Control method and underwater cleaning robot applying same

Abstract

According to the control method and the underwater cleaning robot applying the control method, the control method is used for controlling the underwater cleaning robot, the speeds of the driving mechanisms on the two sides of the rolling brush can be automatically adjusted by intelligently recognizing the environment so as to adapt to planar or non-planar scenes, and meanwhile the rotating speed of the water pumping assembly is flexibly adjusted according to scene changes; and the cleaning efficiency is optimized. According to the scheme provided by the invention, the underwater cleaning robot can flexibly steer and move underwater, so that the movement track and speed of the robot are accurately controlled, the cleaning efficiency and flexibility are improved, the surface in the underwater environment can be effectively cleaned, and the underwater cleaning robot can adapt to cleaning work in various complex underwater environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of robots, and in particular relates to a control method and an underwater cleaning robot using the control method. Background Art

[0002] Surface cleaning in an underwater environment is a technically challenging task. Traditional underwater cleaning methods mainly rely on manual cleaning using hand tools. Due to the limited safety, work efficiency and adaptability of operators to complex environments, this method has obvious limitations.

[0003] Underwater robots are mechanical equipment designed specifically for underwater environments. They can be used to perform various cleaning tasks and maintenance work. They are usually used to clean underwater structures, pipelines, ship hulls, marine facilities, etc. to ensure the cleanliness and operation efficiency of underwater facilities. They play an important role in swimming pool cleaning, marine engineering, ship maintenance, underwater pipeline repair and other fields. They not only improve work efficiency, but also reduce the impact of manual operations on the underwater environment.

[0004] However, existing underwater robots have the disadvantages of insufficient maneuverability and operational flexibility in underwater environments and difficulty in achieving precise motion control. In addition, the robots' operational and adaptability are often poor. When cleaning the surfaces of complex underwater structures, their efficiency and accuracy are greatly limited, and efficient and precise cleaning effects cannot be achieved, so their applicability is quite limited. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention proposes a control method, which is characterized in that it is used to control an underwater cleaning robot including a control mechanism, a driving mechanism and a cleaning mechanism; the driving mechanism includes: a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism; the cleaning mechanism includes a roller brush and a filtering device, the first driving mechanism drivingly connects one side of the roller brush; the second driving mechanism drivingly connects the other side of the roller brush; the filtering device includes a water inlet, a filtering component, a water pumping component and a water pumping port which are sequentially arranged from the bottom to the top of the underwater cleaning robot; the control mechanism is electrically connected to the first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the water pumping component respectively; the method includes:

[0006] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a plane scene, the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are controlled to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset first speed, and the pumping component is controlled to rotate at a preset second speed;

[0007] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a non-planar scene, the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are controlled to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset third speed, and the pumping component is controlled to rotate at a preset fourth speed.

[0008] Preferably, the filter assembly comprises a filter layer and a water quality sensor connected to the control mechanism, and the method further comprises:

[0009] The control mechanism is configured to adjust the power of the pumping component in response to the water quality detection signal or the external control signal fed back by the water quality sensor; wherein the worse the water quality corresponding to the water quality detection signal is, the higher the power of the pumping component is;

[0010] Recording the pumping operation data of the pumping component to determine the performance degradation of the filter layer based on the pumping operation data and a preset relationship; wherein the preset relationship is obtained based on summarizing and associating historical pumping operations and the performance degradation of the filter layer;

[0011] If the performance degradation degree of the filter layer reaches a preset threshold, a prompt is given that the filter layer needs to be replaced.

[0012] Furthermore, the driving mechanism further comprises an air bag arranged at the front end of the underwater cleaning robot, the filtering device is arranged at the rear side of the roller brush, the water inlet is arranged at the bottom side of the underwater cleaning robot and communicates with the rear end area of ​​the roller brush, the water suction port is arranged at the top side of the underwater cleaning robot, and the method further comprises:

[0013] If it is determined by the control mechanism that the current scene will be changed from a non-planar scene to a planar scene, the airbag is vented to fill the airbag with water, thereby increasing the front end weight of the underwater cleaning robot;

[0014] If it is determined through the control mechanism that the current scene is about to change from a planar scene to a non-planar scene, the airbag is inflated to release the water in the airbag, thereby reducing the front end weight of the underwater cleaning robot, so that the underwater cleaning robot can move in the non-planar scene based on the driving force generated by the driving mechanism, the suction force generated by the pumping assembly through the water inlet, and the reaction force generated by pumping water through the pumping port.

