Self-stabilizing holder searchlight tracking system
By designing a self-stable gimbal searchlight tracking system, using servo motors, attitude sensors and PID control algorithms, combined with image video processors and high-brightness fill light beads, the problems of poor stability and inaccurate tracking in dynamic environments are solved, and higher stability and tracking accuracy are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510030863.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-28
AI Technical Summary
Traditional searchlight systems have difficulty maintaining stability and tracking accuracy in dynamic or complex environments, especially when unstable ground, strong winds or fast target movements.
A self-stabilized gimbal searchlight tracking system is designed, including a gimbal autonomous stabilization subsystem, a tracking control subsystem and a searchlight subsystem. The servo motor, attitude position sensor and PID control algorithm are used, combined with an image video processor and high-brightness fill light beads to achieve automatic stability and target tracking of the searchlight.
The system can maintain the stability of the searchlight and precise tracking of the target in complex environments, with faster response, higher tracking accuracy and significantly improved stability. It is suitable for night monitoring, security patrol, search and rescue scenarios.
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Figure CN119532697A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of pan / tilt platforms, in particular to a self-stabilizing pan / tilt platform searchlight tracking system. Background Art
[0002] In many application scenarios, the stability and accuracy of lighting and target tracking are crucial, especially in security monitoring, search and rescue operations, border patrols and special missions. The performance of searchlights directly affects the success and efficiency of the mission.
[0003] Traditional searchlight systems are usually two independent products from tracking systems. In dynamic or complex environments, it is often difficult to maintain lighting stability and tracking accuracy. Especially when the ground is unstable, the wind is strong, or the target is moving quickly, the direction of the searchlight is prone to deviation, resulting in the inability to continuously and effectively track the target, and the lighting effect is difficult to guarantee.
[0004] Therefore, a self-stabilized pan-tilt searchlight tracking system is proposed. Summary of the invention
[0005] 1. Technical issues to be solved
[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system, which can maintain the stability of the searchlight and the accuracy of target tracking in different angles and environments. It is suitable for complex scenes such as night monitoring, security patrols, search and rescue, and solves the problems of poor stability and inaccurate tracking of traditional searchlights in dynamic environments.
[0007] (II) Technical solution
[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: a self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system, comprising a pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem, a tracking control subsystem and a searchlight subsystem, the pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem comprising a servo motor, a servo motor connecting arm, a servo controller and a posture position sensor, one end of the servo motor connecting arm is fixedly connected to the servo motor, and the other end of the servo motor connecting arm is fixedly provided with a fixed structure, a data transmission interface is provided on the top of the fixed structure, and the data transmission interface connects the pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem with an external system, the tracking control subsystem comprises an image and video processor and an image and video acquisition camera, the searchlight subsystem comprises a plurality of high-brightness fill light beads, a lamp bead controller, a radiator and a beam adjustment lens, a cavity is provided on the outside of the tracking control subsystem and the searchlight subsystem, the posture position sensor is provided inside the cavity, and the image and video acquisition camera is provided on the side wall of the cavity and is located in the middle of the plurality of high-brightness fill light beads.
[0009] Preferably, the servo motor adopts a horizontal motor and a vertical motor, and the servo motor accurately controls the horizontal and vertical directions of the searchlight through a servo controller.
[0010] Preferably, the servo controller is based on a PID algorithm and adjusts the servo motor angle in real time according to feedback from the attitude sensor to keep the searchlight stable. The PID parameters are adjusted through multiple tests to achieve fast response and high-precision control.
[0011] Preferably, the attitude position sensor uses a combination sensor of a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope to detect the attitude and angle changes of the gimbal in real time and feed back to the servo controller.
[0012] Preferably, the image and video acquisition camera adopts a high-resolution camera for real-time acquisition of video images, which facilitates the image processing system to identify and track the target.
[0013] Preferably, the image video processor uses an embedded image processor or a development board to implement image processing and target detection algorithms.
