Aircraft control method and device, aircraft and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses an aircraft control method and device, an aircraft and a storage medium. The method comprises: determining position information of an aircraft and position information of a load, wherein the load is located on a bearing surface (S202); determining whether the horizontal position of the aircraft satisfies a first preset condition based on the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the load (S204); and in response to the horizontal position of the aircraft not satisfying the first preset condition, prohibiting the aircraft from pulling the load away from the bearing surface (S206). In this way, the probability that the cable winds the blades and the probability that the aircraft rolls over when the aircraft pulls the load away from the bearing face can be reduced, and the safety of the aircraft in the take-off process is guaranteed.

Description

Aircraft control method, device, aircraft and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of aircraft technology, and more specifically, to a method and device for controlling an aircraft, an aircraft, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the development of aircraft-related technologies, aircraft have gradually been used in the field of transportation. For example, the payload to be transported can be mounted on the aircraft via cables, and then the payload can be transported to the destination by the aircraft. In related technologies, when it is detected that the user has mounted the payload on the aircraft, the aircraft is usually directly controlled to take off and pull the payload off the ground. At this time, the aircraft may encounter situations such as being pulled and causing rollover or cables to be entangled in the blades, resulting in takeoff failure, damage to the drone, and even harm to nearby operators. Therefore, a safer takeoff solution is needed.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application provides a method and device for controlling an aircraft, an aircraft, and a storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present application, a method for controlling an aircraft is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] Determining position information of the aircraft and position information of the payload, wherein the payload is located on the load-bearing surface;

[0007] determining, based on the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload, whether the horizontal position of the aircraft satisfies a first preset condition;

[0008] In response to the horizontal position of the aircraft not satisfying a first preset condition, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the load away from the carrying surface.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present application, a method for controlling an aircraft is provided, the method comprising:

[0010] During the landing process of the aircraft, if the payload mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface, controlling the aircraft to release the payload;

[0011] After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover, and during the hovering of the aircraft, it is determined whether a user instruction is received within a preset time period, and a corresponding task is performed based on the received user instruction.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present application, a method for controlling an aircraft is provided, the method comprising:

[0013] During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the payload mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface;

[0014] determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest;

[0015] The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a method for controlling an aircraft is provided, the method comprising:

[0017] During the flight of the aircraft, obtaining in real time status information of a payload mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the payload relative to the aircraft;

[0018] The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the payload so that the state information of the payload meets a preset condition.

[0019] According to a fifth aspect of the present application, a control device for an aircraft is provided, the device comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps may be implemented:

[0020] Determining position information of the aircraft and position information of the payload, wherein the payload is located on the load-bearing surface;

[0021] determining, based on the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload, whether the horizontal position of the aircraft satisfies a first preset condition;

[0022] In response to the horizontal position of the aircraft not satisfying a first preset condition, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the load away from the carrying surface.

[0023] According to a sixth aspect of the present application, a control device for an aircraft is provided, the device comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps may be implemented:

[0024] During the landing process of the aircraft, if the payload mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface, controlling the aircraft to release the payload;

[0025] After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover, and during the hovering of the aircraft, it is determined whether a user instruction is received within a preset time period, and a corresponding task is performed based on the received user instruction.

[0026] According to a seventh aspect of the present application, a control device for an aircraft is provided, wherein the method includes:

[0027] During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the payload mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface;

[0028] determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest;

[0029] The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

[0030] According to an eighth aspect of the present application, a control device for an aircraft is provided, the device comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps may be implemented:

[0031] During the flight of the aircraft, real-time acquisition of status information of a payload mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the payload relative to the aircraft;

[0032] The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the payload so that the state information of the payload meets a preset condition.

[0033] According to the ninth aspect of the present application, an aircraft is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory for execution by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the methods mentioned in the first, second, third and / or fourth aspects above can be implemented.

[0034] According to a tenth aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed, the method mentioned in the first aspect is implemented.

[0035] Using the solution provided by this application, the relative horizontal positions of the aircraft and the payload can be pre-determined before takeoff. If the aircraft's horizontal position deviates too far from the position directly above the payload, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the payload away from the load surface. This approach reduces the probability of cables becoming entangled with the propeller blades during the process of pulling the payload away from the load surface, as well as the probability of the aircraft tipping over due to the load pulling, thus ensuring the safety of the aircraft during takeoff.

[0036] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0038] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an aircraft blade being entangled by cables according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] FIG2 is a flow chart of an aircraft control method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing that the altitude of an aircraft meets a second preset condition according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of determining a load position based on images collected by a visual sensor according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0042] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of determining a load position based on cable length and swing angle according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of sway elimination according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of sway elimination according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of sway elimination according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of sway elimination according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] FIG10 is a schematic diagram showing a load status to a user via a control device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application storing a payload in the tripod space after landing.

[0049] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the logical structure of an aircraft control device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] With the development of aircraft-related technologies, aircraft have gradually been used in the field of transportation. For example, the load to be transported can be mounted on the aircraft through a cable, and then the load can be transported to the destination by the aircraft. In the related technology, when it is detected that the user has mounted the load on the aircraft, the aircraft is usually directly controlled to take off and pull the load off the ground. At this time, if the load is placed around the aircraft, as shown in Figure 1, the cable connecting the aircraft and the load can easily be blown up by the wind generated by the rotation of the blades and entangled with the blades, resulting in a failure to take off, damage to the aircraft, and even harm to the surrounding operators. In addition, in the process of pulling the load off the ground, the load may pull the aircraft, causing the aircraft to tilt and the aircraft to roll over.

[0052] Based on this, embodiments of the present application provide a method for controlling an aircraft. This method can pre-determine the relative horizontal position of the aircraft and its payload before takeoff. If the aircraft's horizontal position deviates too far from directly above the payload, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the payload away from the load surface. This method reduces the chances of cables becoming entangled with the propeller blades during the process of pulling the payload away from the load surface, as well as the chances of the aircraft tipping over due to the load pulling, thus ensuring safety during takeoff.

[0053] The aircraft control method of the embodiment of the present application can be executed by the aircraft or by the control terminal of the aircraft, and the control terminal can be communicatively connected to the aircraft, or some steps of the control method can be executed by the aircraft and some steps can be executed by the control terminal, which can be flexibly set based on actual needs.

[0054] The aircraft in the embodiments of the present application may include various types of manned aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles, such as logistics aircraft.

[0055] As shown in FIG2 , the aircraft control method may include the following steps:

[0056] S202, determining the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload, wherein the payload is located on the carrying surface;

[0057] In step S202, the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload can be determined. The payload can be located on a supporting surface, which can be the ground or another surface for placing the payload. The position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload can be determined based on perception sensors (e.g., lidar, vision sensor) onboard the aircraft.

[0058] S204: Determine whether the horizontal position of the aircraft meets a first preset condition based on the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload;

[0059] In step S204, after determining the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload, a determination can be made based on the position information of both to determine whether the horizontal position of the aircraft meets the first preset condition. Specifically, when the payload is directly above the aircraft, or approximately directly above it, the cable connecting the payload and the aircraft is also approximately below the aircraft. This means that as the aircraft moves upward to pull the payload away from the load-bearing surface, the probability of the propeller blades becoming entangled by the cable is low. However, if the payload is located next to the aircraft, the cable is also next to the aircraft. In this case, as the propeller blades rotate, the cable can easily be blown up, causing it to become entangled in the blades. Furthermore, the load can easily pull on the aircraft, causing it to tip over. Therefore, before controlling the aircraft to pull the payload away from the load-bearing surface, a preliminary determination can be made as to whether the horizontal position of the aircraft meets the first preset condition.

