Negative pressure adsorption unmanned aerial vehicle wall climbing device and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and relates to a negative pressure adsorption unmanned aerial vehicle wall climbing device and a control method thereof.The device comprises a carbon plate, wheel set driving assemblies are arranged at the four corners of the carbon plate, and mounting holes are formed in the peripheral area of the carbon plate; the carbon plate is provided with a surface a and a surface b which are oppositely arranged, the surface a is a functional component mounting surface, and the surface b is a negative pressure adsorption surface; a ducted fan, a power distribution plate, a flight controller, an electronic speed controller and a steering engine driving plate are mounted on the surface a; the ducted fans are mounted at the mounting holes, the input end of the power distribution plate is connected with the battery, the output end of the power distribution plate is connected with the flight control, the electronic speed controller and the steering engine driving plate, the signal output end of the flight control is connected with the electronic speed controller and the steering engine driving plate, the output end of the electronic speed controller is connected with the corresponding ducted fans, and the output end of the steering engine driving plate is connected with the wheel set driving assembly; and a circle of sealing piece is adhered to the peripheral edge of the b surface through weather-proof glue. The device has the advantages of being simple in structure, reliable in adsorption, high in maneuverability and capable of achieving multi-mode flexible switching.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and relates to a negative pressure adsorption UAV wall-climbing device and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of drone technology, drones have been widely used in various fields such as aerial surveying and mapping, agricultural plant protection, and power line inspection. However, as the functional requirements of equipment are upgraded in scenarios such as building exterior wall inspection, indoor ceiling maintenance, and large storage tank inspection, the technical limitations of traditional drones and single-function wall-climbing equipment are becoming increasingly prominent, making it difficult to meet the integrated needs of "aerial movement - wall attachment - ground operation" in complex environments.

[0003] Conventional multi-rotor drones, such as quadcopter drones, while possessing flexible flight capabilities and enabling long-distance relocation and high-altitude observation, can only rely on their rotors to provide lift and maintain their aerial attitude. They cannot achieve stable attachment to special surfaces such as vertical walls and ceilings. When close contact with target surfaces is required for inspection, cleaning, or other operations, they can only operate by hovering. This not only results in poor attitude stability and low operational accuracy but also makes them susceptible to airflow interference, increasing operational risks. Furthermore, they lack ground mobility, limiting their applicability in confined spaces or close-range operational scenarios.

[0004] Existing wall-climbing equipment faces the dilemma of limited functionality and poor environmental adaptability: One type is adsorption-based wall-climbing equipment, such as vacuum adsorption equipment, which relies on complex sealing structures and continuous air extraction systems. It requires extremely high wall flatness and struggles to form an effective seal on rough, porous, or curved surfaces, resulting in insufficient adsorption or even detachment. Magnetic adsorption equipment is only suitable for ferromagnetic walls, severely limiting its application scenarios and failing to meet the operational needs of non-magnetic walls such as concrete, glass, and composite materials. Another type is contact-based wall-climbing equipment, such as wheeled and tracked equipment. While these do not rely on adsorption structures, they lack mobility and are prone to slipping and getting stuck on uneven walls. Furthermore, they lack flight capabilities, making it impossible to move across obstacles and difficult to handle complex scenarios requiring both aerial relocation and wall-level operations.

[0005] Even with attempts to integrate flight and wall-climbing functions into some devices, numerous technical bottlenecks remain: Firstly, most integrated devices require additional tilting mechanisms to switch between flight and wall-climbing modes, increasing structural complexity and overall weight, as well as control difficulty and making mode switching prone to failure due to mechanism malfunctions. Secondly, the collaborative control logic between the flight and wall-climbing systems is imperfect, often resulting in attitude loss and unstable attachment during mode transitions. Furthermore, the overall weight of the devices is significant, and their endurance is weak, making it difficult to meet the demands of extended operation. In addition, existing devices suffer from multi-mode compatibility deficiencies, unable to simultaneously adapt to various operational scenarios such as ground movement, wall climbing, and ceiling attachment, resulting in a narrow scope of application and difficulty in addressing diverse operational needs in practical applications.

[0006] In summary, there is an urgent need for equipment that can overcome the technical limitations of traditional equipment and meet the operational needs of complex scenarios such as building exterior wall inspection, indoor equipment maintenance, and large facility maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned technical problems in existing technologies, this invention proposes a negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device and its control method. This device features simple structure, reliable adsorption, high mobility, and the ability to flexibly switch between multiple modes. The specific technical solution is as follows: A negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device includes a carbon plate with wheel drive assemblies at its four corners and mounting holes around its perimeter. The carbon plate has two opposing surfaces, a and b, where surface a is the mounting surface for functional components and surface b is the negative pressure adsorption surface. Surface a is equipped with a ducted fan, a power distribution board, a flight controller, an electronic speed controller (ESC), and a servo drive board. The ducted fan is installed at each mounting hole. The power distribution board's input terminal is connected to a battery, and its output terminals are connected to the flight controller, ESC, and servo drive board, respectively. The flight controller's signal output terminal is connected to the ESC and the servo drive board, the ESC's output terminal is connected to the corresponding ducted fan, and the servo drive board's output terminal is connected to the wheel drive assembly. A sealing ring is affixed to the perimeter of surface b with weather-resistant adhesive.

