Robot control method and device, robot system, electronic equipment and medium

Abstract

The invention provides a robot control method and device, a robot system, electronic equipment and a medium, and relates to the technical field of robots. The control method comprises the steps that the source direction of maximum fluid disturbance is obtained, and the maximum fluid disturbance is the fluid disturbance with the maximum disturbance intensity in current fluid disturbances borne by the robot; and the robot is controlled to rotate so that the direction of the maximum propelling force in propelling force generated by propellers of the robot can point to the source direction, and the propellers are used for propelling the robot to move. Thus, the manual intervention requirement of robot operators is reduced, the motion stability and task execution efficiency of the robot in a complex environment are improved, and the problem that in the prior art, when the fluid disturbance direction is inconsistent with the maximum thrust direction, the motion stability of the robot is insufficient due to the fact that the robot is prone to deviating from the target track is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robot technology, and in particular to a robot control method, device, robot system, electronic equipment and medium. Background Art

[0002] At present, the robot's motion environment is becoming increasingly complex. In a typical complex environment such as an underwater environment, water flow disturbances pose a major challenge to the robot's control performance. In the prior art, underwater robots usually adopt a thruster vector layout, which can only provide strong flow resistance in the direction of maximum thrust. However, when the direction of fluid disturbance is inconsistent with the direction of maximum thrust, the robot is prone to deviate from the target trajectory, and the operator needs to make frequent manual adjustments, which increases the complexity of task execution. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a robot control method to achieve effective resistance to fluid disturbances and ensure the stability of robot motion. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a robot control method, device, robot system, electronic equipment and medium, so that the robot can achieve fluid disturbance resistance in all directions.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a robot, the method comprising:

[0005] Obtaining the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, wherein the maximum fluid disturbance is the fluid disturbance with the greatest disturbance intensity among the fluid disturbances currently experienced by the robot;

[0006] The robot is controlled to rotate so that the direction of the maximum propulsion force generated by the propeller of the robot points to the source direction, wherein the propeller is used to propel the robot to move.

[0007] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0008] Determining a desired movement direction of the robot according to the acquired movement instruction;

[0009] The robot is controlled to move along the desired movement direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, determining the desired movement direction of the robot according to the acquired movement indication includes:

[0011] obtaining the movement instruction;

[0012] A motion vector is generated in a configured control coordinate system according to the motion instruction, and the motion vector is used to represent an expected motion direction and an expected motion distance of the robot.

[0013] In some embodiments, controlling the robot to move along the desired movement direction includes:

[0014] Mapping the motion vector to a carrier coordinate system to obtain an actual motion vector, wherein the carrier coordinate system rotates as the robot rotates;

[0015] The robot is controlled to move along the desired movement direction according to the actual movement vector.

[0016] In some embodiments, controlling the robot to move along the desired movement direction according to the actual movement vector includes:

[0017] The propulsion force generated by the propeller is decomposed according to the actual motion vector to obtain a motion propulsion force with a direction consistent with the desired motion direction, so that the robot moves along the desired motion direction using the motion propulsion force.

[0018] In some embodiments, decomposing the propulsion force generated by the propeller according to the actual motion vector to obtain the motion propulsion force having a direction consistent with the desired motion direction includes:

[0019] According to the actual motion vector and the disturbance intensity of the fluid disturbance in the desired motion direction, the propulsion force generated by the propeller is decomposed to obtain the motion propulsion force in the direction consistent with the desired motion direction.

[0020] In some embodiments, after controlling the robot to rotate, the method further includes:

[0021] The image acquisition device of the robot is controlled to rotate so that the field of view direction of the image acquired by the image acquisition device is the expected movement direction.

[0022] In some embodiments, after controlling the robot to rotate, the method further includes:

[0023] The original image captured by the image acquisition device of the robot is intercepted to obtain a target image whose field of view direction is the expected movement direction.

[0024] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a robot control device, the device comprising:

[0025] A disturbance direction acquisition module, used to acquire the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, wherein the maximum fluid disturbance is the fluid disturbance with the greatest disturbance intensity among the fluid disturbances currently experienced by the robot;

[0026] A rotation control module is used to control the robot to rotate so that the direction of the maximum propulsion force generated by the propeller of the robot points to the source direction, wherein the propeller is used to propel the robot to move.

[0027] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a robot system, comprising the robot control device provided in the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application and the robot.

[0028] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, including:

[0029] a memory configured to store instructions; and

[0030] The processor is configured to call the instructions from the memory and to implement the robot control method provided in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application when executing the instructions.

