Unmanned aerial vehicle for monitoring marine litter

Abstract

The invention discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle for marine litter monitoring. The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a double-layer fuselage, a main power system and an auxiliary power system. The double-layer fuselage comprises an upper plate, a middle plate and a lower plate, the upper plate and the middle plate form an upper-layer fuselage space, the middle plate and the lower plate form a lower-layer fuselage space, and the main power system is arranged in the upper-layer fuselage space and extends out of the upper-layer fuselage space; the auxiliary power system is at least partially contained in the lower-layer fuselage space when the unmanned aerial vehicle flies normally, and when a triggering condition is met, the auxiliary power system can rotationally stretch out of the lower-layer fuselage space and starts to work. Through the arrangement of the double-layer fuselage, interference between the main power system and the auxiliary power system can be avoided, the auxiliary power system extends out of the space of the lower-layer fuselage under the triggering condition to start working, and the flight safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle under the abnormal condition can be guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) marine monitoring, and in particular to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for marine garbage monitoring. Background Art

[0002] In order to measure the amount of marine debris, in addition to calculating the amount of marine debris on the entire beach by directly investigating the type, quantity, volume and weight of the coast, which increases the survey time and cost, in order to address the limitations of the existing marine debris survey methods, unmanned automated systems including drones with autonomous flight functions are used to capture ocean images and deep learning based on artificial intelligence (AI) image analysis algorithms. The types of marine debris from real-time images can be automatically estimated by configuring the process to estimate the quantity, volume, weight, etc., which can accurately measure and reduce the survey time and cost of marine debris.

[0003] However, sea waves are actually irregular waves without a certain propagation direction. The main parameter reflecting the energy of sea wave movement is wave height. A series of sea conditions can be determined according to the size of wind and waves. When drones take off from the open sea, according to the regulations, they generally include 0 to 9 levels of sea conditions, corresponding to calm, light waves, light waves, medium waves, big waves, strong waves, huge waves, wild waves, storm waves, and hurricane waves. Drones can fly normally in sea conditions below level 4. If the sea conditions exceed level 4, it will be difficult for ordinary quadcopters to maintain safe flight.

[0004] Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention combines different sea conditions and analysis of water surface loads, and adopts a UAV including a main power system and a secondary power system to ensure the flight safety of the UAV when monitoring marine garbage. Summary of the invention

[0005] Based on the above problems, the present invention provides a UAV for marine garbage monitoring, which is used to ensure the flight safety of the UAV when monitoring marine garbage.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a UAV for marine garbage monitoring is provided, characterized in that the UAV includes a double-layer fuselage, a main power system, and an auxiliary power system; the double-layer fuselage includes an upper plate, a middle plate and a lower plate, the upper plate and the middle plate constitute an upper fuselage space, the middle plate and the lower plate constitute a lower fuselage space, the main power system is arranged in the upper fuselage space and extends out of the upper fuselage space, the auxiliary power system is at least partially stored in the lower fuselage space when the UAV is in normal flight, and when the trigger condition is met, the auxiliary power system can be rotated to extend out of the lower fuselage space and start working.

[0007] Furthermore, the main power system includes four first power components, the first power component includes a first arm, a first motor and a first rotor, one end of the first arm is arranged in the upper fuselage space formed by the upper plate and the middle plate, the first motor is arranged at the other end of the first arm, and the first rotor is arranged on the output shaft of the first motor.

[0008] Furthermore, the auxiliary power system includes four second power assemblies, and the second power assemblies can be stored and extended in the lower fuselage space formed by the middle plate and the lower plate.

[0009] Furthermore, the second power assembly includes a second arm, a second motor and a second rotor; the upper plate, the middle plate and the lower plate are circular structures, the middle plate and the lower plate constitute a cylinder with four openings in the circumference, a drive plate is rotatably connected to the inner side of the cylinder, the drive plate is driven by a drive motor, the drive motor, the drive plate and the cylinder are coaxially arranged, the drive plate is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped slide grooves, one end of the second arm is provided with a slider matching the arc-shaped slide groove, the other end of the second arm is provided with the second motor, and the second rotor is arranged on the output shaft of the second motor.

