Unmanned aerial vehicle following type landing method and system based on airport active compensation

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle flight control, provides an unmanned aerial vehicle following type landing method and system based on airport active compensation, and is suitable for landing on a vehicle-mounted airport. When the speed of a vehicle carrying an airport fluctuates, a landing platform of the airport is controlled to move in the opposite direction, relative rest of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the airport in the horizontal direction is achieved through speed compensation of the airport, and dynamic following type landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle is achieved. The problem that in the take-off and landing process of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle needs to wait for stopping and then take off and land is solved, the unmanned aerial vehicle and an airport are kept in a relatively static state in the horizontal direction in the take-off or landing process, and safe take-off and landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the moving process are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle flight control, and in particular relates to a method and system for unmanned aerial vehicle follow-up landing based on active airport compensation. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] In order to adapt to the rapid economic and social development and eliminate the damage to transmission lines and equipment caused by natural disasters, animal and plant invasions, human destruction and other factors, it is necessary to arrange regular inspections of transmission and distribution lines and equipment to promptly detect power hazards such as line damage, corrosion, insulation damage, and reduce the occurrence rate of power accidents.

[0004] Whether it is a power transmission line or a substation, drone products have a complete automatic inspection strategy, and instructions can be issued according to the instructions on the operation interface. However, due to the limited inspection distance of the drone itself, the emergence of mobile airports can effectively expand the inspection radius of drones and improve the operating efficiency of drones.

[0005] In the prior art, when a drone performs a line inspection mission, after the drone is released, the vehicle carrying the drone moves to the next location to wait for the drone to land at a different location. However, the drone needs to wait for the vehicle to stop before taking off and landing, which has great flexibility limitations in practical applications. At the same time, due to traffic environment restrictions, it is difficult for the drone to select a suitable single location for take-off and landing operations at any time during the take-off and landing process. Summary of the invention

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a UAV following landing method and system based on active airport compensation, which realizes the take-off and landing of the UAV during the movement of the airport. During the dynamic landing process, the airport actively performs relative speed compensation through the rapid response of the airport landing platform, so that the UAV can maintain a relative static state in the horizontal direction with the airport during take-off or landing, thereby realizing safe take-off and landing of the UAV during movement.

[0007] According to some embodiments, a first solution of the present invention provides a method for following a drone landing based on active airport compensation, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A UAV follow-up landing method based on active airport compensation is suitable for landing on a vehicle-mounted airport, comprising:

[0009] Obtain the drone's return request information and flight environment information to determine whether the current flight environment meets the drone's return requirements;

[0010] When the return requirement is met, confirm the return request information of the drone and control the drone to return to flight;

[0011] According to the acquired real-time location information of the drone and the airport, the location of the drone is corrected so that the drone flies over the location of the airport;

[0012] Determine the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport. When the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation are both within the preset range, control the airport to perform active speed compensation. When the speed fluctuation of the vehicle carrying the airport is detected, control the airport's landing platform to move in the opposite direction to achieve relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realize the dynamic following landing of the UAV.

[0013] As a further technical limitation, in the process of controlling the active speed compensation of the airport, when the built-in RTK module detects that the airport speed fluctuates, that is, when the vehicle carrying the airport fluctuates in speed, the compensating power motor set at the airport outputs a speed variable in the opposite direction of the vehicle speed fluctuation to control the horizontal movement of the airport landing platform at the airport, control the relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realize the dynamic following landing of the UAV.

[0014] As a further technical limitation, when the horizontal position deviation is within a preset horizontal position deviation threshold range, the vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport is determined, otherwise the position of the UAV continues to be corrected until the horizontal position deviation between the UAV and the airport is controlled within the preset horizontal position deviation threshold range.

[0015] As a further technical limitation, when the vertical position deviation is within the predicted vertical position deviation threshold range, the airport is controlled to perform active compensation, otherwise the position of the UAV continues to be corrected until the horizontal position deviation between the UAV and the airport is controlled within the preset horizontal position deviation threshold range, and the vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport is controlled within the predicted vertical position deviation threshold range.

[0016] As a further technical limitation, after controlling the drone to land on the landing platform, the landing platform slides on the airport so that the landing platform enters the interior of the airport. The airport door is connected to the airport through an airport swing arm. The airport door, the airport upper shell and the airport lower shell form the airport shell. The landing platform is protected by the airport shell, thereby achieving safety protection for the drone when it is not in operation.