[0031] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a machine-readable storage medium, on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the processor enables the processor to implement the robot control method described in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application.

[0032] In an embodiment of the present application, the processor can identify in real time the external disturbance factors that have the most significant impact on its motion stability by obtaining the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance. Based on this, the processor controls the robot to rotate so that the direction of the maximum thrust of its thruster is automatically adjusted to point to the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, thereby enhancing the robot's anti-flow ability in a complex fluid environment and achieving the robot's resistance to fluid disturbances in all directions. Through the above-mentioned automated dynamic adjustment process, not only is the need for manual intervention by the robot operator reduced, but also the robot's motion stability and task execution efficiency in a complex environment are improved, improving the problem of insufficient motion stability in the prior art, in which the robot is prone to deviate from the target trajectory when the direction of the fluid disturbance is inconsistent with the direction of the maximum thrust. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a robot control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the robot rotation method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot control device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments in the present application belong to the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of one type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0040] At present, the robot's motion environment is becoming increasingly complex. In a typical complex environment such as an underwater environment, water flow disturbances pose a major challenge to the robot's control performance. In the prior art, underwater robots usually adopt a thruster vector layout, which can only provide strong flow resistance in the direction of maximum thrust. However, when the direction of fluid disturbance is inconsistent with the direction of maximum thrust, the robot is prone to deviate from the target trajectory, and the operator needs to make frequent manual adjustments, which increases the complexity of task execution. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a robot control method to achieve effective resistance to fluid disturbances and ensure the stability of robot motion.

[0041] Based on this, the embodiments of the present application provide a robot control method, device, robot system, electronic equipment and medium, so that the robot can achieve resistance to fluid disturbances in all directions.

[0042] The robot control method, device, robot system, electronic device and medium provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings through specific embodiments and their application scenarios.

[0043] See also Figure 1 , is a flow chart of the robot control method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the robot control method includes the following steps S100 to S200.

[0044] Step S100: Obtain the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, where the maximum fluid disturbance is the fluid disturbance with the greatest disturbance intensity among the fluid disturbances currently experienced by the robot.

[0045] In this step, the processor first obtains the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance to the robot. The processor can first monitor the fluid flow in real time through built-in fluid sensors (such as flow rate sensors, fluid pressure sensors, acceleration sensors, etc.). For example, in an underwater environment, the processor obtains the disturbance intensity of the current water flow in each direction. The processor can calculate the disturbance amount in each direction and determine the direction of the fluid disturbance that has the greatest impact on the stability of the robot. Specifically, the processor can collect data such as flow rate and pressure through sensors, and combine it with mechanical formulas (for example, F=ρv 2 A / 2, where F is the pressure exerted by the fluid, ρ is the fluid density, v is the fluid velocity, and A is the force-bearing area) calculates the force exerted by the fluid of each water flow on the robot, uses this force to characterize the disturbance intensity of the water flow, and compares the fluid disturbance with the largest disturbance intensity. The source direction of this maximum fluid disturbance represents the direction of the strongest impact on the robot. For example, in an underwater environment, it can be the direction with the fastest water flow velocity and the highest pressure at the current location of the robot.

[0046] For example, suppose the robot performs a submarine pipeline inspection task underwater. The direction and strength of the water flow are measured by the water flow sensor as follows: the water flow speed from the north is 1.5 m / s, the water flow speed from the east is 0.1 m / s, and the water flow speed from the west is 0.2 m / s.

[0047] By analyzing these data, the processor found that the water flow speed in the north direction is the highest, and has the most significant impact on the robot's stability and causes the greatest impact. Therefore, the processor determines that the north direction is the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance.

[0048] Step S200: Control the robot to rotate so that the direction of the maximum propulsion force generated by the propeller of the robot points to the source direction, wherein the propeller is used to propel the robot to move.

[0049] After determining the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance in step S100, the robot's posture needs to be adjusted to cope with the fluid disturbance, and the processor controls the robot to rotate so that the direction of the maximum thrust of the thruster points to and aligns with the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance. Specifically, the processor can calculate the rotation direction (the rotation direction can be around any one or more of the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis of the robot's own coordinate system) and the corresponding rotation angle according to the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance. The processor can also continuously adjust the robot rotation according to the angle difference between the current maximum fluid disturbance direction detected by the sensor and the maximum thrust direction of the thruster until it is detected that the two are completely aligned.

