Magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot and a control method thereof, and relates to the technical field of robots and intelligent control. The aerial robot module comprises a locking mechanism, and the locking mechanism comprises a stay wire mechanism and a butt joint mechanism which are connected through a stay wire. The docking mechanism is used for locking the aerial robots; and the stay wire mechanism is used for controlling the stay wire to be tightened, so that the docking mechanism moves close to the stay wire mechanism, and unlocking between the aerial robots is achieved. The locking mechanisms are arranged in the air robot modules, locking between the air robot modules can be achieved, a stable active unlocking means is provided, a specified interface can be accurately locked or unlocked according to needs, and the safety, controllability and success rate of the modular air robot in the air assembling process are greatly improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of robot technology and intelligent control technology, in particular to a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, aerial robot technology and its applications are rapidly developing, and have been widely used in aerial photography surveying and mapping, environmental monitoring, disaster rescue and other fields. However, the traditional aerial robots are mostly fixed structures with single function, which are difficult to cope with the diversification and complication of task requirements. For example, when the task requires longer endurance time or greater load, a single small aerial robot is often difficult to meet the requirements; and in narrow space or complex terrain, an aerial robot with larger size also lacks sufficient flexibility. In order to solve these problems, the concept of "modular reconfigurable aerial robot" emerges as the times require, that is, by modularizing multiple aerial robot units, they can be freely combined and split according to the task requirements, so as to build a reconfigurable aerial robot system.

[0003] However, in the actual research and application of modular reconfigurable aerial robots, the coupling requirements between the lightweight of single aerial robot module and the structural strength and the integration of reconfigurable functions restrict the coordinated design of the system structure. The modular design requires each aerial robot unit to accommodate the power, sensing, computing units and reliable docking connection mechanism required for independent flight under the constraints of small size and low weight. This makes the selection of structural materials, spatial layout and manufacturing process approach the limit. And the high connection strength required for aerial docking / separation (to resist flight vibration) and the precise guidance / self-correction ability further intensify the conflict between lightweight and structural robustness and functional completeness. Although the standardized connection interface can support flexible combination of multiple modules, achieving precise assembly tolerance control at a small scale and ensuring durability under frequent reconfiguration constitute the underlying physical obstacles to realizing a highly reliable reconfigurable system. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot and a control method thereof to improve the above problems. In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical scheme adopted by the present application is as follows: On the one hand, the present application provides a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot, comprising a plurality of aerial robot modules; The aerial robot module comprises a mounting plate, and a locking mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a pull wire mechanism and a docking mechanism connected by a pull wire; The docking mechanism is used for locking between the aerial robot modules; The pull cable mechanism is used to control the tightening of the pull cable, so that the docking mechanism makes a movement close to the pull cable mechanism, and the unlocking between the aerial robot modules is realized.

[0005] Further, the docking mechanism comprises: a magnet connected to the free end of the pull cable; a docking surface provided at the end of the magnet away from the pull cable mechanism, and magnetically connected to the magnet, for realizing the docking between the aerial robot modules; a spring return mechanism provided at the end of the magnet close to the pull cable mechanism, and connected to the magnet, for controlling the movement of the magnet away from the pull cable mechanism.

[0006] Further, the docking mechanism is further provided with a housing, the housing is connected with the mounting plate, the docking surface is provided at the end of the housing away from the mounting plate, the magnet and the spring return mechanism are both provided in the interior of the housing, and the spring return mechanism is fixed at the end of the housing away from the docking surface.

[0007] Further, the pull cable mechanism comprises a first motor, the output shaft of the first motor is connected with a light shaft through a shaft coupling, the end of the light shaft away from the shaft coupling is rotationally connected with a bearing, a winding wheel is fixedly provided on the light shaft, and the winding wheel is connected with the fixed end of the pull cable.

[0008] Further, the docking mechanism is provided with four, and is respectively located at the four corners of the aerial robot module.

[0009] Further, a protection frame and a fixed plate are further provided, the protection frame comprises a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod and a third connecting rod, two adjacent docking mechanisms are fixedly connected through the first connecting rod; the two ends of the second connecting rod are respectively connected with the first connecting rod and the fixed plate; the two ends of the third connecting rod are respectively connected with the mounting plate and the docking mechanism; and the fixed plate is provided at the end of the mounting plate close to the pull cable mechanism, and is connected with the mounting plate.

