Multi-axis controllers, aircraft, vehicles
By designing a multi-axis controller, the general control and high-precision operation of multiple types of vehicles are achieved, and the shortcomings of existing digital controllers in multiple types of vehicles and high vibration environments are solved, and flexible and precise control of vehicles is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411918650.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-04
AI Technical Summary
Existing digital controllers lack versatility in integrated simulation systems that support multiple types of vehicles, and their operating accuracy is disturbed by vibration in high vibration environments.
A multi-axis controller is designed to control the three translation axes of front and back, left and right, up and down, and the three steering axes of rolling, pitch and yawing in the front and rear finger operation area of the grip, and add a controller and a gimbal steering controller to realize additional shaft and 2-axis gimbal steering control.
It realizes general control of various types of vehicles, improves operating accuracy, adapts to complex vibration environments, and covers the control needs of most possible equipment in the future.
Smart Images
Figure CN119758980A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of electronic control technology, and in particular to a multi-axis controller, an aircraft, and a vehicle. Background Art
[0002] Electronic controllers are an important computer input device and also an available control device for vehicles, aircraft, and various mechanical equipment. Compared with mechanical controllers, electronic controllers can be effectively integrated with modern electromechanical systems to achieve flexible deployment and rich functions. Electronic controllers can be divided into digital controllers and analog controllers according to the type of output signals. Digital controllers have become the mainstream technical solution in this field with their controllable accuracy, customizable functions, and programmability.
[0003] However, digital controllers still have many shortcomings when facing two major application areas:
[0004] 1. In a comprehensive simulation system that supports multiple types of vehicles, it is necessary to provide multiple different types of controllers for different types of vehicles (such as vehicles, fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft, surface and underwater vehicles, etc.). In most experimental environments, the controller does not need to have high fidelity in appearance, but a universal controller is needed that can easily control multiple different types of vehicles, and the control logic is highly compatible with each type of vehicle. At present, neither joystick controllers, handle controllers nor steering wheel controllers can fully meet the requirements.
[0005] 2. In high vibration environments such as in cars and cabins, if you need to control various types of physical equipment such as drones and unmanned vehicles, traditional joystick, handle and steering wheel controllers not only cannot provide good versatility, but also have the problem of vibration interfering with operating accuracy. This is because when using traditional controllers, the vibration of the user's hand will generate torque input, which in turn has a greater impact on the axis input. Summary of the invention
[0006] In order to solve at least one of the above problems, the present application proposes a multi-axis controller, an aircraft, and a vehicle.
[0007] According to the first aspect of the present application, at least one embodiment of the present application provides a multi-axis controller, comprising: a base; a bracket connected to the base; a roll connecting arm connected to the bracket for executing a roll instruction; a first axial data acquisition component connected to the roll connecting arm and the bracket, respectively, for collecting roll angle values and sending them to the bracket; a pitch connecting arm connected to the roll connecting arm for executing a pitch instruction; a second axial data acquisition component connected to the pitch connecting arm and the roll connecting arm, respectively, for collecting pitch angle values and sending them to the roll connecting arm ; A handle connected to the pitch connecting arm for executing a yaw command; a third axial data acquisition component connected to the handle and the pitch connecting arm for collecting yaw angle values and sending them to the pitch connecting arm; the pitch connecting arm is used to send the yaw angle value to the roll connecting arm; the roll connecting arm is used to send the yaw angle value and the pitch angle value to the bracket; the bracket is used to send the yaw angle value, the pitch angle value and the roll angle value to the base, so as to transmit them to the host computer through the base to control the target vehicle.
[0008] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the roll connecting arm is also used to execute forward and backward movement instructions; the first axial data acquisition component includes: a forward and backward linear sensor, connected to the roll connecting arm and the bracket, used to obtain the forward and backward movement value of the roll connecting arm, and send it to the bracket; a roll angle sensor, connected to the roll connecting arm and the bracket, used to obtain the roll angle value of the roll connecting arm, and send it to the bracket; the bracket is also used to send the forward and backward movement value to the base.
[0009] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the pitch connecting arm is also used to execute left and right movement instructions; the second axial data acquisition component includes: left and right linear sensors, connected to the pitch connecting arm and the roll connecting arm, for obtaining the left and right movement values of the pitch connecting arm, and sending them to the roll connecting arm; a pitch angle sensor, connected to the pitch connecting arm and the roll connecting arm, for obtaining the pitch angle value of the pitch connecting arm, and sending it to the roll connecting arm; the roll connecting arm is also used to send the left and right movement values to the base through the bracket.