[0050] Then, by controlling the thrusters, the robot is rotated according to the required rotation angle of the robot. Specifically, the robot will rotate to a new posture so that the direction of the maximum thrust of the thrusters is exactly in the direction of the source of the maximum fluid disturbance. In this way, the robot can use the maximum thrust to resist the fluid impact from the disturbance direction and maintain stable movement.

[0051] In a typical implementation scenario, the robot is moving in a fixed direction of maximum propulsion force, and the direction of movement is consistent with the direction of maximum propulsion force. After the processor detects the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance that is inconsistent with the direction of movement, in order to align the direction of the maximum propulsion force with the source direction, the processor calculates the rotation direction and rotation angle that the robot needs to rotate, and controls the robot to rotate according to the determined rotation direction and rotation angle. During this process, for the robot itself, the output direction of the maximum propulsion force does not need to be changed. The processor achieves the alignment of the direction of the maximum propulsion force with the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance by controlling the thruster to rotate the robot and change the robot's posture.

[0052] When the processor controls the thruster to rotate the robot, the robot can be rotated by controlling the thrust size and direction of the thruster. The processor can obtain the current angle or posture of the robot from an angle sensor or posture sensor (such as a gyroscope or accelerometer), determine the required rotation direction and rotation angle by comparing the current posture with the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, and then calculate the resultant torque required around the robot's rotation axis based on the robot's inertial parameters (such as mass distribution, moment of inertia) and the desired rotation speed. Finally, the processor can control the thruster to increase the thrust in a certain direction and reduce the thrust in another corresponding direction to form a resultant torque to achieve the rotation of the robot.

[0053] Those skilled in the art can understand that when the processor controls the thruster to increase the thrust in a certain direction and reduce the thrust in another corresponding direction, the robot may not stop outputting the maximum thrust along the original direction (the magnitude of the maximum thrust may change due to the generation of the resultant torque); the processor may also suspend the output of the maximum thrust along the original direction, and after controlling the thruster to generate the resultant torque to complete the rotation process, output the maximum thrust along the original direction again.

[0054] For example, see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the robot rotation method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Assume that the current orientation of the robot is 45° east by north (i.e., moving in the direction of 45° east by north), and the direction of the maximum propulsion force of its thruster is also 45° east by north. According to step S100, the processor has identified the north direction as the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance. To this end, the robot needs to rotate 45° and adjust the direction of the maximum propulsion force of its thruster to point to the north. The robot starts the rotation mechanism, uses the steering thruster or other control methods to adjust the posture, and finally makes the robot face north. After the adjustment is completed, the robot continues to move in the direction of 45° east by north, and can effectively resist strong fluid disturbances from the north to ensure stability.

[0055] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above steps S100 to S200 may be implemented by a processor in a main controller disposed on the robot.

[0056] Through the above steps S100-S200, the processor can identify in real time the external disturbance factors that have the most significant impact on its motion stability by obtaining the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance. Based on this, the processor controls the robot to rotate so that the direction of the maximum thrust of its thruster is automatically adjusted to point to the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, thereby enhancing the robot's anti-flow ability in a complex fluid environment and achieving the robot's resistance to fluid disturbances in all directions. Through the above-mentioned automated dynamic adjustment process, not only the operator's manual intervention requirements are reduced, but also the robot's motion stability and task execution efficiency in a complex environment are improved, which improves the problem of insufficient motion stability in the prior art, in which the robot easily deviates from the target trajectory when the direction of the fluid disturbance is inconsistent with the direction of the maximum thrust.

[0057] In some embodiments, the method of the present invention further comprises:

[0058] Determine the desired movement direction of the robot according to the acquired movement instructions;

[0059] Control the robot to move in the desired direction.

[0060] In this embodiment, the processor determines the desired movement direction of the robot (ie, the direction in which the operator expects the robot to move) by acquiring the movement instruction input by the operator, and controls the robot to move along the desired movement direction.

[0061] Specifically, the processor can first receive the motion instruction input by the operator or the automatic control program, and convert the motion instruction into a motion vector in the built-in control coordinate system, which represents the desired motion direction. On this basis, the processor can comprehensively consider the current posture of the robot and the environmental factors-the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, and use the method of vector decomposition of the propulsion force of the propeller to control the propeller to output appropriate thrust, thereby pushing the robot to move stably along the desired motion direction (combined with steps S100-step S200, those skilled in the art can understand that the propulsion force used to propel the robot along the desired motion direction is not the maximum propulsion force generated by the propeller, unless the desired motion direction is consistent with the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance). In this way, it is ensured that the robot can perform tasks in a predetermined direction, and can still maintain high-precision motion control even under complex external environmental interference, thereby improving the efficiency and stability of task completion.