[0010] Furthermore, the trigger condition is whether the surface load of the UAV exceeds a threshold value. If it exceeds the threshold value, the trigger condition is met. If it does not reach the threshold value, it is not triggered. The surface load calculation of the UAV adopts the power spectrum analysis method to divide the UAV's mission segments, and calculate the response parameter N and the transcendence frequency M(y) to the wave for each mission segment. It is the number of times the zero value is crossed with a positive slope per second, which is also equivalent to the rotation radius of the power spectrum density function of the response quantity around the zero frequency, and is calculated by the following formula:

[0011]

[0012]

[0013] In the above formula, ω c is the cutoff circular frequency, ω is the circular frequency, H(ω) is the frequency response function of the aircraft response characteristics, which is defined as the response of the load y to the unit sinusoidal wave within a meaningful frequency range, which can be obtained by the UAV model tank test or structural dynamic analysis method, S(ω) is the wave spectrum, and its expression is:

[0014]

[0015] Among them, A=0.78, B=3.11 / H 2 , H is the significant wave height of the ocean waves.

[0016] Furthermore, when the trigger condition is reached, the control system of the UAV controls the drive motor to turn on, the drive plate rotates, and when the arc-shaped slide groove of the drive plate rotates, the slider slides along the arc-shaped slide groove, thereby making the second arm extend out of the opening. When all the second arms extend out of the opening, the second motor is turned on.

[0017] Furthermore, a monitoring device is arranged below the lower plate, and the monitoring device includes a first monitoring device, a second monitoring device, a monitoring device motor and a transmission mechanism, and the monitoring device motor is used to drive the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device to rotate; the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device are arranged at 180 degrees below the lower plate.

[0018] Furthermore, the first monitoring device includes a first connecting rod and a first camera, and the second monitoring device includes a second connecting rod and a second camera, the first connecting rod and the first camera are fixedly connected, and the second connecting rod is fixedly connected to the camera; the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged side by side at the center of the lower plate and are rotatably connected to the lower plate; a first storage groove and a second storage groove are arranged on the lower plate, the first storage groove is used to store the first connecting rod, and the second storage groove is used to store the second connecting rod.

[0019] Further, the monitoring device motor actuates the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod through the transmission mechanism, and the transmission mechanism includes a first connecting rod gear and a second connecting rod gear. One end of the first connecting rod is connected to the first connecting rod gear, and the other end is connected to the first camera. One end of the second connecting rod is connected to the second connecting rod gear, and the other end is connected to the second camera. The monitoring device motor drives the first connecting rod gear, and the first connecting rod gear is meshed with the second connecting rod gear, so that the monitoring device motor drives the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod to rotate in opposite directions.

[0020] Furthermore, the monitoring device includes a first monitoring state and a second monitoring state. When in the first monitoring state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged in the first storage groove and the second storage groove of the lower plate. When in the second monitoring state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are rotated 90 degrees based on the first state, and the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod overlap after rotation, and the overlapping surfaces are locked by the hook tongue and the hanging rod.

[0021] Furthermore, the first arm and the second arm are arranged at an angle of 45 degrees, and the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged parallel to a part of the first arm.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] 1) The UAV for marine garbage monitoring of the present invention adopts a main power system and an auxiliary power system. Whether to start the auxiliary power system is selected according to the trigger condition. The trigger condition calculates the surface load of the UAV according to the sea conditions. Through the above judgment, different levels of power can be accurately provided to the UAV according to different sea conditions, ensuring that the UAV can operate safely under various sea conditions.

[0024] 2) The auxiliary power system can be stored and extended in the lower fuselage space. The mechanism for controlling its extension and storage is simple, and the lower fuselage space is constructed as a cylindrical structure with partial openings, which further ensures the flight aerodynamic performance of the UAV in the stored state.

