Console system and method for controlling studio camera robot in real time

Abstract

The invention discloses a console system and method for controlling a studio camera robot in real time. A console of the system can send a control instruction to a computing server in real time; the computing server converts the control instruction into a data instruction, sends the data instruction to the robot control cabinet and feeds back the data instruction to the console through a feedback instruction; the robot control cabinet converts the received data instruction into executable data, and the camera robot executes the converted executable data. The computing server monitors the position state of the camera robot in real time through the robot control cabinet and feeds back the position state to the console. According to the invention, the problems of poor real-time performance and operability, low automation degree, high time cost, high labor cost and the like in the prior art are solved. Precise control over the camera shooting robot in the studio is achieved by operating a console in a control room, the problem of space distribution is solved, and integrated synchronous control over the camera shooting robot and other equipment is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of intersection of robot technology and film and television technology, and in particular to a console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot. Background Art

[0002] Robot technology involves various aspects such as mechanical control, sensors, automation, computers, etc. With the continuous development of the robotics industry, camera robots have begun to be introduced into film and television shooting due to their characteristics such as high-speed repetitive motion, in order to achieve various special effects shooting such as character duplication and combination of virtual and real.

[0003] Special effects shooting is an important part of film and television creation, and controlling camera robots for shooting is an important part of special effects shooting. When applied to TV studio shooting, the spatial distribution of the studio and the control room often requires operators to control the camera robots on-site in the studio, and it is impossible to achieve integrated synchronous control of the camera and other on-site equipment in the control room, resulting in poor real-time and adaptability. For the storage, repeated execution, and management of point and trajectory motion data, traditional camera robots rely on operators to operate the teaching pendant on-site, which is cumbersome to operate, cannot be called with one button, and has poor operability. Due to the above factors, the shooting cycle is often extended, and even multiple repeated shooting is required, which greatly increases the time and labor costs.

[0004] Therefore, in view of the above problems, it is necessary to provide a control console system and method which is easy to operate, highly automated, and can realize real-time control of a studio camera robot in a control room. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot, so as to solve the problems of poor real-time performance and operability, low degree of automation, high time cost and labor cost in the prior art solutions. By operating the console in the control room to achieve precise control of the camera robot, the problem of separate layout of the studio and the control room is solved, the demand for manpower is reduced, and integrated synchronous control with other equipment is achieved.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: The present invention discloses a console system for real-time control of a studio camera robot, comprising a console installed in a control room, a computing server set up in a server room and a camera robot installed in the studio; the console is provided with an operating device and is connected to the computing server via a pre-buried communication cable; the computing server is provided with a computer and two real-time communication transmission modules, which are respectively connected to the console and the camera robot via the pre-buried communication cables; the camera robot is provided with a robot control cabinet, one end of which is connected to the computing server via the pre-buried communication cable, and the other end is connected to the robot.

[0007] In the system for real-time control of a studio camera robot described in the present invention, the sending and parsing of control instructions between devices, the sending and receiving of data instructions, and the transmission of executable data are all completed within a relatively short communication cycle, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of the camera robot being stuck during movement due to waiting for executable data (communication cycle is too long), and improving the stability of the camera image at the end of the camera robot.