[0062] Those skilled in the art can understand that, during the movement of the robot, the processor can perform the steps S100 to S200 throughout the process. Similarly, during the movement of the robot, as long as the operator inputs the movement instruction, the processor can determine the desired movement direction according to the movement instruction, and control the robot to move along the desired movement direction until the next movement instruction is obtained. That is, in a typical implementation scenario, the operator first inputs the movement instruction, instructing the robot to move along the desired movement direction (the movement instruction can include the movement distance), and after obtaining the movement instruction, the processor first obtains the desired movement direction according to the movement instruction, and then controls the robot to move along the desired movement direction (at this time, the processor can decompose the propulsion force generated by the propeller according to the current environment, and the maximum propulsion force direction can be consistent with the desired movement direction). During the movement, the processor detects the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance (different from the desired movement direction), rotates the robot so that the maximum propulsion force direction is aligned with the source direction, and uses the remaining propulsion force generated by the propeller except the maximum propulsion force (if necessary, the propulsion force generated by the propeller can be decomposed twice) to propel the robot to continue to move along the desired movement direction.

[0063] The above steps S100 to S200 can be implemented by a processor in a main controller arranged on the robot. The processor in the operating device operated by the operator can be used to obtain motion instructions. After the processor in the operating device determines the desired motion direction according to the motion instructions, it sends a signal indicating the desired motion direction to the main controller, so that the processor in the main controller can control the robot movement according to the desired motion direction. The operating device and the main controller can be connected by communication or by electrical connection. The operating device can include a control handle, so that the operator can use the control handle to input motion instructions.

[0064] For example, suppose that the underwater robot is performing a seabed survey mission, and the operator inputs a motion instruction of "moving eastward". The processor determines that the desired motion direction of the robot is "eastward" according to this instruction. However, there is a strong fluid disturbance from the north in the current underwater environment, which may affect the stability of the robot moving eastward.

[0065] To ensure that the robot can move in the desired direction of "eastward", the processor controls the thruster to vectorize the propulsion force, automatically adjust the thrust output, and combine the anti-flow control strategy (i.e., the operations of step S100 and step S200 - rotating the robot to point the maximum thrust direction to the north) to counteract the fluid disturbance in the north direction. In this process, the thrust of the thruster is reasonably distributed, which not only offsets the impact of the water flow in the north direction, but also drives the robot to move steadily in the direction of "eastward". In the end, the robot overcame external interference, moved forward in the desired direction of movement, and successfully completed the seabed survey mission.

[0066] In some embodiments, determining the desired movement direction of the robot according to the acquired movement indication includes:

[0067] Get exercise instructions;

[0068] A motion vector is generated in the configured control coordinate system according to the motion instruction, and the motion vector is used to represent the expected motion direction and expected motion distance of the robot.

[0069] In this embodiment, the processor generates a motion vector by using the acquired motion instructions to determine the desired motion direction and the desired motion distance of the robot. Specifically, first, the processor acquires a motion instruction, such as a control instruction input by an operator or a task instruction generated by an automatic control program. Then, the processor generates a motion vector in a control coordinate system configured in the memory according to the motion instruction (this control coordinate system may not directly act on the motion of the robot and may be stored in the memory in the form of a matrix). The motion vector is used to characterize the desired motion direction and the desired motion distance of the robot, and it is a mathematical expression of the motion instruction input by the operator in the control coordinate system.

[0070] Those skilled in the art can understand that the motion vector generated by the processor according to the motion instruction represents the expected motion direction and the expected motion distance. The expected motion distance can be the expected motion distance per unit time. Thus, when the expected motion distance is larger, it means that the expected motion speed is larger, and vice versa. The motion instruction can be input by the operator through the control handle in the operating device. The joystick of the joystick is shaken in a specific direction, which is reflected in the generated motion vector as the expected motion direction; the propulsion amount of the joystick is larger, which is reflected in the generated motion vector as the expected motion distance (the expected motion distance per unit time) is larger.

