Composite aircraft with climbing and cornice capabilities and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a composite aircraft with climbing and cornice capabilities and a control method. The composite aircraft comprises an auxiliary control unit, a core control unit, a power unit, an image transmission unit and a bearing body. According to the invention, signal transmission of different control channels can be carried out by means of the auxiliary control unit, and the power unit is driven to execute a crawling action or a flying action by switching a control mode; therefore, the climbing function of the composite aircraft on a wall and the cornice function of the composite aircraft on the tunnel top, the bridge bottom, the ceiling and other environments where conventional aircrafts are difficult to operate are achieved, and meanwhile detection imaging is conducted on the wall face or the top face through the image transmission unit. In addition, the composite aircraft adopts a unitized design, so that various special modules can be conveniently mounted and dismounted according to different environment and task requirements, and diversification and specialization of functions are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aircraft technology, and in particular to a composite aircraft with climbing and eaves-flying capabilities and a control method. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, people's application needs for aircraft are becoming increasingly diversified. At present, conventional aircraft have been widely used in many fields such as aerial photography, detection, agriculture, logistics, etc., but traditional aircraft can only fly in open areas and have limitations in certain specific environments. For example, when performing tasks indoors or in some narrow and complex environments, traditional aircraft are often difficult to control and difficult to achieve high-precision mission requirements. Improper operation may even lead to collisions, crashes and other accidents. This has given rise to the demand for special aircraft with high environmental adaptability.

[0003] In today's society, the process of urbanization is accelerating, and infrastructure such as high-rise buildings, bridges and tunnels are booming. The total length of bridges and roads in my country has reached 52,000 kilometers, and the total length of tunnels has exceeded 42,000 kilometers. There are nearly a thousand buildings over 200 meters high in the city. However, the maintenance and cleaning work in these high-altitude and high-risk operation scenarios faces huge challenges. At present, tasks such as bridge and tunnel inspection and high-rise building exterior wall cleaning usually rely on manpower or inefficient tools, such as Spider-Man, which have problems of low operating efficiency and high safety risks. Looking at both home and abroad, there is a lack of aircraft technology that can provide efficient and safe solutions for such high-risk operation scenarios.

[0004] In order to improve the efficiency of high-altitude operations, ensure the safety of workers, and improve the shortcomings of existing aircraft in terms of environmental adaptability, composite aircraft that combine climbing and flying functions are gradually becoming the focus of current research. In the context of responding to the growing demand for high-altitude operations, the development of such composite aircraft is of great significance, aiming to improve operational efficiency, reduce risks, and meet the needs of a diverse working environment.

[0005] Existing climbing devices mainly adopt the following structural designs:

[0006] 1. Claw-like structure: The claw-like structure is similar to claws or pliers, used to clamp, grab or fix objects, and can provide a stable grip for the composite aircraft to climb walls. Its advantages are that it provides excellent grip, is stable and reliable, and is suitable for more rough or irregular surfaces; its disadvantages are that the adhesion on smooth surfaces may be insufficient, and special designs are required to meet the needs of different surfaces. At the same time, the aircraft needs to provide a certain amount of force to ensure that the claws firmly grasp the surface.

[0007] 2. Magnetic structure: The magnetic structure uses the principle of magnetic force to achieve contactless fixation or suspension of the aircraft through magnets or electromagnets. Its advantages are that it does not require direct contact with the surface and does not consume frictional energy; its disadvantages are that it is ineffective on non-magnetic surfaces and has no universal application value.

[0008] 3. Suction cup structure: The suction cup structure achieves adsorption through the principle of negative pressure and can produce a fixing effect on smooth surfaces. Its advantage is that it can provide a large adsorption force to fix the aircraft; its disadvantage is that it is greatly affected by the surface material and surface conditions, and may not work effectively on rough or wet surfaces. At the same time, long-term adsorption may lead to reduced adsorption force or fall off.

[0009] Spider silk structure: Spider silk structure is similar to the fiber structure of spider silk, with high strength and wear resistance. Its advantages are high strength, light weight, good wear resistance and flexibility, and it is suitable for occasions that require strong and tough performance; its disadvantages are that it requires a large amount of filamentary structure, and the complexity of manufacturing and control is relatively high.

[0010] Multi-propeller booster structure: The multi-propeller booster structure uses multiple propellers for propulsion, providing strong propulsion and maneuverability. Its advantages are that multiple propellers provide strong propulsion and maneuverability, and can achieve multi-directional movement and precise control through manipulation; its disadvantages are that the control unit and structural design are relatively complex. At the same time, the structure consumes a lot of energy and is not efficient enough in some environments.

