An unmanned ship for underwater diving operations

Abstract

The application provides an unmanned ship for underwater diving operation, and relates to the technical field of unmanned ships, which comprises an unmanned ship body, a surveying and mapping module installed at the bottom of the unmanned ship body, and a warning assembly arranged at the top of the unmanned ship body and comprising a first camera, a sound wave fish repeller and a plurality of groups of scanning radars, wherein the first camera is movably installed at the middle of the top end of the unmanned ship body. The warning assembly is arranged to effectively enhance the safety of the unmanned ship when performing surveying and mapping work at the bottom of water. In addition, the sampling assembly is arranged to enable the unmanned ship to clamp and sample sample ores while performing surveying and mapping, thereby enhancing the function of underwater application of the unmanned ship. Furthermore, the adjusting assembly is arranged to enable the position and angle of the hydraulic clamping claw to be flexibly adjusted, so that the unmanned ship can adapt to some complex terrains to perform surveying and mapping and sampling work, thereby effectively enhancing the convenience and universality of application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned vessel technology, specifically to an unmanned vessel for underwater diving operations. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for underwater diving operations are a new type of vessel that combines a high-speed surface boat with an underwater submersible. They can perform a variety of underwater operations and can carry equipment such as sounding rockets, multibeam sonar, underwater cameras, and water quality analyzers. They are used in various scenarios such as meteorological observation, underwater topographic mapping, underwater photography, underwater water sampling, and underwater cable and pipeline inspection. They also play an important role in marine scientific research, underwater engineering inspection, and resource exploration.

[0003] When underwater unmanned vessels are mapping the underwater topography, they often need to sample the minerals on the seabed. However, when encountering complex terrain, traditional unmanned vessels are not convenient for picking up and sampling minerals in special terrain.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, we propose an unmanned surface vessel (USV) for underwater diving operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems in the background art, this invention provides an unmanned surface vessel (USV) for underwater diving operations. Its main technologies include: an early warning component to effectively enhance the safety of underwater mapping operations; a sampling component to allow simultaneous mapping and sampling of mineral samples, thus enhancing the USV's underwater functionality; and an adjustment component to flexibly adjust the orientation and angle of the hydraulic grippers, enabling the USV to adapt to complex terrain for mapping and sampling, thereby significantly improving its convenience and versatility.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] An unmanned surface vessel (USV) for underwater diving operations includes an unmanned hull, a mapping module mounted on the bottom of the USV, and an early warning component. The early warning component is located on the top of the USV and includes a first camera, an acoustic fish deterrent, and multiple sets of scanning radars. The first camera is movably mounted at the center of the top of the USV, and the multiple sets of scanning radars are installed around the perimeter of the USV. A storage compartment is located at the bottom of the USV, and a sampling component is located in the center of the inner side of the storage compartment. The sampling component includes a hydraulic gripper, and an adjustment component is located on the top of the hydraulic gripper for adjusting the hydraulic gripper. The angle is adjustable, and the adjustment component includes a support column, the bottom of which is movably connected to a first hydraulic telescopic rod, the hydraulic clamping claw is installed at the bottom of the first hydraulic telescopic rod, and a second hydraulic telescopic rod is provided between the support column and the first hydraulic telescopic rod; an auxiliary monitoring component is provided, which is located on one side of the bottom of the unmanned vessel, and includes a second camera, which is located at the inner left end of the storage compartment, and a hydraulic rod is provided at the top of the second camera, which is fixedly installed at the inner left end of the unmanned vessel, and the hydraulic rod drives the second camera to move up and down.

[0008] Preferably, the adjustment component further includes a drive module, which includes a rotating drum. A support shaft is movably connected to the inner center of the rotating drum. The support shaft is fixedly installed on the inner right end of the storage compartment. Rotating gears are fixedly installed at the center of both ends of the rotating drum. Drive gears are driven to the right ends of both sets of rotating gears. The two sets of drive gears are coaxially connected through a connecting shaft. A third motor is connected to one end of the connecting shaft.

