Automatic aircraft based on external visual positioning guidance, system and control method

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic aircraft based on external visual positioning guidance, which comprises an air bag and a bottom support, the air bag is filled with gas with density smaller than that of air, the bottom surface of the air bag is fixedly connected with the top surface of the bottom support, the bottom support comprises a storage battery, a calibration object and a flight controller, and the storage battery provides a power supply for the whole aircraft. At least one calibration object is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the bottom support, and the calibration object has recognizable features beneficial to camera recognition and position distinguishing and is used for assisting an external camera in carrying out spatial information recognition on the whole airbag; a pushing mechanism is fixedly arranged on at least one face of the air bag and used for providing thrust for the automatic aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of low-altitude floating equipment, in particular to an automatic flying vehicle, system and control method based on external visual positioning guidance. Background Art

[0002] As a light aircraft that uses helium to provide lift, helium aircraft have been widely used in civilian fields such as advertising, entertainment, and monitoring. These aircraft usually include an airbag made of lightweight materials such as nylon or polyester, which is filled with helium, which has a lower density than air, so that the aircraft can float in the air. The design of civilian helium aircraft usually focuses on cost-effectiveness and ease of operation. Its main structure is small and light to meet the needs of non-professional users.

[0003] Existing civil helium aircraft are mainly operated by remote control. The control system usually includes a basic remote control and a receiver on the aircraft, which communicates via radio signals to control the flight direction and altitude. Although remote control aircraft provide a certain degree of flexibility in operation, it relies on the operator's skills and experience to maintain the stability and precise navigation of the aircraft.

[0004] However, existing technologies have obvious deficiencies in automatic navigation and precise position control. First, civil helium aircraft lack automatic control systems that use external visual equipment for guidance, which limits their potential for application in unmanned operation environments. Second, existing systems perform poorly in accurately identifying and distinguishing the position and posture of aircraft and target objects, mainly because the size of the aircraft makes it difficult to equip it with advanced sensors and navigation equipment. This technical limitation limits the ability of aircraft to perform precise positioning and complex tasks.

[0005] Due to the small size and design of civil helium aircraft, their loading capacity is limited, making it difficult to assemble too many functional components without sacrificing lift. This is particularly prominent in the existing technology, because adding any additional weight or volume may have an adverse effect on flight performance, especially in application scenarios that require long flight time or high stability.

[0006] Therefore, a new type of lightweight helium aircraft that can automatically navigate and accurately position is urgently needed to fill the current gap. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes an aircraft, which is used to solve the problem of being able to accurately position and fly in a certain range of scenes without being equipped with a camera on the aircraft itself, and can identify its own position and distance relative to a target. Specifically, the present invention is an automatic aircraft based on external visual positioning guidance, including an airbag and a base. The airbag is filled with a gas with a density less than that of air. The bottom surface of the airbag and the top surface of the base are fixedly connected. The base includes a battery, a calibration object and a flight controller. The battery provides power for the entire aircraft. At least one calibration object is fixedly set on the bottom surface of the base. The calibration object has identifiable features that are conducive to camera identification and positioning, and is used to assist the external camera in identifying spatial information of the entire airbag; a propulsion mechanism is fixedly set on at least one surface of the airbag, and the propulsion mechanism is used to provide thrust for the automatic aircraft.

[0008] Furthermore, the airbag and / or the base are calibration objects.

[0009] Furthermore, the pushing mechanism includes a fan and a motor. An airbag frame is arranged outside the airbag. The airbag frame is sleeved and fixed on at least a part of the outer surface of the airbag. The fan is fixed to the airbag frame through a universal joint and is powered by the motor.

[0010] Furthermore, the propulsion mechanism includes a flying wing and a motor. An airbag frame is arranged outside the airbag, the airbag frame is sleeved and fixed on at least a part of the outer surface of the airbag, the flying wing is fixed on the outside of the airbag frame, and is powered by the motor.

[0011] Furthermore, an imaging device is fixedly disposed on at least a portion of the surface of the airbag and / or the base to display observable information.

[0012] Furthermore, the imaging device surrounds the airbag to form a complete closed-loop structure.

[0013] Furthermore, at least one wing panel is fixedly arranged on at least one surface of the airbag.

[0014] Furthermore, at least one electromagnetic plate is arranged on at least one surface of the airbag and / or the base.

[0015] Furthermore, a plurality of solar panels are provided on the top surface and / or the side surface of the airbag, and the solar panels are electrically connected to the battery.

[0016] Furthermore, a mooring hook is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the bottom support.

