Unmanned aerial vehicle variable angle crown profiling variable spray system and method

Abstract

The application discloses a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system and method for a UAV, and the system comprises an image acquisition module, a main control module arranged in the UAV, and a first execution unit and a second execution unit which are arranged symmetrically left and right relative to the main control module; the main control module is electrically connected with the image acquisition module, the first execution unit and the second execution unit respectively; the execution units realize dynamic spraying according to the characteristics of different tree crowns based on the tree crown images collected by the image acquisition module and analyzed by the main control module. The tree shape contour and distance are obtained through image processing, the best spraying angle and spraying amount are calculated based on the flight speed, and then profiling and variable spraying are realized, so that the uniformity and penetration of fertilizer and pesticide spraying can be effectively improved, the utilization rate of fertilizer and pesticide is improved, spraying automation is improved, and reduction of the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and increase of efficiency are facilitated.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of agricultural plant protection technology, and particularly relates to a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system and method of unmanned aerial vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] Nowadays, diseases and insect pests often cause serious harm to fruit tree production during the growth of fruit trees, resulting in yield reduction and quality degradation of fruit trees, and causing great trouble to fruit farmers. Therefore, effective prevention and control is an important link to ensure the safe production of fruits, and has important significance for sustainable development of agriculture and protection of ecological environment.

[0003] At present, the pesticide spraying of the prior art is mainly based on manual spraying mode, which is slow, labor-intensive and low in efficiency, and the spraying mode is not fine enough, which causes harm to the operators. The prior art has been unable to meet the needs of large-area crop planting. With the development of science and technology, unmanned aerial vehicle spraying has become a new means of preventing and controlling diseases and insect pests, and has its unique advantages compared with traditional manual pesticide application, and plays a huge role in the field of agricultural plant protection.

[0004] However, in the prior art, the pesticide spraying device of the spraying unmanned aerial vehicle is fixed to the body, the direction of the spray head is downward, and the unmanned aerial vehicle moves at a constant speed. However, due to the different densities and shapes of fruit trees, it is difficult to completely spray the fruit trees in place through this method, and the sprayed pesticide cannot reach the leaves at the bottom of the tree crown. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle needs to spray pesticide back and forth, which is low in efficiency and poor in uniformity, and easy to cause waste of pesticide. SUMMARY

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

[0007] an image acquisition module, a main control module arranged in the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a first execution unit and a second execution unit arranged symmetrically left and right of the main control module; the main control module is electrically connected with the image acquisition module, the first execution unit and the second execution unit respectively, and the execution unit realizes dynamic spraying according to the characteristics of different tree crowns based on the analysis of the tree crown image collected from the image acquisition module by the main control module.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, the execution unit comprises a driving module and a pesticide spraying module, the driving module comprises a motor driving board, a first end of the motor driving board is electrically connected with the main control module, a second end of the motor driving board is electrically connected with a stepping motor, the stepping motor is fixed at the wing disc through a motor disc fixing ring, and a rotating shaft of the stepping motor is electrically connected with an encoder.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the pesticide spraying module comprises: a pesticide tank mounted below the unmanned aerial vehicle, a pesticide adding pump arranged in the pesticide tank, an output end of the pesticide adding pump in communication with an output end of the pesticide tank, the output end of the pesticide tank in communication with a first end of a connecting pipe, a second end of the connecting pipe provided with a spray head, the spray head fixedly arranged on a spray head clamping device, an electromagnetic valve arranged between the spray head and the output end of the pesticide tank, and the electromagnetic valve electrically connected with the main control module.

[0010] In a possible implementation, a control end of the electromagnetic valve is electrically connected with the main control module, an input end and an output end of the electromagnetic valve are both in communication with the connecting pipe, and the electromagnetic valve is mounted below a spraying rod of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0011] In a possible implementation, one end of the spray head clamping device is connected with a rotating output end of a stepping motor through a coupling, the coupling is also connected with a rotating shaft of an encoder, and the other end of the spray head clamping device is provided with a spray head fixing member.