[0015] Furthermore, the front end of the underwater cleaning robot is also provided with a pressure sensor connected to the control mechanism, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the force condition of the front end of the underwater cleaning robot. The method also includes:

[0016] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a plane scene, when the pressure sensor senses a force not less than a preset pressure value, it is determined that the current scene will be changed from a non-plane scene to a plane scene;

[0017] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a non-planar scene, when the pressure sensor senses a force not less than a preset pressure value, it is determined that the current scene will be changed from a planar scene to a non-planar scene;

[0018] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is about to change from a planar scene to a non-planar scene, the pumping component stops pumping water, and the angle between the underwater cleaning robot and the horizontal plane is determined by the force sensed by the pressure sensor, so that when the angle between the underwater cleaning robot and the horizontal plane is not less than a preset angle, the pumping component restarts pumping water.

[0019] Specifically, the underwater cleaning robot further includes an ultrasonic distance sensor connected to the control mechanism, and the method further includes:

[0020] The ultrasonic distance sensor transmits ultrasonic waves and receives reflected ultrasonic waves, so as to determine the distance between the underwater cleaning robot and surrounding objects based on the reflected ultrasonic waves;

[0021] A three-dimensional map is generated based on the distance between the underwater cleaning robot and surrounding objects, and the three-dimensional map is divided into a plurality of areas to be cleaned, so as to generate an optimal cleaning path based on each of the areas to be cleaned and send the optimal cleaning path to the control mechanism; the optimal cleaning path is composed of a plurality of lines, and the difference between the slope of any line constituting the optimal cleaning path and the slope of at least one edge of the area to be cleaned is not greater than a preset difference;

[0022] The control mechanism drives the underwater cleaning robot to move based on the optimal cleaning path, and locates the position of the underwater cleaning robot through the ultrasonic distance sensor and sends it to the control mechanism, so that when the position of the underwater cleaning robot shifts, the control mechanism corrects the moving path of the underwater cleaning robot.

[0023] Preferably, the method further comprises:

[0024] Obtaining the remaining power of the underwater cleaning robot;

[0025] If the remaining power is lower than a preset power value, based on the position of the underwater cleaning robot and the optimal cleaning path, determining whether the remaining power is sufficient for the underwater cleaning robot to complete the cleaning task;

[0026] If the judgment result is no, the control mechanism drives the underwater cleaning robot to move to the nearest charging device for charging.

[0027] Specifically, the first driving mechanism includes a first transmission shaft arranged at the front end of the first side of the underwater cleaning robot, a first driving shaft at the rear end of the first side, and a first driving motor connected to the first driving shaft; the second driving mechanism includes a second transmission shaft arranged at the front end of the second side of the underwater cleaning robot, a second driving shaft at the rear end of the second side, and a second driving motor connected to the second driving shaft; the first driving shaft is connected to the first transmission shaft through a first crawler, and the second driving shaft is connected to the second transmission shaft through a second crawler; the first driving motor and the second driving motor are both connected to the control mechanism and are independent of each other; the “controlling the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset first speed” includes:

[0028] Controlling the first drive motor and the second drive motor to operate at the same speed so that the underwater cleaning robot moves forward or backward in a straight line at the first speed;

[0029] Or, controlling the first drive motor to operate at a speed faster than that of the second drive motor, so that the underwater cleaning robot turns to the second side and moves forward or backward at the first speed;

[0030] Or, the first drive motor is controlled to operate at a rotation speed slower than that of the second drive motor, so that the underwater cleaning robot turns to a first side and moves forward or backward at the first speed.

[0031] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0032] If it is determined through the control mechanism that the current scene is in a plane, the first drive motor is controlled to work in a first direction and the second drive motor is controlled to work in a second direction, or; the first drive motor is controlled to work in a second direction and the second drive motor is controlled to work in the first direction, so that the underwater cleaning robot rotates a preset angle with itself as the center.

[0033] Specifically, the roller brushes are respectively arranged on the first transmission shaft and the second transmission shaft, and the method further includes:

[0034] The first drive motor and the second drive motor are controlled to operate at preset speeds respectively, so as to drive the first track and the second track to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move through the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft; at the same time, the first track drives the first transmission shaft and the second track drives the second transmission shaft, so as to drive the roller brush to rotate to complete the cleaning work.

