Longitudinal slope trafficability safety protection system for unmanned vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a longitudinal slope trafficability safety protection system for an unmanned vehicle. The longitudinal slope trafficability safety protection system comprises a winch module, a protection module, a control module, a fixed pulley assembly and a cable. The fixed pulley assembly is installed at the junction of the ramp and the ramp top end plane, and the winch module is installed on the ramp top end plane and is 10 m or above away from the fixed pulley assembly. The protection module is arranged behind the unmanned vehicle, is separated from the unmanned vehicle by a set distance and is provided with a space for accommodating the unmanned vehicle; one end of the cable is connected with the winch module, the other end of the cable is connected with the protection module after the direction is changed through the fixed pulley assembly, and the cable is parallel to the ramp and the ramp top plane; the control module is used for controlling the winch module so as to control the moving speed of the protection module, and the protection module is always away from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle by a set distance. In emergency, the control module controls the winch module to drive the protection module to stop, advance in an accelerated mode or retreat in an accelerated mode. According to the invention, the safety of the unmanned vehicle longitudinal slope trafficability test can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of field test of unmanned vehicles, and in particular to a longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles. Background Art

[0002] In the development stage of unmanned vehicles, the reliability of wire control, remote control, and autonomous performance technologies has not been fully verified, and the scientific research stage is even more uncertain. In the longitudinal slope passability test, the following dangers may occur: 1) The center of mass is too high, and the vehicle is prone to flipping in the longitudinal slope passability test; 2) The vehicle is insufficiently powered during the climbing process and cannot climb up, which is prone to slipping; 3) System abnormality, vehicle loss of control; 4) Human error, vehicle loss of control. These will cause varying degrees of damage to the unmanned vehicle and affect the implementation of subsequent plans.

[0003] In the context where the test vehicles and personnel operations cannot be effectively controlled, it is necessary to develop safe and realistic test facilities and equipment while ensuring that the longitudinal slope passability can be safely tested and the original technical state of the vehicle cannot be changed. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles, which can ensure the safety of longitudinal slope passability tests of unmanned vehicles.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles, comprising a winch module, a protection module, a control module, a fixed pulley assembly and a cable;

[0007] The fixed pulley assembly is installed at the junction of the ramp and the plane at the top of the ramp, and the winch module is installed on the plane at the top of the ramp, more than 10 meters away from the fixed pulley assembly; the protection module is arranged behind the unmanned vehicle, at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle, and the protection module has a space for accommodating the unmanned vehicle; one end of the cable is connected to the winch module, and after changing direction through the fixed pulley assembly, the other end is connected to the protection module, and the cable is parallel to the ramp and the plane at the top of the ramp;

[0008] The control module is used to control the winch module, thereby controlling the moving speed of the protection module so that the protection module is always at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle; in an emergency, the control module controls the winch module to drive the protection module to stop, accelerate forward or accelerate backward.

[0009] Furthermore, the protection module includes a vehicle body frame, a flexible protection net, universal wheels, a traction rod and a laser rangefinder;

[0010] The vehicle frame is in the shape of a concave letter "U" as a whole, with the open end facing downwards, and two opposite open surfaces, namely the front and the rear. The front serves as the entrance for the unmanned vehicle, and the rear is enclosed by a flexible protective net. The universal wheel is installed at the bottom of the vehicle frame. The traction rod is fixed on both sides of the entrance of the vehicle frame for connection with the cable. The laser rangefinder is arranged at the top of the vehicle frame for sending the monitoring distance between the protection module and the rear end of the unmanned vehicle to the control module.

[0011] Further, the vehicle body frame includes connecting rods, reinforcing beams and cross beams;

[0012] The four connecting rods are welded into a rectangle as the side, and two reinforcing beams are cross-welded in the diagonal direction; a number of beams are fixed on the top of the two side surfaces, and the space between the two side surfaces serves as a space for accommodating unmanned vehicles; a beam is provided at the bottom behind the two side surfaces; by connecting beams of different lengths, the width of the protection module can be adjusted.

[0013] Furthermore, two traction rods are used on one side of the entrance of the vehicle body frame in a V shape. By adjusting the length of the two traction rods, the height from the ground when the cable is connected to the traction rod can be changed, so that the cable between the fixed pulley assembly and the protection module is parallel to the ramp.

[0014] Furthermore, the flexible protective net is made of high-performance fiber material.

