Electric power inspection unmanned aerial vehicle nest collaborative operation method and device

Abstract

The invention discloses an electric power inspection unmanned aerial vehicle nest collaborative operation method and device, and belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle inspection. The operation method comprises the following steps that the unmanned aerial vehicle nest receives an inspection task instruction and judges a self-inspection state; when it is determined that the unmanned aerial vehicle nest self-inspection state meets the requirement, the charging state of the unmanned aerial vehicle is judged; after determining that the unmanned aerial vehicle is disconnected from charging, sequentially opening the remote controller and the unmanned aerial vehicle; determining an unmanned aerial vehicle battery capacity and an unmanned aerial vehicle video stream state; when the battery capacity of the unmanned aerial vehicle is larger than a set value and the video stream of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be obtained, rocker arm type double cabin doors arranged at the top of a nest of the unmanned aerial vehicle are opened cooperatively, and a centering mechanism is started to release the unmanned aerial vehicle; when the RTK positioning solution is a fixed solution, the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled to take off through the remote controller, and an inspection task is executed. By means of the operation method, the continuity, reliability and success rate of the unmanned aerial vehicle nest inspection task are improved, and the method has great significance in promoting intelligent application of the unmanned aerial vehicle nest in the power industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle inspection, and in particular to a method and device for coordinated operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a nest for electric power inspection. Background Art

[0002] As the demand for power inspection gradually shifts towards intelligence and automation, drones are rapidly growing in the field of power inspection due to their flexibility, safety, reliability, all-weather operation, strong adaptability, high inspection efficiency and low cost. The fully automatic operation of the drone nest can realize the storage, maintenance and charging of drones, control the drones to perform flight tasks, and quickly transmit the inspection data, which plays a significant role in reducing the labor cost of power inspection, improving the inspection quality, and ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power grid.

[0003] Most of the existing power inspection drone nests are fully automatic and unattended. In actual applications, there are common problems such as low inspection task stability, weak continuity, and low reliability of drone nest coordination. Figure 1 The existing automatic operation process of the power inspection drone shown in the figure has factors that affect the execution of the task, such as: ① The self-check is not comprehensive, and the usage of the drone's SD card memory and the health of the drone's battery are not checked, resulting in the failure to download the inspection results and affecting the efficiency of the inspection task execution; ② The remote control is not turned off for a long time, and there is a risk of interruption of the inspection process and hardware damage; ③ The power-on command is issued before the drone is disconnected from the charging, and the drone will still shut down after the charging is disconnected, resulting in the failure of the inspection task execution; ④ After the remote control and the drone are turned on, the drone takes off to perform the task without judging the status of the drone video stream, resulting in the sending of the drone The real-time image of the drone is lost, and the visual landing cannot take effect; ⑤ When the RTK is connected through the mobile station broadcast mode, the drone determines that the RTK positioning solution type has not reached a fixed solution within a period of time after it is turned on, so it terminates the patrol mission and does not search for and reconnect the RTK signal, affecting the stability of the patrol mission; ⑥ After the inspection mission is completed, the drone returns to the nest and closes the nest door before downloading the patrol photos. The impact of the door on the image transmission quality causes the inspection photo transmission rate to be slow or incomplete transmission; ⑦ The drone SD card is not cleaned up for a long time, and when the memory occupancy rate reaches a certain value, the inspection photo download failure will occur. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a method and device for collaborative operation of power inspection drone nests, which can improve the continuity, reliability and success rate of drone nest patrol tasks, realize efficient management of drones and all-weather unmanned stable operation, and is of great significance for promoting the intelligent application of drone nests in the power industry.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solution.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for collaborative operation of a power inspection drone and a nest, comprising the following steps:

[0007] The drone nest receives the patrol mission instruction and determines the self-inspection status;

[0008] When it is determined that the drone nest self-check status meets the requirements, the drone charging status is determined;

[0009] After making sure the drone is disconnected from charging, turn on the remote controller and the drone in sequence;

[0010] Determine the drone battery level and drone video stream status;

[0011] When the battery power of the drone is greater than the set value and the drone video stream can be obtained, the rocker-type double hatches set on the top of the drone nest are opened collaboratively, and the return mechanism is activated to release the drone;

[0012] When the drone is released, determine the type of RTK signal positioning solution received by the drone;

[0013] When the RTK positioning solution is fixed, the remote controller is used to control the drone to take off and perform inspection tasks.

