Water turning control method and device, vehicle and storage medium thereof

Abstract

A water turning control method and device, a vehicle and a storage medium thereof are disclosed, and relate to the field of vehicle control, and the method comprises the following steps: acquiring a wading depth of an environment where the vehicle is located, and determining a water depth level according to the wading depth; acquiring a turning demand level of the vehicle, wherein the turning demand level indicates a degree of speed of turning of the vehicle; determining a target turning device of the vehicle according to the water depth level and the turning demand level; the target turning device is a device used by the vehicle to perform turning in water; and controlling the vehicle to turn in water based on the target turning device. The application can improve the flexibility of the vehicle turning in water, avoid unexpected injuries to the vehicle and the driver caused by slow turning of the vehicle in water, avoid high energy consumption of the vehicle caused by simultaneous use of all turning devices under different turning demands, and solve the problem that the vehicle cannot be controlled to turn in water when a certain turning device fails.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle control, and more specifically, to a method, apparatus, vehicle and storage medium for underwater steering control. Background Technology

[0002] With societal progress and technological advancements, people's demands for vehicles are gradually increasing, with a growing focus on their ability to navigate in water. However, controlling a vehicle in water differs from driving on land, involving numerous uncertainties. Therefore, the agility of steering and the overall navigability of a vehicle in water are crucial. However, current methods of vehicle-to-vehicle steering control suffer from significant shortcomings in overall steering response time and driving experience, and may also severely impact vehicle energy consumption. Therefore, improving the agility of vehicle steering in water has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of this application propose an underwater steering control method, device, vehicle, and storage medium thereon to improve the above-mentioned problems.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a water steering control method is provided, the method comprising: acquiring the wading depth of the environment in which a vehicle is located, and determining a water depth class based on the wading depth; acquiring a steering demand class of the vehicle, wherein the steering demand class indicates the speed at which the vehicle performs steering; determining a target steering device of the vehicle based on the water depth class and the steering demand class, wherein the target steering device is a device used by the vehicle to perform steering in water; and controlling the vehicle to perform water steering based on the target steering device.

[0005] In some embodiments, determining the target steering device of the vehicle based on the water depth level and the steering requirement level includes: if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is in a first wading level, then determining that the vehicle's wheels are the target steering device; if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is in a second wading level, then determining that the vehicle's servo motor is the target steering device; if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is in a third wading level, then determining that the target steering device based on the steering requirement level includes at least the vehicle's servo motor, wherein the wading depth of the first wading level, the second wading level, and the third wading level increases sequentially.

[0006] In some embodiments, determining the target steering device based on the steering demand level includes at least the vehicle's servo motor, comprising: if the steering demand level is a first level, determining the servo motor as the target steering device; if the steering demand level is a second level, determining the servo motor and the vehicle's propeller as the target steering device; if the steering demand level is a third level, determining the servo motor, the propeller, and the wheel as the target steering device, wherein the priority of the first level is less than the priority of the second level, which is less than the priority of the third level.

[0007] In some embodiments, controlling the vehicle to turn in water based on the target steering device includes: if the target steering device includes the servo, the thruster, and the wheel, then obtaining the steering direction of the vehicle; controlling the servo and the wheel to turn according to the steering direction; controlling the first thruster opposite to the steering direction to increase speed according to the steering direction, and controlling the second thruster in the same direction as the steering direction to decrease speed.

[0008] In some embodiments, determining the water depth class based on the wading depth includes: acquiring the vehicle speed and the wheel speed of each wheel of the vehicle; determining the slip ratio of each wheel of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed and the wheel speed; determining the wheel contact status of the vehicle based on the slip ratio; and determining the water depth class based on the wheel contact status and the wading depth.

[0009] In some embodiments, the vehicle being in a first wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at least three wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is less than a first threshold; the vehicle being in a second wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at most two wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; the vehicle being in a third wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at most two wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is greater than or equal to the second threshold.

[0010] In some embodiments, obtaining the steering requirement level of the vehicle includes: obtaining the steering wheel rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity of the vehicle; if the steering wheel rotation angle is less than a first rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is less than a first angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be a first level; if the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the first rotation angle and less than a second rotation angle, and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the first angular velocity and less than the second angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be a second level; if the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the second rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the second angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be a third level.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, an underwater steering control device is provided, the device comprising: a water depth level determination module, configured to acquire the wading depth of the environment in which the vehicle is located, and determine a water depth level based on the wading depth; a steering demand level acquisition module, configured to acquire the steering demand level of the vehicle, wherein the steering demand level indicates the speed at which the vehicle performs steering; a target steering device determination module, configured to determine a target steering device of the vehicle based on the water depth level and the steering demand level, wherein the target steering device is a device used by the vehicle to perform steering in water; and a control module, configured to control the vehicle to perform underwater steering based on the target steering device.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, a vehicle is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, implement the underwater steering control method as described above.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer-readable instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the underwater steering control method as described above.