[0008] A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot according to the present invention comprises the following steps: (1) Based on the real-time communication module, the computing server establishes real-time communication with the control console and the camera robot control cabinet to achieve remote communication between the camera robot; (2) Operate different joysticks or buttons on the console to select different functions and send corresponding control instructions to the computing server in real time; (3) The computing server parses and processes the instructions issued by the console and feeds back the processing results to the console through feedback instructions. The computing server also converts the correct control instructions into data instructions readable by the robot control cabinet and sends them to the robot control cabinet. The computing server monitors the position and status of each joint of the camera robot in real time; (4) The robot control cabinet converts the received data instructions into executable data. The camera robot runs the execution data and feeds back the real-time position of the camera robot to the computing server through the robot control cabinet. After comparing the computing server with the planning result, it feeds back the running result to the console through the feedback instruction.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes step (5): according to the real-time feedback of the position status of the camera robot, when subsequently planning the data instructions, automatically adding error correction parameters and rechecking the data instructions.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the step (1) includes: initializing the control console, the computing server, and the robot control cabinet, and setting communication parameters according to user requirements.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the control instructions issued by the control console in step (2) include: real-time control instructions, motion control instructions and independent display instructions.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the control instruction functions of the real-time control class are as follows: a toggle switch module instruction is used to select the robot joint axis and movement direction that need to be moved; a push rod module instruction is used to set the movement speed of the camera robot; a first joystick module instruction is used to control the movement of the camera robot end along the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis in the spatial coordinate system; a second joystick module instruction is used to control the movement of the camera robot end along the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis in the spatial coordinate system; a roller button module instruction is used to control the Focus and Zoom of the camera lens; a combination button module instruction is used to process the movement, stop, movement to the starting point, jog, and confirmation of the point position and trajectory of the camera robot.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the control command functions of the motion control class are as follows: point button module instructions are used to store or repeatedly call a single fixed position of the camera at the end of the camera robot in the shooting space, which is mostly used for fixed-lens shooting in the studio; trajectory button module instructions are used to store or repeatedly call a motion trajectory of the camera at the end of the camera robot in the shooting space connected by multiple points, which is mostly used for moving lens shooting in the studio.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the feedback signal in step (3) can change the status of the display module and the key LED indicator light of the console.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, the console has an independent external emergency stop button interface, which is directly connected to the robot control cabinet through a pre-buried cable, and the external emergency stop signal is generated by the robot control cabinet; disconnecting the external emergency stop signal can force the camera robot to stop moving and disconnect the communication with the computing server.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: Compared with the prior art, the console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot described in the present invention realizes real-time motion control, speed control, lens control, and storage and repeated call of points and trajectories of the camera robot at the remote end. It solves the problem of separate layout of the studio and control room, completes integrated synchronous control with other equipment, and reduces time and labor costs.

[0017] In addition, the console system and method for real-time control of the studio camera robot described in the present invention adds motion control algorithms to the computing server to prevent the occurrence of singularities; various trajectory planning algorithms, including: point-to-point trajectory planning algorithm, straight line trajectory planning algorithm, arc trajectory planning algorithm, joint cubic trajectory planning algorithm, and terminal cubic trajectory planning algorithm; and soft limits can be set for the range and speed of motion of each joint. The control accuracy of the camera robot is improved and the safe operation of the camera robot is ensured.

[0018] At the same time, the console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot described in the present invention realize the acquisition, storage, and repeated call of the camera robot's position and trajectory, improves operability, and provides intuitive operation results, satisfying the operator's need to conveniently and quickly control the camera robot in the studio. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 A flowchart of a console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 A block diagram of functional modules of a console system in a console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Implementation

[0023] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] like Figure 1As shown, a flowchart of a console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot provided by the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, a method for real-time control of a studio camera robot includes four steps, and the specific content of each step is as follows: (1) Based on two real-time communication modules, the computing server establishes real-time communication with the control console and the camera robot control cabinet through pre-buried communication cables, thus realizing remote communication between the camera robot; (2) The operator operates different joysticks or buttons on the console, selects different functions, and sends corresponding control instructions to the computing server in real time; (3) The computing server parses and processes the instructions issued by the console, feeds back the processing results to the console through feedback instructions, and displays them on the console display module. At the same time, the computing server converts the correct control instructions into data instructions readable by the robot control cabinet and sends them to the robot control cabinet. The computing server monitors the position and status of each joint of the camera robot in real time; (4) The robot control cabinet converts the received data instructions into executable data. The camera robot runs the execution data and feeds back the real-time position of the camera robot to the computing server through the robot control cabinet. After comparing the computing server with the planning result, it feeds back the running result to the console through the feedback instruction.

[0025] Preferably, a method for real-time control of a studio camera robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention further comprises step (5): according to the real-time feedback of the position status of the camera robot, when subsequently planning the data instructions, automatically adding error correction parameters and rechecking the data instructions.

[0026] Preferably, the step (1) includes: respectively initializing the console in the control room, the computing server in the server room, and the robot control cabinet in the studio. When establishing communication for the first time, the operator sets the communication address of the console and the computing server on the computing server side, and configures the communication cycle of 4ms to 40ms according to different models of robot control cabinets; at the robot control cabinet side, SOCKET is used to establish communication with the computing server, and the communication indicator light of the console lights up, indicating that the system communication is established.

