Control method of unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting system and photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system

Abstract

The application discloses a control method of an unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting system and a photovoltaic station operation and maintenance system. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring position parameters between a carrier unmanned aerial vehicle and a target position of a grabbing unmanned aerial vehicle under the condition that a rope has been released by a preset length; the target position is a position of a target object to be grabbed by the grabbing unmanned aerial vehicle or a release position of a target object to be released by the grabbing unmanned aerial vehicle; a height difference between the grabbing unmanned aerial vehicle and the target position is within a preset height difference range when the rope is released by the preset length; adjusting parameters of the carrier unmanned aerial vehicle are determined according to the preset length and the position parameters; and the position of the carrier unmanned aerial vehicle is adjusted according to the adjusting parameters, so that the grabbing unmanned aerial vehicle can move to the target position under the condition that the release length of the rope is unchanged. The technical scheme of the application can avoid the problem of expansion and accumulation of the rope in a winch capstan, and improve the stability and safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting system operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and in particular to a control method for a UAV hoisting system and a photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, when hoisting goods, if the hook is unloaded, the winch may cause the rope to expand and accumulate inside the winch, leading to problems such as rope knots, jamming, or uncontrollable rope length.

[0003] To address these issues, common technologies employ two methods: adding a counterweight to the end of the hook or using an auxiliary motor to assist in pulling the rope out. However, adding a counterweight still results in an unloaded situation after the hook (counterweight) hits the ground; while using an auxiliary motor increases costs and rope wear, leading to a reduced lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a control method for a drone hoisting system and a photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system to solve one of the technical problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a control method for a drone hoisting system is provided. The drone hoisting system includes: a carrier drone, a winch, and a grabbing drone; the winch is disposed on the carrier drone, a rope is wound on the winch, and the grabbing drone is suspended by the winch through the rope;

[0006] The method includes:

[0007] When the rope has been released for a preset length, the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grabbing drone and the target position are obtained; wherein, the target position is the location of the target object to be grabbed by the grabbing drone, or the release position of the target object to be released by the grabbing drone; when the rope is released for the preset length, the height difference between the grabbing drone and the target position is within a preset height difference range;

[0008] The adjustment parameters of the carrier drone are determined based on the preset length and the position parameters;

[0009] The position of the carrier drone is adjusted according to the adjustment parameters so that the release length of the rope remains unchanged, and the grabbing drone can move to the target position.

[0010] Optionally, obtaining the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grasping drone and the target position, and determining the adjustment parameters of the carrier drone based on the preset length and the position parameters, includes:

[0011] The horizontal distance between the carrier drone and the target location is obtained in the horizontal direction, and the displacement direction of the grabbing drone toward the target location in the horizontal direction is obtained;

[0012] The adjustment distance of the transport drone is determined based on the preset length and the horizontal distance;

[0013] The adjustment direction of the carrier drone is determined based on the displacement direction; wherein the adjustment direction includes upward or downward.

[0014] Optionally, a straight line passing through the transport drone and parallel to the vertical direction is used as a reference line; determining the adjustment distance of the transport drone based on the preset length and the horizontal distance, and determining the adjustment direction of the transport drone based on the displacement direction, includes:

[0015] If the released rope is parallel to the vertical direction and the displacement direction is away from the baseline, then the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is downward.

[0016] Calculate the length of the other leg of a right triangle with the preset length as the hypotenuse and the horizontal distance as one of the legs;

[0017] The difference between the preset length and the length of the other right-angled side is used as the adjustment distance.

[0018] Optionally, a straight line passing through the transport drone and parallel to the vertical direction is used as a reference line; determining the adjustment distance of the transport drone based on the preset length and the horizontal distance, and determining the adjustment direction of the transport drone based on the displacement direction, includes:

[0019] When the released rope forms an angle with the vertical direction, if the displacement direction is closer to the baseline, the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is upward; if the displacement direction is away from the baseline, the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is downward.

[0020] Calculate the length of the other leg of a right triangle with the preset length as the hypotenuse and the horizontal distance as one of the legs;

[0021] The difference between the initial height difference between the carrier drone and the capturing drone and the length of the other right-angled side is used as the adjustment distance.

[0022] Optionally, when or after adjusting the position of the carrier drone according to the adjustment parameters, the method further includes:

[0023] Start the grabbing drone;

[0024] After activating the grabbing drone, the method further includes:

[0025] Control the grasping drone to move to the target location and perform the target action; wherein, the target action includes: releasing the target object to be released to the target location, or grasping the target object to be grasped located at the target location;

[0026] After the grabbing drone completes the target action, the winch is controlled to retrieve the rope.

[0027] Optionally, after the grabbing drone completes the target action, controlling the winch to retrieve the rope includes:

[0028] After the grabbing drone completes the target action, control the grabbing drone to stop.