[0015] Furthermore, the winch module includes a motor, a transmission mechanism, a brake mechanism and a winch;

[0016] The motor drives the transmission mechanism to transmit power to the winch, driving the winch to rotate and wind the cable, pulling the protection module to move to the top of the ramp; when the protection module needs to stop moving, the winch is braked by the braking mechanism, and the protection module stops moving upward.

[0017] Further, the control module includes a power source and a controller, the power source supplies power to the motor and the controller;

[0018] The controller includes two working modes, one is a normal working mode and the other is an emergency working mode; in the normal working mode, the controller controls the speed of the motor according to the monitoring distance of the laser rangefinder received in real time, thereby controlling the moving speed of the protection module, so that the protection module is always at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle; in the emergency working mode, the manual operation control module controls the winch module to drive the protection module to stop, accelerate forward or accelerate backward.

[0019] Furthermore, the fixed pulley assembly includes a fixed pulley and a pulley support. The axial fixing arm of the fixed pulley is processed with an external thread and can be vertically rotated and screwed into the internal threaded hole of the fixed pulley support. The axial height of the fixed pulley is ensured to be consistent with the installation height of the winch module by adjusting the rotation depth.

[0020] Furthermore, the longitudinal slope passability test for different slopes can test the maximum slope boundary of the longitudinal slope passability of the unmanned vehicle.

[0021] Beneficial effects:

[0022] 1. The winch module, protection module, control module, fixed pulley assembly and cable of the present invention interact with each other to timely protect the unmanned vehicle from the dangers of overturning, sliding and losing control, ensure that the unmanned vehicle can pass the ramp smoothly, eliminate safety hazards and avoid vehicle damage. The safety protection system has a simple structure and is easy to install; it acts in time and effectively protects the vehicle; it shortens the test cycle and reduces the test cost.

[0023] 2. The flexible protective net of the present invention is made of high-performance fiber materials. When the unmanned vehicle is in danger of overturning, sliding, losing control, etc., the flexible protective net can effectively prevent the unmanned vehicle from colliding and prevent the sensors and other parts on the unmanned vehicle from being damaged.

[0024] 3. The controller of the present invention includes two working modes, and which working mode to adopt can be determined according to actual conditions, thereby ensuring that the unmanned vehicle can safely pass the longitudinal slope passability test, and is widely applicable.

[0025] 4. The fixed pulley assembly of the present invention ensures that the installation height is consistent with that of the winch module by different thread rotation depths, so that the rear half of the cable is parallel to the ground, ensuring that the cable can work normally in the fixed pulley and prevent it from detaching.

[0026] 5. The present invention can be applied to ramps of different angles, and can test the limits of vehicle maneuverability, providing an effective basis for design, thereby improving the test applicability of vehicles and significantly reducing test costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is the main view of the protection module.

[0029] Figure 3 The left side view of the protection module.

[0030] Figure 4 A top view of the protection module.

[0031] Figure 5 This is the schematic diagram of the winch module and controller.

[0032] Among them, 1-power source, 2-winch module, 3-winch support, 4-fixed pulley, 5-fixed pulley support, 6-cable, 7-protection module, 8-universal wheel, 9-traction rod, 10-laser rangefinder, 11-vehicle frame, 12-reinforcement beam, 13-cross beam, 14-flexible protection net. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0034] The present invention provides a longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for an unmanned vehicle, comprising a winch module 2, a protection module 7, a control module, a fixed pulley assembly and a cable 6.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the fixed pulley assembly is installed at the junction of the ramp and the plane at the top of the ramp, and the winch module 2 is installed on the plane at the top of the ramp, more than 10 meters away from the fixed pulley assembly; the protection module 7 is set behind the unmanned vehicle, at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle, and the protection module 7 has space to accommodate the unmanned vehicle; the set distance is 1.5 to 2.5 meters, and is set to 2 meters in this embodiment. One end of the cable 6 is connected to the winch module 2, and after changing direction through the fixed pulley assembly, the other end is connected to the protection module 7. The cable 6 is parallel to the ramp and the plane at the top of the ramp. The cable 6 pulls the protection module 7 to move toward the top of the ramp.

[0036] The control module is used to control the winch module 2, thereby controlling the moving speed of the protection module 7, so that the protection module 7 is always at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle; in an emergency, the control module controls the winch module 2 to drive the protection module 7 to stop, accelerate forward or accelerate backward.

