Unmanned aerial vehicle system and method for measuring flatness and irregular profile of wall surface

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of fair-faced concrete building structure irregular contour detection, in particular to an unmanned aerial vehicle system and method for wall flatness and irregular contour measurement, and the unmanned aerial vehicle system comprises a ground control station, an unmanned aerial vehicle body, a coordinate positioning mechanism, a coordinate offset self-resetting mechanism, a vibration reduction mechanism and a measurement mechanism. The method comprises a hovering vibration reduction method, a measurement method and a coordinate offset self-resetting method. The anti-vibration capability of the unmanned aerial vehicle body during hovering can be greatly improved, the hovering stability can be improved, meanwhile, the detection efficiency can be improved, the detection difficulty can be reduced, and the unmanned aerial vehicle body can automatically return to the original position when deviating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of irregular contour detection technology for fair-faced concrete building structures, specifically to a drone system and method for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours. Background Technology

[0002] Fair-faced concrete is a style of architectural modernism, also known as decorative concrete due to its highly decorative effect. The basic idea is to leave the concrete unpainted after pouring, without any further finishing processes such as painting, tiling, or applying stone, allowing the natural beauty of the concrete structure to shine through.

[0003] To highlight the visual appeal of exposed concrete, walls typically require a high degree of flatness, and many walls also feature irregular contours to create a more visually striking effect. Strictly speaking, from a microscopic perspective, even a very flat wall surface is composed of irregular contours. Therefore, inspecting the flatness and visible irregular contours of building walls helps ensure construction quality and that the visual effect of the exposed concrete matches the original design intent.

[0004] In the existing technology, there are few documents on the detection of flatness and irregular contours of fair-faced concrete walls. For example, CN215338224U provides an intelligent mobile laser flatness measuring instrument for fair-faced concrete surfaces, including: a mobile trolley, a crosshead slide, a controller, a computer, a data acquisition unit for collecting surface flatness information, and a drive unit for providing power for the movement of the data acquisition unit; the crosshead slide is installed on the upper surface of the mobile trolley; the data acquisition unit includes: a line laser sensor, a data acquisition unit, a laser rangefinder sensor, and a microcontroller; the measuring instrument uses multi-point surface scanning, resulting in small measurement errors, high accuracy, and strong representativeness; it also has a simple structure, novel and reasonable design, is easy to operate, and has a high degree of automation in the measurement process, enabling rapid flatness measurement of various types of fair-faced concrete surfaces such as walls, columns, and slabs, with high work efficiency and suitable for widespread application. However, this device is only suitable for flatness detection of walls about 2 meters high, and cannot achieve the detection effect for current multi-story, high-rise, or super high-rise buildings.

[0005] Drones can effectively perform high-altitude take-off and landing, but there are very few patent documents in the patent database on using drones for wall flatness and irregular contour detection. Common problems in practical use include: 1. Drones are easily affected by various factors in the air (such as airflow), making it difficult to accurately position themselves. When their position is not accurately determined, the detection results for the wall are affected. Therefore, improving the drone's hovering stability is a problem that needs to be solved; 2. Existing drone measurement methods mostly measure each position on the wall sequentially, resulting in low detection efficiency; 3. When existing drones are used for measurement, they cannot automatically reset after vibration or displacement due to external factors. Complex operations by ground control personnel are required for the drone to return to its positioning point, causing inconvenience. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides a drone system and method for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours, aiming to improve the problems of low stability of drones hovering at high altitudes, inability to automatically reset after displacement due to vibration factors, and low measurement efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A drone system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours includes a ground control station, a drone body, a coordinate positioning mechanism, a coordinate offset self-resetting mechanism, a vibration damping mechanism, and a measuring mechanism. The controller of the drone body is connected to the ground control station via a wireless signal transceiver. The vibration damping mechanism includes a rotational vibration damping unit, a horizontal displacement vibration damping unit, and tilt and longitudinal vibration damping units mounted on the drone body. The measuring mechanism is located on the top of the drone body. The coordinate positioning mechanism includes a coordinate indicating unit located at the bottom of the drone body and a coordinate positioning unit located on the ground. The coordinate offset self-resetting mechanism includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor connected to the vibration damping mechanism, and a high-definition camera located on one side of the coordinate positioning unit. The first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, the measuring mechanism, and the coordinate indicating unit are electrically connected to the controller. The high-definition camera is electrically connected to the ground control station, and the ground control station transmits the visual signal from the high-definition camera to the controller via a wireless signal transceiver.

[0008] Preferably, the UAV body includes a main control bay, and the tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit includes several cantilever arms evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the main control bay along its axis. The cantilever arms in the front, rear, left, and right directions extend outwards and are equipped with propeller mechanisms. The top and bottom of the main control bay are symmetrically provided with an upper tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit and a lower tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit. The upper tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit includes a telescopic rod and a protective cover longitudinally positioned at the center of the top of the main control bay. The bottom end of the telescopic rod is connected to the top of the main control bay. The structure is a ball joint with a steel ball fixedly connected to the top. Several supporting damping springs are evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the steel ball along the longitudinal axis. Each supporting damping spring corresponds to a cantilever. The top of each supporting damping spring is connected to the outer surface of the steel ball, and the bottom is connected to the top of the corresponding cantilever. The protective cover covers the telescopic rod, the steel ball, and the supporting damping springs. The lower edge of the protective cover is fixedly connected to the top of the cantilever. Landing gears are provided on both sides of the outer surface of the protective cover of the downward tilting and longitudinal damping unit. The protective cover is coaxial with the main control compartment.