[0017] As a further technical limitation, when the return demand is met, a communication connection is established between the UAV and the airport, and the current speed and current position of the UAV and the airport are respectively obtained in real time through the built-in RTK module. The return flight path of the UAV is planned according to the obtained current positions of the UAV and the airport, and the UAV is controlled to return along the planned path. During the return flight, the UAV and the airport verify and feedback the current position, and the flight status of the UAV is corrected in real time, so that the UAV and the airport remain relatively stationary in the horizontal direction, and the UAV flies above the airport location.

[0018] As a further technical limitation, when the return demand is not met, the return request information and flight environment of the drone are re-acquired, and whether the flight environment meets the return demand of the drone is re-judged until the return demand of the drone is met.

[0019] According to some embodiments, a second solution of the present invention provides a UAV follow-up landing system based on active airport compensation, which adopts the following technical solutions:

[0020] A UAV follow-up landing system based on active airport compensation, suitable for landing on a vehicle-mounted airport, comprising:

[0021] A demand determination module is configured to obtain the return request information and flight environment information of the UAV and determine whether the current flight environment meets the return demand of the UAV;

[0022] A return confirmation module is configured to confirm the return request information of the drone and control the drone to return flight when the return requirement is met;

[0023] A position correction module, which is configured to correct the position of the drone based on the acquired real-time position information of the drone and the airport, so that the drone flies over the airport;

[0024] The active compensation module is configured to determine the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport. When the horizontal position deviation and the vertical position deviation are both within the preset range, the airport is controlled to perform active speed compensation. When the speed fluctuation of the vehicle carrying the airport is detected, the landing platform of the airport is controlled to move in the opposite direction, so as to achieve relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction and realize dynamic follow-up landing of the UAV.

[0025] As a further technical limitation, in the active compensation module, during the process of controlling the active speed compensation of the airport, when the built-in RTK module detects that the airport speed fluctuates, that is, when the vehicle carrying the airport experiences speed fluctuations, the compensating power motor arranged at the airport outputs a speed variable in the opposite direction of the vehicle speed fluctuation to control the horizontal movement of the airport landing platform at the airport, controls the relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realizes the dynamic following landing of the UAV.

[0026] As a further technical limitation, in the position correction module, when the return demand is met, a communication connection is established between the UAV and the airport, and the current speed and current position of the UAV and the airport are respectively obtained in real time through the built-in RTK module. The return flight path of the UAV is planned according to the obtained current positions of the UAV and the airport, and the UAV is controlled to return along the planned path. During the return flight, the UAV and the airport verify and feedback the current position, and the flight status of the UAV is corrected in real time, so that the UAV and the airport remain relatively stationary in the horizontal direction, and the UAV flies above the airport location.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] The present invention creatively proposes a UAV following landing method based on active airport compensation. By capturing the speed fluctuation of the vehicle, the landing platform on the airport set on the vehicle is compensated in the horizontal direction, which solves the flexibility limitation problem of waiting for the vehicle to stop before taking off and landing during the UAV take-off and landing process, and effectively avoids damage to the UAV due to the mismatch between the instantaneous speed of the airport and the UAV, so that the speed of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction are consistent, that is, the UAV and the airport are relatively stationary in the horizontal direction, thereby realizing a UAV following safe landing.

[0029] The present invention creatively proposes a UAV following landing system based on active airport compensation, which performs active speed compensation of the airport through an active compensation module, thereby overcoming the disadvantage that the UAV needs to wait for the vehicle to stop before taking off and landing. The landing platform on the airport is controlled to compensate for the fluctuating speed of the vehicle in the horizontal direction, thereby achieving relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realizing safe following landing of the UAV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The drawings in the specification that constitute a part of this embodiment are used to provide a further understanding of this embodiment. The schematic embodiments of this embodiment and their descriptions are used to explain this embodiment and do not constitute improper limitations on this embodiment.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of a UAV follow-up landing method based on active airport compensation in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drone airport in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is another structural schematic diagram of the drone airport in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Among them, 1. Airport door; 2. Airport swing arm; 3. Landing platform; 4. UAV; 5. Compensated power transmission shaft; 6. UAV fixed charging pole; 7. Airport upper shell; 8. Airport lower shell; 9. Compensated power motor; 10. RTK positioning module; 11. Active rod; 12. Fixed locking motor; 13. Driven rod; 14. Energy storage module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0036] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of the present application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs.