[0017] Furthermore, at least one camera is fixedly arranged on at least one surface of the airbag.

[0018] In addition to the above-mentioned devices, the present invention also includes an automatic aircraft system based on external visual positioning guidance, including any of the above-mentioned automatic aircraft and a number of external cameras independently arranged outside the automatic aircraft, the external cameras are used to determine the posture and position information of the automatic aircraft, and assist in planning the movement route of the automatic aircraft.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes a tracking projector that is set outside the automatic aircraft, and the tracking projector tracks at least a part of the surface of the automatic aircraft in real time for projection.

[0020] In addition to the above-mentioned device and system, the present invention also includes a method for positioning and guiding an aircraft based on external vision, wherein the aircraft is composed of an airbag and a base, which are fixedly connected, and includes the following steps:

[0021] S1: Fill the airbag with gas whose density is less than that of air so that the aircraft as a whole can float in the air, and set at least one calibration object at the bottom of the aircraft base;

[0022] S2: Use several external cameras to photograph and identify the calibration objects set at the bottom of the base to confirm the spatial coordinates and posture of the aircraft;

[0023] S3: The aircraft confirms its own coordinates through the position sensor installed on the base, and aligns them with the coordinate system of several cameras installed externally;

[0024] S4: The camera determines the position coordinates of a certain point in the field of view as the destination and sends a signal to the aircraft. The aircraft adjusts its direction through the propulsion mechanism and moves toward the destination.

[0025] Furthermore, after step S4, the method further includes:

[0026] S5: During the entire process of the aircraft floating in the air, visual information is projected onto a partial area of ​​the aircraft through at least one externally arranged tracking projector.

[0027] Instruction Manual

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic side view of the basic structure of the aircraft of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the aircraft basic structure of the present invention from top view

[0030] Figure 3 This is a side view schematic diagram of the aircraft with a tethered ring of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a side view schematic diagram of the structure with a tail wing of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic front view of an aircraft with an imaging device according to the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the front view of the aircraft with electromagnetic plate equipment of the present invention

[0034] Figure 7 This is a front view schematic diagram of the aircraft with camera of the present invention

[0035] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the present invention combined with the external environment DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In the description of the present invention, terms such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "inside", "outside" and the like indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. This is merely for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0037] In addition, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" 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 it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0038] First of all, it should be noted that the ideal application environment of this system is indoors, specifically in a windless or breezy environment similar to a laboratory, because the core of the system is a device that uses low-density gas to achieve low-altitude floating; in an indoor environment with a certain height, especially in a laboratory environment, both wind and light conditions are better than those in the outdoor environment; but the design of this system focuses on the interference factors of the outdoor environment, so it can also be applied to the outdoor environment. When applied to the outdoor environment, ideally, considering the use of the airbag in the outdoor environment, a physical layer protection should be performed on the outside of the airbag (that is, a layer of other materials is attached to prevent the gas inside the airbag from leaking directly when there is a problem with the airbag), but if the airbag is in an exposed state, various protective measures for the airbag need to be considered. The use of specific materials or coatings can increase the service life of the airbag. For example, the airbag is made of polyethylene film, and an anti-ultraviolet coating and an anti-oxidation coating are provided on the surface; considering the problem of air friction during flight, a drag reduction coating can also be provided (which may include a coating containing silicon or fluoropolymers, which can form an extremely smooth outer surface and effectively reduce the friction between the air and the surface).

[0039] In addition, the present invention will make characteristic descriptions of some existing technologies. For example, the flight controller that appears in the present invention has different meanings in different scenarios. In the first description, the flight controller mainly includes one or more of the integration of IMU (inertial measurement unit), barometer, spatial locator, optical flow sensor, temperature sensor, magnetic compass, processor and other components, but in the second description, the flight controller of the equipment includes actuators, such as the necessary motor components when the fan rotates, the necessary relay components when the switch is controlled, etc. It should be emphasized that the flight controller in the present invention is intended to express a similar structure in the above-mentioned second description, that is, a combination of multiple sensor units, computing storage output units, and at the same time having the described actuators and their necessary constituent elements. Under the condition that some necessary actuators (for example, motors, servos) are not emphasized in the future, it should be understood that the flight controller has functions in this regard. These are contents that have been fully disclosed by multiple aircraft and belong to mature technologies and should not be controversial.