[0014] Preferably, the drone nest receives the patrol mission instruction and determines the self-check status, including the following steps:

[0015] Determine whether the main control module and motor operating status inside the drone nest are normal;

[0016] Determine whether the communication between the drone's serial port and network port is normal;

[0017] Determine whether the drone's uninterruptible power supply UPS, centering mechanism, swing-arm double hatch and air conditioning are normal, and whether the drone's battery power meets the patrol mission power threshold;

[0018] Determine whether the temperature, humidity, wind direction, wind speed, rainfall and atmospheric pressure outside the drone nest meet the drone take-off conditions;

[0019] Determine whether there is water or smoke inside the drone nest;

[0020] Determine whether the SD card memory usage is higher than the cleaning setting value. If the SD card memory usage is higher than the cleaning setting value in the current task, do not end the patrol task. Wait until the task is completed and the patrol results are uploaded before automatically cleaning the SD card memory.

[0021] The number of charge and discharge cycles of the drone battery is determined, and if the number of cycles exceeds a first set value, a reminder is given to replace the drone battery.

[0022] Preferably, after determining that the drone is disconnected from charging, turning on the drone via a remote controller comprises the following steps:

[0023] After the remote control power-on command is issued, the second set value is delayed to determine the network connection status between the remote control and the main control module. If the connection status is normal, the drone power-on command is issued, otherwise the remote control power-on command is resent;

[0024] After the remote controller power-on command is sent for the third set value times, if the remote controller is still not connected to the main control module network, the patrol task is terminated;

[0025] After the UAV power-on command is issued, the fourth setting value is delayed to determine the connection status between the UAV and the remote controller. If the connection is normal, proceed to the next step, otherwise resend the UAV power-on command;

[0026] After the UAV power-on command is sent the fifth set value number of times, if the UAV and the remote controller image transmission are still not connected, the patrol mission will be ended.

[0027] Preferably, determining the battery level of the drone and the state of the drone video stream includes the following steps:

[0028] The main control module installed inside the drone nest determines the drone battery power and drone video stream status;

[0029] If the battery power of the drone reaches the sixth set value and the main control module reads the video stream normally, the next step is executed, otherwise the patrol mission is terminated.

[0030] Preferably, after the drone is released, determining the drone battery power and the drone video stream status includes the following steps:

[0031] When the drone is released and the door is opened for a delay of a seventh set time interval, the type of RTK signal positioning solution received by the drone is determined;

[0032] If the RTK positioning solution type is a fixed solution, execute the next step. If the RTK positioning solution type is a non-fixed solution, issue a reconnect RTK command. After reconnecting for the eighth preset number of times, if the RTK positioning solution type is still a non-fixed solution, end this patrol mission.

[0033] Preferably, when the RTK positioning solution is a fixed solution, the remote controller is used to control the drone to take off and perform the inspection task, including the following steps:

[0034] When the RTK positioning solution is fixed, download the patrol mission route file to the remote controller. After receiving the patrol mission route file, the remote controller controls the drone to take off and execute.

[0035] When the UAV takes off, the rocker-type double hatches close in coordination and the centering mechanism remains in the released state. During the mission, the buzzer on the UAV nest sounds for a long time as a warning.

[0036] Preferably, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0037] After the drone completes its patrol mission, it returns to hover directly above the drone nest;

[0038] After the main control module of the drone nest recognizes the drone's hovering state, it controls the rocker-type double cabin doors to open;

[0039] When the rocker-type double doors are opened, the drone can be accurately landed on the parking platform of the drone nest with the help of RTK and visual positioning technology.

[0040] Preferably, the visual positioning technology uses the drone's visual sensor, combined with image processing algorithms and machine learning, to enable the drone to autonomously identify and accurately land at a preset location during its return flight.

[0041] Preferably, after the drone lands on the landing platform, the following steps are also included:

[0042] The drone transmits the inspection results to the drone nest;

[0043] After the inspection results are transmitted, the centering mechanism is tightened to place the drone in the center of the parking platform, and the rocker-type double cabin doors are closed in coordination;

[0044] After the rocker-type double hatch is closed, turn off the drone. When the drone is disconnected from the remote controller's image transmission, turn off the remote controller. When the remote controller is disconnected from the main control module's network, the patrol mission ends.

