Granary flattening robot and operation method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a granary leveling robot and an operation method thereof. According to the granary leveling robot and the operation method thereof, through the collaborative design of the robot body, the crawler belt, the rolling brush and the integrated control system, an efficient and intelligent automatic leveling solution is constructed, the robot body adopts a high-strength aluminum alloy frame, and the crawler belt type walking mechanism, the low grounding specific pressure and the anti-skid line design are matched; it is ensured that slipping and grain sinking do not occur in complex terrains such as grain heaps and potholes, and mainstream working scenes of the granary are adapted; a rear coaxial rolling brush is optimized through a wear-resistant elastic brush and inclined scattering teeth, grain uniform scattering and precise matching with the spreading requirements of different terrains are achieved, the core lies in combination of gyroscope YZ-axis attitude detection and an automatic program algorithm, the terrain recognition accuracy is improved, three self-adaptive spreading modes are automatically switched, manual intervention is not needed in the whole process, and the working efficiency is improved. The uniformity deviation of the grain surface after leveling is low, and the problems of low manual leveling efficiency and large potential safety hazard are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of grain storage technology, and more specifically, to a grain storage robot and its operating method. Background Technology

[0002] During grain storage, the accumulation of grain in the granary can easily create an uneven surface (such as piles, pits, and irregular flat areas). If the granary is not leveled in time, it can lead to poor ventilation, abnormal local temperature and humidity, and consequently, mold and insect infestation of the grain, while also affecting the utilization rate of the granary space. Currently, granary leveling operations mainly rely on manual labor or traditional machinery.

[0003] However, existing grain warehouses have the following problems during the leveling process: (1) Staff members need to enter the grain warehouse and use tools such as scrapers and rakes to level the grain surface by hand. This is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also poses a risk to personal safety due to the high dust concentration and potential oxygen imbalance in the grain warehouse. (2) Existing leveling robots mostly adopt screw structure, which cannot quickly handle large grain piles, depressions, and flat ground at the same time; and lack accurate terrain recognition capabilities, relying more on manual operation to adjust the operation mode, resulting in unstable leveling effect and poor adaptability.

[0004] This invention can achieve automated terrain recognition, adaptive adjustment of operation mode, and efficient and uniform leveling. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art and provide a grain warehouse leveling robot and its operation method.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a grain warehouse leveling robot, comprising: a body, characterized in that: a track is provided at the bottom of the body, a roller brush is provided at the tail of the track, the track and the body are combined to form a tracked body, the roller brush is coaxially disposed at the tail of the tracked body, and elastic bristles are distributed on the surface of the roller brush, the body includes an integrated control system and a battery, the integrated control system includes a main control module containing an automatic program, a gyroscope module, a walking drive module, a roller brush drive module, and a battery module, and each module communicates through a 485 bus.

[0007] A further preferred embodiment: the width of the track on one side of the tracked body is 50-300mm, and the surface is provided with anti-slip raised texture.

[0008] A further preferred embodiment: the diameter of the roller brush is 30-1500mm, and the bristles of the surface elastic brush are made of wear-resistant bristles.

[0009] A method for operating a grain warehouse leveling robot includes the following steps: S1: Robot initialization, gyroscope calibration of yz axis zero point, loading terrain recognition algorithm and flattening mode logic; S2: The robot walks, the gyroscope collects the z-axis trajectory data, and the automatic program module analyzes the waveform to determine the terrain; S3: The main control module controls the walking drive module to adjust the path and speed according to the terrain instructions, controls the roller brush drive module to adjust the rotation speed, and executes the corresponding flattening mode. S4: Continuously monitor the z-axis trajectory waveform. If the amplitude is >0.05m, reassess the terrain and adjust the action. S5: When the entire flattening area is covered and the waveform amplitude is ≤0.05m, the robot stops working and returns to the initial position. Beneficial effects