[0014] In the solution of this application, after determining the water depth level and the vehicle's steering requirement level based on the wading depth of the vehicle's environment, the target steering device of the vehicle is determined based on the water depth level and the steering requirement level. This allows the vehicle to be controlled to steer in the water based on the target steering device. This enables the vehicle to be steered according to the specific conditions of the vehicle's environment by mobilizing different steering devices to control the vehicle's steering in different situations, improving the vehicle's steering flexibility in water, avoiding accidental injuries to the vehicle and driver caused by slow steering in water, reducing the high energy consumption caused by using all steering devices at the same time when different steering requirements are met, and solving the problem of being unable to control the vehicle's steering in water when a certain steering device malfunctions.

[0015] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle capable of underwater steering control according to an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a water steering control method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a water steering control method according to another embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a target steering device controlling a vehicle to steer in water, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a water steering control method according to another embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a water steering control process according to another embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a water steering control process according to another embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of an underwater steering control device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a hardware structure diagram of a vehicle shown according to another embodiment of this application.

[0026] The accompanying drawings have illustrated specific embodiments of the present invention, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art through specific embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to make this application more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0028] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this application can be practiced without one or more specific details, or other methods, apparatuses, steps, etc., may be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application.

[0029] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This application illustrates a vehicle capable of underwater steering control according to an embodiment of the present application, such as... Figure 1 As shown below, the method for implementing underwater steering control in a vehicle 100 is illustrated by way of example.

[0030] In one alternative implementation, the vehicle 100 capable of underwater steering control includes a wading radar 110, a propeller 120, a servo motor 130, and wheels 130, where the wading radar 110, propeller 120, servo motor 130, and wheels 130 refer to hardware devices. The wading radar 110 is used to determine the wading depth of the vehicle's environment, while the propeller 120, servo motor 130, and wheels 130 are used to control the vehicle's steering movements in the water.

[0031] For example, the wading radar 110 acquires the wading depth of the vehicle's environment and determines the water depth level based on the wading depth through the vehicle-side server; the vehicle-side server acquires the vehicle's steering requirement level, and then determines the vehicle's target steering device based on the water depth level and the steering requirement level, wherein the target steering device is a device used by the vehicle to perform steering in water, including a thruster 120, a servo motor 130 and wheels 130, and finally controls the vehicle to perform steering in water based on the target steering device.

[0032] For example, the wheel 130 includes a left front wheel, a right front wheel, a left rear wheel, and a right rear wheel, and the propeller 120 includes a left propeller and a right propeller. When the vehicle's steering direction is determined to be left turn, the vehicle's left front wheel, right front wheel, and vehicle servo 120 swing to the left, the vehicle's left propeller decelerates or stops, and the vehicle's right propeller accelerates, thereby completing the vehicle's steering action in the water.

[0033] Figure 1 The system in [the document] can be used to implement the following Figure 2 For the described underwater steering control method, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This application illustrates an underwater steering control method according to an embodiment of the present application. In a specific embodiment, this underwater steering control method can be applied to, for example... Figure 8 The underwater steering control device 600 shown and the vehicle 700 equipped with the underwater steering control device 600 are shown. Figure 9 The specific process of this embodiment will be described below. Of course, it is understood that this method can be executed by an electronic device with computing power, such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, cloud server, or terminal device such as a vehicle-mounted server or central control unit with computing power. The following will focus on... Figure 2 The process shown is described in detail. The underwater steering control method may specifically include the following steps 210-240.

[0034] Step 210: Obtain the wading depth of the vehicle's surroundings and determine the water depth class based on the wading depth.

[0035] One method is to use wading radar installed on the vehicle body to detect the wading depth of the surrounding environment, thereby obtaining the wading depth of the vehicle's surroundings. Specifically, the wading radar can be installed on the vehicle body at the position of the front and rear wheels. This avoids discrepancies in the detected water depth at the front and rear wheels due to differences in path points, which could cause the front and rear wheels to be on different horizontal planes.

[0036] Optionally, to ensure the accuracy of the obtained wading depth, two wading radars can be installed on the left and right sides of the vehicle, and the wading depth of the vehicle's environment can be determined by the average value of the water level detected by the two wading radars.

[0037] Optionally, in order to accurately control the vehicle's steering in water, it is also necessary to determine the water depth level of the environment in which the vehicle is located, so as to determine the specific strategy for steering the vehicle in water based on the water depth level, and then control the vehicle to complete the steering in water based on the specific strategy.

[0038] Step 220: Obtain the steering demand level of the vehicle, wherein the steering demand level indicates how quickly the vehicle can steer.

[0039] One approach is to obtain the vehicle's steering wheel angle and overall vehicle speed, thereby determining the vehicle's yaw rate based on the steering wheel angle and overall vehicle speed, and obtaining the vehicle's steering wheel angular velocity, thereby determining the vehicle's steering requirement level based on the yaw rate and steering wheel angular velocity.

[0040] Optionally, since the yaw rate of a vehicle is a physical quantity that measures how fast a vehicle turns, while the steering wheel angular velocity represents the desired steering urgency of the vehicle, i.e., a higher steering wheel angular velocity means emergency avoidance or aggressive driving, and the system needs to respond more quickly, the steering requirement level of a vehicle can be determined by combining the vehicle's yaw rate and steering wheel angular velocity.