[0037] 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 be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0038] In the present invention, terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "side", "bottom", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are relational words determined only for the convenience of describing the structural relationships of the various parts or elements of the present invention, and do not specifically refer to any part or element in the present invention and should not be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0039] In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features of the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0040] Embodiment 1

[0041] Embodiment 1 of the present invention introduces a UAV follow-up landing method based on active airport compensation.

[0042] This embodiment is suitable for the landing of a drone on a vehicle-mounted airport, realizing the take-off and landing of the drone during the movement of the airport, and through the rapid response of the take-off and landing platform during the dynamic landing process, the drone can remain relatively stationary during take-off or landing through the active speed compensation of the airport, and finally realize the safe take-off and landing of the drone during movement; specifically, through the separate interaction between the RTK positioning module installed in the airport and the drone, the dynamic position of the vehicle is obtained during the precision landing of the drone, and the drone and the airport are kept relatively stationary in the horizontal direction; when the vehicle cannot travel at a completely uniform speed, active speed compensation is performed through the take-off and landing platform on the airport, so that the take-off and landing platform and the drone are relatively stationary in the horizontal direction, thereby ensuring the safety of the drone tracking landing process.

[0043] like Figure 1 The UAV following landing method based on active airport compensation shown includes:

[0044] Obtain the drone's return request information and flight environment information to determine whether the current flight environment meets the drone's return requirements;

[0045] When the return requirement is met, confirm the return request information of the drone and control the drone to return to flight;

[0046] According to the acquired real-time location information of the drone and the airport, the location of the drone is corrected so that the drone flies over the location of the airport;

[0047] Determine the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport. When the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation are both within the preset range, control the airport to actively compensate for the speed. When the speed fluctuation of the vehicle carrying the airport is detected, control the airport landing platform to move in the opposite direction to achieve relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realize the dynamic follow-up landing of the UAV.

[0048] After the drone lands, the landing platform is controlled to be retracted into the airport, and the drone is fixed with a charging rod to lock the drone for protection.

[0049] This embodiment adopts Figure 2 and Figure 3 The drone airport shown includes an airport door 1, an airport arm 2, a landing platform 3, a drone 4, a compensating power transmission shaft 5, a drone fixed charging rod 6, an airport upper shell 7, an airport lower shell 8, a compensating power motor 9, an RTK positioning module 10, an active rod 11, a fixed locking motor 12, a driven rod 13 and an energy storage module 14; wherein, the airport door 1 is opened and closed by the airport arm 2, and at the same time, the airport door 1, the airport upper shell 7 and the airport lower shell 8 constitute the cabin shell to realize the safety protection of the drone in the non-operating state.

[0050] In this embodiment, the airport is fixed on the vehicle so that the airport can move with the vehicle; the drone 4 is deployed in the drone airport, and the automatic charging of the drone 4 in the airport is realized by fixing the charging pole 6 of the drone. When the airport receives a task, the drone 4 can automatically perform the task.

[0051] It should be noted that both the drone and the airport are equipped with RTK modules, which can obtain accurate location and speed information in real time.

[0052] As one or more implementation modes, when the return demand of the drone is met, the drone establishes a communication connection with the airport, and the drone and the airport respectively obtain the current speed and current position in real time through the built-in RTK module, and plan the return flight path of the drone according to the obtained current positions of the drone and the airport. The drone returns according to the planned path. During the return flight, the drone and the airport verify and feedback the current position, and correct the flight state of the drone in real time, so that the drone and the airport remain relatively stationary in the horizontal direction, and determine the horizontal operating speed of the drone and the airport, so that the drone flies over the airport location;

[0053] When the return requirement of the drone is not met, the return request information and flight environment of the drone are obtained again, and whether the flight environment meets the return requirement of the drone is re-judged until the return requirement of the drone is met.

[0054] As one or more implementation modes, when the horizontal position deviation between the UAV and the airport is within a preset horizontal position deviation threshold range (set to 1 m in this embodiment), the vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport is determined, otherwise the position of the UAV is continuously corrected until the horizontal position deviation between the UAV and the airport is within the preset horizontal position deviation threshold range;

[0055] When the vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport is within the predicted vertical position deviation threshold range (set to 5m in this embodiment), the airport performs active compensation, otherwise it continues to correct the position of the UAV until the horizontal position deviation between the UAV and the airport is within the preset horizontal position deviation threshold range and the vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport is within the predicted vertical position deviation threshold range.