[0029] Control the carrier drone to fly upwards, and control the carrier drone to stop flying upwards when the rope is taut;

[0030] Control the winch to retrieve the rope of the preset length.

[0031] Optionally, the grasping drone is equipped with a gripper for grasping the target object, the gripper including a self-locking structure for self-locking under the gravity of the target object;

[0032] When the target action is to grab a target object located at the target position, the rope is determined to be taut when the target object is taken away from the target position, and / or when the self-locking structure self-locks.

[0033] Optionally, when the target action is to release the target object to be released to the target position, the rope is confirmed to be taut when the grabbing drone separates from the target object to be released.

[0034] Optionally, if the horizontal distance between the carrier drone and the target location is greater than a first preset distance, the method further includes, before controlling the carrier drone to fly upwards:

[0035] Control the carrier drone to fly horizontally towards the top of the grabbing drone until the horizontal distance is less than a second preset distance; wherein the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance.

[0036] Optionally, before obtaining the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grasping drone and the target location, the method further includes:

[0037] Without releasing the rope in the winch, control the carrier drone to carry the grabbing drone to the airspace above the target location;

[0038] Obtain the height difference between the carrier drone and the target position;

[0039] The preset length is determined based on the height difference, and the winch is controlled to release the rope to the preset length; wherein the preset length is greater than or equal to the height difference.

[0040] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system is provided, comprising: at least one photovoltaic cleaning robot, and a drone hoisting system;

[0041] The drone hoisting system is controlled by the method described in any one of the first aspects of the present invention, and the target object captured by the grabbing drone is the photovoltaic cleaning robot.

[0042] In the technical solution provided by this invention, the grabbing drone itself can serve as a counterweight at the end of the rope. When the grabbing drone is not activated, this allows the rope to be released smoothly without tangling or jamming. Furthermore, when the rope is released to a preset length, by acquiring the positional parameters between the carrier drone and the grabbing drone and the target position, the adjustment parameters for the height and direction of the carrier drone are determined, and the carrier drone is controlled to adjust its own position. This ensures that the grabbing drone can move and adjust to the target position while maintaining a fixed rope release length. Since the end of the rope is almost unloaded after the grabbing drone is activated, there is a risk of rope accumulation in the winch during release / retrieval. This invention, by adjusting the position of the carrier drone, allows the grabbing drone to move to the target position without releasing more adjustment rope. This effectively avoids the problem of rope expansion and accumulation in the winch during retrieval due to excessive rope release and unloaded rope, improving the stability and safety of the drone lifting system. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2A flowchart of the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 Another flowchart of the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in this embodiment of the invention;

[0047] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the displacement adjustment of the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 This is another flowchart of the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 This is another displacement adjustment diagram of the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 This is another displacement adjustment schematic diagram of the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 This is another flowchart of the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 9 This is another flowchart of the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 10 A flowchart for controlling the winch to retrieve the rope provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a grabbing drone provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the self-locking structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0057] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0058] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0059] This invention provides a control method for a drone hoisting system. This method can be applied to the drone hoisting system, for example, it can be executed by the controller in the drone hoisting system. This method can effectively prevent the rope from expanding and accumulating in the winch, thereby improving the stability and safety of the drone hoisting system during operation.

[0060] To facilitate the explanation of the control method of this UAV hoisting system, the structure of the UAV hoisting system will be briefly described below. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also: Figure 1 The drone hoisting system includes: a carrier drone 100, a winch 200, and a grab drone 300; the winch 200 is mounted on the carrier drone 100, and a rope L is wound around the winch 200, which suspends the grab drone 300 via the rope L.

[0061] Specifically, the transport drone 100 can be a multi-rotor drone capable of hovering in the air. The winch 200 is a rope retraction mechanism located at the bottom of the transport drone 100. The winch 200 can be fixed to the bottom of the transport drone 100 via a connecting rod 210. Specifically, the winch 200 may include a drum section and a rope L. The drum section is fixed to the fuselage of the transport drone 100, for example, via the connecting rod 210. A winch is provided in the drum section, serving as the axis for winding the rope L. One end of the rope L is fixed to the winch, and the other end of the rope L is connected to the grabbing drone 300. The rope L is wound around the winch. Based on the rotation of the winch, the winch 200 can control the descent of the grabbing drone 300 by releasing the rope L, or control the ascent of the grabbing drone 300 by retracting the rope L. The grabbing drone 300 can be an aircraft suspended below the winch 200 by a rope L. An actuator capable of grabbing or releasing a target object can be installed below the grabbing drone 300; this actuator, for example, is a gripper 310, which grasps the target object by clamping it. It can be understood that the carrier drone 100 is the aerial platform and mobile base of the drone hoisting system, undertaking the main transportation function. The system controller can move the carrier drone 100 in space and adjust its attitude, thereby affecting and adjusting the positions of the winch 200 and the grabbing drone 300. After the carrier drone 100 reaches the airspace above the target location, the grabbing drone 300 performs the function of releasing / retrieving the target object. The winch 200 lowers / retrieves the grabbing drone 300 by releasing / retrieving the rope L.