[0041] Optionally, different steering wheel angular velocities and different yaw angular velocities can be pre-set with a mapping relationship between steering requirement levels. After determining the vehicle's yaw angular velocity and steering wheel angular velocity, the steering requirement level that indicates the speed at which the vehicle should turn can be determined based on this mapping relationship.

[0042] Step 230: Determine the target steering device for the vehicle based on the water depth level and the steering requirement level, wherein the target steering device is the device used by the vehicle to perform steering in water.

[0043] In one approach, after obtaining the vehicle's water depth rating and steering requirement rating, the target steering device for steering in water can be determined based on the water depth rating and steering requirement rating. This allows for steering control of the vehicle in water by controlling the target steering device.

[0044] Optionally, to ensure the vehicle can turn in water, a servo and a propeller can be installed in the vehicle. The vehicle's wheels can also be used for steering in the water. This allows the choice of one or more devices—wheels, servo, or propeller—to perform steering, depending on the water depth and steering requirements. The propeller can be a propeller, waterjet propeller, or other type of propeller; the type can be chosen based on actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

[0045] Optionally, after obtaining the water depth rating and steering requirement rating, if the water depth rating indicates minimum or medium wading depth, a corresponding device is selected from the wheels and servo motor. If the water depth rating indicates maximum wading depth, other devices besides the servo motor are selected from the wheels and servo motor according to the steering requirement rating. For example, if the steering requirement rating indicates that the vehicle can turn slowly, only the servo motor needs to be used, and no other device is needed to perform the steering action; if the steering requirement rating indicates that the vehicle needs to turn rapidly, the servo motor, wheels, and propellers are controlled simultaneously to perform the steering action.

[0046] Optionally, the corresponding relationship between different water depth levels and different steering requirement levels can be set in advance, so that after obtaining the water depth level and steering requirement level, the target steering equipment can be determined directly based on the relationship.

[0047] Step 240: Control the vehicle to perform underwater steering based on the target steering device.

[0048] In one approach, after identifying the target steering device, the steering direction of the vehicle's steering wheel can be obtained. A steering command can then be generated based on this steering direction and sent to the target steering device. The steering device can then execute the vehicle's steering maneuvers in the water based on the received steering command, thereby controlling the vehicle to steer in the water.

[0049] Optionally, to ensure the vehicle can turn accurately in water, thrusters can be installed at the left and right rear of the vehicle, respectively. Thus, if the target steering device includes thrusters, the left or right thruster can be deactivated or its speed reduced, depending on the steering direction of the vehicle's steering wheel, while the right or left thruster is accelerated. This allows the vehicle to turn in the correct direction, ensuring the vehicle's steering accuracy.

[0050] In the embodiments of this application, after determining the water depth level and the vehicle's steering requirement level based on the obtained wading depth of the vehicle's environment, the target steering device of the vehicle is first determined based on the water depth level and the steering requirement level. This allows the vehicle to be controlled to steer in the water based on the target steering device, thereby enabling the use of different steering devices to control the vehicle's steering according to the specific conditions of the vehicle's environment. This improves the vehicle's steering flexibility in water, avoids accidental injuries to the vehicle and driver caused by slow steering in water, reduces the high energy consumption caused by using all steering devices simultaneously when different steering requirements are met, and solves the problem of being unable to control the vehicle's steering in water when a certain steering device malfunctions.

[0051] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 An embodiment of the underwater steering control method provided in this application is illustrated. The following will focus on... Figure 3 The process shown is described in detail. The underwater steering control method may specifically include the following steps 310-360.

[0052] Step 310: Obtain the wading depth of the vehicle's surroundings and determine the water depth class based on the wading depth.

[0053] Step 320: Obtain the steering demand level of the vehicle, wherein the steering demand level indicates how quickly the vehicle can steer.

[0054] For a detailed description of steps 310-320, please refer to steps 210-220, which will not be repeated here.

[0055] Step 330: If the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is in the first wading level, then the vehicle's wheels are determined to be the target steering device.

[0056] In one approach, when the water depth level of the vehicle's environment indicates that the vehicle is in the first wading level, since the wading depth of the first wading level is the smallest among different wading levels, it can be determined that the current water level of the vehicle's environment is low and will not cause the wheels to be out of contact with the ground. At this time, the vehicle's steering control can be achieved solely through the wheels, and thus, the vehicle's wheels can be identified as the target steering device.

[0057] Step 340: If the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is in the second wading level, then the vehicle's steering gear is determined to be the target steering device.

[0058] As one approach, when the water depth rating of the vehicle's environment indicates that the vehicle is at the second wading depth, since this wading depth falls between the three water depth ratings, it can be determined that the vehicle is in a moderate wading situation. At this point, the current water level in the vehicle's environment is higher than that of the first wading depth. If steering control is still performed via the vehicle's wheels, many wheels may not be able to touch the ground due to the wading depth, causing the wheels to spin and preventing steering. Therefore, to ensure the vehicle can still steer, steering can be achieved through the vehicle's servo mechanism in the water. Thus, when the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is at the second wading depth, the vehicle's servo mechanism is identified as the target steering device.

