Anti-falling control method, terminal, medium and equipment
By detecting the existence of the operation support surface in real time on the underwater cleaning equipment, and using a variety of sensors and water spray devices, the problem of equipment falling on cliff platforms and other terrain is solved, rapid response and safe return are achieved, and the stability of the equipment is improved and security.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411113380.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-14
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-17
AI Technical Summary
Underwater cleaning equipment is prone to fall due to cliff platforms and other terrains in complex underwater environments. The response speed and accuracy of traditional methods are insufficient, which poses safety risks.
A variety of sensors (ultrasonic, infrared, camera) are used to detect whether there is a working support surface under the equipment in real time. If it does not exist, anti-fall operations are performed, including braking, reverse travel and water spray device braking to ensure the safe return of the equipment.
Through real-time environmental perception and multi-point detection, the equipment can avoid falls in a timely manner, improving stability and safety in complex underwater environments and reducing safety risks.
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Figure CN119148750A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic cruising, and in particular to an anti-fall control method, terminal, medium and equipment. Background Art
[0002] With the development of modern science and technology, underwater cleaning equipment is increasingly used in underwater environments, such as pool cleaning, ship hull cleaning, and maintenance of marine engineering facilities. These devices have made significant progress in automation and intelligence, and can autonomously perform various cleaning tasks underwater. However, in complex underwater environments, underwater cleaning equipment faces some special challenges, one of which is to prevent the equipment from accidentally falling during the execution of tasks.
[0003] When working, underwater cleaning equipment often needs to move on different underwater structure surfaces. These surfaces may include flat pool bottoms, curved hulls, and even complex terrain such as cliff edges. In some cases, the equipment may encounter a sudden interruption of the support surface, such as the edge of a swimming pool or a cliff platform of an offshore engineering structure. When the equipment moves to these edge areas, if it is not detected and responded to in time, it may cause the equipment to fall, causing damage to the equipment, and even posing a threat to the surrounding environment and personal safety.
[0004] Traditional underwater cleaning equipment mostly relies on preset paths or simple obstacle detection technology, but these methods often cannot provide sufficient response speed and accuracy when facing cliff edges or similar complex situations. This limitation makes the equipment have great safety risks in actual operation. Summary of the invention
[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an anti-fall control method, a terminal, a medium and an underwater cleaning device to solve the problem that robots are prone to falling when encountering cliff platforms.
[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:
[0007] A fall prevention control method is applied to underwater cleaning equipment, the method comprising:
[0008] Detect whether there is an operation support surface under at least a portion of the underwater cleaning equipment, and when there is no operation support surface, control the underwater cleaning equipment to perform an anti-fall operation.
[0009] In order to solve the above technical problems, other technical solutions adopted by the present invention are:
[0010] An anti-fall control terminal comprises a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, steps in an anti-fall control method are completed.
[0011] A computer-readable medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program implements the steps of a fall prevention control method when executed by a processor.
[0012] An underwater cleaning device executes the steps in a fall prevention control method.
[0013] The beneficial effects of the present invention at least include: providing an anti-fall control method, terminal, medium and equipment, during the operation of underwater cleaning equipment, detecting whether there is an operating support surface under at least part of the equipment, and when there is no operating support surface, controlling the underwater cleaning equipment to perform an anti-fall operation, that is, judging whether a certain part of the equipment is in a suspended state during operation, and this part can be the front end, side end, tail end and middle part of the equipment in the direction of travel, when part of the equipment is in a suspended state, immediately performing an anti-fall operation to avoid falling from the cliff platform, and quickly controlling the underwater cleaning equipment to return to a safe path in an instant response manner to prevent safety risks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Figure 1 is a flow chart of an anti-fall control method in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an anti-fall control terminal in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] Description of labels:
[0017] 1. Anti-fall control terminal; 2. Memory; 3. Processor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] In order to explain the technical content, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in detail, the following is an explanation in combination with the implementation modes and the accompanying drawings.
[0019] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should also be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.
[0020] Please refer to Figure 1 , a fall prevention control method, applied to underwater cleaning equipment, the method comprising:
[0021] Detect whether there is an operation support surface under at least a portion of the underwater cleaning equipment, and when there is no operation support surface, control the underwater cleaning equipment to perform an anti-fall operation.