[0009] Preferably, the horizontal displacement damping unit includes a cylindrical shell coaxially disposed inside the main control compartment. A first mass block is disposed at the center of the cylindrical shell. A plurality of radial damping springs are evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the first mass block along an axis. One end of each radial damping spring is connected to the outer surface of the first mass block, and the other end is connected to the sensing end of a first pressure sensor embedded in the inner wall of the cylindrical shell. A first electromagnet is embedded at the bottom center of the cylindrical shell to attract the first mass block. A second electromagnet is disposed at the top of the inner wall of the protective cover to attract a steel ball. The first mass block is slidably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical shell. The first and second electromagnets are electrically connected to the controller via wires.

[0010] Preferably, the rotary vibration damping unit includes an annular shell coaxially disposed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical shell. The annular shell is divided into several vibration damping spaces by several radially arranged partitions. A second mass block is provided in the middle of the vibration damping space. The second mass block is slidably connected to the inner wall of the annular shell. Vibration damping connecting springs with arc curvature are respectively provided at both ends of the second mass block. One end of the vibration damping connecting spring is connected to the end of the second mass block, and the other end is connected to the sensing end of a second pressure sensor embedded on the outer surface of the partition.

[0011] Preferably, the measuring mechanism includes a mounting plate fixedly connected longitudinally to the top of the protective cover of the inclined and longitudinal vibration damping unit. Two fixing plates are fixedly mounted on the front end of the mounting plate, and a rotating shaft is rotatably connected between the two fixing plates. A roller is coaxially fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. A plurality of first laser ranging sensors are evenly distributed side by side on the outer surface of the roller. The backward extension line of the measuring light of the first laser ranging sensor intersects the axis of the rotating shaft. One end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the output shaft of a servo motor preset on the surface of the fixing plate. The servo motor and the first laser ranging sensors are electrically connected to the controller through wires.

[0012] Preferably, the coordinate positioning unit includes a rectangular plate, one end of which is used to fit against the bottom of the wall. The rectangular plate is provided with an X-axis and a Y-axis that intersect at a cross. The X-axis is parallel to the end of the rectangular plate that contacts the wall, and the Y-axis intersects the X-axis at the origin. The coordinate indicating unit includes a second laser ranging sensor located at the center of the bottom of the protective cover of the downward tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit and used in conjunction with the origin; two third laser ranging sensors located at the bottom of the protective cover on the left and right sides of the second laser ranging sensor and used in conjunction with the X-axis; and two fourth laser ranging sensors located at the bottom of the protective cover on the front and rear sides of the second laser ranging sensor and used in conjunction with the Y-axis. The edge of the rectangular plate is provided with a support frame, and a high-definition camera is installed at the top of the support frame. The second, third, and fourth laser ranging sensors are electrically connected to the controller via wires.

[0013] Preferably, the UAV body is equipped with a three-axis tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, an image recognition module, a satellite positioning module, and a flight attitude control module.

[0014] Methods for using UAV systems to measure wall flatness and irregular contours, including hovering vibration reduction methods, measurement methods, and coordinate offset self-resetting methods.

[0015] Preferably, the hovering vibration reduction method includes the following modes: (11) Rotational vibration reduction: When the UAV rotates, the second mass block rotates clockwise or counterclockwise along the inner wall of the annular shell due to inertia and squeezes the corresponding vibration reduction connecting spring. Several vibration reduction connecting springs transmit thrust through the partition, and then transmit the thrust to the UAV body through the annular shell, thus reducing the energy consumption of rotational vibration. (12) Tilt and longitudinal vibration reduction: When the UAV body tilts, the upper and lower steel balls will tilt due to inertia, which will then squeeze and pull the corresponding support vibration reduction springs, consume the energy of the tilt vibration, and promote the UAV body to return to its original position; when the UAV body vibrates in the vertical direction, the upper and lower steel balls will stretch or squeeze the support vibration reduction springs due to inertia, consume the energy of the longitudinal vibration of the UAV body, and promote the UAV body to return to its original position. (13) Horizontal vibration reduction: When the UAV body vibrates in the horizontal direction, the first mass block slides in the opposite direction of the vibration due to inertia, thereby pulling or squeezing the corresponding radial vibration damping spring, transmitting the force to the UAV body through the cylindrical shell, consuming the energy of the horizontal vibration, and promoting the UAV body to reset.

[0016] Preferably, the measurement method includes the following steps: (21) At the initial work position, one end of the rectangular plate is attached to the bottom of the wall, and the UAV body is suspended above the rectangular plate, so that the measuring light of the second laser range sensor is projected to the origin, the measuring light of the two third laser range sensors is projected to the X-axis respectively, and the measuring light of the two fourth laser range sensors is projected to the Y-axis respectively. At this time, the mounting plate is directly opposite the wall. (22) The UAV hovers at a set height and rotates the shaft through the servo motor, driving the first laser rangefinder to scan the set range of the wall. The controller sends the scanning signal to the ground control station. The ground control station draws the scanning line diagram through a preset program, identifies the scanning blind area formed by the irregular outline of the wall based on the scanning line diagram, and sends the relevant scanning line diagram to the controller. (23) The controller rises vertically above the scanning blind zone based on its position and scans the wall again using the first laser ranging sensor. The scanning blind zone that is blocked is identified by the first laser ranging sensor and transmitted to the ground control station to draw a complete scanning line graph. (24) The ground control station compiles all the complete scan line diagrams and draws the flatness and irregular outline of the wall at the work station. (25) After inspecting one station, move the rectangular plate to the next station and inspect it again. During the inspection of each station, ensure that the top elevation of the rectangular plate is consistent and that it remains horizontal.