[0009] Preferably, a support base is fixedly installed in the middle of the outer wall of the rotating drum, and a second motor is provided in the middle of the inner side of the support base. The output end of the second motor is connected to a rotating body, and the rotating body is movably installed in the middle of the bottom end of the support base. The top of the support column is fixedly connected to the rotating body.

[0010] Preferably, a fixed base is provided on the top of the unmanned hull, the first camera is movably mounted on the top of the fixed base via a rotating shaft, and a first motor is installed in the middle of the inner side of the fixed base, the output end of the first motor is connected to the rotating shaft for transmission.

[0011] Preferably, the acoustic fish repellent is installed at the middle of the side end of the fixed base.

[0012] Preferably, a first fixing claw and a second fixing claw are respectively installed on the inner top of the storage compartment. The first fixing claw is used to clamp and fix the support column, and the second fixing claw is used to clamp and fix the first hydraulic telescopic rod.

[0013] Preferably, the base of the second hydraulic telescopic rod is movably connected to the outer wall of the support column via a rotating component, and the output end of the second hydraulic telescopic rod is movably connected to the outer wall of the first hydraulic telescopic rod via a rotating component.

[0014] Preferably, both ends of the rotating drum are movably connected to the inner wall of the storage compartment, and a waterproof seal is provided at the connection point.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] In this invention, by installing an early warning component on the top of the unmanned vessel, the surrounding area of ​​the unmanned vessel can be detected in all directions. Once a large creature is detected approaching, the first motor is immediately activated to drive the first camera to rotate, so that the first camera can rotate to the direction of the detected large creature to monitor and identify it. When it is determined that the creature is large and dangerous, the sonic fish repeller is immediately activated to drive it away. Conversely, when it is determined that there is no danger, the sonic fish repeller does not need to be activated. The setting of the early warning component can enhance the safety of the unmanned vessel in water and effectively prevent large creatures from approaching and damaging the unmanned vessel.

[0017] In addition, by setting up a sampling component, the unmanned vessel can clamp and sample minerals while conducting surveying, thereby enhancing the underwater application capabilities of the unmanned vessel. Furthermore, the adjustment component allows operators to flexibly adjust the orientation and angle of the hydraulic clamping claws remotely, enabling the unmanned vessel of this invention to adapt to some complex terrains for surveying and sampling work, thereby effectively enhancing the convenience and versatility of its application.

[0018] In this invention, the auxiliary monitoring component allows staff to observe the position of the hydraulic gripper in real time from the side, thus providing accurate observation for staff to remotely adjust the position of the hydraulic gripper and further improving the convenience of the hydraulic gripper for grasping and sampling seabed ore. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sampling component in its unfolded form in this invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the sampling component in this invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the drive module in this invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the early warning component in this invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Unmanned hull; 2. Mapping module; 3. Mounting base; 4. First camera; 5. Rotating shaft; 6. First motor; 7. Sonic fish repeller; 8. Scanning radar; 9. Storage compartment; 10. Second camera; 11. Hydraulic rod; 12. Support column; 13. First hydraulic telescopic rod; 14. Second hydraulic telescopic rod; 15. Hydraulic gripper; 16. First fixed gripper; 17. Second fixed gripper; 18. Rotating drum; 19. Supporting shaft; 20. Supporting base; 21. Second motor; 22. Rotating body; 23. Rotating gear; 24. Drive gear; 25. Connecting shaft; 26. Third motor. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solution in this application embodiment addresses the problems described in the background art. The overall concept is as follows: This invention, by installing a warning component on the top of the unmanned vessel 1, can detect the surroundings of the unmanned vessel 1 from all directions, thereby enhancing the safety of the unmanned vessel 1 while it is navigating in water. Furthermore, by installing a sampling component, the unmanned vessel 1 can simultaneously perform surveying and sampling of mineral samples, thus enhancing its underwater application capabilities. Adjusting the component settings allows for flexible adjustment of the orientation and angle of the hydraulic gripper 15 when collecting mineral samples, enabling the unmanned vessel to adapt to complex terrains for sampling work, effectively enhancing its convenience and versatility. During sampling, an auxiliary monitoring component can be activated. The second camera 10 within the auxiliary monitoring component allows personnel to observe the position of the hydraulic gripper 15 in real time from the side, providing precise observation for remotely adjusting the position of the hydraulic gripper 15, further improving the convenience of the hydraulic gripper 15 for sampling seabed minerals.