[0010] 1. Equipped with a gyroscope module that supports YZ axis attitude detection, the system focuses on collecting Z-axis displacement trajectory data (sampling frequency 100Hz). Combined with an algorithm to generate waveforms, it accurately identifies three types of terrain: grain piles, potholes, and flat ground, with an accuracy rate of ≥95%. This solves the problem of complex and difficult-to-identify terrain on the grain surface in granaries. Its Y-axis can monitor the slope direction and steep slope threshold, while the Z-axis captures displacement changes and amplitude in real time, ensuring that the robot accurately positions the top of the grain pile and the location of potholes. This provides data support for three adaptive leveling modes, making grain pile leveling, pothole filling, and ground leveling more targeted. At the same time, the Z-axis waveform is continuously monitored during the leveling process. When the amplitude exceeds the threshold, the terrain is automatically re-evaluated and the action is adjusted to ensure the flatness of the grain surface after leveling. No manual intervention is required for terrain judgment and mode switching, reducing safety hazards in the grain warehouse and achieving intelligent and efficient leveling. 2. Equipped with a rear-mounted coaxial roller brush, the roller brush's length matches the machine's width. Its surface features wear-resistant, elastic bristles made of mixed steel wires. Driven by a DC motor, high-speed rotation evenly scatters grains towards the rear of the machine. The scattering coverage width matches the roller brush length, ensuring comprehensive coverage. The roller brush speed is precisely adapted to different terrains: in pile mode, high-speed scattering flattens protrusions; in pit mode, it directionally fills depressions; and in flat ground mode, it uses an arc-shaped path to level the ground, enabling targeted operations. The roller brush also features 15° inclined scattering teeth at both ends, solving the problem of insufficient grain scattering at the edges. The wear-resistant bristles and reasonable installation height ensure stable operation in complex environments such as piles and pits. Combined with tracked movement, it effectively prevents grain accumulation or leakage, significantly improving silo leveling efficiency and quality, and helping the robot achieve highly efficient and automated silo leveling. 3. Equipped with tracks and a chassis, the robot features a high-strength aluminum alloy frame that is both robust and lightweight. This integrated design, combined with the tracked walking mechanism, ensures stable operation in complex grain silo environments. The tracks are made of nitrile rubber with anti-slip raised textures to effectively prevent slippage or grain entrapment in grain piles and uneven terrain, comprehensively covering mainstream grain silo leveling scenarios. Driven by DC servo motors, the tracks support flexible movements such as forward, backward, turning, and 180° body rotation. A roller brush coaxially arranged along the chassis centerline ensures coordinated movement and leveling actions. The chassis integrates a waterproof-encased control system and a 24V lithium iron phosphate battery, providing strong protection and stable battery life, ensuring continuous power for tracked movement and overall operation. Combined with a gyroscope module installed in the center of the chassis, it ensures accurate terrain recognition and path adjustment, enabling the robot to achieve efficient and safe automated leveling in all scenarios. 4. In summary, this type of grain silo leveling robot and its operation method, through the collaborative design of the body, tracks, roller brush, and integrated control system, constructs a highly efficient and intelligent automated leveling solution. The body adopts a high-strength aluminum alloy frame, combined with a tracked walking mechanism, low ground pressure, and anti-slip texture design to ensure that it does not slip or trap grains in complex terrains such as grain piles and potholes, making it suitable for mainstream grain silo operation scenarios. The rear coaxial roller brush is optimized with wear-resistant elastic brushes and inclined spreading teeth to achieve uniform grain spreading and accurately match the leveling needs of different terrains. The core lies in the combination of gyroscope YZ axis attitude detection and automatic program algorithm, which improves the accuracy of terrain recognition and automatically switches between three adaptive leveling modes. No manual intervention is required throughout the process, and the uniformity deviation of the grain surface after leveling is low. It not only solves the problems of low efficiency and high safety hazards of manual leveling, but also overcomes the limitations of poor terrain adaptability and poor leveling effect of traditional equipment. It provides reliable technical support for large-scale and intelligent grain silo leveling and has broad application prospects and practical value. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 1 In the middle: 1. fuselage; 101. track; 102. roller brush. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The following will refer to the appendices in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described.

[0014] Please see Figure 1In this embodiment of the invention, a grain warehouse leveling robot includes: a body 1, a track 101 at the bottom of the body 1, and a roller brush 102 at the tail of the track 101. The track 101 and the body 1 are combined to form a tracked body. The roller brush 102 is coaxially disposed at the tail of the tracked body, and the surface of the roller brush 102 is distributed with elastic bristles. The body 1 includes an integrated control system and a battery. The integrated control system includes a main control module containing an automatic program, a gyroscope module, a walking drive module, a roller brush drive module, and a battery module. Each module communicates via a 485 bus. The width of the track on one side of the tracked body is 50-300mm, and the surface is provided with anti-slip raised textures. The diameter of the roller brush 102 is 30-1500mm, and the bristles of the elastic brush on the surface are made of wear-resistant bristles.