[0062] The control method of the UAV hoisting system will be explained in detail below. Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 2 The control methods for drone hoisting systems include:

[0063] S110. With the rope having been released to a preset length, obtain the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grabbing drone and the target position.

[0064] The target location is the location of the target object to be captured by the grabbing drone 300, or the release location of the target object to be released by the grabbing drone 300; when the rope L is released to a preset length, the height difference between the grabbing drone 300 and the target location is within a preset height difference range.

[0065] Specifically, the preset length can be the release length of the rope L, determined based on the height difference between the carrier drone 100 and the target position, when the carrier drone 100 flies to the airspace above the target position. By setting the rope L to the preset release length so that the height difference between the grasping drone 300 and the target position is within the preset height difference range, the grasping drone 300 can move primarily horizontally towards the target position, with no adjustment or only minor adjustments in the vertical direction. This provides the conditions for moving the grasping drone without adjusting the release length of the rope L.

[0066] The target location can be the placement position of the target object on the surface of an object; for example, if the target object is a photovoltaic cleaning robot that needs to be placed on a photovoltaic array to clean it, then the target location is located on the upper surface of the photovoltaic array. For example, the drone hoisting system can be equipped with a positioning device, which can acquire the coordinates of the carrier drone 100, the grasping drone 300, and the target location in three-dimensional space, and thereby obtain the positional parameters between the carrier drone and the grasping drone and the target location; for example, the positioning device can be based on RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) positioning technology. Alternatively, the drone hoisting system can be equipped with an image acquisition and processing device, which can acquire and analyze images containing the carrier drone 100, the grasping drone 300, and the target location to similarly obtain the positional parameters between the carrier drone 100 and the grasping drone 300 and the target location; for example, the image acquisition and processing device can acquire images based on cameras / radar, etc. The method of acquiring positional parameters is not limited here and can be configured according to actual needs.

[0067] For example, the position parameters may include at least one of the following: the distance between the carrier drone 100 and the target position in the horizontal direction, the distance in the vertical direction, and the straight-line distance; and at least one of the following: the distance between the grasping drone 300 and the target position in the horizontal direction, the distance in the vertical direction, and the straight-line distance.

[0068] S120. Determine the adjustment parameters of the transport drone based on the preset length and position parameters.

[0069] Specifically, the preset length defines the relative spatial relationship between the carrier drone 100 and the grasping drone 300 and the target position before and after position adjustment. This step can be further refined by calculating the permissible position of the carrier drone 100 when the grasping drone 300 reaches the target position, while keeping the preset length constant, and determining the adjustment parameters of the carrier drone 100 based on the difference between its current position and the permissible position. For example, based on the coordinates of the target position, the coordinates of the grasping drone 300, and the preset length, the required position coordinates of the carrier drone 100 can be calculated using a three-dimensional coordinate system. Then, the adjustment parameters of the carrier drone 100 are obtained by comparing the required position coordinates with its current position coordinates. The adjustment parameters may include the vertical adjustment distance and direction of the carrier drone 100.

[0070] S130. Adjust the position of the carrier drone according to the adjustment parameters so that the capture drone can move to the target position while keeping the release length of the rope unchanged.

[0071] Specifically, the controller can send a position adjustment command to the carrier drone 100 according to the adjustment parameters. The carrier drone 100 moves and adjusts its position according to the position adjustment command, thereby driving the winch 200 to move. Since the length of the rope L is fixed, the attitude of the rope L changes, providing ample rope length margin for the grasping drone 300 to move to the target position in space. For example, the grasping drone 300 and the carrier drone 100 can move synchronously. When the carrier drone 100 accurately arrives at the new position calculated according to the adjustment parameters, the grasping drone 300 also moves to the target position; or the grasping drone 300 can start moving after the carrier drone 100 has started or completed its movement. In short, by adjusting the position of the carrier drone 100, the grasping drone 300 can ultimately move and adjust to the target position while the rope L remains unchanged after release.

[0072] In the technical solution provided by this invention, the grabbing drone itself can serve as a counterweight at the end of the rope. When the grabbing drone is not activated, this allows the rope to be released smoothly without tangling or jamming. Furthermore, when the rope is released to a preset length, by acquiring the positional parameters between the carrier drone and the grabbing drone and the target position, the adjustment parameters of the carrier drone are determined, and the carrier drone is controlled to adjust its own position. This allows the grabbing drone to move and adjust to the target position while maintaining the same rope release length. Since the end of the rope is almost unloaded after the grabbing drone is activated, there is a risk of rope accumulation in the winch during release / retrieval. This invention, by adjusting the position of the carrier drone, allows the grabbing drone to move to the target position without adjusting the rope length. This effectively avoids the problem of rope expansion and accumulation in the winch due to unloaded rope release and retrieval, improving the stability and safety of the drone lifting system operation.