[0011] At present, most composite aircraft with climbing functions adopt a multi-propeller booster structure. When climbing a wall, these aircraft will be vertically attached to the wall, relying on the thrust generated by the rotor to be applied to the wall, thereby providing the necessary friction to maintain stability. However, composite aircraft are usually only suitable for wall climbing and cannot perform the same climbing tasks on other surfaces such as the top of a tunnel, the bottom of a bridge, or the ceiling of a building, so the application scenarios are subject to certain restrictions. This limitation means that it is necessary to seek more flexible and diverse designs to meet the needs of different climbing scenarios in order to further expand the practical application scope of such composite aircraft. Summary of the invention

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a composite aircraft with climbing and eaves flying capabilities and a control method.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present application, the present application provides a composite aircraft with climbing and eaves flying capabilities, comprising:

[0014] an auxiliary control unit, for receiving a remote control signal sent by a remote controller, and converting the remote control signal into a PWM signal output through a drive control channel and / or a PPM signal output through a flight control channel; a core control unit, connected to the auxiliary control unit by signal, for receiving the PPM signal generated by the auxiliary control unit; the core control unit is also used to obtain position data, and combine the position data with the PPM signal to process and obtain a flight control signal; a power unit, connected to the auxiliary control unit and the core control unit by signal, the power unit includes a crawling power module and a flight power module, the crawling power module is used to perform a crawling action under the control of the PWM signal, and the flight power module is used to perform a flight action under the control of the flight control signal; an image transmission unit, connected to the auxiliary control unit by signal, for obtaining an environmental image and transmitting it to the auxiliary control unit, and the environmental image is remotely transmitted back to the remote controller by the auxiliary control unit; a bearing body, for mounting a functional unit of the composite aircraft, the functional unit of the composite aircraft includes the auxiliary control unit, the core control unit, the power unit and the image transmission unit.

[0015] Furthermore, the supporting body includes an upper support plate and a lower support plate that are detachably connected, and the upper support plate and the lower support plate are correspondingly provided with four air ducts arranged in a field shape; the flight power module includes four brushless motors, each of the four brushless motors has a rotor and is respectively fixed in the four air ducts; the crawling power module includes four drive motors, each of the four drive motors has a drive wheel, and is respectively fixed on the outer surface of the upper support plate through corresponding brackets.

[0016] Furthermore, the flight power module also includes four electric adjustment modules, and the four electric adjustment modules are electrically connected to the four brushless motors respectively; the power unit also includes a battery module and an ammeter module, the battery module is detachably connected to the lower surface of the lower support plate, and the ammeter module is used to obtain electrical energy from the battery module and distribute it to the four electric adjustment modules and the four drive motors; a plurality of support arms with buffer pads are fixed on the lower surface of the lower support plate, and the plurality of support arms are used to support the composite aircraft on the ground when it lands.

[0017] Furthermore, the image transmission unit includes a camera module and an image transmission module. The camera module is arranged on the outer surface of the upper support plate, and is used to collect real-time images on the side where the crawling power module is located and form the environmental image; the image transmission module is arranged between the upper support plate and the lower support plate, and is used to obtain the environmental image and transmit it to the auxiliary control unit.

[0018] Furthermore, the auxiliary control unit includes a remote control receiving module, an auxiliary sensor module, and a flight control assistant module installed between the upper support plate and the lower support plate; the remote control receiving module is used to obtain the remote control signal sent by the remote control; the auxiliary sensor module includes multiple sensors for sensing the attitude information of the composite aircraft; the flight control assistant module is used to parse the control mode and the corresponding control amount according to the remote control signal, and the control mode includes a bridging mode, a climbing mode, and a cornice mode.

[0019] Furthermore, the flight control assistant module is used to analyze the flight adjustment information required for the compound aircraft to adjust its flight attitude in the air according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information in the docking mode. The flight adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit through the flight control channel, so as to control the compound aircraft to perform attitude adjustment, smooth flight or take-off and landing.

[0020] Furthermore, the flight control assistant module is also used to analyze the wall adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to approach the wall according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information before the bridge mode is switched to the climbing mode, and the wall adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit through the flight control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to approach and hang down to the wall; the flight control assistant module is also used to analyze the climbing adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to climb the wall according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information after the bridge mode is switched to the climbing mode, and the climbing adjustment information is also modulated into the PWM signal and transmitted to the crawling power module through the drive control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the wall.

[0021] Furthermore, the flight control assistant module is also used to analyze the top adjustment information required for the compound aircraft to approach the top surface according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information before the bridge mode is transferred to the eaves mode, and the top adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit through the flight control channel, so as to control the compound aircraft to approach and rise to attach to the top surface; the flight control assistant module is also used to analyze the eaves adjustment information required for the compound aircraft to adhere to the top eaves according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information after the bridge mode is transferred to the eaves mode, and the eaves adjustment information is also modulated into the PWM signal and transmitted to the crawling power module through the drive control channel, so as to control the compound aircraft to crawl along the top surface.

[0022] Furthermore, the core control unit includes a GPS module and a flight control core module installed between the upper support plate and the lower support plate; the GPS module is used to receive GPS signals and generate position data; the flight control core module is used to obtain the PPM signal from the flight control assistant module, and analyze and process it in combination with the position data obtained from the GPS module to obtain the flight control signal.

[0023] According to a second aspect of the present application, the present application provides a control method for a composite aircraft, which is applied to the composite aircraft described in the first aspect. The control method includes:

[0024] Acquire a remote control signal sent by a remote controller, and parse out a control mode and a corresponding control amount according to the remote control signal; determine whether the control mode has changed, and if not, continue to execute the original control mode; if it has changed, convert the remote control signal into a PWM signal output through a drive control channel and / or a PPM signal output through a flight control channel; combine the PPM signal with the position data of the composite aircraft to generate a flight control signal, and the flight control signal is used to control the flight action of the composite aircraft; the PWM signal is used to control the crawling action of the composite aircraft; acquire an environmental image of the composite aircraft and transmit it back to the remote controller, and the environmental image is used to assist in controlling the flight action and crawling action of the composite aircraft.