[0010] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the handle is also used to execute up and down movement instructions; the third axial data acquisition component includes: an up and down linear sensor, connected to the handle and the pitch connecting arm, used to obtain the up and down movement values of the handle, and send it to the pitch connecting arm; a yaw angle sensor, connected to the handle and the pitch connecting arm, used to obtain the yaw angle value of the handle, and send it to the pitch connecting arm; the pitch connecting arm is also used to send the up and down movement values to the base through the roll connecting arm and the bracket.
[0011] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, it also includes: a gimbal steering controller, which is arranged on the handle, and is used to execute the gimbal yaw steering control instructions and the gimbal pitch steering control instructions; a gimbal yaw angle sensor, which is connected to the gimbal steering controller and the pitch connecting arm, and is used to obtain the yaw angle value of the gimbal steering controller and send it to the pitch connecting arm; a gimbal pitch angle sensor, which is connected to the gimbal steering controller and the pitch connecting arm, and is used to obtain the pitch angle value of the gimbal steering controller and send it to the pitch connecting arm; the pitch connecting arm is used to send the yaw angle value of the gimbal steering controller and the pitch angle value of the gimbal steering controller to the base through the roll connecting arm and the bracket.
[0012] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, it also includes: an additional controller, arranged on the handle, for executing additional control instructions; an additional instruction sensor, connected to the additional controller and the pitch connecting arm, for obtaining additional values of the additional controller and sending them to the pitch connecting arm; the pitch connecting arm is used to send the additional values to the base through the roll connecting arm and the bracket.
[0013] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, it also includes: a steering wheel, connected to the handle, for executing the up and down movement instructions and the yaw instructions, and driving the handle to move synchronously.
[0014] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, each of the front-to-back linear sensor and roll angle sensor in the first axial data acquisition component, the left-right linear sensor and pitch angle sensor in the second axial data acquisition component, and the up-down linear sensor and yaw angle sensor in the third axial data acquisition component includes: at least one of a carbon film sensor, a Hall sensor, and a magnetoresistive sensor.
[0015] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, each of the gimbal steering controller and the additional controller includes: at least one of: a button, a linear trigger, a knob, a touchpad, and a trackball.
[0016] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the base includes: a base body; a control chip, arranged inside the base body, for receiving the roll angle value, the pitch angle value and the yaw angle value; and the multi-axis controller also includes: a communication interface, for communicating with a host computer, so as to upload the roll angle value, the pitch angle value and the yaw angle value collected by the control chip to the host computer.
[0017] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the base includes a clamp for clamping on a target vehicle to improve the stability of the multi-axis controller.
[0018] According to a second aspect of the present application, at least one embodiment of the present application provides an aircraft, comprising: a multi-axis controller as described in any one of the first aspects, used to control the aircraft and a gimbal device carried by the aircraft.
[0019] According to a third aspect of the present application, at least one embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle, comprising: a multi-axis controller as described in any one of the first aspect, used to control the vehicle and a pan-tilt device carried by the vehicle.
[0020] Through the above-mentioned example embodiments, a multi-axis controller provided by the present application is provided with a roll connecting arm, a pitch connecting arm and a handle, and uses an integrated solution to realize the control of three translation axes, namely front and rear, left and right, and up and down, and the control of three steering axes, namely roll, pitch and yaw. Additional controllers and gimbal steering controllers are provided in the finger-operable areas in front and behind the handle to realize additional axis and 2-axis gimbal steering control, replacing a variety of traditional controllers, and through the design of the steering wheel structure to balance the center of gravity of the device, it not only provides a steering wheel operation method, but also enables the rotation axis to be located at the center of gravity of each level of structure, so that the multi-axis controller can adapt to complex vibration environments, and provide good versatility to meet the needs of future new equipment, covering the control needs of most equipment that may appear in the future.
[0021] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] By describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent. The accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application.
[0023] Figure 1 A front side perspective view of a multi-axis controller showing an exemplary embodiment;
[0024] Figure 2A rear side perspective view of a multi-axis controller showing an exemplary embodiment;
[0025] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the component hierarchical relationship of a multi-axis controller of an exemplary embodiment;
[0026] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing steering control of a multi-axis controller of an exemplary embodiment;
[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating translation control of a multi-axis controller according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0028] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing an operation method for controlling a multi-axis controller;
[0029] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an operating method for operating a multi-axis controller is shown.