[0025] 3) Taking into account the operating environment of the drone used for monitoring marine debris, the monitoring equipment is improved by adopting a dual-camera mode, and the cameras are fixed on the connecting rod, which ensures the stable monitoring of the monitoring equipment under strong winds and waves. In the first monitoring state, the wind resistance of the connecting rod is extremely small. In the second state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are overlapped, and the isomorphic hook tongue and hanging rod are locked, which improves the stability of the monitoring equipment. Compared with the traditional three-axis gimbal or two-axis gimbal, the monitoring equipment of the present application is more suitable for marine environment monitoring, and improves the clarity of the captured image data while better protecting the camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a drone used for marine debris monitoring Figure 1 ;

[0028] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a drone used for marine debris monitoring Figure 2 ;

[0029] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the auxiliary power system extending in the space of the lower fuselage;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the auxiliary power system is stored in the lower fuselage space;

[0031] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary power system structure;

[0032] Figure 6is a structural schematic diagram of a first monitoring state;

[0033] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the second monitoring state;

[0034] Figure 8 It is a structural diagram of the transmission mechanism of the monitoring equipment.

[0035] Figure markings: 11-upper plate, 12-middle plate, 13-lower plate, 21-first power assembly, 211-first arm, 212-first motor, 213-first rotor, 22-second power assembly, 221-second arm, 222-second motor, 223-second rotor, 31-driving plate, 32-driving motor, 33-arc slide groove, 34-slider, 41-first monitoring device, 411-first connecting rod, 412 first camera, 413-first storage groove, 42-second monitoring device, 421-second connecting rod, 422-second camera, 423-second storage groove, 51-first connecting rod gear, 52-second connecting rod gear. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The technical solutions in the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] See also Figure 1-8 , a UAV for marine garbage monitoring, the UAV comprises a double-layer fuselage, a main power system, and an auxiliary power system; the double-layer fuselage comprises an upper plate 11, a middle plate 12, and a lower plate 13, the upper plate and the middle plate constitute an upper fuselage space, the middle plate and the lower plate constitute a lower fuselage space, the main power system is arranged in the upper fuselage space and extends out of the upper fuselage space, the auxiliary power system is at least partially stored in the lower fuselage space when the UAV is in normal flight, and when a trigger condition is met, the auxiliary power system can be rotated to extend out of the lower fuselage space and start working.

[0038] The main power system includes four first power components, the first power component 21 includes a first arm 211, a first motor 212 and a first rotor 213, one end of the first arm is arranged in the upper fuselage space formed by the upper plate and the middle plate, the first motor is arranged at the other end of the first arm, and the first rotor is arranged on the output shaft of the first motor.

[0039] The auxiliary power system includes four second power components 22, which can be stored and extended in the lower fuselage space formed by the middle plate and the lower plate.

[0040] The second power assembly 22 includes a second arm 221, a second motor 222 and a second rotor 223; the upper plate, the middle plate and the lower plate are circular structures, the middle plate and the lower plate constitute a cylinder with four openings in the circumference, a driving plate 31 is rotatably connected to the inner side of the cylinder, the driving plate is driven by a driving motor 32, the driving motor, the driving plate and the cylinder are coaxially arranged, the driving plate is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped grooves 33, one end of the second arm is provided with a slider 34 cooperating with the arc-shaped groove, the other end of the second arm is provided with the second motor, and the second rotor is arranged on the output shaft of the second motor.

[0041] The trigger condition is whether the surface load of the UAV exceeds the threshold. If it exceeds the threshold, the trigger condition is met. If it does not reach the threshold, it is not triggered. The surface load calculation of the UAV adopts the power spectrum analysis method to divide the UAV's mission segments, and calculates the response parameter N and the transcendence frequency M(y) to the wave for each mission segment. It is the number of times the zero value is crossed with a positive slope per second, which is also equivalent to the rotation radius of the response power spectrum density function around the zero frequency, and is calculated by the following formula:

[0042]

[0043] In the above formula, ω c is the cutoff circular frequency, ω is the circular frequency, H(ω) is the frequency response function of the aircraft response characteristics, which is defined as the response of the load y to the unit sinusoidal wave within a meaningful frequency range, which can be obtained by the UAV model tank test or structural dynamic analysis method, S(ω) is the wave spectrum, and its expression is:

[0044]

[0045] Among them, A=0.78, B=3.11 / H 2 , H is the significant wave height of the ocean waves.