[0022] It is understandable that the working support surface refers to the surface that the underwater cleaning equipment can attach to, contact or rely on when performing cleaning tasks. These surfaces are usually fixed structures underwater, such as the bottom and side walls of the pool, obstacles that the equipment can cross, and the inner walls of other underwater structures. The working support surface provides a stable working environment for the equipment to prevent the equipment from losing control or falling during the cleaning process. Among them, the determination of whether there is a working support surface can be carried out by using sensors or visual perception to detect whether there is a solid surface below, and judging whether it is a support surface by detecting distance, appropriate algorithm calculation or reflected signal strength. Specifically, in the process of determining whether there is a working support surface, for the situation where the above conditions are met, but the distance between the equipment and the working support surface exceeds the danger threshold according to the above detection method, it is also determined that there is no working support surface.
[0023] Among them, the anti-fall operation is to prevent the equipment from falling or losing control when the working support surface cannot be detected, and at least includes the following processing methods: hovering, reverse travel and / or automatic return.
[0024] In an embodiment of the present invention, the underwater cleaning device includes at least one detection sensor, and the sensor is used to detect whether there is an operating support surface under at least part of the underwater cleaning device. By setting the detection sensor, accurate environmental information can be provided in real time, so that the device can automatically adjust its operating strategy to avoid unexpected situations. Specifically, the sensor includes an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor or a camera.
[0025] Among them, the ultrasonic sensor measures the distance by emitting ultrasonic waves and receiving sound waves reflected from the objects below. When the ultrasonic wave encounters an object, it will be reflected back. The sensor calculates the time difference from the emission to the reception of the ultrasonic wave, and thus calculates the distance between the emission source and the reflection surface. Because it is insensitive to environmental factors such as light and color, it can work stably in various underwater environments and has strong underwater adaptability.
[0026] The infrared sensor detects objects by emitting infrared beams and receiving reflected light. Based on the intensity of the reflected light and the echo time, it can be determined whether there is an object under the device. If the reflected light signal meets the preset standard, it is determined that there is an operating support surface, otherwise it is considered that there is no support surface. Due to its fast response speed, small size and low energy consumption, it is particularly suitable for small underwater cleaning equipment, and will not increase the overall size of the equipment or consume significant power.
[0027] The camera captures images or video data from under the device and analyzes these images through image processing algorithms to determine whether there is a working support surface underneath. Image processing methods may include edge detection, object recognition, distance estimation and other technologies to determine whether there is a support surface. Since the camera can not only detect the support surface, but also monitor the environment around the device, it can provide more information and adapt to complex environments.
[0028] Based on the special underwater working environment, the setting of one or more of the above sensors helps the underwater cleaning equipment to perceive the environment below it in real time to ensure that the equipment can operate stably in the presence of an operating support surface, and take anti-fall measures in time in the absence of a support surface.
[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of the sensors is greater than or equal to two, and the sensors are respectively arranged at the edge positions of the bottom surface of the underwater cleaning equipment. This design enables the sensor to cover a wider area under the equipment, especially the position near the edge of the equipment, and to determine whether there is an operating support surface under the entire equipment through multi-point detection. The sensor installed on the bottom edge of the equipment can promptly sense that the equipment is about to enter the next support surface, thereby triggering the anti-fall operation in advance, improving the environmental perception accuracy of the equipment, and avoiding the equipment from falling due to untimely perception of the lack of the operating support surface. At the same time, multiple sensors are set to reduce misjudgments caused by the blind spots of a single sensor, while enhancing the stability and safety of the equipment in complex underwater environments, ensuring that the equipment can operate safely and efficiently under various operating conditions.
[0030] In an embodiment of the present invention, the distance sensors are symmetrically arranged on the bottom surface of the underwater cleaning equipment. The distance sensors are symmetrically arranged on the bottom of the underwater cleaning equipment. This symmetrical layout ensures that the equipment can fully and evenly detect the environment below it. Especially for underwater cleaning equipment that normally travels in a straight line, the sensors are symmetrically arranged on the symmetrical edges of the bottom surface, which can accurately sense whether there is an operating support surface in front, reduce the blind area of the sensor, improve the detection reliability of the equipment in a complex underwater environment, and ensure that the equipment can take timely measures in the event of loss of the support surface to avoid accidental falls.