[0059] Step 350: If the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is in the third wading level, then based on the steering requirement level, it is determined that the target steering device includes at least the vehicle's servo motor, wherein the wading depth of the first wading level, the second wading level, and the third wading level increases sequentially.

[0060] As one approach, when the water depth level of the vehicle's environment indicates that the vehicle is at the third wading depth, since the third wading depth is the deepest of the three water depth levels, it can be determined that the vehicle is in a deep wading situation. At this time, the current water level of the vehicle's environment is the highest, and it can be determined that the vehicle cannot be turned in the water by means of the wheels. In order to ensure that the vehicle can turn in the third wading depth, at least the vehicle's servo motor should be identified as the target steering device. Then, based on the vehicle's steering requirement level, it can be determined whether other steering devices are needed to assist in completing the vehicle's steering action in the water.

[0061] Optionally, the need to coordinate the vehicle's steering gear and other steering devices to complete the steering maneuver in water can be determined by assessing the urgency or slowness of the steering requirement level. For example, when the steering requirement level indicates an emergency steering situation, the vehicle's steering gear, wheels, and propellers can work together to ensure a rapid steering maneuver in water.

[0062] In some embodiments, step 350 includes: if the steering demand level is a first level, then determining the servo motor as the target steering device; if the steering demand level is a second level, then determining the servo motor and the vehicle's propeller as the target steering device; if the steering demand level is a third level, then determining the servo motor, the propeller, and the wheel as the target steering device, wherein the priority of the first level is less than the priority of the second level, which is less than the priority of the third level.

[0063] As one approach, when the vehicle's steering demand level is determined to be Level 1, since Level 1 has a lower priority than other levels, it can be determined that the urgency of the vehicle's steering demand is the lowest. Therefore, although the vehicle is currently in a high-water environment, it does not need to complete the steering immediately and can perform the steering action slowly. In this case, the vehicle's steering mechanism alone can ensure that the vehicle can complete the steering. Therefore, when the steering demand level is Level 1, the steering mechanism is identified as the target steering device.

[0064] Optionally, when the vehicle's steering demand level is determined to be Level 2, since Level 2 has the middle priority among the three levels, it can be determined that the urgency of the current vehicle's steering demand is higher than Level 1 but lower than Level 3. This indicates that the vehicle is currently in a high-water environment and needs to complete the steering quickly. In this case, to ensure that the steering can be completed quickly, the vehicle's servo and propeller can work together to execute the steering action. Therefore, when the steering demand level is Level 2, the servo and propeller are identified as the target steering devices.

[0065] Optionally, when the vehicle's steering demand level is determined to be Level 3, since Level 3 has a higher priority than other levels, it can be determined that the current vehicle's steering demand is the most urgent. This indicates that the vehicle is currently in a high-water environment and needs to complete the steering immediately. In this case, to ensure the vehicle can complete its journey and the steering immediately, the steering action can be performed jointly by the wheels, the vehicle's servo, and the vehicle's propeller. Therefore, when the steering demand level is Level 3, the wheels, servo, and propeller are identified as the target steering devices.

[0066] Step 360: Control the vehicle to perform underwater steering based on the target steering device.

[0067] In some embodiments, step 360 includes: if the target steering device includes the servo, the thruster, and the wheel, then obtaining the steering direction of the vehicle; controlling the servo and the wheel to steer according to the steering direction; controlling the first thruster opposite to the steering direction to increase speed according to the steering direction, and controlling the second thruster in the same direction as the steering direction to decrease speed.

[0068] In one approach, when the target steering equipment is determined to include the vehicle's servo, wheels, and propeller, it can be determined that the vehicle needs to complete the steering action immediately. In this case, in order to ensure the vehicle's steering safety and smooth steering, the vehicle's steering direction can be obtained first, so that the corresponding working strategy of each target equipment can be determined based on the steering direction.

[0069] Optionally, the vehicle's steering direction can be determined by obtaining the steering wheel's turning direction. If the steering wheel turns clockwise, the vehicle's steering direction is determined to be turning left; if the steering wheel turns counterclockwise, the vehicle's steering direction is determined to be turning right. Alternatively, the vehicle's steering direction can be determined based on the obtained steering wheel angular velocity. Since the steering wheel angular velocity is a vector, the steering direction can be determined by whether the steering wheel angular velocity is greater than 0. If the steering wheel angular velocity is greater than 0, the steering wheel is turned clockwise, and the vehicle's steering direction is turning left; if the steering wheel angular velocity is less than 0, the steering wheel is turned counterclockwise, and the vehicle's steering direction is turning right.

