Structural facade detection device and method based on unmanned aerial vehicle side-hung ground penetrating radar

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of radar measurement, and discloses a structure facade detection device and method based on an unmanned aerial vehicle side-hung ground penetrating radar, and the device comprises a hexahedron structure support, a four-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, and a ground penetrating radar. The ground penetrating radar is fixed to the center of the left side face of the hexahedral structure support. The four-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle is wrapped by the hexahedral structure support, the parallel supporting rods of the hexahedral structure support are connected with the carbon fiber rods from the middle, and the carbon fiber rods are used for being connected with a vehicle body of the unmanned aerial vehicle so as to fix the hexahedral structure support. The device and the method can effectively solve the problem that an existing ground penetrating radar technology cannot directly detect a high-altitude outer wall and a pier facade, solve the problems of risk and efficiency of manual high-altitude operation, can reduce the operation difficulty of an unmanned aerial vehicle flying hand, and improve the working efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle flying hand. The unmanned aerial vehicle mounted ground penetrating radar can perform rapid and effective detection on a vertical surface along a measuring line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of radar measurement, and in particular to a structural facade detection device and method based on a ground-penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Background Art

[0002] The detection of the structural facade has important application significance in many engineering detection scenarios. For example, the structural detection of high-rise building walls (such as hollowing, defects inside the wall, etc.) and the integrity assessment of bridge piers (such as bridge pier diseases, steel bar corrosion, etc.). These tasks are crucial for the safety assessment and potential hazard investigation of building structures. However, the traditional manual operation method has many limitations, especially for those scenarios of high-rise structures such as bridge piers and high-rise buildings that are difficult for humans to approach. The operation is difficult, the efficiency is low, and the safety cannot be guaranteed.

[0003] To solve these problems, in recent years, a scheme of mounting a detection device (such as a ground-penetrating radar) on a wall-climbing robot has been proposed, and non-destructive detection is carried out by the wall-climbing robot climbing on the wall or other facade structures. Although this technology has improved the facade detection ability to a certain extent, there are still some problems. For example, wall-climbing robots usually require complex attachment devices and are easily affected by wall roughness, adhesion limitation, and power supply; in addition, their moving speed is slow, and it is difficult to achieve efficient measurement in a large-scale facade structure; moreover, the wall-climbing robot needs to be manually placed at the bottom of the building before starting the operation, and it is difficult to measure in scenarios such as water-crossing bridges and mountain bridges.

[0004] In contrast, the UAV-borne ground-penetrating radar has become a potential solution due to its flexibility and environmental adaptability. However, the existing UAV-borne ground-penetrating radar devices are mainly used for underground detection. Usually, the ground-penetrating radar equipment is suspended directly below the UAV, and rapid detection or inspection is achieved by flying at low altitude. This design performs excellently in ground or underground detection, but it is difficult to meet the requirements of facade detection. Although there are designs with adjustable postures (such as CN118610763A), its detection direction is still mainly downward, and it cannot effectively detect structures such as building walls and bridge pier facades. The main reason is the limitation of the fixed position of the ground-penetrating radar antenna. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to propose a structural facade detection device and method based on a ground-penetrating radar mounted on the side of a UAV to solve the technical problem that the existing UAV-borne ground-penetrating radar cannot effectively detect structures such as building walls and bridge pier facades.

[0006] Specifically, a structural facade detection device based on a ground-penetrating radar mounted on the side of a UAV provided by the present invention includes:

[0007] A hexahedron structure bracket, a quadrotor UAV, and a ground-penetrating radar;

[0008] The ground penetrating radar is fixed at the central position of the left side of the hexahedron structure bracket;

[0009] The hexahedron structure bracket wraps the quadcopter drone. Its parallel struts connect a carbon fiber rod in the middle, and the carbon fiber rod is used to connect with the airframe of the drone to fix the hexahedron structure bracket.

[0010] Further, the left side of the hexahedron structure bracket is longer than the right side.

[0011] Further, the hexahedron structure bracket is made of carbon fiber material.

[0012] Further, it further includes rollers. The rollers are perpendicular to the left side of the hexahedron structure bracket and are connected to the hexahedron structure bracket through compression springs.

[0013] Further, it further includes: a drone battery, which is installed on the right side of the hexahedron structure bracket and is used to supply power to the quadcopter drone.

[0014] Further, it further includes an air propulsion device, which is installed on both sides of the drone battery.