[0045] In the second aspect, the present invention provides a power inspection drone nest device, comprising: a drone nest for executing the aforementioned power inspection drone nest collaborative operation method; a parking platform for parking the drone is arranged inside the drone nest, and a centering mechanism for centering the drone is arranged on the top of the parking platform; a rocker-type double-cabin door for opening or closing the parking platform is arranged on the top of the drone nest; a main control module is arranged inside the drone nest, and the main control module is connected to the rocker-type double-cabin door, the centering mechanism, the drone, and the remote control, and is used to judge the drone self-test status, charging status, remote control status, battery power, video stream status, and RTK signal positioning solution type received by the drone, and control the actions of the rocker-type double-cabin door, the centering mechanism, and the remote control.

[0046] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of the present invention is that before the drone performs the inspection task, the present invention not only judges the self-check status of the drone nest, but also judges the drone charging status, battery power and RTK positioning solution type, ensuring that the drone will only start when the charging is disconnected, avoiding the phenomenon that the drone will still shut down after the charging is disconnected when the power-on command is issued during the charging of the drone. At the same time, before the drone takes off, the present invention ensures that the battery power of the drone can meet the inspection task requirements, avoiding the drone running out of power and returning midway, affecting the inspection operation efficiency; the present invention controls the drone to take off only when the RTK positioning solution type is a fixed solution, which can ensure the stability of the drone inspection. In addition, the present invention also adds a drone video stream status check, and executes the task after the drone nest can obtain the drone video stream, ensuring that the drone real-time picture and visual landing are normal, thereby improving the continuity, reliability and success rate of the drone nest inspection task, realizing the efficient management of drones and all-weather unmanned stable operation, which is of great significance for promoting the intelligent application of drone nests in the power industry.

[0047] In order to further improve the reliability of drone inspection operations, the present invention adds judgments on the mechanical system status, network communication status, equipment inspection status, environmental perception status, fire protection system status, SD card usage rate, battery health and other statuses in the self-inspection judgment step of the drone nest. The self-inspection is more comprehensive, which can improve the success rate of downloading inspection results and the efficiency of executing inspection tasks. In addition, the present invention adds automatic cleaning logic for the drone SD card by judging the SD card usage rate. When the SD card usage rate is higher than the preset cleaning value, the SD card memory is automatically cleaned up after the inspection task is completed and the results are uploaded, thereby improving the reliability of inspection photo downloads.

[0048] Furthermore, the present invention provides a remote control on / off control to prevent the remote control from being turned off for a long time, which may cause the inspection process to be interrupted and the risk of hardware damage.

[0049] Furthermore, the present invention also adds a step of RTK reconnection. After the UAV is turned on, the seventh set time interval is delayed. If the RTK positioning solution type has not reached a fixed solution, an RTK reconnection instruction is issued. After determining the eighth set value of reconnections, if the RTK positioning solution type still has not reached a fixed solution, the patrol mission is terminated to improve the stability of the patrol mission.

[0050] Furthermore, after the inspection mission of the present invention is completed and the drone returns to the machine nest, it first downloads the inspection photos and then closes the cabin door of the machine nest, so as to avoid the cabin door affecting the image transmission quality, resulting in a slow transmission rate or incomplete transmission of the inspection photos. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the process of automatic operation of the power inspection drone nest in the prior art;

[0052] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of the cooperative operation method of the power inspection drone and the nest in the present invention;

[0053] Figure 3 It is a logic diagram of determining the self-checking state in step 1 of the operation method of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 4 It is a logic diagram of the remote controller and the UAV startup control in step 3 of the operation method of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance structure of the drone nest in the present invention;

[0056] Figure 6 It is a logical schematic diagram for determining the type of real-time dynamic RTK positioning solution in step 6 of the operating method of the present invention.

[0057] Reference numerals in the figures:

[0058] 1. UAV nest; 2. Parking platform; 3. Centering mechanism; 4. Left cabin door; 5. Right cabin door; 6. Rocker arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical scheme of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments described in this application are only embodiments of a part of the present invention, rather than all embodiments. Based on the spirit of the present invention, other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0060] Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a method for coordinated operation of a power inspection drone and a nest, and the method flow chart is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0061] Step 1: The drone nest receives the patrol mission command and determines the self-check status, such as Figure 3 As shown, if the self-check status is normal, proceed to the next step; if the self-check status is abnormal, end the patrol task.