[0012] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying method for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

[0013] extracting tree crown image information acquired by the image acquisition module to calculate an approximate tree crown angle of the tree crown;

[0014] combining an initial centering angle of the stepping motor recorded by the encoder in the driving module with a current aerial vehicle body flight speed and a distance between the aerial vehicle body and the tree crown to calculate a remaining time and a step number to reach the target tree crown;

[0015] controlling the electromagnetic valve to spray pesticide according to the remaining time to reach the target tree crown.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the extraction of the tree crown image information acquired by the image acquisition module to calculate the approximate tree crown angle of the tree crown comprises:

[0017] acquiring a green part of the tree crown by photo segmentation;

[0018] for a regular tree crown image, taking a middle position of the tree crown as a center line, taking a tangent line at a maximum green part in a transverse direction, and calculating an angle between the maximum green part in the transverse direction and the center line;

[0019] or, for an irregular tree crown image, taking a middle position of the tree crown as a center line, translating the center line to a highest point of a green part in a longitudinal direction, taking a tangent line at a maximum green part in a transverse direction, and calculating an angle between the maximum green part in the transverse direction and the center line.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the calculation formula of the step number is:

[0021] N steps = Δθ × step angle / 1.8,

[0022] wherein N steps represents the step number, Δθ is an angle difference of rotation, Δθ = θ target - θ current , wherein θ current is an initial centering angle of the current position, and θ target is an angle at the center of the target position.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the electromagnetic valve is controlled to spray pesticide according to the remaining time to reach the target crown, comprising:

[0024] The time to reach the target crown is calculated according to the body speed read by the master control module and the position away from the target crown;

[0025] The processing image time after the master control module receives the crown image is obtained;

[0026] The electromagnetic valve is controlled to spray pesticide through the difference between the time to reach the target crown and the processing image time of the master control module.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the electromagnetic valve is controlled to spray pesticide through the difference between the time to reach the target crown and the processing image time of the master control module, comprising:

[0028] In the difference time, the electromagnetic valve is controlled to reduce the amount of pesticide spraying;

[0029] Or, the electromagnetic valve is controlled to maintain the normal amount of pesticide spraying after the difference time is exceeded.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] The present application obtains the tree profile and distance through image processing, calculates the best spraying angle and spraying amount based on the flight speed, and then realizes the profiling and variable spraying. The method can effectively improve the uniformity and penetration of fertilizer and pesticide spraying, improve the utilization rate of fertilizer and pesticide, and improve the automation of spraying, which is conducive to realizing the reduction and efficiency increase of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of a UAV provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of a UAV provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 3 Part structure schematic diagram of an execution unit of a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of a UAV according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 4 Flowchart of a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] In the embodiment of the present application, the execution unit of the variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of the UAV comprises: Figures 1-5 The symbols in the embodiment of the present application are as follows: 1 - gimbal camera, 2 - main control module, 3 - motor drive board, 4 - electromagnetic valve, 5 - stepping motor, 6 - spray head clamping device, 7 - chemical tank, 8 - spray head, 9 - encoder, 10 - machine disc fixing ring, 11 - shaft coupling, 12 - spray head fixing part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present application will be described in detail below in combination with the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0039] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of a UAV according to an embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figure 1 The variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of the UAV in the embodiment of the present application comprises:

[0040] An image acquisition module, a main control module arranged inside the UAV, and a first execution unit and a second execution unit arranged symmetrically left and right of the main control module, the main control module being electrically connected with the image acquisition module, the first execution unit and the second execution unit respectively. In the embodiment, the first execution unit and the second execution unit have the same structure, and the image acquisition module comprises a gimbal camera 1 responsible for shooting the tree crown image to be detected and transmitting it to the main control module 2 for extraction of the tree crown profile. The main control module 2 adopts an MCU chip, and the MCU chip integrates radar speed and speed functions, and can read the speed of the machine body and the distance to the target tree crown. Since the tree crown appearances of different fruit trees are different, the execution unit in the embodiment can analyze the tree crown image collected from the image acquisition module according to the main control module 2, and perform dynamic spraying by transforming different tree crowns at different angles according to the characteristics of the tree crowns.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3The structural schematic diagram of the variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of the unmanned aerial vehicle is provided in the embodiment of the application, the execution unit comprises a driving module and a pesticide spraying module, wherein the driving module comprises a motor driving board 3, a stepping motor 5 and an encoder 9. The first end of the motor driving board 3 is electrically connected with the master control module 2, the second end of the motor driving board 3 is electrically connected with the stepping motor 5, the stepping motor 5 is fixed at the wing disc through a motor disc fixing ring 10, and the rotating shaft of the stepping motor 5 is electrically connected with the encoder 9.