[0014] Preferably, the high-brightness fill-light lamp beads use high-power LED lamp beads to provide sufficient brightness, and the lamp bead controller adjusts the brightness of the high-brightness fill-light lamp beads.
[0015] Preferably, the radiator is used to dissipate heat for the high-brightness fill light beads, and the beam adjustment lens controls the divergence angle and focusing effect of the light beam to meet the requirements of different target distances.
[0016] Preferably, a shock absorbing mechanism is provided on the top of the fixed structure.
[0017] (III) Beneficial effects
[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system, which has the following beneficial effects:
[0019] 1. High system integration and strong integrity: The searchlight system and tracking control system are combined into one, and lighting and tracking are closely integrated, so that the searchlight and target tracking can work together in one system. Through this design, the searchlight can not only automatically adjust the irradiation direction and angle, but also adjust the brightness and beam angle in real time according to the movement of the target, avoiding the delay and inconvenience caused by the independent control of the traditional searchlight and tracking system, and significantly improving the operating efficiency and response speed.
[0020] 2. Reduce equipment costs and energy consumption: The searchlight and tracking system are combined into a single design, which reduces the equipment and complex wiring required for multi-system collaboration, and reduces production and maintenance costs. At the same time, the integrated system is more streamlined, reduces power consumption and equipment wear, and improves overall efficiency, making it more economical and environmentally friendly.
[0021] 3. Faster response and higher tracking accuracy: Due to the reduction of data sharing and communication delay within the system, the response time of the system is significantly shortened, making the synchronization of tracking and lighting stronger, avoiding delays in the information transmission process, allowing the searchlight to follow the target in real time, maintaining the accuracy and stability of lighting, and further improving the accuracy of target tracking.
[0022] 4. Significantly improved stability: The gimbal autonomous stabilization system ensures the stable operation of the searchlight in complex and dynamic environments through the cooperation of servo motors, attitude sensors and PID control algorithms. It can effectively resist the influence of external vibrations, wind and other factors. Whether on unstable platforms such as vehicles, ships or drones, the searchlight can always maintain stable illumination, improving the adaptability of the system.
[0023] 5. High target tracking accuracy: Combined with image processing algorithms and automatic tracking systems, the present invention can detect targets in real time and track them accurately. The system can automatically adjust the angle and direction of the searchlight according to the movement of the target to ensure that the lighting is always focused on the target. This technology greatly improves the accuracy of target tracking, especially when the target moves quickly or the environment is complex, it can still maintain efficient tracking.
[0024] 6. Continuous lighting and dynamic adjustment: The searchlight system has automatic beam adjustment and brightness adjustment functions. It can automatically adjust the light intensity and irradiation angle according to the distance of the target and the ambient brightness, ensuring that the target can obtain continuous and uniform lighting effects under any circumstances. This function is especially suitable for night monitoring, search and rescue, patrol and other tasks, providing reliable lighting guarantee.
[0025] 7. Strong environmental adaptability: The system can work normally in various complex environments, especially on unstable dynamic platforms or in severe weather conditions. The gimbal can still maintain the stability and illumination effect of the searchlight. At the same time, the design of the heat dissipation system and the beam adjustment lens ensures the stable operation of the searchlight under high power and long-term work.
[0026] 8. High degree of automation and easy operation: The system realizes full automation from target detection, tracking to lighting adjustment, without manual intervention, which greatly simplifies the operation process. Users only need to set basic working parameters, and the system can automatically complete complex tracking and lighting tasks, which improves work efficiency and reduces the possibility of manual errors.
[0027] 9. Wide range of application scenarios: The system is suitable for security monitoring, search and rescue operations, border patrols and other scenarios. It has great advantages in particular when it is necessary to continuously track fast-moving targets and provide efficient lighting. The high precision and high stability of the system enable it to meet the task requirements in various harsh environments, and it has strong practicality and promotion value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] Figure 1 The present invention provides a schematic structural diagram of a self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system.