[0062] In this embodiment, the drone nest receives a patrol mission instruction sent from a remote patrol mission instruction issuing platform. The patrol mission is issued to the drone nest in the form of a patrol point set. After the drone nest receives the patrol mission instruction, it performs a full range of self-inspection through the relevant programs of the main control module set inside the drone nest. The self-inspection status includes: mechanical system status, network communication status, equipment inspection status, environmental perception status, fire protection system status, SD card usage rate and battery health.

[0063] Specifically, determining the self-test status includes the following steps:

[0064] Determine the state of the mechanical system, that is, determine whether the main control module and the motor are operating normally;

[0065] Determine the network communication status, that is, determine whether the communication between the drone nest serial port and the network port is normal;

[0066] Determine the equipment inspection status, that is, determine whether the drone nest uninterruptible power supply UPS, centering mechanism, swing arm double cabin door and air conditioning are normal, and whether the drone battery power meets the patrol mission power threshold value;

[0067] Determine the environmental perception status, that is, determine whether the temperature and humidity, wind direction, wind speed, rainfall and atmospheric pressure outside the drone nest meet the drone take-off conditions;

[0068] Determine the status of the fire protection system, that is, determine whether there is water or smoke inside the drone nest;

[0069] Determine the status of the drone's SD card, that is, determine whether the SD card memory usage is higher than the cleaning setting value. In particular, if the SD card memory usage in the current mission is higher than the cleaning setting value, the patrol mission will not be terminated. The SD card memory will be automatically cleaned after the mission is completed and the patrol results are uploaded.

[0070] The health of the drone battery is determined, that is, the number of charge and discharge cycles of the drone battery is determined. If the number of cycles exceeds a first set value, a reminder is given to replace the drone battery. Preferably, the first set value in the embodiment of the present invention is 300.

[0071] In some embodiments, the inspection task instruction issuing platform includes but is not limited to: a remote intelligent inspection system and a drone management module, which serves as background management software to issue inspection tasks to drone nests as planned, remotely and intelligently manage drone inspection operations, analyze task inspection results and generate inspection reports.

[0072] Step 2: Determine the charging status of the drone. If the drone is charging, disconnect the charger. If the drone is not charging, proceed to the next step.

[0073] In this embodiment, after the drone nest self-checks normally, the main control module monitors the current charging status of the drone. If the drone is charging, the main control module controls the drone charging module to disconnect charging.

[0074] Step 3: Turn on the remote controller. After determining that the remote controller is in the power-on state, issue the UAV power-on command. If the UAV is in the power-on state, proceed to the next step.

[0075] Specifically, Figure 4As shown, the main control module sends a remote control power-on command, delays for a second set value time to determine the network connection status of the remote control and the main control module. If the connection status is normal, the drone power-on command is sent, otherwise the remote control power-on command is resent. After the remote control power-on command is sent for a third set value number of times, if the remote control and the main control module network are still not connected, the patrol mission is terminated; after the drone power-on command is sent, the fourth set value time is delayed to determine the connection status of the drone and the remote control image transmission. If the connection is normal, the next step is executed, otherwise the drone power-on command is resent. After the drone power-on command is sent for a fifth set value number of times, if the drone and the remote control image transmission are still not connected, the patrol mission is terminated.

[0076] In the embodiment of the present invention, the second setting value is preferably 15s, the third setting value is preferably 3 times, the fourth setting value is preferably 10s, and the fifth setting value is preferably 5 times.

[0077] In this embodiment, the remote control on / off control is led out through hard wiring and directly connected to the main control module of the drone nest. The remote control power-on command is issued in the form of pulses; the drone is directly connected to the main control module of the drone nest through the charging contact on the Y axis of the centering mechanism and the bracket installed on the drone fuselage. The main control module issues the drone power-on command through the connection circuit to turn on the drone. The centering mechanism 3 is arranged on the top of the parking platform 2 of the drone nest 1. The centering mechanism 3 includes an X-axis and a Y-axis, wherein the X-axis and the Y-axis are perpendicular to each other and are each provided with two. The drone nest is provided with an X-axis motor for driving the two X-axes to move forward and backward, and a Y-axis motor for driving the two Y-axes to move. The drones landed on the parking platform are gathered to the center position of the parking platform through the movement of the X-axis and the Y-axis.

[0078] Step 4: Determine the drone battery power and drone video stream status. When the drone battery power is greater than the set value and the drone video stream can be obtained, proceed to the next step.