[0035] The present invention also proposes an underwater cleaning robot for implementing the control method described above.

[0036] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0037] The robot controlled by the control method proposed in the present invention adopts a dual-track drive design, so that the robot can move stably underwater and has good grip and mobility even on uneven surfaces or surfaces with obstacles. Each drive shaft is connected to an independent drive motor, and the two motors operate independently of each other. The control mechanism can achieve different maneuverability and steering control by adjusting the rotation speed of each drive motor, thereby improving the operational flexibility and adaptability of the robot. The roller brush installed on the transmission shaft can rotate based on the transmission drive of the track, thereby effectively cleaning the underwater surface. The filtering device is arranged on the rear side of the roller brush, which can capture and filter out particles and dirt suspended in the water during the cleaning process. It can adapt to a variety of different types of underwater environments and task requirements. The center setting of the overall structure enables the robot to have good adhesion and mobility on vertical or inclined surfaces.

[0038] In addition, the control method provided by the present invention can also enable the control mechanism to dynamically adjust the state of the airbag set at the front end of the robot according to the working state of the robot, thereby adjusting the weight of the front end of the robot, improving the stability and efficiency of the robot under different working states, and by planning the optimal path and performing power judgment, it can also effectively manage the robot's energy consumption and work efficiency, thereby improving its autonomy and intelligence level, and ensuring the reliability and sustainability of the robot's long-term operation.

[0039] Therefore, the present invention provides a control method and an underwater cleaning robot using the same. The scheme proposed in the present invention enables the underwater cleaning robot to flexibly turn and move underwater, thereby achieving precise control of the robot's motion trajectory and speed, improving the cleaning efficiency and flexibility, and being able to effectively clean surfaces in underwater environments, and can adapt to cleaning work in a variety of complex underwater environments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the underwater cleaning robot;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the underwater cleaning robot from another angle;

[0043] Figure 3This is a top view of the internal structure of the underwater cleaning robot;

[0044] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of a method for adjusting the working state of a pumping component;

[0045] Figure 5 A schematic flow chart of a method for controlling the movement path of a robot;

[0046] Figure 6 A flow chart of a method for optimizing the charging mode of a robot;

[0047] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the underwater cleaning robot proposed in Example 2;

[0048] Figure 8 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the specific structure of the A area;

[0049] Fig. 9 It is a structural diagram of the drive motor.

[0050] Reference numerals

[0051] 1-driving mechanism; 2-control mechanism; 3-cleaning mechanism; 4-airbag; 5-housing; 11-first transmission shaft; 12-second transmission shaft; 13-first driving shaft; 14-second driving shaft; 15-first crawler; 16-second crawler; 17-first driving motor; 18-second driving motor; 19-heat dissipation metal bracket; 31-roller brush; 32-filtering device; 33-drum; 51-accommodating groove; 111-third roller; 121-fourth roller; 131-first roller; 141-second roller; 151-inner gear; 152-limiting part; 153-outer gear; 154-groove; 321-water inlet; 322-filtering component; 323-pumping component; 324-pumping port. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described more fully. The present invention may have various embodiments, and adjustments and changes may be made therein. However, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the various embodiments of the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but the present invention should be understood to cover all adjustments, equivalents and / or alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0054] Hereinafter, the term "include" or "may include" used in various embodiments of the present invention indicates the presence of disclosed functions, operations or elements, and does not limit the addition of one or more functions, operations or elements. In addition, as used in various embodiments of the present invention, the terms "include", "have" and their cognates are intended only to indicate specific features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items, and should not be understood as first excluding the presence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items or the possibility of adding one or more features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items.

[0055] In various embodiments of the present invention, the expression "or" or "at least one of A or / and B" includes any combination or all combinations of the words listed at the same time. For example, the expression "A or B" or "at least one of A or / and B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

[0056] The expressions (such as "first", "second", etc.) used in various embodiments of the present invention may modify the various constituent elements in various embodiments, but may not limit the corresponding constituent elements. For example, the above expressions do not limit the order and / or importance of the elements. The above expressions are only used for the purpose of distinguishing an element from other elements. For example, the first user device and the second user device indicate different user devices, although both are user devices. For example, without departing from the scope of various embodiments of the present invention, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may also be referred to as the first element.