[0029] In the figure: 1. Fixed structure; 2. Servo motor connecting arm; 3. Servo motor; 4. Cavity; 5. High-brightness fill light beads; 6. Image and video acquisition camera; 7. Data transmission interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0031] Hardware Design
[0032] See also Figure 1 A self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system includes a pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem, a tracking control subsystem and a searchlight subsystem. The pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem includes a servo motor 3, a servo motor connecting arm 2, a servo controller and an attitude position sensor. The servo controller is based on a PID algorithm and adjusts the angle of the servo motor 3 in real time according to the feedback of the attitude sensor to keep the searchlight stable. The PID parameters are adjusted after multiple tests to achieve the effect of fast response and high-precision control. One end of the servo motor connecting arm 2 is fixedly connected to the servo motor 3. The servo motor 3 adopts a horizontal motor and a vertical motor, and the servo motor 3 accurately controls the horizontal and vertical directions of the searchlight through the servo controller. The attitude position sensor uses a combined sensor of a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope to detect the attitude and angle changes of the pan-tilt in real time and feed back to the servo controller. The other end of the servo motor connecting arm 2 is fixedly provided with a fixed structure 1. A shock absorbing mechanism is provided on the top of the fixed structure 1 to reduce the impact of vibration on the motor connecting arm 2. A data transmission interface 7 is provided on the top of the fixed structure 1, and the data transmission interface 7 connects the pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem with an external system.
[0033] The tracking control subsystem includes an image video processor and an image video acquisition camera 6. The image video processor uses an embedded image processor or a development board to implement image processing and target detection algorithms. The image video acquisition camera 6 uses a high-resolution camera to acquire video images in real time, making it easier for the image processing system to identify and track targets.
[0034] The searchlight subsystem includes multiple high-brightness fill-light lamp beads 5, a lamp bead controller, a radiator and a beam adjustment lens. The radiator is used to dissipate the heat of the high-brightness fill-light lamp beads 5. The high-brightness fill-light lamp beads 5 use high-power LED lamp beads to provide sufficient brightness. The lamp bead controller adjusts the brightness of the high-brightness fill-light lamp beads 5. The beam adjustment lens controls the divergence angle and focusing effect of the light beam to meet the needs of different target distances. A cavity 4 is set outside the tracking control subsystem and the searchlight subsystem, and a posture position sensor is set inside the cavity 4. The image video acquisition camera 6 is set on the side wall of the cavity 4 and is located in the middle of the multiple high-brightness fill-light lamp beads 5.
[0035] Software Design
[0036] Step 1: PTZ control algorithm
[0037] The goal of the PTZ control system is to ensure that the searchlight or camera remains stable in a dynamic environment through real-time posture adjustment. The main steps include:
[0038] S1. PID control algorithm
[0039] a1: The basic formula of PID control algorithm is:
[0040]
[0041] Among them, u(t) is the control signal used to drive the motor of the gimbal to adjust the gimbal's attitude (such as pitch angle, roll angle, yaw angle, etc.); e(t) is the error between the set target attitude and the actual gimbal attitude;
[0042] K P is the proportionality coefficient, the proportional term K p The role of KET is to directly generate a control effect according to the size of the current error. If the error is large, the proportional term will generate a large control signal, causing the gimbal to move quickly in the direction of reducing the error. However, if KET P If it is too large, it may cause the system to overshoot, that is, the gimbal will exceed the target attitude when approaching the target attitude, and then adjust in the opposite direction, causing oscillation;
[0043] K i is the integral coefficient, the integral term It is used to eliminate the steady-state error of the system. It integrates the error. As time accumulates, even if the error is small, it can produce sufficient control to stabilize the gimbal at the target attitude. However, if K i If it is too large, the system response may be slow, and integral saturation may occur easily when there is interference, which may deteriorate the system performance.
[0044] K d is the differential coefficient, the differential term Taking into account the rate of change of the error, when the error changes rapidly, the differential action will generate a larger control signal to suppress this rapid change, thereby improving the dynamic performance of the system and reducing overshoot. However, the differential is sensitive to noise. If there is noise in the system, it may cause unnecessary fluctuations in the control signal. Therefore, in practical applications, it is necessary to perform appropriate filtering on the measured data.