[0015] A method for operating a grain warehouse leveling robot includes the following steps: S1: Robot initialization, gyroscope calibration of yz axis zero point, loading terrain recognition algorithm and flattening mode logic; S2: The robot walks, the gyroscope collects the z-axis trajectory data, and the automatic program module analyzes the waveform to determine the terrain; S3: The main control module controls the walking drive module to adjust the path and speed according to the terrain instructions, controls the roller brush drive module to adjust the rotation speed, and executes the corresponding flattening mode. S4: Continuously monitor the z-axis trajectory waveform. If the amplitude is >0.05m, reassess the terrain and adjust the action. S5: When the entire flattening area is covered and the waveform amplitude is ≤0.05m, the robot stops working and returns to the initial position.

[0016] The device adopts an integrated structure consisting of a tracked body, a rear-mounted high-speed roller brush, and an integrated control system. The body uses a high-strength alloy frame, with a tracked walking mechanism at the bottom. The tracks 101 are driven by a DC motor, supporting forward, backward, and turning movements. The track width is 100-300mm, and the track surface is decorated with anti-slip raised patterns. The ground pressure is ≤5kPa, allowing stable movement in three types of grain terrain: grain piles (pile height ≤1.5m), potholes (depth ≤0.5m), and flat ground, avoiding grain entrapment or slippage. The roller brush 102 is located at the rear of the body, coaxially arranged with the centerline of the body. The roller brush diameter is 300- The roller brush is 400mm long, with a length consistent with the width of the machine body (500-1000mm). The surface of the roller brush is uniformly distributed with elastic bristles mixed with steel wire. The roller brush is driven by a DC motor, which throws the grains evenly to the rear of the machine through high-speed rotation. The throwing coverage width is consistent with the length of the roller brush, and the throwing distance is 1.5-2.5m. The integrated control system includes a main control module with built-in storage of terrain recognition algorithms and leveling mode logic, a gyroscope module, a walking drive module and a roller brush drive module (controlling the start, stop and speed of the roller brush), and an ultrasonic ranging module. All modules communicate through a 485 bus to achieve real-time data transmission and coordinated action control. The power system uses a 24V lithium iron phosphate battery, with a built-in charging module and battery protection mode, and a 485 battery status output. The gyroscope module supports YZ-axis attitude detection, used to collect Z-axis displacement trajectory data during robot movement and generate Z-axis trajectory waveforms. The automatic program module stores a terrain recognition algorithm, which analyzes the Z-axis trajectory waveform to determine the terrain: a single-peak waveform (peak value ≥ 0.3m) is identified as a valley pile, a single-valley waveform (valley value ≤ -0.2m) is identified as a pit, and a flat waveform with an amplitude ≤ 0.05m is identified as... The system is designed for flat ground. The automatic program module stores logic for three adaptive leveling modes, controlled and executed by the main control module: **Grain Pile Mode:** The robot moves to the top of the grain pile, then downhill 0.3-0.5m before activating a high-speed rotating brush to scatter grains, simultaneously moving slowly downhill. **Pit Mode:** The robot turns 180°, moves forward 1m, then activates a high-speed rotating brush to scatter grains into the pit. **Level Ground Mode:** The robot follows an arc-shaped walking path, activating the rotating brush to scatter grains along the arc-shaped trajectory and level the ground. This invention utilizes gyroscope xyz axis detection and an automatic program algorithm to achieve accurate terrain recognition. During movement, the gyroscope's yz axis collects the robot's spatial attitude data in real time, focusing on monitoring the displacement trajectory perpendicular to the ground, i.e., the z-axis. The automatic program module samples the z-axis trajectory data in real time at a sampling frequency of 100Hz, generating a z-axis displacement versus time waveform. If the z-axis trajectory waveform exhibits a single-peak shape with an initial rise followed by a fall, with a peak value ≥ 0.3m and an absolute value of the slope of the rising and falling segments ≥ 0.5m / s², it is identified as a valley terrain. If the z-axis trajectory waveform exhibits a single-valley shape with an initial fall followed by a rise, with a valley value ≤ -0.2m and an absolute value of the slope of the falling and rising segments ≥ 0.4m / s², it is identified as a pit terrain. If the z-axis trajectory waveform amplitude is ≤ 0.05m and there are no obvious peaks / valleys within 5 consecutive seconds, it is identified as flat terrain. For different terrains, the automatic program module controls the robot to perform corresponding leveling actions. The specific process is as follows: After the terrain is identified as a grain pile, the automatic program controls the robot to walk along the slope of the grain pile towards the top. The gyroscope monitors the slope direction via the y-axis to ensure that the walking direction is towards the peak. When the gyroscope detects that the displacement has reached the peak, i.e., the robot has reached the top of the grain pile and is going downhill, the robot stops walking. Then the tracks rotate in the opposite direction, causing the robot to move 0.3-0.5m downhill. The main control module starts the roller brush to rotate at high speed, throwing the grains at the top of the grain pile towards the rear of the machine. During the throwing process, the robot moves slowly downhill along the grain pile at a speed of 5-8m / min, and then slowly moves uphill until the amplitude of the z-axis trajectory waveform is ≤0.05m, completing the leveling of the grain pile. After the terrain is identified as a pit, the automatic program controls the track drive module to rotate the robot 180° around its central axis and turn the robot around. The robot moves forward 1m at a speed of 8-10m / min, away from the pit, to ensure that the roller brush is directly in front of the pit. The main control module starts the roller brush to rotate, and at the same time controls the robot to move slowly towards the pit at a speed of 3-5m / min, scattering the grains into the pit until the amplitude of the z-axis trajectory waveform is ≤0.05m, completing the pit filling. After the terrain is identified as flat, the robot is automatically controlled to walk in an arc shape: starting from the initial position, it walks along the first direction while the roller brush rotates at high speed, scattering grains to level the ground; when the ultrasonic rangefinder detects that the distance to the wall is less than 50cm, the robot turns 30-45° to the side perpendicular to the first direction and walks along the arc, while the roller brush continues to work; repeating the above actions to form a continuous arc-shaped walking trajectory until the entire flattened area is covered, the amplitude of the z-axis trajectory waveform is always ≤0.05m, and the leveling of the ground is completed.