[0060] Among them, the first preset condition can be that the aircraft is located within a preset distance range directly above the payload. The preset distance range can be set based on actual conditions, as long as it is ensured that the cables do not entangle the blades when the aircraft takes off, and the payload does not pull the aircraft and cause it to roll over.

[0061] S206 : In response to the horizontal position of the aircraft not satisfying a first preset condition, prohibiting the aircraft from pulling the load away from the carrying surface.

[0062] In step S206, if the horizontal position of the aircraft relative to the payload is determined to not meet the first predetermined condition based on the position information of the two, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the payload away from the load surface. For example, if the aircraft is far from the position directly above the payload, the cable between the aircraft and the payload may be easily blown away and entangled in the propeller blades. In this case, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the payload away from the load surface.

[0063] By predicting the relative horizontal positions of the aircraft and the payload based on their position information before pulling the payload away from the load-bearing surface, and prohibiting the aircraft from pulling the payload away from the load-bearing surface if the preset conditions are not met, the aircraft can be prevented from blowing up the cables due to the rotation of the propeller blades during the process of pulling the payload away from the load-bearing surface, causing the cables to be entangled in the propeller blades, thereby ensuring the safety of the aircraft's takeoff process.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first preset condition may be that the aircraft is located directly above the payload, wherein it should be pointed out that the aircraft is located directly above the payload means that the aircraft is approximately directly above the payload, for example, it may be directly above the payload, or a position that deviates a certain distance from the directly above position.

[0065] In some embodiments, if it is determined based on the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload that the horizontal position of the aircraft relative to the position of the payload meets a first preset condition, the aircraft is controlled to move upward to pull the payload away from the load surface.

[0066] In some embodiments, while the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the payload away from the carrying surface, the aircraft can be controlled to adjust its horizontal position to meet a first predetermined condition. For example, the position of the payload can be determined using a sensor on the aircraft, and the aircraft can then be controlled to move directly above the payload.

[0067] In some embodiments, while the aircraft adjusts its horizontal position to meet the first preset condition, it can further control its movement so that its height relative to the load surface meets the second preset condition. Before the aircraft pulls the load away from the load surface, in addition to ensuring that the aircraft's horizontal position is directly above the load as much as possible, there are also certain requirements for the aircraft's height. For example, the aircraft's height should ideally be higher than the load's height and no greater than the length of the cable.

[0068] In some embodiments, the aircraft's cables can be fixed-length cables, meaning they are not retractable. In some embodiments, the aircraft can also be equipped with an overhead crane system that can retract and extend the cables carrying the payload. For example, the cables can be extended or retracted to adjust their length based on the needs of different scenarios.

[0069] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the length of the cable pulled out of the aircraft is L, where L can be the sum of the lengths of the cable initially pulled out by the air-lifting system and the lengths of the cables subsequently pulled out. The angle of the cable relative to the horizontal plane is A, which is less than or equal to 90°. During the process of adjusting its own horizontal position during flight, the height of the aircraft relative to the load-bearing surface is H. The second preset condition can be that H is less than or equal to L*sin A.

[0070] Considering that when the aircraft is pulling the load away from the load-bearing surface, if the speed of the aircraft's upward movement or the acceleration of the upward movement is too great, it is easy to cause the tension in the cable to suddenly increase, causing the aircraft's power output to exceed the maximum power output that the aircraft can withstand. In this case, the aircraft is likely to tilt, causing the aircraft to roll over and crash. Therefore, in some embodiments, when controlling the aircraft to move upward to pull the load away from the load-bearing surface, the aircraft can be controlled to be in a speed-limited mode. When the aircraft is in the speed-limited mode, the aircraft's motion parameters such as acceleration and speed will be subject to certain restrictions, that is, the motion parameters at this time will be smaller than the motion parameters during normal flight, so that the aircraft's motion parameters will not be too large. The aircraft can then be controlled to move upward in the speed-limited mode to pull the load away from the load-bearing surface. When it is detected that the load has been pulled away from the load-bearing surface, the aircraft is controlled to exit the speed-limited mode, allowing the aircraft to fly according to the motion parameters during normal flight.

[0071] In some embodiments, if the payload is detected to be pulled away from the load-bearing surface and the aircraft or payload is detected to be in a trapped state, the aircraft can be controlled to maintain a speed-limited mode. During flight, the payload or the aircraft may become trapped. For example, the aircraft or the payload may become caught on a tree branch, a utility pole, or the like, or the payload may be too large to pass through a narrow passage. In this case, to prevent the aircraft from tipping over due to excessive power output, the aircraft can be controlled to maintain a speed-limited mode.

[0072] In some embodiments, the aircraft or payload is determined to be in a trapped state if the cable tension of the mounted payload is detected to be greater than a preset tension threshold for a duration exceeding a preset time. When the aircraft or payload is trapped, the cable tension will continue to increase as the aircraft moves forward. Therefore, if the cable tension is detected to be greater than the preset tension threshold for a duration exceeding a preset time, the aircraft or payload can be determined to be in a trapped state.

[0073] In some embodiments, images captured by a visual sensor onboard an aircraft can be acquired, and then scenes within the images can be identified to determine whether the aircraft or payload is trapped. For example, a pre-trained model can be used to identify whether images contain scenes indicating the aircraft or payload is trapped, such as being caught on a branch or unable to pass through a narrow passage.

[0074] In some embodiments, if the aircraft or payload is determined to be trapped, a prompt indicating the aircraft or payload is trapped may be sent to the aircraft's control device, so that the control device can display it to the user. Of course, in some scenarios, the prompt may also include an image of the payload captured by the aircraft's visual sensors. By also sending the image of the payload to the user, the user can understand the specific status of the current payload.

[0075] In some embodiments, after the user sends a prompt message, if a user-triggered instruction to release the payload is received, the aircraft can be controlled to release the payload. Taking into account some scenarios, if the payload is trapped, it may not be able to escape at this time. If the aircraft continues to move, it may roll over, causing the aircraft to crash. If the aircraft has been in a hovering state, it may also crash due to insufficient power. At this time, in order to ensure the safety of the aircraft, the aircraft can be controlled to release the payload. Of course, in order to facilitate subsequent users to find the released payload, the aircraft can record the aircraft's location information (for example, GPS location information) after releasing the payload. At the same time, the aircraft can fly around the payload to collect images around the payload, so that the user can subsequently locate the payload based on these images.

[0076] When transporting payloads using aircraft, since the payload is attached to the aircraft's underside via cables, the cables can swing during flight due to large maneuvers like obstacle avoidance braking, or sudden changes in wind speed. Excessive cable swing can cause the cables to become entangled in the aircraft's fuselage or propellers, leading to power failure, aircraft crash, and even damage to pedestrians and buildings on the ground. Therefore, excessive cable swing during flight can easily pose a significant safety hazard.

[0077] In order to avoid excessive swing angles of the payload, two measures can be adopted during the flight of the aircraft: one is to try to avoid excessive swing angles during the flight of the aircraft; the other is to perform some anti-swing operations to eliminate the swing angle if excessive swing angles occur.