[0045] PID controller parameter setting, adjusting the response speed, accuracy and stability of the servo motor. The parameters can be optimized through experiments or parameter adjustment algorithms (such as the Ziegler-Nichols method);
[0046] b2: Real-time attitude adjustment: Use the PID controller to adjust the servo motor in real time, calculate the error based on the angle information (such as pitch, roll, and yaw) fed back by the attitude sensor, and generate a control signal;
[0047] c3: Servo motor motion control: convert the output signal of PID calculation into the driving command of servo motor, control the motor to rotate precisely, adjust the position of the pan / tilt head, and ensure the stable pointing of the searchlight.
[0048] S2. Attitude data collection and filtering
[0049] a1: Collect real-time attitude information from the accelerometer and gyroscope to ensure sufficient sampling rate to meet control requirements;
[0050] b2: Kalman filtering, establish system model and measurement model, define state transfer equation and measurement equation, eliminate noise interference through prediction-correction steps, and obtain accurate attitude data;
[0051] c3: Complementary filtering. If the system computing resources are limited, complementary filtering is used to combine the gyroscope angular velocity integral with the accelerometer angle data to quickly obtain relatively stable data and ensure the accuracy of attitude information.
[0052] Step 2: Target Algorithm
[0053] The target tracking system is used to continuously identify and track the position of the target object and convert its position into a rotation angle suitable for gimbal control. The specific steps include:
[0054] S1: Object Detection
[0055] a. Image preprocessing: preprocess the images captured by the camera (such as denoising, grayscale, histogram equalization) to improve image quality;
[0056] b. Target detection model selection: Select a detection model based on real-time and accuracy requirements, such as YOLO, SSD and other deep learning models. YOLO is suitable for real-time detection, while SSD can run on low-computing devices.
[0057] c. Target location extraction: Use the detection model to obtain the target location, category, and confidence in the video frame, distinguish multiple targets, and save the location data for tracking;
[0058] S2: Target Tracking
[0059] a. Tracking algorithm selection: After detecting the target, select an appropriate tracking algorithm (such as KCF, MedianFlow, CSRT) to continuously track the target. CSRT is suitable for targets with large changes, while KCF has faster performance and is suitable for scenarios with high real-time requirements.
[0060] b. Update the target status. Update the status every time a new target position is obtained, and filter out abnormal position changes to ensure tracking stability and continuity;
[0061] c. Lost detection and re-detection: If the target is lost during tracking, the target position is obtained through re-detection to ensure continuous tracking.
[0062] S3: Coordinate transformation and output
[0063] a. Pixel coordinate conversion: converting the target position (pixel coordinate) in the camera image into the actual pan / tilt rotation angle, which usually needs to be calculated through parameters such as field of view angle and resolution;
[0064] b. Angle calculation and output: according to the converted gimbal angle, the corresponding control instructions are output to the gimbal control system to adjust the rotation of the gimbal so that it is always aimed at the target;
[0065] c. Real-time update and feedback, real-time monitoring of target position and gimbal angle, dynamic adjustment of control instructions according to errors, to achieve stable and continuous target tracking.
[0066] System communication and integration
[0067] Use communication protocols to integrate subsystems and make them work together:
[0068] a. Data communication protocol, select RTSP, UDP, SPI or UART and other protocols to enable gesture sensors, cameras, controllers and other devices to exchange data.
[0069] b. Control signal synchronization, design the main control program, receive data from each subsystem and send out control signals to achieve synchronous operations of data acquisition, target recognition, angle adjustment and lighting adjustment.
[0070] In summary, the self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system has the following working procedures:
[0071] 1. System initialization: After the system is powered on, the servo controller is initialized, the image and video acquisition camera 6 starts to acquire images, and the image processor enters the standby mode.