[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, the anti-fall operation specifically includes the steps of: controlling the underwater cleaning equipment to brake. When it is detected that there is a lack of a support surface under the equipment, the equipment will immediately stop moving forward or perform other operations. Specifically, controlling the underwater cleaning equipment to brake includes controlling the driving device of the cleaning equipment to brake or controlling the water spraying device of the cleaning equipment to brake.
[0032] The braking of the drive device can immediately stop the movement of the equipment. The drive device usually includes components such as electric motors, propellers or tracks for moving the equipment. The specific implementation methods of the braking operation of the drive device include but are not limited to: motor reversal or deceleration braking. When it is detected that the equipment is about to lose its support surface, the control system will issue a command to let the drive device decelerate or reverse immediately. By reducing the speed of the drive motor or reversing it, the equipment can quickly stop moving forward or change direction to avoid continuing to move to an area without a support surface; brake locking, using the mechanical braking system equipped with the equipment, the drive components can be locked when necessary to completely stop the movement of the equipment. This method can stop the equipment in a very short time, thereby preventing a fall.
[0033] The water spray device generates a reaction force by spraying water, causing the device to stop quickly or change direction. The water spray device usually includes multiple nozzles, which generate a reaction force by spraying high-pressure water to help the device achieve position control and braking. The specific implementation methods include but are not limited to: directional water spraying. When the device detects a potential risk of falling, the control system will activate the water spray devices located in different directions of the device. By precisely controlling the spray direction and strength of the nozzles, sufficient reaction force can be generated to offset the moving inertia of the device, so that the device can stop quickly or change direction; or pulse water spraying. In some cases, the device may need to gradually slow down through multiple short water spray pulses. This can avoid instability of the device due to sudden full-force braking, while ensuring that the device stops smoothly in a safe position.
[0034] In combination with the characteristics of underwater cleaning equipment, single or combined braking is performed by the driving device braking and the water spray device of the equipment itself to quickly respond to dangerous situations in which the equipment is in, avoid the equipment from continuing to move and causing it to fall, and enhance the safety and stability of the equipment.
[0035] In an embodiment of the present invention, the control of the water spray device of the cleaning equipment to brake includes triggering the water spray device to turn on based on the posture or acceleration information of the cleaning equipment. When the equipment detects an abnormal posture change or a sudden acceleration change, the water spray device will automatically start to quickly stabilize the position of the equipment. The advantage of this method is that the equipment status can be monitored in real time, and rapid response can be made in dangerous situations to prevent the equipment from losing control or falling.
[0036] It is understood that attitude refers to the posture or azimuth angle of the device in three-dimensional space, which is usually described by the tilt angle, pitch angle and yaw angle of the device. The attitude information reflects the degree of inclination of the device relative to the reference plane or reference direction. Specifically, the attitude information of the device can be obtained by a gyroscope, an accelerometer or an attitude control sensor. Since in an underwater environment, if the device tilts or flips, it may mean that the device is close to the edge of the unsupported surface or loses stability due to external forces. By monitoring the attitude information, the device can detect attitude abnormalities in time and take corresponding water spray braking to prevent the device from losing control or falling. Acceleration refers to the rate of change of speed of the device when it moves in space, reflecting whether the device is accelerating, decelerating or being acted upon by external forces. Acceleration information can help the device perceive instantaneous motion changes. Specifically, an acceleration sensor can be used to measure the acceleration of the device in all directions in real time. By analyzing the acceleration data, the device can determine whether an unexpected movement or collision has occurred. When the underwater cleaning equipment is working, it may cause sudden acceleration changes due to collision, gravity or other external forces. For example, sudden acceleration of the device may mean that it is losing its support surface or is about to fall. At this time, the system can trigger the water spray device based on the acceleration information, spraying water to generate a reaction force, offset the abnormal acceleration, and stabilize the position of the equipment.