[0010] Further, a power mechanism is provided on the first connecting rod, the power mechanism comprises a second motor, the second motor is connected with the fixed plate through the second connecting rod, and a paddle is mounted on the output shaft of the second motor.

[0011] On the other hand, the application further provides a control method, applied to the above-mentioned magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot, comprising: obtaining first information of each aerial robot module, the first information comprising the initial position and the hovering position of the aerial robot; a plurality of flight trajectories are calculated based on the first information corresponding to each of the aerial robot modules and a preset path planning algorithm, and one of the flight trajectories corresponds to one of the aerial robot modules; the aerial robot modules are controlled to fly from the initial positions to the hovering positions based on the flight trajectories.

[0012] Further, second information is acquired in real time, and the second information includes positions and states of the aerial robot modules; the aerial robot modules are controlled to hover at preset hovering positions based on the second information, a preset pose estimation algorithm and a preset flight control algorithm; When the aerial robot modules are in the hovering state, the locking mechanism performs locking and unlocking between the aerial robot modules.

[0013] Further, when a plurality of first aerial robot modules are combined into a first combined body through the docking mechanism, flight of the first combined body is controlled based on the second information corresponding to the plurality of first aerial robot modules in the first combined body.

[0014] The present application has the following advantages: The locking mechanism provided in the aerial robot modules can not only realize locking between the aerial robot modules, but also provide stable active unlocking means, so that specified interfaces can be accurately locked or unlocked on demand, and the safety, controllability and success rate of the modular aerial robot in the air assembly process are greatly improved.

[0015] Other features and advantages of the present application will be described in the following description, and some will become apparent from the description, or will be understood through implementation of the embodiments of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some of the embodiments of the present application, and therefore should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a single aerial robot module of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 2 Another structural schematic diagram of a single aerial robot module of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 3A structural schematic view of a take-up mechanism of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 4 Another structural schematic view of a take-up mechanism of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 5 A structural schematic view of a docking mechanism of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 6 Another structural schematic view of a docking mechanism of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 7 Another structural schematic view of a power mechanism of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 8 A schematic view of a separation form of an aerial robot module of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 9 A schematic view of a combination form of an aerial robot module of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot; Figure 10 Another schematic view of a combination form of an aerial robot module of a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot.

[0018] Reference signs: 1, docking mechanism; 101, magnet; 102, spring return mechanism; 103, shell; 104, docking surface; 2, pull wire mechanism; 201, bearing; 202, bearing support; 203, winding wheel; 204, optical axis; 205, shaft coupling; 206, first motor; 207, motor fixing frame; 3, pull wire; 4, mounting plate; 5, power mechanism; 501, second motor; 502, paddle; 503, fixed support; 6, fixed plate; 7, first connecting rod; 8, second connecting rod; 9, third connecting rod; 10, connecting column; 11, 3D printed part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the following will be combined with the accompanying drawings for the embodiments of the present application to make a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present application, but only represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0020] It should be noted that: similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings. Meanwhile, in the description of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0021] Embodiment 1: It should be noted that: similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings. Meanwhile, in the description of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0022] The core control problem of the modular aerial robot is caused by the step change of the structure configuration at the moment of module connection / separation. The dynamic models of the single module and the combination are quite different, and the sudden change of the center of mass position, moment of inertia and thrust distribution easily induces flight attitude instability. The aerial docking requires the precise synchronization of the position and attitude of the multiple modules in the flight state, while the connection / unlocking action itself (such as magnetic collision impact) constitutes a strong disturbance. The control system must complete the mode switching from the dispersed independent control to the centralized collaborative control within milliseconds, and has the robustness against the above multiple disturbances. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the high-strength connection between the modules, as well as the stability of the modules during combination and separation, to reduce and resist the disturbance of the modular aerial robot modules during combination and separation, to ensure the whole process of dynamic reconfiguration, especially in the critical moment of state switching, the high-precision attitude keeping and smooth transition of the modular aerial robot.