[0037] Specifically, Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the protection module 7 includes a vehicle frame 11, a flexible protection net 14, a universal wheel 8, a traction rod 9 and a laser rangefinder 10; the vehicle frame 11 is in a concave shape as a whole, with the open end facing downward, and the two opposite open surfaces are the front and the rear, the front is used as the entrance for the unmanned vehicle, and the rear is enclosed by the flexible protection net 14, and there are no parts in the front, so that the unmanned vehicle can drive into the protection module 7; the universal wheel 8 is installed at the bottom of the vehicle frame 11, and two universal wheels 8 are provided on each side; the traction rod 9 is fixed on both sides of the entrance of the vehicle frame 11 for connecting with the cable 6; the laser rangefinder 10 is arranged at the top of the vehicle frame 11, and is used to send the monitoring distance between the protection module 7 and the rear end of the unmanned vehicle to the control module.

[0038] The vehicle body frame 11 includes connecting rods, reinforcing beams 12 and cross beams 13; four connecting rods are welded into a rectangle as the side, which is a rigid connection, and two reinforcing beams 12 are cross-welded in the diagonal direction to ensure the strength of the vehicle body frame 11. The connecting rods are made of channel steel; a number of cross beams 13 are fixed on the top of the two side surfaces, and the space between the two side surfaces is used as a space to accommodate unmanned vehicles. In this embodiment, four cross beams 13 are used on the top, and through holes are processed at both ends of the cross beams 13. They are fixedly connected to the tops of the two side surfaces by bolts to ensure that the protection module 7 has sufficient strength and rigidity. Two cross beams 13 are respectively located at the two ends of the side surfaces, and the other two cross beams 13 are arranged in the middle, and the four cross beams 13 are spaced at the same distance; a cross beam 13 is also provided at the bottom behind the two side surfaces; by connecting cross beams 13 of different lengths, the width of the protection module 7 can be adjusted to adapt to unmanned vehicles of different widths.

[0039] Four traction rods 9 are used on both sides of the entrance of the vehicle frame 11, and two traction rods 9 are used on one side of the entrance of the vehicle frame 11, which are V-shaped. By adjusting the length of the two traction rods 9, the height from the ground when the cable 6 is connected to the traction rod 9 can be changed, so that the cable 6 between the fixed pulley assembly and the protection module 7 is parallel to the ramp, so as to ensure that the cable 6 can work normally in the fixed pulley 4 and prevent it from detaching. Specifically, the traction rod 9 is cylindrical and consists of two sections of traction rods threadedly connected. The two sections of traction rods are the first traction rod and the second traction rod. One end of the first traction rod is fixedly connected to the vehicle frame 11, and the other end is processed with an internal threaded hole; one end of the second traction rod is processed with an external thread and is threadedly connected to the first traction rod. The other end of the second traction rod is installed with a lifting ring for connecting with the cable 6. The overall length of the traction rod 9 is adjusted by adjusting the screwing length of the first traction rod and the second traction rod. The cable 6 passes through the lifting rings on the two traction rods 9 at the same time to achieve connection.

[0040] The flexible protection net 14 is made of high-performance fiber material. When the unmanned vehicle enters the protection module 7, the flexible protection net 14 effectively protects the unmanned vehicle. At the same time, the winch module 2 stops moving, and the cable 6 pulls the unmanned vehicle to prevent the unmanned vehicle from rolling over, sliding, or losing control. It can effectively prevent the unmanned vehicle from colliding, deforming, or damaging the radar, external camera, and perception sensor installed on the vehicle.

[0041] The winch module 2 is installed on the top plane of the ramp through the winch support 3. The lower end of the winch support 3 is fixed to the ground through anchor bolts and is required to have sufficient strength to withstand the tension. Figure 5As shown, the winch module 2 includes a motor, a transmission mechanism, a braking mechanism and a winch; the motor drives the transmission mechanism to transmit power to the winch, driving the winch to rotate and wind the cable 6, and pulling the protection module 7 to move toward the top of the ramp; when the protection module 7 needs to stop moving, the winch is braked by the braking mechanism, and after the braking force is applied, the protection module 7 stops moving upward, and is pulled by the cable 6 to prevent the protection module 7 from moving downward.

[0042] The fixed pulley assembly includes a fixed pulley 4 and a pulley support. The axial fixing arm of the fixed pulley 4 is processed with an external thread and can be vertically rotated and screwed into the internal threaded hole of the fixed pulley support 5. The axial height of the fixed pulley 4 and the installation height of the winch module 2 are ensured to be consistent by adjusting the rotation depth, so that the cable 6 between the fixed pulley 4 and the winch module 2 is parallel to the ground. It can be seen that the rear half of the cable 6 is parallel to the ground, and the front half of the cable 6 is parallel to the ramp. This can ensure that the cable 6 works normally in the fixed pulley 4 and prevents it from detaching.