[0070] Optionally, after determining the vehicle's steering direction, the vehicle can be controlled to rotate in that direction, oscillate in that direction, and the appropriate speed-reducing or speed-increasing propellers can be determined based on the steering direction, thus enabling rapid steering control of the vehicle via the propellers. For example... Figure 4 As shown, when the vehicle's steering direction is determined to be left, the vehicle's left and right front wheels turn to the left, the vehicle's servo swings to the left, the vehicle's left thruster decelerates or stops, and the vehicle's right thruster accelerates, thus completing the vehicle's steering action in the water.

[0071] In this embodiment, different steering devices are used to control the vehicle's steering based on different wading levels. This avoids the high energy consumption caused by using all steering devices simultaneously under different steering requirements, and solves the problem of being unable to control the vehicle's steering when a certain steering device malfunctions.

[0072] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 An embodiment of the underwater steering control method provided in this application is illustrated. The following will focus on... Figure 5 The process shown is described in detail. The underwater steering control method may specifically include the following steps 410-470.

[0073] Step 410: Obtain the vehicle speed and the wheel speed of each wheel of the vehicle.

[0074] As one method, to accurately determine a vehicle's water depth rating, it is necessary to determine not only the wading depth of the environment in which the vehicle is located, but also the vehicle's wheel contact status. Combining the wheel contact status with the wading depth ensures the accuracy of the water depth rating, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the vehicle's steering in water. Therefore, the vehicle's wheel contact status can be determined by obtaining the vehicle's speed and the wheel speed of each wheel.

[0075] Step 420: Determine the slip ratio of each wheel of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed and the wheel speed.

[0076] One approach is to determine the slip ratio of each vehicle after obtaining the vehicle speed and wheel speeds, and then use the slip ratio to determine the wheel contact with the ground. Specifically, the difference between the wheel speed and the vehicle speed is first determined, and then the ratio of this difference to the wheel speed is determined to obtain the slip ratio of each wheel. The slip ratio indicates the degree of slippage of each wheel in the vehicle's environment.

[0077] Step 430: Determine the wheel contact status of the vehicle based on the slip ratio.

[0078] One approach is to compare the slip ratio of each wheel with a slip ratio threshold after determining the slip ratio, thereby determining the wheel contact status of the vehicle. If a wheel is found to have a slip ratio greater than or equal to the slip ratio threshold, it is determined that the wheel is slipping, and the wheel contact status indicates that the wheel is not in contact with the ground; if a wheel is found to have a slip ratio less than the slip ratio threshold, it is determined that the vehicle is not slipping, and the wheel contact status indicates that the vehicle is in contact with the ground.

[0079] Step 440: Determine the water depth level based on the wheel contact with the ground and the wading depth.

[0080] One approach is to determine the water depth rating by combining the contact points of each wheel with the vehicle's wading depth after identifying the contact points of each wheel. To quickly determine the water depth rating, a pre-defined correspondence between different wheel contact points, wading depths, and water depth ratings can be established. This allows the determination of the water depth rating of the vehicle's environment after identifying the wheel contact points and wading depth in the current environment.

[0081] In some embodiments, the vehicle being in a first wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at least three wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is less than a first threshold; the vehicle being in a second wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at most two wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; the vehicle being in a third wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at most two wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is greater than or equal to the second threshold.

[0082] In one approach, when the number of wheels in contact with the ground is greater than or equal to 3, it can be determined that the current wheel slippage has little impact on steering. Furthermore, when the wading depth is less than a first threshold, it can be determined that the current water level has little impact on vehicle steering. Therefore, the vehicle can be determined to be in the first wading level, and under this wading level, vehicle steering can be achieved through the wheels.

[0083] Optionally, when the number of wheels in the ground contact status indicator is less than 3, it can be determined that the current wheel slippage has a significant impact on wheel steering. Furthermore, when the wading depth is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, it can be determined that the current water level has an increased impact on vehicle steering. Therefore, it can be determined that the vehicle is in the second wading level. Under this wading level, the vehicle steering action can be achieved through the servo motor, thereby ensuring that the vehicle can complete steering control even when the wheels slip and the wading depth is large.

[0084] Optionally, when the number of wheels in the ground contact indicator is less than 3, it can be determined that the current wheel slippage has a significant impact on wheel steering. Furthermore, when the wading depth is greater than the second threshold, it can be determined that the current water level has the greatest impact on vehicle steering. The vehicle may be affected by the buoyancy of the water and cannot be steered by the wheels. Therefore, it can be determined that the vehicle is in the third wading level. At this wading level, at least the steering action of the vehicle needs to be achieved through the servo motor to ensure that the vehicle can complete the steering control when the wheels slip and the wading depth is the greatest.

[0085] Step 450: Obtain the steering demand level of the vehicle, wherein the steering demand level indicates how quickly the vehicle can steer.

[0086] Step 460: Determine the target steering device for the vehicle based on the water depth level and the steering requirement level, wherein the target steering device is the device used by the vehicle to perform steering in water.

[0087] Step 470: Control the vehicle to steer in the water based on the target steering device.

[0088] The specific steps of steps 450-470 can be found in steps 220-240, and will not be repeated here.

