Precise feeding and recycling system based on cooperative operation of unmanned aerial vehicle and ship

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of aquaculture equipment, and discloses an accurate feeding and recycling system based on cooperative operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle and a ship, which comprises a material conveying ship and the unmanned aerial vehicle, the material conveying ship comprises a bait storage module used for storing bait and a transfer module used for conveying the bait to the unmanned aerial vehicle. The lower portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle is provided with a bait scattering module and a quick release module used for detachably connecting the unmanned aerial vehicle and the bait scattering module. The transfer module is connected with the bait scattering module through a feeding pipe. The problems that in large-scale feeding operation, bait supply is discontinuous and prone to being interrupted are solved, continuous and stable feeding of the material conveying ship to the unmanned aerial vehicle is achieved, the duration and the feeding amount of single-time collaborative operation are remarkably prolonged, and the operation efficiency of the whole system and the automation level of bait management are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of aquaculture equipment, and particularly to a precision feeding and recovery system based on cooperation between unmanned aerial vehicles and ships. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of aquaculture industry towards scale, deep water and intelligence, how to achieve efficient, precise and safe feed feeding has become a key issue in the industry. At present, intelligent equipment represented by unmanned ships and unmanned aerial vehicles has been gradually applied to feeding operations. For example, unmanned ships can realize large-scale feed transportation and scattering, but their maneuverability is limited to water navigation. Unmanned aerial vehicles have the advantages of air maneuverability and wide coverage, but are limited by their own load and endurance, making it difficult to independently complete large-scale and long-time feeding tasks. Therefore, the industry has begun to explore the way of "ship-machine cooperation" to integrate the advantages of heavy load and long endurance of unmanned ships and the characteristics of strong maneuverability and wide coverage of unmanned aerial vehicles in order to improve the overall operation efficiency.

[0003] In this technical evolution, some patent technologies related to the cooperation between unmanned ships and unmanned aerial vehicles have emerged. For example, Chinese invention patent No. CN107168318A discloses a device and method for unmanned ship and unmanned aerial vehicle offshore fertilization and pesticide application. The technical solution is composed of a cultivation carrier, an unmanned ship and an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned ship is provided with a material loading device and an unmanned aerial vehicle recovery device. Its working mode is that the unmanned aerial vehicle is responsible for reconnaissance of the cultivation carrier status, and the unmanned ship assists the unmanned aerial vehicle to apply materials (fertilizer or pesticide) to the cultivation area, aiming to improve the operation efficiency and reduce the risk of manual operation.

[0004] However, through the analysis of the existing technology, it can be found that when such a cooperative operation mode is directly applied to the water feed feeding scene, it still faces a series of technical problems to be solved:

[0005] First, the operation lacks targeting, and there is a lack of special and efficient feed conveying and precise scattering system. The above-mentioned existing technology mainly faces the scattering of liquid or small particle fertilizers and pesticides, and there are significant differences in material characteristics and scattering methods between them and solid particle feed. Direct application may cause feed to be blocked or broken during transportation, or to be scattered unevenly, resulting in feed waste and uneven feeding in the cultivation area, affecting fish growth and increasing the cost of aquaculture.

[0006] Second, the depth and flexibility of system coordination are limited. In existing solutions, unmanned ships mainly serve as mobile "supply stations" and recovery platforms for unmanned aerial vehicles, and the coordination logic is relatively simple. In actual large-area feeding operations, how to achieve continuous, stable, and on-demand feed supply between a large-scale feed delivery ship (which can be regarded as a "mother ship") and multiple unmanned aerial vehicles, and ensure the orderly deployment and management of the delivery pipeline, the existing technology does not provide an effective solution. This limits the feeding amount and operation radius of a single operation.

[0007] Third, there is a lack of quick and safe separation mechanism for emergency situations. When unmanned aerial vehicles operate at sea, they may need to abandon the load in an emergency due to sudden failure, sudden weather changes, or obstacle avoidance. Existing technical solutions do not fully consider the quick separation function between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the lower spreading device (feed bin). Once an emergency occurs, the unmanned aerial vehicle may be forced to crash or land with the heavy spreading device, resulting in the simultaneous destruction of the expensive unmanned aerial vehicle and the spreading device, increasing the operation risk and economic loss.

[0008] In summary, although the existing technology proposes the basic concept of ship-machine cooperation, it has obvious shortcomings in the design of a dedicated feeding system, deep cooperative operation processes, and equipment safety redundancy when applied to the specific scenario of precision feeding of aquatic feed. These defects can lead to low feeding efficiency, low feed utilization, high equipment loss risk, and other problems in actual work, restricting the further popularization and application of intelligent feeding technology.