[0023] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6 In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiment provides a magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot, comprising a plurality of aerial robot modules; wherein the aerial robot module comprises a mounting plate 4, the mounting plate 4 is provided with a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism comprises a pull wire mechanism 2 and a docking mechanism 1 connected by a pull wire 3; the docking mechanism 1 is used for locking between the aerial robot modules; the pull wire mechanism 2 is used for controlling the pull wire 3 to be tightened, so that the docking mechanism 1 moves close to the pull wire mechanism 2, realizing the unlocking between the aerial robot modules.

[0024] In specific implementation: when the aerial robot modules need to be combined, the aerial robot modules to be combined are controlled to approach, and when the distance between the aerial robot modules meets the preset distance requirement, the locking between the aerial robot modules is realized through the docking mechanism 1, so as to form a whole; if the locking between the aerial robot modules needs to be unlocked, the pull wire mechanism 2 can be controlled to tighten the pull wire 3, so as to pull apart the docking mechanism 1 between the aerial robot modules by a certain distance, realizing the unlocking and splitting. Compared with the existing modular aerial robot, the existing modular aerial robot mostly adopts the scheme of passive connection of fixed magnets, lacks active unlocking means, and can only forcibly separate the modules by applying a large torque through violent maneuvering, which greatly affects the flight stability and cannot realize reliable separation in a small space. The locking mechanism composed of the pull wire mechanism 2 and the docking mechanism 1 of the embodiment can accurately lock and actively unlock the specified interface of the multiple aerial robot modules as needed, greatly improving the safety, controllability and success rate of the aerial assembly process of the modular aerial robot.

[0025] Specifically, please refer to Figures 8 to 10 For the above-mentioned magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot, two modules are selected to perform the aerial docking and separation task.

[0026] The modular reconfigurable aerial robot system of the present application is composed of multiple structural consistent quadrotor modules. Each module is provided with a multi-surface magnetic docking structure 1 for locking and an internal pull wire mechanism 2 for unlocking, and is preconfigured with an independent flight control unit, which can realize single machine flight, hovering and docking preparation.

[0027] In the aerial docking task, first, one of the aerial robot modules is designated as the reference module, which maintains a hovering attitude and faces the preset docking direction. Another aerial robot module is designated as the active module, which is autonomously flown to the reference module by its flight control according to the preset path and speed planning. In the approach phase, the flight control system gradually reduces the speed and accurately adjusts the attitude through the track control, so that the docking surface 104 of the active module designated for locking remains within the adsorbable angle range of the magnet 101 of the reference module designated for locking.

[0028] When the distance between the two modules enters the docking range, the docking process is automatically completed by magnetic attraction and structural guidance. The annular magnet 101 of the locking docking structure 1 of the two modules generates an attractive force, quickly pulls the docking surfaces 104 of the two docking structures 1 close together and performs self-centering fitting, achieving preliminary locking. The magnetic attraction structure has a certain tolerance ability for angular and positional deviation, which can automatically correct slight alignment errors. During the entire initial docking process, the motor of the pull wire mechanism 3 does not need to act, and the modules can be stably adsorbed to form a rigid connection by magnetic force. The two modules automatically switch to the combined body control mode in this state, realizing attitude coordination and power joint distribution.

[0029] When the task requires the modules to be separated, the system starts the active unlocking process of the present application. Based on the preset control instructions, the flight control sends an unlocking signal to the interface built-in motor, and the first motor 206 of the pull wire mechanism 2 is started. The first motor 206 is a micro motor, after starting, the first motor 206 drives the reel 203 to tighten the pull wire 3, so that the magnet 101 of the docking structure 1 designated for unlocking is pulled back to the inside of the body along the predetermined direction in the shell 103, and the distance is pulled open by about several millimeters to one centimeter. As the magnet 101 moves away from the docking surface 104, the magnetic attraction force is quickly weakened to the point where it cannot maintain the connection, and the modules naturally separate under the action of aerodynamic force and attitude control. After separation is completed, the first motor 206 is reversed to release the pull wire 3, and the spring return mechanism connected with the magnet 101 pushes the magnet 101 back to the initial standby position, preparing for the next connection. The entire separation process is completed in a short time and has little effect on flight stability, and the continuity of hovering control of each module is maintained.