[0078] Based on the aforementioned approach of avoiding excessive swing angles of the payload, in some embodiments, excessive swing angles can be avoided by lowering the upper limit of the aircraft's motion state parameters during flight. For example, upon detecting that an empty hoist system is mounted on the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled to switch from a non-suspended mode to a suspended mode, wherein the upper limit of the aircraft's motion state parameters in the suspended mode is lower than the upper limit of the aircraft's motion state parameters in the non-suspended mode. The motion state parameters may include the aircraft's horizontal velocity, linear velocity, angular velocity, acceleration, attitude angle, angular velocity loop gain, attitude loop gain, etc. When the aircraft is unloaded, it can operate with larger motion state parameters. However, when loaded, if the aircraft operates with larger motion state parameters, such as by suddenly accelerating at a large acceleration or moving at a high speed, excessive swing angles of the payload are more likely to occur. Therefore, in order to make the aircraft fly more smoothly and avoid large swings of the payload, the aircraft can be controlled to enter the hanging mode when it is detected that there is a payload on the flight mount. In this mode, the upper limit value of the aircraft's motion state parameters can be controlled to be lower than the upper limit value of the motion state parameters when there is no payload mounted.

[0079] In some embodiments, when it is detected that the swing angle of the payload is excessive, a swing elimination operation may be performed to eliminate the swing angle. For example, during flight of an aircraft, status information of a payload mounted on the aircraft may be obtained in real time. This status information is related to the movement of the payload relative to the aircraft. The aircraft movement may then be controlled based on the payload status information so that the payload status information meets a preset condition. The aircraft status information may be obtained in real time, and based on this status information, the relative positional relationship between the payload and the aircraft may be determined to determine whether the swing angle of the payload is excessive. The aircraft movement may then be controlled based on the status information so that the payload status information meets the preset condition. When the payload status information meets the preset condition, the swing angle of the payload can be kept within a preset angle range and not excessively large.

[0080] In some embodiments, the state information of the load includes at least one of the following: a position of the load, a swing direction of the load, a swing angle of the load, and a swing speed of the load.

[0081] In some embodiments, the swing speed of the load includes at least one of the following: the swing angular speed of the load and the swing linear speed of the load.

[0082] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the position of the payload can be determined based on the relative positional relationship between the aircraft and the payload in an image captured by a visual sensor, as well as the aircraft's position information. Typically, aircraft are equipped with positioning sensors, such as GPS sensors. Therefore, the aircraft's position information can be determined based on data collected by the GPS sensor. Then, an image captured by a visual sensor can be acquired, and the position of the aircraft (possibly a portion of the aircraft's fuselage) and the position of the payload can be identified from the image. Based on their relative positional relationship in the image, their relative positional relationship in three-dimensional space can be determined. Furthermore, the payload's position information can be determined based on the aircraft's position information and the relative positional relationship.

[0083] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the position of the load can be determined based on the load's swing angle, the length of the cable between the aircraft and the load, and the aircraft's position information. Typically, aircraft are equipped with positioning sensors, such as GPS sensors, so the aircraft's position information can be determined based on data collected by the GPS sensors. The length of the cable between the aircraft and the load can also be determined. For example, if the cable length is fixed, it is a preset fixed value. If the cable is retractable, the current cable pull-out length can be determined based on the empty hoist system. The load's swing angle can be determined based on the direction of force applied to the cable as sensed by the tension sensor. After determining the swing angle, cable length, and the aircraft's position information, the load's position information can be determined based on the above information.

[0084] In some embodiments, when controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the payload's status information, the aircraft may be controlled until the aircraft and the payload remain relatively stationary. That is, after the aircraft and the payload remain relatively stationary, the payload will not move relative to the aircraft, i.e., the swing angle will not continue to increase.

[0085] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , when controlling the motion of an aircraft based on the state information of a payload, the direction of the aircraft's motion can be controlled to be substantially consistent with the direction of the payload's swing, wherein the aircraft's motion speed is positively correlated with the payload's swing angle. Specifically, the aircraft is moved in the direction of the payload's swing, so that the aircraft and payload gradually approach each other, and the horizontal distance between them gradually decreases, i.e., the swing angle gradually decreases. The aircraft's motion speed can be set based on the swing angle; the greater the swing speed, the greater the aircraft's motion speed. For example, as the aircraft gradually approaches the payload, the swing angle gradually decreases, and the aircraft's motion speed also gradually decreases until the two remain relatively stationary, completing the swing elimination operation.

[0086] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , when controlling the motion of an aircraft based on the state information of a payload, the aircraft's motion direction can be controlled to be opposite to the payload's swing direction, wherein the aircraft's motion speed is positively correlated with the payload's swing speed. The aircraft can be controlled to move in the opposite direction of the payload's swing direction, thereby providing a pulling force opposite to the swing speed to reduce the swing speed until the swing speed drops to zero, thereby eliminating the swing. The swing speed can be either a linear velocity or an angular velocity. For example, the aircraft can be controlled to fly in the opposite direction of the linear velocity, thereby providing a pulling force opposite to the linear velocity until the linear velocity drops to zero.

[0087] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 , when controlling the movement of an aircraft based on the state information of a payload, a target position where the payload's swing velocity is zero can be determined first, and then the aircraft can be controlled to move to the target position. In some embodiments, the target position is the position where the payload's altitude is highest and the swing velocity is zero during the swing process.

[0088] For example, when a load is swinging, it's essentially performing a simple pendulum motion. During this pendulum motion, when the load reaches its highest point (where the speed is zero), it will fall back, and at this point, the swing angle is also at its maximum. To avoid excessive swing angles, the target position when the load is at its highest point and the swing speed is zero can be predicted based on the current load's speed and cable length. The aircraft can then be directly controlled to fly to this target position, thereby eliminating the swing angle and preventing the load from swinging too far.

[0089] Typically, during flight, an aircraft is used as the controlled object, as shown in FIG9 . For example, the aircraft is controlled to fly along a preset route and at a preset speed. However, when the aircraft flies along the preset route and at a preset speed, the payload will swing relative to the aircraft, resulting in a problem of excessive swing angles. In some embodiments, in order to eliminate swing and prevent the payload from swinging too much, the controlled object can be replaced with the payload. That is, during flight, the aircraft is controlled to drive the payload to move along the preset route and at a preset speed. For example, when the aircraft is flying along a planned route, the target movement direction of the payload can be determined based on the deviation between the payload and the planned route, and the target movement speed of the payload can be determined based on the deviation between the payload's movement speed and the planned movement speed. The aircraft is then controlled to move along the target movement direction and at the target movement speed. In this application, the movement speed refers to the movement speed of the aircraft or payload relative to the ground, and the swing speed refers to the swing speed of the payload relative to the aircraft. By converting the controlled object into a load, the load can be directly controlled to move along the planned route and at the planned speed, and the aircraft is used to provide power so that the load moves in a predetermined manner, thereby preventing the load from swinging relative to the aircraft, resulting in a problem of excessive swing angle.

[0090] In some embodiments, considering that excessive payload swing angles only occur when the aircraft experiences emergency braking or acceleration, or when the ambient wind suddenly increases, and that sway reduction operations can, to a certain extent, affect the aircraft's ability to fly along the planned route and affect transport efficiency, sway reduction is not required throughout the entire flight. Instead, sway reduction operations are only performed when the aircraft is determined to be in sway reduction mode. Therefore, the aforementioned sway reduction operations, based on payload status information, can be performed only after receiving a command to enter sway reduction mode.

[0091] The aircraft can enter the sway reduction mode automatically or upon receiving a user command. For example, in some embodiments, the aircraft can be controlled to automatically enter the sway reduction mode upon detecting that the payload's sway angle exceeds a preset angle. For example, the payload's sway angle can be monitored in real time during flight. When the sway angle exceeds a preset angle, it is considered excessive and sway reduction is required, and the sway reduction mode can be entered.

