Ocean engineering water surveying and mapping device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of oceanographic engineering surveying and mapping, and discloses an oceanographic engineering water surveying and mapping device which comprises a working box, a monitor arranged on the working box, a balancing weight located in the working box and adjustable in position, and a sensing detection system. The sensing detection system comprises a posture detection unit and a collision detection unit; the attitude detection unit comprises an inertial measurement unit which is rigidly mounted at the center of gravity in the working box and a GNSS receiver which is mounted at the top of the working box; the collision detection unit comprises a plurality of high-frequency response accelerometers installed on a key force bearing structure of the working box and piezoelectric film sensors laid in anti-collision pads at the corners of the working box, dynamic stability maintaining is achieved through an active balance weight adjusting mechanism, the data quality and safety are improved, and the safety of the working box is improved. The self-adaptive clamping mechanism ensures the stability of the counterweight, effectively solves the problem of loosening hidden danger, and enhances the survivability in cooperation with collision early warning and emergency floating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine engineering surveying, and more particularly to a marine engineering on-water surveying device. Background Technology

[0002] Marine engineering surveying is a prerequisite and foundational task for major projects such as port construction, channel dredging, and submarine pipeline laying. Its core relies on various marine surveying devices (such as survey vessels and unmanned surface vessels) equipped with sonar and other devices to accurately detect underwater topography and landforms. However, existing surveying devices, especially small and medium-sized unmanned surveying platforms, face severe challenges in maintaining stability and survivability when operating in complex marine environments, particularly in windy and wavey weather.

[0003] Existing devices suffer from severe deficiencies in anti-capsulation and attitude stability. Traditional ships rely primarily on ballast tanks or their wide-body design for static stability, while small unmanned surface vessels (USVs) generally lack effective active balancing mechanisms. When encountering waves, the hull is prone to significant roll and pitch, leading not only to severe data distortion and excessive noise from onboard mapping sensors (such as multibeam echo sounders), but also a significant risk of the entire device capsizing. The root cause lies in the lack of a closed-loop control system capable of real-time attitude sensing and immediate dynamic center of gravity adjustment, making it unable to actively and quickly counteract the capsizing moment exerted by external waves. When operating in complex waters such as nearshore and island / reef areas, the risk of collision with underwater reefs or other objects is extremely high. In the event of severe tilting or water ingress due to collision, the device often lacks an effective active emergency surfacing mechanism, easily causing expensive mapping equipment to sink with the device, resulting in significant economic losses.

[0004] Therefore, a marine engineering underwater surveying device was designed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a marine engineering underwater surveying device. It solves the problems of existing marine surveying devices being prone to capsizing in wind and waves, leading to data distortion, lacking dynamic center of gravity adjustment capabilities, and being susceptible to collisions and sinking risks in complex waters.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A marine engineering underwater surveying device includes a work box, a monitor mounted on the work box, an adjustable counterweight located inside the work box, and a sensing and detection system. The sensing and detection system includes an attitude detection unit and a collision detection unit. The attitude detection unit includes an inertial measurement unit rigidly mounted at the center of gravity inside the work box and a GNSS receiver mounted on the top of the work box. The collision detection unit includes multiple high-frequency response accelerometers mounted on the key load-bearing structure of the work box, and piezoelectric thin film sensors laid inside anti-collision pads at the corners of the work box.

[0007] Preferably, the outer side of the work box is hinged with multiple openable transparent areas by an interference fit of a sealing strip, the top of the work box is fixedly provided with a protective cover for protecting the monitor, the monitor is made of transparent material, and the inside of the work box has two symmetrically distributed T-shaped grooves.

[0008] Preferably, the counterweights are provided in multiple quantities, and all of them are made of magnetic material that can attract each other.

[0009] Preferably, the multiple counterweights are fixed by a clamping mechanism; the clamping mechanism includes a fixed disk, multiple grippers arranged in a circumferential array around the fixed disk, a drive disk for driving the multiple grippers to open or close synchronously, a gear meshing with the drive disk, and a control motor for driving the gear.

[0010] Preferably, the gripper is L-shaped; a limit rod is fixedly provided at the top of the transverse portion of the gripper, a limit groove adapted to engage with the limit rod is provided on the surface of the drive disk, and a rotating block is provided at the center of the drive disk to engage with the fixed disk; a moving block is fixedly provided at the bottom of the transverse portion of the gripper, a connecting plate fixedly connected to the control motor is fixedly provided on the outer wall of the fixed disk, and a moving groove is provided at the bottom of the fixed disk to engage with the moving block; the cross-sections of the moving block and the moving groove are T-shaped to match each other.

[0011] Preferably, an extension plate is slidably provided at the bottom of the gripper, and the extension plate is driven to extend and retract by an electric push rod installed inside the gripper.