[0037] In an embodiment of the present invention, the underwater cleaning equipment is controlled to brake and change the direction of travel, and it is detected whether the underwater cleaning equipment has left the cliff platform. If the running time after the change of the direction of travel is greater than the preset time and the detection sensor does not recognize the working support surface, the water spray device of the cleaning equipment is controlled to perform braking. In addition to sensing the instantaneous state of the underwater cleaning equipment and taking measures, the state trend of the equipment is also judged based on the time step. Specifically, the running time after the equipment changes the driving direction is judged. If the running time exceeds the preset time, it means that the equipment cannot leave the cliff platform by braking and changing the driving direction and return to the working support surface. At this time, the driving device needs to brake in an additional way as a safety measure, such as using a water spray device to perform braking, and using the reverse thrust generated by the water spray device of the equipment to assist the equipment to return to the original working support surface, assist the equipment to return to the right track, and increase the self-adjustment ability of the equipment in complex terrain.
[0038] It can be understood that the above-mentioned control device changes the direction of travel, which can be to return along the original path, that is, to travel in the reverse direction, or to control the device to leave the cliff platform in any direction or a preset emergency retreat path, including a combination of multiple directions, such as turning left or right.
[0039] In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of recording the position information that triggers the anti-fall operation, and controlling the underwater cleaning device to decelerate when approaching the position information again. The method further comprises recording the position information that triggers the anti-fall operation. When the device approaches these positions again, it will automatically decelerate. The advantage of this function is that the device can optimize its own behavior by learning historical data to prevent similar dangerous situations from happening again, thereby improving the intelligence and operation safety of the device. Specifically, the position information of the current anti-fall operation can be recorded by the positioning system of the device, and when the subsequent device performs the cleaning task, the positioning system will continue to monitor and update the current position of the device. When the device approaches a previously recorded dangerous position, the control system will use a position comparison algorithm to compare the current position with the stored dangerous position information. The comparison can be based on a preset distance threshold or area range. For example, when the device enters the vicinity of a dangerous position (such as within a few meters), the system will recognize this situation and automatically control the device to decelerate.
[0040] The present invention provides a fall prevention control method, terminal, medium and device, which are mainly used to prevent underwater cleaning equipment from falling on a cliff platform during operation. The following is a specific description in conjunction with an embodiment:
[0041] Please refer to Figure 1 , Embodiment 1 of the present invention is:
[0042] A fall prevention control method is applied to underwater cleaning equipment, the method comprising: detecting whether there is an operating support surface under at least part of the underwater cleaning equipment, and when there is no operating support surface, controlling the underwater cleaning equipment to perform a fall prevention operation. The operating support surface is a fixed structure underwater, such as the bottom and side walls of a pool, obstacles that the equipment can cross, and the inner walls of other underwater structures.
[0043] The following method is used to sense the working support surface: two symmetrical sensors are set at the edge of the bottom surface of the underwater cleaning equipment. The sensor types are ultrasonic sensors and infrared sensors. The ultrasonic sensors have strong anti-interference ability in underwater environments and the infrared sensors have high detection accuracy. The two work together to sense the environment below the equipment in real time to ensure that the equipment can operate stably in the presence of the working support surface, and take anti-fall measures in time in the absence of the support surface. Specifically, in order to prevent the sensor from misjudging, the sliding window mode is used for verification, that is, the data of a preset number of frames is stored. If multiple frames of data meet the trigger conditions, it is considered that there is no working support surface, and the anti-fall operation is performed.
[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 , Embodiment 2 of the present invention is:
[0045] On the basis of the first embodiment, the anti-fall operation specifically includes the steps of: controlling the braking of the underwater cleaning equipment includes controlling the driving device of the cleaning equipment to perform braking and controlling the water spraying device of the cleaning equipment to perform braking. Among them, the way in which the driving device performs braking is based on the specific configuration of the equipment, such as controlling the electric motor, propeller or track of the movement of the equipment to stop running or reverse running, so that the equipment can quickly stop moving forward or change direction to avoid continuing to move forward to an area without a support surface; if necessary, the driving device is locked by a locking component to prevent the inertia of the equipment from continuing to move in the original direction. The water spraying device performs braking based on the nozzle setting of the equipment itself, and can provide a reaction force in the form of directional water spraying or pulse water spraying to prevent the equipment from falling and assist the equipment to return to the working support surface.
[0046] Specifically, controlling the water spray device of the cleaning equipment to brake includes triggering the water spray device to start based on the posture or acceleration information of the cleaning equipment. When the equipment detects an abnormal posture change or a sudden acceleration change, the water spray device will automatically start, quickly stabilize the position of the equipment, and respond quickly in dangerous situations to prevent the equipment from losing control or falling.