[0027] like Figure 3 As shown, a block diagram of functional modules of a console system in a console system and method for real-time control of a studio camera robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following functional partitions: a real-time control partition (21), a motion control partition (22), an emergency stop button partition (23), and a display partition.

[0028] Preferably, the real-time control partition (21) comprises the following functional modules: a toggle switch module (211), a push rod module (212), a first joystick module (213), a second joystick module (214), a roller button module (215), and a combination button module (216).

[0029] Preferably, the operation logic flow of the toggle switch module (211) is as follows: the number of toggle switches is determined according to the number of joints of the film and television robot, and the two directions of the toggle switch represent the forward and reverse rotation of the corresponding camera robot joint axis motor. When the operator needs to control one or more camera robot joints individually, by selecting the corresponding toggle switch and confirming the toggle direction, the operator sends a control instruction to the computing server in conjunction with the jog button in the combination button; the computing server sends the feedback instruction to the console after parsing the instruction and judging that the instruction is correct, and displays the feedback result "real-time jog control" on the display module of the console; at the same time, the computing server plans the motion data, and sends the converted data instruction to the subsequent robot control cabinet to control the motion of the camera robot; the robot control cabinet feeds back the position status of the camera robot to the computing server in real time, and the computing server compares the real-time position data with the limit data. When the limit is reached, the camera robot stops moving, and sends the feedback instruction to the console, and the console display module displays the "limit" prompt.

[0030] Preferably, the operation logic flow of the push rod module (212) is as follows: when the operator needs to adjust the movement speed of the camera robot, by pushing and pulling the joystick up and down, the console converts the analog signal into a corresponding digital signal control instruction and sends it to the computing server; the computing server analyzes the instruction, determines that the instruction is correct, and sends the feedback instruction to the console, and displays the feedback result in the form of a percentage on the display module of the console, such as (Speed: 50%); at the same time, the computing server converts the control instruction into a data instruction, sends the data instruction to the subsequent robot control cabinet, and modifies the movement speed.

[0031] Preferably, the operation logic flow of the first joystick module (213) is as follows: when the operator requires the end of the camera robot to move along the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis in the spatial coordinate system, the movement direction is confirmed by the first operating joystick, and the jog button in the combination button is used to send a control instruction to the computing server; the computing server analyzes the instruction and determines that the instruction is correct, and then sends the feedback instruction to the console, and displays the feedback result "movement in the x-axis direction" or "movement in the y-axis direction", or "movement in the z-axis direction" on the display module of the console; at the same time, the computing server plans the movement data, and sends the converted data instruction to the subsequent robot control cabinet to control the movement of the camera robot; the control cabinet feeds back the position status of the camera robot to the computing server in real time, and the computing server compares the real-time position data with the limit data. When the limit is reached, the camera robot stops moving, and sends the feedback instruction to the console, and the console display module displays a "limit" prompt.

[0032] Preferably, the operation logic flow of the second joystick module (214) is as follows: when the operator requires the end of the camera robot to move along the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis in the spatial coordinate system, the operator confirms the direction of movement by operating the second joystick, and sends a control instruction to the computing server in conjunction with the jog button in the combination button; the computing server analyzes the instruction and sends the feedback instruction to the console after determining that the instruction is correct, and displays the feedback result "roll movement" or "pitch movement" or "yaw movement" on the display module of the console; at the same time, the computing server plans the movement data, sends the converted data instruction to the subsequent robot control cabinet, and controls the movement of the camera robot; the control cabinet feeds back the position status of the camera robot to the computing server in real time, and the computing server compares the real-time position data with the limit data. When the limit is reached, the camera robot stops moving, and sends the feedback instruction to the console, and the console display module displays a "limit" prompt.

[0033] Preferably, the operation logic flow of the roller button module (215) is as follows: when the operator needs to control the camera lens at the end of the camera robot, by operating the roller and button, the console converts the analog signal into a corresponding digital signal control instruction and sends it to the computing server; the computing server analyzes the instruction, determines that the instruction is correct, and sends the feedback instruction to the console, and displays the feedback result in the form of percentage on the display module of the console, such as "Focus: 50%", "Zoom: 50%"; at the same time, the computing server converts the control instruction into a data instruction, sends the data instruction to the servo lens, and controls the zoom and focus of the lens.