[0072] 2. Posture detection and automatic adjustment. When the system detects changes in the external environment (such as platform tilt or vibration), the posture position sensor transmits the angle data to the servo controller. The PID control algorithm adjusts the angle of the servo motor in real time based on the sensor feedback to keep the high-brightness fill light bead 5 stable. The process responds within microseconds to ensure that the searchlight always points to the set direction.
[0073] 3. Target detection and tracking: The image and video acquisition camera 6 continuously captures scene videos. The image and video processor uses the YOLO model to analyze the images in real time. When the target is detected, the target coordinates are sent to the tracking algorithm module. The tracking algorithm calculates the moving trajectory of the target, generates the corresponding pan / tilt angle adjustment instructions, and controls the servo motor 3 to accurately align the searchlight with the target position.
[0074] 4. Adjustment of lighting angle and intensity. The system adjusts the beam angle and brightness of the high-brightness fill light bead 5 according to the target distance. If the target distance is close, the beam angle is enlarged and the brightness is reduced. Otherwise, the beam angle is tightened and the brightness is increased. The lamp bead controller receives the brightness adjustment signal from the main control system and automatically adjusts the brightness of the high-brightness fill light bead 5 to ensure the best lighting effect.
[0075] 5. Continuous tracking and adaptive control. When the target position changes, the image processor updates the target position information in real time, and the servo controller adjusts the angle of the high-brightness fill light bead 5 to maintain continuous illumination of the target. When the ambient light changes, the target speed increases, etc., the system automatically adjusts the light intensity and illumination angle to achieve stable target tracking and adaptive lighting.
[0076] It should be noted that the term "comprises" or any other variation thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements that are not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device that includes the element.
[0077] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem, a tracking control subsystem and a searchlight subsystem. The pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem comprises a servo motor (3), a servo motor connecting arm (2), a servo controller and a posture position sensor. One end of the servo motor connecting arm (2) is fixedly connected to the servo motor (3), and the other end of the servo motor connecting arm (2) is fixedly provided with a fixed structure (1). A data transmission interface (7) is arranged on the top of the fixed structure (1), and the data transmission interface (7) connects the pan-tilt autonomous stabilization subsystem with an external system. The tracking control subsystem comprises an image video processor and an image video acquisition camera (6). The searchlight subsystem comprises a plurality of high-brightness fill light beads (5), a lamp bead controller, a radiator and a beam adjustment lens. A cavity (4) is arranged outside the tracking control subsystem and the searchlight subsystem. The posture position sensor is arranged inside the cavity (4). The image video acquisition camera (6) is arranged on the side wall of the cavity (4) and is located in the middle of the plurality of high-brightness fill light beads (5).
2. The self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The servo motor (3) adopts a horizontal motor and a vertical motor, and the servo motor (3) accurately controls the horizontal and vertical directions of the searchlight through a servo controller.
3. The self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The servo controller is based on a PID algorithm and adjusts the angle of the servo motor (3) in real time according to the feedback of the attitude sensor to keep the searchlight stable. The PID parameters are adjusted through multiple tests to achieve the effects of rapid response and high-precision control.
4. The self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The attitude position sensor uses a combination sensor of a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope to detect the attitude and angle changes of the pan / tilt platform in real time and feed back to the servo controller.
5. The self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image and video acquisition camera (6) adopts a high-resolution camera and is used to acquire video images in real time, so as to facilitate the image processing system to identify and track the target.
6. The self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image video processor uses an embedded image processor or a development board to implement image processing and target detection algorithms.
7. The self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-brightness fill-light lamp beads (5) adopt high-power LED lamp beads to provide sufficient brightness, and the lamp bead controller adjusts the brightness of the high-brightness fill-light lamp beads (5).
8. The self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radiator is used to dissipate heat for the high-brightness fill light bead (5), and the light beam adjustment lens controls the divergence angle and focusing effect of the light beam to meet the requirements of different target distances.
9. The self-stabilizing pan-tilt searchlight tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A shock absorbing mechanism is arranged on the top of the fixed structure (1).
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