Control method and system of spraying unmanned aerial vehicle and storage medium

Abstract

The invention is suitable for the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle control, and provides a control method and system for a spraying unmanned aerial vehicle and a storage medium, and the system comprises a flight end assembly and a ground end assembly. The flight end assembly comprises an ultrasonic module, a first single-chip microcomputer connected with the ultrasonic module, and a first wireless transmission unit connected with the first single-chip microcomputer. The ground end assembly comprises a second wireless transmission unit, a second single-chip microcomputer connected with the second wireless transmission unit, and an auxiliary circuit connected with the second single-chip microcomputer. The method has the advantages that the original flight control program firmware of the unmanned aerial vehicle does not need to be modified, and the complexity and risk of system integration are reduced; a standard remote control handle is compatible, a native remote control channel is utilized, and maturity and reliability are achieved; the ground end can be used as an externally-hung module and is convenient to mount and dismount; a common unmanned aerial vehicle is directly transformed into the unmanned aerial vehicle with the efficient fixed-distance spraying capacity, and unmanned automatic distance control improves the safety of spraying operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control, and in particular relates to a control method, system and storage medium for a spraying UAV. Background Art

[0002] In high-rise building projects such as high-rise residential buildings, wall spraying and decoration operations are often required.

[0003] Currently, wall coatings using emulsion-based exterior wall paints are mostly applied using a roller coating method, which applies the coating from top to bottom. Typically, construction workers use aerial equipment such as hanging baskets and ropes for manual application, or use pressurized spray nozzles with support equipment set up on the ground.

[0004] However, the above operation method is still not flexible enough, and a large amount of manual assistance is required during the construction process, resulting in high labor costs and low spraying efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a control system for a spraying drone, aiming to solve the problems that the existing high-rise spraying operation method is not flexible enough, requires a lot of manual assistance, has high labor costs and low spraying efficiency.

[0006] The embodiment of the present application is implemented as follows: a control system for a spraying drone is provided, the system comprising:

[0007] Flight-side components and ground-side components;

[0008] The flight end component includes an ultrasonic module, a first single-chip microcomputer connected to the ultrasonic module, and a first wireless transmission unit connected to the first single-chip microcomputer;

[0009] The ground-end component includes a second wireless transmission unit, a second single-chip microcomputer connected to the second wireless transmission unit, and an auxiliary circuit connected to the second single-chip microcomputer.

[0010] Preferably, the ultrasonic module is used to transmit sound wave signals to the wall and receive echo signals reflected by the wall;

[0011] The first single chip microcomputer is used to obtain the actual distance between the ultrasonic module and the wall based on the time delay between the echo signal and the sound wave signal;

[0012] The first wireless transmission unit is used to transmit the actual distance to the second wireless transmission unit;

[0013] The second wireless transmission unit is used to transmit the actual distance to the second single chip microcomputer;

[0014] The second single-chip microcomputer and the auxiliary circuit are used to compare the actual distance with the preset distance, generate a distance control signal based on the comparison result, and transmit the distance control signal to the flight control component of the drone to adjust the spatial position of the drone so that the actual distance between the ultrasonic module and the wall is equal to the preset distance.

[0015] Preferably, the second single chip microcomputer and the auxiliary circuit compare the actual distance with the preset distance, and generate a distance control signal based on the comparison result in the following method:

[0016] The preset distance includes a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance greater than the first threshold distance;

[0017] Comparing the actual distance with a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance:

[0018] When the actual distance is less than a first distance threshold, generating a first control signal;

[0019] generating a second control signal when the actual distance is less than a second distance threshold but greater than a first threshold distance;

[0020] When the actual distance is greater than the second distance threshold, a third control signal is generated.

[0021] Preferably, the first control signal is used to control the drone to stay away from the wall, the second control signal is used to control the distance between the drone and the wall to remain stable, and the third control signal is used to control the drone to approach the wall.

[0022] Preferably, the second single-chip microcomputer is used to generate a PWM control signal, and the auxiliary circuit is used to convert the PWM control signal into a DC voltage control signal.

[0023] Preferably, the distance control signal is transmitted to the flight control component of the UAV to adjust the spatial position of the UAV by:

[0024] The control signal output end of the auxiliary circuit is connected to the direction rocker of the control handle of the UAV, and controls the flight direction of the UAV based on the DC voltage control signal.