[0089] In this embodiment, the slip ratio of each wheel is determined based on the vehicle speed and the wheel speed of each wheel. This allows the determination of the wheel contact with the ground and the wading depth of the vehicle to determine the water depth class, thus ensuring the accuracy of the determined water depth class and consequently the accuracy of the determined target steering device. This further improves the accuracy of steering control of the vehicle in water.

[0090] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 An embodiment of the underwater steering control method provided in this application is illustrated. The following will focus on... Figure 6 The process shown is described in detail. The underwater steering control method may specifically include the following steps 510-570.

[0091] Step 510: Obtain the wading depth of the vehicle's surroundings and determine the water depth class based on the wading depth.

[0092] Step 520: Obtain the steering wheel rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity of the vehicle.

[0093] In one approach, to accurately determine the steering requirement level of a vehicle, the steering wheel rotation angle and steering wheel angular velocity can be obtained first, and then the steering requirement level of the vehicle can be determined based on the steering wheel rotation angle and steering wheel angular velocity.

[0094] Optionally, after obtaining the steering wheel rotation angle and steering wheel rotation angular velocity of the vehicle, the steering wheel rotation angle can be compared with the first rotation angle and the second rotation angle, and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity can be compared with the first angular velocity and the second angular velocity, so as to determine the first magnitude relationship between the steering wheel rotation angle and the first rotation angle and the second rotation angle, and the second magnitude relationship between the steering wheel rotation angular velocity and the first angular velocity and the second angular velocity.

[0095] Step 530: If the steering wheel rotation angle is less than the first rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is less than the first angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be the first level.

[0096] As one method, the steering wheel angle indicates the desired steering range of the vehicle; a larger steering wheel angle indicates a larger steering range, representing a smaller desired turning radius or greater curvature. The steering wheel angular velocity indicates the desired steering urgency. A high angular velocity usually signifies emergency avoidance or aggressive driving, requiring a faster vehicle response. Therefore, when both the steering wheel angle and angular velocity are less than a first steering angle and angular velocity, the urgency of the vehicle's current steering demand is relatively low, thus classifying the vehicle's steering demand level as Level 1.

[0097] Step 540: If the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the first rotation angle and less than the second rotation angle, and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the first angular velocity and less than the second angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be the second level.

[0098] As one approach, when it is determined that the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the first rotation angle and less than the second rotation angle, and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the first angular velocity and less than the second angular velocity, it can be determined that the urgency of the vehicle's current steering demand has increased, but the urgency has not reached the point where the vehicle needs to complete the steering immediately. Thus, the steering demand level of the vehicle can be determined to be the second level.

[0099] Step 550: If the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the second rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the second angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be the third level.

[0100] As one approach, when the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than the second rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than the second angular velocity, it can be determined that the urgency of the vehicle's current steering demand is the greatest, requiring the vehicle to complete the steering immediately. Thus, the vehicle's steering demand level can be determined as the third level.

[0101] Step 560: Determine the target steering device for the vehicle based on the water depth level and the steering requirement level, wherein the target steering device is the device used by the vehicle to perform steering in water; Step 570: Control the vehicle to perform underwater steering based on the target steering device.

[0102] The specific steps of steps 510 and 560-570 can be found in steps 210 and 230-240, and will not be repeated here.

[0103] In this embodiment, the steering requirement level of the vehicle is determined by comparing the obtained steering wheel rotation angle and steering wheel rotation angular velocity with the first rotation angle, the second rotation angle, the first angular velocity, and the second angular velocity, respectively. This ensures the accuracy of the determined steering requirement level, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the determined target steering device and further improving the accuracy of steering control of the vehicle in water.

[0104] Figure 7 This application provides an embodiment of a water steering control method, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the vehicle's two wading radars can first collect wading radar signals of the vehicle's environment. Based on these signals, the wading depth of the vehicle's environment can be determined. Then, the average of the two wading depths is taken as the vehicle's current wading depth. Simultaneously, the vehicle's wheel speed and overall vehicle speed signals are acquired. Based on these signals, the slip ratio of each wheel is determined, and the wheel-to-ground clearance of the vehicle is determined. Then, based on the current wading depth and wheel-to-ground clearance, a water steering control strategy is determined. This strategy enables the vehicle to perform steering maneuvers in water.

[0105] If, based on the current wading depth and the number of wheels off the ground, the current wading depth is less than or equal to 800mm and the number of wheels on the ground is greater than or equal to 3, then the vehicle is considered to be in a shallow wading situation. In this situation, the steering wheel angle is first obtained. This angle is then used to determine if the vehicle requires steering. If steering is required, the vehicle is steered using wheel control.

[0106] If, based on the current wading depth and the number of wheels off the ground, it is determined that the current wading depth is greater than 800mm and the number of wheels on the ground is less than 3, then it is further determined whether the current wading depth is greater than 800mm and less than or equal to 1000mm, in order to further determine the vehicle's steering control strategy.