[0017] Preferably, the coordinate offset self-resetting method includes the following modes: (31) When the UAV body rotates horizontally, the UAV body receives the signal of the corresponding second pressure sensor. The second pressure sensors on both sides of the partition are the second pressure sensor that senses the counterclockwise direction and the second pressure sensor that senses the clockwise direction. The controller selects to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise according to the type of the second pressure sensor. According to the visual information of the high-definition camera, when the measurement light of the third laser rangefinder intersects the X-axis and the measurement light of the fourth laser rangefinder intersects the Y-axis and the measurement light of the second laser rangefinder remains intersecting with the origin, the UAV body resets. (32) Each first pressure sensor is numbered and has corresponding directional information. When the UAV body moves horizontally, the UAV body returns to the top of the rectangular plate according to the directional information of the first pressure sensor with the highest pressure value. According to the visual information of the high-definition camera, the measurement light of the second laser range sensor intersects with the origin, the measurement light of the third laser range sensor intersects with the X-axis, and the measurement light of the fourth laser range sensor intersects with the Y-axis. At this time, the UAV body resets. (33) When the UAV body vibrates in the vertical direction, the UAV body is reset to the set height and hovered based on the distance between the origin measured by the second laser rangefinder. (34) When the UAV body tilts and vibrates, it is restored to a horizontal attitude by tilting and longitudinal vibration reduction units, and then automatically resets based on the visual information of the high-definition camera. When the drone body experiences horizontal vibration displacement, if the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors corresponding to two adjacent radial damping springs are the highest and the same, then the drone's return direction should be the direction angle where the midpoint of the angle between the two adjacent first pressure sensors with the highest and the same values ​​lies. If one first pressure sensor detects the highest value, and the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors on both sides of this first pressure sensor are the same, then the direction information corresponding to the first pressure sensor with the highest value is the drone's return direction. If one first pressure sensor detects the highest value, and the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors on both sides of this first pressure sensor are different (one higher and one lower), then the return direction angle should be between the direction angle of the first pressure sensor with the highest value and the adjacent first pressure sensor with the higher value. In this case, the direction angle where the midpoint of the angle between the two first pressure sensors with the closest or the same values ​​on both sides of the first pressure sensor with the highest value is located is selected as the return direction.

[0018] The UAV system and method for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours of this invention have the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention addresses the difficulty of high-altitude hovering and positioning of drones by improving the vibration reduction system of the drone body, which can significantly improve the stability of the drone body when hovering in the air, effectively cope with various vibration factors, and thus improve the accuracy and convenience of measurement. 2. This invention improves the method of wall measurement by scanning, drawing a scan line diagram and identifying blind spots, and then scanning from above the blind spots. This method can significantly improve the efficiency of measuring wall flatness and irregular contours, and reduce the difficulty of measurement. 3. The present invention uses a coordinate offset self-resetting mechanism to automatically reset the drone body when it deviates from the set position, which greatly reduces the difficulty of the operator's work. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a front cross-sectional view of the main body of the UAV of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view of the main body of the UAV of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a top view of the UAV body after the protective cover has been removed.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the cylindrical shell and the annular shell of the present invention from a frontal view.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a top-view cross-sectional view of the cylindrical shell and the annular shell of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a side view of the UAV body of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a bottom view of the protective cover structure of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure during the detection process of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a top view of the rectangular plate structure of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing the complete scan line pattern for this invention.

[0029] Figure 11 The principle for determining the return direction of the UAV body in this invention Figure 1 .

[0030] Figure 12 The principle for determining the return direction of the UAV body in this invention Figure 2 .

[0031] 1. Main control compartment; 2. Annular outer wall; 3. Steel ball; 4. Telescopic rod; 5. Supporting damping spring; 6. Cantilever for propeller mounting; 7. Propeller mechanism; 8. Mounting plate; 9. Fixing plate; 10. Rotating shaft; 11. Roller; 12. First laser rangefinder; 13. Servo motor; 14. Second electromagnet; 15. Protective cover; 16. Cantilever; 17. Annular shell; 18. Partition; 19. First mass block; 20. Cylindrical shell; 21. Radial damping spring; 22. Second mass block; 23. First pressure sensor; 24. Damping connecting spring; 25. Fourth laser rangefinder; 26. Third laser rangefinder; 27. Second laser rangefinder; 28. Wall; 29. ​​Rectangular 30. Plate; 31. Support frame; 32. High-definition camera; 33. X-axis; 34. Y-axis; 35. Origin; 36. Wall top view; 37. Scanning blind zone; 38. Measurement position one: the intersection of the backward extension of the measurement ray from the first laser rangefinder sensor and the axis of rotation; 39. Measurement ray; 40. Two adjacent first pressure sensors with the highest and same detection values; 41. Return direction; 42. Two first pressure sensors with the closest or the same values ​​on both sides of the first pressure sensor with the highest detection value; 43. The first pressure sensor with the highest detection value; 44. Adjacent first pressure sensors with higher detection values.