[0017] The overall working process of this invention is as follows: 1. Start-up and initialization: The robot is placed in the initial position inside the grain warehouse, the integrated control system is started, the gyroscope module performs self-check and calibrates the zero point of the xyz axis, and the automatic program module loads the terrain recognition algorithm and the logic of three leveling modes; 2. Terrain Exploration and Walking: The tracked drive module drives the robot to walk on the valley surface at a speed of 10-12 m / min. The gyroscope collects the trajectory data of the z-axis in real time and transmits it to the main control module. 3. Terrain Determination and Mode Selection: The automatic program analyzes the z-axis trajectory waveform to determine whether the current terrain is a grain pile, pit, or flat land, and sends the corresponding flattening mode command to the main control module; 4. Adaptive leveling execution: The main control module synchronously controls the walking drive module according to the instructions, adjusts the track speed, direction, and walking path with the roller brush drive module, and executes the corresponding leveling, filling or sizing actions. 5. Closing effect monitoring: During the closing process, the gyroscope continuously monitors the z-axis trajectory. If the waveform amplitude exceeds the preset threshold, the automatic program module re-determines the terrain and adjusts the closing action until the closing standard is met. 6. Work completion: When the robot covers the entire grain warehouse leveling area by walking in an arc or through path planning, and the amplitude of the z-axis trajectory waveform is ≤0.05m for 5 minutes, the main control module controls the robot to stop working and return to the initial position.

[0018] The overall workflow of the present invention will be described in detail below using more specific embodiments. The chassis frame is made of aluminum alloy; the tracks are rubber tracks made of nitrile rubber with a ground pressure of 4.8 kPa; the track drive motor is a DC servo motor with a power of 1500W and a speed of 1500 r / min; the roller brush 102 has a diameter of 300 mm and a length of 500 mm, with the spreading teeth made of wear-resistant nitrile rubber and bristle length of 110 mm; the roller brush drive motor is a DC motor with a power of 600W and a speed of 120 r / min; the tracked walking mechanism, i.e., the track 101, is fixed to the chassis with bolts. At the bottom of the frame, ensure the track parallelism deviation is ≤0.5mm; install the roller brush 102 at the rear of the frame via a bearing seat, with the center line of the roller brush coaxial with the center line of the frame, and the distance between the roller brush and the bottom of the frame is 150mm to ensure that the grains can enter the roller brush area; fix the various modules of the integrated control system (main controller, gyroscope, drive module) in a waterproof box inside the frame, with the gyroscope installed at the center of the frame (to ensure accurate attitude detection), and connect the various modules via a 485 bus, powered by a 24V lithium iron phosphate battery (DC). Place the robot on a level surface, start the gyroscope self-test program, calibrate the zero point of the Y and Z axes, and ensure that the static displacement error of the Z axis is ≤0.01m; start the roller brush drive module, adjust the speed to 2000r / min, observe whether the roller brush rotates smoothly, whether the scattering teeth are without jamming, and test the scattering distance. On a flat valley surface, the scattering distance should reach 2.0m, and the uniformity deviation should be ≤5%; simulate three terrains in the grain warehouse: grain pile: height 1.0m, pit: depth 0.3m, and flat ground, drive the robot to walk, record the waveform of the gyroscope Z-axis trajectory, and verify the terrain judgment accuracy, which should reach more than 95%; execute the corresponding leveling mode in the three simulated terrains respectively, check the flatness of the valley surface after leveling, the Z-axis amplitude should be ≤0.05m, adjust the walking speed and roller brush speed to ensure that the leveling effect meets the standard.