[0008] Furthermore, the wheel drive assembly includes a servo motor and a servo wheel. The servo motor is installed at the four corners of the carbon plate a and is electrically connected to the servo motor drive plate. The motor shaft of the servo motor is connected to the servo wheel via a coupling.

[0009] Furthermore, the ring seal is made of a sealing sponge strip.

[0010] Furthermore, the power distribution board is mounted on the central area of ​​the carbon plate via aluminum pillars, and the flight controller is attached to the side of the power distribution board near the carbon plate via thermally conductive adhesive.

[0011] A control method for a negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device, which enables the device to switch between ground inspection mode, wall-climbing mode and flight mode by coordinating the drive components of the wheel set with the ducted fan.

[0012] Furthermore, in ground inspection mode, with carbon plate b side facing up and a side facing down, the ducted fan is in a stopped state. The flight control system controls four servos to drive the servo wheels through the servo drive board. Ground movement is achieved by adjusting the speed difference between the two servo wheels.

[0013] Furthermore, when transitioning from ground inspection mode to wall-climbing mode, the flight controller first moves the drone towards the target wall. When the distance between the drone and the wall reaches a preset value, the flight controller slows down the drone, causing the control wheels to contact the wall first. Then, the flight controller keeps the ducted fan near the wall stationary while starting the ducted fan away from the wall and outputting downward thrust, forcing the drone to flip over using the wall's base as a fulcrum. Once all four control wheels are in contact with the wall, the flight controller starts all four ducted fans, drawing air from the carbon plate's B side. The sealing sponge strip creates a sealed negative pressure chamber between the carbon plate's B side and the wall, using the negative pressure suction to fix the drone to the wall, completing the mode transition.

[0014] Furthermore, in flight mode, the flight control system synchronously starts the four ducted fans, and lift control and attitude adjustment are achieved by adjusting the speed difference between the different ducted fans to complete flight maneuvers.

[0015] The advantages and beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: (1) Reliable adsorption and wide applicability: By setting a sealing sponge strip on the b side of the carbon plate and using a duct fan to draw air into the b side to form a sealed negative pressure chamber, a stable and strong negative pressure adsorption force can be generated, ensuring that the drone can be firmly attached to different surfaces such as walls and ceilings, and is not easy to fall off due to external interference or operation vibration, thus ensuring operational safety. At the same time, it integrates four working modes: ground inspection, wall crawling, flight and ceiling attachment, breaking the limitation of conventional drones with single function, and is suitable for multi-scenario operation needs.

[0016] (2) High mobility and excellent endurance: The main structure is made of lightweight and high-strength carbon plate, combined with compact core components such as ducted fans and servo motors. The overall structure is simple and compact, effectively controlling the overall weight of the UAV, reducing energy consumption and improving endurance. At the same time, in ground mode, flexible movement is achieved through differential control of the active wheel. In wall mode, the direction of movement is adjusted by servo motors driving the steering wheel. In flight mode, the attitude is precisely adjusted by ducted fans. All modes have excellent mobility and can quickly respond to operational needs.

[0017] (3) No tilting structure required, easy to control: Compared with traditional wall climbing equipment that relies on tilting mechanism to achieve mode switching, the present invention can complete the transition and operation of ground, wall, flight, ceiling and other modes by directly controlling the duct fan speed change and the steering wheel movement through flight control. There is no need to set up a complicated tilting structure, which simplifies the overall structural design, reduces the equipment failure rate, and reduces the control variables, making the flight control logic clearer, reducing the difficulty of operation, making it easier for operators to master quickly and improving work efficiency.

[0018] (4) Smooth mode transition and high operational safety: During the transition between modes, the steering wheel can make contact with the contact surface first, and the elasticity of the steering wheel itself can play a buffering role to avoid direct collision between the UAV and the contact surface such as the wall and ceiling, which would cause damage to the components; at the same time, the flight control can accurately control the start, stop and speed of the ducted fan to ensure that the UAV attitude is stable during the mode switching process, and there will be no risk of large shaking or falling, further improving operational safety and reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the carbon plate a-side of the negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device in this embodiment when it faces upwards; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure viewed from below; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure viewed from below; Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the left or right view structure; In the diagram, 1-carbon plate, 2-ducted fan, 3-servo motor, 4-steering wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and technical effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] As shown in the figure Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment provides a negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device, using an integrated carbon plate 1 as the main load-bearing structure. The carbon plate 1 has two opposing surfaces, a and b. Surface a is the mounting surface for functional components, and surface b is the negative pressure adsorption surface. The use of carbon plate material for the main structure makes the overall structure lightweight while providing sufficient strength and mobility, providing a basic support for the stable assembly and operation of each functional module.