[0073] Figure 3 Another flowchart of the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in this embodiment of the invention. Optionally, based on the above embodiment, see [link to flowchart]. Figure 3 The method includes:

[0074] S210. Obtain the horizontal distance between the carrier drone and the target position in the horizontal direction, and obtain the displacement direction of the grabbing drone toward the target position in the horizontal direction.

[0075] In other words, the aforementioned position parameters include the horizontal distance and displacement direction obtained in S210. Specifically, the horizontal distance between the carrier drone 100 and the target position can be understood as the distance between the projection of the carrier drone 100 onto the horizontal plane where the target position is located and the target position. For example, the horizontal distance between the carrier drone 100 and the target position can be calculated based on the coordinates of the carrier drone 100, the target position, and the grasping drone 300 in three-dimensional space. The horizontal displacement direction of the grasping drone 300 toward the target position can be understood as the direction of the projection of the line connecting the grasping drone 300 and the target position onto the horizontal plane.

[0076] S220. Determine the adjustment distance of the transport drone based on the preset length and horizontal distance.

[0077] For example, the distance between the adjusted position of the transport drone 100 and the target position can be set to a preset length, and the adjustment distance can be calculated based on this. Specifically, the target position, the position of the transport drone 100, and the vertical projection of the transport drone 100 onto the horizontal plane form a right triangle in space. The preset length can be understood as the hypotenuse of the right triangle, and the horizontal distance can be understood as one leg of the right triangle. The other leg of the right triangle is the height of the transport drone 100 after its position is adjusted. Therefore, based on the preset length and the horizontal distance, and using the Pythagorean theorem, the height difference of the transport drone 100 before and after its displacement can be calculated, thus obtaining the adjustment distance of the transport drone 100.

[0078] S230. Determine the adjustment direction of the transport drone based on the displacement direction.

[0079] The adjustment direction includes upward or downward. Specifically, using a straight line passing through the carrier drone 100 and parallel to the vertical direction as a baseline, when the grasping drone 300 moves away from the baseline, the carrier drone 100 needs to adjust downward in the vertical direction to support the grasping drone 300's movement to a greater distance. When the grasping drone 300 moves closer to the baseline, the carrier drone 100 needs to adjust upward in the vertical direction to prevent the excess cable L from getting tangled in the grasping drone 300's rotor blades and affecting its operation. "Closer to the baseline" means the distance to the baseline gradually decreases, not just directly towards the baseline; similarly, "away from the baseline" means the distance to the baseline gradually increases.

[0080] S240. Adjust the position of the carrier drone according to the adjustment parameters so that the release length of the rope L remains unchanged, and the grab drone can move to the target position.

[0081] It is understood that the adjustment parameters include the aforementioned adjustment distance and adjustment direction. Specifically, adjusting the position of the transport drone 100 according to the adjustment parameters can be achieved by controlling the transport drone 100 to move along the adjustment direction by the adjustment distance. It should be noted that when the transport drone 100 is adjusted downwards, its movement distance can be greater than or equal to the adjustment distance; when the transport drone 100 is adjusted upwards, its movement distance can be less than or equal to the adjustment distance.

[0082] This embodiment implements the control of the drone hoisting system based on S210-S240, which can control the grab drone to move to the target position while keeping the rope release length unchanged.

[0083] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, depending on different environmental conditions, the initial positional relationship between the grabbing drone 300 and the transport drone 100 may be different. Accordingly, the process of determining the adjustment parameters is somewhat different, which will be explained in detail below.

[0084] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the displacement adjustment of the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. For example, as shown... Figure 4 As shown, the X-axis represents the horizontal direction in space, and the Y-axis represents the vertical direction in space. The initial spatial coordinates of the carrier drone 100 are point A (x0, y0), and the spatial coordinates of the carrier drone 100 after movement are point A' (x3, y3). The spatial coordinates of the target position are point B (x1, y1), and the initial spatial coordinates of the grasping drone 300 are point C (x2, y2). See also... Figure 4 In one embodiment, optionally, the released rope L is parallel to the vertical direction, and the displacement direction is away from the baseline. That is, the grabbing drone 300 is initially located directly below the carrier drone 100, and at this time the rope L is vertical and coincides with the baseline; therefore, as long as the target position deviates from the initial position of the grabbing drone 300, the grabbing drone 300 will move away from the baseline when moving towards the target position. Figure 5 This is another flowchart of the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, see [link to flowchart]. Figure 5 Based on the preset length and horizontal distance, the adjustment distance of the transport drone is determined, and the adjustment direction of the transport drone is determined based on the displacement direction, including:

[0085] S310. If the released rope is parallel to the vertical direction and the displacement direction is away from the baseline, then the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is downward.