[0028] Example: Refer to Figures 1-7As shown, this embodiment of an unmanned surface vessel (USV) for underwater diving operations includes an USV hull 1 and a mapping module 2 installed at the bottom of the USV hull 1. The mapping module 2 is a mature existing technology and is mainly used for mapping the underwater surface. An early warning component is located on the top of the USV hull 1 and includes a first camera 4, an acoustic fish repeller 7, and multiple sets of scanning radars 8. The first camera 4 is movably installed at the top center of the USV hull 1. The multiple sets of scanning radars 8 are installed around the perimeter of the USV hull 1, forming a component that can scan and warn of the surrounding area of ​​the USV hull 1. Once a large organism is detected approaching, the first camera 4 immediately rotates to the corresponding direction to monitor and identify the organism. If the approaching organism poses a danger, the acoustic fish repeller 7 is activated to drive it away, thereby ensuring the safety of the USV hull 1 underwater.

[0029] The unmanned vessel hull 1 has a storage compartment 9 at its bottom. A sampling component is located in the center of the inner side of the storage compartment 9. The sampling component includes a hydraulic gripper 15. An adjustment component is located on the top of the hydraulic gripper 15. The adjustment component is used to adjust the angle of the hydraulic gripper 15. The adjustment component includes a support column 12. A first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 is movably connected to the bottom of the support column 12. The hydraulic gripper 15 is installed at the bottom of the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13. A second hydraulic telescopic rod 14 is located between the support column 12 and the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13. The second hydraulic telescopic rod 14 mainly adjusts the included angle between the support column 12 and the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13, so that the support column 12 and the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 can form connections at different angles from the vertical direction to the parallel direction. This allows for flexible adjustment of the position of the hydraulic gripper 15 in multiple directions, providing convenience for the gripping and sampling of seabed minerals.

[0030] The adjustment assembly also includes a drive module, which comprises a rotating drum 18. A support shaft 19 is movably connected to the inner center of the rotating drum 18. The support shaft 19 is fixedly installed on the inner right end of the storage compartment 9. Rotating gears 23 are fixedly installed at the center of both ends of the rotating drum 18. Drive gears 24 are driven to the right ends of both sets of rotating gears 23. The two sets of drive gears 24 are coaxially connected via a connecting shaft 25. A third motor 26 is connected to one end of the connecting shaft 25. The third motor 26 drives the two sets of drive gears 24 to rotate. Under the action of the transmission force, the drive gears 24 drive the rotating gears 23 to rotate, thereby driving the rotating drum 18 to rotate around the periphery of the support shaft 19. This allows the support column 12 to rotate to a position perpendicular to the storage compartment 9, thus enabling the hydraulic clamping claw 15 to be deployed. Conversely, when the hydraulic clamping claw 15 is rotated into the storage compartment 9, the storage compartment 9 can store the hydraulic clamping claw 15.

[0031] An auxiliary monitoring component is located on one side of the bottom of the unmanned vessel hull 1. This component includes a second camera 10, situated on the inner left side of the storage compartment 9. A hydraulic rod 11 is mounted on top of the second camera 10 and is fixedly installed on the inner left side of the unmanned vessel hull 1. The hydraulic rod 11 drives the second camera 10 to move up and down. The second camera 10 primarily serves an auxiliary function, allowing direct observation of the position of the hydraulic gripper 15, thus facilitating adjustments to the hydraulic gripper 15 by the operator.

[0032] In some examples, a support base 20 is fixedly installed in the middle of the outer wall of the rotating drum 18. A second motor 21 is provided in the middle of the inner side of the support base 20. The output end of the second motor 21 is connected to a rotating body 22. The rotating body 22 is movably installed in the middle of the bottom end of the support base 20. The top of the support column 12 is fixedly connected to the rotating body 22. The second motor 21 drives the rotating body 22 to rotate, thereby driving the support column 12, the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 and the hydraulic clamping claw 15 to rotate, thereby adjusting the clamping position of the hydraulic clamping claw 15.