[0030] It can be known from the structure and specific implementation process of the magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot that each aerial robot module adopts a four-way connection structure design, and four standardized connection interfaces, i.e., docking mechanisms 1, are symmetrically distributed on the periphery of the body, which are respectively located in the extension direction of the roll axis and the pitch axis of the body, and support the docking between aerial robot modules in the north, south, east and west directions. Further, the pull wire mechanism 2 is installed on the mounting plate 4 of the aerial robot body, and the pull wire 3 is connected to the docking mechanism 1 in the corresponding direction. When it is necessary to unlock the connection of the robot module in a certain direction, the pull wire mechanism 2 pulls the docking mechanism 1 back by tightening the pull wire 3, so as to pull apart the two docking mechanisms 1 connected to each other by a certain distance, and active separation unlocking is realized. In this way, on the basis of ensuring that the balance and stable flight of the aerial robot module are not affected, multiple modules can be simultaneously interconnected. Referring to Figures 8 to 10 The aerial robot module of the magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot of the embodiment can be continuously docked and undocked to form different forms and build flexible and various aircraft configurations. For example, when it is necessary to combine multiple aerial robot modules into a combined form as shown in Figure 9 , the modules are first flown to a preset position, and when the distance between the docking mechanisms 1 of the two aerial robot modules satisfies the distance requirement of magnetic attraction locking, the docking is automatically performed due to magnetic attraction, so as to be combined into an integral whole as shown in Figure 9 . When it is necessary to transform the combined form as shown in Figure 9 into a combined form as shown in Figure 10 , the pull wire mechanism 2 of each aerial robot module is used to unlock and separate the combined aerial robot modules, and the separated form as shown in Figure 8 is converted, and then the aerial robot modules are flown to the preset position of the combined form as shown in Figure 10 according to a preset flight control instruction, and the combination is completed. The aerial robot modules realize stable switching from one combined form to another combined form in the air.

[0031] Meanwhile, the multi-face magnetic attraction interface and the pull wire active unlocking can ensure high efficiency and feasibility in the air environment. In the docking and separation process, the modules can realize fast capture, stable fitting and directional separation under the condition of no contact guiding structure and no external auxiliary positioning equipment. The path planning, speed control and integrated switching in the docking process can keep the attitude stable; the separation operation has little effect on the flight state of the modules, and the unlocking is reliable and accurate.

[0032] By adopting the technical scheme, the modular structure of multi-face connection is realized, each aerial robot module is equipped with four standardized docking mechanisms 1, one aerial robot module as a reference module can be simultaneously interconnected, locked and unlocked with multiple aerial robot modules as active modules, and richer aerial assembly configurations than the prior art are realized. The omnidirectional docking capability expands the reconfiguration mode of the aerial robot cluster and improves the adaptability of the system to different task requirements. The traditional scheme only supports single-direction or limited-interface docking, and the combination form is limited.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As a possible implementation, the aerial robot module of the embodiment further comprises a protection frame and a fixed plate 6, the fixed plate 6 is a main plate of the unmanned aerial vehicle module, and is used for realizing control on the power mechanism 5, the protection frame comprises a first connecting rod 7, a second connecting rod 8 and a third connecting rod 9, two adjacent docking mechanisms 1 are fixedly connected by the first connecting rod 7; the second connecting rod 8 is connected to the first connecting rod 7 and the fixed plate 6 at two ends respectively; the third connecting rod 9 is connected to the mounting plate 4 and the docking mechanism 1 at two ends respectively; the fixed plate 6 is arranged at one end of the mounting plate 4 close to the pull wire mechanism 2, and is connected to the mounting plate 4 through a connecting column 10. Further, the protection frame comprises a square skeleton composed of carbon fiber rods and 3D printed parts 11, wherein the first connecting rod 7 and the third connecting rod 9 are carbon fiber rods, the third connecting rod 9 is composed of three carbon fiber rods in the form of a nearly triangular pyramid, is inserted into the reserved hole of the docking mechanism 1, and supports each rod to bear force, thereby greatly improving the rigidity of the interface between the docking mechanism 1 and the main body. The first connecting rod 7 only bears the pressure of the connected parts, in order to reduce the weight, the first connecting rod 7 and the 3D printed part 11 are fixedly connected by glue, the 3D printed part is arranged on the fixed support 503 of the power mechanism 5 and the shell 103 of the docking mechanism 1, and the fixed support 503 and the shell 103 are connected to the first connecting rod 7, the connecting column 10 is a hexagonal nylon column, the second connecting rod 8 is fixedly connected to the fixed support 503, at the same time, the second connecting rod 8 is clamped and locked with the fixed plate 6, and the second motor 501 of the power mechanism 5 is clamped on the fixed support 503, thereby realizing the connection between the second motor 501 and the fixed plate 6 and avoiding the shaking of the motor. The above design ensures the strength of the connecting device while reducing the weight as much as possible, the deformation of the frame and the inclination angle of the motor are very small when each module is connected, and the stability of multi-module docking flight is ensured from the structure.