[0086] Specifically, the released rope L is parallel to the vertical direction, and the grabbing drone 300 is directly below the carrier drone 100. That is, the straight line connecting the carrier drone 100 and the grabbing drone 300 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane where the target position is located. At this time, the grabbing drone 300 displaces towards the target position away from the baseline. The direction of displacement of the grabbing drone 300 is, for example, along the positive half-axis of the X-axis. To ensure that the preset length of the released rope L remains unchanged, the height of the carrier drone 100 needs to be adjusted downwards.

[0087] S320. Calculate the length of the other leg of a right triangle with a preset length as the hypotenuse and a horizontal distance as one of its legs.

[0088] Specifically, such as Figure 4As shown, the lengths of the two red dashed lines are both preset rope lengths. The right triangle formed by points A', B, and C is the right triangle formed by the target position, the position of the transport drone 100 after movement, and the vertical projection of the transport drone 100 onto the horizontal plane. The preset length is used as the hypotenuse of the right triangle, and the horizontal distance BC between the transport drone 100 and the target position is used as the base of the right triangle. The horizontal distance is x1-x0, which is also equal to x1-x2; A'C is the length of the other leg of the right triangle to be solved. The length of the other leg of the right triangle can be calculated using the following formula:

[0089] ;

[0090] Where a is the length of the other right-angled side in the right triangle, l0 is the preset length, and x1-x2 is the horizontal distance.

[0091] S330. Use the difference between the preset length and the length of the other right-angled side as the adjustment distance.

[0092] Specifically, the length 'a' of the other right-angled side in the right triangle is also the adjusted height of the transport drone 100. Given that the original height of the transport drone 100 is y0, the adjustment distance of the transport drone 100 can be obtained by subtracting the original height y0 from the length 'a' of the other right-angled side in the right triangle.

[0093] This embodiment, based on steps S310-S330, implements the acquisition of adjustment parameters for a transport drone 100 under a specific scenario. For example... Figure 4 As shown, during the process of the grabbing drone 300 moving from point C to the target location point B, the carrier drone 100 moves from point A to point A', that is, the carrier drone 100 adjusts its direction downward.

[0094] Figure 6 This is another displacement adjustment diagram of the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 This is another displacement adjustment schematic diagram of the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 and Figure 7 Meaning of each coordinate point in the middle and Figure 4 The same applies, so I will not repeat it here. See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 In another embodiment, optionally, the released rope L forms an angle with the vertical direction. That is, the grabbing drone 300 is not initially located directly below the carrier drone 100, but may be deviated from directly below the carrier drone 100 due to wind or other reasons. In this case, the rope L is tilted, forming a certain angle with the baseline. Therefore, in this situation, when the grabbing drone 300 moves towards the target position, it can... Figure 6 As shown, it can be close to the baseline, or as shown in the image. Figure 7 As shown, it is far from the baseline. Figure 8 This is another flowchart of the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, see [link to flowchart]. Figure 8 Based on the preset length and horizontal distance, the adjustment distance of the carrier drone 100 is determined, and the adjustment direction of the carrier drone 100 is determined based on the displacement direction, including:

[0095] S410. If the displacement direction is closer to the baseline, the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is upward; if the displacement direction is farther from the baseline, the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is downward.

[0096] Specifically, if the released rope L forms an angle with the vertical direction, and the grabbing drone 300 moves towards a target position closer to the baseline, to avoid excess rope entanglement on the grabbing drone 300, the height of the carrier drone 100 needs to be adjusted upwards, such as... Figure 6 As shown. If the grabbing drone 300 moves away from the target position, in order to provide sufficient range of movement for the grabbing drone 300, the altitude of the carrier drone 100 needs to be adjusted downwards, such as... Figure 7 As shown.

[0097] S420. Calculate the length of the other leg of a right triangle with a preset length as the hypotenuse and a horizontal distance as one of its legs.

[0098] Specifically, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the target position is still a right triangle formed by points A', B, and C, the position of the transport drone 100 after its movement, and the vertical projection of the transport drone 100 onto the horizontal plane. The length of the other leg can still be calculated based on the Pythagorean theorem using the formula given in S320.

[0099] S430. The difference between the initial height difference between the carrier drone and the capturing drone and the length of the other right-angled side is used as the adjustment distance.

[0100] Specifically, the length 'a' of the other right-angled side of the right triangle represents the adjusted height of the carrier drone 100. Given the original height of the carrier drone 100 as y0, the adjustment distance of the carrier drone 100 can be obtained by subtracting the length 'a' of the other right-angled side from the original height y0. It is understandable that the initial height difference between the carrier drone 100 and the grasping drone 300 can be obtained through coordinate calculations by the positioning device or through image analysis by the image acquisition and processing device; no specific limitation is made here.