[0107] If the vehicle's current wading depth is determined to be greater than 800mm and less than or equal to 1000mm, the vehicle is considered to be in a moderate wading situation. In this situation, the steering wheel angle is first obtained. Based on this angle, it is determined whether the vehicle requires steering. If steering is required, the vehicle is then steered using the servo motor.

[0108] If the vehicle's current wading depth is determined to be greater than 1000mm, then the vehicle is considered to be in a deep wading situation. When the vehicle is in deep wading, the steering wheel angle is first obtained. This angle is then used to determine if the vehicle requires steering. If steering is required, the steering demand level is determined based on the steering wheel angle and the steering wheel rotation angle. Based on this steering demand level, the vehicle's steering control strategy is further determined.

[0109] If the vehicle's steering demand level indicates a slow steering situation, the vehicle is steered by the servo; if the vehicle's steering demand level indicates a medium-speed steering situation, the vehicle is steered by the servo and propeller in coordination; if the vehicle's steering demand level indicates an emergency steering situation, the vehicle is steered by the servo, propeller, and wheels in coordination.

[0110] In this embodiment, the current water level is detected by wading radar, making the determination of navigation conditions more accurate. The three actuators are activated in a time-sharing manner to control the vehicle's steering according to the steering requirements. This can better adapt to the steering requirements of vehicles in water, meet the driver's driving experience, and avoid accidental injuries to the vehicle and driver caused by slow steering in water. At the same time, the time-sharing control avoids the high energy consumption of the three steering actuators working simultaneously when the steering requirements are low, as well as the problem of not being able to control the vehicle's steering when one of the steering actuators fails. Thus, by adopting multiple steering actuators for time-sharing control, the safety of navigation in water and the driving experience of the driver are increased.

[0111] The above embodiments describe in detail the underwater steering control method provided by the embodiments of this application. In other embodiments, this application also provides an underwater steering control device. Figure 8 This is a block diagram of an underwater steering control device according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the underwater steering control device 600 includes: a water depth level determination module 610, a steering demand level acquisition module 620, a target steering equipment determination module 630, and a control module 640.

[0112] A water depth classification module 610 is used to acquire the wading depth of the vehicle's environment and determine the water depth classification based on the wading depth; a steering requirement classification module 620 is used to acquire the vehicle's steering requirement classification, wherein the steering requirement classification indicates the speed at which the vehicle can turn; a target steering device classification module 630 is used to determine the vehicle's target steering device based on the water depth classification and the steering requirement classification, wherein the target steering device is a device used by the vehicle to perform steering in water; and a control module 640 is used to control the vehicle to perform steering in water based on the target steering device.

[0113] In some embodiments, the target steering device determination module 630 includes: a first determination submodule, configured to determine the vehicle's wheels as the target steering device if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is at a first wading level; a second determination submodule, configured to determine the vehicle's servo motor as the target steering device if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is at a second wading level; and a third determination submodule, configured to determine, based on the steering requirement level, that the target steering device includes at least the vehicle's servo motor if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is at a third wading level, wherein the wading depth of the first wading level, the second wading level, and the third wading level increases sequentially.

[0114] In some embodiments, the third determining submodule includes: a first determining unit, configured to determine the servo motor as the target steering device if the steering demand level is a first level; a second determining unit, configured to determine the servo motor and the vehicle's propeller as the target steering device if the steering demand level is a second level; and a third determining unit, configured to determine the servo motor, the propeller, and the wheel as the target steering device if the steering demand level is a third level, wherein the priority of the first level is less than the priority of the second level, which is less than the priority of the third level. In some embodiments, the control module 640 includes: a steering direction determination submodule, configured to obtain the steering direction of the vehicle if the target steering device includes the servo, the thruster, and the wheel; a first control submodule, configured to control the servo and the wheel to steer according to the steering direction; and a second control submodule, configured to control the first thruster opposite to the steering direction to increase speed and control the second thruster in the same direction as the steering direction to decrease speed according to the steering direction.

[0115] In some embodiments, the water depth determination module 610 includes: a wheel speed acquisition submodule, used to acquire the vehicle speed and the wheel speed of each wheel of the vehicle; a slip ratio determination submodule, used to determine the slip ratio of each wheel of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed and the wheel speed; a wheel contact condition determination submodule, used to determine the wheel contact condition of the vehicle based on the slip ratio; and a water depth determination submodule, used to determine the water depth level based on the wheel contact condition and the wading depth.

[0116] In some embodiments, the vehicle being in a first wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at least three wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is less than a first threshold; the vehicle being in a second wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at most two wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; the vehicle being in a third wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at most two wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth is greater than or equal to the second threshold.

[0117] In some embodiments, the steering demand level acquisition module 620 includes: an angular velocity acquisition submodule, used to acquire the steering wheel rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity of the vehicle; a first level determination submodule, used to determine the steering demand level as a first level if the steering wheel rotation angle is less than a first rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is less than the first angular velocity; a second level determination submodule, used to determine the steering demand level as a second level if the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the first rotation angle and less than a second rotation angle, and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the first angular velocity and less than the second angular velocity; and a third level determination submodule, used to determine the steering demand level as a third level if the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the second rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the second angular velocity.