[0092] In some embodiments, the aircraft may be controlled to enter the anti-sway mode upon receiving a user-triggered command to do so. For example, during flight, the payload's swing angle may be transmitted to the aircraft's control device. If the user detects an excessive swing angle, the control device may transmit a command to enter the anti-sway mode. Alternatively, the control device may send a prompt to the user upon detecting that the swing angle exceeds a preset angle, and upon receiving a user-triggered command to enter the anti-sway mode via the control device, the aircraft may be controlled to enter the anti-sway mode.

[0093] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG10 , to facilitate remote real-time monitoring of the payload's status by the user, payload status information can be sent to the aircraft's control device, so that the control device can display the payload status information to the user in real time. For example, the payload status information can include one or more of the following: payload swing angle, cable length, payload swing speed, cable tension, payload weight, and payload position.

[0094] Among them, the swing angle of the load is the angle between the cable and the gravity direction of the load. The swing angle of the cable of the aerial hoist system can be calculated according to the direction of the tension on the cable by reading the force sensor data of the aerial hoist system; the relative position of the suspended load and the aircraft can also be identified by sensing sensors (such as millimeter wave radar, lidar, and visual sensors) to obtain the swing angle of the load.

[0095] The cable length can be determined by the number of cable release turns recorded by the aerial crane system's actuator. Alternatively, sensory sensors can identify the relative position of the suspended payload and the aircraft, calculating the distance between them and determining the cable length. Alternatively, cable length can be calculated based on the payload's oscillation frequency.

[0096] The payload's swing velocity includes both angular velocity and linear velocity. The angular velocity can be calculated by differentiating the payload's swing angle, and then the linear velocity can be calculated by combining the angular velocity and cable length. Alternatively, the relative position of the suspended payload and the aircraft can be identified by sensors, and the linear velocity can be calculated by differentiating the payload's position.

[0097] Cable tension can be calculated by reading the load sensor of the overhead crane system. The weight of the payload can be determined using a standard scale before takeoff and input through the app. Alternatively, the cable tension can be calculated when the aircraft is hovering and the payload is not swinging. Alternatively, the centripetal force calculated from the payload's swing speed can be subtracted from the cable tension to determine the gravity acting on the payload, thereby calculating the payload's weight.

[0098] After the aircraft has delivered its payload to its destination, it can land and release the payload. Conventional technology typically involves first controlling the aircraft to descend to the landing point and then unloading the payload. However, during landing, the payload's cables lose tension after touching the ground, causing them to sway due to wind from the propellers and the surrounding environment. Excessive sway can potentially entangle the aircraft's fuselage and blades, leading to serious accidents such as crashes.

[0099] To avoid the aforementioned issues, in some embodiments, during the aircraft's landing process, if it is determined that the payload has landed on the support surface, the aircraft can be controlled to release the payload first. After the aircraft releases the payload, the cable will also land on the support surface. This can prevent the cable from swinging due to the lack of tension after the payload touches the ground, which can be easily affected by propeller wind and ambient wind, and the cable from tangling with the aircraft fuselage and blades if the swing is large. After releasing the payload, the aircraft can be controlled to hover, and a prompt message will be sent to the user to inform the user that the payload has been released to the support surface.

[0100] In some embodiments, while the aircraft is hovering, the aircraft can be controlled to perform corresponding tasks based on user commands received within a preset time period. For example, while the aircraft is hovering, the user can control the aircraft to land, or the user can control the aircraft to fly to another location to perform other tasks.

[0101] In some embodiments, the aircraft can be controlled to land at a user-designated landing point based on user instructions. For example, a user can specify a suitable landing point near the aircraft, and the aircraft will land at that point. For example, a user can point to a specific location on the ground, or tap the ground with their foot. The aircraft can then identify the user-designated location using images captured by its visual sensors and land at that location.

[0102] In some embodiments, if no user command is received within a preset time while the aircraft is hovering, a landing point within a preset distance from the payload can be determined based on environmental data collected by the aircraft, and the aircraft can be controlled to land at that point. If no user command is received within a certain period of time, the aircraft can be automatically controlled to search for a suitable landing point nearby and land there. This landing point can be a relatively flat location suitable for the aircraft to land.

[0103] In some embodiments, if no user command is received within a preset time while the aircraft is hovering, and if environmental data collected by the aircraft's sensors indicates that there are no available landing spots within a preset distance of the payload, the aircraft may be controlled to remain in the hovering state. During the hovering process, prompts may be provided to the user to facilitate their decision-making regarding how to control the aircraft.

[0104] In related art, when landing an aircraft, it lands on top of a payload. However, some load surfaces may be uneven, which can easily cause the payload to become uneven after contact. Landing the aircraft on top of the payload can cause the aircraft to overturn, causing unpredictable damage to both the aircraft and the payload. To avoid this problem, in some embodiments, during the landing process, if it is determined that the payload has landed on the load surface, it can be determined whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft's undercarriage, and the aircraft's landing position can be determined based on this determination.

[0105] In some embodiments, if the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft's undercarriage, the location of the payload is determined to be the aircraft's landing point, and the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point. When the aircraft is at the landing point, the payload is located within the space formed by the aircraft's undercarriage. As shown in Figure 11, if the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft's undercarriage, the aircraft's position can be adjusted to accommodate the payload within the space formed by the aircraft's undercarriage, and the aircraft can then be controlled to land.

[0106] In some embodiments, if the volume of the payload is greater than or equal to the space formed by the aircraft's footrest, a suitable landing point within a preset distance from the payload is determined based on the environmental data collected by the aircraft, and the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point. For example, the aircraft can be automatically controlled to search for a suitable landing point in the surrounding area and land there. The landing point can be a relatively flat location suitable for the aircraft to land.

[0107] Furthermore, when transporting a payload, an aircraft can be easily pulled, causing it to tilt. Excessive tilt can even cause the aircraft to roll over and crash. For example, during takeoff, the payload may exceed the maximum load capacity, preventing the aircraft from lifting the payload, causing it to be pulled and tilted. Alternatively, when the aircraft reaches its destination and the user unloads the payload, the aircraft may be pulled and tilted due to excessive weight or ground operators pulling on the payload. Alternatively, during flight, objects such as tall trees or high-voltage towers may snag the payload, preventing it from following the intended trajectory and causing it to be pulled and tilted. To mitigate these issues, if the cable tension of the payload is detected to be greater than a preset tension threshold during flight, the aircraft can be controlled to move in a direction that releases the cable tension until the cable tension falls below the preset tension threshold. For example, if it is detected that the cable tension exceeds the preset tension threshold, it means that the aircraft is being pulled and there may be a risk of rollover. At this time, the aircraft can be controlled to move in the direction of releasing the tension until the cable tension is less than the preset tension threshold. Then the aircraft can be controlled to hover and an alarm prompt message can be sent to the user.

[0108] In some embodiments, during flight, if the cable tension of the payload detected exceeds a preset tension threshold, the aircraft will not respond to commands to increase the aircraft's power output. If the cable tension exceeds the preset tension threshold, indicating a risk of rollover, commands that would increase the aircraft's power output will not be responded to. For example, if controlling the aircraft to follow a predetermined trajectory would require increasing power output, the command to control the aircraft to follow the predetermined trajectory will not be executed.