[0056] As one or more implementation methods, during the process of active compensation at the airport, the speed of the airport and the UAV in the horizontal direction is V1. At this time, if Figure 3As shown, the landing platform 3 is in position A. The vehicle brakes or increases the throttle, causing the speed to change. The vehicle generates acceleration a1, and the airport changes speed along with the vehicle. When the built-in RTK module detects that the airport speed fluctuates, the compensating power motor 9 set on the airport outputs a directional acceleration a2 (where a1+a2=0), so that the landing platform 3 generates a speed variable in the opposite direction of the vehicle speed fluctuation and moves horizontally on the airport. The active speed compensation of the airport controls the relative stillness of the UAV 4 and the airport in the horizontal direction, realizes the dynamic follow-up landing of the UAV, and ensures the safe landing of the UAV.

[0057] After the drone 4 lands on the landing platform 3, the landing platform 3 is retracted into the airport, and the drone fixing charging rod 6 with a parallelogram mechanism is used to lock the position of the drone 4 to charge the drone 4.

[0058] This embodiment captures the speed fluctuation of the vehicle through the built-in RTK module, and compensates the speed in the horizontal direction of the landing platform on the airport set on the vehicle, thereby solving the flexibility limitation problem of the drone having to wait for the vehicle to stop before taking off and landing during take-off and landing, and overcoming the disadvantage that the drone has to wait for the vehicle to stop before taking off and landing, and effectively avoiding damage to the drone due to the mismatch between the instantaneous speed of the airport and the drone, so that the speed of the drone and the airport in the horizontal direction is consistent, the drone and the airport are relatively still in the horizontal direction, and the drone can be safely landed by following.

[0059] Embodiment 2

[0060] Embodiment 2 of the present invention introduces a UAV follow-up landing system based on active airport compensation.

[0061] A UAV follow-up landing system based on active airport compensation, suitable for landing on a vehicle-mounted airport, comprising:

[0062] A demand determination module is configured to obtain the return request information and flight environment information of the UAV and determine whether the current flight environment meets the return demand of the UAV;

[0063] A return confirmation module is configured to confirm the return request information of the drone and control the drone to return flight when the return requirement is met;

[0064] A position correction module, which is configured to correct the position of the drone based on the acquired real-time position information of the drone and the airport, so that the drone flies over the airport;

[0065] The active compensation module is configured to determine the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport. When the horizontal position deviation and the vertical position deviation are both within the preset range, the airport is controlled to perform active speed compensation. When the speed fluctuation of the vehicle carrying the airport is detected, the landing platform of the airport is controlled to move in the opposite direction, so as to achieve relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction and realize dynamic follow-up landing of the UAV.

[0066] As one or more implementation modes, in the active compensation module, during the process of controlling the active speed compensation of the airport, when the built-in RTK module detects that the airport speed fluctuates, that is, when the vehicle carrying the airport experiences speed fluctuations, the compensating power motor arranged at the airport outputs a speed variable in the opposite direction of the vehicle speed fluctuation to control the horizontal movement of the airport landing platform at the airport, control the relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realize the dynamic following landing of the UAV.

[0067] As one or more implementation modes, in the position correction module, when the return demand is met, a communication connection is established between the UAV and the airport, and the current speed and current position of the UAV and the airport are respectively obtained in real time through the built-in RTK module. The return flight path of the UAV is planned according to the obtained current positions of the UAV and the airport, and the UAV is controlled to return along the planned path. During the return flight, the UAV and the airport provide verification feedback of the current position, and the flight status of the UAV is corrected in real time, so that the UAV and the airport remain relatively stationary in the horizontal direction, and the UAV flies above the airport location.

[0068] The detailed steps are the same as those of the drone following landing method based on active airport compensation provided in Example 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0069] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present embodiment and is not intended to limit the present embodiment. For those skilled in the art, the present embodiment may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present embodiment shall be included in the protection scope of the present embodiment.

Claims

1. A UAV follow-up landing method based on active airport compensation, suitable for landing on a vehicle-mounted airport, characterized in that: include: Obtain the drone's return request information and flight environment information to determine whether the current flight environment meets the drone's return requirements; When the return requirement is met, confirm the return request information of the drone and control the drone to return to flight; According to the acquired real-time location information of the drone and the airport, the location of the drone is corrected so that the drone flies over the location of the airport; Determine the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport. When the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation are both within the preset range, control the airport to perform active speed compensation. When the speed fluctuation of the vehicle carrying the airport is detected, control the airport's landing platform to move in the opposite direction to achieve relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realize the dynamic following landing of the UAV.