[0033] In some examples, a fixed base 3 is provided on the top of the unmanned hull 1. The first camera 4 is movably mounted on the top of the fixed base 3 via a rotating shaft 5. A first motor 6 is installed in the middle of the inner side of the fixed base 3. The output end of the first motor 6 is connected to the rotating shaft 5 for transmission. The first motor 6 drives the rotating shaft 5 to rotate, thereby enabling the first camera 4 to rotate 360 ​​degrees. This allows the first camera 4 to quickly rotate to the corresponding position to intelligently identify approaching fish and determine whether they pose a danger.

[0034] In some examples, the sonic fish repeller 7 is installed in the middle of the side end of the fixed base 3. When a large creature is detected approaching and poses a danger, the sonic fish repeller 7 is immediately activated to drive away the fish and ensure the safety of the unmanned hull 1.

[0035] In some examples, a first fixing claw 16 and a second fixing claw 17 are respectively installed on the inner top of the storage compartment 9. The first fixing claw 16 is used to clamp and fix the support column 12, and the second fixing claw 17 is used to clamp and fix the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13. The first fixing claw 16 and the second fixing claw 17 can clamp and fix the support column 12 and the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13, thereby enhancing the stability of the support column 12 and the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 when stored in the storage compartment 9. By storing the support column 12 and the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 in the storage compartment 9, the support column 12 and the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 are not exposed at the bottom of the unmanned hull 1, which would cause resistance during the movement of the unmanned hull 1.

[0036] In some examples, the base of the second hydraulic telescopic rod 14 is movably connected to the outer wall of the support column 12 via a rotating component, and the output end of the second hydraulic telescopic rod 14 is movably connected to the outer wall of the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 via a rotating component. The push-pull motion of the second hydraulic telescopic rod 14 allows the connection angle between the support column 12 and the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 to be adjusted.

[0037] In some examples, the two ends of the rotating cylinder 18 are movably connected to the inner wall of the storage compartment 9, allowing the rotating cylinder 18 to rotate. Waterproof seals are provided at the connection points to seal and prevent water from entering the interior of the unmanned vessel hull 1 through gaps and causing damage.

[0038] The working principle of this invention is:

[0039] During use, staff need to launch the unmanned vessel 1 into the water and control it to navigate through the water using remote control equipment. Once the vessel reaches the designated area, the mapping module 2 will be activated to scan the underwater surface.

[0040] When sampling seabed ore is required, the operator can activate the third motor 26 to drive two sets of drive gears 24, which in turn drive two sets of rotating gears 23. The rotation of the rotating gears 23 causes the rotating drum 18 to rotate. When the rotating drum 18 rotates to 90 degrees, the support column 12 drives the hydraulic clamping claw 15 to rotate perpendicular to the storage compartment 9. Then, activating the first hydraulic telescopic rod 13 pushes the hydraulic clamping claw 15 downwards, bringing it closer to the seabed ore for sampling. Additionally, during sampling, the second hydraulic telescopic rod 14 can retract, adjusting the position of the first hydraulic telescopic rod. The angle between the retractable rod 13 and the support column 12 is adjusted, and the second motor 21 is started, which drives the rotating body 22 to rotate, thereby realizing the 360-degree rotation adjustment of the hydraulic gripper 15. Through the above structure, the orientation and angle of the hydraulic gripper 15 can be quickly adjusted. In addition, during the adjustment process, the hydraulic rod 11 can be started to push the second camera 10 down. The second camera 10 can observe the hydraulic gripper 15 in real time from the side, thus providing accurate observation for the staff to remotely adjust the position of the hydraulic gripper 15, and further improving the convenience of the hydraulic gripper 15 to grasp and sample seabed minerals.