[0009] Therefore, we propose a precision feeding and recovery system based on the cooperation between unmanned aerial vehicles and ships. SUMMARY

[0010] The present application mainly solves the technical problems existing in the prior art and provides a precision feeding and recovery system based on the cooperation between unmanned aerial vehicles and ships.

[0011] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solution: a precision feeding and recovery system based on the cooperation between unmanned aerial vehicles and ships, comprising a feed delivery ship and an unmanned aerial vehicle; the feed delivery ship comprises a bait storage module for storing bait and a transfer module for delivering bait to the unmanned aerial vehicle; the lower part of the unmanned aerial vehicle is provided with a bait spreading module and a quick release module for detachably connecting the unmanned aerial vehicle and the bait spreading module; the transfer module is connected to the bait spreading module through a feeding pipe.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the bait storage module comprises at least one storage bin arranged below the deck of the feed delivery ship, and the bottom of each storage bin is provided with an electromagnetic valve; the adjacent electromagnetic valves are connected through a first feeding pipe; the bottom of the storage bin is also provided with an infrared sensor for detecting the amount of bait in the bin.

[0013] Preferably, the transfer module includes a transfer hopper, an air-suspended fan, and a feeder fixed to the deck of the transport vessel; the first feed pipe is connected to the top of the transfer hopper through a second feed pipe; the output end of the air-suspended fan is connected to the input end of the feeder, the input end of the feeder is also connected to the output end of the transfer hopper, and the output end of the feeder is connected to the feed pipe.

[0014] Preferably, the deck of the transport vessel is also equipped with a winding reel, and the feed pipe is a flexible pipe wound around the winding reel.

[0015] Preferably, the baiting module includes a baiting bin, a swing tube, a motor, a first rotating rod, a second rotating rod, and a spray head; the swing tube is inverted U-shaped, with one end connected to the feeding pipe and the other end extending to the center of the bottom of the baiting bin and connected to the spray head; the motor is fixed inside the baiting bin, and its output end is connected to one end of the first rotating rod, the other end of the first rotating rod is movably hinged to one end of the second rotating rod, and the other end of the second rotating rod is fixedly sleeved on a tight ring at the connection between the swing tube and the spray head.

[0016] Preferably, the quick-release module includes a locking rod fixed to the bottom of the drone and a quick-release box fixed to the upper end of the baiting module; the bottom end of the locking rod is provided with a locking head; the quick-release box is provided with at least one set of push-pull electromagnets, and the output end of the push-pull electromagnets is connected to a quick-release head for engaging or disengaging with the locking head.

[0017] Preferably, the card head is a semi-circular block with its flat side facing upwards.

[0018] Preferably, the cargo ship is equipped with a crash barrier on its deck, which is located below the landing area of ​​the UAV.

[0019] Preferably, a survival ring is also fixed on the baiting module.

[0020] Beneficial effects

[0021] This invention provides a precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ships. It has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] (1) This precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of UAVs and ships uses a modular, sequentially controlled bait storage and conveying system as a technical means. Specifically, multiple inverted pyramidal storage bins are set up on the conveying ship, each bin is equipped with a solenoid valve at the bottom and connected in series through a first feeding pipe, and infrared sensors are used to monitor the material level of each bin in real time. The system can automatically control the opening and closing of the solenoid valves according to a preset threshold to realize the sequential and relay emptying and supply of bait from multiple bins. The technical effect achieved by this means is that it solves the problem of discontinuous and easily interrupted bait supply in large-scale feeding operations, realizes continuous and stable feeding of UAVs by the conveying ship, significantly extends the duration and feeding amount of a single collaborative operation, and improves the operating efficiency and automation level of bait management of the entire system.

[0023] (2) This precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of UAVs and ships uses a motor-driven crank-rocker mechanism (specifically including a first rotating rod, a second rotating rod, and a tightening ring) installed in a hollow feeding bin to transmit power to the spray head at the end of the swing pipe connected to the flexible feeding pipe, driving it to swing back and forth in a regular manner. The technical effect achieved by this method is to improve the traditional point-like or fixed fan-shaped feeding method into a dynamic scanning feeding method, overcoming the defects of fixed spreading range and poor uniformity of the existing technology, realizing a wider range and more uniform distribution of feed on the horizontal plane, effectively improving the accuracy and coverage of feeding, and reducing feed waste.