[0057] It should be noted that in the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms such as "installation", "connection", "fixation" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0058] In the present invention, those skilled in the art need to understand that the terms indicating orientation or positional relationship herein are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0059] The terms used in various embodiments of the present invention are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit various embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to also include the plural form, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise limited, all terms used here (including technical terms and scientific terms) have the same meaning as the meaning generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the various embodiments of the present invention belong. The terms (such as the terms defined in the dictionary generally used) will be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning in the relevant technical field and will not be interpreted as having an idealized meaning or an overly formal meaning, unless clearly defined in various embodiments of the present invention.

[0060] Example 1

[0061] See also Figure 1-3 , this embodiment proposes a control method for controlling an underwater cleaning robot including a driving mechanism 1, a control mechanism 2 and a cleaning mechanism 3;

[0062] The driving mechanism 1 includes a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism, wherein the first driving mechanism includes a first transmission shaft 11 arranged at the front end of the first side of the underwater cleaning robot, a first driving shaft 13 at the rear end of the first side, and a first driving motor 17 connected to the first driving shaft 13, and the second driving mechanism includes a second transmission shaft 12 arranged at the front end of the second side of the underwater cleaning robot, a second driving shaft 14 at the rear end of the second side, and a second driving motor 18 connected to the second driving shaft 14, the first driving shaft 13 is connected to the first transmission shaft 11 through a first crawler 15, and the second driving shaft 14 is connected to the second transmission shaft 12 through a second crawler 16;

[0063] The control mechanism 2 is electrically connected to the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism, and is used to control the movement of the underwater cleaning robot by controlling the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism;

[0064] The cleaning mechanism 3 includes a roller brush 31 and a filter device 32 . The roller brush 31 is respectively arranged on the first transmission shaft 11 and the second transmission shaft 12 , so as to drive the roller brush 31 to rotate based on the transmission of the first crawler belt 15 or the second crawler belt 16 .

[0065] Preferably, the filter device 32 is arranged on the rear side of the roller brush 31. In this embodiment, the filter device 32 specifically includes a water inlet 321, a filter component 322, a pumping component 323, and a pumping port 324 which are sequentially connected from bottom to top. The water inlet 321 is connected to the rear end area of ​​the roller brush 31 so that the dirt and impurities cleaned by the roller brush 31 can be sucked into the filter device 32 for filtering treatment, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the water quality. The pumping component 323 is electrically connected to the control mechanism 3; the filter component 322 may include multiple layers of filter nets and / or filter elements to optimize the filtering effect on underwater dirt.

[0066] Specifically, the control method includes:

[0067] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a plane scene, the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are controlled to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset first speed, and the pumping component is controlled to rotate at a preset second speed;

[0068] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is non-planar, the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are controlled to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset third speed, and the pumping component is controlled to rotate at a preset fourth speed.

[0069] In this embodiment, the preset first speed is greater than or equal to the preset third speed; the preset second speed is less than or equal to the preset fourth speed.

[0070] Specifically, a pressure sensor connected to the control mechanism is also provided at the front end of the underwater cleaning robot, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the force condition of the front end of the underwater cleaning robot. The method further includes:

[0071] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a plane scene, when the pressure sensor senses a force not less than a preset pressure value, it is determined that the current scene will be changed from a non-plane scene to a plane scene;

[0072] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a non-planar scene, when the pressure sensor senses a force not less than a preset pressure value, it is determined that the current scene will be changed from a planar scene to a non-planar scene;

[0073] If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is about to change from a planar scene to a non-planar scene, the pumping component stops pumping water, and the angle between the underwater cleaning robot and the horizontal plane is determined by the force sensed by the pressure sensor, so that when the angle between the underwater cleaning robot and the horizontal plane is not less than a preset angle, the pumping component restarts pumping water, thereby preventing the suction force generated by the pumping component through the water inlet and the reaction force generated by pumping water through the water pumping port from interfering with the climbing of the underwater cleaning robot; in a specific embodiment, the preset angle is 80°.