[0019] A cylindrical grain silo with a capacity of 5,000 tons was selected to store wheat with a bulk density of 750 kg / m³. The initial grain surface contained a grain pile (1.2 m high), a pit (0.4 m deep), and an irregular flat surface. The robot walked 100 meters, identifying terrain 50 times, correctly identifying grain piles 16 times, pits 15 times, and flat ground 18 times, achieving an accuracy rate of 98%. It leveled a 1000㎡ area in 40 minutes, a 12-fold increase in efficiency compared to manual leveling (480 minutes for the same area) and a 3-fold increase compared to traditional mechanical leveling (120 minutes for the same area). After leveling, 20 random detection points were used to measure the height difference of the grain surface, with a maximum deviation of 45mm (≤50mm) and a uniformity deviation of 4.2%. Walking through piles (1.5m high) and pits (0.5m deep) without slipping or getting stuck in grains, with a walking speed fluctuation of ≤0.5m / min; In terrain recognition, occasionally, piles of grain are confused with steep slopes. To address this issue, a y-axis slope threshold is added to the automatic program. A slope ≥30° is considered a steep slope and the pile of grain mode is not executed, thus improving recognition accuracy; As for the issue of insufficient grains being scattered at the edges by the roller brush, inclined scattering teeth are added to both ends of the roller brush at an angle of 15° to expand the scattering range at the edges and reduce the scattering uniformity deviation to below 3.5%; This invention uses a gyroscope to detect the Z-axis trajectory waveform and combines it with an automatic program algorithm to automatically identify three types of terrain: grain piles, potholes, and flat ground. The recognition accuracy is ≥95%. It can switch between leveling modes without human intervention, adapting to the complex grain surface environment of grain warehouses. The three leveling modes are designed for specific operations, improving efficiency by 10-15 times compared to manual leveling and by 13-15 times compared to traditional leveling robots. Furthermore, the entire process requires no human operation; only an initialization program needs to be started to autonomously complete terrain detection, mode switching, and leveling operations, reducing manual input in grain warehouses and avoiding safety hazards such as dust and oxygen deficiency.

[0020] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. In addition, it should be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately. Furthermore, various different embodiments of the present invention can also be arbitrarily combined, as long as they do not violate the spirit of the present invention, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A grain warehouse leveling robot, comprising: The body (1) is characterized in that: a track (101) is provided at the bottom of the body (1), a roller brush (102) is provided at the tail of the track (101), the track (101) and the body (1) are combined to form a tracked body, the roller brush (102) is coaxially provided at the tail of the tracked body, and the surface of the roller brush (102) is distributed with elastic bristles, the body (1) includes an integrated control system and a battery, the integrated control system includes a main control module including an automatic program, a gyroscope module, a walking drive module, a roller brush drive module, and a battery module, and each module communicates through a 485 bus.

2. The grain warehouse leveling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tracked body has a single-side track width of 50-300mm and the surface is provided with anti-slip raised texture.

3. A grain warehouse leveling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The roller brush (102) has a diameter of 30-1500mm, and the surface elastic brush bristles are made of wear-resistant bristles.

4. The operation method of a grain warehouse leveling robot according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1: Robot initialization, gyroscope calibration of yz axis zero point, loading terrain recognition algorithm and flattening mode logic; S2: The robot walks, the gyroscope collects the z-axis trajectory data, and the automatic program module analyzes the waveform to determine the terrain; S3: The main control module controls the walking drive module to adjust the path and speed according to the terrain instructions, controls the roller brush drive module to adjust the rotation speed, and executes the corresponding flattening mode. S4: Continuously monitor the z-axis trajectory waveform. If the amplitude is >0.05m, reassess the terrain and adjust the action. S5: When the entire flattening area is covered and the waveform amplitude is ≤0.05m, the robot stops working and returns to the initial position.

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