[0034] Preferably, the operation logic flow of the combination button module (216) is as follows: when the operator needs to control the movement of the camera robot or the storage and repeated call of the point position and trajectory, the combination button can be used in conjunction with other modules to trigger the relevant control instructions and send them to the computing server; the computing server analyzes the instructions, determines that the instructions are correct, and sends the feedback instructions to the console, and displays the feedback results on the display module of the console; at the same time, the computing server plans the movement data, sends the converted data instructions to the subsequent robot control cabinet, and controls the camera robot to move according to the control instructions.

[0035] Preferably, the motion control partition (22) comprises the following functional modules: a point button module (221) and a track button module (222).

[0036] Preferably, the operation logic flow of the point button module (221) is as follows: the point button module has a plurality of point buttons for storing different points, the point buttons are provided with red and green LED two-color indicator lights, and the LED indicator lights of the buttons that do not store the points are not lit. When the operator needs to save the point of the camera robot at the current spatial position, the operator presses the button that does not store the point and the confirmation button in the combination button module to trigger the control instruction and send it to the computing server. The computing server analyzes the instruction and determines that the instruction is correct, then binds the current position data to the selected point button, and sends the feedback instruction to the console. The LED indicator lights of the buttons on the console that store the points are displayed in red. When the operator calls the stored point, he presses the point button, and the console sends the control command to the computing server. After the computing server parses the command and determines that the command is correct, it reads the previously stored point (data command) to plan the motion path and sends the feedback command to the console; if the planning fails, "Planning Failed" is displayed on the display module; if the planning is successful, the LED indicator of the point button changes from red to green. When the operator presses the start motion button in the combination button again, the control command is triggered and sent to the computing server. After the computing server parses the command and determines that the command is correct, it sends the feedback command to the console, and the LED indicator of the start motion button starts to flash; at the same time, the computing server sends the data command of the previously planned motion path to the subsequent robot control cabinet. After the robot control cabinet converts it into executable data, the camera robot moves to the selected point according to the executable data; after the computing server determines that the motion stops according to the real-time position of the camera robot fed back by the robot control cabinet, it sends a feedback command to the console, the LED indicator of the point button changes from green to red, and the LED indicator of the start motion button stops flashing.

[0037] Preferably, the operation logic flow of the trajectory button module (222) is similar to the operation logic flow of the point button module (221), as follows: the trajectory button module has a plurality of buttons for storing different trajectories, the trajectory buttons have red and green LED two-color indicator lights, and the LED indicator lights of the buttons that do not store the trajectories are not lit. When the operator needs to save a certain section of the motion trajectory of the camera robot in space, the operator presses the button that does not store the trajectory and the confirmation button in the combination button module to trigger the control command and send it to the computing server. After parsing the command and judging that the command is correct, the computing server binds the currently planned trajectory (data command 1) to the selected trajectory button, and sends the feedback command to the console. The LED indicator lights of the buttons on the console that store the trajectory are displayed in red. When the operator calls the trajectory, he presses the trajectory button, and the console sends the control command to the computing server. After the computing server parses the command and determines that the command is correct, it reads the previously stored planned trajectory (data command 1) and sends the feedback command to the console. The LED indicator of the trajectory button changes from red to green. After that, when the operator presses the "Move to the starting point" button in the combination button, the control command is triggered and sent to the computing server. After the computing server parses the command and determines that the command is correct, it sends the feedback command to the console. The LED indicator of the "Move to the starting point" button starts to flash. At the same time, the computing server plans the trajectory to the initial point based on the initial point data in the previously planned trajectory (data command 1) (data command 2) and sends it to the subsequent robot control cabinet. After the robot control cabinet converts it into executable data, the camera robot runs to the initial point based on the executable data. The computing server judges that the robot has moved to the initial point according to the position of the camera robot fed back by the robot control cabinet, and sends a feedback command to the console. The LED indicator of the button that moves to the starting point stops flashing. When the operator presses the start movement button in the combination button again, the control command is triggered and sent to the computing server. After the computing server parses the command and judges that the command is correct, it sends the feedback command to the console, and the LED indicator of the start movement button starts flashing. At the same time, the computing server sends the previously planned trajectory (data instruction 1) to the subsequent robot control cabinet. After the robot control cabinet converts it into executable data, the camera robot runs the trajectory. After the computing server judges that the movement stops according to the position of the camera robot fed back by the robot control cabinet, it sends a feedback command to the console. The LED indicator of the trajectory button changes from green to red, and the LED indicator of the start movement button stops flashing.