[0074] In this embodiment, the first drive motor 17 and the second drive motor 18 are independent of each other, so that the control mechanism 2 can make the first drive motor 17 and the second drive motor 18 work at different speeds, so that the underwater cleaning robot can achieve flexible movement and steering. Specifically, the "controlling the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset first speed" includes:

[0075] Controlling the first drive motor 17 and the second drive motor 18 to operate at the same speed so that the underwater cleaning robot moves forward or backward along a straight line at a first speed;

[0076] Or, controlling the first drive motor 17 to operate at a speed faster than the second drive motor 18, so that the underwater cleaning robot turns to the second side and moves forward or backward at the first speed;

[0077] Or, the first driving motor 17 is controlled to operate at a rotation speed slower than that of the second driving motor 18, so that the underwater cleaning robot turns to a first side and moves forward or backward at a first speed.

[0078] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0079] If it is determined through the control mechanism that the current scene is in a plane, the first drive motor is controlled to work in the first direction and the second drive motor is controlled to work in the second direction, or; the first drive motor is controlled to work in the second direction and the second drive motor is controlled to work in the first direction, so that the underwater cleaning robot rotates a preset angle with itself as the center.

[0080] After the driving motor 17 drives the first crawler 15 and the second crawler 16 to rotate through the first transmission shaft 11 and the second transmission shaft 12, the rotation of the first crawler 15 and the second crawler 16 will respectively drive the first transmission shaft 11 and the second transmission shaft 12 to rotate, so that the roller brush 31 arranged on the first transmission shaft 11 and the second transmission shaft 12 rotates in conjunction with the shaft, and finally the roller brush 31 cleans the dirt. Specifically, the method further includes:

[0081] The first drive motor 17 and the second drive motor 18 are controlled to work at preset speeds respectively, so as to drive the first track 15 and the second track 16 to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move through the first drive shaft 13 and the second drive shaft 14; at the same time, the first track 15 drives the first transmission shaft 11 and the second track 16 drives the second transmission shaft 12, so as to drive the roller brush 31 to rotate to complete the cleaning work.

[0082] Preferably, the filter assembly 322 also includes a filter layer and a water quality sensor connected to the control mechanism 2, the water quality sensor is used to detect the water quality of the current surrounding of the underwater cleaning robot, and the control mechanism 2 adjusts the working state of the pumping assembly 323 based on the water quality, see Figure 4 , the method further comprises:

[0083] S110: enabling the control mechanism to adjust the power of the pumping component in response to the water quality detection signal fed back by the water quality sensor or the external control signal.

[0084] Specifically, the worse the water quality corresponding to the water quality detection signal is, the higher the power of the pumping component 323 is.

[0085] S120: Recording the pumping operation data of the pumping component to determine the performance attenuation of the filter layer based on the pumping operation data and a preset relationship.

[0086] In this embodiment, the preset relationship is obtained based on summarizing and associating historical pumping work and the performance attenuation of the filter layer.

[0087] S130: If the performance degradation of the filter layer reaches a preset threshold, a prompt is given to indicate that the filter layer needs to be replaced.

[0088] Preferably, the water inlet 321 is arranged on the bottom side of the underwater cleaning robot, the water pumping port 324 is arranged on the top side of the underwater cleaning robot, and the first drive motor 17 and the second drive motor 18 are arranged at the rear end of the underwater cleaning robot, so that the center of gravity of the underwater cleaning robot is located at a rearward position. Through this design method, when the underwater cleaning robot proposed in this embodiment performs operations such as climbing a wall, the front end which is lighter than the rear end can be lifted up more easily through the first track 15 and the second track 16, so that based on the driving force generated by the drive motor 17, the suction force generated by the water pumping component 323 through the water inlet 321 and the reaction force generated by the water outflowing through the water pumping port 324, the underwater cleaning robot can attach to and move on a vertical or inclined surface; in addition, the water itself has a certain buoyancy, and the buoyancy can also play a boosting role when the front end of the underwater cleaning robot is lifted up.

