Control method and device, aircraft, movable platform and storage medium

Abstract

A control method and device, an aircraft, a movable platform and a storage medium, the control method comprises: controlling a driving assembly of the aircraft to drive an arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to a center body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft is in a first state, and when the aircraft is in the first state, the arm assembly of the aircraft is driven to move relative to the center body of the aircraft; each arm assembly comprises a near-end part close to the central body and a far-end part far away from the central body, and an included angle is formed between a connecting line of the near-end part and the far-end part and a transverse rolling shaft of the aircraft; a driving assembly of the aircraft is controlled to drive an arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to a center body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft is switched from the first state to a second state, and the included angle is different in the first state and the second state.

Description

Control method, device, aircraft, movable platform and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of control, and in particular to a control method, device, aircraft, movable platform and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] The mobile platform can transform into various states to accommodate different functions, such as expanding the shooting range or changing operating modes. In one form of deformation, the mobile platform can perform deformation operations using its arms. Because the arms of the mobile platform move relative to the central body, significantly changing their shape, the control of the mobile platform during deformation operations remains a challenge.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, the embodiments of the present application provide a control method, device, aircraft, movable platform and storage medium, which aim to solve the technical problem of inconvenient control when the movable platform performs deformation operations during operation.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling an aircraft, the method comprising:

[0006] controlling the driving assembly of the aircraft to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the center body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft is in a first state, wherein the arm assembly includes a proximal end portion close to the center body and a distal end portion away from the center body, and when the aircraft is in the first state, an angle is formed between a line connecting the proximal end portion and the distal end portion and the roll axis of the aircraft;

[0007] The driving assembly of the aircraft is controlled to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the central body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft switches from the first state to the second state, wherein the angle is different in the first state and the second state.

[0008] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a movable platform, the method comprising:

[0009] During movement of the arm assembly of the movable platform relative to the central body of the movable platform, data from a plurality of first sensors located on the arm assembly are acquired in real time, wherein the plurality of first sensors are used to implement movement control of the movable platform, and relative positions between the plurality of first sensors can change in accordance with the movement of the arm assembly relative to the central body;

[0010] Performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the multiple first sensors to obtain a calibration result, wherein the calibration result is used to characterize the relative postures between the multiple first sensors;

[0011] A movement control operation is performed on the movable platform according to the calibration result obtained in real time.

[0012] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control device for an aircraft, the control device comprising:

[0013] Memory for storing computer programs;

[0014] A processor is used to execute the computer program and implement the steps of the control method as described in the first aspect when executing the computer program.

[0015] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control device for a movable platform, the control device comprising:

[0016] Memory for storing computer programs;

[0017] A processor is used to execute the computer program and implement the steps of the control method as described in the second aspect when executing the computer program.

[0018] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an aircraft, comprising a control device as described in the third aspect.

[0019] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a movable platform, which includes the control device as described in the fourth aspect.

[0020] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor implements the steps of the control method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0021] In an embodiment of the present application, the movable platform can change its shape during the deformation process. As the aircraft switches from the first state to the second state, the angle between the line between the proximal end and the distal end of the arm assembly and the roll axis of the aircraft will change. Therefore, the size of the space between the arm assembly and the center body can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario by deforming the arm, thereby increasing the load-operable space.

[0022] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0024] FIG1 is a flowchart of the steps of a method for controlling an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG3 is a second structural diagram of an aircraft provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG4 is a third structural diagram of an aircraft provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG5 is a fourth structural diagram of an aircraft provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG6 is a fifth structural diagram of an aircraft provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an interaction provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a structural model of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG9 is a flowchart of one of the steps of the control method of the mobile platform provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG10 is a second flowchart of the method for controlling a mobile platform according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG11 is a sixth structural diagram of an aircraft provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG12 is a perspective structural diagram of point A in FIG9;

[0036] FIG13 is a flowchart of the third step of the control method of the mobile platform provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and do not necessarily include all contents and operations / steps, nor must they be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps may be decomposed, combined, or partially merged, so the actual execution order may vary depending on the actual situation.

[0040] The following embodiments of the present application are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features therein may be combined with each other.

[0041] The aircraft can transform into various states to accommodate different functions. In one transformation mode, the movable platform can be transformed by a deformation mechanism. Because the aircraft's shape changes during the transformation process, its center of gravity may also shift, potentially causing the aircraft to shift during the transformation process, affecting the control experience.

[0042] To address the above-mentioned issues, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling an aircraft. The aircraft may include a central body 10 and an arm assembly 20. The arm assembly 20 includes a proximal portion 211 proximal to the central body 10 and two distal portions 221 distal from the central body 10. The two distal portions 221 are located on either side of the central body 10. The arm assembly 20 is connected to the central body 10 and is movable relative to the central body 10. Referring to FIG1 , the method may include:

[0043] Step 101: Control the driving assembly 40 of the aircraft to drive the arm assembly 20 of the aircraft to move relative to the center body 10 of the aircraft, so that the aircraft is in a first state, wherein the arm assembly 20 includes a proximal end portion close to the center body 10 and a distal end portion away from the center body 10. When the aircraft is in the first state, there is an angle between the line connecting the proximal end portion 21 and the distal end portion 22 and the roll axis of the aircraft.

[0044] Step 102 : Control the driving assembly 40 of the aircraft to drive the arm assembly 20 of the aircraft to move relative to the central body 10 of the aircraft, so that the aircraft switches from a first state to a second state, wherein the angles in the first state and the second state are different.

[0045] Referring to Figure 2 , the aforementioned aircraft may be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the UAV may carry a payload 30, and the maneuverable space of payload 30 may be adjusted by the movement of the arm assembly 20. For example, when payload 30 is a camera, the maneuverable space of payload 30 may be the field of view (FOV) of the camera; when payload 30 is a spraying or sowing device, the maneuverable space of payload 30 may be the spraying or sowing range, without limitation.

[0046] When payload 30 is a camera, its FOV, which radiates outward from the camera lens and is roughly conical, is more likely to enter its FOV. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in Figure 2, the arm assembly 20 is located below the center body 10, obstructing the field of view of the payload 30 when rotating about the yaw axis, but not the field of view of the payload 30 when rotating about the pitch axis. In Figure 3, the arm assembly 20 is located above the center body 10, obstructing the field of view of the payload 30 when rotating about the pitch axis, but obstructing the field of view of the payload 30 when rotating about the yaw axis.

[0047] The principles are the same for both the vertically rotating glass-wiping assembly and the vertically rotating spraying nozzle assembly. It should be noted that the payload 30 of this application is not limited to the above examples. Those skilled in the art can install payloads 30 with specific functions on the central body 10 as needed, such as sensors, transmitters, tools, instruments, manipulators, or other functional devices. Furthermore, the aircraft of this application can exist independently of the payload 30 or include the payload 30.

[0048] The arm assembly 20 can be driven by a drive assembly 40 to perform deformation operations. Specifically, the drive assembly 40 can be a motor. Driven by the drive assembly 40, the arm assembly 20 can rotate or move relative to the central body 10. The range of motion of the arm assembly 20 can be pre-set, for example, by mechanical and / or algorithmic limits.

[0049] The first and second states described above may be two states in which the arm assembly 20 is located at different positions. Specifically, the arm assembly may be located at different heights in the first and second states. Continuing with Figures 2-6 , the aircraft in Figures 2 and 5 may be in the first state; and in Figures 3 and 6 , the aircraft may be in the second state. The arm assembly 20 can be driven to rotate by the drive assembly 40. When rotated to the first position shown in FIG. 2 , the vertical rod 22 of the arm assembly 20 is located below the center body 10. The vertical rods 22 of the two arm assemblies 20 can be arranged in an "eight-shaped" configuration as shown in FIG. 5 , forming an angle greater than 0° between them. The spacing between the two rotor assemblies 50 at the front of the aircraft is different from the spacing between the two rotor assemblies 50. At this time, the aircraft can be considered to be in the first state. When rotated to the second position shown in FIG. 3 , the vertical rod 22 of the arm assembly 20 is located above the center body 10. The vertical rods 22 of the two arm assemblies 20 can be arranged in a generally parallel configuration as shown in FIG. 6 . The spacing between the two rotor assemblies 50 at the front of the aircraft is approximately the same as the spacing between the two rotor assemblies 50. The aircraft can be considered to be in the second state. The first and second positions can be commonly used and stable positions of the arm assembly 20 during movement. Specifically, they can be determined by the mechanical limit of the aircraft or by the algorithm limit, which is not limited here.