[0071] For example, suppose an operator is controlling an underwater robot to perform a detection mission, and the operator inputs a motion instruction of "moving forward and right at the same time" through the control handle in the operating device. Inside the processor, this motion instruction is converted into a motion vector, assuming that the vector is [1, 1, 0], where "1" means moving one unit along the x-axis (forward) and y-axis (right) of the control coordinate system, and no movement along the z-axis (up and down direction). In this way, the processor uses this motion vector as the desired movement direction of the robot, that is, the robot needs to move forward √2 units in the direction of "45° to the right front" per unit time.

[0072] In some embodiments, controlling the robot to move in a desired direction of movement includes:

[0073] The motion vector is mapped to the carrier coordinate system to obtain the actual motion vector, and the carrier coordinate system rotates with the rotation of the robot;

[0074] The robot is controlled to move in the desired direction according to the actual motion vector.

[0075] In this embodiment, first, the processor maps the motion vector generated previously from the control coordinate system to the robot's own carrier coordinate system (i.e., the robot's own physical coordinate system). Specifically, the processor may first calculate the rotation matrix between the control coordinate system and the carrier coordinate system, and then multiply the motion vector by the rotation matrix to achieve mapping.

[0076] Since the carrier coordinate system will be dynamically adjusted as the robot's posture changes (such as rotation), the mapped actual motion vector can reflect the actual motion direction of the current robot (that is, the motion direction from the robot's own perspective, not the observer's perspective). Next, the processor can calculate the thrust and direction of each propeller based on this actual motion vector, so that the robot can move accurately along the desired direction of motion. In this way, the motion vector decouples the operation instructions from the robot's own physical coordinate system, so that the operator's input and the actual movement of the robot can be coordinated and converted, thereby ensuring that the robot can be controlled in an intuitive desired direction. That is, the processor maintains the stability of the control coordinate system through the coordinate system conversion algorithm, so that it is not affected by the specific posture of the robot, so as to ensure the operator's operating experience.

[0077] For example, suppose that the underwater robot is performing an ocean exploration mission, and the expected movement direction is to move forward in the direction of "45° to the right front" (that is, the motion vector in the control coordinate system is [1,1,0]). At present, the robot is affected by the disturbance of the water flow, and its carrier coordinate system has rotated, and the x-axis of the carrier is actually facing "35° to the left front". The processor converts the motion vector [1,1,0] to the carrier coordinate system through coordinate mapping, and obtains the actual motion vector [0.707, 0.504, 0] after mapping. According to this actual motion vector, the processor calculates the thrust distribution of the propeller and drives the robot to move in the mapped direction. In the end, although the direction of the carrier coordinate system has changed, the robot can still accurately move in the expected direction of "45° to the right front" to complete the task. In this process, the motion vector generation is consistent with the motion instruction input by the operator, but it is decoupled from the robot's own physical coordinate system (carrier coordinate system). Therefore, even if the robot changes its direction due to external disturbances (such as water flow), the processor can still ensure that the robot moves in the intuitive expected direction of "moving forward and right at the same time" set by the operator through the conversion algorithm.

[0078] In some embodiments, controlling the robot to move in a desired direction according to the actual motion vector includes:

[0079] The propulsion force generated by the propeller is decomposed according to the actual motion vector to obtain the motion propulsion force with the direction consistent with the expected motion direction, so that the robot can move along the expected motion direction using the motion propulsion force.

[0080] In this embodiment, the robot decomposes the propulsion force of the thruster according to the actual motion vector (those skilled in the art will understand that if the thruster is outputting propulsion force to control the robot to move, the processor can decompose the propulsion force currently output by the thruster; if the thruster is not currently outputting propulsion force and the robot is in a stationary state, the processor can decompose the maximum propulsion force that the thruster can output and reaches its physical limit in multiple directions) to achieve precise movement along the desired direction of motion.

[0081] Specifically, the processor can first use the actual motion vector to calculate the components of the propulsion force in different directions, and extract the propulsion force component consistent with the desired motion direction, that is, the motion propulsion force (when the desired motion direction is inconsistent with the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, the motion propulsion force is not the maximum propulsion force of the propeller). Then, the processor adjusts the thrust output of the propeller so that the robot moves along the desired motion direction with appropriate force and direction.

[0082] In a typical implementation scenario, the robot is moving in a fixed direction of maximum propulsion force, and the direction of movement is consistent with the direction of maximum propulsion force. After the processor detects the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance that is inconsistent with the direction of movement, in order to align the direction of maximum propulsion force with the source direction, it calculates the rotation direction and rotation angle that the robot needs to rotate, and controls the robot to rotate according to the determined rotation direction and rotation angle. At the same time, because the processor has not received a new motion instruction, the processor remaps the acquired motion vector in the rotated carrier coordinate system to obtain the actual motion vector. On the premise of ensuring that the maximum propulsion force among the decomposed propulsion force is aligned with the above-mentioned source direction, the propulsion force generated by the thruster is decomposed and adjusted to generate a motion propulsion force consistent with the desired motion direction, and push the robot to move in the desired direction.