[0046] When the trigger condition is reached, the control system of the UAV controls the driving motor to start, the driving plate rotates, and when the arc-shaped slide groove of the driving plate rotates, the slider slides along the arc-shaped slide groove, so that the second machine arm extends out of the opening. When all the second machine arms extend out of the opening, the second motor is turned on. The auxiliary power system includes a mechanism that can be stored and extended in the lower fuselage space, and the mechanism for controlling its extension and storage is simple, and the lower fuselage space is constructed as a cylindrical structure with a partial opening, which further ensures the flight aerodynamic performance of the UAV in the stored state.

[0047] A main power system and an auxiliary power system are used. Whether to start the auxiliary power system is determined based on the trigger conditions. The trigger conditions calculate the surface load of the UAV based on the sea conditions. Through the above judgment, different levels of power can be accurately provided to the UAV according to different sea conditions, ensuring that the UAV can operate safely in a variety of sea conditions.

[0048] A monitoring device is arranged below the lower plate, and the monitoring device includes a first monitoring device 41, a second monitoring device 42, a monitoring device motor and a transmission mechanism. The monitoring device motor is used to drive the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device to rotate; the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device are arranged 180 degrees below the lower plate.

[0049] The first monitoring device includes a first connecting rod 411 and a first camera 412, and the second monitoring device includes a second connecting rod 421 and a second camera 422, the first connecting rod and the first camera are fixedly connected, and the second connecting rod is fixedly connected to the camera; the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged side by side at the center of the lower plate and are rotatably connected to the lower plate; the first storage groove 413 and the second storage groove 423 are arranged on the lower plate, the first storage groove is used to store the first connecting rod, and the second storage groove is used to store the second connecting rod.

[0050] The monitoring device motor actuates the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod through the transmission mechanism, and the transmission mechanism includes a first connecting rod gear 51 and a second connecting rod gear 52. One end of the first connecting rod is connected to the first connecting rod gear, and the other end is connected to the first camera. One end of the second connecting rod is connected to the second connecting rod gear, and the other end is connected to the second camera. The monitoring device motor drives the first connecting rod gear, and the first connecting rod gear is meshed with the second connecting rod gear, so that the monitoring device motor drives the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod to rotate in opposite directions.

[0051] The monitoring device includes a first monitoring state and a second monitoring state. When in the first monitoring state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged in the first storage groove and the second storage groove of the lower plate. When in the second monitoring state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are rotated 90 degrees based on the first state. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod overlap after rotation, and the overlapping surfaces are locked by the hook tongue and the hanging rod.

[0052] The first machine arm and the second machine arm are arranged at an angle of 45 degrees, and the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged parallel to a part of the machine arms in the first machine arm.

[0053] Taking into account the operating environment of the drone used for monitoring marine debris, the monitoring equipment is improved by adopting a dual-camera mode, and the cameras are fixed on the connecting rod, which ensures the stable monitoring of the monitoring equipment under strong winds and waves. In the first monitoring state, the wind resistance of the connecting rod is extremely small. In the second state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod overlap, and the isomorphic hook tongue and hanging rod are locked, which improves the stability of the monitoring equipment. Compared with traditional three-axis gimbals or two-axis gimbals, the monitoring equipment of the present application is more suitable for marine environment monitoring, and improves the clarity of the captured image data while better protecting the camera.

Claims

1. A drone for marine debris monitoring, characterized in that: The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a double-layer fuselage, a main power system, and an auxiliary power system; the double-layer fuselage comprises an upper plate (11), a middle plate (12), and a lower plate (13); the upper plate and the middle plate constitute an upper fuselage space, and the middle plate and the lower plate constitute a lower fuselage space; the main power system is arranged in the upper fuselage space and extends out of the upper fuselage space; the auxiliary power system is at least partially stored in the lower fuselage space when the unmanned aerial vehicle is in normal flight; and when a trigger condition is met, the auxiliary power system can be rotated to extend out of the lower fuselage space and start working.

2. The UAV for monitoring marine debris according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main power system includes four first power components (21), wherein the first power components include a first arm (211), a first motor (212) and a first rotor (213), wherein one end of the first arm is arranged in the upper fuselage space formed by the upper plate and the middle plate, the first motor is arranged at the other end of the first arm, and the first rotor is arranged on the output shaft of the first motor.

3. The drone for marine garbage monitoring according to claim 2, characterized in that: The auxiliary power system comprises four second power components (22), and the second power components can be stored and extended in the lower fuselage space formed by the middle plate and the lower plate.