[0050] Since the angle between the line connecting the proximal and distal ends of the arm assembly and the roll axis of the aircraft changes during the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the size of the space between the arm assembly and the center body can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario by deforming the arm, thereby increasing the operable space of the payload 30.

[0051] Because the arm assembly 20 can rotate relative to the center body 10 when it moves, the angle between the line connecting the proximal end 211 and the distal end 221 of the arm assembly 20 and the longitudinal axis of the center body 10 may differ between the first and second states. In some embodiments, when the aircraft includes a rotor assembly 50, and the rotor assembly 50 is disposed at the distal end of the arm assembly 20, the angle between the line connecting the geometric center point of the rotor assembly 50 and the center body 10 and the aircraft's roll axis may also vary between the first and second states. Alternatively, when the aircraft is a quadrotor drone, the angle formed by the line connecting the two rotor assemblies 50 at the front of the center body 10 and the geometric center point of the center body 10 may also vary between the first and second states. Alternatively, when the aircraft includes multiple arm assemblies 20, the angle between the extension lines of the multiple arm assemblies 20 may also vary between the first and second states. All of the above situations may cause the center of gravity of the aircraft to change between the first and second states, thereby causing the aircraft to drift.

[0052] The proximal portion 211 of the arm assembly 20 may be the end close to the center body 10, specifically, located at the position where it connects to the center body 10; the distal portion 221 of the arm assembly 20 may be the end away from the center body 10. It should be understood that the roll axis of the aircraft may be an axis parallel to the heading; referring to FIG4 , when the center body 10 forms a certain angle with the propeller plane, the roll axis of the aircraft may form an angle greater than 0° with the longitudinal axis of the center body 10.

[0053] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the aircraft in Figures 5 and 6 may include two arm assemblies 20. The arm assembly 20 includes a crossbar 21 connected to the center body 10 and a vertical rod 22 connected to the rotor assembly 50. The crossbar 21 and the vertical rod 22 can rotate relative to each other to change the relative position between the arm assembly 20 and the center body 10. The proximal end 211 of the arm assembly 20 can be located at the end where the crossbar connects to the center body 10, and the distal end 221 of the arm assembly 20 can be located at a position of the vertical rod away from the proximal end 211. The angle α in Figure 5 and the angle α' in Figure 6 are different in magnitude, and the angle β in Figure 5 and the angle β' in Figure 6 are also different in magnitude. In the situations shown in Figures 5 and 6, the center of gravity of the aircraft will also change accordingly (the center of gravity will move forward or backward). During the deformation process, the aircraft may suddenly move forward or backward, or the image captured by the aircraft may change significantly, which is not conducive to user control.

[0054] To solve the above problem, the aircraft may include a target component, and the spatial position of the target component when the aircraft is in the first state is substantially the same as the spatial position of the target component when the aircraft is in the second state.

[0055] By controlling the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft to remain approximately unchanged in the first state and the second state, it is convenient for the user to perform shooting or control operations during the deformation process, thereby improving the user experience.

[0056] Furthermore, the spatial position of the target component can be controlled to remain approximately unchanged during the process of switching from the first state to the second state, so as to further improve the stability of the aircraft during deformation.

[0057] Step 103: During the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft is controlled to remain approximately unchanged.

[0058] It should be understood that the control methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other scenarios where the center of gravity of an aircraft undergoes significant changes, such as when the aircraft's structural model changes, causing the center of gravity to shift forward or backward beyond a preset threshold. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the above method can be executed when the aforementioned angle changes, resulting in a significant change in the center of gravity of the aircraft.

[0059] The target component can be a structural unit of the aircraft, and its size, dimensions, and function are not limited. It can be the default setting when the aircraft leaves the factory, or it can be set by the user. Specifically, the target component can be located in the payload 30 carried by the aircraft, or in the aircraft's center body 10, rotor assembly 50, etc.

[0060] Since users have different requirements for aircraft control, the spatial position of the target component can be set according to actual needs. The spatial position can be located on the target component or outside the target component.

[0061] In some embodiments, the spatial position of the target component can be the spatial position of at least part of the target component. For example, when the target component includes a center body 10, the spatial position of the target component can be the spatial position of the geometric center of the center body 10. By controlling the spatial position of the geometric center of the center body 10 to remain approximately unchanged, the displacement of the center body 10 is reduced when the aircraft undergoes a deformation operation, thereby facilitating user control. In some embodiments, the spatial position of the target component can also be the spatial position of at least part of the plane in which the target component is located. For example, when the target component includes the rotor assembly 50 of a multi-rotor aircraft, the spatial position of the target component can be the center position of the plane formed by the multiple rotor assemblies 50. By controlling the spatial position of the center of the propeller plane to remain approximately unchanged, the displacement of the rotor assembly 50 is reduced when the aircraft undergoes a deformation operation. The specific setting can be based on the actual application scenario. It should be understood that the spatial position of the target component can be the spatial position in the world coordinate system.

[0062] The method of controlling the spatial position of the target component to remain approximately constant can be achieved by controlling the power assembly of the aircraft, for example, by controlling the rotation speed of the aircraft rotor assembly 50 to compensate for the change in the center of gravity. Of course, in other optional embodiments, this step can also be achieved by adjusting the angle of the rotor assembly 50, controlling the drive device of the target component itself, etc.

[0063] It should be understood that the spatial position remains substantially unchanged, which can be understood as a change that is difficult to detect with the naked eye, or a change in spatial position that is less than a predetermined reference threshold. This situation can occur when certain conditions are met, such as when the aircraft is in an environment with minimal environmental disturbances (such as wind speed) or is in an environment without external environmental disturbances (such as a calm environment).

[0064] The above method can be performed when the aircraft is in a hovering state. Since the change in the center of gravity of the central body 10 during hovering has a greater impact on the displacement of the central body 10, the above method can also be performed only in the hovering state to reduce the impact of the change in the center of gravity caused by deformation in the hovering state on the control.

[0065] Optionally, the aircraft may include a rotor assembly 50, which may be disposed at the distal end 221 of the arm assembly 20. The aircraft may be a single-rotor aircraft or a multi-rotor aircraft. Referring to FIG5 , FIG5 shows a quadrotor aircraft, which includes four rotor assemblies 50, respectively disposed at the four distal ends 221 of the arm assembly 20.

[0066] Among them, the two arm assemblies 20 can be arranged in an "I" shape as shown in Figure 4, and each arm assembly 20 includes a crossbar 21 connected to the central body 10 and a vertical rod 22 connected to the crossbar. The rotor assembly 50 can be arranged at the end position of the vertical rod 22, that is, the distal end 221 of the arm assembly 20. When the aircraft performs a deformation operation, the rotor assemblies 50 located at the two ends of the same vertical rod move together with the vertical rod 22. Of course, in other optional embodiments, the aircraft can also include four arm assemblies 20, the four arm assemblies 20 are respectively connected to the central body 10, and the four rotor assemblies 50 can be respectively arranged at the distal ends 221 of the four arm assemblies 20.

[0067] In some embodiments, the target component may include at least one of the center body 10, the rotor assembly 50, and the payload 30 carried by the aircraft, to accommodate different control requirements. Specifically, when the target component includes multiple components, the spatial position associated with one component may be controlled to remain approximately constant, or the spatial positions associated with multiple components may be controlled to remain approximately constant simultaneously, without limitation herein.

[0068] Furthermore, in some embodiments, when the target component includes the central body 10, step 103 may specifically include:

[0069] Step 1031 : Control the spatial position of the central component of the central body 10 to remain approximately unchanged, and / or control the spatial position of the geometric center of the central body 10 to remain approximately unchanged.