[0109] In addition, since the aircraft is carrying a payload, the aircraft must not only consider the distance between itself and the obstacle during the obstacle avoidance process, but also the distance between the cable, the suspended payload, and the obstacle to avoid collision between the payload or the cable and the obstacle. Therefore, in some embodiments, during the flight of the aircraft, the swing angle of the payload during the obstacle avoidance process can be determined, and the obstacle avoidance distance of the aircraft can be determined based on the swing angle, so that the payload does not collide with the obstacle during the obstacle avoidance process according to the obstacle avoidance distance. For example, the aircraft can dynamically adjust the obstacle avoidance distance based on the swing angle based on the estimated swing angle of the payload during the obstacle avoidance process to ensure that the payload does not collide with the obstacle. The distance between the payload and the obstacle can be obtained through a sensing sensor, including but not limited to millimeter wave radar, visual sensor, lidar, etc., or the position of the payload can be calculated through a force sensor.

[0110] In some embodiments, given the vulnerability of a payload to excessive swing angles during rapid deceleration, the deceleration amplitude can be determined based on the payload's swing angle, with the deceleration amplitude being negatively correlated with the swing angle. During the deceleration process, the deceleration amplitude can be dynamically adjusted in real time based on the payload's swing angle to prevent excessive swings that could cause cables to entangle with the aircraft's fuselage or blades. Furthermore, the deceleration distance can be adjusted based on the payload's position and swing angle.

[0111] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for controlling an aircraft, the method comprising:

[0112] During the landing process of the aircraft, if the payload mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface, controlling the aircraft to release the payload;

[0113] After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover, and during the hovering of the aircraft, it is determined whether a user instruction is received within a preset time period, and if a user instruction is received, a corresponding task is performed based on the received user instruction.

[0114] In some embodiments, determining that the aircraft performs a corresponding task based on user instructions received within a preset time period includes:

[0115] Based on user instructions, the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point indicated by the user.

[0116] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0117] During the hovering process of the aircraft, if no user command is received within a preset time period, a landing point within a preset distance range from the payload is determined based on the environmental data collected by the aircraft, and the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point.

[0118] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0119] During the hovering process of the aircraft, if no user instructions are received within a preset time period, and based on the environmental data collected by the perception sensors on the aircraft, it is determined that there is no landing point within the preset distance range of the payload, the aircraft is controlled to remain in a hovering state.

[0120] The specific details of implementing the above method can be referred to the description in the above method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0121] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for controlling an aircraft, the method comprising:

[0122] During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the payload mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface;

[0123] determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest;

[0124] The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

[0125] In some embodiments, the method comprises:

[0126] In response to a volume of the payload being smaller than a space formed by the aircraft undercarriage, determining a location of the payload as a landing point for the aircraft;

[0127] The aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point, wherein when the aircraft is located at the landing point, the payload is located in a space formed by the aircraft undercarriage.

[0128] In some embodiments, the method includes: in response to the volume of the payload being greater than or equal to the space formed by the aircraft's undercarriage, determining a landing point within a preset distance range from the payload based on environmental data collected by the aircraft, and controlling the aircraft to land at the landing point.

[0129] The specific details of implementing the above method can be referred to the description in the above method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0130] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for controlling an aircraft, the method comprising:

[0131] During the flight of the aircraft, real-time acquisition of status information of a payload mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the payload relative to the aircraft;

[0132] The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the payload so that the state information of the payload meets a preset condition.

[0133] In some embodiments, the state information of the load includes at least one of the following: load position, swing direction, swing angle, and swing speed.

[0134] In some embodiments, the load position is determined based on:

[0135] Determined based on the relative positional relationship between the aircraft and the payload in an image captured by a visual sensor, as well as position information of the aircraft; or

[0136] The method is determined according to the swing angle of the payload, the length of the cable between the aircraft and the payload, and the position information of the aircraft.

[0137] In some embodiments, the swing speed includes at least one of the following: a swing angular velocity and a swing linear velocity.

[0138] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information includes:

[0139] The aircraft is controlled to move until the aircraft and the payload remain relatively stationary.

[0140] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information includes:

[0141] The movement direction of the aircraft is controlled to be substantially consistent with the swing direction of the payload, wherein the movement speed of the aircraft is positively correlated with the swing angle of the payload.

[0142] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information includes:

[0143] The movement direction of the aircraft is controlled to be opposite to the swing direction of the payload, wherein the movement speed of the aircraft is positively correlated with the swing speed of the payload.

[0144] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information includes:

[0145] Determine the target position where the swing velocity is zero during the swing of the load;

[0146] Control the aircraft to move to the target position.

[0147] In some embodiments, the target position is a position where the height of the load is the highest and the swing speed is zero during the swing process.

[0148] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information includes:

[0149] During the flight of the aircraft along the planned route, the target moving direction of the payload is determined based on the deviation between the payload and the planned route, the target moving speed of the payload is determined based on the deviation between the moving speed of the payload and the planned moving speed, and the movement of the aircraft is controlled so that the payload moves according to the target moving direction and the target moving speed.

[0150] In some embodiments, before controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information, the method further includes:

[0151] Receive the command to enter the anti-sway mode.

[0152] In some embodiments, the aircraft automatically enters the anti-sway mode after detecting that the load swing angle is greater than a preset angle; or

[0153] After receiving the instruction to enter the anti-sway mode triggered by the user, the aircraft is controlled to enter the anti-sway mode.

[0154] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0155] The status information of the load is sent to the control device of the aircraft so that the control device can display the status information of the load to the user in real time.

[0156] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0157] After detecting that an empty hanging system is loaded on the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled to switch from a non-hanging mode to a hanging mode, wherein an upper limit value of a motion state parameter of the aircraft in the hanging mode is less than an upper limit value of the motion state parameter of the aircraft in the non-hanging mode.

[0158] The specific details of implementing the above method can be referred to the description in the above method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0159] In addition, an embodiment of the present application provides an image processing device, as shown in FIG12 . The device 1200 includes a processor 1201, a memory 1202, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor 1201. When the processor 1201 executes the computer program, the following steps can be implemented:

[0160] Determining position information of the aircraft and position information of the payload, wherein the payload is located on the load-bearing surface;

[0161] determining, based on the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload, whether the horizontal position of the aircraft satisfies a first preset condition;

[0162] In response to the horizontal position of the aircraft not satisfying a first preset condition, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the load away from the carrying surface.

[0163] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to control the aircraft to adjust its own horizontal position to meet a first preset condition while prohibiting the aircraft from pulling the load away from the carrying surface.

[0164] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to control the height of the aircraft relative to the carrying surface to meet a second preset condition while the aircraft is adjusting its own horizontal position to meet a first preset condition.

[0165] In some embodiments, the length of the pulled-out cable of the aircraft is L, the angle of the cable relative to the horizontal plane is A, and the angle is less than or equal to 90°. During the adjustment process, the height of the aircraft relative to the supporting surface is H, and the second preset condition is that H is less than or equal to L*sin A.

[0166] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to control the aircraft to move upward to pull the load away from the carrying surface in response to the horizontal position of the aircraft satisfying a first preset condition.

[0167] In some embodiments, the first preset condition includes the aircraft being located directly above the payload.

[0168] In some embodiments, when the processor is used to control the aircraft to move upward to pull the payload away from the carrying surface, it is specifically used to:

[0169] controlling the aircraft to move upward in a speed-limited mode to pull the payload away from the carrying surface;

[0170] When it is detected that the load is pulled away from the carrying surface, the aircraft is controlled to exit the speed limit mode.

[0171] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: upon detecting that the payload is pulled away from the carrying surface and detecting that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state, control the aircraft to maintain the speed limited mode.

[0172] In some embodiments, when the processor detects that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state, it is specifically configured to:

[0173] Determining that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state when detecting that the tension of the cable carrying the payload is greater than a preset tension threshold for a duration exceeding a preset time; and / or

[0174] It is determined that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state based on images collected by the aircraft's visual sensor.