[0032] It should be noted that the above figures are all schematic diagrams and the size ratios between the various structures of the present invention should not be understood based on the scale relationships shown in the figures. The actual size ratios should be set as needed. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The following description provides a detailed explanation of the embodiments of the present invention in a step-by-step manner. This description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or a specific orientational structure and operation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0035] In the initial embodiment, the present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours, such as... Figures 1-10As shown, the system includes a ground control station, a UAV body, a coordinate positioning mechanism, a coordinate offset self-resetting mechanism, a vibration damping mechanism, and a measuring mechanism. The controller of the UAV body is connected to the ground control station (not shown) via a wireless signal transceiver. The vibration damping mechanism includes a rotational vibration damping unit, a horizontal displacement vibration damping unit, and tilt and longitudinal vibration damping units mounted on the UAV body. The measuring mechanism is located on the top of the UAV body. The coordinate positioning mechanism includes a coordinate indicating unit located on the bottom of the UAV body and a coordinate positioning unit located on the ground. The coordinate offset self-resetting mechanism includes a first pressure sensor connected to the vibration damping mechanism. 23. A second pressure sensor (not shown in the figure) and a high-definition camera 31 located on one side of the coordinate positioning unit. The first pressure sensor 23, the second pressure sensor, the measuring mechanism, and the coordinate indicating unit are electrically connected to the controller. The high-definition camera 31 is electrically connected to the ground control station. The ground control station transmits the visual signal from the high-definition camera 31 to the controller via a wireless signal transceiver. In this embodiment, the UAV body can be selected from existing UAVs that can achieve stable flight and hovering functions. Its specific structure is not described in detail. Any content not mentioned is solved by existing solutions. The measurement principle and structural principles of each mechanism of this invention are detailed in the following embodiments.

[0036] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10 As shown, the drone body includes a main control compartment 1 (e.g., Figure 1 As shown), the tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit includes several cantilever arms 16 evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the main control chamber 1 along its axis. The cantilever arms 16 in the front, rear, left, and right directions extend outwards and are equipped with propeller mechanisms 7 (e.g., ...). Figure 3 As shown), the main control compartment 1 is symmetrically equipped with upward and longitudinal vibration damping units and downward and longitudinal vibration damping units at its top and bottom (e.g. Figure 1 As shown), the upward tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit includes a telescopic rod 4 and a protective cover 15 located longitudinally at the center of the top of the main control compartment 1. The bottom end of the telescopic rod 4 is ball-jointed to the top of the main control compartment 1, and a steel ball 3 is fixedly connected to the top end. Several supporting vibration damping springs 5 ​​are evenly distributed around the longitudinal axis of the outer circumference of the steel ball 3. Each of the supporting vibration damping springs 5 ​​corresponds to a cantilever 16. The top end of the supporting vibration damping spring 5 is connected to the outer surface of the steel ball 3, and the bottom end is connected to the top end of the corresponding cantilever 16 (e.g., ...). Figure 3As shown in the figure, the protective cover 15 covers the outside of the telescopic rod 4, the steel ball 3, and the support damping spring 5. The lower edge of the protective cover 15 is fixedly connected to the top of the cantilever 16. The outer surfaces of the protective cover of the downward tilting and longitudinal damping unit are respectively provided with landing gear (not shown in the figure). The protective cover 15 is coaxial with the main control compartment 1. In this embodiment, the upward tilting and longitudinal damping unit and the downward tilting and longitudinal damping unit are symmetrically arranged and have the same structure. When the UAV body tilts, the UAV body can be quickly reset. That is, when tilting, the steel ball swings to the side of its original position due to inertia, thereby squeezing and pulling the corresponding support damping spring 5, promoting the UAV body to return to a horizontal attitude.

[0037] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10 As shown, the horizontal displacement damping unit includes a cylindrical shell 20 coaxially disposed inside the main control compartment 1 (e.g., Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown), a first mass block 19 is provided at the center of the cylindrical shell 20. A plurality of radial damping springs 21 are evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the first mass block 19 along its axis. One end of each radial damping spring 21 is connected to the outer surface of the first mass block 19 (preferably a contact connection; when a fixed connection is used, a tension / compression sensor is selected as the first pressure sensor), and the other end is connected to the sensing end of a first pressure sensor 23 embedded in the inner wall of the cylindrical shell 20. A first electromagnet (such as...) is embedded at the center of the bottom of the cylindrical shell 20. Figure 4 As shown in the figure (not marked), the first electromagnet is used to attract the first mass block 19, and the top of the inner wall of the protective cover 15 is provided with a second electromagnet 14 (as shown in the figure). Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the second electromagnet 14 is used to attract the steel ball 3, the first mass block 19 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical shell 20, and the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet 14 are electrically connected to the controller through wires respectively; in this embodiment, during the normal flight of the UAV body, the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are energized to maintain the stability of the flight attitude, and when the UAV body hovers, the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are de-energized to maintain the stability of the hovering attitude.