[0038] Preferably, the emergency stop button partition (23) has an independent external emergency stop button interface, which is directly connected to the robot control cabinet through a pre-buried cable, and the external emergency stop signal is generated by the robot control cabinet. In any state of the camera robot, the operator presses the external emergency stop button to disconnect the external emergency stop signal, and the robot control cabinet will force the camera robot to stop the current movement; the computing server monitors the state of the robot control cabinet in real time, and when it monitors that the external emergency stop signal is disconnected, it immediately disconnects the communication with the robot control cabinet; after the operator resets the emergency stop button, the camera robot maintains the posture at the time of the emergency stop, and the camera robot can be controlled only after re-establishing communication.

[0039] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, which should be considered exemplary and non-restrictive, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and that all changes falling within the meaning and range of equivalent elements of the claims are intended to be included in the present invention. Any reference numeral in a claim should not be considered as limiting the claim to which it relates.

[0040] In addition, it should be understood that the present specification is described in accordance with the flowcharts or block diagrams of the methods, devices and product programs of the embodiments. These program instructions can be provided to a programmable data processing device such as a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, etc., so that the processor of the programmable data processing device executes the instructions to generate a program for implementing the program in the flowchart. Figure 1 Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in the embodiments can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: (1) Based on the real-time communication module, the computing server establishes real-time communication with the control console and the camera robot control cabinet to achieve remote communication between the camera robot; (2) Operate different joysticks or buttons on the console to select different functions and send corresponding control instructions to the computing server in real time; (3) The computing server parses and processes the control instructions issued by the console and feeds back the processing results to the console through feedback instructions. The computing server also converts the correct control instructions into data instructions readable by the robot control cabinet and sends them to the robot control cabinet. The computing server monitors the position and status of each joint of the camera robot in real time; (4) The robot control cabinet converts the received data instructions into executable data. The camera robot runs the execution data and feeds back the real-time position of the camera robot to the computing server through the robot control cabinet. After comparing the computing server with the planning result, it feeds back the running result to the console through the feedback instruction.

2. A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises step 5: according to the real-time feedback of the position status of the camera robot, when subsequently planning the data instructions, automatically adding error correction parameters and rechecking the data instructions.

3. A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step (1) includes: initializing the control console, computing server, and robot control cabinet, and setting communication parameters according to user requirements.

4. A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control instructions issued by the control console in step (2) include: real-time control instructions, motion control instructions and independent display instructions.

5. A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control command functions of the real-time control class are as follows: toggle switch module command, select the camera robot joint axis and movement direction that need to be moved; push rod module command, set the camera robot movement speed; first joystick module command, control the camera robot end to move along the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis in the spatial coordinate system; second joystick module command, control the camera robot end to move along the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis in the spatial coordinate system; wheel button module command, control the Focus and Zoom of the camera lens; combination button module command, process the camera robot's movement, stop, movement to the starting point, jog, and confirmation of point position and trajectory.

6. A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control command functions of the motion control class are as follows: point button module commands, storing or repeatedly calling a single fixed position of the camera at the end of the camera robot in the shooting space; trajectory button module commands, storing or repeatedly calling the motion trajectory of the camera at the end of the camera robot in the shooting space connected by multiple points.

7. A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feedback signal in step (3) can change the status of the display module and the key LED indicator light of the console.

8. A method for real-time control of a studio camera robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The console has an independent external emergency stop button interface, which is directly connected to the robot control cabinet; the external emergency stop signal is generated by the robot control cabinet. Disconnecting the external emergency stop signal can force the camera robot to stop moving and disconnect the communication with the computing server.

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