[0089] Furthermore, an air bag 4 is provided at the front end of the underwater cleaning robot, and the air bag 4 is used to exhaust air and fill water to increase the weight of the front end of the underwater cleaning robot. When the robot moves underwater, it does not need to perform a climbing operation. Increasing the weight of the front end helps the robot's stability and balance underwater, especially enabling the robot to maintain a correct posture and direction when moving;

[0090] The airbag 4 is also used to inflate and release water to reduce the weight of the front end of the underwater cleaning robot. In the clinging state, the front end of the robot needs a lighter weight to be lifted up more easily and close to the surface. Reducing the weight of the front end enables the robot to more effectively attach and move on a vertical or inclined surface, while improving the operational stability and accuracy of the robot. The method also includes:

[0091] If the control mechanism 2 determines that the current scene will be changed from a non-planar scene to a planar scene, the airbag 4 is exhausted to fill the airbag 4 with water, thereby increasing the front end weight of the underwater cleaning robot;

[0092] If it is determined through the control mechanism 2 that the current scene will change from a planar scene to a non-planar scene, the airbag 4 is inflated to release the water in the airbag 4, thereby reducing the front end weight of the underwater cleaning robot, so that the underwater cleaning robot can move in the non-planar scene based on the driving force generated by the driving mechanism 1, the suction force generated by the pumping component 323 through the water inlet 321, and the reaction force generated by pumping water through the pumping port 324.

[0093] Specifically, the underwater cleaning robot also includes an ultrasonic distance sensor connected to the control mechanism 2, see Figure 5 , the method further comprises:

[0094] S210: Transmitting ultrasonic waves through an ultrasonic distance sensor and receiving reflected ultrasonic waves to determine the distance between the underwater cleaning robot and surrounding objects based on the reflected ultrasonic waves.

[0095] Preferably, the control mechanism 2 can perform pre-processing such as denoising, filtering, and feature extraction on the reflected ultrasonic signal to make the determined distance data between the underwater cleaning robot and surrounding objects more accurate.

[0096] S220: Generate a three-dimensional map based on the distance between the underwater cleaning robot and surrounding objects, and divide the three-dimensional map into a number of areas to be cleaned, so as to generate an optimal cleaning path based on each area to be cleaned and send it to the control mechanism.

[0097] Specifically, the control mechanism 2 constructs a three-dimensional map of the cleaning area by using SLAM technology, and divides the three-dimensional map into areas to plan the cleaning path;

[0098] In this embodiment, the optimal cleaning path is composed of several lines, which can be straight line segments or multi-segment lines with multiple different slopes, and the difference between the slope of any line constituting the optimal cleaning path and the slope of at least one edge of the area to be cleaned is not greater than a preset difference, thereby ensuring that the robot's travel route can be parallel or nearly parallel to the edge of the area to be cleaned.

[0099] S230: The control mechanism drives the underwater cleaning robot to move based on the optimal cleaning path, and locates the position of the underwater cleaning robot through the ultrasonic distance sensor and sends it to the control mechanism, so that when the position of the underwater cleaning robot is offset, the control mechanism corrects the moving path of the underwater cleaning robot.

[0100] Further, see Figure 6 , the method further comprises:

[0101] S310: Obtain the remaining power of the underwater cleaning robot.

[0102] S320: If the remaining power is lower than the preset power value, based on the position of the underwater cleaning robot and the optimal cleaning path, determine whether the remaining power is sufficient for the underwater cleaning robot to complete the cleaning task.

[0103] In a specific embodiment, the preset power value is 20% of the total power of the underwater cleaning robot.

[0104] S330: If the judgment result is no, the control mechanism drives the underwater cleaning robot to move to the nearest charging device for charging.

[0105] Therefore, when the underwater cleaning robot is low on power, the method proposed in this embodiment will first determine whether the remaining power is sufficient to complete the cleaning work, and enable the underwater cleaning robot to continue working when the remaining power is sufficient to complete the cleaning work, thereby ensuring the working efficiency of the underwater cleaning robot and reasonably saving the time wasted due to charging during the cleaning process.

[0106] Example 2

[0107] See also Figure 7-9 This embodiment proposes an underwater cleaning robot for implementing the control method proposed in Example 1.

[0108] Specifically, the underwater cleaning robot proposed in this embodiment also includes a shell 5 for enclosing a drive motor 17 and a control mechanism 2. The inner wall of the shell 5 is provided with a receiving groove 51 protruding to the outside of the shell 5. The drive motor 17 is fixed on the receiving groove 51 through an arc-shaped heat dissipation metal bracket 19. The receiving groove 51 matches the shape of the heat dissipation metal bracket 19, so that the heat dissipation metal bracket 19 can dissipate heat through the water body contacted by the outer wall of the receiving groove 51; in this embodiment, the heat dissipation metal bracket 19 is fixed to the receiving groove 51 by screws.