[0030] Reference numerals:
[0031] - Base: 1
[0032] - Brackets: 2
[0033] Front and rear (Forward value) linear sensor: 3
[0034] Roll angle sensor: 4
[0035] - Connection cables: 5
[0036] Rolling connecting arm: 6
[0037] Right value linear sensor: 7
[0038] Pitch angle sensor: 8
[0039] - Connection cables: 9
[0040] Pitch connecting arm: 10
[0041] Up and down (Up value) linear sensor: 11
[0042] Yaw angle sensor: 12
[0043] Grip: 13
[0044] Trackball: 14
[0045] Linear trigger: 15
[0046] Steering wheel: 16 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0047] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be comprehensive and complete and will fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and thus their repeated description will be omitted.
[0048] The described features, structures or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the following description, many specific details are provided to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solutions of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or other modes, components, materials, devices, etc. may be adopted. In these cases, known structures, methods, devices, implementations, materials or operations will not be shown or described in detail.
[0049] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are only exemplary and do not necessarily include all the contents and operations / steps, nor must they be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be decomposed, and some operations / steps can be combined or partially combined, so the actual execution order may change according to actual conditions.
[0050] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.
[0051] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are merely schematic diagrams of example embodiments, and the modules or processes in the drawings are not necessarily necessary for implementing the present application, and therefore cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.
[0052] The present application provides a multi-axis controller. The multi-axis controller includes: a base, a bracket, a roll connection arm, a pitch connection arm, a handle, a first axis data acquisition component, a second axis data acquisition component and a third axis data acquisition component, and the roll angle control is realized by controlling the roll connection arm, the pitch angle control is realized by controlling the pitch connection arm, and the yaw angle control is realized by the handle, in the order of roll->pitch->yaw.
[0053] The bracket is connected to the base.
[0054] The roll connection arm is connected to the bracket and is used to execute the roll command input from the outside. The first axial data acquisition component is connected to the roll connection arm and the bracket respectively, and is used to collect the roll angle value of the roll connection arm rotating according to the roll command and send it to the bracket. The external input can be manual control.
[0055] The pitch connecting arm is connected to the roll connecting arm and is used to execute the pitch command input from the outside. The second axial data acquisition component is connected to the pitch connecting arm and the roll connecting arm respectively, and is used to collect the pitch angle value of the pitch connecting arm rotating according to the pitch command and send it to the roll connecting arm.
[0056] The handle is connected to the pitch connecting arm and is used to execute the yaw command input from the outside. The third axial data acquisition component is connected to the handle and the pitch connecting arm and is used to collect the yaw angle value of the handle rotating according to the yaw command and send it to the pitch connecting arm.
[0057] The pitch connecting arm is used to send the yaw angle value to the roll connecting arm; the roll connecting arm is used to send the yaw angle value and the pitch angle value to the bracket; the bracket is used to send the yaw angle value, the pitch angle value and the roll angle value to the base, so as to transmit them to the upper computer through the base to control the target vehicle.
[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment, the roll connecting arm is also used to execute forward and backward movement instructions, the pitch connecting arm is also used to execute left and right movement instructions, and the handle is also used to execute up and down movement instructions. The first axial data acquisition assembly includes a front and back linear sensor and a roll angle sensor. The second axial data acquisition assembly includes a left and right linear sensor and a pitch angle sensor. The third axial data acquisition assembly includes an up and down linear sensor and a yaw angle sensor.
[0059] Figure 1 This is a front side perspective view of the multi-axis controller. Figure 2 This is a rear perspective view of the multi-axis controller.
[0060] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the multi-axis controller includes: a base 1, a bracket 2, a roll connecting arm 6, a front-to-rear linear sensor 3, a roll angle sensor 4, a pitch connecting arm 10, a left-right linear sensor 7, a pitch angle sensor 8, a handle 13, an up-down linear sensor 11 and a yaw angle sensor 12.
[0061] According to some embodiments, the base has a hollow design to avoid physical obstruction to other components when other components move or rotate.
[0062] The roll connection arm 6 is connected to the bracket 2 and is used to execute the forward and backward movement instructions and the roll instruction. The front and rear linear sensor 3 is connected to the roll connection arm 6 and the bracket 2 and is used to obtain the forward and backward movement value of the roll connection arm 6 and send it to the bracket 2 through the connecting cable 5. The roll angle sensor 4 is connected to the roll connection arm 6 and the bracket 2 and is used to obtain the roll angle value of the roll connection arm 6 and send it to the bracket 2 through the connecting cable 5.