[0079] In the embodiment of the present invention, after the drone and the remote controller are turned on, the drone nest main control module can receive the current battery power of the two. When the battery power of the drone is lower than the sixth set value, the patrol mission is terminated; after the remote controller is turned on, it will automatically jump to the DroneFly APP developed based on DJI MSDK to display the RTSP configuration interface. After the remote controller and the drone image transmission are connected normally, the RTSP configuration interface can display the real-time picture of the drone and simultaneously push the stream to the main control module. The main control module judges the status of the drone video stream based on this, and re-pull the drone video stream if it is not obtained.

[0080] In the embodiment of the present invention, the sixth set value is preferably 80% of the current inspection task execution threshold power.

[0081] Step 5: Open the rocker-type double hatch on the top of the drone nest in coordination. After the rocker-type double hatch changes to open, the X and Y axes of the centering mechanism are released in coordination. After the X and Y axes of the centering mechanism change to released, the next step is executed. The hatch and the centering mechanism are opened and released as shown in the following figure. Figure 5 shown.

[0082] The rocker-type double hatch is installed on the top of the drone nest, including the following steps:

[0083] The left door 4 and the right door 5 are symmetrically arranged on the top of the drone nest 1 to form double doors;

[0084] Four rocker arms 6 are rotatably mounted on the front and rear sides of the left door 4 and the right door 5 respectively;

[0085] The free end of each rocker arm 6 is rotatably connected to a linkage rod, and each linkage rod is rotatably connected to the drone nest;

[0086] A left door motor and a right door motor are arranged inside the drone nest, and the left door motor and the right door motor are respectively connected to a linkage rod of the left door and a linkage rod of the right door in a transmission manner.

[0087] The judgment logic of the rocker-type double hatch door and the centering mechanism status is:

[0088] The closing and centering mechanism tightening positions of the rocker-arm double hatch doors are calibrated as the origin, and a photoelectric sensor is installed at the origin to ensure the calibration of the origin position;

[0089] When the rocker-type double hatch door and the centering mechanism reach the origin position and detect the action of the photoelectric sensor, the state is judged to be closed and tightened, and the current position is marked as the origin;

[0090] When the rocker-type double-cabin door and the centering mechanism reach the designated end counting position, the state is judged to be open and released;

[0091] The remaining positions are identified as intermediate states.

[0092] In the embodiment of the present invention, after the drone nest detects that the drone is turned on, the main control module sends a one-button opening command for the nest, and the rocker-type double doors and the centering mechanism are opened and released in sequence under the action of the programmable logic controller PLC and the servo-driven integrated motor; the execution order is: the left door motor rotates, and the left door is driven to open through the linkage rod and the rocker structure, and after a delay of 1s, the right door motor rotates to drive the right door to open, and the left and right doors are opened successively because the left door 4 is sealed in the middle of the door and the right door 5 is at the bottom; after the left and right doors reach the preset end position, the X and Y axis motors of the centering mechanism rotate at the same time, and the X and Y axes of the centering mechanism are driven to move outward at the same time through the screw rod to release the drone, and the next step is executed after the X and Y axes of the centering mechanism reach the preset end position.

[0093] Step 6: Determine the type of real-time dynamic RTK signal positioning solution received by the drone. If the positioning solution is a fixed solution, proceed to the next step.

[0094] Specifically, Figure 6 As shown, after the door is fully opened, the seventh setting value time interval is delayed to determine whether the real-time dynamic positioning RTK positioning solution type is a fixed solution. If it is a fixed solution, the next step is executed. If it is not a fixed solution, a reconnection RTK instruction is issued. After reconnecting the eighth setting value times, if the RTK positioning solution type is still a non-fixed solution, the patrol mission is terminated. In the embodiment of the present invention, the seventh setting value is preferably 15s, and the eighth setting value is preferably 2 times.

[0095] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, an RTK base station is used to provide an RTK signal for the UAV. The RTK base station is installed in an open area near the UAV nest, operates for a long time, and searches for 10 or more satellites. After the UAV is turned on, it starts searching for RTK positioning signals. After the hatch of the UAV nest is opened, the RTK positioning solution type will gradually change to a fixed solution. If the centering mechanism is completely released and the RTK positioning solution type does not change to a fixed solution after a delay of 15 seconds, the main control module of the nest will issue an RTK reconnection command. If the RTK positioning solution type is still a non-fixed solution after reconnecting twice, the patrol mission will be terminated.

[0096] In some embodiments, Network RTK and Custom Network RTK are used to provide positioning for the drone.