[0070] In this way, by controlling the spatial position associated with the central body 10 to remain roughly unchanged, the spatial position of the entire central body 10 can be kept roughly unchanged when the arm assembly 20 of the aircraft moves, thereby avoiding the position of the entire aircraft from drifting, which may affect the stability of the aircraft.

[0071] In some embodiments, when the target component includes the rotor assembly 50, step 103 may specifically include:

[0072] Step 1033: Control the spatial position of the rotor assembly 50 to remain approximately unchanged, and / or control the spatial position of the center point of the plane formed by the multiple rotor assemblies 50 to remain approximately unchanged.

[0073] It should be understood that when the aircraft is a single-rotor aircraft, the spatial position of the rotor itself can be controlled to remain approximately constant during the deformation process. When the aircraft is a multi-rotor aircraft, for ease of control, the spatial position of the center point of the plane enclosed by the multiple rotor assemblies 50 can be controlled to remain approximately constant.

[0074] In this way, by controlling the spatial position associated with the rotor assembly 50 to remain roughly unchanged, the position of the rotor assembly 50 can be kept roughly unchanged when the arm assembly 20 of the aircraft moves, thereby avoiding the problem of the rotor assembly 50 being displaced and causing collisions or explosions or affecting the user's perception.

[0075] In some embodiments, when the target component includes a payload 30 carried by an aircraft, step 103 may specifically include:

[0076] Step 1034: Control the spatial positions of the functional components of the load 30 to remain approximately unchanged, and / or control the spatial position of the geometric center of the load 30 to remain approximately unchanged.

[0077] The payload 30 may be the aforementioned camera, cleaning device, spraying or spreading device, etc. The functional component of the camera may be a lens, and the functional component of the cleaning device may be a brush head or a nozzle, etc. By controlling the relative spatial position of the payload 30 carried by the aircraft to remain approximately unchanged, the payload 30 can continue to operate normally during the aircraft's deformation process, thereby improving operational efficiency and user experience.

[0078] Furthermore, the aircraft can also control the posture of the payload 30 to remain unchanged during the deformation process, so as to further ensure the normal operation of the payload 30.

[0079] In some embodiments, when the payload 30 is a camera, the camera can be connected to the aircraft via a gimbal, thereby enabling rotation in multiple degrees of freedom via the gimbal. The method may further include:

[0080] Step 104: During the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the captured image of the camera device is controlled to remain substantially unchanged. Specifically, the spatial position and posture of the camera device can be controlled to maintain the captured image substantially unchanged, thereby ensuring that the image captured during the deformation process changes minimally, thereby improving the shooting effect.

[0081] Optionally, to facilitate control of the spatial position of the target component, various positions associated with the aircraft can be calibrated by establishing a coordinate system. Simultaneously, by calibrating the coordinate changes of the arm assembly 20 between the two states, the change in the center of gravity of the aircraft can be determined. This allows the target component's spatial position to remain constant by controlling the spatial position of a specific coordinate point or region to remain approximately constant even when the center of gravity changes.

[0082] In some embodiments, step 103 may specifically include:

[0083] Step 1035: During the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, the coordinates of the preset coordinate points and / or coordinate areas of the aircraft are controlled to remain substantially unchanged, and the preset coordinate points and / or coordinate areas are located at the target component.

[0084] Among them, the coordinate point and the coordinate area can be set by the user's input operation to adapt to the different needs of the user. Specifically, the user can determine the corresponding target component through the input operation on the control terminal. Referring to Figure 7, Figure 7 can be the display interface of the control terminal. The interactive point can be a coordinate point or coordinate area that the user can select. The user can determine the corresponding target component by clicking the interactive point on the display interface of the control terminal. Of course, in other optional embodiments, the user can also determine the target component by dragging the interactive point or selecting the interactive box, which is not limited here.

[0085] Alternatively, the aircraft may control the spatial position of the target component to remain approximately unchanged by controlling the output of the power device.

[0086] Refer to Figure 8, which shows the general structure of a quadrotor UAV. Here, o represents the center of gravity, l1 and l2 represent the long and short axis arms, θ1 and θ2 represent the fore-aft angles, and k is a constant. The four motors, each with different speeds, generate four different forces F, generating torques Mx, My, and Mz on the x-, y-, and z-axes, as well as a total force Lift. This model is called a dynamic model. The specific equations are as follows:

[0087] As can be seen from the above figure and formula, the position and attitude of the aircraft can be changed by changing the output (reflected as the rotational speed) of the rotor assembly 50. Therefore, by controlling the rotational speed of the rotor assembly 50, the spatial position of the target component can be controlled to remain approximately unchanged.

[0088] In some embodiments, the aircraft may include a power device connected to the arm assembly 20 , including a drive motor and a rotor assembly 50 , wherein the drive motor is connected to the rotor assembly 50 for driving the rotor assembly 50 to rotate.

[0089] Step 103 may specifically include:

[0090] Step 1036: When the aircraft switches from the first state to the second state, control the drive motor to change the output speed of the rotor assembly 50 so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

[0091] Optionally, the aircraft may control the output speed of the drive motor according to the position and / or position change of the arm assembly 20 during the movement process.

[0092] In some embodiments, during the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, step 103 may specifically include: step 1037, during the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, according to the position and / or position change of the arm assembly 20, controlling the drive motor to change the output speed of the rotor assembly 50 so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

[0093] Specifically, the aircraft may be equipped with a sensor to detect the position and / or position change of the arm assembly 20. In some embodiments, the proximal portion 211 of the aircraft arm assembly 20 may be equipped with a Hall effect sensor, which cooperates with a magnetic ring to detect the rotation angle of the arm assembly 20. In some embodiments, the sensor may also be installed on the drive assembly 40 that drives the arm assembly 20, but this is not limited here.

[0094] In some embodiments, based on the position and / or position change of the arm assembly 20, step 1037 may specifically include: step 10371, determining the center of gravity of the aircraft based on the position and / or position change of the arm assembly 20;

[0095] Step 10372: Based on the position and / or position change of the center of gravity of the aircraft, control the drive motor to change the output speed of the rotor assembly 50 so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

[0096] In one specific embodiment, the center of gravity can be interpolated based on the deformation angle of the arm assembly 20 and pre-calibrated results during deformation, thereby obtaining the basic structural parameters of the drone in real time. The dynamic model is then dynamically solved to linearly compensate for the power difference between the front and rear motors based on the forward and backward movement of the center of gravity. For example, if the center of gravity shifts forward during deformation, the two rotors located in front of the central body 10 can be accelerated, while the two rear rotors can be decelerated to balance the acceleration caused by the forward center of gravity. The acceleration and deceleration ratio is related to the change in the center of gravity.

[0097] The position and / or position change of the arm assembly 20 can be obtained in real time, thereby ensuring that the speed of the drive motor output can be controlled according to the real-time change of the center of gravity to compensate for the acceleration caused by the change of the center of gravity during the deformation process.

[0098] In this way, the aircraft can adjust the rotor speed according to the real-time change of the center of gravity during the deformation process, thereby ensuring that the spatial position of the target component remains roughly unchanged to the greatest extent during the deformation process, and improving the stability of the aircraft's hovering during the deformation process.

[0099] In some scenarios, a movable platform can be transformed to switch between multiple states to accommodate different functions. In one deformation mode, the movable platform can perform deformation operations using a deformation mechanism. Sensors mounted on the deformation mechanism may be affected by the deformation mechanism, resulting in inaccurate parameters. Therefore, a method for real-time calibration of sensor parameters during the movable platform's deformation process is urgently needed.

[0100] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a control method for a movable platform. The movable platform can be an aircraft, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a ground mobile vehicle, a surface mobile vehicle, or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, an unmanned aerial vehicle is used as an example for detailed description.

[0101] In the control method of a movable platform, the movable platform includes a central body 10, an arm assembly 20 and a plurality of first sensors 23. The arm assembly 20 is connected to the central body 10 and can move relative to the central body 10. The plurality of first sensors 23 are arranged on the arm assembly 20 for realizing the movement control of the movable platform, and the relative posture between the plurality of first sensors 23 can change with the movement of the arm assembly 20.