[0063] The pitch connecting arm 10 is connected to the roll connecting arm 6, and is used to execute left and right movement instructions and pitch instructions. The left and right linear sensors 7 are connected to the pitch connecting arm 10 and the roll connecting arm 6, and are used to obtain the left and right movement values of the pitch connecting arm 10, and send them to the roll connecting arm 6 through the connecting cable 9. The pitch angle sensor 8 is connected to the pitch connecting arm 10 and the roll connecting arm 6, and is used to obtain the pitch angle value of the pitch connecting arm 10, and send it to the roll connecting arm 6 through the connecting cable 9.
[0064] The handle 13 is connected to the pitch connecting arm 10 and is used to execute up and down movement instructions and yaw instructions. The up and down linear sensor 11 is connected to the handle 13 and the pitch connecting arm 10 and is used to obtain the up and down movement value of the handle 13 and send it to the pitch connecting arm 10 through the connecting cable. The yaw angle sensor 12 is connected to the handle 13 and the pitch connecting arm 10 and is used to obtain the yaw angle value of the handle 13 and send it to the pitch connecting arm 10 through the connecting cable.
[0065] The pitch connecting arm 10 is used to send the up and down movement value and the yaw angle value to the roll connecting arm 6 through the connecting cable 9. The roll connecting arm 6 is used to send the up and down movement value, the yaw angle value, the left and right movement value and the pitch angle value through the connecting cable 5 to the bracket 2. The bracket 2 is used to send the up and down movement value, the yaw angle value, the left and right movement value, the pitch angle value, the front and back movement value and the roll angle value to the base 1.
[0066] According to some embodiments, the present application may also embed the connecting cable into the rotating shaft connecting the connecting arm and the sensor, and use a rotating connection mechanism such as an electric slip ring to replace the connecting cable connection at the rotating shaft; or use wireless communication to transmit the data of each axis. The present application only takes this as an example, but is not limited to this.
[0067] According to an exemplary embodiment, the multi-axis controller further includes: a gimbal steering controller 14, a gimbal yaw angle sensor (not shown in the figure), and a gimbal pitch angle sensor (not shown in the figure).
[0068] The gimbal steering controller 14 is arranged on the handle 13, and is used to execute the gimbal yaw steering control command and the gimbal pitch steering control command. The gimbal yaw angle sensor is connected to the gimbal steering controller 14 and the pitch connecting arm 10, and is used to obtain the yaw angle value of the gimbal steering controller 14 and send it to the pitch connecting arm 10. The gimbal pitch angle sensor is connected to the gimbal steering controller 14 and the pitch connecting arm 10, and is used to obtain the pitch angle value of the gimbal steering controller 14 and send it to the pitch connecting arm 10.
[0069] According to an exemplary embodiment, the multi-axis controller further comprises: an additional controller 15 and an additional command sensor (not shown in the figure).
[0070] The additional controller 15 is disposed on the handle 13 and is used to execute additional control instructions. The additional instruction sensor is connected to the additional controller 15 and the pitch connecting arm 10 and is used to obtain additional values of the additional controller 15 and send them to the pitch connecting arm 10.
[0071] The pitch connecting arm 10 is used to send the yaw angle value of the gimbal steering controller 14 , the pitch angle value of the gimbal steering controller 14 and the additional value to the roll connecting arm 6 , so that the roll connecting arm 6 sends the above values to the base 1 through the bracket 2 .
[0072] According to some embodiments, each of the front and rear linear sensors 3, roll angle sensors 4, left and right linear sensors 7, pitch angle sensors 8, up and down linear sensors 11 and yaw angle sensors 12, gimbal yaw angle sensors and gimbal pitch angle sensors includes: at least one of: a carbon film sensor, a Hall sensor and a magnetoresistive sensor.
[0073] A carbon film sensor is a sensor that senses physical quantities by detecting changes in the resistance of the carbon film. The resistance value can be used to detect changes in angle and position, thereby obtaining and outputting signals.
[0074] The Hall sensor is a magnetoelectric sensor based on the Hall effect. Its working principle is to convert the changing magnetic field into a change in output voltage. When the magnetic field acts on the semiconductor material, the electrons will be deflected laterally perpendicular to the direction of the current, thereby generating a potential difference on both sides of the material, namely the Hall voltage. By measuring the size of the Hall voltage, the strength of the magnetic field can be indirectly known.
[0075] Magnetoresistive sensors, especially tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) sensors, are based on the magnetoresistive effect. TMR sensors work by using the property that the resistance of magnetic materials changes with the magnetic field. When a magnetic field acts on the magnetic layer of the TMR sensor, the magnetization direction of the magnetic layer changes, thereby changing the probability of electrons tunneling between the magnetic layers, and thus changing the resistance value of the sensor. By measuring the change in resistance value, the strength of the magnetic field can be known.