[0097] Step 7: Download the patrol mission route file to the remote controller. After receiving the patrol mission route file, the remote controller controls the drone to take off and perform the patrol mission. After the drone takes off, the rocker-type double hatches close in coordination, and the X and Y axes of the centering mechanism remain in the released state. During the mission, the drone's nest buzzer sounds for a long time to warn.

[0098] In this embodiment, the drone nest master module retrieves the kmz format route file corresponding to this patrol mission and transmits it to the remote controller via FTP. The remote controller controls the drone to execute the route file via a private communication link. After the drone nest master module detects that the drone has taken off, it issues a rocker-type double cabin door closing command. The PLC and cabin door motor respond to drive the rocker-type double cabin door to close in coordination. In order to shorten the time it takes for the drone to return to the nest after completing the patrol mission, the X and Y axes of the return mechanism remain in the released state and do not move.

[0099] Step 8: After the drone completes its patrol mission, it returns to the drone nest and hovers over it. It waits for the rocker-type double doors to open in coordination and then accurately lands on the landing platform with the help of RTK and visual positioning technology.

[0100] In this embodiment, after the drone completes the route file corresponding to the patrol mission, it returns to the air above the drone nest and hovers. After the drone nest main control module recognizes the drone's hovering state, it controls the rocker-type double doors to open sequentially. After the rocker-type double doors become open, the drone begins to land. When it reaches the height at which the drone nest positioning QR code can be identified, the drone's visual positioning takes effect, and the drone's yaw angle is adjusted to the take-off yaw angle before continuing to descend. When it descends to a height of 30 cm from the parking platform, it slowly descends to the parking platform at a speed of 0.1 m / s.

[0101] In some embodiments, the drone returns to a hovering position directly above the drone nest at a height less than the height of the drone's identifiable positioning QR code. After the rocker-type double doors are opened in sequence, the drone first adjusts its yaw angle to the take-off yaw angle before starting to descend.

[0102] In some embodiments, the yaw angle of the drone when it returns to the hovering position directly above the drone nest is equal to the yaw angle during takeoff, and the drone does not adjust the yaw angle after the visual positioning takes effect.

[0103] In some embodiments, visual positioning technology uses drone visual sensors, combined with image processing algorithms and machine learning, to enable the drone to autonomously identify and accurately land at a preset location during the return flight.

[0104] Step 9: The UAV transmits the inspection results to the UAV nest. After the transmission is completed, the X-axis of the centering mechanism begins to tighten. After the X-axis state of the centering mechanism changes to tightened, the Y-axis of the centering mechanism begins to tighten. After the Y-axis state of the centering mechanism changes to tightened, the rocker-type double cabin doors close cooperatively.

[0105] In this embodiment, after the UAV blades stop rotating, the photos corresponding to this task in the UAV memory card are downloaded in units to the remote control / uav / media folder. After the download is complete, they are transferred to the UAV machine nest main control module / home / uapc / image path via FTP, and the main control module sends them to the patrol system for viewing and analysis; after all the patrol results are transmitted to the machine nest main control module, the X-axis of the centering mechanism begins to tighten, pushing the UAV to the middle position in the X-axis direction. After the X-axis state of the centering mechanism changes to tightening, the Y-axis of the centering mechanism begins to tighten, pushing the UAV bracket to accurately dock with the UAV bracket charging head. After the Y-axis state of the centering mechanism changes to tightening, the right door of the rocker-arm double door is closed collaboratively 1s before the left door.

[0106] Step 10: After the inspection results are transmitted, turn off the drone first. After the drone and the remote controller are disconnected, turn off the remote controller. After the remote controller and the main control module are disconnected, the inspection mission is completed.

[0107] In this embodiment, after the drone nest main control module receives the inspection result transmission completion information, it issues the drone shutdown command, and after the drone and remote control image transmission connection status changes from 1 to 0, it issues the remote control shutdown command, and after the remote control and main control module network connection status changes from 1 to 0, this inspection mission ends. At the same time, when the main control module detects that the drone battery temperature is lower than 41°C and the power is lower than 80%, the charging module starts to charge the drone battery in 6.5A constant current mode, and when the power is charged to 90%, it is trickle charged to 100% in 17.6V constant voltage mode.

[0108] Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides a power inspection drone nest device, including: a drone nest 1 for executing the power inspection drone nest collaborative operation method in Embodiment 1.