[0024] (3) This precision feeding and recovery system based on UAV and ship collaborative operation includes a locking rod with a locking head fixed to the bottom of the UAV, and a quick-release box installed on the baiting module, which contains multiple sets of push-pull electromagnets and quick-release heads. During normal operation, the electromagnets are energized to drive the quick-release heads to extend and lock the locking head; in case of danger, the system can instantly cut off the power supply to the electromagnets, and the quick-release heads will quickly retract under the action of the reset mechanism, realizing the millisecond-level mechanical separation of the UAV and the baiting module. The technical effect achieved by this technology is that it provides key safety redundancy for the ship-aircraft collaborative feeding system, enabling the UAV to quickly jettison the load (baiting module) in case of sudden failure or emergency avoidance, thereby greatly reducing the risk of UAV crash and equipment loss, ensuring the safety of the core flight platform, and improving the robustness and feasibility of the whole system in complex environments. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the material storage and feeding structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material storage bin of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transit warehouse of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the drone of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the feed container of the present invention.

[0032] Legend:

[0033] 1. Material transport vessel; 2. Drone; 3. Support frame; 4. Storage hopper; 5. Solenoid valve; 6. First feed pipe; 7. Infrared sensor; 8. Second feed pipe; 9. Transfer hopper; 10. Suspended fan; 11. Feeder; 12. Third feed pipe; 13. Winding reel; 14. Clamping bar; 15. Clamping head; 16. Spreading hopper; 17. Quick release box; 18. Push-pull electromagnet; 19. Quick release head; 20. Swing tube; 21. Motor; 22. First rotating rod; 23. Second rotating rod; 24. Tightening ring; 25. Spray head; 26. Anti-collision net; 27. Survival ring. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] Example: A precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of drones and ships, such as Figures 1-6 As shown, the system includes a feed vessel 1 and a drone 2. The feed vessel 1 is used to transport bait and provide a docking platform for the drone 2. The feed vessel 1 is equipped with a bait storage module and a transfer module; the bait storage module is used to store bait, and the transfer module is used to transport the bait to the drone 2 for sowing.

[0036] The bait storage module includes a support frame 3 installed below the deck of the feeder 1. The support frame 3 is a metal frame, and a storage bin 4 for storing bait is welded inside. The storage bin 4 has an inverted frustum-shaped structure. Depending on the size of the feeder 1, multiple sets of supports 3 and storage bins 4 can be arranged side by side. Each storage bin 4 is fixedly equipped with a solenoid valve 5 at its bottom. Adjacent solenoid valves 5 are connected by a first feed pipe 6, allowing the bait in multiple storage bins 4 to be discharged into the first feed pipe 6 in a controlled and sequential manner. An infrared sensor 7 is also installed at the bottom of the storage bin 4 to detect the remaining bait in the bin. When the infrared sensor 7 detects that the bait content in a certain storage bin 4 is lower than a set threshold, the control system closes the solenoid valve 5 connected to that bin and sequentially opens the solenoid valve 5 of the next storage bin 4, thereby realizing the sequential feeding of bait.

[0037] The transfer module includes a second feeding pipe 8, a transfer hopper 9, and an air-suspended blower 10. The transfer hopper 9 is a hollow tank fixed to the deck of the transport vessel 1. One end of the second feeding pipe 8 is connected to the first feeding pipe 6, and the other end is connected to the top of the side wall of the transfer hopper 9. The air-suspended blower 10 is fixedly installed on the deck, and its output end is connected to a feeder 11. The input side of the feeder 11 is connected to the output end of the transfer hopper 9, and the output side of the feeder 11 is connected to a flexible third feeding pipe 12. After the air-suspended blower 10 and the feeder 11 are started, the bait in the transfer hopper 9 can be output through the third feeding pipe 12. A reel 13 is also installed on the deck of the transport vessel 1. The third feeding pipe 12 is wound and stored on the reel 13, and its end is connected to the drone 2. The length of the third feeding pipe 12 can be adjusted by winding and unwinding the reel 13.

[0038] The drone 2 has a quick-release module and a baiting module located on its lower side. The baiting module includes a baiting bin 16, which is a hollow shell. An inverted U-shaped swing tube 20 is fixedly installed on its side wall. One end of the swing tube 20 is fixedly connected to a third feeding tube 12, and the other end extends to the center of the bottom surface of the baiting bin 16 and is equipped with a spray head 25. A motor 21 is fixedly installed inside the baiting bin 16. The output end of the motor 21 is connected to a first rotating rod 22. The first rotating rod 22 is a straight rod, one end of which is fixed to the output end of the motor 21, and the other end is movably hinged to a second rotating rod 23. The other end of the second rotating rod 23 is fixed with a tightening ring 24, which is fitted at the connection between the swing tube 20 and the spray head 25. After the motor 21 is started, it can drive the first rotating rod 22 to rotate, which in turn drives the tightening ring 24 and the spray head 25 to swing regularly through the second rotating rod 23, thereby achieving uniform baiting.