[0076] According to some embodiments, each of the pan / tilt steering controller 14 and the additional controller 15 includes one of: a button, a linear trigger, a knob, a touch pad, and a trackball.
[0077] According to some embodiments, the additional control instruction may have different definitions in different scenarios, such as braking, handbrake, or executing a preset action, etc. This application only takes this as an example, but is not limited thereto.
[0078] The multi-axis controller provided in the present application is used to control the three translation axes of the vehicle, namely, front and back, left and right, and up and down, by setting a roll connecting arm to perform forward and backward movement and roll rotation, a pitch connecting arm to perform left and right movement and pitch rotation, and a handle to perform up and down movement and yaw rotation; and three steering axes, namely, roll, pitch, and yaw; and to control the two gimbal steering axes of the vehicle gimbal by setting a gimbal steering controller to perform gimbal yaw rotation and gimbal pitch rotation; and to execute other additional instructions by setting an additional controller to control the vehicle to perform other additional actions.
[0079] According to some embodiments, a vehicle can be specialized into a specific type of vehicle. For example, a fixed-wing aircraft can use three steering axes to control the main control surfaces and one translation axis to control the throttle; a rotorcraft can use three steering axes to control the torque output of the rotor and one translation axis to control the throttle; a vehicle can use the yaw steering axis to control the direction, the front and rear translation axes to control the throttle, and the additional axis to control the brakes; a ship can use the yaw steering axis to control the rudder angle and the front and rear translation axes to control the propeller power output.
[0080] Furthermore, in accordance with the characteristic that forward movement is the main mode of movement of general vehicles, the drive controller provided in the present application is a steering mechanism with the order of roll -> pitch -> yaw, and an angle sensor is set to read the angle value, and a linear sensor is added in each axis direction to read the displacement value.
[0081] According to an example embodiment, the multi-axis controller further includes a steering wheel 16 .
[0082] The steering wheel 16 is connected to the handle 13 for executing up and down movement instructions and yaw instructions. The steering wheel 16 and the handle 13 are rigidly connected, so that when the steering wheel 16 is rotated, the handle 13 is driven to move synchronously. Rotating the steering wheel 16 and rotating the handle 13 are equivalent operations.
[0083] The multi-axis controller provided in this application is designed with axis layout for common vehicles that move forward as the main direction of movement, and the translation input and rotation input are consistent with the translation and rotation directions of the vehicle. Yaw rotation and up and down translation operations are integrated into the rocker-shaped handle, and a steering wheel is fixed on the top of the handle by hard connection to realize the steering wheel operation, while balancing the weight of the multi-axis controller so that the center of gravity falls at the intersection of the three axes of roll, pitch, and yaw. The extension lines of each axis pass through the center of the handle, so the arm displacement is small during operation, which is more labor-saving to use.
[0084] The design ensures that the translation input has good smoothness: because the linear moving parts and the sensor direction pass through the center of gravity and the center of the grip, the translation input will not generate torque on the linear moving parts, so the translation input has good smoothness.
[0085] All levels of the multi-axis controller can achieve natural balance, without any requirements on the direction of gravity, and can be fixed on other equipment at any angle to achieve deployment at various angles. And because the center of gravity of all levels of components is on the shaft and in the center of the handle, all kinds of steering operations are not affected by vibration.
[0086] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the component hierarchical relationship of a multi-axis controller of an exemplary embodiment is shown. In the present application, the pan / tilt steering controller is a trackball and the additional controller is a linear trigger as an example. However, the present application is not limited thereto.
[0087] The components in each level are rigidly connected (the cable itself is flexible, connecting the current level to the next level). The translation or rotation of each group of components will cause the components of its child level ( Figure 3 The user controls the movement of the upper-level component by operating the lower-level component.
[0088] The structure of the entire multi-axis controller is to decompose the user's operation of the handle or steering wheel into various levels, and then analyze it into the offset of the three translation axes, namely front and back, left and right, and up and down, and the deflection of the three steering axes, namely roll, pitch, and yaw. In addition, there are two axis deflections of the trackball, namely yaw and pitch, and one axis offset of the linear trigger, for a total of nine values. After conversion from analog signals to digital signals, the digital signals are uniformly output to the communication interface and sent to the computer or controlled device, thereby completing the conversion process of user actions to digital signals.
[0089] Each level contains sensors that monitor the translation and steering degree of the next level components in real time, including linear sensors and angle sensors.