[0175] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0176] The control device of the aircraft displays a prompt message to the user, wherein the prompt message is used to remind the user that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state.

[0177] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: upon receiving a user-triggered instruction to release the payload, control the aircraft to release the payload.

[0178] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0179] During the flight of the aircraft, real-time acquisition of status information of a payload mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the payload relative to the aircraft;

[0180] The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the payload so that the state information of the payload meets a preset condition.

[0181] In some embodiments, the state information of the load includes at least one of the following: load position, swing direction, swing angle, and swing speed.

[0182] In some embodiments, the load position is determined based on:

[0183] Determined based on the relative positional relationship between the aircraft and the payload in an image captured by a visual sensor, as well as position information of the aircraft; or

[0184] The method is determined according to the swing angle of the payload, the length of the cable between the aircraft and the payload, and the position information of the aircraft.

[0185] In some embodiments, the swing speed includes at least one of the following: a swing angular velocity and a swing linear velocity.

[0186] In some embodiments, the processor is configured to control the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the payload, specifically to:

[0187] The aircraft is controlled to move until the aircraft and the payload remain relatively stationary.

[0188] In some embodiments, when the processor controls the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the payload, it is specifically configured to:

[0189] The movement direction of the aircraft is controlled to be substantially consistent with the swing direction of the payload, wherein the movement speed of the aircraft is positively correlated with the swing angle of the payload.

[0190] In some embodiments, the processor is configured to control the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the payload, specifically to:

[0191] The movement direction of the aircraft is controlled to be opposite to the swing direction of the payload, wherein the movement speed of the aircraft is positively correlated with the swing speed of the payload.

[0192] In some embodiments, the processor is configured to control the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the payload, specifically to:

[0193] Determine the target position where the swing velocity is zero during the swing of the load;

[0194] Control the aircraft to move to the target position.

[0195] In some embodiments, the target position is a position where the height of the load is the highest and the swing speed is zero during the swing process.

[0196] In some embodiments, when the processor is used to control the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the payload, it is specifically used to:

[0197] During the flight of the aircraft along the planned route, the target moving direction of the payload is determined based on the deviation between the payload and the planned route, the target moving speed of the payload is determined based on the deviation between the moving speed of the payload and the planned moving speed, and the movement of the aircraft is controlled so that the payload moves according to the target moving direction and the target moving speed.

[0198] In some embodiments, before controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information, the processor is further configured to:

[0199] Receive the command to enter the anti-sway mode.

[0200] In some embodiments, the aircraft automatically enters the anti-sway mode after detecting that the load swing angle is greater than a preset angle; or

[0201] After receiving the instruction to enter the anti-sway mode triggered by the user, the aircraft is controlled to enter the anti-sway mode.

[0202] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0203] The status information of the load is sent to the control device of the aircraft so that the control device can display the status information of the load to the user in real time.

[0204] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0205] After detecting that an empty hanging system is loaded on the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled to switch from a non-hanging mode to a hanging mode, wherein an upper limit value of a motion state parameter of the aircraft in the hanging mode is less than an upper limit value of the motion state parameter of the aircraft in the non-hanging mode.

[0206] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0207] During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the load has landed on the carrying surface, controlling the aircraft to release the load;

[0208] After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover and a prompt message is sent to the user.

[0209] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0210] During the hovering of the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled to perform corresponding tasks based on user instructions received within a preset time period.

[0211] In some embodiments, the processor is configured to determine, based on a user instruction received within a preset time period, that the aircraft performs a corresponding task, specifically to:

[0212] Based on user instructions, the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point indicated by the user.

[0213] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0214] During the hovering process of the aircraft, if no user command is received within a preset time period, a landing point within a preset distance range from the payload is determined based on the environmental data collected by the aircraft, and the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point.

[0215] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0216] During the hovering process of the aircraft, if no user instructions are received within a preset time period, and based on the environmental data collected by the perception sensors on the aircraft, it is determined that there is no landing point within the preset distance range of the payload, the aircraft is controlled to remain in a hovering state.

[0217] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0218] During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the load has landed on the carrying surface;

[0219] determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest;

[0220] The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

[0221] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0222] In response to a volume of the payload being smaller than a space formed by the aircraft undercarriage, determining a location of the payload as a landing point for the aircraft;

[0223] The aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point, wherein when the aircraft is located at the landing point, the payload is located in a space formed by the aircraft undercarriage.

[0224] In some embodiments, the processor is further used to: in response to the volume of the payload being greater than or equal to the space formed by the aircraft's footrest, determine a landing point within a preset distance range from the payload based on environmental data collected by the aircraft, and control the aircraft to land at the landing point.

[0225] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0226] During the flight of the aircraft, if it is detected that the tension of the cable carrying the payload is greater than a preset tension threshold, the aircraft is controlled to move in a direction of releasing the cable tension until the cable tension is less than the preset tension threshold.

[0227] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0228] During the flight of the aircraft, if it is detected that the tension of the cable carrying the payload is greater than a preset tension threshold, the aircraft will not respond to an instruction to increase the power output of the aircraft.

[0229] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0230] During the flight of the aircraft, determining a swing angle of the payload during obstacle avoidance by the aircraft;

[0231] An obstacle avoidance distance of the aircraft is determined based on the swing angle, so that the payload does not collide with the obstacle during the process of the aircraft avoiding the obstacle according to the obstacle avoidance distance.

[0232] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0233] During the deceleration of the aircraft, a deceleration amplitude of the aircraft is determined based on a swing angle of the payload, wherein the deceleration amplitude is negatively correlated with the swing angle.

[0234] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a control device for an aircraft, the device comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps can be implemented:

[0235] During the landing process of the aircraft, if the payload mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface, controlling the aircraft to release the payload;

[0236] After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover, and during the hovering of the aircraft, it is determined whether a user instruction is received within a preset time period, and if a user instruction is received, a corresponding task is performed based on the received user instruction.

[0237] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a control device for an aircraft, the device comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps can be implemented:

[0238] During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the payload mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface;

[0239] determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest;

[0240] The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

[0241] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a control device for an aircraft, the device comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps can be implemented:

[0242] During the flight of the aircraft, obtaining in real time status information of a payload mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the payload relative to the aircraft;

[0243] The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the payload so that the state information of the payload meets a preset condition.

[0244] Among them, the specific details of the above-mentioned control device implementing the control of the aircraft can be referred to the description of the above-mentioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0245] It is not difficult to understand that the solutions described in the above embodiments can be combined when there is no conflict, and they are not listed one by one in the embodiments of this application.

[0246] Accordingly, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer storage medium, in which a program is stored. When the program is executed by a processor, the method in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0247] The embodiments of the present application may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing program code. Computer-usable storage media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media, and information storage can be implemented by any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs or other data. Examples of computer storage media include but are not limited to: phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, read-only compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device.

[0248] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment. A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without expending creative work.

[0249] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. The terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements that are not explicitly listed, or also includes elements that are inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device that includes the element.