[0025] Furthermore, the control mode includes a bridging mode, in which the flight adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to adjust its flight attitude in the air is analyzed based on the corresponding control amount and the attitude information, and the flight adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted through a flight control channel. The flight adjustment information is used to control the composite aircraft to perform attitude adjustment, smooth flight, or take-off and landing.

[0026] Furthermore, the control mode includes a climbing mode; before the bridging mode is switched to the climbing mode, the wall-adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to get close to the wall is analyzed based on the corresponding control amount and the attitude information, and the wall-adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted through a flight control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to approach and hang low to the wall; after the bridging mode is switched to the climbing mode, the climbing adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to climb the wall is analyzed based on the corresponding control amount and the attitude information, and the climbing adjustment information is also modulated into the PWM signal and transmitted through a drive control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the wall.

[0027] Furthermore, the control mode includes an eaves mode; before the bridge mode is transferred to the eaves mode, the top adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to approach the top surface is analyzed according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information, and the top adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted through the flight control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to approach and rise to attach to the top surface; after the bridge mode is transferred to the eaves mode, the eaves adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to attach to the top eaves is analyzed according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information, and the eaves adjustment information is also modulated into the PWM signal and transmitted through the drive control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the top surface.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0029] According to the composite aircraft and control method with climbing and eaves flying capabilities of the above-mentioned embodiment, the composite aircraft includes an auxiliary control unit, a core control unit, a power unit, an image transmission unit and a bearing body. The present application can use the auxiliary control unit to transmit signals of different control channels, and drive the power unit to perform climbing actions or flying actions by switching the control mode, so as to realize the climbing function of the composite aircraft on the wall and the eaves flying function in environments where conventional aircraft are difficult to operate, such as the top of the tunnel, the bottom of the bridge and the ceiling, and at the same time use the image transmission unit to detect and image the wall or top surface. In addition, the composite aircraft adopts a modular design, which is convenient for the installation and disassembly of various special modules according to different environments and mission requirements, and realizes the diversification and specialization of functions. In addition, the present application directly takes over and controls the remote control signal through the auxiliary control unit in the control unit, and can adjust the control mode and posture of the composite aircraft without modifying the flight control program, which reduces the complexity of the operation, has good compatibility, and is convenient for the debugging, application development and use of the composite aircraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the system structure of a composite aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a composite aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 3 A front view of a composite aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of force analysis of a composite aircraft crawling on a wall and a top surface according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a mode conversion process of a composite aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of a control method for a composite aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present application is further described in detail below through specific implementation methods in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Embodiment 1

[0038] Please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 3 This embodiment discloses a composite aircraft with climbing and flying capabilities, which mainly includes a load-bearing body 1, an auxiliary control unit 2, a core control unit 3, a power unit 4 and an image transmission unit 5. The control modes include a bridging mode, a climbing mode and a flying mode, which are described below respectively.

[0039] The auxiliary control unit 2 is used to receive a remote control signal sent by a remote controller, and convert the remote control signal into a PWM signal output through a drive control channel and / or a PPM signal output through a flight control channel. The remote controller can be a ground remote control terminal, such as a computer or a handheld terminal.

[0040] The core control unit 3 is connected to the auxiliary control unit 2 for receiving the PPM signal generated by the auxiliary control unit 2; the core control unit 3 is also used to obtain position data, and combine the position data with the PPM signal to process the flight control signal. For example, the core control unit 3 and the auxiliary control unit 2 can exchange signals through the MAVLINK communication protocol.

[0041] The power unit 4 is signal-connected to the auxiliary control unit 2 and the core control unit 3. The power unit 4 includes a crawling power module 402 and a flight power module 401. The crawling power module 402 is used to perform crawling actions under the control of a PWM signal, and the flight power module 401 is used to perform flying actions under the control of a flight control signal.

[0042] The image transmission unit 5 is connected to the auxiliary control unit 2 for signal connection, and is used to obtain the environment image and transmit it to the auxiliary control unit. The environment image is remotely transmitted back to the ground remote control by the auxiliary control unit 2 ( Figure 1 not shown).

[0043] The carrier body 1 is used to install the functional units of the composite aircraft, which include an auxiliary control unit, a core control unit, a power unit and an image transmission unit. It can be understood that the carrier body 1 is the main load-bearing structure of the composite aircraft and is used to carry the flight control and various components of the composite aircraft.

[0044] See also Figure 1, the auxiliary control unit 2 can receive the radio remote control signal sent by the ground remote controller and obtain the attitude information of the compound aircraft at the same time; then, the auxiliary control unit 2 analyzes the control mode according to the remote control signal, calculates the control signal required for the compound aircraft to adjust its attitude, encodes the control signal into a PPM signal and outputs it to the core control unit 3 through the flight control channel. Of course, the auxiliary control unit 2 can also generate a PWM signal according to the remote control signal and output it to the power unit 4 through the drive control channel. That is to say, different control modes are switched by switching the flight / drive control channels connected to the remote control channels; at the same time, the auxiliary control unit 2 is also used to assist the core control unit 3 in controlling the compound aircraft.

[0045] See Figure 1 , the core control unit 3, as the control core of the compound aircraft, combines the PPM signal received from the auxiliary control unit 2 with the attitude information and position data obtained by each sensor module to generate a flight control signal.