[0025] Preferably, the first threshold distance is 30 cm, and the second threshold distance is 40 cm;

[0026] The output voltage of the first control signal is 1.0V, the output voltage of the second control signal is 1.6V, and the output voltage of the third control signal is 2.2V.

[0027] Preferably, the first single-chip microcomputer and the second single-chip microcomputer are both Arduino single-chip microcomputers, the auxiliary circuit is an RC filter circuit, and the first wireless transmission unit and the second wireless transmission unit are both NRF24L01 wireless transmission modules.

[0028] Another object of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a control method for a spraying drone, the method being implemented based on the control system of the spraying drone as described above, the method comprising:

[0029] Get the actual distance between the drone's nozzle and the wall based on the ranging module on the flight end;

[0030] The control module on the ground side obtains the actual distance transmitted by the flight side and compares the actual distance with the preset distance;

[0031] Based on the comparison result, a distance control signal is generated;

[0032] The distance control signal is input to the direction joystick of the drone control handle to control the control position of the drone.

[0033] Another object of an embodiment of the present application is to provide a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor executes the steps of the control method of the spray drone as described above.

[0034] The control system of a spraying drone provided in the embodiment of the present application has the outstanding advantage that there is no need to directly modify the drone's core flight control program firmware, which reduces the complexity and risk of system integration and is compatible with a large number of drones on the market that are controlled by standard remote control handles; it directly utilizes the drone's native remote control command channel, and the implementation method is mature and reliable; the ground-end equipment can be used as an external module for easy installation and removal; the drone can automatically maintain the distance from the wall at the optimal spraying distance, which helps to reduce paint scattering and waste caused by improper distance, and the spraying is more uniform than manual operation; there is no need for the operator to manually fine-tune the position, which reduces the risk of hitting the wall due to operational errors or airflow, protects the equipment and wall, and significantly improves the safety of the operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 A simplified circuit diagram of a flight-end component of a control system for a spraying drone provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 A simplified circuit diagram of a ground-side component of a control system for a spraying drone provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3A step diagram of a control method for a spraying drone provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] It will be understood that the terms "first," "second," and the like, as used herein, may be used to describe various components herein, but unless otherwise specified, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish a first unit or module from another unit or module. For example, a first terminal may be referred to as a second terminal, and similarly, a second control signal may be referred to as a first control signal, without departing from the scope of this application.

[0040] In one embodiment, a control system for a spraying drone is proposed, which may include: Figure 1 and Figure 2 The flight end components and ground end components shown, wherein:

[0041] The flight end component includes an ultrasonic module, a first single-chip microcomputer connected to the ultrasonic module, and a first wireless transmission unit connected to the first single-chip microcomputer;

[0042] The ground-end component includes a second wireless transmission unit, a second single-chip microcomputer connected to the second wireless transmission unit, and an auxiliary circuit connected to the second single-chip microcomputer.

[0043] In this embodiment, the system includes a flight-end component installed on the drone and a ground-end component that can automatically control the flight-end component. The flight-end component includes: an ultrasonic module that transmits ultrasonic pulses and receives echoes reflected from the wall. The first single-chip microcomputer is responsible for controlling the ultrasonic module, calculating the distance, processing data and sending it through the wireless module. The first wireless transmission unit is responsible for wirelessly sending the calculated distance data to the ground end. The ground-end component includes: a second wireless transmission unit that receives the distance data from the flight-end wireless module. The second single-chip microcomputer receives the distance data, compares it with the preset ideal spraying distance, makes a control decision based on the comparison result, and generates a control signal. The auxiliary circuit cooperates with the second single-chip microcomputer to mainly convert the control signal generated by the second single-chip microcomputer, usually a digital PWM signal, into a DC voltage analog signal that can be understood by the drone control handle.

[0044] Among them, the ultrasonic module used in this application also has the following advantages:

[0045] (1) Because the painting environment contains chemical mist, ultrasonic waves are not easily affected by optical interference, while infrared waves are prone to unstable ranging in a chemical mist environment; (2) The wall surface of the painting operation may involve a smooth coating, which ultrasonic waves can stably detect, while infrared waves may fail due to reflection problems; (3) Painting operations are carried out outdoors, and sunlight will interfere with the infrared signal, resulting in ranging failure.