[0034] The light-weight high-strength frame composed of the carbon fiber rod and the 3D printed part is used to tightly connect the connecting device and the body, so that the structural rigidity of the module docking position is ensured. Compared with the prior art, the protective frame of the present application has little deformation when bearing a large connecting force, which can effectively avoid the attitude deviation and structural looseness of the combined modules, and ensure the stable and reliable flight of the multiple modules.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 7 As a possible implementation, in the aerial robot module of the embodiment, the first connecting rod 7 is provided with a power mechanism 5, the power mechanism 5 includes a second motor 501, the second motor 501 is installed in a fixed bracket 503, the fixed bracket 503 is connected with the fixed plate 6 through a second connecting rod 8, and a paddle 502 is installed on an output shaft of the second motor 501. Wherein, the second motor 501 is a hollow cup motor; the fixed bracket 503 is a carbon fiber rod bracket, the fixed bracket 503 clamps the motor to avoid the motor from shaking, and ensures the stable landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle module. The unmanned aerial vehicle module of the embodiment is a quadcopter module, the paddles 502 of the adjacent two power mechanisms 5 are forward rotating paddles and reverse rotating paddles respectively, so as to realize the self-rotation offset.

[0036] The above technical scheme is adopted, four power mechanisms 5 are respectively installed at the middle positions of the four first connecting rods 7, so that the installation layout of the docking mechanism 1 can avoid the gas washing area below the aerial robot propeller. At the same time, the docking mechanism 1 is placed tangentially to the edge of the airflow area, so as to reduce the influence on the normal flight airflow of the single machine as much as possible.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As a possible implementation, in the aerial robot module of the embodiment, the docking mechanism 1 includes a magnet 101 and a spring return mechanism 102, the magnet 101 is connected with the pull wire 3, and is used for locking between the aerial robots; the spring return mechanism 102 is arranged at one end of the magnet 101 close to the pull wire mechanism 2, and is used for controlling the magnet 101 to move away from the pull wire mechanism 2. The locking mechanism of the aerial robot module in the embodiment realizes efficient module connection by combining magnetic adsorption and mechanical pull wire 3. A strong permanent magnet 101 and a spring return mechanism 102 are embedded in the docking mechanism 1 of each aerial robot module, and the take-up mechanism is connected to the magnet 101 through the pull wire 3, thereby realizing the functions of connection locking and active unlocking. When the two aerial robot module bodies approach each other, the ring-shaped magnet 101 at the interface remains attached to the docking surface 104 under the action of the spring return mechanism 102, and can be quickly adsorbed and docked by relying on the magnetic force, and can automatically correct the position and angle deviation within a certain range, thereby ensuring accurate centering connection of the modules. Further, the magnetic attraction connection strength of the magnet 101 is optimized by design, and N48 high-performance ultra-thin ring-shaped permanent magnets are selected as the connecting magnets 101. A single pair of magnets provides an attractive force of about 7N (about 11 times the gravity of the weight of a single aerial robot module), and four interfaces use a total of four pairs of eight magnets, with a total weight increase of only about 2 grams. The traction force realized by the take-up mechanism can reach 24N, which is sufficient to overcome the magnetic attraction force to achieve rapid pull-off without damaging the mechanism. The entire docking mechanism 1 is compact in structure, light in weight, and does not occupy too much space on the body, and has no adverse effect on the center of gravity distribution and flight performance of the aerial robot.