[0046] See Figure 1 , the power unit 4 is signal-connected to the auxiliary control unit 2 and the core control unit 3, and can receive the flight control signal sent by the core control unit 3 and the PWM signal sent by the auxiliary control unit 2. The flight control signal is used to control the flight power module 401, and the PWM signal is used to control the climbing power module 402.

[0047] See Figure 1 , the image transmission unit 5 can be controlled by the core control unit 3, and transmits the environmental image obtained by the camera to the auxiliary control unit 2 in the form of a 4G signal.

[0048] In a specific embodiment, see Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the carrying body 1 includes a detachable upper support plate 101 and a lower support plate 102. Four air ducts arranged in a field shape are correspondingly provided on the upper support plate 101 and the lower support plate 102; the flight power module 401 includes four brushless motors 46, and each of the four brushless motors 46 is equipped with a rotor 47 and is respectively fixed in the four air ducts. The climbing power module 402 includes four drive motors 43, and each of the four drive motors 43 is equipped with a drive wheel 44 and is respectively fixed on the outer surface of the upper support plate 101 through corresponding brackets.

[0049] It can be understood that the upper support plate 101 and the lower support plate 102 of the carrying body 1 of the compound aircraft can be two square plates, connected by a plurality of cylindrical support devices. The two square plates are arranged in a "field" - shaped structure, with four round holes opened, and a "Y" - shaped support structure is arranged in the round holes.

[0050] In a specific embodiment, the flight power module 401 also includes four electric adjustment modules 45, which are electrically connected to four brushless motors 46 respectively; the power unit 4 also includes a battery module 41 and an ammeter module 42, the battery module 41 is detachably connected to the lower surface of the lower support plate 102, and the ammeter module 42 is used to obtain electrical energy from the battery module 41 and distribute it to the four electric adjustment modules 45 and the four drive motors 43.

[0051] In addition, a plurality of support arms 12 with cushions 13 are fixed on the lower surface of the lower support plate 102, and the plurality of support arms 12 are used to support the composite aircraft on the ground when landing. It can be understood that the support arms 12 are fixed to the bottom of the square plate as the main load-bearing structure, and the cushions 13 are cylindrical structures with holes opened at the middle end to connect with the support arms 12, which can be disassembled according to the use environment to reduce the weight of the aircraft and extend the flight time of the aircraft. Moreover, the cushions 13 can reduce the impact force of the aircraft on the ground when landing.

[0052] In a specific embodiment, the image transmission unit 5 includes a camera module 51 and an image transmission module 52. The camera module 51 is arranged on the outer surface of the upper support plate 101, and is used to collect real-time images on the side where the crawling power module 402 is located and form an environmental image; the image transmission module 52 is arranged between the upper support plate 101 and the lower support plate 102, and is used to obtain environmental images and transmit them to the auxiliary control unit 2.

[0053] In a specific embodiment, the auxiliary control unit 2 includes a remote control receiving module 21, an auxiliary sensor module 22 and a flight control assistant module 23 installed between the upper support plate 101 and the lower support plate 102, which facilitates the installation and protection of these modules. The remote control receiving module 21 is used to obtain the remote control signal sent by the remote control on the ground; the auxiliary sensor module 22 includes multiple sensors for sensing the attitude information of the composite aircraft, such as an acceleration sensor, a distance sensor, etc. The flight control assistant module 23 is used to parse the control mode and the corresponding control amount according to the remote control signal. The control modes here include bridging mode, climbing mode and eaves mode. Each control mode will be introduced below.

[0054] In the bridging mode, the flight control assistant module 23 can analyze the flight adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to adjust its flight attitude in the air based on the control quantity and attitude information corresponding to the bridging mode. The flight adjustment information is encoded into a PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit 3 through the flight control channel. The flight adjustment information is used to control the composite aircraft to perform attitude adjustment, smooth flight, or take-off and landing.

[0055] The climbing mode is the control mode that the composite aircraft switches to during stable flight. Therefore, before the bridge mode is switched to the climbing mode, the flight control assistant module 23 can analyze the wall adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to get close to the wall according to the control amount and attitude information corresponding to the bridge mode. The wall adjustment information is encoded into a PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit 3 through the flight control channel. The wall adjustment information is used to control the composite aircraft to get close to and hang down to the wall. In addition, after the bridge mode is switched to the climbing mode, the flight control assistant module can analyze the climbing adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to climb the wall according to the control amount and attitude information corresponding to the climbing mode. The climbing adjustment information is also modulated into a PWM signal and transmitted to the crawling power module 402 through the drive control channel. The climbing adjustment information is used to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the wall. The wall here is generally a vertical or nearly vertical building surface.

[0056] The eaves mode is a control mode that the composite aircraft switches to during stable flight. Before the bridge mode is switched to the eaves mode, the flight control assistant module 23 is also used to analyze the top adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to approach the top surface according to the control amount and attitude information corresponding to the bridge mode. The top adjustment information is encoded into a PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit 3 through the flight control channel. The top adjustment information is used to control the composite aircraft to approach and rise to the top surface. In addition, the flight control assistant module 23 is also used to analyze the eaves adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to approach the top eaves after the bridge mode is switched to the eaves mode according to the control amount and attitude information corresponding to the eaves mode. The eaves adjustment information is also modulated into a PWM signal and transmitted to the crawling power module 402 through the drive control channel. The eaves adjustment information is used to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the top surface. The top surface here is generally a horizontal or nearly horizontal building surface.