[0046] The ground-end components used in this application can be directly connected to the remote control. The advantages of this application are that there is no need to directly modify the core flight control program firmware of the drone, which reduces the complexity and risk of system integration and is compatible with a large number of drones on the market that are controlled by standard remote control handles; it directly uses the drone's native remote control command channel, and the implementation method is mature and reliable; the ground-end equipment can be used as an external module for easy installation and removal; the drone can automatically maintain the distance from the wall at the optimal spraying distance, which helps to reduce paint scattering and waste caused by improper distance, and the spraying is more uniform than manual operation; there is no need for the operator to manually fine-tune the position, reducing the risk of hitting the wall due to operational errors or airflow, protecting the equipment and wall, and significantly improving the safety of the operation.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic module is used to transmit sound wave signals to the wall and receive echo signals reflected by the wall;

[0048] The first single chip microcomputer is used to obtain the actual distance between the ultrasonic module and the wall based on the time delay between the echo signal and the sound wave signal;

[0049] The first wireless transmission unit is used to transmit the actual distance to the second wireless transmission unit;

[0050] The second wireless transmission unit is used to transmit the actual distance to the second single chip microcomputer;

[0051] The second single-chip microcomputer and the auxiliary circuit are used to compare the actual distance with the preset distance, generate a distance control signal based on the comparison result, and transmit the distance control signal to the flight control component of the drone to adjust the spatial position of the drone so that the actual distance between the ultrasonic module and the wall is equal to the preset distance.

[0052] In this embodiment of the present application, the actual distance received is compared with the ideal spraying distance set by the user. Based on the comparison result, a corresponding distance control signal is generated to determine whether the drone should move closer, move away, or maintain the distance. Finally, this control signal is transmitted to the drone's receiver, which in turn transmits the signal to the flight control system. Through continuous measurement, comparison, decision-making, and adjustment, the actual distance is ultimately stabilized at the preset distance, ensuring that the spraying operation is carried out at the optimal distance.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the second single chip microcomputer and the auxiliary circuit compare the actual distance with the preset distance, and generate a distance control signal based on the comparison result in the following method:

[0054] The preset distance includes a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance greater than the first threshold distance;

[0055] Comparing the actual distance with a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance:

[0056] When the actual distance is less than a first distance threshold, generating a first control signal;

[0057] generating a second control signal when the actual distance is less than a second distance threshold but greater than a first threshold distance;

[0058] When the actual distance is greater than the second distance threshold, a third control signal is generated.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present application, it does not use a single threshold point that is prone to oscillation, but introduces two distance thresholds, namely the first threshold distance L1 and the second threshold distance L2, and L1<L2, forming a stable zone, thereby improving the stability of the control.

[0060] When the distance is between L1 and L2, the system does not make active adjustments, avoiding frequent jitters of the drone caused by small distance fluctuations or measurement noise, making the flight smoother and the spraying more uniform.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the first control signal is used to control the drone to stay away from the wall, the second control signal is used to control the distance between the drone and the wall to remain stable, and the third control signal is used to control the drone to approach the wall.

[0062] In this embodiment of the present application, the first control signal corresponds to the "too close" condition and instructs the drone to move away from the wall. The second control signal corresponds to the "appropriate" condition and instructs the drone to maintain the current distance, which can mean not sending a direction command or sending a fine-tuning hold command. The third control signal corresponds to the "too far" condition and instructs the drone to move closer to the wall.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, the second single-chip microcomputer is used to generate a PWM control signal, and the auxiliary circuit is used to convert the PWM control signal into a DC voltage control signal.

[0064] In this embodiment of the present application, the auxiliary circuit is used to convert the digital PWM control signal into a smooth, continuous DC voltage control signal. Because the analog voltage signal output by the microcontroller is a PWM signal, directly connecting it to the handle will cause the handle signal to jump. Therefore, the auxiliary circuit is connected to filter the PWM square wave into a DC voltage for connection to the handle.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment, the distance control signal is transmitted to the flight control component of the UAV, and the method for adjusting the spatial position of the UAV is as follows:

[0066] The control signal output end of the auxiliary circuit is connected to the direction rocker of the control handle of the UAV, and controls the flight direction of the UAV based on the DC voltage control signal.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present application, the DC voltage control signal output by the auxiliary circuit is connected to the direction stick of the drone control handle, specifically, it can refer to the forward / backward analog input point in the direction stick. The system applies the automatically generated control signal to the drone, simulating the operator's manual action of turning the direction stick. When the drone is required to approach the wall, it is equivalent to automatically applying a voltage to the "forward" direction of the handle or translating it closer to the wall, simulating the operator pushing the stick forward. When the drone is required to move away from the wall, it is equivalent to automatically applying a voltage to the "backward" direction of the handle or translating it away from the wall, simulating the operator pulling the stick back. When the distance needs to be maintained, it may correspond to the neutral voltage of the handle, simulating the operator not pushing or pulling the stick, or sending a small hold correction signal.