[0090] According to some embodiments, a rebound component may be added at the connection between the connecting arm and the sensor to enable the components of the next level to return to their original positions naturally; or a force feedback component may be added at the connection between the connecting arm and the sensor, for example, front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down linear force feedback devices may be added, and roll, pitch, and yaw torque force feedback devices may be added, so that the components can move in a specific direction and at a specific speed under the electric driving force, or return to a specific position, so as to realize the reverse output of the vehicle state, replace the function of the elastic reset mechanism, and simplify the mechanical structure.
[0091] Furthermore, a physical locking device may be added at the connection between the connecting arm and the sensor to limit these rotational and translational capabilities of the corresponding components without requiring a specific input shaft, as well as limiting the rotational and translational capabilities between the next level.
[0092] According to some embodiments, the range of values read by each linear sensor is [-1, 1], and the unit of the angle sensor reading value is degree, so as to ensure consistency when controlling the vehicle. However, the range of the sensor can be determined according to actual needs and component costs, and the present application is not limited thereto.
[0093] The present application adds controllers and gimbal steering controllers to the finger-operable areas in front and behind the grip to achieve additional-axis and 2-axis gimbal steering control.
[0094] According to some embodiments, as the lowest level of the multi-axis controller, the grip component can carry any components suitable for hand operation, such as buttons, linear triggers, knobs, touchpads, and trackballs.
[0095] The present application is described in one of the combinations, i.e., a combination of a linear trigger and a trackball. Using the index finger to control the linear trigger can realize an additional linear input. The linear sensor inside the linear trigger provides a linear value of the trigger pressing degree, and the value is 0 when there is no external force. For example, the value range is [0,1], 0 in the non-operation state, and 1 when fully pressed. The linear trigger can automatically rebound under the action of elastic force, and the linear trigger can also be designed to rebound to any position under the action of the electric driving force of the force feedback component.
[0096] The trackball provides input functions in two directions: yaw (X) and pitch (Y). The sensor inside the trackball measures values in degrees. The thumb can be used to control the trackball to achieve input control of the 2-axis gimbal. The trackball is arranged vertically to adapt to the user's operating habits. When the user operates the trackball, the horizontal rotation increment corresponds to the gimbal X value increment, and the vertical rotation increment corresponds to the gimbal Y increment.
[0097] Furthermore, the number of additional controllers in the present application may be increased to achieve control of more devices on the vehicle, including in the form of knobs, linear triggers, joysticks, etc.; buttons may be added to achieve more vehicle control functions.
[0098] According to some embodiments, the multi-axis controller of the present application can also eliminate the parts other than the grip, and use the electronic accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer to identify the three steering axes, reduce the recognition of the uncommon left and right translation, and use the linear trigger and linear slider for recognition of the front and back and up and down translation respectively (deployed at the appropriate position in the grip). The structure of the multi-axis controller can be further simplified and the volume of the multi-axis controller can be reduced.
[0099] Moreover, the multi-axis controller of the present application can be further simplified into a software implementation based on a host computer, using sensors such as the accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer of the host computer to realize data reading of the three steering axes, and then realizing the front and rear and up and down translation linear value reading based on the touch screen of the host computer.
[0100] According to an exemplary embodiment, the base 1 includes: a base body and a control chip (not shown in the figure). The multi-axis controller also includes: a communication interface (not shown in the figure).
[0101] The control chip is arranged inside the base body, and is used to receive forward and backward movement values, roll angle values, left and right movement values, pitch angle values, up and down movement values, yaw angle values, yaw angle values of the gimbal steering controller 14, pitch angle values of the gimbal steering controller 14 and additional values.
[0102] The communication interface is used to communicate with the host computer to upload the forward and backward movement values, roll angle values, left and right movement values, pitch angle values, up and down movement values, yaw angle values, yaw angle values of the gimbal steering controller 14, pitch angle values of the gimbal steering controller 14 and additional values collected by the control chip to the host computer.
[0103] The signal cable in the bracket is connected to the control chip in the base. The base provides a communication interface that can connect and communicate with a computer or other host digital device to upload data such as angle and displacement in real time.
[0104] According to some embodiments, the base 1 includes a clamp for clamping the multi-axis controller to the target vehicle to improve the stability of the multi-axis controller, so that the multi-axis controller is more suitable for high-intensity vibration or non-horizontal placement environment.