[0118] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, another vehicle is also provided, such as Figure 9 As shown, the vehicle 700 also includes a processor 710 and one or more memories 720, the one or more memories 720 being used to store program instructions executed by the processor 710, the processor 710 implementing the above-described underwater steering control method when executing the program instructions.

[0119] Furthermore, the processor 710 may include one or more processing cores. The processor 710 runs or executes instructions, programs, code sets, or instruction sets stored in the memory 720, and retrieves data stored in the memory 720. Optionally, the processor 710 may be implemented using at least one hardware form selected from Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and Programmable Logic Array (PLA). The processor 710 may integrate one or a combination of several of the following: Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and modem. The CPU primarily handles the operating system, user interface, and applications; the GPU is responsible for rendering and drawing the displayed content; and the modem handles wireless communication. It is understood that the modem may also not be integrated into the processor and may be implemented using a separate communication chip.

[0120] According to one aspect of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which may be included in the cloud server described in the above embodiments; or it may exist independently and not assembled into the cloud server. The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium carries computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the methods in any of the above embodiments.

[0121] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium shown in the embodiments of this application can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. Computer-readable storage media can be, for example, but not limited to: electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, optical fiber, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In this application, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In this application, a computer-readable signal medium can include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such transmitted data signals can take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. The computer-readable signal medium can also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0122] The units described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in software or hardware, and the described units can also be located in a processor. The names of these units do not necessarily limit the specific unit itself.

[0123] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein.

[0124] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for underwater steering control, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain the wading depth of the vehicle's surroundings and determine the water depth class based on the wading depth; Obtain the steering demand level of the vehicle, wherein the steering demand level indicates how quickly the vehicle can steer; If the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is in the third wading level and the steering requirement level is the first level, then the vehicle's servo motor is determined to be the target steering device. If the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is at the third wading level and the steering requirement level is the second level, then the servo and the vehicle's propeller are determined to be the target steering equipment. If the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is at the third wading level, and if the steering requirement level is the third level, then the servo, the thruster, and the vehicle's wheels are determined as the target steering devices, wherein the priority of the first level is less than the priority of the second level, which is less than the priority of the third level, and the third wading level indicates the highest wading depth. The vehicle is controlled to steer in water based on the target steering device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After determining the water depth class based on the wading depth, the method further includes: If the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is in the first wading level, then the vehicle's wheels are identified as the target steering device. If the water depth rating indicates that the vehicle is in the second wading level, then the vehicle's steering gear is determined to be the target steering device, wherein the wading depth of the first wading level, the second wading level, and the third wading level increases sequentially.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of controlling the vehicle to steer in water based on the target steering device includes: If the target steering device includes the servo motor, the thruster, and the wheels, then the steering direction of the vehicle is obtained; The steering mechanism and wheels are controlled to steer according to the steering direction; The speed of the first thruster, which is opposite to the steering direction, is controlled to increase, and the speed of the second thruster, which is the same as the steering direction, is controlled to decrease.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of determining the water depth class based on the wading depth includes: Obtain the vehicle speed and the wheel speed of each wheel of the vehicle; The slip ratio of each wheel of the vehicle is determined based on the vehicle speed and the wheel speed. The wheel contact status of the vehicle is determined based on the slip ratio; The water depth rating is determined based on the wheel contact with the ground and the wading depth.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The vehicle being in the first wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at least three wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth being less than a first threshold. The vehicle being in the second wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at most two wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth being greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; The vehicle being in the third wading level includes: the wheel contact status indicating that at most two wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the ground, and the wading depth being greater than or equal to the second threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the steering requirement level of the vehicle includes: Obtain the steering wheel rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity of the vehicle; If the steering wheel rotation angle is less than the first rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is less than the first angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be the first level. If the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the first rotation angle and less than the second rotation angle, and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the first angular velocity and less than the second angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be the second level. If the steering wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the second rotation angle and the steering wheel rotation angular velocity is greater than or equal to the second angular velocity, then the steering requirement level is determined to be the third level.

7. A water steering control device, characterized in that, The device includes: The water depth classification module is used to obtain the wading depth of the vehicle's environment and determine the water depth classification based on the wading depth. A steering demand level acquisition module is used to acquire the steering demand level of the vehicle, wherein the steering demand level indicates how quickly the vehicle can steer. A target steering device determination module is used to determine the vehicle's servo as the target steering device if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is in the third wading level and the steering requirement level is the first level; if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is in the third wading level and the steering requirement level is the second level, then the vehicle's servo and the vehicle's propeller are determined as the target steering device; if the water depth level indicates that the vehicle is in the third wading level and the steering requirement level is the third level, then the servo, the propeller, and the vehicle's wheels are determined as the target steering device, wherein the priority of the first level is lower than the priority of the second level, which is lower than the priority of the third level, and the third wading level indicates the highest wading depth. A control module is used to control the vehicle to steer in water based on the target steering device.

8. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicles include: processor; A memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium contains program code that can be invoked by a processor to execute the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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