[0040] Secondly, the shapes shown in the accompanying drawings of the present invention are only for illustration. The various shapes of the aircraft should be changed according to the requirements of use (the changes can be adjusted through the internal skeleton structure). The unique advantages of various disclosed aircraft forms (such as streamlined design or bionic design) will not be repeated in the subsequent contents of the present invention. Aircraft of any shape should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] The following examples are given to illustrate the system:

[0042] Example 1: Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the basic structure of the aircraft of the present invention, Figure 21 is a top view schematic diagram of the basic structure of the aircraft of the present invention, which includes an airbag 1, a base 2, an outer frame 3, a propulsion mechanism 4 and a calibration object 5; wherein the bottom of the airbag 1 is fixedly connected to the top of the base 2, and the outer frame 3 is fixed to the airbag 1 and / or the base 2 from the outside to form a fixed structure. The main function of the outer frame 3 is to provide a stable assembly position for the propulsion mechanism 4, so it should be noted that the outer frame 3 is not a necessary structure, and the propulsion mechanism 4 can be fixed to the airbag 1 or the base 2, but this form will reduce the stability of the overall aircraft. A preferred propulsion mechanism 4 is a fan, and several fans can be set at corresponding positions of the aircraft as needed. The reference given in this embodiment is Similar to the setting position of a four-rotor drone, four fans are arranged around the airbag 1, and the fans are connected to the outer frame 3 through a rotating shaft. An optional structure is that the fan is connected to the outer frame 3 through a universal joint to realize the function of applying thrust from multiple angles, so that the flight direction of the aircraft is freer; another optional structure of the propulsion mechanism 4 is a flying wing, and the flying wing should have the ability to actively provide thrust, for example: a flapping wing flying wing. Using this structure requires at least one pair to be arranged, which are respectively hinged on two opposite positions of the aircraft. The preferred flapping wing flying wing can also adjust the direction of flight by adjusting the pitch angle of the wing and the swing trajectory of the wing to realize the function of applying thrust from multiple angles.

[0043] At least one calibration object 5 is fixedly set at the bottom of the base 2 or at a position near the bottom of the side of the base 2. The calibration object 5 should be an object with different characteristics under multiple viewing angles. Such characteristics may be shape, light perception, or surface characteristics, etc. Preferably, such calibration object 5 should have several of the above characteristics. By adopting the above-mentioned feature combination method, the characteristics of this embodiment can be more obvious when observed by an external camera, and it is easier to distinguish the overall position and posture of the aircraft, which is conducive to making precise positioning and path guidance plans; a flight controller is fixedly set inside the base 2, and its functions mainly include receiving flight instructions given from the outside, identifying the overall posture and position of the aircraft itself, and adjusting the flight state. The base 2 should also include a battery inside, which will provide power for any component of the aircraft that requires power.

[0044] This embodiment is a simple scheme that can achieve the basic purpose of the present invention. First, a gas with a density lower than that of outdoor air should be introduced into the interior of the airbag 1, and helium is generally selected. After the helium is introduced into the interior of the airbag 1, the airbag 1 will provide lift to the entire aircraft, allowing the aircraft to float in the air, and then the propulsion mechanism 4 combined with the flight controller provides the entire aircraft with flight direction adjustment and flight power. At this time, the calibration object 5 is photographed by an external camera (it should be noted that the characteristic information of the photographed images of the calibration object 5 after various angle and orientation transformations and various illumination transformations should have been photographed in advance and retained in the system as a basis for subsequent recognition), and the image information of the calibration object 5 in the camera shooting direction is obtained through feature recognition to determine the current spatial position and posture of the aircraft. When the external camera can simultaneously photograph the aircraft and the destination, the external camera can send the spatial position coordinate information of the destination to the central control device, which parses and transmits the information to the flight controller in the aircraft. The flight controller controls the propulsion mechanism 4 to adjust the posture and Euler angle so that the aircraft can reach the destination.

[0045] In this embodiment, the base 2 and / or the outer frame 3 can replace the function of the calibration object 5, that is, the base 2 and / or the outer frame 3 with similar distinguishing features such as special shape and / or special color and / or special image can replace the calibration object 5 as a calibration component to assist the external camera to recognize the posture and position of the aircraft. For details, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 It is a side view schematic diagram of the base calibration form of the present invention. In this structure, the placement of the calibration object 5 is cancelled, and the surface of the base 2 is covered with black and white checkerboard grids 2A. The shape of the base 2 is designed to have a large difference when observed from multiple angles, so as to assist the external camera in identifying the information of the aircraft.