2. A method for following a drone to land based on active airport compensation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: In the process of controlling the active speed compensation of the airport, when the built-in RTK module detects that the airport speed fluctuates, that is, when the vehicle carrying the airport fluctuates in speed, the compensating power motor set at the airport outputs a speed variable in the opposite direction of the vehicle speed fluctuation to control the horizontal movement of the airport landing platform at the airport, control the relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realize the dynamic following landing of the UAV.

3. A method for following a drone landing based on active airport compensation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: When the horizontal position deviation is within the preset horizontal position deviation threshold range, the vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport is determined, otherwise the position of the UAV continues to be corrected until the horizontal position deviation between the UAV and the airport is controlled within the preset horizontal position deviation threshold range.

4. A method for following a drone landing based on active airport compensation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: When the vertical position deviation is within the predicted vertical position deviation threshold range, the airport is controlled to perform active compensation, otherwise the position of the UAV continues to be corrected until the horizontal position deviation between the UAV and the airport is controlled within the preset horizontal position deviation threshold range, and the vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport is controlled within the predicted vertical position deviation threshold range.

5. A method for following a drone landing based on active airport compensation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: After controlling the drone to land on the landing platform, the landing platform slides on the airport, allowing the landing platform to enter the interior of the airport. The airport door is connected to the airport through the airport swing arm. The airport door, the airport upper shell and the airport lower shell form the airport shell. The landing platform is protected by the airport shell, realizing the safety protection of the drone in the non-operating state.

6. A method for following a drone landing based on active airport compensation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: When the return demand is met, a communication connection is established between the UAV and the airport. The current speed and current position of the UAV and the airport are respectively acquired in real time through the built-in RTK module. The return flight path of the UAV is planned according to the acquired current positions of the UAV and the airport, and the UAV is controlled to return along the planned path. During the return flight, the UAV and the airport verify and feedback the current position, and correct the flight status of the UAV in real time, so that the UAV and the airport remain relatively stationary in the horizontal direction, and the UAV flies over the airport.

7. A method for following a drone landing based on active airport compensation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: When the return requirement is not met, the return request information and flight environment of the drone are acquired again, and whether the flight environment meets the return requirement of the drone is re-judged until the return requirement of the drone is met.

8. A UAV follow-up landing system based on active airport compensation, suitable for landing on a vehicle-mounted airport, characterized in that: include: A demand determination module is configured to obtain the return request information and flight environment information of the UAV and determine whether the current flight environment meets the return demand of the UAV; A return confirmation module is configured to confirm the return request information of the drone and control the drone to return flight when the return requirement is met; A position correction module, which is configured to correct the position of the drone based on the acquired real-time position information of the drone and the airport, so that the drone flies over the airport; The active compensation module is configured to determine the horizontal position deviation and vertical position deviation between the UAV and the airport. When the horizontal position deviation and the vertical position deviation are both within the preset range, the airport is controlled to perform active speed compensation. When the speed fluctuation of the vehicle carrying the airport is detected, the landing platform of the airport is controlled to move in the opposite direction, so as to achieve relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction and realize dynamic follow-up landing of the UAV.

9. The UAV follow-up landing system based on active airport compensation as described in claim 8, characterized in that: In the active compensation module, during the process of controlling the active speed compensation of the airport, when the built-in RTK module detects that the airport speed fluctuates, that is, when the vehicle carrying the airport experiences speed fluctuations, the compensating power motor set at the airport outputs a speed variable in the opposite direction of the vehicle speed fluctuation to control the horizontal movement of the airport landing platform at the airport, control the relative stillness of the UAV and the airport in the horizontal direction, and realize the dynamic following landing of the UAV.

10. The UAV follow-up landing system based on active airport compensation as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: In the position correction module, when the return demand is met, a communication connection is established between the UAV and the airport, and the current speed and current position of the UAV and the airport are respectively obtained in real time through the built-in RTK module. The return flight path of the UAV is planned according to the obtained current positions of the UAV and the airport, and the UAV is controlled to return according to the planned path. During the return flight, the UAV and the airport verify and feedback the current position, and the flight status of the UAV is corrected in real time, so that the UAV and the airport remain relatively stationary in the horizontal direction, and the UAV flies over the airport location.

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