[0057] In a specific embodiment, the core control unit 3 includes a GPS module 32 and a flight control core module 31 installed between the upper support plate 101 and the lower support plate 102. The GPS module 32 is used to receive GPS signals and generate position data; the flight control core module 31 is used to obtain PPM signals from the flight control assistant module 23, analyze and process the position data obtained from the GPS module 32, and obtain flight control signals, which are transmitted to the flight power module 401.

[0058] In a specific embodiment, the flight control assistant module 23 can receive and process the SBUS signal (resolved remote control signal) sent by the remote control receiving module 21, and analyze and process the attitude information sent by the auxiliary sensor module 22; at the same time, the flight control assistant module 23 can analyze and solve the control signal required for the attitude adjustment of the composite aircraft through the SBUS signal and attitude information, and obtain the PPM signal after encoding the control signal, and the PPM signal is transmitted to the core control unit 3 through the flight control channel. The flight control assistant module 23 can also solve the SBUS signal to generate a PWM signal, and the PWM signal is transmitted to the power unit 4 through the drive control channel. The flight control assistant module 23 can also generate a control signal through the SBUS signal, transmit the control signal to the image transmission unit 5, and set and trigger the image transmission unit 5 to take pictures. In addition, the flight control assistant module 23 can switch the control mode by switching the flight / drive control channel connected to the remote control channel.

[0059] In a specific embodiment, the flight control core module 31 is connected to the flight control assistant module 23 and the GPS module 32, and can generate a flight control signal by combining the PPM signal with the GPS data. At the same time, the flight control core module 31 can also have some core sensors for sensing the attitude information of the aircraft.

[0060] In a specific embodiment, the power unit 4 includes a battery module 41, an ammeter module 42, a climbing power module 402 and a flight power module 401; wherein the climbing power module 402 includes a drive motor 43 and a drive wheel 44; and the flight power module 401 includes an electric adjustment module 45, a brushless motor 46 and a rotor 47. The battery module 41 is used as an energy supply component of the entire composite aircraft, and is used to provide the total current for the ammeter module 42. The ammeter module 42 is connected to the flight control core module 31, the drive motor 43, the electric adjustment module 45, and the battery module 41, and can distribute the total current and monitor the real-time working status of the composite aircraft in real time. The drive motor 43 is connected to the ammeter module 42 and the flight control assistant module 23, and receives the PWM signal transmitted by the flight control assistant module 23. The drive motor 56 can provide power for the drive wheel 44 under the action of the PWM signal; the drive wheel 44 is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 43, and is installed on the bearing body with the drive motor 43 to provide climbing power.

[0061] The electric adjustment module 45 is connected to the flight control core module 31, the ammeter module 42, and the brushless motor 46, and can adjust the power supplied to drive the brushless motor 46 under the action of the flight control signal; the brushless motor 46 is connected to the electric adjustment module 45, and is respectively installed above the middle of the "Y"-shaped structure on the carrier body 1, for providing power for the rotor 47; the rotor 47 is connected to the output shaft of the brushless motor 46, and is installed above the brushless motor 46 to provide flight power.

[0062] In a specific embodiment, the remote control receiving module 21, the auxiliary sensor module 22, the flight control assistant module 23, the flight control core module 31, the ammeter module 42, and the electric adjustment module 45 are packaged as the control hardware 6 of the composite aircraft, and the control hardware 6 of the composite aircraft is installed between the upper support plate 101 and the lower support plate 102; the battery module 41 is installed at the center position of the outer side surface of the lower support plate 102; and the GPS module 32 is installed on the outer side surface of the upper support plate 101.

[0063] In a specific embodiment, when the composite aircraft is set to the bridge mode, the cushion 13 at the end of the support arm 12 forms a four-point structure, which can support the composite aircraft to take off and land smoothly on the ground and fly smoothly in the air. When the composite aircraft is set to the climbing mode, under the thrust provided by the rotor 47 and the support of the drive wheel 44, the composite aircraft keeps the fuselage axis parallel to the wall when in contact with the wall, and the drive motor 43 drives the drive wheel 44 to rotate, providing power for the composite aircraft to crawl on the wall.

[0064] See also Figure 4 (a) The force analysis method of the composite aircraft when climbing a wall at a constant speed is as follows: Assume that the wall friction coefficient μ; the thrust F generated by the rotor 47 l The support force F of the aircraft body 11 perpendicular to the aircraft body and the wall z Two forces are balanced.

[0065] F l =F z (1)

[0066] The wall friction force f on the driving wheel 44 is:

[0067] f=μ·F z (2)

[0068] When the aircraft crawls on the wall at a constant speed, the friction force f on the wall and the gravity G on the aircraft are balanced, and we get:

[0069] G=f (3)

[0070] The rotor thrust required for equilibrium is obtained from formulas (1), (2) and (3):

[0071]

[0072] When the composite aircraft is set to the flying eaves mode, with the thrust provided by the rotor 47 and the support of the drive wheel 44, the drive motor 43 drives the drive wheel 44 to rotate, and the composite aircraft can crawl on the top of a tunnel, the bottom of a bridge, or the ceiling inside a building.

[0073] See also Figure 4(b) The force analysis method of the composite aircraft when climbing a wall at a constant speed is as follows:

[0074] F l =G+F z (5)

[0075] The driving wheel 44 can rely on the supporting force F z The friction provided drives the composite aircraft to crawl on the top of a tunnel, the bottom of a bridge, or the ceiling inside a building.