[0043] The control module includes a power source 1 and a controller. The power source 1 supplies power to the motor and the controller. The power source 1 uses a 24V battery.

[0044] The controller includes two working modes, one is a normal working mode, and the other is an emergency working mode; in the normal working mode, the controller controls the speed of the motor according to the monitoring distance of the laser rangefinder 10 received in real time, thereby controlling the moving speed of the protection module 7, so that the protection module 7 is always at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle; that is, if the distance between the protection module 7 and the unmanned vehicle exceeds the set distance, the controller issues a command, the motor speed increases, and the protection module 7 accelerates; if the distance between the protection module 7 and the unmanned vehicle is less than the set distance, the controller issues a command, the motor speed decreases, and the protection module 7 decelerates, so that the unmanned vehicle is always within the protection range.

[0045] In the emergency working mode, the manual operation control module controls the winch module 2 to drive the protection module 7 to stop, accelerate forward or accelerate backward. The control module is provided with an emergency stop button, a forward acceleration button and a backward acceleration button. If a danger signal appears when the unmanned vehicle is climbing, the safety protection system is in the emergency working mode, and manual operation is used to accelerate the protection module 7 to allow the unmanned vehicle to enter the protection module 7. The flexible protection net 14 effectively protects the unmanned vehicle. At the same time, the winch module 2 stops moving, and the cable 6 pulls the unmanned vehicle to prevent the unmanned vehicle from turning over, slipping, losing control and other dangers. It can effectively avoid collisions of unmanned vehicles, prevent deformation of unmanned vehicles, and damage to radars, external cameras and perception sensors installed on the vehicle. During the test, if there is an unexpected danger, the emergency stop button can be pressed to stop the winch module 2 and the protection module 7 stops in place.

[0046] The working process is as follows: When the unmanned vehicle is conducting a longitudinal slope passability test, a crossbeam 13 of appropriate length is selected according to the width of the unmanned vehicle to assemble the protection module 7. The fixed pulley support 5 is installed at the junction of the ramp and the plane at the top of the ramp, and the winch support 3 is installed on the plane at the top of the ramp, and the position is more than 10 meters away from the fixed pulley support 5 to ensure that the protection module 7 has enough movement space. The protection module 7 is set behind the unmanned vehicle, 2 meters away from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle. One end of the cable 6 is connected to the winch module 2, and the other end is connected to the protection module 7, and the fixed pulley 4 is used in the middle to change the direction.

[0047] After the winch module 2 is installed and fixed, the height of the axis of the fixed pulley 4 and the ground is changed to ensure that it is installed at the same height as the winch module 2, so that the second half of the cable 6 is parallel to the ground. Then adjust the threaded length of the first traction rod and the second traction rod to adjust the length of the traction rod 9 to change the height from the ground when the cable 6 is connected to the traction rod 9, so that the cable 6 between the fixed pulley 4 and the protection module 7 is parallel to the ramp, which can ensure that the cable 6 works normally in the fixed pulley 4 and prevents it from detaching. Turn on the power source 1 to power the motor and the controller. Start the motor and start it in an idling state. The adjustment distance of adjusting the threaded length of the first traction rod and the second traction rod is limited. If it does not meet the requirements, replace the first and second traction rods of different lengths.

[0048] During the test, if the unmanned vehicle can climb the slope normally and no danger signal appears, the safety protection system is in normal working mode, and the controller receives the distance information measured by the laser rangefinder 10 in real time, issues instructions through calculation and analysis to determine the speed of the motor, transmits power to the winch through the transmission mechanism, drives the winch to rotate to wind the cable 6, and the cable 6 pulls the protection module 7 upward to finally determine the forward speed of the protection module 7. If the distance between the protection module 7 and the unmanned vehicle exceeds 2 meters, the controller issues an instruction, the motor speed increases, and the protection module 7 accelerates; if the distance between the protection module 7 and the unmanned vehicle is less than 2 meters, the controller issues an instruction, the motor speed decreases, and the protection module 7 decelerates, so that the unmanned vehicle is always within the protection range.