[0022] Four circular mounting holes are pre-set on the carbon plate A side. The size of the holes is adapted to the air intake of the ducted fan 2. The four ducted fans 2 are fixed to the holes by custom metal brackets. The brackets are connected to the carbon plate A side by countersunk screws to ensure that the air intake of the ducted fan 2 is completely in contact with the holes of the carbon plate A side after installation, and the air intake direction is perpendicular to the carbon plate B side, forming a negative pressure adsorption power source. A servo motor 3 is installed at each of the four corners of the carbon plate A side. The servo motor 3 is fixed to the pre-set mounting point by screws. The motor shaft of each servo motor 3 is connected to a servo wheel 4 through a coupling. The coupling ensures that the servo wheel 4 and the motor shaft are coaxial, and the four servo motors 3 are installed at the same height, so that when the drone is placed on a horizontal ground, the servo wheel 4 can fully contact the ground. The outer edge of the carbon plate B side is kept about 0.5cm away from the ground to avoid contact between the ducted fan 2 and the carbon plate B side.

[0023] A power distribution board is fixed to the center of the carbon plate's A side by four aluminum pillars. The bottom of the aluminum pillars is connected to the carbon plate's A side, and the top is connected to the power distribution board by screws. The A side also houses electronic components such as servo drive boards, flight controllers, and ESCs. The flight controller is attached to the side of the power distribution board closest to the carbon plate using thermally conductive adhesive. This layout saves space, reduces the impact of vibration on the flight controller, and ensures stable signal transmission between the flight controller and other components. The servo drive boards and ESCs are attached to other empty spaces on the carbon plate's A side using double-sided tape. The wiring of each electronic component follows the principle of "separating high-current devices from low-voltage signal lines." The power distribution board's input end is connected to the battery, and its output ends are connected to the flight controller, ESC, and servo drive boards, respectively, achieving reasonable power distribution. The flight controller's signal output end is connected to the ESC and the servo drive board. The ESC's output end is connected to the corresponding ducted fan, and the servo drive board's output end is connected to the corresponding servo 3. The wiring harness is organized and fixed with cable ties to avoid tangling and interference.

[0024] A sealing sponge strip can be pasted around the outer edge of the carbon plate's B side. The sealing sponge strip is bonded to the carbon plate's B side with weather-resistant adhesive and is continuous without any breaks. Its width covers the edge of the carbon plate's B side to the inner side by 5-8mm, ensuring the sealing performance when a negative pressure cavity is formed later, enhancing the negative pressure adsorption effect, and ensuring the drone's adhesion stability on the wall or ceiling.

[0025] In ground inspection mode, the UAV's carbon plate has side b facing up and side a facing down, and the ducted fan is in a stopped state. The flight control system controls four servos to drive the rudder wheels through the servo drive board. By adjusting the speed difference between the two rudder wheels, ground movement actions such as forward, backward, and turning can be achieved, which meets the needs of ground inspection and short-distance relocation. At this time, the sealing sponge strip maintains a distance of about 0.5cm from the ground, which does not affect ground movement.

[0026] When transitioning from ground mode to wall-climbing mode, the flight controller first moves the drone towards the target wall, using onboard distance sensors to detect the distance between the drone and the wall in real time. When the distance reaches a preset value, the flight controller slows the drone down, allowing the control wheels 4 to make initial contact with the wall for cushioning. Then, the flight controller keeps the ducted fan 2 near the wall stationary while starting the ducted fan 2 away from the wall and outputting downward thrust, forcing the drone to flip over using the wall as a fulcrum. Once all four control wheels 4 are in contact with the wall, the flight controller starts all four ducted fans 2, drawing air into the carbon plate b side, creating a sealed negative pressure chamber between the carbon plate b side and the wall. The negative pressure suction force stabilizes the drone on the wall, completing the mode transition.

[0027] After entering the wall crawling mode, the four ducted fans 2 continuously draw air into the carbon plate b side to maintain a stable pressure in the negative pressure chamber and ensure that the drone is stably attached to the wall. The flight control system controls the rotation of the rudder wheel 4 through the servo drive board, adjusts the speed and direction of the rudder wheel, and realizes the drone's forward, backward, and turning movements along the wall. At the same time, it monitors the body attitude in real time, fine-tunes the speed of the ducted fans 2, compensates for the attitude deviation caused by the unevenness of the wall, and ensures the stability of wall operation.