[0039] The quick-release module includes a locking lever 14 and a quick-release box 17. The quick-release box 17 is fixed above the baiting bin 16 and is a hollow shell with an open top. Four sets of push-pull electromagnets 18 are fixedly installed inside, and the output end of each push-pull electromagnet 18 is connected to a quick-release head 19. The locking lever 14 is fixed to the bottom of the drone 2. It is a long, round lever with a semi-circular locking head 15 fixed to its bottom end, with the flat side of the locking head 15 facing upwards. Under normal operating conditions, the push-pull electromagnets 18 are energized and extend, causing the four quick-release heads 19 to engage with the locking head 15, thus locking the locking lever 14 inside the quick-release box 17. In case of emergency, the push-pull electromagnets 18 are de-energized and retract, the quick-release heads 19 disengage from the locking head 15, and the drone 2 can quickly separate from the baiting module.

[0040] The deck of the feed vessel 1 is also fixedly equipped with a crash net 26, which consists of a metal frame and netting, and is used to provide cushioning when the drone 2 lands, reducing equipment damage. In addition, a lifebuoy 27 is installed above the feed bin 16. If the feed module accidentally falls into the water, the lifebuoy 27 can make it float on the water surface for easy recovery.

[0041] The system operates as follows: During transport by the cargo ship, infrared sensors in the bait storage module monitor the remaining bait levels in each storage bin in real time and control the opening and closing of solenoid valves, ensuring that the bait is sequentially discharged through the first feeding pipe to the transfer bin. The suspended fan and feeder activate, continuously conveying the bait from the transfer bin to the baiting module below the drone via a flexible third feeding pipe. Once the drone reaches the target area, motors drive the first and second rotating rods, causing the spray nozzles to swing rhythmically, evenly distributing the bait. In case of emergency, the push-pull electromagnet de-energizes the drone, causing the quick-release head to retract, achieving rapid separation between the drone and the baiting module. If the baiting module falls into the water, a lifebuoy provides buoyancy for recovery, while the drone can safely return and land on the cargo ship's anti-collision net. Through the coordination of the ship and the drone, the entire system achieves continuous bait supply, precise baiting, and safe emergency recovery.

[0042] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ships, characterized in that, It includes a feeder (1) and a drone (2); the feeder (1) includes a feed storage module for storing feed and a transfer module for conveying feed to the drone (2); the lower part of the drone (2) is provided with a feed dispensing module and a quick-release module for detachably connecting the drone (2) and the feed dispensing module; the transfer module is connected to the feed dispensing module through a feed pipe (12).

2. The precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of UAVs and ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bait storage module includes at least one storage bin (4) located below the deck of the feed ship (1), and each storage bin (4) is provided with a solenoid valve (5) at its bottom; adjacent solenoid valves (5) are connected by a first feed pipe (6); the bottom of each storage bin (4) is also provided with an infrared sensor (7) for detecting the amount of bait in the bin.

3. The precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of UAVs and ships according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transfer module includes a transfer hopper (9), an air-suspended fan (10), and a feeder (11) fixed on the deck of the transport vessel (1); the first feed pipe (6) is connected to the top of the transfer hopper (9) through the second feed pipe (8); the output end of the air-suspended fan (10) is connected to the input end of the feeder (11), the input end of the feeder (11) is also connected to the output end of the transfer hopper (9), and the output end of the feeder (11) is connected to the feed pipe (12).

4. A precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and ships according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cargo ship (1) is also equipped with a winding reel (13) on its deck. The feeding pipe (12) is a flexible pipe that is wound around the winding reel (13).

5. A precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The baiting module includes a baiting bin (16), a swing tube (20), a motor (21), a first rotating rod (22), a second rotating rod (23), and a spray head (25). The swing tube (20) is U-shaped, with one end connected to the feeding tube (12) and the other end extending to the bottom center of the baiting bin (16) and connected to the spray head (25). The motor (21) is fixed inside the baiting bin (16), and its output end is connected to one end of the first rotating rod (22). The other end of the first rotating rod (22) is movably hinged to one end of the second rotating rod (23), and the other end of the second rotating rod (23) is fixedly sleeved on the tight ring (24) at the connection between the swing tube (20) and the spray head (25).

6. A precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The quick-release module includes a lever (14) fixed to the bottom of the drone (2) and a quick-release box (17) fixed to the top of the baiting module; the bottom end of the lever (14) is provided with a locking head (15); the quick-release box (17) is provided with at least one set of push-pull electromagnets (18), and the output end of the push-pull electromagnets (18) is connected to a quick-release head (19) for engaging or disengaging with the locking head (15).

7. A precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The card head (15) is a semi-circular block with its flat side facing upward.

8. A precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cargo ship (1) is equipped with a crash barrier (26) on its deck, which is located below the landing area of ​​the drone (2).

9. A precision feeding and recovery system based on the collaborative operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and ships according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that: The baiting module is also equipped with a life ring (27).

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