[0083] This method of decomposing and adjusting the propulsion force can integrate complex multi-directional thrust into an effective propulsion force consistent with the desired direction of movement, thereby ensuring that the robot can move steadily in the target direction even if it is disturbed in a complex environment.

[0084] For example, it is assumed that the underwater robot is expected to move in the "eastward" direction when performing a task. At present, the robot is affected by the water flow (the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance is the northeast direction), the carrier posture is deflected, and its thruster needs to generate effective motion propulsion force in a posture that deviates from the "eastward" direction. The processor identifies the actual motion vector through calculation and decomposes the thrust of the thruster. For example, the thruster provides a maximum thrust of 10 Newtons in the "northeast" direction to resist the maximum fluid disturbance, a thrust of 7.1 Newtons in the "eastward" direction, and a thrust of 7.1 Newtons in the "northward" direction. According to the calculation results, the processor eliminates the unnecessary "northward" direction component and only retains the 7.1 Newton "eastward" direction propulsion force consistent with the desired direction of motion. Subsequently, the thruster outputs the adjusted thrust to ensure that the robot finally moves forward stably along the desired direction of motion "eastward".

[0085] In some embodiments, the propulsion force generated by the propeller is decomposed according to the actual motion vector to obtain the motion propulsion force whose direction is consistent with the expected motion direction, including:

[0086] According to the actual motion vector and the disturbance intensity of the fluid disturbance in the desired motion direction, the propulsion force generated by the thruster is decomposed to obtain the motion propulsion force with the direction consistent with the desired motion direction.

[0087] In this embodiment, by combining the actual motion vector and the fluid disturbance intensity in the desired motion direction, the processor decomposes the propulsion force generated by the thruster to obtain a motion propulsion force whose direction is consistent with the desired motion direction, so that the robot can use the motion propulsion force to move in the desired motion direction.

[0088] Specifically, the processor first determines the current thrust distribution and direction of the propeller based on the actual motion vector, and then dynamically adjusts the decomposition method of the propeller thrust in combination with the intensity and direction of the fluid disturbance. Through the decomposition process, the processor ensures that the decomposed motion propulsion force along the desired motion direction can offset the impact of the fluid disturbance from the desired motion direction on the robot motion, and can ensure that the robot can move in the desired motion direction under the premise of offsetting the fluid disturbance from the desired motion direction. This control method optimizes the distribution of propulsion force, not only improves the stability of the robot in a complex fluid environment, but also maintains the efficient movement of the robot along a predetermined trajectory.

[0089] For example, it is assumed that the underwater robot is expected to move in the "eastward" direction when performing a task. At present, the robot is affected by the water flow (the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance is the northeast direction), the carrier posture is deflected, and its propeller needs to generate effective motion propulsion force in a posture that deviates from the "eastward" direction. The processor identifies the actual motion vector through calculation and decomposes the thrust of the propeller. For example, the propeller provides a maximum propulsion force of 10 Newtons in the "northeast" direction to resist the maximum fluid disturbance, a propulsion force of 7.1 Newtons in the "eastward" direction, and a propulsion force of 7.1 Newtons in the "northward" direction. According to the calculation results, the processor determines that the fluid disturbance from the east direction requires a force of 3 Newtons to resist, and in the case of offsetting the fluid disturbance, an additional force of 5 Newtons is required to propel the robot forward, and the processor separates 0.9 Newtons of the "northward" direction and transfers it to the "eastward" direction, so that the pusher provides a propulsion force of 8 Newtons in the "eastward" direction. The thrusters then output adjusted thrust to ensure that the robot eventually moves stably along the desired direction of movement "eastward".

[0090] In some embodiments, after controlling the robot to rotate, the method further includes:

[0091] The image acquisition device of the robot is controlled to rotate so that the field of view direction of the image acquired by the image acquisition device is the desired movement direction.