[0038] Preferably, the docking mechanism 1 further comprises a housing 103 connected to the mounting plate 4, the docking surface 104 is arranged at one end of the housing 103 away from the mounting plate 4, the magnet 101 and the spring return mechanism 102 are arranged inside the housing 103, and the spring return mechanism 102 is fixed at one end of the housing 103 away from the docking surface 104. Further, the housing 103 and the docking surface 104 are connected together by adhesive, the docking surface 104 is a packaging iron sheet, which ensures that the magnet 101 can better attach to the docking surface 104, the housings 103 of adjacent docking mechanisms 1 are fixedly connected by a first connecting rod 7, the magnet 101 and the spring return mechanism 102 move inside the housing 103, the housing 103 is provided with a reserved hole, the shape of the reserved hole is set according to the shape of a third connecting rod 9, and the third connecting rod 9 connects the housing 103 and the mounting plate 4 through the reserved hole, thereby further enhancing the connection strength between the docking mechanism 1 and the robot body.

[0039] Preferably, the spring return mechanism 102 selects an applicable spring according to the magnetic attraction force of the magnet 101 and the traction force of the take-up mechanism, so as to ensure that the docking mechanism 1 can be stably reset when the pull wire 3 is relaxed, and the magnet 101 can be attached to the docking surface 104. Further, when it is necessary to adjust the traction force of the pull wire mechanism 2 and the magnetic attraction force of the magnet 101 according to different scenes, the corresponding spring can be replaced to adapt to different application scenes, which is not only convenient to operate, but also low in cost.

[0040] Please refer toFigures 1 to 4 As a possible implementation, the pull line mechanism 2 in the aerial robot module of the embodiment comprises a first motor 206, a shaft coupling 205, a light shaft 204, a winding wheel 203 and a bearing 201. The output shaft of the first motor 206 is connected to the light shaft 204 through the shaft coupling 205. The bearing 201 is rotatably connected to the end of the light shaft 204 away from the shaft coupling 205. The winding wheel 203 is fixedly arranged on the light shaft 204 and connected to the pull line 3. Further, the bearing 201 is rotatably installed on a bearing support 202. The first motor 206 is fixedly arranged on a motor fixing frame 207, further improving the working stability of the pull line mechanism 2. Meanwhile, the first motor 206 is a reduction motor, which can adjust the rotating speed of the winding wheel 203, thereby controlling the traction force of the pull line mechanism 2 on the docking mechanism 1. A motor control board is arranged on the mounting plate 4 for controlling the rotating direction and speed of the first motor 206.

[0041] With the above technical solution, when the aerial robot module of the embodiment needs to separate the connection in a certain direction, the first motor 206 of the corresponding interface is only needed to be controlled to rotate forward to tighten the pull line 3, so as to pull the magnet 101 of the interface away from the docking surface 104 by about 12 mm. This distance makes the magnetic attraction force sharply decay to be insufficient to maintain the connection, and the two modules can be immediately unlocked and separated. Then the motor is reversed to relax the pull line 3, and the magnet 101 is reset to the side of the docking surface 104 close to the magnet 101 under the action of the spring, and the module returns to the connected state. The magnetic-mechanical combined connection device enables the aerial robot module to have the ability of independent unlocking in any direction, avoiding the disadvantages of the existing fixed magnetic attraction connection mode which must rely on large-angle sharp maneuvering to forcibly separate, and greatly improving the safety and reliability of aerial assembly.

[0042] Meanwhile, the embodiment also provides a control method for controlling the magnetic connection type modular reconfigurable aerial robot.