[0015] Further, it further includes a ground control station, which is connected to the ground penetrating radar, the quadcopter drone and the air propulsion device through a wireless network.

[0016] A structural facade detection method based on a drone-mounted side-hanging ground penetrating radar, which is applied to a structural facade detection device based on a drone-mounted side-hanging ground penetrating radar, includes the following steps:

[0017] S1. Control the quadcopter drone to take off through the ground control station until it rises to the required starting height of the measurement line;

[0018] S2. Control the quadcopter drone to slowly approach the detection facade. After the device is close to the detection facade, start the air propulsion device to squeeze the compression spring so that the ground penetrating radar is close to the detection facade;

[0019] S3. Start the ground penetrating radar to start data collection, and slowly raise the drone along the predetermined detection line;

[0020] S4. Control the quadcopter drone to complete the measurement flight along the measurement line, turn off the air propulsion device and the negative pressure adsorption device, and control the quadcopter drone to slowly move away from the wall and then land smoothly at a predetermined safe location.

[0021] The beneficial effects provided by the present invention are as follows: The device and detection method of the present invention can effectively solve the problem that the existing ground penetrating radar technology cannot directly detect high-altitude outer walls and pier facades, solve the risks and efficiency problems of manual high-altitude operations. At the same time, the designed device and method can reduce the operation difficulty for UAV pilots and achieve rapid and effective detection of the ground penetrating radar mounted on the UAV along the measuring line on the facade. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is the overall structural model diagram of the device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 are the three-view drawings of the device structure of the present invention, where (a) is the front view, (b) is the left view, and (c) is the top view;

[0024] Figure 3 is the schematic flow diagram of the method of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is the schematic diagram of pier facade detection of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 1 Among them:

[0027] 10, quadrotor UAV; 11, hexahedron structure bracket; 12, ground penetrating radar; 13, UAV battery; 14, air propulsion device; 15, roller; 16, compression spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Before formally elaborating on the present invention, first, a general description of the solution of the present invention is given for easy understanding.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 2 , a structure facade detection device based on a UAV side-mounted ground penetrating radar provided by the present invention includes:

[0031] Hexahedron structure bracket 11, quadrotor UAV 10, ground penetrating radar 12;

[0032] The ground penetrating radar 12 is fixed at the central position on the left side of the hexahedron structure bracket 11;

[0033] It should be noted that the ground penetrating radar 12 is remotely started through the local area network of the ground workstation when approaching the wall. The detection frequency range of the ground penetrating radar is generally selected as a device with a main frequency greater than 900 MHz and less than 2 GHz according to the facade detection task.

[0034] The hexahedron structure bracket 11 wraps around the quadcopter drone 10. Its parallel struts connect to a carbon fiber rod in the middle, and the carbon fiber rod is used to connect to the airframe of the drone to fix the hexahedron structure bracket 11.

[0035] It should be noted that the left side of the hexahedron structure bracket 11 is longer than the right side. The purpose of this asymmetric design is to make the frame structure more stable when the long side moves forward against the wall.

[0036] It should be noted that the hexahedron structure bracket 11 is made of carbon fiber material, which reduces the load of the drone while ensuring the rigid strength of the device.

[0037] It should be noted that it also includes rollers 15. The rollers 15 are perpendicular to the left side of the hexahedron structure bracket 11 and are connected to the hexahedron structure bracket 11 through compression springs 16. There is a certain gap between the rollers 15 and the surface of the ground penetrating radar 12 device, so that when the drone mounts the ground penetrating radar and measures along the wall, the rollers 15 roll while the ground penetrating radar 12 does not rub against the wall.

[0038] The main function of the compression spring 16 is that when the drone touches the wall surface, it will not affect the stability of the drone due to instantaneous force. At the same time, when approaching the detection vertical surface, the left bracket is squeezed and compressed, so that the ground penetrating radar 15 is closely attached to the detection vertical surface for accurate detection.

[0039] It should be noted that it also includes: a drone battery 13. The drone battery 13 is installed on the right side of the hexahedron structure bracket 11 and is used to supply power to the quadcopter drone 10.

[0040] It should be noted that it also includes an air propulsion device 14. The air propulsion device 14 is installed on both sides of the drone battery 13.

[0041] The drone battery 13 is relocated to the right side of the frame after modification to supply power to the drone and the ground penetrating radar 12. At the same time, another purpose of moving the battery to the right side is to maintain the balance of the overall framework. In addition, two air propulsion devices 14 are separately installed on both sides of the battery on this side. The function of the air propulsion device 14 is to generate a thrust to the left to make the ground penetrating radar and the entire device stably attached to the detection vertical surface. The rotation speed of the air propulsion device is adjusted in real time through the ground control station.