[0042] The pesticide spraying module comprises a pesticide box 7 installed below the unmanned aerial vehicle, a pesticide adding pump arranged in the pesticide box 7, the output end of the pesticide adding pump in communication with the output end of the pesticide box 7, the output end of the pesticide box 7 in communication with the first end of a connecting pipe, the second end of the connecting pipe provided with a spray head 8, the spray head 8 fixedly arranged on a spray head clamping device 6, and the spray head 8 and the output end of the pesticide box 7 provided with an electromagnetic valve 4, the control end of the electromagnetic valve 4 electrically connected with the master control module 2, and the input end and the output end of the electromagnetic valve 4 both in communication with the connecting pipe. One end of the spray head clamping device 6 is connected with the rotating output end of the stepping motor 5 through a shaft coupling 11, the shaft coupling 11 is also connected with the rotating shaft of the encoder 9, and the other end of the spray head clamping device 6 is provided with a spray head fixing piece 12.

[0043] The stepping motor drives the spray head clamping device to rotate after receiving the motor driving instruction of the master control module, and then drives the spray head to rotate within a certain angle range through the buckle, and the electromagnetic valve controls the change of the spraying amount according to the variable spraying instruction of the master control module.

[0044] Corresponding to the variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying system of the unmanned aerial vehicle provided in the above embodiment, the application further provides an embodiment of a variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying method of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The variable-angle tree crown profiling variable spraying method of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the embodiment of the application comprises the following steps.

[0045] In S101, the approximate tree shape angle of the tree crown is calculated after the tree crown image information acquired by the image acquisition module is subjected to tree shape contour extraction.

[0046] Since the tree crown appearances of different fruit trees are different, the tree crown image information acquired by the image acquisition module is subjected to overall tree shape contour extraction, the green part of the tree crown is acquired through photo segmentation, the center line is drawn at the middle position of the tree crown for the tree crown image with regular tree shape, the tangent line is drawn at the maximum green part in the horizontal direction, and the angle of the maximum green part in the horizontal direction and the center is calculated. For the tree crown image with irregular tree shape, the center line is drawn at the middle position of the tree crown and then shifted to the highest point of the green part in the vertical direction, the tangent line is drawn at the maximum green part in the horizontal direction, and the angle of the maximum green part in the horizontal direction and the center is calculated.

[0047] S102, according to the encoder recorded in the drive module initial center angle of stepper motor combined with the current fuselage flight speed and the distance between the fuselage and the crown to calculate the remaining time and the number of steps to reach the target crown.

[0048] After the pan-tilt camera shoots the image of the fruit tree, according to the fuselage speed V and the distance D from the target crown position read by the main control module, the time T to reach the target crown is calculated, and then the processing image time T of the main control module after receiving the crown image is obtained process , the remaining time to reach the target crown is used to control the electromagnetic valve to spray medicine.

[0049] Wherein, T=D / V, the remaining time to reach the target crown is the difference between the time T to reach the target crown and the processing image time T of the main control module process , that is, T remaining＝ T-T process , the calculation formula of the number of steps is: N steps =Δθ×step angle / 1.8, wherein, N steps represents the number of steps, Δθ is the angle difference, Δθ=θ target -θ current , wherein, θ current degree is the initial center angle of the current position, θ target is the center angle of the target position.

[0050] S103, according to the remaining time to reach the target crown to control the electromagnetic valve to spray medicine.

[0051] In the difference time, the electromagnetic valve is controlled to reduce the amount of spraying, or the electromagnetic valve is controlled to maintain normal spraying amount after the difference time is exceeded.