[0043] Specifically, the above docking / separation execution mechanism and flight control system are deeply integrated on the circuit and control system to realize precise control and safety management of the module connection device. The flight control board is externally connected to a double-H bridge DC motor driving module through a bottom expansion interface to drive two micro DC reduction motors to control the locking and unlocking of the four connection ports of the aerial robot module (forming a "double-motor four-direction" control layout). The flight control firmware is additionally provided with control logic of two-way DC motor. By configuring each group of two GPIO pins as a pair of control signals, the high and low level combination can control the corresponding motor to rotate forward or reverse in the predetermined direction, and the pull line drives the magnet in the corresponding direction interface to extend or retract. The ground station software of the upper computer is also expanded with docking / separation control instruction options, which can send motor action instructions to the specified aerial robot through wireless communication to realize the control of forward rotation, reverse rotation, synchronous start and other controls of a single motor, and the motor action duration can be set.

[0044] Preferably, in order to ensure safe operation, state monitoring is introduced in the control logic: only when the aerial robot is in a safe state such as hovering stability, the docking or separation instruction is allowed to be executed, avoiding the risk of mis-triggering the connection device during intense maneuvering flight. The above-mentioned integrated circuit control scheme of software and hardware enables the operator to flexibly and reliably remotely control the connection and unlocking of multiple modules, providing strong support for multi-robot collaborative reconstruction.

[0045] Further, the present application proposes a set of hierarchical control and collaborative path planning strategies for the aerial reconstruction process of multiple aerial robot modules, in order to ensure the safety, efficiency and stability of multi-module docking. On the basis of single-module autonomous stable flight, the system further introduces a centralized multi-robot coordination control scheme. First, for a single module, the attitude and height control algorithm is optimized (such as achieving millimeter-level precision pose estimation through multi-source information fusion of extended Kalman filter, and tuning the flight control PID parameters to make the single-module hovering position error converge within ±5.5mm), to ensure high-precision stable control of single-module flight; secondly, during the module docking stage, a synchronous coordination control mechanism and path planning algorithm between modules are designed. The ground station calculates the motion trajectory of each module from the initial position to the target docking point according to the task requirements, considering flight obstacle avoidance and attitude constraints in the planning, generally adopting the strategy of "high-speed approach + low-speed docking": each module first maneuvers at a high speed to approach the target area, and then slows down to a small speed near the docking point to avoid collision and drastic attitude change. After the trajectory planning is completed, the trajectory instructions are synchronized to each aerial robot module through the CrazySwarm cluster control framework for execution, and the high-precision motion capture system is used to monitor the position and state of the multi-robot in real time, ensuring that each module moves according to the plan. Thirdly, in terms of module mechanical connection and unlocking action, the control system can complete the mode switching from independent control of each module to unified control of the combined body within milliseconds, and realize attitude cooperative stable control of the combined body through information sharing between modules. Based on the above strategies, multiple aerial robot modules can smoothly complete aerial docking assembly and quickly realize separation and reconstruction. Experimental results show that the system can realize precise assembly and rapid disassembly of multiple modules in the air, with a reconstruction success rate of more than 90%, stable attitude and rapid response during combined flight, significantly improving the adaptability and task execution ability of aerial robots in dynamic task environment.

[0046] It can be understood that the air robot control system constructed by the embodiment integrates software and hardware, and organically fuses flight control and module docking execution mechanism, which is different from the control mode in the prior art in which flight control and connecting device are relatively independent. Through the self-developed firmware and the host computer instruction, the connection / separation action and the flight attitude control among the modules are cooperated and unified. The control system can quickly complete the smooth transition from decentralized control to centralized control at the moment of module docking or separation, and ensure that the docking unlocking operation is only performed under appropriate conditions through the safety interlocking mechanism. Compared with the prior art, the robustness of the system to configuration mutation and external disturbance is significantly improved, and the risk of docking failure and flight attitude instability is effectively reduced.

[0047] Further, the multi-machine cooperative path planning and control strategy proposed by the present application enables the modular air robot to efficiently and accurately complete the air reconstruction task. Through centralized planning of the flight paths of each module by the ground station and synchronous take-off and formation flight, the risk of module interference and collision is avoided, and the smooth and orderly docking process is ensured. Combined with high-precision attitude positioning and hierarchical control algorithm, the system realizes accurate control of the docking position and attitude of the module. The actual test proves that the modular air robot system of the present application is significantly superior to the prior art in terms of success rate and control accuracy of air assembly and reconstruction, can undertake more complex and variable task requirements, and embodies excellent engineering practical value.