[0028] In flight mode, the flight controller controls the four ducted fans to start synchronously. By adjusting the speed difference of different ducted fans 2, lift control and attitude adjustment are achieved to complete conventional flight maneuvers such as takeoff, hovering, and cruise, meeting the needs of long-distance obstacle crossing. When transitioning from flight mode to wall crawling mode, the flight controller first controls the drone to adjust its attitude so that the carbon plate b side faces the wall and slowly decreases the flight altitude. When the control wheel approaches the wall, the flight controller reduces the speed of the ducted fans so that the control wheel lightly touches the wall to provide a buffer. Then, it controls the ducted fans 2 near the wall to stop and the ducted fans 2 away from the wall to output thrust, causing the drone to flip so that the four control wheels 4 are in contact with the wall. Then, all the ducted fans are started to form a negative pressure chamber, completing the mode switch.

[0029] When switching from ground mode to ceiling mode, the flight controller activates the four ducted fans 2, which draw air into the carbon plate b side to generate upward suction, lifting the drone off the ground and into flight. As the drone approaches the ceiling, the flight controller reduces the speed of the ducted fans 2, allowing the drone to slowly approach the ceiling until the sealing sponge strip on the carbon plate b side adheres to the ceiling. At this point, the flight controller adjusts the speed of the ducted fans to maintain stable pressure in the negative pressure chamber, ensuring the drone remains stably attached to the ceiling, thus meeting the needs of ceiling maintenance, cleaning, and other operations.

[0030] The device of this invention features a compact layout of all components, lightweight yet high-strength carbon plates that effectively control the weight of the machine and improve its endurance. The sealing sponge strips work in conjunction with the ducted fan to ensure reliable negative pressure adsorption, and the wheel assembly and ducted fan work together to achieve smooth switching between multiple modes. It is suitable for various complex scenarios such as building exterior wall inspection and indoor equipment maintenance, and has good practicality and reliability.

[0031] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention in any way. Although the implementation process of the present invention has been described in detail above, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing examples or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. All modifications and equivalent substitutions made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device, comprising a carbon plate, characterized in that, The carbon plate is provided with wheel drive components at its four corners, and mounting holes are provided around the carbon plate. The carbon plate has two opposing surfaces, a and b. Surface a is the mounting surface for functional components, and surface b is the negative pressure adsorption surface. The A-side is equipped with a ducted fan, a power distribution board, a flight controller, an electronic speed controller, and a servo drive board. The ducted fan is installed at each mounting hole. The input end of the power distribution board is connected to the battery, and the output end is connected to the flight controller, ESC and servo drive board respectively. The flight controller signal output end is connected to the ESC and servo drive board. The ESC output end is connected to the corresponding ducted fan. The servo drive board output end is connected to the wheel drive assembly. A sealing ring is attached to the four edges of side B with weather-resistant adhesive.

2. The negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wheel drive assembly includes a servo motor and a servo wheel. The servo motor is installed at the four corners of the carbon plate a and is electrically connected to the servo motor drive plate. The motor shaft of the servo motor is connected to the servo wheel through a coupling.

3. The negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing ring is made of sealing sponge strip.

4. The negative pressure adsorption drone wall-climbing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The power distribution board is mounted on the central area of ​​the carbon plate via aluminum pillars, and the flight controller is attached to the side of the power distribution board near the carbon plate via thermally conductive adhesive.

5. A control method for a negative pressure adsorption unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wall-climbing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, By coordinating the drive components of the wheel set with the ducted fan, the device can switch between ground inspection mode, wall crawling mode and flight mode.

6. The control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, In ground inspection mode, with carbon plate b side facing up and a side facing down, the ducted fan is in a stopped state. The flight controller controls four servos to drive the rudder wheels through the servo drive board. Ground movement is achieved by adjusting the speed difference between the two rudder wheels.

7. The control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, When transitioning from ground inspection mode to wall-climbing mode, the flight controller first moves the drone towards the target wall. When the distance between the drone and the wall reaches a preset value, the flight controller slows down the drone, causing the control wheels to contact the wall first. Then, the flight controller keeps the ducted fan near the wall stationary while starting the ducted fan away from the wall and outputting downward thrust, forcing the drone to flip over using the wall's base as a fulcrum. Once all four control wheels are in contact with the wall, the flight controller starts all four ducted fans, drawing air from the carbon plate's B side. Using the sealing sponge strip, a sealed negative pressure chamber is formed between the carbon plate's B side and the wall. The negative pressure suction force fixes the drone to the wall, completing the mode transition.

8. The control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, In flight mode, the flight controller activates the four ducted fans simultaneously, and lift control and attitude adjustment are achieved by adjusting the speed difference between the different ducted fans to complete flight maneuvers.

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