[0109] In this embodiment, the pumping component 323 includes an axial flow pump; it should be noted that the axial flow pump is a power mechanical device used to transport liquids. The axial flow pump can generate axial flow through a rotating impeller, thereby transporting the liquid along the axial direction.

[0110] Specifically, the first crawler 15 and the second crawler 16 are provided with an internal gear 151, the first drive shaft 13 is meshed and connected with the internal gear 151 of the first crawler 15 through the first roller 131, and the second drive shaft 14 is meshed and connected with the internal gear 151 of the second crawler 16 through the second roller 141. The outer sides of the first crawler 15 and the second crawler 16 are both provided with a limiting portion 152 for limiting the rollers, thereby effectively preventing the first roller 131 and the second roller 141 from coming off the crawler.

[0111] Similarly, the first transmission shaft 11 is meshedly connected with the internal gear 151 of the first crawler 15 through the third roller 111, and the second transmission shaft 12 is meshedly connected with the internal gear 151 of the second crawler 16 through the fourth roller 121. The limiting portion 152 arranged on the outer side of the first crawler 15 and the second crawler 16 can also play a limiting role on the third roller 111 and the fourth roller 121.

[0112] Preferably, the first track 15 and the second track 16 are also provided with external gears 153, and the convex tooth surface of each external gear 153 is provided with grooves 154. The design of the grooves 154 helps to increase the friction surface between the gear and the plane, thereby preventing the robot from slipping during horizontal movement or climbing.

[0113] In this embodiment, the first transmission shaft 11 and the second transmission shaft 12 of the underwater cleaning robot are respectively connected to a roller 33 , the roller brush 31 is arranged on the outside of the roller 33 , and the airbag 4 is arranged inside the roller 33 .

[0114] In summary, the present invention provides a control method and an underwater cleaning robot using the same. The solution proposed in the present invention enables the underwater cleaning robot to flexibly turn and move underwater, thereby achieving precise control of the robot's motion trajectory and speed, improving the cleaning efficiency and flexibility, and being able to effectively clean surfaces in underwater environments, and can adapt to cleaning work in a variety of complex underwater environments.

[0115] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method, characterized in that: Used to control an underwater cleaning robot including a control mechanism, a driving mechanism and a cleaning mechanism; The driving mechanism comprises: a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism; the cleaning mechanism comprises a roller brush and a filtering device, the first driving mechanism drivingly connects one side of the roller brush; the second driving mechanism drivingly connects the other side of the roller brush; the filtering device comprises a water inlet, a filtering component, a water pumping component and a water pumping port which are sequentially connected from the bottom to the top of the underwater cleaning robot; the control mechanism is electrically connected to the first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the water pumping component respectively; the method comprises: If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a plane scene, the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are controlled to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset first speed, and the pumping component is controlled to rotate at a preset second speed; If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a non-planar scene, the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are controlled to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset third speed, and the pumping component is controlled to rotate at a preset fourth speed.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filter assembly includes a filter layer and a water quality sensor connected to the control mechanism, and the method further includes: The control mechanism is configured to adjust the power of the pumping component in response to the water quality detection signal or the external control signal fed back by the water quality sensor; wherein the worse the water quality corresponding to the water quality detection signal is, the higher the power of the pumping component is; Recording the pumping operation data of the pumping component to determine the performance degradation of the filter layer based on the pumping operation data and a preset relationship; wherein the preset relationship is obtained based on summarizing and associating historical pumping operations and the performance degradation of the filter layer; If the performance degradation degree of the filter layer reaches a preset threshold, a prompt is given that the filter layer needs to be replaced.

3. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism further comprises an air bag arranged at the front end of the underwater cleaning robot, the filtering device is arranged at the rear side of the roller brush, the water inlet is arranged at the bottom side of the underwater cleaning robot and communicates with the rear end area of ​​the roller brush, the water pumping port is arranged at the top side of the underwater cleaning robot, and the method further comprises: If it is determined by the control mechanism that the current scene will be changed from a non-planar scene to a planar scene, the airbag is vented to fill the airbag with water, thereby increasing the front end weight of the underwater cleaning robot; If it is determined through the control mechanism that the current scene is about to change from a planar scene to a non-planar scene, the airbag is inflated to release the water in the airbag, thereby reducing the front end weight of the underwater cleaning robot, so that the underwater cleaning robot can move in the non-planar scene based on the driving force generated by the driving mechanism, the suction force generated by the pumping assembly through the water inlet, and the reaction force generated by pumping water through the pumping port.