[0101] This embodiment provides another method for obtaining the adjustment parameters of the transport drone based on S410-S430.

[0102] Figure 9 This is another flowchart illustrating the control method for the UAV hoisting system provided in this embodiment of the invention. See also... Figure 9 Optionally, based on the above embodiments, when or after adjusting the position of the carrier drone according to the adjustment parameters, the method further includes:

[0103] S510, start capturing the drone.

[0104] Specifically, after the grabbing drone 300 is powered on, it can move and hover. The activation timing of the grabbing drone can be set according to actual needs, either simultaneously with or after the carrier drone 100 is adjusting its position.

[0105] S520: Control the capture drone to move to the target location and perform the target action.

[0106] This step is executed after the capture drone 300 is activated. The target actions include: releasing the target object to be released to the target location, or capturing the target object located at the target location.

[0107] Specifically, when the carrier drone 100 carries the grabbing drone 300 to the airspace above the target location, if the grabbing drone 300 has grabbed a target object, it will release the target object at the target location upon arrival; if the grabbing drone 300 has not grabbed a target object, it will grab the target object at the target location upon arrival.

[0108] S530: After the drone completes the target action, control the winch to retrieve the rope.

[0109] Specifically, after the grab drone 300 completes the target action at the target location, the user can control the winch of the winch 200 to rotate and retract the released rope L to retrieve the grab drone 300.

[0110] This embodiment provides a solution for capturing and recovering a drone through S510-S530.

[0111] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating the control of a winch for retrieving rope L is provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Optionally, based on the above embodiment, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 10 After the drone completes its target capture maneuver, the winch is controlled to retrieve the rope, specifically including:

[0112] S610: After the capture drone completes the target action, control the capture drone to stop.

[0113] Specifically, after the capture drone 300 stops, it will remain on the plane where the target is located, together with the target object.

[0114] S620 controls the carrier drone to fly upwards and stops the carrier drone from flying upwards when the cable is tightened.

[0115] Specifically, when the grabbing drone 300 stops, the rope L may be in a slack state. Directly retrieving the rope L at this time may cause it to not adhere to the winch, resulting in expansion and accumulation. This embodiment controls the carrier drone 100 to fly vertically upwards until the rope L is taut and extended. This operation avoids the expansion and accumulation problem when retrieving the rope L.

[0116] S630, controls the winch to retrieve a rope of a preset length.

[0117] Specifically, since the length of the rope L released does not increase or decrease when the grabbing drone 300 moves toward the target position, the length of the rope L retrieved by the winch 200 after the grabbing drone 300 completes the target action is also the preset length, so that the grabbing drone 300 is completely retrieved when the retrieval is completed.

[0118] In this embodiment, setting the rope L to be in a taut state before the retraction action can prevent the rope L from being too loose during retraction, causing the rope L to expand and accumulate inside the winch 200.

[0119] Based on the above embodiments, there are alternative ways to determine that the rope is taut, and several of them will be described by example below.

[0120] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a grabbing drone provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 11 The grasping drone 300 is equipped with a gripper 310 for grasping the target object. The gripper 310 includes a self-locking structure. For details of the self-locking structure, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 12 The self-locking structure is used to lock itself under the gravity of the target object.

[0121] Accordingly, in one embodiment, optionally, when the target action is to grab the target object located at the target position, it is determined that the rope L is tightened when the self-locking structure self-locks.

[0122] Specifically, see Figure 12The self-locking structure may include a hook 314, a spring 311, and a locking structure. When the gripper 310 is closed, the target object is suspended on the hook 314. Under the weight of the target object, the hook 314 moves downward, compressing the spring 311, which in turn locks the locking structure, thus completing the self-locking process. Furthermore, a connecting rod 312 that moves with the hook 314 may be provided below the hook 314. An opening 313 may be provided on the bearing component below the spring 311, and a sensor may be installed in the opening 313. When the hook 314 is not pressed down and remains in its original position, the connecting rod 312 is above the opening 313 and does not pass through the opening 313. When the hook 314 is pressed down by the target object, the connecting rod 312 moves downward with the hook 314 and passes through the opening 313. Therefore, the controller can determine whether the self-locking structure has completed its self-locking process based on the signal transmitted by the sensor.

[0123] For example, on both sides of opening 313, such as Figure 12 As indicated by the two arrows, a signal transmitter from the sensor can be installed on one side, and a signal receiver can be installed on the other side. The signal receiver can receive the signal emitted by the signal transmitter when the hook 314 is in its original position, but will not receive the signal emitted by the signal transmitter after the self-locking structure locks itself. For example, the sensor can be a light sensor or an electromagnetic sensor, etc.

[0124] In another embodiment, optionally, when the target action is to grasp a target object located at the target position, the rope L can also be determined to be taut when the target object is taken away from the plane where the target position is located. At this time, the grasping drone 300 and the target object it grasps together serve as the load of the rope L.