[0092] In this embodiment, in order to improve the robot's operational performance and user experience in complex environments, after controlling the robot to rotate, the processor further controls the image acquisition device to rotate to ensure that the field of view of the image acquisition device is always consistent with the desired direction of movement of the robot. Specifically, when the robot adjusts its posture so that the direction of the maximum propulsion force of its thruster points to the direction of the source of the maximum fluid disturbance, the orientation of the robot itself may change. Although this posture adjustment enhances the flow resistance, it may cause the field of view of the image acquisition device (such as a camera and an electronic pan / tilt mounted with the camera) to deviate from the desired direction of movement set by the user. To this end, the processor controls the image acquisition device to rotate synchronously so that the field of view of the image it captures is automatically calibrated back to the desired direction of movement. In this way, even if the robot rotates and adjusts its own orientation, the user can still continue to obtain stable and correct field of view information when observing or operating, ensuring the intuitiveness and efficiency of the operation process.

[0093] In a typical implementation scenario, the operator first inputs a motion instruction to instruct the robot to move in the desired direction (the motion instruction may include the distance of movement). After obtaining the motion instruction, the processor first obtains the desired direction of movement according to the motion instruction, and then controls the robot to move in the desired direction of movement (at this time, the processor can decompose the propulsion force generated by the thruster according to the current environment, and the direction of the maximum propulsion force can be consistent with the desired direction of movement). During the movement, the processor detects the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance (different from the desired direction of movement), rotates the robot so that the direction of the maximum propulsion force is aligned with the source direction, and uses the remaining propulsion force generated by the thruster except the maximum propulsion force (if necessary, the propulsion force generated by the thruster can be decomposed twice) to propel the robot to continue moving in the desired direction of movement. At the same time, the electronic pan / tilt of the camera is rotated so that the direction of the image field collected by it is automatically calibrated back to the desired direction of movement.

[0094] For example, suppose that the underwater robot is performing a submarine pipeline inspection mission, and the desired direction of movement is to move "eastward". During the execution of the mission, the robot detects that there is a maximum fluid disturbance in the north direction, and the processor controls the robot to rotate and adjust the maximum propulsion direction of the thruster to point to the north direction to counteract the interference of the water flow. However, at this time, the direction of the robot's camera has deviated from the desired direction of movement "eastward".

[0095] In order to ensure that the operator can continue to observe the submarine pipeline in the "east" direction, the processor further controls the electronic pan / tilt on the robot to rotate and recalibrates the camera's field of view back to the desired direction of movement "east". In this way, although the robot body faces north to resist the water flow, the field of view of the image acquisition device remains in the "east", allowing the operator to continue to observe the target area and ensure the smooth progress of the inspection task.

[0096] In this way, when operating the underwater robot, the operator does not need to worry about the relationship between the direction of the robot's maximum propulsion force and its own observation direction. The processor can automatically adjust the direction of the image acquisition device's field of view while automatically adjusting the robot's maximum propulsion force to ensure the operator's observation effect, thereby improving the smoothness and efficiency of task execution.

[0097] In some embodiments, after controlling the robot to rotate, the method further includes:

[0098] The original image captured by the image acquisition device of the robot is intercepted to obtain a target image whose field of view direction is the expected movement direction.

[0099] In this embodiment, after the processor controls the robot to rotate, in order to ensure that the image provided by the image acquisition device is consistent with the expected direction of movement, the processor intercepts and processes the collected original image. Specifically, after the image acquisition device acquires the original image with a large coverage area, the processor calculates the required field of view according to the current posture of the robot and the expected direction of movement. Subsequently, through image processing technology, the target image consistent with the expected direction of movement is intercepted from the original image. This method uses an algorithm to adjust the image field of view, and can achieve field of view correction without relying on physical adjustment of the orientation of the image acquisition device, thereby quickly and accurately providing task-related image information in a complex environment.

[0100] Specifically, the image acquisition device is a camera device based on an electronic pan-tilt-zoom (EPTZ), and the image it acquires is a panoramic image with a wide field of view. Unlike a traditional mechanical pan-tilt, the electronic pan-tilt adjusts the field of view digitally without relying on the movement of a physical device. The electronic pan-tilt utilizes the original image captured by a high-resolution sensor or camera, and uses a software algorithm to capture and enlarge specific areas (such as translation, tilt, zoom, etc.) to simulate the motion effect of a physical pan-tilt. Because the electronic pan-tilt is low in cost and can achieve waterproof function, this embodiment is more suitable for underwater operation scenarios compared to the field of view calibration method of the physical rotating image acquisition device described in the previous embodiment.