4. The drone for marine garbage monitoring according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second power assembly (22) comprises a second machine arm (221), a second motor (222) and a second rotor (223); the upper plate, the middle plate and the lower plate are circular structures, the middle plate and the lower plate form a cylinder with four openings in the circumference, a driving plate (31) is rotatably connected to the inner side of the cylinder, the driving plate (31) is driven by a driving motor (32), the driving motor, the driving plate and the cylinder are coaxially arranged, the driving plate is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped sliding grooves (33), one end of the second machine arm (221) is provided with a sliding block (34) cooperating with the arc-shaped sliding groove (33), the other end of the second machine arm (221) is provided with the second motor, and the second rotor is arranged on the output shaft of the second motor.

5. The drone for marine garbage monitoring according to claim 4, characterized in that: The trigger condition is whether the surface load of the UAV exceeds the threshold. If it exceeds the threshold, the trigger condition is met. If it does not reach the threshold, it is not triggered. The surface load calculation of the UAV adopts the power spectrum analysis method to divide the UAV's mission segments, and calculates the response parameter N and the transcendence frequency M(y) to the wave for each mission segment. It is the number of times the zero value is crossed with a positive slope per second, which is also equivalent to the rotation radius of the response power spectrum density function around the zero frequency, and is calculated by the following formula: In the above formula, ω c is the cutoff circular frequency, ω is the circular frequency, H(ω) is the frequency response function of the aircraft response characteristics, which is defined as the response of the load y to the unit sinusoidal wave within a meaningful frequency range, which can be obtained by the UAV model tank test or structural dynamic analysis method, S(ω) is the wave spectrum, and its expression is: Among them, A=0.78, B=3.11 / H 2 , H is the significant wave height of the ocean waves. Furthermore, when the trigger condition is reached, the control system of the UAV controls the drive motor to turn on, the drive plate rotates, and when the arc-shaped slide groove of the drive plate rotates, the slider slides along the arc-shaped slide groove, thereby making the second arm extend out of the opening. When all the second arms extend out of the opening, the second motor is turned on.

6. The UAV for monitoring marine debris according to claim 5, characterized in that: A monitoring device is arranged below the lower plate (13), and the monitoring device includes a first monitoring device (41), a second monitoring device (42), a monitoring device motor and a transmission mechanism, wherein the monitoring device motor is used to drive the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device to rotate; the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device are arranged at 180 degrees below the lower plate.

7. The UAV for monitoring marine debris according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first monitoring device (41) includes a first connecting rod (411) and a first camera (412), and the second monitoring device (42) includes a second connecting rod (421) and a second camera (422), the first connecting rod and the first camera are fixedly connected, and the second connecting rod is fixedly connected to the camera; the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged side by side at the center of the lower plate and are rotatably connected to the lower plate; a first receiving groove (413) and a second receiving groove (423) are arranged on the lower plate, the first receiving groove is used to receive the first connecting rod, and the second receiving groove is used to receive the second connecting rod.

8. The UAV for marine garbage monitoring according to claim 7, characterized in that: The monitoring device motor actuates the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod through the transmission mechanism, and the transmission mechanism includes a first connecting rod gear (51) and a second connecting rod gear (52). One end of the first connecting rod is connected to the first connecting rod gear, and the other end is connected to the first camera. One end of the second connecting rod is connected to the second connecting rod gear, and the other end is connected to the second camera. The monitoring device motor drives the first connecting rod gear, and the first connecting rod gear is meshed with the second connecting rod gear, so that the monitoring device motor drives the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod to rotate in opposite directions.

9. The UAV for monitoring marine debris according to claim 8, characterized in that: The monitoring device includes a first monitoring state and a second monitoring state. When in the first monitoring state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged in the first storage groove and the second storage groove of the lower plate. When in the second monitoring state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are rotated 90 degrees based on the first state. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod overlap after rotation, and the overlapping surfaces are locked by the hook tongue and the hanging rod.

10. The UAV for marine garbage monitoring according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first machine arm and the second machine arm are arranged at an angle of 45 degrees, and the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged parallel to a part of the machine arms in the first machine arm.

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