[0102] 9 , the method may include:

[0103] Step 201: While an arm assembly of a movable platform moves relative to a central body of the movable platform, data from a plurality of first sensors located at the arm assembly are acquired in real time.

[0104] Step 202: Perform real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the multiple first sensors to obtain a calibration result, wherein the calibration result is used to characterize the relative postures between the multiple first sensors.

[0105] Step 203: Perform movement control operations on the movable platform according to the calibration results obtained in real time.

[0106] The first sensor 23 may be a sensor required for implementing the mobile platform's movement control function, and may include multiple sensors of the same or different types that implement the same function. For example, in some embodiments, the first sensor 23 may include a ranging sensor, which utilizes the interaction between multiple ranging sensors to determine the surrounding environment parameters of the mobile platform, thereby implementing path planning or obstacle avoidance operations; in some embodiments, the first sensor 23 may include a laser sensor and a visual sensor, which implement path planning or obstacle avoidance operations through the fusion positioning of the laser sensor and the visual sensor; of course, in other optional embodiments, the first sensor 23 may also include an inertial sensor and / or a speed sensor, etc., for obtaining the current state of the mobile platform, which is not limited here.

[0107] Among them, the relative posture of multiple first sensors 23 can be the relative posture of first sensors 23 of the same type among multiple first sensors 23, or the relative posture of first sensors 23 of different types among multiple first sensors 23. It can be specifically set according to the actual application scenario and is not limited here.

[0108] During the movement of the arm assembly 20, the data obtained by the first sensor 23 may be affected by the change in the posture of the first sensor 23. Therefore, it is necessary to calibrate the first sensor 23 on the active arm assembly 20 to correct the data obtained by the first sensor 23. The corrected data is used to realize the movement control operation of the movable platform, which can improve the accuracy of the movement control.

[0109] At the same time, since the position of the arm assembly 20 changes in real time during the activity, the posture of the first sensor 23 may also change in real time. Therefore, it is necessary to use the data of the first sensor 23 for real-time calibration, and the calibration result obtained by the real-time calibration is used to correct the data obtained by the first sensor 23, so that the movable platform can use the corrected data to perform mobile control operations more accurately.

[0110] It should be understood that the control method provided in the present application can be executed by the mobile platform itself, or by a control terminal that is communicatively connected to the mobile platform, and is not limited here.

[0111] Optionally, the movement of the arm assembly 20 relative to the central body 10 can be actively driven by the drive assembly 40. The drive assembly 40 can drive the arm assembly 20 to move between the first and second states described above. This driving process can be triggered by user input or automatically by the movable platform.

[0112] In some embodiments, the movable platform may include a drive assembly 40 , which is connected to the central body 10 and the arm assembly 20 respectively, and is used to drive the arm assembly 20 to move relative to the central body 10 .

[0113] During the process of the driving assembly 40 driving the arm assembly 20, the relative positions of the plurality of first sensors 23 will change, and at this time, the data of the first sensors 23 can be acquired in real time. The above step 201 may specifically include:

[0114] Step 2011 : When the driving assembly 40 drives the arm assembly 20 to move, data from the plurality of first sensors 23 on the arm assembly 20 are acquired in real time.

[0115] The type of the first sensor 23 can be set according to actual needs, and specifically can include at least one of a visual sensor, a GPS sensor, an inertial sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or a lidar sensor.

[0116] The mobile platform can perceive the external environment by combining image data acquired by multiple visual sensors. The image data needs to be corrected based on the relative positions of the multiple visual sensors. In some embodiments, the multiple first sensors 23 may include visual sensors, and the data acquired by the multiple first sensors 23 may include data acquired by multiple visual sensors.

[0117] Furthermore, the plurality of first sensors 23 may include binocular vision sensors. Referring to FIG11 , the aircraft shown in FIG11 may include two pairs of binocular vision sensors: a pair of first binocular vision sensors 231 located at the front end of the arm assembly 20 and a pair of second binocular vision sensors 232 located at the rear end of the arm assembly 20. The binocular vision sensors can perform feature point matching by acquiring images, identify depth information in the images, and then detect the surrounding environment. The arm assembly 20 can move relative to the central body 10, so that the relative position of the binocular vision sensors located on the arm assembly 20 changes with the movement of the arm assembly 20. Since the binocular vision sensors need to be positioned based on the relative position between the two vision sensors, it is necessary to acquire the image data acquired by the binocular vision sensors in real time and use the image data to determine the calibration results.

[0118] Accordingly, step 202 may specifically include:

[0119] Step 2021: Use the image data obtained in real time by the binocular vision sensor to calibrate the relative posture parameters between the binocular vision sensors in real time.

[0120] Specifically, the visual sensor can capture multiple images at different positions and perform feature point tracking and matching based on the acquired image data to determine the position of the visual sensor. The binocular vision sensor can determine the relative position between the binocular vision sensors based on the acquired image data, and can also determine the relative position change between the binocular vision sensors based on the multiple image data. This allows for real-time calibration of the relative position parameters between the binocular vision sensors based on the multiple image data.

[0121] In some embodiments, the image data acquired by the binocular vision sensor may be a sequence of images collected frame by frame. Thus, the frame-by-frame changes in the relative pose parameters between the binocular vision sensors can be obtained based on the image sequence arranged frame by frame, thereby achieving real-time calibration of the binocular vision sensor.

[0122] Furthermore, in some embodiments, epipolar constraints and depth constraints can be used to determine the calibration results. The epipolar constraints of the current frame of the binocular vision sensor are determined by the current frame images respectively acquired by the binocular vision sensors; the depth constraints of the current frame of a single vision sensor can be determined by the multi-frame image sequence acquired by one of the binocular vision sensors. By constructing constraints in real time, the accuracy of the calibration results can be further improved.

[0123] 10 , in a specific embodiment, the binocular vision sensor cameras I and J can acquire a sequence of image frames frame by frame. The epipolar constraints of the current frame image can be determined using the current frame images I(t) and J(t) acquired by the binocular cameras I and J, respectively; the depth constraints of the 2D points in the pixel coordinate system corresponding to the current frame image can be calculated using the image frame sequences I(tn) to I(t-1) or J(tn) to J(t-1) acquired by the cameras I or J. In this way, any frame can obtain the current depth constraint and epipolar constraint through the binocular image of the current frame and the monocular multi-frame image sequence, and then determine the calibration result in real time. This can avoid the need to calculate the calibration result of each frame through the binocular image frame sequence, reduce the amount of data required for the calibration result calculation, and improve the calculation efficiency.

[0124] Among them, solutions for obtaining depth constraints for the current frame from an image sequence include but are not limited to monocular VO / VIO / SLAM systems obtaining sparse spatial three-dimensional points, as well as any monocular sparse depth map (dense depth) solution.

[0125] Optionally, the calibration result can be assisted by calculating the theoretical pose data of the plurality of first sensors 23. In some embodiments, before performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the plurality of first sensors 23, the method further includes:

[0126] Step 204: While the arm assembly 20 is in motion, obtain in real time theoretical pose data of the plurality of first sensors 23 on the active arm assembly 20. The calibration result may be determined by gradually converging the theoretical pose data of the plurality of first sensors 23 as initial values.

[0127] Furthermore, the theoretical position data of the plurality of first sensors 23 can be determined based on the real-time moving position of the arms relative to the central body 10. Specifically, the theoretical position data of the first sensors 23 can be determined using the real-time moving position of the arm assembly 20 during movement and a pre-set structural transmission model of the aircraft.

[0128] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 11-12, a second sensor 24 can be provided on the arm assembly 20 or the central body 10, and the second sensor 24 is used to obtain the active position of the arm assembly 20 in real time, and then determine the real-time position data of the binocular vision sensor.

[0129] Optionally, the arm assembly 20 may move relative to the central body 10 by rotating, and the second sensor 24 may include an angle detection sensor.

[0130] For example, referring to Figure 12 , when the arm assembly 20 rotates relative to the center body 10, the second sensor 24 may include an angle detection sensor, specifically a Hall effect sensor 241 in conjunction with a magnetic ring 242. The rotation angle of the arm assembly 20 is acquired by the second sensor 24, and the position of the binocular vision sensors is calculated using the aircraft's pre-set structural transmission model, thereby further determining the relative position of the binocular vision sensors.