[0038] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10As shown, the rotational vibration damping unit includes an annular shell 17 coaxially disposed around the outer periphery of the cylindrical shell 20. The annular shell 17 is divided into several vibration damping spaces by radially arranged partitions 18. A second mass block 22 is located in the center of each vibration damping space. The second mass block 22 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the annular shell 17. Both ends of the second mass block 22 are respectively provided with vibration damping connecting springs 24 with arcuate curvatures. One end of each vibration damping connecting spring 24 is connected to the end of the second mass block 22, and the other end is connected to the sensing end of a second pressure sensor (not shown in the figure) embedded on the outer surface of the partition. Due to the special nature of wall detection, if the drone body rotates, it will also cause the measurement light direction of the first laser rangefinder to deviate, resulting in distorted measurement data. Therefore, controlling the rotation of the drone body is also an important aspect of vibration damping. When the drone body rotates, the second mass block moves in the opposite direction of rotation, compressing the corresponding vibration damping connecting spring, achieving vibration damping and energy dissipation effects, and improving the stability of the drone body when hovering.

[0039] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10 As shown, the measuring mechanism includes a mounting plate 8 fixedly connected longitudinally to the top of the protective cover 15 of the inclined and longitudinal vibration damping unit. Two fixing plates 9 are fixedly provided on the front end of the mounting plate 8, and a rotating shaft 10 is rotatably connected between the two fixing plates 9. A roller 11 is coaxially fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 10. A plurality of first laser ranging sensors 12 are evenly distributed side by side on the outer surface of the roller 11. The backward extension line of the measuring light of the first laser ranging sensor 12 intersects the axis of the rotating shaft 10. One end of the rotating shaft 10 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of a servo motor 13 preset on the surface of the fixing plate 9. The servo motor 13 and the first laser ranging sensors 12 are electrically connected to the controller through wires.

[0040] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10As shown, the coordinate positioning unit includes a rectangular plate 29, one end of which is used to fit against the bottom of the wall. The rectangular plate 29 is provided with a cross-shaped X-axis 32 and Y-axis 33. The X-axis 32 is parallel to the end of the rectangular plate 29 that contacts the wall, and the Y-axis 33 intersects the X-axis 32 at the origin 34. The coordinate indicating unit includes a second laser rangefinder 27 located at the center of the bottom of the protective cover 15 of the downward tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit and used in conjunction with the origin; two third laser rangefinders 26 located at the bottom of the protective cover on the left and right sides of the second laser rangefinder 27 and used in conjunction with the X-axis 32; and two fourth laser rangefinders 25 located at the bottom of the protective cover 15 on the front and rear sides of the second laser rangefinder 27 and used in conjunction with the Y-axis 33. The rectangular plate 29 is provided with a support frame 30, and a high-definition camera 31 is installed at the top of the support frame 30. The second laser rangefinder 27, the third laser rangefinder 26, and the fourth laser rangefinder 25 are electrically connected to the controller through wires.

[0041] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10 As shown, the drone body is equipped with a three-axis tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, an image recognition module, a satellite positioning module, and a flight attitude control module. Since the drone body of this invention uses existing technologies capable of stable flight and hovering, it is understood that the drone body also includes other conventional sensor devices and electrical components.

[0042] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10 As shown, the present invention describes the method of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours, including a hovering vibration reduction method, a measurement method, and a coordinate offset self-resetting method.

[0043] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10 As shown, the hovering vibration reduction method includes the following modes: (11) Rotational vibration reduction: When the UAV rotates, the second mass block rotates clockwise or counterclockwise along the inner wall of the annular shell due to inertia and squeezes the corresponding vibration reduction connecting spring. Several vibration reduction connecting springs transmit thrust through the partition, and then transmit the thrust to the UAV body through the annular shell, thus reducing the energy consumption of rotational vibration. (12) Tilt and longitudinal vibration reduction: When the UAV body tilts, the upper and lower steel balls will tilt due to inertia, which will then squeeze and pull the corresponding support vibration reduction springs, consume the energy of the tilt vibration, and promote the UAV body to return to its original position; when the UAV body vibrates in the vertical direction, the upper and lower steel balls will stretch or squeeze the support vibration reduction springs due to inertia, consume the energy of the longitudinal vibration of the UAV body, and promote the UAV body to return to its original position. (13) Horizontal vibration reduction: When the UAV body vibrates in the horizontal direction, the first mass block slides in the opposite direction of the vibration due to inertia, thereby pulling or squeezing the corresponding radial vibration damping spring, transmitting the force to the UAV body through the cylindrical shell, consuming the energy of the horizontal vibration, and promoting the UAV body to reset. It should be noted that in some cases, vibration combines rotation, tilt, longitudinal and horizontal displacement. In this case, the various units of the vibration damping mechanism work together to achieve the effect of keeping the UAV body stable and resetting.