[0042] It should be noted that it also includes a ground control station. The ground control station is connected to the ground penetrating radar, the quadcopter drone, and the air propulsion device through a wireless network.

[0043] Generally speaking, the hexahedron structure bracket 11 in the present invention is made of high-strength carbon fiber material. The carbon fiber material is lightweight and strong, which can reduce the load of the drone while ensuring the strength of the device. The hexahedron structure bracket 11 is in the shape of a trapezoidal asymmetric hexahedron. The left side for mounting the ground penetrating radar 12 is higher than the right side for mounting the drone battery 13 and the air propulsion device 14. This design can reduce the problem of overturning caused by uneven overall force.

[0044] The hexahedron structure bracket 11 is adapted to the sizes of mainstream four-rotor drones on the market. At the same time, the middle parts of the four horizontal support rods are designed to be telescopic, and the length can be adjusted in real time to ensure that the drone body and rotors of different scales are completely wrapped in the bracket. Carbon fiber rods are connected from the middle of the horizontal support rods and connected to the body of the four-rotor drone 10 to fix the entire bracket.

[0045] Four rollers 15 perpendicular to this side are installed on the left side of the device. At the same time, the rollers 15 are connected to the hexahedron structure bracket 11 through compression springs 16 and are installed at the four corners of this side to ensure a buffering effect when contacting the wall surface. The ground penetrating radar 12 is fixed at the middle position of this side and is installed and fixed through carbon fiber rods. The ground penetrating radar 12 is remotely started through the local area network of the ground workstation when approaching the wall surface, collects the internal structure data of the wall, and transmits it to the ground control station in real time through the local area network.

[0046] For the detection frequency range of the ground penetrating radar 12, generally, a device with a main frequency greater than 900 MHz and less than 2 GHz is selected according to the elevation detection task to ensure the detection accuracy required by the ground penetrating radar.

[0047] The drone battery 13 and the air propulsion device 14 are moved to the right side of the hexahedron structure bracket 11 and are installed at the middle position of this side through carbon fiber rods. The air propulsion device 14 is installed on both sides of the drone battery 13. The weights of the drone battery 13 and the air propulsion device 14 are equivalent to the weight of the ground penetrating radar to ensure the balanced and stable flight of the drone.

[0048] When the drone approaches the detection elevation, the air propulsion device 14 is started, and the generated thrust makes the ground penetrating radar stably fit on the detection elevation. The rotation speed of the air propulsion device 14 can be adjusted in real time according to the ground control station to ensure the flight stability of the drone when approaching the wall surface.

[0049] When the drone flies upward, since four rollers 15 are installed on the left side of the device, it can still roll up and down along the survey line while the air propulsion device is started to perform the elevation detection.

[0050] One end of the compression spring 16 is connected to the roller 15, and the other end is connected to the hexahedron structure bracket 11.

[0051] The function of the compression spring 16 is as follows: on the one hand, it ensures that the whole device produces buffering when touching the wall surface, maintaining the stability of the drone; on the other hand, it can ensure that the surface of the ground penetrating radar 12 is closely attached to the vertical surface when the drone ascends for measurement. Specifically, before the air propulsion device 14 is started, the length of the roller 15 extending outwards is slightly greater than the length of the ground penetrating radar 12 extending outwards. After the air propulsion device is started, the device moves forward towards the detection vertical surface, causing the compression spring 16 to contract, and at the same time driving the roller 15 to retract backwards, ensuring that the ground penetrating radar can be closely attached to the detection vertical surface. The elastic coefficient of the compression spring 16 is moderate to ensure the rigidity of the overall device.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 3 - Figure 4 , a method for detecting the structural elevation based on a ground penetrating radar side-mounted on a drone, which is applied to a device for detecting the structural elevation based on a ground penetrating radar side-mounted on a drone, and includes the following steps:

[0053] S1. Control the quadcopter drone to take off through the ground control station until it ascends to the required starting height of the measurement line.

[0054] S2. Control the quadcopter drone to slowly approach the detection vertical surface. After the device is close to the detection vertical surface, start the air propulsion device to squeeze the compression spring to make the ground penetrating radar closely attached to the detection vertical surface.

[0055] S3. Start the ground penetrating radar to start data collection, and slowly ascend the drone along the predetermined detection line.