[0047] Please refer to Figure 1 , Embodiment 3 of the present invention is:
[0048] On the basis of the second embodiment, during the process of starting the anti-fall operation, the underwater cleaning equipment is controlled to brake and move in the reverse direction, and it is detected whether the underwater cleaning equipment has left the cliff platform. If the running time of the reverse movement is greater than the preset time and the underwater cleaning equipment has not left the cliff platform, the water spraying process is started; that is, the state trend of the equipment is judged based on the time step, and the running time of the equipment in the reverse direction is judged. If the running time exceeds the preset time, it means that the equipment cannot leave the cliff platform by braking and driving in the reverse direction and return to the working support surface. At this time, it is necessary to start the reverse propulsion process as an insurance measure to assist the equipment to return to the right track and increase the self-adjustment ability of the equipment in complex terrain.
[0049] At the same time, the location information that triggered the anti-fall operation is recorded, and when it approaches the location information again, the underwater cleaning equipment is controlled to slow down. The location information of the current anti-fall operation is recorded by the equipment's positioning system, and when the equipment performs cleaning tasks later, the positioning system will continue to monitor and update the current position of the equipment. When the equipment approaches a previously recorded dangerous position, the control system will use a position comparison algorithm to compare the current position with the stored dangerous position information. The comparison can be based on a preset distance threshold or area range. When the equipment enters the vicinity of a dangerous position (for example, within a few meters), the system will recognize this situation and automatically control the equipment to slow down.
[0050] Please refer to Figure 1 , Embodiment 4 of the present invention is:
[0051] A fall prevention control terminal 1 includes a memory 2, a processor 3, and a computer program stored in the memory 2 and executable on the processor 3. When the processor 3 executes the computer program, the steps of any one of the fall prevention control methods in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 3 are completed.
[0052] A computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is executed by a processor to complete the steps of any one of the anti-fall control methods in the first to third embodiments above.
[0053] An underwater cleaning device is disclosed, and the underwater cleaning device completes the steps of any one of the anti-fall control methods in the above embodiments one to three.
[0054] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A fall prevention control method, applied to underwater cleaning equipment, characterized in that: The method comprises: It is detected whether there is an operation support surface under at least a portion of the underwater cleaning equipment, and when there is no operation support surface, the underwater cleaning equipment is controlled to perform an anti-fall operation.
2. The anti-fall control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The underwater cleaning device comprises at least one detection sensor, and the sensor is used to detect whether there is an operation support surface under at least a part of the underwater cleaning device.
3. A fall prevention control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The detection sensor includes an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor or a camera.
4. The anti-fall control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the sensors is greater than or equal to two, and the sensors are respectively arranged at edge positions of the bottom surface of the underwater cleaning device.
5. The anti-fall control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The detection sensors are symmetrically arranged on the bottom surface of the underwater cleaning equipment.
6. A fall prevention control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The anti-fall operation specifically includes the following steps: Control the braking of underwater cleaning equipment.
7. The anti-fall control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The controlling the underwater cleaning equipment to brake comprises controlling a driving device of the cleaning equipment to brake or controlling a water spraying device of the cleaning equipment to brake.
8. The anti-fall control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The controlling the water spray device of the cleaning equipment to brake includes triggering the water spray device to turn on based on the posture or acceleration information of the cleaning equipment.
9. A fall prevention control method according to claims 1-6, characterized in that: The anti-fall operation specifically includes the following steps: The underwater cleaning equipment is controlled to brake and change the direction of travel, and whether the underwater cleaning equipment has left the cliff platform is detected. If the running time after the change of the direction of travel is greater than a preset time and the detection sensor does not identify the working support surface, the water spray device of the cleaning equipment is controlled to perform braking.
10. The anti-fall control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises the steps of: The position information that triggers the anti-fall operation is recorded, and when the underwater cleaning device approaches the position information again, the underwater cleaning device is controlled to slow down.
11. An anti-fall control terminal, characterized in that: The method comprises a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor completes the steps of a fall prevention control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 when executing the computer program.
12. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the anti-fall control method described in any one of claims 1-10 are implemented.
13. An underwater cleaning device, characterized in that: The underwater cleaning equipment executes the steps in the anti-fall control method described in any one of claims 1-10.
Citation Information
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