[0044] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10 As shown, the measurement method includes the following steps: (21) At the initial work position, one end of the rectangular plate is attached to the bottom of the wall, and the UAV body is suspended above the rectangular plate 29, so that the measuring light of the second laser range sensor 27 is projected onto the origin 34, the measuring light of the two third laser range sensors 26 is projected onto the X-axis 32 respectively, and the measuring light of the two fourth laser range sensors 25 is projected onto the Y-axis 33 respectively. At this time, the mounting plate 8 is directly opposite the wall. (22) The UAV hovers at a set height and rotates the shaft 10 via the servo motor 13, driving the first laser rangefinder 12 to scan the set area of ​​the wall. The controller sends the scanning signal to the ground control station, which draws a scan line diagram through a preset program and identifies the scanning blind area 36 (e.g., due to irregular contours of the wall) based on the scan line diagram. Figure 10 (as shown), and send the relevant scan line graph to the controller; (23) The controller rises vertically above the scanning blind zone 36 based on its position and scans the wall again using the first laser ranging sensor 12. The scanning blind zone 36 that is blocked is identified by the first laser ranging sensor 12 and transmitted to the ground control station to draw a complete scanning line diagram. Figure 10 (as shown in the right figure); Figure 10 As shown, the left image is a line graph of the drone scanning from bottom to top at a low altitude. It can be seen that due to the occlusion of the irregular contours, a scanning blind zone 36 is formed at the top. At this point, the drone can fly directly above the scanning blind zone and scan again to identify the line graph of the scanning blind zone 36. Figure 10 As shown in the right figure; of course, if the part with an irregular outline is blocked and cannot be measured by adjusting the height using the measuring light in front of the wall, an insurmountable blind spot will be created, which is outside the technical scope of this invention. (24) The ground control station compiles all the complete scan line diagrams and draws the flatness and irregular outline of the wall at the work station. (25) After inspecting one station, move the rectangular plate to the next station and inspect it again. During the inspection of each station, ensure that the top elevation of the rectangular plate is consistent and that it remains horizontal.

[0045] In a further embodiment, such as Figures 1-10 As shown, the coordinate offset self-reset method includes the following modes: (31) When the UAV body rotates horizontally, the UAV body receives the signal of the corresponding second pressure sensor. The second pressure sensors on both sides of the partition 18 are the second pressure sensor that senses the counterclockwise direction (that is, the second pressure sensor that is triggered by squeezing the vibration damping connecting spring when the second mass block moves counterclockwise) and the second pressure sensor that senses the clockwise direction (that is, the second pressure sensor that is triggered by squeezing the vibration damping connecting spring when the second mass block moves clockwise). The controller selects to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise according to the type of the second pressure sensor (that is, if the second pressure sensor that senses the counterclockwise direction is triggered, it means that the UAV body has rotated clockwise, and the UAV body needs to be rotated counterclockwise to reset, and the clockwise case is similar). According to the visual information of the high-definition camera 31, when the measurement light of the third laser range sensor 26 intersects the X-axis 32 and the measurement light of the fourth laser range sensor 25 intersects the Y-axis 33 and the measurement light of the second laser range sensor 27 remains intersecting with the origin 34, the UAV body resets. (32) Each first pressure sensor is numbered and has corresponding directional information. When the UAV body undergoes horizontal displacement, it returns to the top of the rectangular plate 29 based on the directional information of the first pressure sensor with the highest pressure value. Then, based on the visual information from the high-definition camera 31, it intersects the measurement light of the second laser rangefinder 27 with the origin 34, the measurement light of the third laser rangefinder 26 with the X-axis 32, and the measurement light of the fourth laser rangefinder 25 with the Y-axis 33. At this point, the UAV body resets. The direction of the first pressure sensor with the highest pressure value is the opposite direction of the UAV's horizontal displacement, so the UAV body can return along the same path. It should be noted that the accuracy of the return path increases with the increase in the number of radial damping springs. However, regardless of the direction, once the UAV body returns to the top of the rectangular plate 29, it can pass through the high-definition camera 29. The visual signal from camera 31 guides the drone back to the set position. Specifically, at the instant the drone body undergoes horizontal displacement due to external force, the first mass block moves in the opposite direction of the displacement. The radial damping spring closest to this direction contracts the most, so the detection value of the first pressure sensor connected to the radial damping spring is the highest. The direction information corresponding to the first pressure sensor is stored in the controller. The controller can control the drone body to return to the set position based on the direction information through a preset program. This direction information is relative to the direction information of the drone body. The angles within the four directions of front, back, left, right, and right are further subdivided according to the number of radial damping springs, thus defining finer direction information, such as a 15-degree angle from front to left; further, a 90-degree angle from front to left is directly left. (33) When the UAV body vibrates in the vertical direction, the UAV body is reset to the set height and hovered based on the distance between the second laser range sensor 27 and the origin 34. (34) When the UAV body tilts and vibrates, it is restored to a horizontal attitude by tilting and longitudinal vibration reduction unit, and then automatically resets according to the visual information of the high-definition camera 31.