[0076] Embodiment 2

[0077] Based on the composite aircraft with climbing and eaves flying functions disclosed in the first embodiment, this embodiment further proposes a control method for the composite aircraft, which is described in detail below.

[0078] It should be noted that the structure and control mode of the composite aircraft involved can refer to the contents of Example 1. It can be seen that the composite aircraft mainly includes a carrier body 1, an auxiliary control unit 2, a core control unit 3, a power unit 4, and an image transmission unit 5. Therefore, the control method for the composite aircraft in this embodiment is mainly applied to the auxiliary control unit 2 and the core control unit 3.

[0079] In a specific embodiment, the control method can be described as:

[0080] (1) Obtain the remote control signal sent by the remote control, and parse the control mode and the corresponding control amount according to the remote control signal.

[0081] (2) Determine whether the control mode has changed. If not, continue to execute the original control mode. If it has changed, convert the remote control signal into a PWM signal output through the drive control channel and / or a PPM signal output through the flight control channel.

[0082] (3) The PPM signal is combined with the position data of the composite aircraft to generate a flight control signal, which is used to control the flight action of the composite aircraft; the PWM signal is used to control the crawling action of the composite aircraft.

[0083] (4) Acquire the environment image of the compound aircraft and transmit it back to the remote controller. The environment image is used to assist in controlling the flight and crawling actions of the compound aircraft.

[0084] In a specific embodiment, the control mode for the compound aircraft includes a bridging mode. In the bridging mode, the auxiliary control unit 2 analyzes the flight adjustment information required for the compound aircraft to adjust its flight attitude in the air based on the control quantity and attitude information corresponding to the bridging mode. The flight adjustment information is encoded into a PPM signal and transmitted through a flight control channel. The flight adjustment information is used to control the compound aircraft to perform attitude adjustment, smooth flight, or take-off and landing.

[0085] In a specific embodiment, the control mode for the composite aircraft includes a climbing mode. Before the bridge mode is switched to the climbing mode, the auxiliary control unit 2 analyzes the wall adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to get close to the wall according to the control amount and attitude information corresponding to the bridge mode. The wall adjustment information is encoded into a PPM signal and transmitted through the flight control channel, and is used to control the composite aircraft to get close to and hang down on the wall. After the bridge mode is switched to the climbing mode, the auxiliary control unit 2 analyzes the climbing adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to climb the wall according to the control amount and attitude information corresponding to the climbing mode. The climbing adjustment information is also modulated into a PWM signal and transmitted through the drive control channel, and is used to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the wall.

[0086] In a specific embodiment, the control mode for the aircraft includes an overhanging eaves mode. Before the bridge mode is switched to the overhanging eaves mode, the auxiliary control unit 2 analyzes the top adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to approach the top surface based on the control amount and attitude information corresponding to the bridge mode. The top adjustment information is encoded into a PPM signal and transmitted through the flight control channel to control the composite aircraft to approach and rise to the top surface. After the bridge mode is switched to the overhanging eaves mode, the auxiliary control unit 2 analyzes the overhanging eaves adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to approach the top eaves based on the control amount and attitude information corresponding to the overhanging eaves mode. The overhanging eaves adjustment information is also modulated into a PWM signal and transmitted through the drive control channel to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the top surface.

[0087] In a specific embodiment, the control method of the aircraft can be understood as follows: the auxiliary control unit 2 obtains the remote control signal sent by the remote control and parses the control mode; the auxiliary control unit 2 determines whether the control mode has changed. If it has not changed, it continues to execute the original control mode. If it has changed, it generates a corresponding control signal. In the case where the control mode has changed, the auxiliary control unit 2 obtains the attitude information of the aircraft, and calculates the expected control value of the flight control channel corresponding to the control mode based on the attitude information. The auxiliary control unit 2 outputs the expected control value to the core control unit 3, and the core control unit 3 generates a flight control signal after receiving the PWM value; the power unit 4 adjusts the rotation speed of the compound aircraft rotor 47 according to the flight control signal to adjust the attitude / position of the compound aircraft. Subsequently, the auxiliary control unit 2 switches the control mode of the compound aircraft to the creeping mode or the eaves mode.

[0088] In a specific embodiment, the flight control assistant module 23 can obtain the attitude information of the aircraft from the auxiliary sensor module 22 and obtain the remote control signal from the remote control receiving module 21; the flight control assistant module 23 can parse the control mode of the composite aircraft according to the remote control signal; the flight control assistant module 23 can calculate the expected control value of the flight control channel of the composite aircraft under the control mode through the attitude information and the control mode; the flight control assistant module 23 encodes the control value to obtain a PPM signal, and transmits the PPM signal to the core control unit 3 through the flight control channel, so that the core control unit 3 generates a flight control signal; the flight control assistant module 23 can generate a PWM signal by calculating the remote control signal, and transmit the PWM signal to the climbing power module 402 through the drive control channel, so as to provide climbing power for the composite aircraft.