[0046] In this embodiment, solar panels can also be arranged on part of the surface of the airbag 1 or the base 2. The solar panels are used to charge the batteries arranged inside the base 2. The area of ​​the solar panels should be determined based on the overall lift of the aircraft.

[0047] In the above structure, the aircraft is in a free state, but in some cases (such as external environment interference), the aircraft needs to be tethered as a whole. Figure 3 , Figure 3 1 is a side view of an aircraft with a tethering ring according to the present invention. In the figure, a tethering ring 6 is fixedly provided at the bottom of the base 2, and the tethering ring 6 can float within a specific range through a tethering rope. A preferred structure is that the tethering ring 6 is replaced by a charging port, and the tethering rope is changed to a charging cable. In this case, the entire aircraft can be powered while completing the tethering function, and can replace the battery or power the battery.

[0048] When the aircraft is flying under wind interference conditions, it is easy to be affected by the wind and cause rotation. Figure 4 The structure, Figure 4 1 is a side view schematic diagram of the structure with a tail wing of the present invention. The structure in the figure includes a tail wing 102. The tail wing 102 can be fixed on the airbag 1 or on the base 2 or the outer frame 3. Its main function is to assist the entire aircraft to maintain a stable posture in the air by adjusting the tilt angle of the tail wing 102, thereby reducing the occurrence of self-rotation as much as possible; another function is to assist the aircraft to adjust the flight angle when the propulsion mechanism 4 is in action.

[0049] Embodiment 2: Referring to the structure of embodiment 1, an imaging device is added on the basis of the structure. For details, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 It is a front view schematic diagram of the aircraft with imaging device of the present invention. In the figure, an imaging device 2B is provided on one surface of the base 2 for displaying information to the outside. However, it should be noted that not selecting the imaging device 2B and selecting materials conducive to imaging to manufacture the aircraft is also an optional form, and this situation should not be regarded as exceeding the protection scope of the present invention.

[0050] The imaging device 2B can be a device that actively displays visual signals, such as a display screen, an LED light strip, or a device that passively displays visual signals, such as a curtain. In a preferred structure, the imaging device 2B is arranged around the base 2 to form a closed-loop structure. The advantage of this structure is that when the airship rotates, the imaging function is not affected. It should also be noted that the imaging device 2B should not only be understood as being only arranged on the base 2, but the imaging device 2B can be arranged on the surface of the airbag 1 or the outer frame 3. It should be understood that the imaging device 2B can be arranged in any position that does not affect the display of the picture.

[0051] Embodiment 3: Referring to the structures of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, an electromagnetic plate is added on their basis. For details, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 It is a front view schematic diagram of an aircraft with an electromagnetic plate device according to the present invention. The diagram is based on the second embodiment, but does not necessarily mean that the imaging device structure of the second embodiment is required. At least one electromagnetic plate 201 is arranged on the base 2, so that several aircraft with electromagnetic plates can be spliced ​​into a larger aircraft through electromagnetic adsorption. The preferred structure shown in the figure arranges electromagnetic plates 201 at the four corners of the base 2. This arrangement is conducive to the accurate splicing of two aircraft. Based on the imaging device of the second embodiment, the boundary positions of the spliced ​​imaging devices can be accurately docked to optimize the imaging effect.

[0052] Embodiment 4: Figure 71 is a front view schematic diagram of an aircraft with a camera according to the present invention. This embodiment adds an aircraft camera 401 on the basis of Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 or Embodiment 3. Only one aircraft camera 401 is shown in the figure, but it should be clear that any number of the aircraft cameras 401 can be set and can be at any position of the aircraft. The main purpose of setting the aircraft camera 401 is to shoot a required range and transmit the captured information to an industrial computer. The captured information can be used in common computer vision fields such as deep learning, image matching, template matching and / or behavior analysis.