[0125] In another embodiment, optionally, when the target action is to release the target object to be released to the target position, it is confirmed that the rope L is taut when the grabbing drone 300 separates from the target object to be released. At this time, the grabbing drone acts as the load on the rope L.

[0126] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, if the horizontal distance between the carrier drone 100 and the target position is greater than a first preset distance, before controlling the carrier drone 100 to fly upward, the carrier drone can be controlled to fly horizontally first, so as to reduce the horizontal distance and avoid large shaking of the grab drone 300 when retrieving the rope L.

[0127] Specifically, when the horizontal distance between the carrier drone 100 and the target location is greater than a first preset distance, before controlling the carrier drone 100 to fly upward, the method further includes: controlling the carrier drone 100 to fly horizontally towards the top of the grabbing drone 300 until the horizontal distance is less than a second preset distance; wherein the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance.

[0128] In cases where the horizontal distance between the carrier drone 100 and the target location is greater than a first preset distance, the horizontal distance between the grabbing drone 300 and the carrier drone 100 when the grabbing drone 300 reaches the target location is also relatively large. Directly retrieving the rope L in this situation could cause the grabbing drone 300 to shake violently due to excessive inertial sway, posing a risk of collision with surrounding obstacles or damage due to excessive shaking. Therefore, before controlling the carrier drone 100 to fly upwards and tighten the rope L, it can be controlled to fly horizontally close to the target location, directly above the grabbing drone 300, until the horizontal distance between the carrier drone 100 and the target location is less than a second preset distance. This reduces or even eliminates the tilt of the rope L, preventing excessive inertial sway and violent shaking. Preferably, the second preset distance is 0.

[0129] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, before obtaining the position parameters between the carrier drone and the capturing drone and the target position, the method includes:

[0130] With the rope in the winch not released, control the carrier drone to fly to the airspace above the target location carrying the grab drone.

[0131] Obtain the altitude difference between the carrier drone 100 and the target position.

[0132] The preset length is determined based on the height difference, and the winch is controlled to release the rope to the preset length; wherein the preset length is greater than or equal to the height difference.

[0133] Specifically, during the process of transporting the grabbing drone 300 to the target location by the carrier drone 100, the winch 200 does not release the rope L to avoid excessive swaying of the grabbing drone 300 during transportation. Until the carrier drone 100 flies to a certain range of airspace above the target location, the vertical height difference between the carrier drone 100 and the target location can be calculated using a visual algorithm or other algorithms, and the preset length can be determined accordingly, and the rope L can be released.

[0134] The preset length can be greater than or equal to the vertical height difference between the carrier drone 100 and the target position. This is because if the release length of the rope L is strictly based on the height difference, the rope L may bend due to wind or other factors in the air, resulting in insufficient actual lowering height of the captured drone and affecting the operation of the drone hoisting system. For example, the preset length can be 1 to 1.1 times the vertical height difference between the carrier drone 100 and the target position.

[0135] This invention also provides a photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system, including a drone hoisting system, which can be controlled using the control method of the drone hoisting system provided in any embodiment of this invention, and has corresponding beneficial effects.

[0136] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 13 For example, a photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system includes at least one photovoltaic cleaning robot 400 and a drone hoisting system provided in any of the above embodiments. The drone hoisting system includes a carrier drone 100, a winch 200, and a grabbing drone 300. The winch 200 is mounted on the carrier drone 100, and a rope L is wound around the winch 200. The winch 200 suspends the grabbing drone 300 via the rope L, and the target of the grabbing drone is the photovoltaic cleaning robot 400. The drone hoisting system can perform cleaning and maintenance on the photovoltaic power station by grabbing and releasing the photovoltaic cleaning robot 400, thereby releasing and retrieving the photovoltaic cleaning robot 400 from the photovoltaic array within the photovoltaic power station.

[0137] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0138] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hoisting system, characterized in that, The drone hoisting system includes: a carrier drone, a winch, and a grabbing drone; the winch is mounted on the carrier drone, a rope is wound around the winch, and the winch suspends the grabbing drone through the rope; The method includes: When the rope has been released for a preset length, the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grabbing drone and the target position are obtained; wherein, the target position is the location of the target object to be grabbed by the grabbing drone, or the release position of the target object to be released by the grabbing drone; when the rope is released for the preset length, the height difference between the grabbing drone and the target position is within a preset height difference range; The adjustment parameters of the carrier drone are determined based on the preset length and the position parameters; The position of the carrier drone is adjusted according to the adjustment parameters so that the release length of the rope remains unchanged, and the grabbing drone can move to the target position. The step of acquiring the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grasping drone and the target position, and determining the adjustment parameters of the carrier drone based on the preset length and the position parameters, includes: The horizontal distance between the carrier drone and the target location is obtained in the horizontal direction, and the displacement direction of the grabbing drone toward the target location in the horizontal direction is obtained; The adjustment distance of the transport drone is determined based on the preset length and the horizontal distance; The adjustment direction of the carrier drone is determined based on the displacement direction; wherein, the adjustment direction includes upward or downward. Using a straight line passing through the transport drone and parallel to the vertical direction as a baseline; determining the adjustment distance of the transport drone based on the preset length and the horizontal distance, and determining the adjustment direction of the transport drone based on the displacement direction, includes: If the released rope is parallel to the vertical direction and the displacement direction is away from the baseline, then the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is downward. Calculate the length of the other leg of a right triangle with the preset length as the hypotenuse and the horizontal distance as one of the legs; The difference between the preset length and the length of the other right-angled side is used as the adjustment distance.