[0131] In some embodiments, the theoretical pose data of the first sensor 23 may also be used as an initial value or reference value of the epipolar constraint to further improve the accuracy of the calibration result.

[0132] After obtaining the calibration results, it is equivalent to determining the relative posture parameters between the binocular vision sensors. According to the parameters, the image data obtained by the binocular vision sensors can be corrected to perform mobile control operations using more accurate image data, thereby reducing the impact of binocular parallax on the accuracy of the image data obtained by the binocular vision sensors.

[0133] In some embodiments, the above step 203 may specifically include:

[0134] Step 2031: Correct the image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor according to the calibration result acquired in real time.

[0135] Step 2032: Use the corrected image data to perform movement control operations on the movable platform.

[0136] The mobile control operation includes but is not limited to at least one of an obstacle avoidance operation, a path planning operation, and a target tracking operation.

[0137] Since obstacle avoidance operations require high data accuracy, in some embodiments, corrected image data can be used to perform obstacle avoidance operations to reduce accidents caused by binocular parallax during obstacle avoidance and improve the safety and stability of the movable platform.

[0138] Specifically, the specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application is further described by taking the example where the first sensor 23 includes a binocular vision sensor and the movement control operation includes an obstacle avoidance operation. The method may include:

[0139] Step S1: When the arm assembly 20 is in an active state, a binocular vision sensor located on the arm assembly 20 acquires an image sequence frame by frame.

[0140] Step S2: Use the image acquired by the current frame of the binocular vision sensor to calculate and construct the binocular epipolar constraint, use the multi-frame image sequence acquired by one of the binocular vision sensors to calculate and construct the depth constraint, and use the binocular epipolar constraint and depth constraint to calculate the calibration result, that is, the rotation and translation relationship of the camera coordinate system between the binocular vision sensors.

[0141] In step S3, the original image captured by the binocular vision sensor is corrected using the calibration result. After correction, the two images of the same frame are located in the same plane and are parallel to each other, and the pixels in each row of the image are collinear.

[0142] Assuming that the epipolar lines of the binocular image after binocular correction are completely parallel and have a focal length of f, the distance between their projection centers is called the baseline.

[0143] Step S4: Extract feature points from each frame of the image based on the region of interest (ROI) of each object on the image, including but not limited to feature point detection methods such as Harris, SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform), SURF (Speeded Up Robust Features), and ORB (Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF).

[0144] Step S5: Calculate the depth of the feature points of the current frame image to obtain an image carrying depth information. The relative distance between the movable platform and the obstacle can be obtained through the depth information.

[0145] Step S6: Track the feature points between the previous and next frames of the image sequence to calculate the motion (optical flow) of the feature points, and then calculate the relative speed between the obstacle and the movable platform.

[0146] Step S7: performing an obstacle avoidance operation according to the relative distance between the movable platform and the obstacle and / or the relative speed between the movable platform and the obstacle.

[0147] In this way, when the binocular vision sensor is set on the arm assembly and the arm assembly is in an active state, the binocular vision sensor can be calibrated in real time, and the obstacle avoidance operation can be performed according to the image corrected by the calibration result.

[0148] It should be understood that the above method is applicable not only to scenarios where the arm assembly 20 is driven by the drive assembly 40 to move relative to the central body 10. It can also be applied to scenarios where the arm assembly 20, due to its active connection with the central body 10, is subject to movement caused by external forces or environmental factors during the movement of the movable platform. For example, when the movable platform is a ground-based platform, the above method can be performed in scenarios where the road surface is bumpy or the movable platform suddenly accelerates or decelerates, causing the relative position between the binocular vision sensors to easily change. When the movable platform is an aircraft, the above method can be performed in scenarios where the ambient wind speed is high or the aircraft's attitude changes significantly.

[0149] Of course, the above method can also be applied to scenarios where the distance between the binocular vision sensors is long (long baseline) and / or the connection structure between the binocular vision sensors is a non-rigid structure (such as a plastic arm / bracket), causing the binocular vision sensors to change relative position during operation on the movable platform. Furthermore, the above method can also be applied to scenarios where the binocular vision sensors are located on different movable platforms to solve the problem of real-time changes in the relative position of the binocular vision sensors.

[0150] Through the above method, the binocular vision sensor can be set on a movable or long-baseline, non-rigid structural member, which expands the application scenarios of the binocular vision sensor and also expands the detection range of the binocular vision sensor.

[0151] In some embodiments, the binocular vision sensor may be unable to determine relative pose parameters based on image data. For example, in images with weak texture or low illumination, the image data acquired by the binocular vision sensor may not be able to extract feature points, and thus cannot determine relative pose based on feature point tracking and recognition. In such cases, automatic obstacle avoidance is less effective. To avoid accidents, the user can be alerted by stopping the obstacle avoidance operation or outputting a prompt message to reduce the accident rate.

[0152] Accordingly, when the movement control operation includes an obstacle avoidance operation, the movement control operation is performed using the corrected image data, including:

[0153] When the image acquired by the binocular vision sensor meets the preset failure condition, the obstacle avoidance operation is stopped and / or a prompt message is output.

[0154] Failure conditions include any of the following: a textureless image; a weakly textured image; or a low-light image. Textureless and weakly textured images can be images whose color or grayscale variation is less than a preset threshold. Low-light images can be images captured when the aircraft detects low light levels, or images whose brightness, as determined by aircraft recognition, is less than a preset threshold.

[0155] In a movable platform that performs deformation operations through the arm assembly 20, since the arm assembly 20 is movably connected to the central body 10, the arm assembly 20 may be displaced by external force, which may cause the arm assembly 20 to deviate from the original preset position. The inaccurate active position may affect the stability and safety of the movable platform.

[0156] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a movable platform, wherein the movable platform includes a central body 10, a drive assembly 40 and an arm assembly 20, wherein the arm assembly 20 is connected to the central body 10 and to the drive assembly 40, and can move relative to the central body 10 under the drive of the drive assembly 40.

[0157] 13 , the method may include:

[0158] Step 301: Control the drive assembly 40 to drive the arm assembly 20 to move relative to the central body 10, so that the movable platform switches between the first state and the second state.

[0159] Step 302 : When the movable platform is in the first state or the second state, control the driving assembly 40 to continuously output a force to maintain the current state until the next state switching.

[0160] The deformation mode, the first state and the second state of the movable platform can refer to the illustrations and descriptions of the above embodiments, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0161] In this way, the arm assembly 20 can maintain or restore to its current state even when its position is changed by external force, thereby improving the stability of the arm assembly 20. At the same time, it can also avoid the problem that the arm assembly 20 cannot move to the preset position due to the change of position of the arm assembly 20 after being subjected to external force.

[0162] In some embodiments, controlling the drive assembly 40 to drive the arm assembly 20 to move relative to the central body 10 so that the movable platform switches between the first state and the second state includes at least one of the following:

[0163] Controlling the drive assembly 40 to drive the arm assembly 20 to move in a first direction to a first position, so that the movable platform is in a first state;

[0164] The control driving assembly 40 drives the arm assembly 20 to move in the second direction to the second position, so that the movable platform is in the second state; wherein the first position is different from the second position, and the first direction is different from the second direction.

[0165] 2 to 3 , in FIG. 2 , the arm assembly 20 is in the first position, and the movable platform is in the first state; in FIG. 3 , the arm assembly 20 is in the second position, and the movable platform is in the second state.

[0166] Since the first state and the second state may be two common and stable states of the movable platform, optionally, the arm assembly 20 may be restricted by mechanical limits in the first position and the second position.

[0167] In some embodiments, when the movable platform is in the first state or the second state, controlling the drive assembly 40 to output a force that prevents the movable platform from switching to the other state includes at least one of the following:

[0168] When the arm assembly 20 moves to the first position, the driving assembly 40 is controlled to continue to output a force that causes the arm assembly 20 to move in the first direction, so that the arm assembly 20 remains in the first position;

[0169] When the arm assembly 20 moves to the second position, the driving assembly 40 is controlled to continue to output a force that causes the arm assembly 20 to move in the second direction, so that the arm assembly 20 remains in the second position;

[0170] The first position and the second position are mechanical limit positions of the arm assembly 20 .