[0041] Furthermore, the invention ensures the safety of the unmanned vessel 1 while it is navigating in water by incorporating an early warning component. Firstly, multiple scanning radars 8 are installed around the unmanned vessel 1 to achieve a comprehensive, blind-spot-free scan of its surroundings. Once a large creature is detected approaching, the first motor 6 is immediately activated, causing the first camera 4 to rotate and monitor the detected creature. If the creature is confirmed to be large and dangerous, the sonic fish repeller 7 is immediately activated to drive it away. Conversely, if no danger is detected, the sonic fish repeller 7 does not need to be activated. This early warning component enhances the safety of the unmanned vessel 1 while it is navigating in water, effectively preventing large creatures from approaching and causing damage.

[0042] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An unmanned surface vessel (USV) for underwater diving operations, comprising an unmanned hull (1) and a bottom mapping module (2) installed on the unmanned hull (1), characterized in that: The warning component is set on the top of the unmanned vessel (1) and includes a first camera (4), an acoustic fish repeller (7) and multiple sets of scanning radars (8). The first camera (4) is movably installed in the middle of the top of the unmanned vessel (1), and the multiple sets of scanning radars (8) are installed around the periphery of the unmanned vessel (1). The unmanned vessel (1) has a storage compartment (9) at its bottom. A sampling component is provided in the middle of the inner side of the storage compartment (9). The sampling component includes a hydraulic gripper (15). An adjustment component is provided on the top of the hydraulic gripper (15). The adjustment component is used to adjust the angle of the hydraulic gripper (15). The adjustment component includes a support column (12). A first hydraulic telescopic rod (13) is movably connected to the bottom of the support column (12). The hydraulic gripper (15) is installed at the bottom of the first hydraulic telescopic rod (13). A second hydraulic telescopic rod (14) is provided between the support column (12) and the first hydraulic telescopic rod (13). An auxiliary monitoring component is provided on one side of the bottom of the unmanned vessel (1). The auxiliary monitoring component includes a second camera (10). The second camera (10) is located on the inner left side of the storage compartment (9). A hydraulic rod (11) is provided on the top of the second camera (10). The hydraulic rod (11) is fixedly installed on the inner left side of the unmanned vessel (1). The hydraulic rod (11) drives the second camera (10) to move up and down. The adjustment assembly also includes a drive module, which includes a rotating drum (18). A support shaft (19) is movably connected to the inner middle of the rotating drum (18). The support shaft (19) is fixedly installed on the inner right end of the storage compartment (9). Rotary gears (23) are fixedly installed at the middle of both ends of the rotating drum (18). Drive gears (24) are driven to the right ends of the two sets of rotating gears (23). The two sets of drive gears (24) are coaxially connected through a connecting shaft (25). A third motor (26) is connected to one end of the connecting shaft (25). A support seat (20) is fixedly installed in the middle of the outer wall of the rotating drum (18). A second motor (21) is provided in the middle of the inner side of the support seat (20). A rotating body (22) is connected to the output end of the second motor (21). The rotating body (22) is movably installed in the middle of the bottom end of the support seat (20). The top of the support column (12) is fixedly connected to the rotating body (22). The unmanned hull (1) is provided with a fixed base (3) on its top. The first camera (4) is movably mounted on the top of the fixed base (3) via a rotating shaft (5). A first motor (6) is installed in the middle of the inner side of the fixed base (3). The output end of the first motor (6) is connected to the rotating shaft (5) for transmission.

2. The unmanned surface vessel for underwater diving operations according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sonic fish repellent (7) is installed at the middle of the side end of the fixed base (3).

3. The unmanned surface vessel for underwater diving operations according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner top of the storage compartment (9) is equipped with a first fixed clamp (16) and a second fixed clamp (17). The first fixed clamp (16) is used to clamp and fix the support column (12), and the second fixed clamp (17) is used to clamp and fix the first hydraulic telescopic rod (13).

4. An unmanned surface vessel for underwater diving operations according to claim 3, characterized in that, The base of the second hydraulic telescopic rod (14) is movably connected to the outer wall of the support column (12) through a rotating component, and the output end of the second hydraulic telescopic rod (14) is movably connected to the outer wall of the first hydraulic telescopic rod (13) through a rotating component.

5. An unmanned surface vessel for underwater diving operations according to claim 4, characterized in that, The two ends of the rotating drum (18) are movably connected to the inner wall of the storage compartment (9), and a waterproof seal is provided at the connection.

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