[0049] During the test, if a danger signal appears when the unmanned vehicle is climbing a slope, the safety protection system is in emergency working mode, and manual operation is used to accelerate the protection module 7, so that the unmanned vehicle enters the protection module 7, allowing the flexible protection net 14 to effectively protect the unmanned vehicle. At the same time, the winch module 2 stops moving, and the cable 6 pulls the unmanned vehicle to prevent the unmanned vehicle from turning over, slipping, losing control, etc. It can effectively avoid collisions of unmanned vehicles, deformation of unmanned vehicles, and damage to radars, external cameras, and perception sensors installed on the vehicle. During the test, if there is an unexpected danger, you can press the emergency stop button to stop the winch module 2 and stop the protection module 7.

[0050] Therefore, the safety protection system of the present invention can be applied to longitudinal slope passability tests of different slopes, and can test the maximum slope boundary of the longitudinal slope passability of unmanned vehicles, thereby ensuring that the unmanned vehicles are not damaged and providing an effective basis for design.

[0051] In summary, the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A safety protection system for the longitudinal slope passability of unmanned vehicles, characterized in that: It includes a winch module, a protection module, a control module, a fixed pulley assembly and a cable; The fixed pulley assembly is installed at the junction of the ramp and the plane at the top of the ramp, and the winch module is installed on the plane at the top of the ramp, more than 10 meters away from the fixed pulley assembly; the protection module is arranged behind the unmanned vehicle, at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle, and the protection module has a space for accommodating the unmanned vehicle; one end of the cable is connected to the winch module, and after changing direction through the fixed pulley assembly, the other end is connected to the protection module, and the cable is parallel to the ramp and the plane at the top of the ramp; The control module is used to control the winch module, thereby controlling the moving speed of the protection module so that the protection module is always at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle; in an emergency, the control module controls the winch module to drive the protection module to stop, accelerate forward or accelerate backward.

2. The longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protection module includes a vehicle body frame, a flexible protection net, universal wheels, a traction rod and a laser rangefinder; The vehicle frame is in the shape of a concave letter "U" as a whole, with the open end facing downwards, and two opposite open surfaces, namely the front and the rear. The front serves as the entrance for the unmanned vehicle, and the rear is enclosed by a flexible protective net. The universal wheel is installed at the bottom of the vehicle frame. The traction rod is fixed on both sides of the entrance of the vehicle frame for connection with the cable. The laser rangefinder is arranged at the top of the vehicle frame for sending the monitoring distance between the protection module and the rear end of the unmanned vehicle to the control module.

3. The longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vehicle body frame includes connecting rods, reinforcing beams and cross beams; The four connecting rods are welded into a rectangle as the side, and two reinforcing beams are cross-welded in the diagonal direction; a number of beams are fixed on the top of the two side surfaces, and the space between the two side surfaces serves as a space for accommodating unmanned vehicles; a beam is provided at the bottom behind the two side surfaces; by connecting beams of different lengths, the width of the protection module can be adjusted.

4. The longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: Two traction rods are used on one side of the entrance of the vehicle body frame in a V shape. By adjusting the length of the two traction rods, the height from the ground when the cable is connected to the traction rod can be changed, so that the cable between the fixed pulley assembly and the protection module is parallel to the ramp.

5. The longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible protective net is made of high-performance fiber material.

6. The longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: The winch module includes a motor, a transmission mechanism, a brake mechanism and a winch; The motor drives the transmission mechanism to transmit power to the winch, driving the winch to rotate and wind the cable, pulling the protection module to move to the top of the ramp; when the protection module needs to stop moving, the winch is braked by the braking mechanism, and the protection module stops moving upward.

7. The longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control module includes a power source and a controller, the power source supplies power to the motor and the controller; The controller includes two working modes, one is a normal working mode and the other is an emergency working mode; in the normal working mode, the controller controls the speed of the motor according to the monitoring distance of the laser rangefinder received in real time, thereby controlling the moving speed of the protection module, so that the protection module is always at a set distance from the rear end of the unmanned vehicle; in the emergency working mode, the manual operation control module controls the winch module to drive the protection module to stop, accelerate forward or accelerate backward.

8. The longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixed pulley assembly includes a fixed pulley and a pulley support. The axial fixing arm of the fixed pulley is processed with an external thread and can be vertically rotated and screwed into the internal threaded hole of the fixed pulley support. The axial height of the fixed pulley is ensured to be consistent with the installation height of the winch module by adjusting the rotation depth.

9. The longitudinal slope passability safety protection system for unmanned vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: It is used for longitudinal slope passability tests of different slopes and can test the maximum slope boundary of the longitudinal slope passability of unmanned vehicles.

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