[0171] Optionally, in order to avoid damage to the mechanical structure caused by excessive driving force, when the movable platform is in the first state or the second state, the force output by the driving component 40 to maintain the current state can be smaller than the force output by the driving component 40 to drive the arm component 20 to move, so that the movable platform switches between the first state and the second state.

[0172] Optionally, the state of the arm assembly 20 can be determined by acquiring data from the sensor or the drive assembly 40, thereby determining the output of the drive assembly 40 in the current state. The state of the arm assembly 20 can be the position, movement speed, and movement acceleration of the arm assembly 20, which are not limited here.

[0173] In some embodiments, the movable platform may further include a second sensor 24, which is disposed on the central body 10 and / or the arm assembly 20 and is configured to detect a position of the arm assembly 20. The method further includes:

[0174] The state of the arm assembly 20 is determined based on the data information of the second sensor 24 and the data information of the drive assembly 40 .

[0175] Optionally, the second sensor 24 includes at least one of a visual sensor, a GPS sensor, an inertial sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a lidar sensor.

[0176] In some embodiments, when the arm assembly 20 is rotationally connected to the central body 10, the second sensor 24 may be a Hall sensor that detects the rotation angle by cooperating with a magnetic ring.

[0177] In some embodiments, the driving component 40 may include a servo, and the data information of the driving component 40 may include the number of rotations of the servo.

[0178] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a control device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The control device is applied to the aforementioned aircraft or mobile platform. The control device can be integrated into the aforementioned aircraft or mobile platform, or can be independently provided and communicatively connected to the aircraft or mobile platform. The aforementioned control method can also be applied to the control device.

[0179] As shown in FIG14 , the control device 60 includes a processor 61 and a memory 62 . The processor 61 and the memory 62 are connected via a bus 63 , which is, for example, an I 2 C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus.

[0180] Specifically, the processor 61 may be a micro-controller unit (MCU), a central processing unit (CPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0181] Specifically, the memory 62 may be a Flash chip, a read-only memory (ROM) disk, an optical disk, a USB flash drive, or a mobile hard disk.

[0182] The control device 60 can be applied to an aircraft, which may include a central body 10 and an arm assembly 20. The arm assembly 20 includes a proximal end portion 211 close to the central body 10 and a distal end portion 221 away from the central body 10. The arm assembly 20 is connected to the central body 10 and can move relative to the central body 10. The processor 61 is used to run a computer program stored in the memory 62, and when executing the computer program, the following steps are implemented: controlling the driving assembly 40 of the aircraft to drive the arm assembly 20 of the aircraft to move relative to the central body 10 of the aircraft, so that the aircraft is in a first state, wherein the arm assembly 20 includes a proximal end portion 21 close to the central body 10 and a distal end portion 22 away from the central body 10. When the aircraft is in the first state, an angle is formed between the line connecting the proximal end portion 21 and the distal end portion 22 and the roll axis of the aircraft;

[0183] The driving assembly 40 controls the aircraft to drive the arm assembly 20 of the aircraft to move relative to the central body 10 of the aircraft, so that the aircraft switches from a first state to a second state, wherein the angles in the first state and the second state are different.

[0184] The control device 60 can be applied to a movable platform. The movable platform may include a central body 10, an arm assembly 20, and a plurality of first sensors 23. The arm assembly 20 is connected to the central body 10 and can move relative to the central body 10. The plurality of first sensors 23 are disposed on the arm assembly 20. The processor 61 is configured to execute a computer program stored in a memory 62 and, when executing the computer program, to implement the following steps: acquiring data from the plurality of first sensors 23 located on the arm assembly 20 in real time during movement of the arm assembly 20 relative to the central body 10 of the movable platform, wherein the plurality of first sensors 23 are used to implement movement control of the movable platform, and the relative positions between the plurality of first sensors 23 can change with the movement of the arm assembly 20 relative to the central body 10; performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time from the plurality of first sensors 23 to obtain a calibration result, wherein the calibration result is used to represent the relative positions between the plurality of first sensors 23; and performing movement control operations on the movable platform based on the calibration result acquired in real time.

[0185] In addition, an embodiment of the present application also provides an aircraft, which includes a center body and an arm assembly, the arm assembly including a proximal end portion close to the center body and a distal end portion away from the center body, the arm assembly is connected to the center body and can move relative to the center body; the aircraft also includes a control device, the control device includes: a memory for storing a computer program; a processor for executing the computer program and, when executing the computer program, implementing the method steps described in the above aircraft control method.

[0186] An embodiment of the present application also provides a movable platform, which includes a central body, an arm assembly and multiple first sensors. The arm assembly is connected to the central body and can move relative to the central body. The movable platform also includes a control device, which includes: a memory for storing a computer program; a processor for executing the computer program and, when executing the computer program, implementing the method steps described in the above method for controlling the movable platform.

[0187] The specific implementation method can refer to the above method embodiment, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0188] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the control system described above can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned control method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0189] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program includes program instructions, and the processor executes the program instructions to implement the steps of the control method provided in the above embodiment.

[0190] The computer-readable storage medium may be an internal storage unit of the aircraft or mobile platform described in any of the aforementioned embodiments, such as a hard disk or memory of the aircraft or mobile platform. The computer-readable storage medium may also be an external storage device of the aircraft or mobile platform, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash memory card, etc., equipped on the aircraft or mobile platform.

[0191] It should be understood that the terms used in this specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0192] It will also be understood that the term "and / or" used in this specification and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0193] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, and such modifications or substitutions should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an aircraft, characterized in that: The method comprises: controlling the driving assembly of the aircraft to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the center body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft is in a first state, wherein the arm assembly includes a proximal end portion close to the center body and a distal end portion away from the center body, and when the aircraft is in the first state, an angle is formed between a line connecting the proximal end portion and the distal end portion and the roll axis of the aircraft; The driving assembly of the aircraft is controlled to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the central body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft switches from the first state to the second state, wherein the angle is different in the first state and the second state.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The aircraft includes a target component, and a spatial position of the target component when the aircraft is in the first state is substantially the same as a spatial position of the target component when the aircraft is in the second state.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The target component includes at least one of the following: The center body; the load carried by the aircraft; the rotor assembly of the aircraft.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The driving assembly of the aircraft is controlled to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the central body of the aircraft so that the aircraft switches from the first state to the second state, including: During the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, the spatial position of the target component for controlling the aircraft remains substantially unchanged.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that When the target component includes the central body, controlling the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft to remain substantially unchanged comprises: The spatial position of the central component of the central body is controlled to remain approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the geometric center of the central body is controlled to remain approximately unchanged.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that When the target component includes a payload carried by the aircraft, controlling the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft to remain substantially unchanged comprises: The spatial position of the functional component for controlling the load remains approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the geometric center of the control load remains approximately unchanged.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that When the target component includes a payload carried by the aircraft, and the payload is a photographing device, the method further includes: During the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the shooting picture of the shooting device is controlled to remain substantially unchanged.

8. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that When the target component includes the rotor assembly, controlling the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft to remain substantially unchanged comprises: The spatial position of the rotor assembly is controlled to remain approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the center point of the plane formed by the plurality of rotor assemblies is controlled to remain approximately unchanged.

9. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that During the switching between the first state and the second state, controlling the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft to remain substantially unchanged includes: During the switching between the first state and the second state, the coordinates of the preset coordinate points and / or coordinate areas of the aircraft are controlled to remain substantially unchanged, and the preset coordinate points and / or coordinate areas are located at the target component.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The coordinate point can be set through a user's input operation.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The coordinate area can be set through a user's input operation.

12. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The target component can be set through an input operation of a user.

13. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The aircraft further includes a power device, which is connected to the arm assembly and includes a drive motor and a rotor assembly, wherein the drive motor is connected to the rotor assembly and is used to drive the rotor assembly to rotate; During the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, controlling the spatial position of a target component of the aircraft to remain substantially unchanged includes: During the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the driving motor is controlled to change the output rotation speed when driving the rotor assembly, so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that During the switching between the first state and the second state, controlling the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft to remain substantially unchanged includes: During the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the drive motor is controlled to change the output speed when driving the rotor assembly according to the position and / or position change of the arm assembly, so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The step of controlling the drive motor to change the output rotational speed when driving the rotor assembly according to the position and / or position change of the arm assembly includes: Determining the center of gravity of the aircraft based on the position and / or position change of the arm assembly; According to the spatial position and / or position change of the center of gravity of the aircraft, the drive motor is controlled to change the output rotation speed when driving the rotor assembly, so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

16. A method for controlling a movable platform, characterized in that: The method comprises: During movement of the arm assembly of the movable platform relative to the central body of the movable platform, data from a plurality of first sensors located on the arm assembly are acquired in real time, wherein the plurality of first sensors are used to implement movement control of the movable platform, and relative positions between the plurality of first sensors can change in accordance with the movement of the arm assembly relative to the central body; Performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the multiple first sensors to obtain a calibration result, wherein the calibration result is used to characterize the relative postures between the multiple first sensors; A movement control operation is performed on the movable platform according to the calibration result obtained in real time.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The plurality of first sensors include at least one of a visual sensor, a GPS sensor, an inertial sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a lidar sensor.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The plurality of first sensors include a visual sensor, and the data of the plurality of first sensors include image data acquired by the visual sensor.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The plurality of first sensors include a binocular vision sensor, and the data of the plurality of first sensors include image data respectively acquired by the binocular vision sensor.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that Performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the plurality of first sensors includes: The image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensors are used to calibrate the relative posture parameters between the binocular vision sensors in real time.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor includes an image sequence collected frame by frame.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The calibration result is determined based on the epipolar constraint and depth constraint of the current frame; wherein, The epipolar constraint is determined based on the image frames currently respectively acquired by the binocular vision sensor; The depth constraint is determined based on an image sequence acquired frame by frame by at least one of the binocular vision sensors.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein Acquiring data from a plurality of first sensors located on the arm assembly in real time during the movement of the arm assembly of the movable platform relative to the central body of the movable platform includes: When the driving assembly of the movable platform drives the arm assembly to move relative to the central body, data of a plurality of first sensors on the arm assembly are acquired in real time.

24. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 23, characterized in that Before performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the plurality of first sensors, the method further includes: Acquiring theoretical position data of a plurality of first sensors on the arm assembly in real time during the movement of the arm assembly of the movable platform relative to the central body of the movable platform; The calibration result is determined by gradually converging using theoretical posture data of multiple first sensors as initial values.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The theoretical pose data of the plurality of first sensors are determined based on the real-time active position of the arm assembly relative to the central body.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that The movable platform further includes a second sensor, which is arranged on the arm assembly and / or the central body; wherein, The real-time active position of the arm assembly relative to the central body is acquired by the second sensor.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The arm assembly moves relative to the central body by rotating, and the second sensor includes an angle detection sensor.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that The second sensor includes a Hall sensor.

29. The method according to claim 19, wherein Performing a movement control operation on the movable platform according to the calibration result obtained in real time, including: Correcting the image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor according to the calibration results acquired in real time; A movement control operation is performed on the movable platform using the rectified image data.

30. The method according to claim 16 or 29, characterized in that The movement control operation includes at least one of an obstacle avoidance operation, a path planning operation, and a target following operation.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein When the movement control operation includes an obstacle avoidance operation, performing the movement control operation using the corrected image data includes: When the image acquired by the binocular vision sensor meets a preset failure condition, stopping the obstacle avoidance operation and / or outputting a prompt message; The failure condition includes any one of the following: the image is a texture-free image; the image is a weak-texture image; the image is a low-illumination image.

32. A control device for an aircraft, characterized in that: The control device comprises: memory for storing computer programs; A processor is configured to execute the computer program and implement the following method steps when executing the computer program: controlling the driving assembly of the aircraft to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the center body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft is in a first state, wherein the arm assembly includes a proximal end portion close to the center body and a distal end portion away from the center body, and when the aircraft is in the first state, an angle is formed between a line connecting the proximal end portion and the distal end portion and the roll axis of the aircraft; The driving assembly of the aircraft is controlled to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the central body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft switches from the first state to the second state, wherein the angle is different in the first state and the second state.

33. The device according to claim 32, characterized in that The aircraft includes a target component, and a spatial position of the target component when the aircraft is in the first state is substantially the same as a spatial position of the target component when the aircraft is in the second state.

34. The device according to claim 33, characterized in that The target component includes at least one of the following: The center body; the load carried by the aircraft; the rotor assembly of the aircraft.

35. The device according to claim 34, characterized in that The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: During the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, the spatial position of the target component for controlling the aircraft remains substantially unchanged.

36. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that When the target component includes the central body, the processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: The spatial position of the central component of the central body is controlled to remain approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the geometric center of the central body is controlled to remain approximately unchanged.

37. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that When the target component includes a payload carried by the aircraft, the processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: The spatial position of the functional component for controlling the load remains approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the geometric center of the control load remains approximately unchanged.

38. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that When the target component includes a payload carried by the aircraft, and the payload is a photographing device, the processor is further configured to implement the following method steps: During the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the shooting picture of the shooting device is controlled to remain substantially unchanged.

39. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that When the target component includes the rotor assembly, the processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: The spatial position of the rotor assembly is controlled to remain approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the center point of the plane formed by the plurality of rotor assemblies is controlled to remain approximately unchanged.

40. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: During the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, the coordinates of the preset coordinate points and / or coordinate areas of the aircraft are controlled to remain substantially unchanged, and the preset coordinate points and / or coordinate areas are located at the target component.

41. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that The aircraft further includes a power device, which is connected to the arm assembly and includes a drive motor and a rotor assembly, wherein the drive motor is connected to the rotor assembly and is used to drive the rotor assembly to rotate; The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: In the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the driving motor is controlled to change the driving The rotational speed output when the rotor assembly is driven is such that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

42. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: During the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the drive motor is controlled to change the output speed when driving the rotor assembly according to the position and / or position change of the arm assembly, so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

43. A control device for a movable platform, characterized in that: The control device comprises: memory for storing computer programs; A processor is configured to execute the computer program and implement the following method steps when executing the computer program: During movement of the arm assembly of the movable platform relative to the central body of the movable platform, data from a plurality of first sensors located on the arm assembly are acquired in real time, wherein the plurality of first sensors are used to implement movement control of the movable platform, and relative positions between the plurality of first sensors can change in accordance with the movement of the arm assembly relative to the central body; Performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the multiple first sensors to obtain a calibration result, wherein the calibration result is used to characterize the relative postures between the multiple first sensors; A movement control operation is performed on the movable platform according to the calibration result obtained in real time.

44. The device according to claim 43, characterized in that The plurality of first sensors include at least one of a visual sensor, a GPS sensor, an inertial sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a lidar sensor.

45. The device according to claim 44, characterized in that The plurality of first sensors include a visual sensor, and the data of the plurality of first sensors include image data acquired by the visual sensor.

46. ​​The device according to claim 45, characterized in that The plurality of first sensors include a binocular vision sensor, and the data of the plurality of first sensors include image data respectively acquired by the binocular vision sensor.

47. The device according to claim 46, characterized in that The processor is specifically used to implement the following method steps: using the image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor, the relative posture parameters between the binocular vision sensors are calibrated in real time.

48. The device according to claim 47, characterized in that The image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor includes an image sequence collected frame by frame.

49. The device according to claim 48, characterized in that The calibration result is determined based on the epipolar constraint and depth constraint of the current frame; wherein, The epipolar constraint is determined based on the image frames currently respectively acquired by the binocular vision sensor; The depth constraint is determined based on an image sequence acquired frame by frame by at least one of the binocular vision sensors.

50. The device according to any one of claims 43 to 49, characterized in that Before performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the multiple first sensors, the processor is further configured to implement the following method steps: When the arm assembly is in an active state, obtaining theoretical position data of multiple first sensors on the arm assembly in real time; The calibration result is determined by gradually converging using theoretical posture data of multiple first sensors as initial values.