[0052] In the embodiments of the application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. The association relationship between the associated objects is described as "and / or", which means that there may be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and / or B, which means that A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. Wherein A, B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents that the associated objects before and after are "or" relationship.

[0053] It is to be noted that, in the present text, relational terms such as "first" and "second", and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual relationship or order between such entities or actions. Moreover, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, exclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0054] The above description is only specific embodiments of the present application, any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which shall be covered by the protection scope of the present application. The protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A variable angle drone crown conformal variable spray method, characterized in that, The application relates to a dynamic spraying device for unmanned aerial vehicles. The crown image information acquired by the image acquisition module is extracted to calculate the approximate tree crown angle of the crown; The initial centering angle of the stepping motor recorded by the encoder in the driving module is combined with the current aerial vehicle body flight speed and the distance between the aerial vehicle body and the crown to calculate the remaining time and the stepping number to reach the target crown; The remaining time to reach the target crown is used to control the electromagnetic valve to spray, which comprises the following steps: The aerial vehicle body speed read by the main control module and the position away from the target crown are used to calculate the time to reach the target crown; The processing image time of the crown image received by the main control module is acquired; The time to reach the target crown and the main control module processing image time are used to control the electromagnetic valve to spray, which comprises the following steps: In the difference time, the electromagnetic valve is controlled to reduce the spraying amount; Or, after the difference time is exceeded, the electromagnetic valve is controlled to maintain the normal spraying amount; The main control module is arranged in the unmanned aerial vehicle and is electrically connected with the image acquisition module, the first execution unit and the second execution unit, the execution unit analyzes the crown image collected by the image acquisition module according to the main control module, and different crowns are dynamically sprayed according to the crown characteristics; The execution unit comprises a driving module and a spraying module, the driving module comprises a motor driving board, the first end of the motor driving board is electrically connected with the main control module, the second end of the motor driving board is electrically connected with a stepping motor, the stepping motor is fixed on the wing disc through a disc fixing ring, and the rotating shaft of the stepping motor is electrically connected with an encoder; the spraying module comprises a spraying head, the spraying head is fixedly arranged on a spraying head clamping device, an electromagnetic valve is arranged between the spraying head and the output end of a medicine box, the electromagnetic valve is electrically connected with the main control module; one end of the spraying head clamping device is connected with the rotating output end of the stepping motor through a coupling, the coupling is also connected with the rotating shaft of the encoder, and the other end of the spraying head clamping device is provided with a spraying head fixing piece.

2. The variable angle canopy profiling variable spray method of claim 1, wherein, The crown image information acquired by the image acquisition module is extracted to calculate the approximate tree crown angle of the crown, which comprises the following steps: The green part of the crown is acquired through photo segmentation; For a regular crown image of a tree, a center line is drawn at the middle position of the crown, a tangent line is drawn at the maximum green part in the transverse direction, and the angle between the maximum green part in the transverse direction and the center is calculated; Or, for a crown image of a deformed tree, the center line is drawn at the middle position of the crown and is then translated to the highest point of the longitudinal green part, a tangent line is drawn at the maximum green part in the transverse direction, and the angle between the maximum green part in the transverse direction and the center is calculated.

3. The variable angle canopy profiling variable spray method of claim 1, wherein, The calculation formula of the stepping number is as follows: ， wherein, represents the number of steps, is the angle difference of rotation, wherein, is the initial centering angle of the current position in degrees, is the angle at the center of the target position.

4. The variable angle canopy profiling variable spray method of claim 1, wherein, The spraying module comprises a medicine box arranged below the unmanned aerial vehicle, a medicine adding pump is arranged in the medicine box, the output end of the medicine adding pump is in communication with the output end of the medicine box, the output end of the medicine box is in communication with the first end of a connecting pipe, and the second end of the connecting pipe is provided with a spraying head.

5. The variable angle canopy profiling variable spray method of claim 4, wherein, The control end of the electromagnetic valve is electrically connected with the main control module, the input end and the output end of the electromagnetic valve are both in communication with the connecting pipe, and the electromagnetic valve is arranged below the unmanned aerial vehicle spraying rod.

Images