[0105] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The figure shows different situations when the multi-axis controller changes the steering axis and the translation axis. Among them, Roll is used to adjust the roll angle, Pitch is used to adjust the pitch angle, Yaw is used to adjust the yaw angle, Forward is used to adjust the front and rear displacement, Right is used to adjust the left and right displacement, and Up is used to adjust the up and down displacement. Figure 4The figures show the states of the multi-axis controller after the three steering axes are deflected individually, and the states of the multi-axis controller after the three steering axes are deflected simultaneously. Figure 5 The controller states of the multi-axis controller after the three translation axes are translated separately (when Forward, Right, and Up are -1 and 1 respectively) are shown in FIG.
[0106] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the operation method for controlling a multi-axis controller is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the multi-axis controller provided by the present application can use a single-handed grip (either left or right hand), a thumb to operate the trackball, and an index finger to operate the linear trigger, to complete the input of three steering axes (roll, pitch, yaw) and three translation axes (front and back, left and right, up and down) in a manner similar to a joystick, and transmit the input data of each sensor through a communication interface. The operation of multiple axes is integrated together, and can be operated by one hand, reducing the space occupied by the multi-axis controller.
[0107] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the operation method for controlling a multi-axis controller is shown. Figure 7 As shown, the multi-axis controller provided in the present application can use both hands to hold the steering wheel to complete the input of three steering axes (roll, pitch, and yaw) and three translation axes (front and back, left and right, up and down) in a car-like driving manner, and transmit the input data of each sensor through the communication interface.
[0108] The present application also provides an aircraft, on which is installed a multi-axis controller as described above, for controlling the aircraft and a gimbal device carried by the aircraft.
[0109] For example, fighter jets use a single-handed joystick operation mode. The roll and pitch control modes are the same as those of the present invention, and the yaw of the aircraft is controlled by axial rotation of the controller handle (the yaw direction is consistent with the rotation direction of the handle). In addition, the forward and backward translation of the controller can be used as the throttle input.
[0110] Civilian airliner: Use the steering wheel to operate. Use the handle (steering wheel) to move up and down (Up) to control the pitch of the aircraft, rotate the steering wheel (Yaw) to control the roll of the aircraft, and move the controller left and right (Right) to control the yaw of the aircraft.
[0111] Helicopter or drone: Use a single-handed joystick to operate. The roll and pitch control methods are the same as the present invention. The handle moves up and down (Up) to control the aircraft throttle, and the handle rotates (Yaw) to control the aircraft yaw.
[0112] Aerial photography drone: Use a single-hand joystick operation. The controller pitch (Pitch) is used as the input for the drone's forward and backward translation operation, the controller roll (Roll) is used as the input for the drone's left and right translation operation, the handle rotation (Yaw) is used as the drone's yaw operation input, the handle up and down translation (Up) is used as the drone's throttle input, the trackball yaw (X) is used as the horizontal rotation operation of the gimbal camera, and the trackball pitch (Y) is used as the vertical rotation operation of the gimbal camera.
[0113] The present application also provides a vehicle, on which is installed the multi-axis controller as described above, for controlling the vehicle and the pan-tilt device carried by the vehicle.
[0114] For example, for wheeled vehicles: use the steering wheel operation method. Rotate the steering wheel (Yaw) to control steering, forward and backward translation (Forward) as throttle (Forward>0) and brake (Forward<0) input, linear trigger as handbrake input, trackball yaw (X) as gimbal horizontal rotation operation, trackball pitch (Y) as gimbal vertical rotation operation.
[0115] The multi-axis controller provided in this application has extremely strong versatility and can cover fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft, vehicles, surface and underwater vehicles, etc., and can be expanded to more types of vehicles, and can simultaneously control the gimbal device carried by the vehicle.
[0116] It should be clearly understood that the present application describes how to form and use specific examples, but the present application is not limited to any details of these examples. On the contrary, based on the teaching of the content disclosed in the present application, these principles can be applied to many other embodiments.
[0117] In addition, it should be noted that the above figures are only schematic illustrations of the processes included in the method according to the exemplary embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to be limiting. It is easy to understand that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the time sequence of these processes. In addition, it is also easy to understand that these processes can be performed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.
[0118] The exemplary embodiments of the present application are specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the detailed structures, configurations or implementations described herein; on the contrary, the present application is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent configurations included within the objectives and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A multi-axis controller, characterized in that: include: Base; A bracket connected to the base; A roll connection arm, connected to the bracket, for executing a roll instruction; A first axial data acquisition component is connected to the roll connection arm and the bracket respectively, and is used to collect the roll angle value of the roll connection arm and send it to the bracket; A pitch connection arm, connected to the roll connection arm, for executing a pitch instruction; A second axial data acquisition component is connected to the pitch connection arm and the roll connection arm respectively, and is used to collect the pitch angle value of the pitch connection arm and send it to the roll connection arm; A handle connected to the pitch connecting arm, used to execute a yaw command; A third axial data acquisition component is connected to the handle and the pitch connecting arm, and is used to collect the yaw angle value of the handle and send it to the pitch connecting arm; The pitch connecting arm is used to send the yaw angle value to the roll connecting arm; the roll connecting arm is used to send the yaw angle value and the pitch angle value to the bracket; The bracket is used to send the yaw angle value, the pitch angle value and the roll angle value to the base, so as to transmit them to the host computer through the base to control the target vehicle.