51. The device according to claim 50, characterized in that The theoretical pose data of the plurality of first sensors are determined based on the real-time active position of the arm assembly relative to the central body.

52. The device according to claim 51, characterized in that The movable platform further includes a second sensor, which is arranged on the arm assembly and / or the central body; wherein, The real-time active position of the arm assembly relative to the central body is acquired by the second sensor.

53. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that The arm assembly moves relative to the central body by rotating, and the second sensor includes an angle detection sensor.

54. The device according to claim 53, characterized in that The second sensor includes a Hall sensor.

55. The device according to claim 46, characterized in that The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: Correcting the image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor according to the calibration results acquired in real time; A movement control operation is performed on the movable platform using the rectified image data.

56. The device according to claim 43 or 55, characterized in that The movement control operation includes at least one of an obstacle avoidance operation, a path planning operation, and a target following operation.

57. The device according to claim 56, characterized in that When the movement control operation includes an obstacle avoidance operation, the processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: When the image acquired by the binocular vision sensor meets a preset failure condition, stopping the obstacle avoidance operation and / or outputting a prompt message; The failure condition includes any one of the following: the image is a texture-free image; the image is a weak-texture image; the image is a low-illumination image.

58. An aircraft, characterized in that: The aircraft includes a central body and an arm assembly, wherein the arm assembly includes a proximal end portion close to the central body and a distal end portion away from the central body, and the arm assembly is connected to the central body and is movable relative to the central body; the aircraft also includes a control device, wherein the control device includes: memory for storing computer programs; A processor is configured to execute the computer program and implement the following method steps when executing the computer program: controlling the driving assembly of the aircraft to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the center body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft is in a first state, wherein the arm assembly includes a proximal end portion close to the center body and a distal end portion away from the center body, and when the aircraft is in the first state, an angle is formed between a line connecting the proximal end portion and the distal end portion and the roll axis of the aircraft; The driving assembly of the aircraft is controlled to drive the arm assembly of the aircraft to move relative to the central body of the aircraft, so that the aircraft switches from the first state to the second state, wherein the angle is different in the first state and the second state.

59. The aircraft according to claim 58, characterized in that The aircraft includes a target component, and a spatial position of the target component when the aircraft is in the first state is substantially the same as a spatial position of the target component when the aircraft is in the second state.

60. The aircraft according to claim 59, characterized in that The target component includes at least one of the following: The center body; the load carried by the aircraft; the rotor assembly of the aircraft.

61. The aircraft according to claim 60, characterized in that The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: During the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, the spatial position of the target component for controlling the aircraft remains substantially unchanged.

62. The aircraft according to claim 61, characterized in that When the target component includes the central body, the processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: The spatial position of the central component of the central body is controlled to remain approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the geometric center of the central body is controlled to remain approximately unchanged.

63. The aircraft according to claim 61, characterized in that When the target component includes a payload carried by the aircraft, the processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: The spatial position of the functional component for controlling the load remains approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the geometric center of the control load remains approximately unchanged.

64. The aircraft according to claim 61, characterized in that When the target component includes a payload carried by the aircraft, and the payload is a photographing device, the control device is further configured to implement the following method steps: During the process of the aircraft switching between the first state and the second state, the shooting image of the shooting device is controlled to remain substantially unchanged.

65. The aircraft according to claim 61, characterized in that When the target component includes the rotor assembly, the processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: The spatial position of the rotor assembly is controlled to remain approximately unchanged, and / or the spatial position of the center point of the plane formed by the plurality of rotor assemblies is controlled to remain approximately unchanged.

66. The aircraft according to claim 61, characterized in that The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: During the process of switching the aircraft from the first state to the second state, the coordinates of the preset coordinate points and / or coordinate areas of the aircraft are controlled to remain substantially unchanged, and the preset coordinate points and / or coordinate areas are located at the target component.

67. The aircraft according to claim 61, characterized in that The aircraft further includes a power device, which is connected to the arm assembly and includes a drive motor and a rotor assembly, wherein the drive motor is connected to the rotor assembly and is used to drive the rotor assembly to rotate; The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: During the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, the driving motor is controlled to change the output rotation speed when driving the rotor assembly, so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

68. The aircraft according to claim 67, characterized in that The processor is specifically used to implement the following method steps: during the process of the aircraft switching from the first state to the second state, according to the position and / or position change of the arm assembly, controlling the drive motor to change the output speed when driving the rotor assembly, so that the spatial position of the target component of the aircraft remains approximately unchanged.

69. A movable platform, characterized in that: The movable platform includes a central body, an arm assembly, and a plurality of first sensors. The arm assembly is connected to the central body and is movable relative to the central body. The movable platform also includes a control device, which includes: memory for storing computer programs; A processor is configured to execute the computer program and implement the following method steps when executing the computer program: During movement of the arm assembly of the movable platform relative to the central body of the movable platform, data from a plurality of first sensors located on the arm assembly are acquired in real time, wherein the plurality of first sensors are used to implement movement control of the movable platform, and relative positions between the plurality of first sensors can change in accordance with the movement of the arm assembly relative to the central body; Performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the multiple first sensors to obtain a calibration result, wherein the calibration result is used to characterize the relative postures between the multiple first sensors; A movement control operation is performed on the movable platform according to the calibration result obtained in real time.

70. The movable platform according to claim 69, wherein: The plurality of first sensors include at least one of a visual sensor, a GPS sensor, an inertial sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a lidar sensor.

71. The movable platform according to claim 70, characterized in that The plurality of first sensors include a visual sensor, and the data of the plurality of first sensors include image data acquired by the visual sensor.

72. The movable platform according to claim 71, characterized in that The plurality of first sensors include a binocular vision sensor, and the data of the plurality of first sensors include image data respectively acquired by the binocular vision sensor.

73. The movable platform according to claim 72, characterized in that The processor is specifically used to implement the following method steps: using the image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor, the relative posture parameters between the binocular vision sensors are calibrated in real time.

74. The movable platform according to claim 73, characterized in that The image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor includes an image sequence collected frame by frame.

75. The movable platform according to claim 74, characterized in that The calibration result is determined based on the epipolar constraint and depth constraint of the current frame; wherein, The epipolar constraint is determined based on the image frames currently respectively acquired by the binocular vision sensor; The depth constraint is determined based on an image sequence acquired frame by frame by at least one of the binocular vision sensors.

76. The movable platform according to any one of claims 69 to 75, characterized in that Before performing real-time calibration using the data acquired in real time by the multiple first sensors, the processor is further configured to implement the following method steps: When the arm assembly is in an active state, obtaining theoretical position data of multiple first sensors on the arm assembly in real time; The calibration result is determined by gradually converging using theoretical posture data of multiple first sensors as initial values.

77. The movable platform according to claim 76, characterized in that The theoretical pose data of the plurality of first sensors are determined based on the real-time active position of the arm assembly relative to the central body.

78. The movable platform according to claim 77, characterized in that The movable platform further includes a second sensor, which is arranged on the arm assembly and / or the central body; wherein, The real-time active position of the arm assembly relative to the central body is acquired by the second sensor.

79. The movable platform according to claim 78, characterized in that The arm assembly moves relative to the central body by rotating, and the second sensor includes an angle detection sensor.

80. The movable platform according to claim 79, wherein: The second sensor includes a Hall sensor.

81. The movable platform according to claim 72, wherein: The processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: correcting image data acquired in real time by the binocular vision sensor according to a calibration result acquired in real time; A movement control operation is performed on the movable platform using the rectified image data.

82. The movable platform according to claim 69 or 81, characterized in that The movement control operation includes at least one of an obstacle avoidance operation, a path planning operation, and a target following operation.

83. The movable platform according to claim 82, characterized in that When the movement control operation includes an obstacle avoidance operation, the processor is specifically configured to implement the following method steps: When the image acquired by the binocular vision sensor meets a preset failure condition, the obstacle avoidance operation is stopped and / or prompt information is output; the failure condition includes any one of the following: the image is a texture-free image; the image is a weak-texture image; the image is a low-illumination image.

84. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, enables the processor to implement the steps of the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or 16 to 31.

Images