[0046] In a further embodiment, when the drone body undergoes horizontal vibration displacement, such as Figure 11 As shown, if the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors corresponding to two adjacent radial damping springs are the highest and the same (two adjacent first pressure sensors 40 with the highest and the same detection values), then the return direction 41 of the UAV should be the direction angle where the midpoint of the angle between the two adjacent first pressure sensors 40 with the highest and the same detection values ​​is located; if one first pressure sensor detects the highest value, and the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors on both sides of this first pressure sensor are the same, then the direction information corresponding to the first pressure sensor with the highest detection value is the return direction of the UAV;Figure 12 As shown, if one of the first pressure sensors detects the highest value (the first pressure sensor 43 with the highest detection value), and the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors on both sides of this first pressure sensor are different (one high and one low), then the return direction angle should be between the direction angle of the first pressure sensor 43 with the highest detection value and the adjacent first pressure sensor 44 with the higher detection value. In this case, the direction angle where the midpoint of the angle between the two first pressure sensors 42 with the closest or the same values ​​on both sides of the first pressure sensor with the highest detection value is located is selected as the return direction 41. Since the controller of the UAV body can identify the horizontal displacement of the UAV body after sensing the value of the first pressure sensor, it can promptly control the UAV body to return when the return direction is identified after the horizontal displacement occurs. Even if there is a slight deviation between the return direction angle and the actual route to be taken, the UAV body can return to the top of the rectangular plate due to the short displacement distance.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for measuring the flatness and irregular contours of wall surfaces, characterized by: The system includes a ground control station, a UAV body, a coordinate positioning mechanism, a coordinate offset self-resetting mechanism, a vibration damping mechanism, and a measuring mechanism. The controller of the UAV body is connected to the ground control station via a wireless signal transceiver. The vibration damping mechanism includes a rotational vibration damping unit, a horizontal displacement vibration damping unit, and tilt and longitudinal vibration damping units mounted on the UAV body. The measuring mechanism is located on the top of the UAV body. The coordinate positioning mechanism includes a coordinate indicating unit located on the bottom of the UAV body and a coordinate positioning unit located on the ground. The coordinate offset self-resetting mechanism includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor connected to the vibration damping mechanism, and a high-definition camera located on one side of the coordinate positioning unit. The first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, the measuring mechanism, and the coordinate indicating unit are electrically connected to the controller. The high-definition camera is electrically connected to the ground control station, and the ground control station transmits the visual signals from the high-definition camera to the controller via a wireless signal transceiver.

2. The UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The drone body includes a main control bay. The tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit includes several cantilever arms evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the main control bay along its axis. The cantilever arms extending outwards in the front, rear, left, and right directions are each equipped with a propeller mechanism. The top and bottom of the main control bay are symmetrically equipped with upper and lower tilting and longitudinal vibration damping units. The upper tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit includes a telescopic rod and a protective cover located longitudinally at the center of the top of the main control bay. The bottom end of the telescopic rod is connected to a ball joint on the top of the main control bay. The structure is hinged, with a steel ball fixedly connected to the top. Several supporting damping springs are evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the steel ball along the longitudinal axis. Each supporting damping spring corresponds to a cantilever. The top of each supporting damping spring is connected to the outer surface of the steel ball, and the bottom is connected to the top of the corresponding cantilever. The protective cover covers the outside of the telescopic rod, the steel ball, and the supporting damping springs. The lower edge of the protective cover is fixedly connected to the top of the cantilever. Landing gears are provided on both sides of the outer surface of the protective cover of the downward tilting and longitudinal damping unit. The protective cover is coaxial with the main control compartment.

3. The UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The horizontal displacement vibration damping unit includes a cylindrical shell coaxially disposed inside the main control compartment. A first mass block is disposed at the center of the cylindrical shell. A plurality of radial damping springs are evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the first mass block along an axis. One end of each radial damping spring is connected to the outer surface of the first mass block, and the other end is connected to the sensing end of a first pressure sensor embedded in the inner wall of the cylindrical shell. A first electromagnet is embedded at the bottom center of the cylindrical shell to attract the first mass block. A second electromagnet is disposed at the top of the inner wall of the protective cover to attract a steel ball. The first mass block is slidably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical shell. The first and second electromagnets are electrically connected to the controller via wires.

4. The UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The rotary vibration damping unit includes an annular shell coaxially disposed on the outer periphery of a cylindrical shell. The annular shell is divided into several vibration damping spaces by several radially arranged partitions. A second mass block is provided in the middle of the vibration damping space. The second mass block is slidably connected to the inner wall of the annular shell. Vibration damping connecting springs with arc curvature are respectively provided at both ends of the second mass block. One end of the vibration damping connecting spring is connected to the end of the second mass block, and the other end is connected to the sensing end of a second pressure sensor embedded on the outer surface of the partition.

5. The UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The measuring mechanism includes a mounting plate fixedly connected longitudinally to the top of the protective cover of the inclined and longitudinal vibration damping unit. Two fixing plates are fixedly mounted on the front end of the mounting plate, and a rotating shaft is rotatably connected between the two fixing plates. A roller is coaxially fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. Several first laser ranging sensors are evenly distributed side by side on the outer surface of the roller. The backward extension line of the measuring light of the first laser ranging sensor intersects the axis of the rotating shaft. One end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the output shaft of a servo motor preset on the surface of the fixing plate. The servo motor and the first laser ranging sensors are electrically connected to the controller through wires.

6. The UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The coordinate positioning unit includes a rectangular plate, one end of which is used to fit against the bottom of the wall. The rectangular plate is provided with an X-axis and a Y-axis that intersect at a cross. The X-axis is parallel to the end of the rectangular plate that contacts the wall, and the Y-axis intersects the X-axis at the origin. The coordinate indicating unit includes a second laser ranging sensor located at the center of the bottom of the protective cover of the downward tilting and longitudinal vibration damping unit and used in conjunction with the origin; two third laser ranging sensors located at the bottom of the protective cover on the left and right sides of the second laser ranging sensor and used in conjunction with the X-axis; and two fourth laser ranging sensors located at the bottom of the protective cover on the front and rear sides of the second laser ranging sensor and used in conjunction with the Y-axis. The rectangular plate is provided with a support frame, and a high-definition camera is installed at the top of the support frame. The second, third, and fourth laser ranging sensors are electrically connected to the controller via wires.