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The front end of the underwater cleaning robot is also provided with a pressure sensor connected to the control mechanism, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the force condition of the front end of the underwater cleaning robot. The method further includes: If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a plane scene, when the pressure sensor senses a force not less than a preset pressure value, it is determined that the current scene will be changed from a non-plane scene to a plane scene; If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is a non-planar scene, when the pressure sensor senses a force not less than a preset pressure value, it is determined that the current scene will be changed from a planar scene to a non-planar scene; If the control mechanism determines that the current scene is about to change from a planar scene to a non-planar scene, the pumping component stops pumping water, and the angle between the underwater cleaning robot and the horizontal plane is determined by the force sensed by the pressure sensor, so that when the angle between the underwater cleaning robot and the horizontal plane is not less than a preset angle, the pumping component restarts pumping water.

5. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The underwater cleaning robot further includes an ultrasonic distance sensor connected to the control mechanism, and the method further includes: The ultrasonic distance sensor transmits ultrasonic waves and receives reflected ultrasonic waves, so as to determine the distance between the underwater cleaning robot and surrounding objects based on the reflected ultrasonic waves; A three-dimensional map is generated based on the distance between the underwater cleaning robot and surrounding objects, and the three-dimensional map is divided into a plurality of areas to be cleaned, so as to generate an optimal cleaning path based on each of the areas to be cleaned and send the optimal cleaning path to the control mechanism; the optimal cleaning path is composed of a plurality of lines, and the difference between the slope of any line constituting the optimal cleaning path and the slope of at least one edge of the area to be cleaned is not greater than a preset difference; The control mechanism drives the underwater cleaning robot to move based on the optimal cleaning path, and locates the position of the underwater cleaning robot through the ultrasonic distance sensor and sends it to the control mechanism, so that when the position of the underwater cleaning robot shifts, the control mechanism corrects the moving path of the underwater cleaning robot.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Obtaining the remaining power of the underwater cleaning robot; If the remaining power is lower than a preset power value, based on the position of the underwater cleaning robot and the optimal cleaning path, determining whether the remaining power is sufficient for the underwater cleaning robot to complete the cleaning task; If the judgment result is no, the control mechanism drives the underwater cleaning robot to move to the nearest charging device for charging.

7. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving mechanism includes a first transmission shaft arranged at the front end of the first side of the underwater cleaning robot, a first driving shaft at the rear end of the first side, and a first driving motor connected to the first driving shaft; the second driving mechanism includes a second transmission shaft arranged at the front end of the second side of the underwater cleaning robot, a second driving shaft at the rear end of the second side, and a second driving motor connected to the second driving shaft; the first driving shaft is connected to the first transmission shaft through a first crawler, and the second driving shaft is connected to the second transmission shaft through a second crawler; the first driving motor and the second driving motor are both connected to the control mechanism and are independent of each other; the "controlling the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move at a preset first speed" includes: Controlling the first drive motor and the second drive motor to operate at the same speed so that the underwater cleaning robot moves forward or backward in a straight line at the first speed; Or, controlling the first drive motor to operate at a speed faster than that of the second drive motor, so that the underwater cleaning robot turns to the second side and moves forward or backward at the first speed; Or, the first drive motor is controlled to operate at a rotation speed slower than that of the second drive motor, so that the underwater cleaning robot turns to a first side and moves forward or backward at the first speed.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: If it is determined through the control mechanism that the current scene is in a plane, the first drive motor is controlled to work in a first direction and the second drive motor is controlled to work in a second direction, or; the first drive motor is controlled to work in a second direction and the second drive motor is controlled to work in the first direction, so that the underwater cleaning robot rotates a preset angle with itself as the center.

9. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The roller brushes are respectively arranged on the first transmission shaft and the second transmission shaft, and the method further comprises: The first drive motor and the second drive motor are controlled to operate at preset speeds respectively, so as to drive the first track and the second track to drive the underwater cleaning robot to move through the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft; at the same time, the first track drives the first transmission shaft and the second track drives the second transmission shaft, so as to drive the roller brush to rotate to complete the cleaning work.

10. An underwater cleaning robot, characterized in that: Used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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