[0089] In a specific embodiment, the flight control assistant module 23 can establish communication with the remote controller through the remote controller receiving module 21, and determine whether the control mode of the composite aircraft has changed by determining the pulse width of the PWM signal of the control mode channel; if it has not changed, the original control mode will continue to be executed; if it has changed, the PWM control value expected by the flight control channel under the current control mode will be calculated in combination with the control mode, and the control value will be transmitted to the core control unit 3 through the flight control channel to generate a flight control signal, and the flight control signal adjusts the attitude / position of the composite aircraft by adjusting the rotation speed of the rotor 47, and then switches the control mode. If the control mode is the bridge mode, the channel connected to the remote control channel is switched to the flight control channel; if the control mode is the climbing mode / eaves mode, the channel connected to the remote control channel is switched to the drive control channel; it is convenient to control the composite aircraft of the quadcopter in the corresponding control mode through the remote controller.

[0090] In a specific embodiment, see Figure 5 , illustrating the mode transition process of the composite aircraft.

[0091] The process of the composite aircraft switching from bridge mode to climb mode is shown in Figure 5 (a), the composite aircraft in the hovering state undergoes the process of forward acceleration, leveling and downward drooping of the fuselage through remote control in the bridge mode, and adjusts the rotation speed of the rotor 47 by controlling the flight power module, so that the rotation speed of the two rear rotors of the composite aircraft is higher than the rotation speed of the two front rotors, ensuring that the fuselage axis is parallel to the wall when the composite aircraft contacts the wall; after the remote control is switched to the climbing mode. The driving wheel 44 above the composite aircraft body 1 contacts the wall, and then the auxiliary control unit 2 switches the control mode, connects the remote control channel to the drive control channel, and can control the climbing power module 402 through the remote control to provide power for the composite aircraft to crawl on the wall.

[0092] The process of the composite aircraft changing from bridge mode to cornice mode is shown in Figure 5 (b) In the bridge mode, the composite aircraft is controlled by the remote control to hover at the top of the target tunnel, the bottom of the bridge, or under the ceiling of the building; after the remote control is switched to the eaves mode, the core control unit 3 receives the signal and increases the speed of the rotor 47 by increasing the speed of the brushless motor 46, so that the composite aircraft rises to contact the target, and maintains horizontality with the support of the drive wheel 44, relying on the thrust provided by the rotor 47 to closely adhere to the target; then the auxiliary control unit 2 switches the control mode, connects the remote control channel to the drive control channel, and can control the crawling power module through the remote control to provide power for the composite aircraft to crawl on the top of the tunnel, the bottom of the bridge, or the ceiling of the building.

[0093] Accordingly, the overall process of the composite aircraft control method is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, it includes steps 701 to 710.

[0094] Step 701, the device is powered on and the program starts running.

[0095] Step 702, equipment initialization to ensure that all parts of the quadrotor composite aircraft function normally.

[0096] Step 703: signal reception, the auxiliary control unit 2 receives the remote control signal.

[0097] Step 704, remote control signal judgment, judge the signal pulse width in the control mode channel of the remote control signal. If the pulse width is within the first threshold range, enter step 705 of the bridge mode; if the pulse width is within the second threshold range, enter step 706 of the climbing mode; if the pulse width is within the third threshold range, enter step 707 of the eaves flying mode.

[0098] Step 708 , determining whether the control mode has changed. If so (Y), executing step 709 ; if not (N), returning to step 703 .

[0099] Step 709, attitude / position adjustment of the compound aircraft, the auxiliary control unit 2 obtains the attitude information of the aircraft, calculates the desired control value of the flight control channel in combination with the transferred control mode and attitude information, and outputs the desired control value to the core control unit 3, so that the core control unit 3 generates a flight control signal and outputs it to the power unit 4. The power unit 4 adjusts the rotation speed of the rotor 47 according to the flight control signal to adjust the attitude / position of the compound aircraft.

[0100] Step 710, switch the control channel. The auxiliary control unit 2 switches the channel connected to the remote control channel according to the control mode entered. If it enters the bridge mode, it switches to the drive control channel; if it enters the climbing / eaves flying mode, it switches to the flight control channel, so that the compound aircraft can be controlled by the remote controller in the corresponding control mode.

[0101] Finally, return to step 703 signal reception and repeat the above steps.

[0102] The above contents are further detailed descriptions of the present application in combination with specific implementation methods, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present application is limited to these descriptions. For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present application belongs, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the inventive concept of the present application.

Claims

1. A composite aircraft with climbing and eaves flying capabilities, characterized in that: include: an auxiliary control unit, configured to receive a remote control signal sent by a remote controller, and convert the remote control signal into a PWM signal output through a drive control channel and / or a PPM signal output through a flight control channel; A core control unit is signal-connected to the auxiliary control unit and is used to receive the PPM signal generated by the auxiliary control unit; the core control unit is also used to obtain position data, and combine the position data with the PPM signal to obtain a flight control signal; A power unit, connected to the auxiliary control unit and the core control unit by signal, the power unit comprising a crawling power module and a flight power module, the crawling power module is used to perform a crawling action under the control of the PWM signal, and the flight power module is used to perform a flight action under the control of the flight control signal; An image transmission unit, connected to the auxiliary control unit by signal, for acquiring an environmental image and transmitting it to the auxiliary control unit, wherein the environmental image is remotely transmitted back to the remote controller by the auxiliary control unit; The bearing body is used to install the functional units of the composite aircraft, and the functional units of the composite aircraft include the auxiliary control unit, the core control unit, the power unit and the image transmission unit.