[0048] The present example fully demonstrates the key innovations of the present application in air self-assembly, rapid reconstruction and task cooperation: the fast connection and separation mechanism of magnetic attraction + tension line cooperative work, the reconstruction flexibility brought by the multi-face docking structure, and the path planning strategy and flight control switching mechanism integrating docking action control. Compared with the scheme relying on ground structure support or complex mechanical buckle, the present application can independently complete module combination and disassembly in the air, providing a feasible path for multi-task cooperation, load cooperation and flexible expansion.

[0049] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various changes and modifications. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0050] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various changes and modifications. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot, characterized in that, Includes multiple aerial robot modules; The aerial robot module includes a mounting plate, and a locking mechanism is provided on the mounting plate. The locking mechanism includes a pull-line mechanism and a docking mechanism connected by a pull-line. The docking mechanism is used for locking between the aerial robot modules; The cable-pulling mechanism is used to control the tightening of the cable, thereby causing the docking mechanism to move close to the cable-pulling mechanism, thus unlocking the aerial robot modules.

2. The magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot according to claim 1, characterized in that... The docking mechanism includes: A magnet, the magnet being connected to the free end of the draw wire; A docking surface is located at the end of the magnet away from the wire pulling mechanism and is magnetically connected to the magnet to enable docking between the aerial robot modules. A spring reset mechanism is located at one end of the magnet near the pull wire mechanism and is connected to the magnet. It is used to control the magnet to move away from the pull wire mechanism.

3. The magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The docking mechanism is further provided with a housing, which is connected to the mounting plate. The docking surface is located at the end of the housing away from the mounting plate. The magnet and the spring reset mechanism are both located inside the housing, and the spring reset mechanism is fixed at the end of the housing away from the docking surface.

4. The magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot according to claim 1, characterized in that... The wire pulling mechanism includes a first motor, the output shaft of the first motor is connected to an optical shaft via a coupling, a bearing is rotatably connected to the end of the optical shaft away from the coupling, a winding wheel is fixedly mounted on the optical shaft, and the winding wheel is connected to the fixed end of the wire pulling mechanism.

5. The magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot according to claim 1, characterized in that... There are four docking mechanisms, which are located at the four corners of the aerial robot module.

6. The magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot according to claim 5, characterized in that... It is also equipped with a protective frame and a fixing plate. The protective frame includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod and a third connecting rod. Two adjacent docking mechanisms are fixedly connected to each other through the first connecting rod. The two ends of the second connecting rod are respectively connected to the first connecting rod and the fixing plate. The two ends of the third connecting rod are respectively connected to the mounting plate and the docking mechanism. The fixing plate is disposed at one end of the mounting plate near the pull wire mechanism and is connected to the mounting plate.

7. The magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot according to claim 6, characterized in that... A power mechanism is provided on the first connecting rod. The power mechanism includes a second motor. The second motor is connected to the fixed plate through the second connecting rod. A blade is installed on the output shaft of the second motor.

8. A control method, characterized in that, The magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot applied to any one of claims 1-7 includes: Obtain first information for each of the aerial robot modules, the first information including the initial position and the hovering position of the aerial robot; Based on the first information corresponding to each of the aerial robot modules and the preset path planning algorithm, multiple flight trajectories are calculated, and one flight trajectory corresponds to one aerial robot module; Based on the flight trajectory, the aerial robot module is controlled to fly from the initial position to the hovering position.

9. The control method for a magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot according to claim 8, characterized in that... After controlling the aerial robot module to fly from the initial position to the hovering position based on the flight trajectory, the method further includes: The second information is acquired in real time, including the position and status of the aerial robot module; Based on the second information, the preset pose estimation algorithm, and the preset flight control algorithm, the aerial robot module is controlled to hover at a preset hovering position; When the aerial robot module is in a hovering state, the locking mechanism locks and unlocks the aerial robot modules.

10. The control method for a magnetically connected modular reconfigurable aerial robot according to claim 9, characterized in that... When multiple first aerial robot modules are combined into a first assembly through the docking mechanism, the flight of the first assembly is controlled based on the second information corresponding to the multiple first aerial robots in the first assembly.

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