[0068] This method does not require hacking or changing the drone's native flight control system. It is highly versatile and compatible with most consumer-grade or some industrial-grade drones on the market.

[0069] In a preferred embodiment, the first threshold distance is 30 cm, and the second threshold distance is 40 cm;

[0070] The output voltage of the first control signal is 1.0V, the output voltage of the second control signal is 1.6V, and the output voltage of the third control signal is 2.2V.

[0071] In this embodiment, the ideal spray distance is between 30cm and 40cm, and the system aims to maintain the actual distance within this range. 1.0V represents the "reverse" direction, 2.2V represents the "forward" direction, and 1.6V represents the neutral or hold position. The specific voltage range depends on the handle design.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment, the first single-chip microcomputer and the second single-chip microcomputer are both Arduino single-chip microcomputers, the auxiliary circuit is an RC filter circuit, and the first wireless transmission unit and the second wireless transmission unit are both NRF24L01 wireless transmission modules.

[0073] In this embodiment, the Arduino platform facilitates development, and an RC filter circuit is used to convert PWM into an analog DC voltage. The NRF24L01 wireless transmission module is a low-cost, low-power 2.4GHz wireless transceiver module with a moderate communication range, fully meeting the communication requirements of this type of drone and ground station.

[0074] like Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, a control method for a spraying drone is proposed. The method can be implemented based on the control system of the spraying drone as described above, and specifically may include the following steps:

[0075] Step S10: obtaining the actual distance between the nozzle of the drone and the wall based on the ranging module of the flight end.

[0076] In step S20, the control module of the ground end obtains the actual distance transmitted by the flight end, and compares the actual distance with the preset distance.

[0077] Step S30: generating a distance control signal based on the comparison result.

[0078] Step S40: inputting the distance control signal into the direction joystick of the drone control handle to control the control position of the drone.

[0079] In this embodiment, the explanation of the above method can be found in the explanation of the corresponding system. This method is a closed-loop control execution link. Through analog joystick input, the system automatically drives the drone to move, with the ultimate goal of stabilizing the actual distance within a preset range.

[0080] In the embodiments of the present application, the outstanding advantage is that, based on this system, there is no need to directly modify the core flight control program firmware of the drone, which reduces the complexity and risk of system integration and is compatible with a large number of drones on the market that are controlled by standard remote control handles; the drone's native remote control command channel is directly utilized, and the implementation method is mature and reliable; the ground-end equipment can be used as an external module for easy installation and removal; the drone can automatically maintain the distance from the wall at the optimal spraying distance, which helps to reduce paint scattering and waste caused by improper distance, and the spraying is more uniform than manual operation; there is no need for the operator to manually fine-tune the position, which reduces the risk of hitting the wall due to operational errors or airflow, protects the equipment and wall, and significantly improves the safety of the operation.

[0081] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 1 and Figure 2The structure shown in the figure is only a block diagram of a part of the structure related to the solution of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the solution of the present application is applied. The specific computer device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different component arrangement.

[0082] In one embodiment, the control method of the spraying drone provided in the present application can be implemented in the form of a computer program. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The control method for the spraying drone can be executed on the hardware device shown. The memory of the device can store the various program modules that constitute the control method for the spraying drone. The computer program composed of each program module causes the processor to execute the steps of the control method for the spraying drone of each embodiment of the present application described in this specification.

[0083] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor executes the steps of the control method of the spraying drone as described above.

[0084] In the embodiment of the present application, please refer to the above description of the control method of the above-mentioned spraying drone, which will not be repeated here.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present application, the program run based on the method stored in the storage medium of the embodiment of the present application has the outstanding advantage that there is no need to directly modify the core flight control program firmware of the drone, which reduces the complexity and risk of system integration, and is compatible with a large number of drones on the market that are controlled by standard remote control handles; it directly utilizes the drone's native remote control command channel, and the implementation method is mature and reliable; the ground-end equipment can be used as an external module for easy installation and disassembly; the drone can automatically maintain the distance from the wall at the optimal spraying distance, which helps to reduce paint scattering and waste caused by improper distance, and the spraying is more uniform than manual operation; there is no need for the operator to manually fine-tune the position, which reduces the risk of hitting the wall due to operational errors or airflow, protects the equipment and wall, and significantly improves the safety of the operation.