[0109] like Figure 5 As shown, a parking platform 2 for parking the drone is provided inside the drone nest 1, and a centering mechanism 3 for centering the drone is provided on the top of the parking platform 2. A rocker-type double-cabin door for opening or closing the parking platform is provided on the top of the drone nest. A main control module is provided inside the drone nest, and the main control module is connected to the rocker-type double-cabin door, the centering mechanism, the drone, and the remote controller, and is used to determine the drone self-test status, charging status, remote controller status, battery power, video stream status, and the type of positioning solution in the RTK signal received by the drone, and control the rocker-type double-cabin door, the centering mechanism, and the remote controller.

[0110] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of the present invention is that before the drone performs the inspection task, the present invention not only judges the self-check status of the drone nest, but also judges the drone charging status, battery power and RTK positioning solution type, ensuring that the drone will only start when the charging is disconnected, avoiding the phenomenon that the drone will still shut down after the charging is disconnected when the power-on command is issued during the charging of the drone. At the same time, before the drone takes off, the present invention ensures that the battery power of the drone can meet the inspection task requirements, avoiding the drone running out of power and returning midway, affecting the inspection operation efficiency; the present invention controls the drone to take off only when the RTK positioning solution type is a fixed solution, which can ensure the stability of the drone inspection. In addition, the present invention also adds a drone video stream status check, and executes the task after the drone nest can obtain the drone video stream, ensuring that the drone real-time picture and visual landing are normal, thereby improving the continuity, reliability and success rate of the drone nest inspection task, realizing the efficient management of drones and all-weather unmanned stable operation, which is of great significance for promoting the intelligent application of drone nests in the power industry.

[0111] In order to further improve the reliability of drone inspection operations, the present invention adds judgments on the mechanical system status, network communication status, equipment inspection status, environmental perception status, fire protection system status, SD card usage rate, battery health and other statuses in the self-inspection judgment step of the drone nest. The self-inspection is more comprehensive, which can improve the success rate of downloading inspection results and the efficiency of executing inspection tasks. In addition, the present invention adds automatic cleaning logic for the drone SD card by judging the SD card usage rate. When the SD card usage rate is higher than the preset cleaning value, the SD card memory is automatically cleaned up after the inspection task is completed and the results are uploaded, thereby improving the reliability of inspection photo downloads.

[0112] Furthermore, the present invention provides a remote control on / off control to prevent the remote control from being turned off for a long time, which may cause the inspection process to be interrupted and the risk of hardware damage.

[0113] Furthermore, the present invention also adds a step of RTK reconnection. After the UAV is turned on, the seventh set time interval is delayed. If the RTK positioning solution type has not reached a fixed solution, an RTK reconnection instruction is issued. After determining the eighth set value of reconnections, if the RTK positioning solution type still has not reached a fixed solution, the patrol mission is terminated to improve the stability of the patrol mission.

[0114] Furthermore, after the inspection mission of the present invention is completed and the drone returns to the machine nest, it first downloads the inspection photos and then closes the cabin door of the machine nest, so as to avoid the cabin door affecting the image transmission quality, resulting in a slow transmission rate or incomplete transmission of the inspection photos.

[0115] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, ordinary technicians in the relevant field should understand that the specific implementation methods of the present invention can still be modified or replaced by equivalents, and any modifications or equivalent replacements that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for cooperative operation of a power inspection drone and a nest, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: The drone nest receives the patrol mission instruction and determines the self-inspection status; When it is determined that the drone nest self-check status meets the requirements, the drone charging status is determined; After making sure the drone is disconnected from charging, turn on the remote controller and the drone in sequence; Determine the drone battery level and drone video stream status; When the battery power of the drone is greater than the set value and the drone video stream can be obtained, the rocker-type double hatches set on the top of the drone nest are opened collaboratively, and the return mechanism is activated to release the drone; When the drone is released, determine the type of RTK signal positioning solution received by the drone; When the RTK positioning solution is fixed, the remote controller is used to control the drone to take off and perform inspection tasks.

2. The power inspection drone and nest collaborative operation method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The drone nest receives the patrol mission command and determines the self-inspection status, including the following steps: Determine whether the main control module and motor operating status inside the drone nest are normal; Determine whether the communication between the drone's serial port and network port is normal; Determine whether the drone's uninterruptible power supply UPS, centering mechanism, swing-arm double hatch and air conditioning are normal, and whether the drone's battery power meets the patrol mission power threshold; Determine whether the temperature, humidity, wind direction, wind speed, rainfall and atmospheric pressure outside the drone nest meet the drone take-off conditions; Determine whether there is water or smoke inside the drone nest; Determine whether the SD card memory usage is higher than the cleaning setting value. If the SD card memory usage is higher than the cleaning setting value in the current task, do not end the patrol task. Wait until the task is completed and the patrol results are uploaded before automatically cleaning the SD card memory. The number of charge and discharge cycles of the drone battery is determined, and if the number of cycles exceeds a first set value, a reminder is given to replace the drone battery.