[0250] The above is a detailed introduction to the methods and devices provided in the embodiments of the present invention. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the methods and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the ideas of the present invention, there may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an aircraft, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determining position information of the aircraft and position information of the load, wherein the load is located on the load-bearing surface; Based on the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload, determining whether the horizontal position of the aircraft meets a first preset condition; In response to the horizontal position of the aircraft not satisfying the first preset condition, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the load away from the carrying surface.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that During the process of prohibiting the aircraft from pulling the load away from the carrying surface, the aircraft is controlled to adjust its own horizontal position to meet the first preset condition.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that In the process of the aircraft adjusting its own horizontal position to meet the first preset condition, the height of the aircraft relative to the carrying surface is controlled to meet the second preset condition.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The length of the pulled-out cable of the aircraft is L, the angle of the cable relative to the horizontal plane is A, and the angle is less than or equal to 90°. During the adjustment process, the height of the aircraft relative to the load is H, and the second preset condition is that H is less than or equal to L*sin A.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In response to the horizontal position of the aircraft satisfying a first preset condition, the aircraft is controlled to move upward to pull the load away from the carrying surface.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first preset condition includes that the aircraft is located directly above the payload.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The controlling the aircraft to move upward to pull the load away from the carrying surface comprises: controlling the aircraft to move upward in a speed-limited mode to pull the load away from the load-bearing surface; When it is detected that the load is pulled away from the bearing surface, the aircraft is controlled to exit the speed limit mode.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further includes: controlling the aircraft to maintain the speed-limited mode when it is detected that the load is pulled away from the carrying surface and when it is detected that the aircraft or the load is in a trapped state.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The step of detecting that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state comprises: In the event that it is detected that the tension of the cable on which the payload is mounted is greater than a preset tension threshold for a period exceeding a preset time, determining that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state; and / or It is determined that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state based on images collected by the aircraft vision sensor.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: The control device of the aircraft displays prompt information to the user, and the prompt information is used to prompt the user that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method further includes: upon receiving a user-triggered instruction to release the payload, controlling the aircraft to release the payload.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the flight of the aircraft, real-time acquisition of status information of a load mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the load relative to the aircraft; The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the load so that the state information of the load satisfies a preset condition.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The state information of the load includes at least one of the following: load position, swing direction, swing angle and swing speed.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The load position is determined based on: Determined based on the relative position relationship between the aircraft and the payload in an image captured by a visual sensor, and position information of the aircraft; or The method is determined according to the swing angle of the payload, the length of the cable between the aircraft and the payload, and the position information of the aircraft.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The swing speed includes at least one of the following: a swing angular velocity and a swing linear velocity.

16. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load comprises: The aircraft is controlled to move until the aircraft and the payload remain relatively stationary.

17. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load comprises: The moving direction of the aircraft is controlled to be substantially consistent with the swing direction of the load, wherein the moving speed of the aircraft is positively correlated to the swing angle of the load.

18. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load comprises: The moving direction of the aircraft is controlled to be opposite to the swinging direction of the load, wherein the moving speed of the aircraft is positively correlated to the swinging speed of the load.

19. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load comprises: Determine the target position where the swing velocity is zero during the swing of the load; Control the aircraft to move to the target position.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The target position is the position where the height is the highest and the swing speed is zero during the swing process of the load.

21. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The control of the aircraft motion based on the load state information includes: During the flight of the aircraft along the planned route, the target moving direction of the load is determined based on the deviation between the load and the planned route, and the target moving direction of the load is determined based on the deviation between the moving speed of the load and the planned moving speed. The target moving speed is controlled to control the movement of the aircraft so that the payload moves according to the target moving direction and the target moving speed.

22. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that Before controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information, the method further includes: Receives command to enter anti-slew mode.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The aircraft automatically enters the anti-sway mode after detecting that the load swing angle is greater than a preset angle; or After receiving the instruction to enter the anti-swing mode triggered by the user, the aircraft is controlled to enter the anti-swing mode.

24. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: The load status information is sent to the control device of the aircraft so that the control device can display the load status information to the user in real time.

25. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: After detecting that an empty hanging system is loaded on the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled to switch from a non-hanging mode to a hanging mode, wherein an upper limit value of a motion state parameter of the aircraft in the hanging mode is less than an upper limit value of a motion state parameter of the aircraft in the non-hanging mode.

26. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the load has landed on the carrying surface, controlling the aircraft to release the load; After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover and a prompt message is sent to the user.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the hovering of the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled to perform corresponding tasks based on user instructions received within a preset time period.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that Determining that the aircraft performs a corresponding task based on a user instruction received within a preset time period includes: Based on user instructions, the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point indicated by the user.

29. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the hovering of the aircraft, if no user command is received within a preset time period, a landing point within a preset distance range from the payload is determined based on environmental data collected by the aircraft, and the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point.

30. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the hovering process of the aircraft, if no user instructions are received within a preset time period, and based on the environmental data collected by the perception sensors on the aircraft, it is determined that there is no landing point within the preset distance range of the payload, the aircraft is controlled to remain in a hovering state.

31. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the load has landed on the bearing surface; Determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest; The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

32. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that include: In response to the volume of the load being smaller than the space formed by the aircraft undercarriage, determining the location of the load as a landing point of the aircraft; The aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point, wherein when the aircraft is located at the landing point, the load is located in a space formed by the aircraft undercarriage.

33. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that include: In response to the volume of the payload being greater than or equal to the space formed by the aircraft footrest, a landing point within a preset distance range from the payload is determined based on environmental data collected by the aircraft, and the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point.

34. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the flight of the aircraft, if it is detected that the tension of the cable carrying the payload is greater than a preset tension threshold, the aircraft is controlled to move in a direction of releasing the cable tension until the cable tension is less than the preset tension threshold.

35. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the flight of the aircraft, if it is detected that the tension of the cable carrying the load is greater than a preset tension threshold, no response is given to an instruction to increase the power output of the aircraft.

36. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the flight of the aircraft, determining the swing angle of the payload during the obstacle avoidance process of the aircraft; The obstacle avoidance distance of the aircraft is determined based on the swing angle, so that the load does not collide with the obstacle during the process of the aircraft avoiding the obstacle according to the obstacle avoidance distance.

37. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the deceleration of the aircraft, the deceleration amplitude of the aircraft is determined based on the swing angle of the load, wherein the deceleration amplitude is negatively correlated with the swing angle.

38. A method for controlling an aircraft, characterized in that: The method comprises: During the landing process of the aircraft, if the load mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface, the aircraft is controlled to release the load; After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover, and during the hovering of the aircraft, it is determined whether a user instruction is received within a preset time period, and if a user instruction is received, a corresponding task is performed based on the received user instruction.

39. A method for controlling an aircraft, characterized in that: The method comprises: During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the load mounted on the aircraft has landed on the bearing surface; Determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest; The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

40. A method for controlling an aircraft, characterized in that: The method comprises: During the flight of the aircraft, real-time acquisition of status information of a load mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the load relative to the aircraft; The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the load so that the state information of the load satisfies a preset condition.

41. An image processing device, characterized in that: The device includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps can be implemented: Determining position information of the aircraft and position information of the load, wherein the load is located on the load-bearing surface; Based on the position information of the aircraft and the position information of the payload, determining whether the horizontal position of the aircraft meets a first preset condition; In response to the horizontal position of the aircraft not satisfying a first preset condition, the aircraft is prohibited from pulling the load away from the load-bearing surface.

42. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to control the aircraft to adjust its own horizontal position to meet a first preset condition while prohibiting the aircraft from pulling the load away from the carrying surface.

43. The device according to claim 42, characterized in that The processor is further configured to control the height of the aircraft relative to the carrying surface to meet a second preset condition when the aircraft adjusts its own horizontal position to meet the first preset condition.

44. The device according to claim 43, characterized in that The length of the pulled-out cable of the aircraft is L, the angle of the cable relative to the horizontal plane is A, and the angle is less than or equal to 90°. During the adjustment process, the height of the aircraft relative to the carrying surface is H, and the second preset condition is that H is less than or equal to L*sin A.

45. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to control the aircraft to move upward to pull the load away from the carrying surface in response to the horizontal position of the aircraft satisfying a first preset condition.

46. ​​The device according to any one of claims 41 to 45, characterized in that The first preset condition includes that the aircraft is located directly above the payload.

47. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that When the processor is used to control the aircraft to move upward to pull the load away from the carrying surface, it is specifically used to: controlling the aircraft to move upward in a speed-limited mode to pull the load away from the load-bearing surface; When it is detected that the load is pulled away from the bearing surface, the aircraft is controlled to exit the speed limit mode.

48. The device according to claim 47, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: when it is detected that the load is pulled away from the carrying surface and when it is detected that the aircraft or the load is in a trapped state, control the aircraft to maintain the speed limit mode.

49. The device according to claim 48, characterized in that When the processor detects that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state, the processor is specifically used to: When it is detected that the tension of the cable on which the payload is mounted is greater than a preset tension threshold and the duration exceeds a preset time, determining that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state; and / or It is determined that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state based on images collected by the aircraft vision sensor.

50. The device according to claim 48, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: The control device of the aircraft displays prompt information to the user, and the prompt information is used to prompt the user that the aircraft or the payload is in a trapped state.

51. The device according to claim 50, characterized in that The processor is further configured to control the aircraft to release the payload upon receiving a user-triggered instruction to release the payload.

52. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the flight of the aircraft, real-time acquisition of status information of a load mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the load relative to the aircraft; The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the load so that the state information of the load satisfies a preset condition.

53. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that The state information of the load includes at least one of the following: load position, swing direction, swing angle and swing speed.

54. The device according to claim 53, characterized in that The load position is determined based on: Determined based on the relative position relationship between the aircraft and the payload in an image captured by a visual sensor, and position information of the aircraft; or The method is determined according to the swing angle of the payload, the length of the cable between the aircraft and the payload, and the position information of the aircraft.

55. The device according to claim 53, characterized in that The swing speed includes at least one of the following: a swing angular velocity and a swing linear velocity.

56. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that When the processor is used to control the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load, it is specifically used to: The aircraft is controlled to move until the aircraft and the payload remain relatively stationary.

57. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that When the processor controls the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load, it is specifically used to: The moving direction of the aircraft is controlled to be substantially consistent with the swing direction of the load, wherein the moving speed of the aircraft is positively correlated to the swing angle of the load.

58. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that When the processor is used to control the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load, it is specifically used to: The moving direction of the aircraft is controlled to be opposite to the swinging direction of the load, wherein the moving speed of the aircraft is positively correlated to the swinging speed of the load.

59. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that When the processor is used to control the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load, it is specifically used to: Determine the target position where the swing velocity is zero during the swing of the load; Control the aircraft to move to the target position.

60. The device according to claim 59, characterized in that The target position is the position where the height is the highest and the swing speed is zero during the swing process of the load.

61. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that When the processor is used to control the movement of the aircraft based on the state information of the load, it is specifically used to: During the flight of the aircraft along the planned route, the target moving direction of the load is determined based on the deviation between the load and the planned route, the target moving speed of the load is determined based on the deviation between the moving speed of the load and the planned moving speed, and the movement of the aircraft is controlled so that the load moves according to the target moving direction and the target moving speed.

62. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that Before controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the load status information, the processor is further configured to: Receives command to enter anti-slew mode.

63. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that The aircraft automatically enters the anti-sway mode after detecting that the load swing angle is greater than a preset angle; or After receiving the instruction to enter the anti-swing mode triggered by the user, the aircraft is controlled to enter the anti-swing mode.

64. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: The load status information is sent to the control device of the aircraft so that the control device can display the load status information to the user in real time.

65. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: After detecting that an empty hanging system is loaded on the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled to switch from a non-hanging mode to a hanging mode, wherein an upper limit value of a motion state parameter of the aircraft in the hanging mode is less than an upper limit value of a motion state parameter of the aircraft in the non-hanging mode.

66. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the load has landed on the carrying surface, controlling the aircraft to release the load; After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover and a prompt message is sent to the user.

67. The device according to claim 66, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the hovering of the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled to perform corresponding tasks based on user instructions received within a preset time period.

68. The device according to claim 67, characterized in that The processor is used to determine that the aircraft performs a corresponding task based on a user instruction received within a preset time period, specifically to: Based on user instructions, the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point indicated by the user.

69. The device according to claim 66, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the hovering of the aircraft, if no user command is received within a preset time period, a landing point within a preset distance range from the payload is determined based on environmental data collected by the aircraft, and the aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point.

70. The device according to claim 66, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the hovering process of the aircraft, if no user command is received within the preset time, and it is determined based on the environmental data collected by the sensing sensor on the aircraft that there is no landing place within the preset distance range of the payload, point, the aircraft is controlled to be in a hovering state.

71. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the load has landed on the bearing surface; Determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest; The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

72. The device according to claim 71, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: In response to the volume of the load being smaller than the space formed by the aircraft undercarriage, determining the location of the load as a landing point of the aircraft; The aircraft is controlled to land at the landing point, wherein when the aircraft is located at the landing point, the load is located in a space formed by the aircraft undercarriage.

73. The device according to claim 71, characterized in that The processor is also used to: in response to the volume of the payload being greater than or equal to the space formed by the aircraft footrest, determine a landing point within a preset distance range from the payload based on environmental data collected by the aircraft, and control the aircraft to land at the landing point.

74. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the flight of the aircraft, if it is detected that the tension of the cable carrying the payload is greater than a preset tension threshold, the aircraft is controlled to move in a direction of releasing the cable tension until the cable tension is less than the preset tension threshold.

75. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the flight of the aircraft, if it is detected that the tension of the cable carrying the load is greater than a preset tension threshold, no response is given to an instruction to increase the power output of the aircraft.

76. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the flight of the aircraft, determining the swing angle of the payload during the obstacle avoidance process of the aircraft; The obstacle avoidance distance of the aircraft is determined based on the swing angle, so that the load does not collide with the obstacle during the process of the aircraft avoiding the obstacle according to the obstacle avoidance distance.

77. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The processor is further configured to: During the deceleration of the aircraft, the deceleration amplitude of the aircraft is determined based on the swing angle of the load, wherein the deceleration amplitude is negatively correlated with the swing angle.

78. A control device for an aircraft, characterized in that: The device includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps can be implemented: During the landing process of the aircraft, if the load mounted on the aircraft has landed on the carrying surface, the aircraft is controlled to release the load; After releasing the payload, the aircraft is controlled to hover, and during the hovering of the aircraft, it is determined whether a user instruction is received within a preset time period, and if a user instruction is received, a corresponding task is performed based on the received user instruction.

79. A control device for an aircraft, characterized in that: The device includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps can be implemented: During the landing process of the aircraft, if it is determined that the load mounted on the aircraft has landed on the bearing surface; Determining whether the volume of the payload is smaller than the space formed by the aircraft footrest; The landing position of the aircraft is determined based on the determination result.

80. A control device for an aircraft, characterized in that: The device includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps can be implemented: During the flight of the aircraft, real-time acquisition of status information of a load mounted on the aircraft, wherein the status information is related to the movement of the load relative to the aircraft; The movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the state information of the load so that the state information of the load satisfies a preset condition.

81. An aircraft, characterized in that: The aircraft includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the method described in any one of claims 1 to 40 can be implemented.

82. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 40 is implemented.

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