2. A control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hoisting system, characterized in that, The drone hoisting system includes: a carrier drone, a winch, and a grabbing drone; the winch is mounted on the carrier drone, a rope is wound around the winch, and the winch suspends the grabbing drone through the rope; The method includes: When the rope has been released for a preset length, the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grabbing drone and the target position are obtained; wherein, the target position is the location of the target object to be grabbed by the grabbing drone, or the release position of the target object to be released by the grabbing drone; when the rope is released for the preset length, the height difference between the grabbing drone and the target position is within a preset height difference range; The adjustment parameters of the carrier drone are determined based on the preset length and the position parameters; The position of the carrier drone is adjusted according to the adjustment parameters so that the release length of the rope remains unchanged, and the grabbing drone can move to the target position. The step of acquiring the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grasping drone and the target position, and determining the adjustment parameters of the carrier drone based on the preset length and the position parameters, includes: The horizontal distance between the carrier drone and the target location is obtained in the horizontal direction, and the displacement direction of the grabbing drone toward the target location in the horizontal direction is obtained; The adjustment distance of the transport drone is determined based on the preset length and the horizontal distance; The adjustment direction of the carrier drone is determined based on the displacement direction; wherein, the adjustment direction includes upward or downward. Using a straight line passing through the transport drone and parallel to the vertical direction as a baseline; determining the adjustment distance of the transport drone based on the preset length and the horizontal distance, and determining the adjustment direction of the transport drone based on the displacement direction, includes: When the released rope forms an angle with the vertical direction, if the displacement direction is closer to the baseline, the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is upward; if the displacement direction is away from the baseline, the adjustment direction of the carrier drone is downward. Calculate the length of the other leg of a right triangle with the preset length as the hypotenuse and the horizontal distance as one of the legs; The difference between the initial height difference between the carrier drone and the capturing drone and the length of the other right-angled side is used as the adjustment distance.

3. The control method for the UAV hoisting system according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, When or after adjusting the position of the carrier drone according to the adjustment parameters, the method further includes: Start the grabbing drone; After activating the grabbing drone, the method further includes: Control the grasping drone to move to the target location and perform the target action; wherein, the target action includes: releasing the target object to be released to the target location, or grasping the target object to be grasped located at the target location; After the grabbing drone completes the target action, the winch is controlled to retrieve the rope.

4. The control method for the UAV hoisting system according to claim 3, characterized in that, After the grabbing drone completes the target action, controlling the winch to retrieve the rope includes: After the grabbing drone completes the target action, control the grabbing drone to stop. Control the carrier drone to fly upwards, and control the carrier drone to stop flying upwards when the rope is taut; Control the winch to retrieve the rope of the preset length.

5. The control method for the UAV hoisting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The grasping drone is equipped with grippers for grasping the target object, and the grippers include a self-locking structure for self-locking under the gravity of the target object. When the target action is to grab a target object located at the target position, the rope is determined to be taut when the target object is taken away from the target position, and / or when the self-locking structure self-locks.

6. The control method for the UAV hoisting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the target action is to release the target object to be released to the target position, it is confirmed that the rope is taut when the grabbing drone separates from the target object to be released.

7. The control method for the UAV hoisting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, If the horizontal distance between the carrier drone and the target location is greater than a first preset distance, the method further includes the following steps before controlling the carrier drone to fly upwards: Control the carrier drone to fly horizontally towards the top of the grabbing drone until the horizontal distance is less than a second preset distance; wherein the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance.

8. The control method for the UAV hoisting system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before acquiring the position parameters between the carrier drone and the grasping drone and the target location, the method further includes: Without releasing the rope in the winch, control the carrier drone to carry the grabbing drone to the airspace above the target location; Obtain the height difference between the carrier drone and the target position; The preset length is determined based on the height difference, and the winch is controlled to release the rope to the preset length; wherein the preset length is greater than or equal to the height difference.

9. A photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance system, characterized in that, include: At least one photovoltaic cleaning robot, and a drone hoisting system; The drone hoisting system is controlled by the method described in any one of claims 1-8, and the target object captured by the grabbing drone is the photovoltaic cleaning robot.

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