3. The power inspection drone and nest collaborative operation method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: After making sure the drone is disconnected from charging, turn on the remote controller and drone in sequence, including the following steps: After the remote control power-on command is issued, the second set value is delayed to determine the network connection status between the remote control and the main control module. If the connection status is normal, the drone power-on command is issued, otherwise the remote control power-on command is resent; After the remote controller power-on command is sent for the third set value times, if the remote controller is still not connected to the main control module network, the patrol task is terminated; After the UAV power-on command is issued, the fourth setting value is delayed to determine the connection status between the UAV and the remote controller. If the connection is normal, proceed to the next step, otherwise resend the UAV power-on command; After the UAV power-on command is sent the fifth set value times, if the UAV and the remote controller image transmission are still not connected, the patrol mission will be ended.

4. The electric power inspection drone and nest collaborative operation method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Determining the drone battery level and drone video stream status includes the following steps: The main control module installed inside the drone nest determines the drone battery power and drone video stream status; If the battery power of the drone reaches the sixth set value and the main control module reads the video stream normally, the next step is executed, otherwise the patrol mission is terminated.

5. The electric power inspection drone and nest collaborative operation method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: When the drone is released, the following steps are performed to determine the drone battery level and the drone video stream status: When the drone is released and the door is opened for a delay of a seventh set time interval, the type of RTK signal positioning solution received by the drone is determined; If the RTK positioning solution type is a fixed solution, execute the next step. If the RTK positioning solution type is a non-fixed solution, issue a reconnect RTK command. After reconnecting for the eighth preset number of times, if the RTK positioning solution type is still a non-fixed solution, end this patrol mission.

6. The electric power inspection drone and nest collaborative operation method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: When the RTK positioning solution is fixed, the remote controller is used to control the drone to take off and perform the inspection task, including the following steps: When the RTK positioning solution is fixed, download the patrol mission route file to the remote controller. After receiving the patrol mission route file, the remote controller controls the drone to take off and execute. When the UAV takes off, the rocker-type double hatches close in coordination and the centering mechanism remains in the released state. During the mission, the buzzer on the UAV nest sounds for a long time as a warning.

7. The method for cooperative operation of a power inspection drone and a nest according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises the following steps: After the drone completes its patrol mission, it returns to hover directly above the drone nest; After the main control module of the drone nest recognizes the drone's hovering state, it controls the rocker-type double cabin doors to open; When the rocker-type double doors are opened, the drone can be accurately landed on the parking platform of the drone nest with the help of RTK and visual positioning technology.

8. The method for cooperative operation of power inspection drone and machine nest according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The visual positioning technology uses the drone's visual sensor, combined with image processing algorithms and machine learning, to enable the drone to autonomously identify and accurately land at a preset location during the return process.

9. The electric power inspection drone and nest collaborative operation method according to claim 7 is characterized in that: When the drone lands on the landing platform, the following steps are also included: The drone transmits the inspection results to the drone nest; After the inspection results are transmitted, the centering mechanism is tightened to place the drone in the center of the parking platform, and the rocker-type double cabin doors are closed in coordination; After the rocker-type double hatch is closed, turn off the drone. When the drone is disconnected from the remote controller's image transmission, turn off the remote controller. When the remote controller is disconnected from the main control module's network, the patrol mission ends.

10. A power inspection drone nest device, characterized in that: include: A drone nest for executing the power inspection drone nest collaborative operation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; The drone nest is provided with a parking platform for parking the drone inside, and a centering mechanism for centering the drone is provided on the top of the parking platform; a rocker-type double-cabin door for opening or closing the parking platform is provided on the top of the drone nest; A main control module is provided inside the drone nest, which is connected to the rocker-type double-cabin door, the centering mechanism, the drone, and the remote control. The main control module is used to determine the drone's self-test status, charging status, remote control status, battery power, video stream status, and the type of RTK signal positioning solution received by the drone, and to control the actions of the rocker-type double-cabin door, the centering mechanism, and the remote control.

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