[0056] S4. Control the quadcopter drone to complete the measurement flight along the measurement line, turn off the air propulsion device and the negative pressure adsorption device, and control the quadcopter drone to slowly move away from the wall surface and then land steadily at a predetermined safe location.

[0057] As an embodiment, after the device is assembled as described above, during on-site measurement, first, the overall state of the drone should be checked to ensure normal communication between the drone and the ground checkpoint and sufficient battery power of the drone. Second, check the integrity of the entire device structure to ensure that the ground penetrating radar, the drone battery, and the air propulsion device are all firmly installed on the bracket. Finally, enable the ground penetrating radar 12, the air propulsion device 14, and the drone to achieve wireless connection with the ground workstation through a local area network.

[0058] After that, control the drone to take off through the ground control station and gradually ascend to the starting height of the measurement line of the required measurement vertical surface.

[0059] After that, control the drone to slowly approach the detection vertical surface. After the device is close to the detection vertical surface, start the air propulsion device 14 to squeeze the compression spring 16 to make the ground penetrating radar closely attached to the detection vertical surface.

[0060] After that, start the ground penetrating radar 12 and begin data acquisition. Slowly raise the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) along the predetermined detection line. Monitor the data transmission of the ground penetrating radar 12 in real time through the ground control station to ensure the integrity and accuracy of data acquisition.

[0061] After that, control the UAV to complete the measurement flight along the survey line, turn off the air propulsion device and the negative pressure adsorption device, and control the UAV to slowly move away from the wall surface. After confirming the safety of the surrounding environment, control the UAV to land smoothly at the predetermined safe location.

[0062] Using the device and detection method of the present invention can achieve fast and effective facade detection, including but not limited to the detection of bridge pier surfaces, high-rise building surfaces, etc.

[0063] Use a side-mounted ground penetrating radar on the UAV to detect the facade of the concrete structure, replacing the high-altitude operation of personnel;

[0064] The invented side-mounted detection device can perform rapid detection while maintaining the stable and balanced movement of the UAV, reducing the operation difficulty of the drone operator and completing precise and safe measurements.

[0065] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: It can effectively solve the problem that the existing ground penetrating radar technology cannot directly detect high-altitude exterior walls and bridge pier facades, solve the risks and efficiency problems of manual high-altitude operations. At the same time, the designed device and method can reduce the operation difficulty for UAV operators and achieve rapid and effective detection of the UAV-mounted ground penetrating radar along the survey line on the facade.

[0066] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A structural facade detection device based on a ground-penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that: include: Hexahedral structural bracket, quad-rotor drone, ground penetrating radar; The ground penetrating radar is fixed at the center of the left side of the hexahedral structural support; The hexahedral structural support wraps around the quad-rotor drone, and its parallel support rods are connected to carbon fiber rods in the middle. The carbon fiber rods are used to connect to the body of the drone to fix the hexahedral structural support.

2. The structure elevation detection device based on the ground penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left side of the hexahedral structure bracket is longer than the right side.

3. The structure elevation detection device based on the ground penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The hexahedral structural support is made of carbon fiber material.

4. The structural elevation detection device based on the ground penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a roller, which is perpendicular to the left side of the hexahedral structure support and is connected to the hexahedral structure support through a compression spring.

5. The structure elevation detection device based on the ground penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: The drone battery is installed on the right side of the hexahedral structure bracket and is used to power the quad-rotor drone.

6. The structure elevation detection device based on the ground penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes an air propulsion device, which is installed on both sides of the drone battery.

7. The structure elevation detection device based on the ground penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a ground control station, which is connected to the ground-penetrating radar, the four-rotor drone and the air propulsion device through a wireless network.

8. A method for detecting structural elevations based on a ground-penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle, applied to a device for detecting structural elevations based on a ground-penetrating radar mounted on the side of an unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Control the quad-rotor drone to take off through the ground control station until it rises to the required starting height of the survey line; S2, control the quad-rotor drone to slowly approach the detection facade. After the device is close to the detection facade, start the air propulsion device to squeeze the compression spring to make the ground penetrating radar close to the detection facade; S3, start the ground penetrating radar, start data collection, and slowly raise the drone along the predetermined detection route; S4. Control the quadrotor drone to complete the measurement flight along the measurement line, turn off the air propulsion device and the negative pressure adsorption device, control the quadrotor drone to slowly move away from the wall and then land steadily at a predetermined safe location.

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