2. The multi-axis controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rolling connecting arm is also used to execute forward and backward movement instructions; The first axial data acquisition component comprises: A front-to-back linear sensor connected to the roll connecting arm and the bracket, used to obtain the front-to-back movement value of the roll connecting arm and send it to the bracket; A roll angle sensor, connected to the roll connection arm and the bracket, for obtaining a roll angle value of the roll connection arm and sending the value to the bracket; The bracket is also used to send the forward and backward movement value to the base.
3. The multi-axis controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pitch connecting arm is also used to execute left and right movement instructions; The second axial data acquisition component comprises: A left and right linear sensor is connected to the pitch connecting arm and the roll connecting arm, and is used to obtain the left and right movement value of the pitch connecting arm and send it to the roll connecting arm; A pitch angle sensor, connected to the pitch connecting arm and the roll connecting arm, for obtaining a pitch angle value of the pitch connecting arm and sending the value to the roll connecting arm; The rolling connecting arm is also used to send the left and right movement value to the base through the bracket.
4. The multi-axis controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grip is also used to execute up and down movement instructions; The third axial data acquisition component comprises: An up-down linear sensor connected to the handle and the pitch connecting arm, used to obtain the up-down movement value of the handle and send it to the pitch connecting arm; A yaw angle sensor, connected to the handle and the pitch connecting arm, for obtaining a yaw angle value of the handle and sending it to the pitch connecting arm; The pitch connecting arm is also used to send the up and down movement value to the base through the roll connecting arm and the bracket.
5. The multi-axis controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A gimbal steering controller, arranged on the handle, for executing a gimbal yaw steering control instruction and a gimbal pitch steering control instruction; A gimbal yaw angle sensor is connected to the gimbal steering controller and the pitch connecting arm, and is used to obtain the yaw angle value of the gimbal steering controller and send it to the pitch connecting arm; A pan / tilt angle sensor is connected to the pan / tilt steering controller and the pitch connecting arm, and is used to obtain the pitch angle value of the pan / tilt steering controller and send it to the pitch connecting arm; The pitch connecting arm is used to send the yaw angle value of the gimbal steering controller and the pitch angle value of the gimbal steering controller to the base through the roll connecting arm and the bracket.
6. The multi-axis controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: An additional controller, disposed on the handle, for executing additional control instructions; an additional instruction sensor, connected to the additional controller and the pitch connecting arm, for acquiring an additional value of the additional controller and sending it to the pitch connecting arm; The pitch connecting arm is used to send the additional value to the base through the roll connecting arm and the bracket.
7. The multi-axis controller according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: A steering wheel is connected to the handle and is used to execute the up and down movement instructions and the yaw instruction and drive the handle to move synchronously.
8. The multi-axis controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the front-to-back linear sensor and the roll angle sensor in the first axial data acquisition assembly, the left-right linear sensor and the pitch angle sensor in the second axial data acquisition assembly, and the up-down linear sensor and the yaw angle sensor in the third axial data acquisition assembly comprises: At least one of a carbon film sensor, a Hall sensor, and a magnetoresistive sensor.
9. The multi-axis controller according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: Each of the pan / tilt steering controller and the additional controller includes: At least one of a button, a linear trigger, a knob, a touchpad, and a trackball.
10. The multi-axis controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base comprises: Base body; A control chip is disposed inside the base body and is used to receive the roll angle value, the pitch angle value and the yaw angle value; Furthermore, the multi-axis controller further comprises: A communication interface is used to communicate with the host computer to upload the roll angle value, the pitch angle value and the yaw angle value collected by the control chip to the host computer.
11. The multi-axis controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base includes a clamp for clamping on a target vehicle to improve the stability of the multi-axis controller.
12. An aircraft, characterized in that: include: The multi-axis controller according to any one of claims 1 to 11, used to control the aircraft and the gimbal device carried by the aircraft.
13. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: The multi-axis controller as described in any one of claims 1-11 is used to control the vehicle and the pan-tilt device carried by the vehicle.