[0086] It should be understood that, although each step in the flow chart of each embodiment of the present application is shown in sequence according to the indication of the arrow, these steps are not necessarily performed in sequence according to the order indicated by the arrow. Unless there is clear explanation in this article, the execution of these steps does not have strict order restriction, and these steps can be performed in other orders. Moreover, at least a portion of the steps in each embodiment may include a plurality of sub-steps or a plurality of stages, and these sub-steps or stages are not necessarily performed at the same time, but can be performed at different times, and the execution order of these sub-steps or stages is not necessarily performed in sequence, but can be performed in turn or alternately with at least a portion of other steps or sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0087] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program can include the processes of the above-described method embodiments. Any reference to memory, storage, database, or other media used in the various embodiments provided herein may include non-volatile and / or volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in various forms, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), RAMbus direct RAM (RDRAM), direct RAMbus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and RAMbus dynamic RAM (RDRAM).

[0088] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0089] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control system for a spraying drone, characterized in that: The system comprises: Flight-side components and ground-side components; The flight end component includes an ultrasonic module, a first single-chip microcomputer connected to the ultrasonic module, and a first wireless transmission unit connected to the first single-chip microcomputer; The ground-end component includes a second wireless transmission unit, a second single-chip microcomputer connected to the second wireless transmission unit, and an auxiliary circuit connected to the second single-chip microcomputer.

2. The control system of the spraying drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic module is used to transmit sound wave signals to the wall and receive echo signals reflected by the wall; The first single chip microcomputer is used to obtain the actual distance between the ultrasonic module and the wall based on the time delay between the echo signal and the sound wave signal; The first wireless transmission unit is used to transmit the actual distance to the second wireless transmission unit; The second wireless transmission unit is used to transmit the actual distance to the second single chip microcomputer; The second single-chip microcomputer and the auxiliary circuit are used to compare the actual distance with the preset distance, generate a distance control signal based on the comparison result, and transmit the distance control signal to the flight control component of the drone to adjust the spatial position of the drone so that the actual distance between the ultrasonic module and the wall is equal to the preset distance.

3. The control system of the spraying drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second single chip microcomputer and the auxiliary circuit compare the actual distance with the preset distance, and generate a distance control signal based on the comparison result in the following method: The preset distance includes a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance greater than the first threshold distance; Comparing the actual distance with a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance: When the actual distance is less than a first distance threshold, generating a first control signal; generating a second control signal when the actual distance is less than a second distance threshold but greater than a first threshold distance; When the actual distance is greater than the second distance threshold, a third control signal is generated.

4. The control system of the spraying drone according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first control signal is used to control the drone to stay away from the wall, the second control signal is used to control the distance between the drone and the wall to remain stable, and the third control signal is used to control the drone to move closer to the wall.

5. The control system of the spraying drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second single chip microcomputer is used to generate a PWM control signal, and the auxiliary circuit is used to convert the PWM control signal into a DC voltage control signal.

6. The control system of the spraying drone according to claim 5, characterized in that: The distance control signal is transmitted to the flight control component of the UAV to adjust the spatial position of the UAV as follows: The control signal output end of the auxiliary circuit is connected to the direction rocker of the control handle of the UAV, and controls the flight direction of the UAV based on the DC voltage control signal.

7. The control system of the spraying drone according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first threshold distance is 30 cm, and the second threshold distance is 40 cm; The output voltage of the first control signal is 1.0V, the output voltage of the second control signal is 1.6V, and the output voltage of the third control signal is 2.2V.

8. The control system of the spraying drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first single-chip microcomputer and the second single-chip microcomputer are both Arduino single-chip microcomputers, the auxiliary circuit is an RC filter circuit, and the first wireless transmission unit and the second wireless transmission unit are both NRF24L01 wireless transmission modules.

9. A control method for a spraying drone, characterized in that: The method is implemented based on the control system of the spraying drone according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the method includes: Get the actual distance between the drone's nozzle and the wall based on the ranging module on the flight end; The control module on the ground side obtains the actual distance transmitted by the flight side and compares the actual distance with the preset distance; Based on the comparison result, a distance control signal is generated; The distance control signal is input to the direction joystick of the drone control handle to control the control position of the drone.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes the steps of the control method of the spraying drone as claimed in claim 9.

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