7. The UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The drone body is equipped with a three-axis tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, an image recognition module, a satellite positioning module, and a flight attitude control module.

8. The method of using the UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 7, characterized in that it includes a hovering vibration reduction method, a measurement method, and a coordinate offset self-resetting method; The hovering vibration reduction method includes the following modes: (11) Rotational vibration reduction: When the UAV rotates, the second mass block rotates clockwise or counterclockwise along the inner wall of the annular shell due to inertia and squeezes the corresponding vibration reduction connecting spring. Several vibration reduction connecting springs transmit thrust through the partition, and then transmit the thrust to the UAV body through the annular shell, thus reducing the energy consumption of rotational vibration. (12) Tilt and longitudinal vibration reduction: When the UAV body tilts, the upper and lower steel balls will tilt due to inertia, which will then squeeze and pull the corresponding support vibration reduction springs, consume the energy of the tilt vibration, and promote the UAV body to return to its original position; when the UAV body vibrates in the vertical direction, the upper and lower steel balls will stretch or squeeze the support vibration reduction springs due to inertia, consume the energy of the longitudinal vibration of the UAV body, and promote the UAV body to return to its original position. (13) Horizontal vibration reduction: When the UAV body vibrates in the horizontal direction, the first mass block slides in the opposite direction of the vibration due to inertia, thereby pulling or squeezing the corresponding radial vibration damping spring, transmitting the force to the UAV body through the cylindrical shell, consuming the energy of the horizontal vibration, and promoting the UAV body to reset. The measurement method includes the following steps: (21) At the initial work position, one end of the rectangular plate is attached to the bottom of the wall, and the UAV body is suspended above the rectangular plate, so that the measuring light of the second laser range sensor is projected to the origin, the measuring light of the two third laser range sensors is projected to the X-axis respectively, and the measuring light of the two fourth laser range sensors is projected to the Y-axis respectively. At this time, the mounting plate is directly opposite the wall. (22) The UAV hovers at a set height and rotates the shaft through the servo motor, driving the first laser rangefinder to scan the set range of the wall. The controller sends the scanning signal to the ground control station. The ground control station draws the scanning line diagram through a preset program, identifies the scanning blind area formed by the irregular outline of the wall based on the scanning line diagram, and sends the relevant scanning line diagram to the controller. (23) The controller rises vertically above the scanning blind zone based on its position and scans the wall again using the first laser ranging sensor. The scanning blind zone that is blocked is identified by the first laser ranging sensor and transmitted to the ground control station to draw a complete scanning line graph. (24) The ground control station compiles all the complete scan line diagrams and draws the flatness and irregular outline of the wall at the work station. (25) After inspecting one station, move the rectangular plate to the next station and inspect it again. During the inspection of each station, ensure that the top elevation of the rectangular plate is consistent and that it remains horizontal.

9. The method of using the UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 8, characterized in that: the coordinate offset self-resetting method includes the following modes: (31) When the UAV body rotates horizontally, the UAV body receives the signal of the corresponding second pressure sensor. The second pressure sensors on both sides of the partition are the second pressure sensor that senses the counterclockwise direction and the second pressure sensor that senses the clockwise direction. The controller selects to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise according to the type of the second pressure sensor. According to the visual information of the high-definition camera, when the measurement light of the third laser rangefinder intersects the X-axis and the measurement light of the fourth laser rangefinder intersects the Y-axis and the measurement light of the second laser rangefinder remains intersecting with the origin, the UAV body resets. (32) Each first pressure sensor is numbered and has corresponding directional information. When the UAV body moves horizontally, the UAV body returns to the top of the rectangular plate according to the directional information of the first pressure sensor with the highest pressure value. According to the visual information of the high-definition camera, the measurement light of the second laser range sensor intersects with the origin, the measurement light of the third laser range sensor intersects with the X-axis, and the measurement light of the fourth laser range sensor intersects with the Y-axis. At this time, the UAV body resets. (33) When the UAV body vibrates in the vertical direction, the UAV body is reset to the set height and hovered based on the distance between the origin measured by the second laser rangefinder. (34) When the UAV body tilts and vibrates, it is restored to a horizontal attitude by tilting and longitudinal vibration reduction units, and then automatically resets based on the visual information of the high-definition camera.

10. The method of using the UAV system for measuring wall flatness and irregular contours as described in claim 9, characterized in that: When the drone body experiences horizontal vibration displacement, if the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors corresponding to two adjacent radial damping springs are the highest and the same, then the drone's return direction should be the direction angle where the midpoint of the angle between the two adjacent first pressure sensors with the highest and the same values ​​lies. If one first pressure sensor detects the highest value, and the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors on both sides of this first pressure sensor are the same, then the direction information corresponding to the first pressure sensor with the highest value is the drone's return direction. If one first pressure sensor detects the highest value, and the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensors on both sides of this first pressure sensor are different (one higher and one lower), then the return direction angle should be between the direction angle of the first pressure sensor with the highest value and the adjacent first pressure sensor with the higher value. In this case, the direction angle where the midpoint of the angle between the two first pressure sensors with the closest or the same values ​​on both sides of the first pressure sensor with the highest value is located is selected as the return direction.

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