[0053] The above four embodiments need to be applied in one scenario, that is, the external environment is provided with an external camera, Figure 8 , Figure 8 What is shown is a schematic diagram of the present invention combined with an external environment. The figure shows an outdoor environment. In a relatively complex and large environment, multiple cameras need to be arranged. Preferably, the same point should be covered by the field of view of at least two cameras; the various sensors contained in the flight controller can interact with the environment in space and the external camera, such as: spatial positioning sensor, laser radar, optical flow sensor, etc., which are mainly used for position recognition, direction recognition and obstacle avoidance; in addition, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, etc. are preferably required, mainly for the detection of the external environment; combined with the structure of the first embodiment, the position of the aircraft can be located by an external camera, and the coordinates of the aircraft can be confirmed by shooting the calibration object 5, and the target position coordinates can be sent to make the aircraft drive the propulsion mechanism 4 to reach the target position, and the relative orientation and position relationship between the aircraft and the target within the field of view of the external camera can be confirmed through the identification and positioning of the external camera, and it can be determined whether a certain face of the aircraft is facing a certain face of the target within the range, Take this application scenario as an example: real-time monitoring of the front of the aircraft to ensure that it is facing the target person's face; combined with the structure of the second embodiment, the content is displayed to external personnel. There are two situations at this time. In the first case, the imaging device 2B can be a device that actively displays visual signals such as a display screen and an LED light strip. In this case, the aircraft can independently display image information to the outside. In the second case, the imaging device 2B is a device that passively displays visual signals such as a screen. In this case, it is necessary to add a projector as shown in the figure, preferably a tracking projector, to prevent abnormal projection of the projector image when the aircraft shakes or changes position; combined with the fourth embodiment, the aircraft can shoot the external environment through a number of aircraft cameras 401, especially when there are people in the scene, it can monitor the behavior of the people and ensure the safety of the people; under certain conditions, the tethering ring 6 carried by the aircraft can be used to fix it to the tethering device in the scene to prevent the aircraft from flying out of the required range or being damaged.

Claims

1. An automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance, characterized in that: The invention comprises an airbag and a base, wherein the airbag is filled with a gas having a density less than that of air, the bottom surface of the airbag and the top surface of the base are fixedly connected, the base comprises a battery, a calibration object and a flight controller, the battery provides power for the entire aircraft, at least one calibration object is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the base, the calibration object has identifiable features that are conducive to camera identification and positioning, and is used to assist an external camera in identifying spatial information of the entire airbag; a propulsion mechanism is fixedly arranged on at least one surface of the airbag, and the propulsion mechanism is used to provide thrust for the automatic aircraft.

2. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The airbag and / or the base are calibration objects.

3. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pushing mechanism comprises a fan and a motor. An airbag frame is arranged outside the airbag, and the airbag frame is sleeved and fixed on at least part of the outer surface of the airbag. The fan is fixed to the airbag frame through a universal joint and is powered by the motor.

4. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The propulsion mechanism comprises a flying wing and a motor. An airbag frame is arranged outside the airbag, and the airbag frame is sleeved and fixed on at least part of the outer surface of the airbag. The flying wing is fixed outside the airbag frame and is powered by the motor.

5. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: An imaging device is fixedly arranged on at least a part of the surface of the airbag and / or the base, for displaying observable information.

6. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 5, characterized in that: The imaging device surrounds the airbag to form a complete closed-loop structure.

7. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one wing panel is fixedly arranged on at least one surface of the airbag.

8. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one electromagnetic plate is arranged on at least one surface of the airbag and / or the base.

9. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface and / or side surface of the airbag are provided with a plurality of solar panels, and the solar panels are electrically connected to the storage battery.

10. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: A mooring hook is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the base.

11. The automatic flying vehicle based on external visual positioning guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one camera is fixedly arranged on at least one surface of the airbag.

12. An automatic aircraft system based on external visual positioning guidance, characterized in that: It comprises an automatic aircraft as described in any one of claims 1-12 and a plurality of external cameras independently arranged outside the automatic aircraft, wherein the external cameras are used to determine the posture and position information of the automatic aircraft and assist in planning the movement route of the automatic aircraft.

13. The automatic flight system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The invention also includes a tracking projector which is set outside the automatic aircraft and which tracks at least a part of the surface of the automatic aircraft in real time for projection.

14. A method for positioning and guiding an aircraft based on external vision, characterized in that: The aircraft is composed of an airbag and a base, which are fixedly connected, and includes the following steps: S1: Fill the airbag with gas whose density is less than that of air so that the aircraft as a whole can float in the air, and set at least one calibration object at the bottom of the aircraft base; S2: Use several external cameras to photograph and identify the calibration objects set at the bottom of the base to confirm the spatial coordinates and posture of the aircraft; S3: The aircraft confirms its own coordinates through the position sensor installed on the base, and aligns them with the coordinate system of several cameras installed externally; S4: The camera determines the position coordinates of a certain point in the field of view as the destination and sends a signal to the aircraft. The aircraft adjusts its direction through the propulsion mechanism and moves toward the destination.

15. The method of external visual positioning guidance according to claim 14, characterized in that: After step S4, the method further includes: S5: during the entire process of the aircraft floating in the air, visual information is projected onto a partial area of ​​the aircraft through at least one externally arranged tracking projector.

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