4 to the storage net box 5 for storage, so that the next time the pumping device 2 works, there will not be too many long-spined sea stars blocking the water inlet and outlet and affecting the suction force.

[0128] After the long-spined sea star is transferred, the second valve 42 is closed and the top wall 41 is restored.

[0129] Then continue sailing or capture the long-spined sea star according to the above implementation plan.

[0130] The above description is an explanation of the present invention, not a limitation of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined in the claims. Any modifications may be made within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-agent device for coral reef ecological protection, characterized by: The invention comprises a main structure (1) provided with a pumping device (2), the pumping device (2) being used to provide the main structure (1) with propulsion force for underwater travel, a water suction power chamber (7) being provided inside the main structure (1), an absorption pipe (3) and a capture chamber (4) connected to the water suction power chamber (7) being provided on the main structure (1), and the absorption pipe (3) sucking a starfish located near the end of the absorption pipe (3) into the capture chamber (4) under the negative pressure provided by the water suction power chamber (7); The pumping device (2) is a pump-jet propeller and is multiple in number. Each pumping device (2) is connected to a water suction power chamber (7) through a pipeline. The water suction power chamber (7) provides a water source for the operation of the pumping device (2). The main structure (1) is a flat floating body, and its horizontal cross section is symmetrical, and a plurality of pumping devices (2) are evenly distributed around the main structure (1); A water suction power chamber (7) is provided in the middle of the main structure (1), and the water suction power chamber (7) is connected to the pumping device (2) through a pipeline, so that a negative pressure is generated in the water suction power chamber (7) when the pumping device (2) is in operation; The capture chamber (4) is a cylindrical structure, and the capture chamber (4) is located at the center of the water absorption power chamber (7). The annular side wall of the capture chamber (4) is evenly distributed with a plurality of water holes (401), and the water holes (401) are used to connect the capture chamber (4) and the water absorption power chamber (7). The head end of the absorption pipe (3) passes through the water absorption power chamber (7) and is fixedly installed on the side wall of the capture chamber (4). The absorption pipe (3) is connected to the inside of the capture chamber (4); A first valve (8) is provided on the top wall (41) of the capture chamber (4), and the first valve (8) is used to directly connect or isolate the capture chamber (4) from the external water body; It also includes an absorption valve (301) installed on the absorption tube (3), and the absorption valve (301) is used to connect or isolate the capture chamber (4) with the external water body through the absorption tube (3); The annular side wall of the capture chamber (4) and the inner side wall of the water suction power chamber (7) form an annular cavity, and the annular cavity is connected to the pumping device (2) through a pipeline; A receiving net box (5) is provided outside the water absorption power chamber (7), and a second valve (42) is installed at the bottom of the capture chamber (4). The second valve (42) is used to connect or isolate the receiving net box (5) from the capture chamber (4); The top wall (41) and the annular side wall of the capture chamber (4) are slidably and sealed together. A lifting mechanism (412) is provided on the outside of the top wall (41). The output end of the lifting mechanism (412) is connected to the top wall (41). The lifting mechanism (412) is fixedly connected to the water absorption power chamber (7) through a bracket (9). The lifting mechanism (412) is used to push the starfish inside the capture chamber (4) into the storage cage (5) when the second valve (42) is opened.

2. A method for capturing starfish using a multi-agent device for coral reef ecological protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-agent equipment comprises a main structure (1) provided with a pumping device (2), the pumping device (2) being used to provide propulsion for the main structure (1) to travel underwater, an absorption tube (3) being provided on the main structure (1), the absorption tube (3) being used to absorb the starfish; a sonar (11) and an underwater camera (12) being installed on the main structure (1), the sonar (11) being used to obtain three-dimensional environmental information around the main structure (1), and the underwater camera (12) being used to obtain image information; The method for capturing starfish comprises the following steps: Target positioning: The control system determines the position of the starfish to be captured, i.e., the target position, based on the three-dimensional environmental information obtained by the sonar (11) and the image information obtained by the underwater camera (12); Traveling to the target position: starting the pumping device (2) to drive the multi-agent equipment to travel according to the path planned by the control system and reach the target position, so that the end of the starfish absorption tube (3) is aligned with the starfish to be captured; Capturing the starfish: connecting the water absorption power chamber (7) with the absorption pipe (3), starting the water absorption power chamber (7) located in the main structure (1), generating negative pressure in the water absorption power chamber (7), causing the water in the absorption pipe (3) to flow toward the water absorption power chamber (7), and generating suction at the end of the absorption pipe (3), sucking the starfish into the absorption pipe (3), and following the water flow into the capture chamber (4) connected to the water absorption power chamber (7).

3. The method for capturing starfish using a multi-agent device for coral reef ecological protection according to claim 2, wherein: The target positioning step includes the following steps: Constructing a seabed map: During the movement of the multi-agent equipment, three-dimensional environmental information is obtained through sonar (11) located in the front and rear directions of the main structure (1), wherein the three-dimensional environmental information includes stereoscopic depth information of the seabed coral reef terrain, and starfish are identified and seabed image information containing starfish is obtained through an underwater camera (12). The control system fuses the seabed image information with the corresponding three-dimensional environmental information to establish a seabed map where long-spined sea stars are present; Self-positioning: The multi-agent equipment is positioned by sonar (11) and underwater camera (12); Starfish positioning: Identify the starfish located on the seabed map through the starfish visual recognition system and obtain the position of the starfish on the seabed map.

4. The method for capturing starfish using a multi-agent device for coral reef ecological protection according to claim 3, wherein: The method for identifying starfish by the starfish visual recognition system comprises the following steps: S1, underwater camera (12) captures and collects a dataset of seabed image information with sea stars, and annotates the position and bounding box of the sea star in each image; S2, uses the YOLOv7 deep learning model for target detection tasks; S3, data preprocessing, preprocessing the seabed image information, including image scaling and normalization operations, to adapt to the input requirements of the model in step S2; S4. Conduct model training. Use the labeled starfish image dataset to train the YOLO v7 starfish recognition model. During the training process, use the multi-class cross entropy loss function and optimize the model parameters. S5. Starfish recognition model testing and deployment: Use the test set to test the tuned model and evaluate the model's performance on unknown data. If the recognition error rate is lower than 5.1% and meets the requirements, it meets the conditions for deployment in multi-agent equipment.

5. The method for capturing starfish using a multi-agent device for coral reef ecological protection according to claim 4, characterized in that: The method for controlling a control system to plan a path includes the following steps: Based on the multi-agent equipment's own positioning and the starfish positioning, the position of the multi-agent equipment in the seabed map is constructed, and the hybird A* strategy is used to plan the path from the current position to the location of the starfish to be captured.

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