2. The composite aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting body includes an upper support plate and a lower support plate that are detachably connected, and four air ducts arranged in a field shape are correspondingly provided on the upper support plate and the lower support plate; the flight power module includes four brushless motors, each of which has a rotor and is respectively fixed in the four air ducts; the crawling power module includes four drive motors, each of which has a drive wheel and is respectively fixed on the outer surface of the upper support plate through corresponding brackets.

3. The composite aircraft according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flight power module also includes four electric adjustment modules, which are electrically connected to the four brushless motors respectively; the power unit also includes a battery module and an ammeter module, the battery module is detachably connected to the lower surface of the lower support plate, and the ammeter module is used to obtain electrical energy from the battery module and distribute it to the four electric adjustment modules and the four drive motors; A plurality of support arms with buffer pads are fixed on the lower surface of the lower support plate, and the plurality of support arms are used to support the composite aircraft on the ground when the composite aircraft lands.

4. The composite aircraft according to claim 2, characterized in that: The image transmission unit includes a camera module and an image transmission module. The camera module is arranged on the outer surface of the upper support plate, and is used to collect real-time images on the side where the crawling power module is located and form the environmental image; the image transmission module is arranged between the upper support plate and the lower support plate, and is used to obtain the environmental image and transmit it to the auxiliary control unit.

5. The composite aircraft according to claim 2, characterized in that: The auxiliary control unit includes a remote control receiving module, an auxiliary sensor module, and a flight control assistant module installed between the upper support plate and the lower support plate; The remote control receiving module is used to obtain the remote control signal sent by the remote control; The auxiliary sensor module includes a plurality of sensors for sensing attitude information of the composite aircraft; The flight control assistant module is used to parse the control mode and the corresponding control amount according to the remote control signal, and the control mode includes a bridge mode, a climbing mode and a cornice mode; The flight control assistant module is used to analyze the flight adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to adjust its flight attitude in the air according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information in the docking mode. The flight adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit through the flight control channel to control the composite aircraft to perform attitude adjustment, stable flight, or take-off and landing; The flight control assistant module is also used to analyze the wall adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to get close to the wall according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information before the bridge mode is transferred to the climbing mode. The wall adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit through the flight control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to get close to and hang down to the wall. The flight control assistant module is also used to analyze the climbing adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to climb the wall according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information after the bridge mode is transferred to the climbing mode. The climbing adjustment information is also modulated into the PWM signal and transmitted to the crawling power module through the drive control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the wall. The flight control assistant module is also used to analyze the top adjustment information required for the compound aircraft to approach the top surface according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information before the bridge mode is transferred to the eaves mode, and the top adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted to the core control unit through the flight control channel, so as to control the compound aircraft to approach and rise to attach to the top surface; the flight control assistant module is also used to analyze the eaves adjustment information required for the compound aircraft to adhere to the top eaves according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information after the bridge mode is transferred to the eaves mode, and the eaves adjustment information is also modulated into the PWM signal and transmitted to the crawling power module through the drive control channel, so as to control the compound aircraft to crawl along the top surface.

6. The composite aircraft according to claim 5, characterized in that: The core control unit includes a GPS module and a flight control core module installed between the upper support plate and the lower support plate; The GPS module is used to receive GPS signals and generate location data; The flight control core module is used to obtain the PPM signal from the flight control assistant module, and analyze and process it in combination with the position data obtained from the GPS module to obtain the flight control signal.

7. A control method for a composite aircraft, characterized in that: Applied to the composite aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the control method comprises: Acquire a remote control signal sent by a remote controller, and parse the control mode and the corresponding control amount according to the remote control signal; Determine whether the control mode has changed, if not, continue to execute the original control mode, if it has changed, convert the remote control signal into a PWM signal output through a drive control channel and / or a PPM signal output through a flight control channel; Combining the PPM signal with the position data of the composite aircraft to generate a flight control signal, wherein the flight control signal is used to control the flight action of the composite aircraft; the PWM signal is used to control the crawling action of the composite aircraft; The environment image of the compound aircraft is acquired and transmitted back to the remote controller, and the environment image is used to assist in controlling the flight action and crawling action of the compound aircraft.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control mode includes a bridging mode, in which the flight adjustment information required for the compound aircraft to adjust its flight attitude in the air is analyzed according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information, the flight adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted through a flight control channel, and the flight adjustment information is used to control the compound aircraft to perform attitude adjustment, smooth flight, or take-off and landing.

9. The control mode according to claim 8, characterized in that: The control mode includes a climbing mode; Before the bridge mode is switched to the climbing mode, the wall adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to approach the wall is analyzed according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information, and the wall adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted through the flight control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to approach and hang low to the wall; After the bridging mode is switched to the climbing mode, the climbing adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to climb along the wall is analyzed according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information. The climbing adjustment information is also modulated into the PWM signal and transmitted through the drive control channel to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the wall.

10. The control mode according to claim 8, characterized in that: The control mode includes a cornice mode; Before the bridge mode is switched to the eaves mode, top adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to approach the top surface is analyzed according to the corresponding control amount and the attitude information, and the top adjustment information is encoded into the PPM signal and transmitted through the flight control channel, so as to control the composite aircraft to approach and rise to the top surface; After the bridge mode is switched to the eaves mode, the eaves adjustment information required for the composite aircraft to stick to the top eaves is analyzed according to the corresponding control quantity and the attitude information. The eaves adjustment information is also modulated into the PWM signal and transmitted through the drive control channel to control the composite aircraft to crawl along the top surface.

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