[0101] See also Figure 3 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot control device provided in an embodiment of the present application. In a second aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a robot control device 10 is provided. The device 10 includes:

[0102] The disturbance direction acquisition module 11 is used to acquire the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, where the maximum fluid disturbance is the fluid disturbance with the greatest disturbance intensity among the fluid disturbances currently experienced by the robot;

[0103] The rotation control module 12 is used to control the robot to rotate so that the direction of the maximum propulsion force generated by the propeller of the robot points to the source direction, wherein the propeller is used to propel the robot to move.

[0104] The robot control device 10 provided in the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application can implement each process implemented in the above-mentioned method embodiment and achieve the same beneficial effects. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0105] See also Figure 4, is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The third aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a robot system 100, including the robot control device 10 provided in the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application, and a robot 20 body.

[0106] The robot system 100 provided in the third aspect of the embodiment of the present application can implement each process implemented by the above-mentioned method embodiment and achieve the same beneficial effects. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0107] See also Figure 5 , is a structural diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The fourth aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device 1000, including a processor 1100 and a memory 1200, the memory 1200 stores machine executable instructions that can be executed by the processor 1100, and the processor 1100 can execute the machine executable instructions to implement the above-mentioned robot control method.

[0108] A fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a machine-readable storage medium, on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the processor implements the above-mentioned robot control method.

[0109] In some embodiments, the embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, including a computer program, which implements the robot control method according to the above embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0110] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application may adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application may adopt the form of a computer program product implemented in one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0111] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can guide a computer or other programmable data processing device to work in a specific way, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device, which implements the functions specified in the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device, so that a series of operation steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide for implementing the process in the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0112] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0113] The memory may include non-permanent memory in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. The memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0114] Computer readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. Information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer readable media does not include temporary computer readable media (transcript media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0115] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

[0116] The above are only embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

[0117] In addition, various embodiments of the present invention may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present invention, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot control method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtaining the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, wherein the maximum fluid disturbance is the fluid disturbance with the greatest disturbance intensity among the fluid disturbances currently experienced by the robot; The robot is controlled to rotate so that the direction of the maximum propulsion force generated by the propeller of the robot points to the source direction, wherein the propeller is used to propel the robot to move.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Determining a desired movement direction of the robot according to the acquired movement instruction; The robot is controlled to move along the desired movement direction.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Determining the expected movement direction of the robot according to the acquired movement instruction includes: obtaining the movement instruction; A motion vector is generated in a configured control coordinate system according to the motion instruction, and the motion vector is used to represent an expected motion direction and an expected motion distance of the robot.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The controlling the robot to move along the desired movement direction comprises: Mapping the motion vector to a carrier coordinate system to obtain an actual motion vector, wherein the carrier coordinate system rotates as the robot rotates; The robot is controlled to move along the desired movement direction according to the actual movement vector.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The step of controlling the robot to move along the desired movement direction according to the actual movement vector comprises: The propulsion force generated by the propeller is decomposed according to the actual motion vector to obtain a motion propulsion force with a direction consistent with the desired motion direction, so that the robot moves along the desired motion direction using the motion propulsion force.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The step of decomposing the propulsion force generated by the propeller according to the actual motion vector to obtain the motion propulsion force having a direction consistent with the expected motion direction includes: According to the actual motion vector and the disturbance intensity of the fluid disturbance in the desired motion direction, the propulsion force generated by the propeller is decomposed to obtain the motion propulsion force in the direction consistent with the desired motion direction.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: After controlling the robot to rotate, the method further includes: The image acquisition device of the robot is controlled to rotate so that the field of view direction of the image acquired by the image acquisition device is the expected movement direction.

8. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: After controlling the robot to rotate, the method further includes: The original image captured by the image acquisition device of the robot is intercepted to obtain a target image whose field of view direction is the expected movement direction.

9. A robot control device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A disturbance direction acquisition module, used to acquire the source direction of the maximum fluid disturbance, wherein the maximum fluid disturbance is the fluid disturbance with the greatest disturbance intensity among the fluid disturbances currently experienced by the robot; The rotation control module is used to control the robot to rotate so that the direction of the maximum propulsion force generated by the propeller of the robot points to the source direction, wherein the propeller is used to propel the robot to move.

10. A robot system, characterized in that: It comprises the robot control device as claimed in claim 9 and the robot.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that: The robot control method comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores programs or instructions that can be run on the processor, and when the programs or instructions are executed by the processor, the robot control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

12. A machine-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The machine-readable storage medium stores instructions, which, when executed by a processor, enable the processor to implement the robot control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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