[0012] Preferably, each of the multiple extension plates has an insertion groove at its bottom, and a support plate for jointly supporting the counterweight is slidably inserted into the multiple insertion grooves. The insertion grooves on the multiple extension plates have different heights, and pull rings are fixedly provided on the ends of the multiple support plates.

[0013] Preferably, the clamping mechanism is connected to the work box via a sliding assembly; the sliding assembly includes a T-shaped slider fixed to the top of the fixed plate, and a threaded rod threadedly connected to the T-shaped slider and rotatably connected to the side wall of the work box; the threaded rod is driven by an adjusting motor fixed to the side wall of the work box.

[0014] Preferably, the inertial measurement unit, GNSS receiver, monitor, control motor, adjustment motor, electric actuator, and piezoelectric thin film sensor are all electrically connected to the central controller.

[0015] Preferably, a floating airbag is fixedly installed at the bottom of the working box, and the floating airbag is connected to an air pump for controlling its expansion state. The air pump is electrically connected to the central controller.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention effectively solves the dynamic stability problem of traditional surveying devices by using a monitor, inertial measurement unit, GNSS receiver, counterweight, clamping mechanism, and T-shaped slider in combination. The high-frequency attitude detection unit, consisting of an inertial measurement unit rigidly mounted at the center of gravity of the work box and a GNSS receiver, can sense real-time attitude changes such as roll and pitch. The central controller calculates the data and drives the adjustment motor. Through a sliding assembly consisting of a threaded rod and a T-shaped slider, the entire clamping mechanism and counterweight move laterally or longitudinally along the T-shaped groove, thereby dynamically adjusting the center of gravity position of the device and actively generating a reverse restoring torque to counteract the wind and wave torque. This allows the device to maintain excellent attitude even in complex sea conditions, effectively reducing the interference of ship sway on sensors such as multibeam echo sounders, lowering the risk of capsizing, and achieving a leap from passive wave resistance to active stabilization, significantly improving the quality of surveying data and operational safety. The counterweights of this invention are made of magnetic materials that can attract each other and are modularly combined for rapid mass adjustment. Through the design of the clamping mechanism, the control motor drives the drive disk through gears, and the locking transmission between the limit rod and the limit groove, combined with the guidance of the T-shaped moving block and the moving groove, ensures the synchronous and high-precision opening and closing of multiple L-shaped grippers, which can stably hold counterweight combinations of different sizes. The extension plate driven by the electric push rod and its insertion slots with different bottom heights and stackable trays form an adaptive lifting tray mechanism, which provides key support for the bottom of the counterweights and effectively solves the safety hazard of counterweight loosening under dynamic loads, achieving a combination of rigidity and flexibility in clamping. This invention integrates attitude balance, collision warning, and emergency self-rescue functions under a unified central controller. Distributed high-frequency response accelerometers and piezoelectric thin film sensors laid inside the anti-collision pads can detect collision risks in advance. Once a severe impact or serious loss of attitude is detected, the controller can immediately trigger the air pump connected to the floating airbag, enabling the device to quickly float to the surface. This effectively avoids the huge losses caused by the sinking of the equipment and gives the device excellent survivability in harsh and high-risk waters, realizing the integration from functional isolation to intelligent collaboration. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the clamping mechanism and the T-shaped slider structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the detailed structure of the gripper and drive disk of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the counterweight control system of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the operating system of the surveying device of the present invention.

[0019] Drawing number descriptions: 1. Working box; 11. Viewing area; 12. Protective cover; 13. T-shaped slide; 14. Anti-collision pad; 141. Piezoelectric film sensor; 2. Monitor; 3. Inertial measurement unit; 4. GNSS receiver; 5. Counterweight; 6. Clamping mechanism; 61. Gripper; 611. Limiting rod; 612. Moving block; 62. Drive plate; 621. Limiting groove; 622. Rotating block; 63. Gear; 64. Control motor; 65. Fixed plate; 651. Connecting plate; 652. Moving groove; 66. Extension plate; 661. Support plate; 6611. Pull ring; 7. T-shaped slider; 8. Threaded rod; 81. Adjusting motor; 9. Floating airbag. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] The following description is intended to disclose the invention so that those skilled in the art can implement it. The preferred embodiments described below are merely examples, and other obvious modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the invention defined in the following description can be used in other embodiments, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and other technical solutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0022] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of this invention, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or position based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are merely simplified descriptions for the convenience of describing this invention and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0023] It is understood that the term "a" should be understood as "at least one" or "one or more," that is, in one embodiment, the number of an element can be one, while in another embodiment, the number of the element can be multiple, and the term "a" should not be understood as a limitation on the number.

[0024] Please see Figure 1-7 A marine engineering underwater surveying device includes a work box 1, a monitor 2 installed on the work box 1, an adjustable counterweight 5 located inside the work box 1, and a sensing and detection system; the sensing and detection system includes an attitude detection unit and a collision detection unit. The attitude detection unit includes an inertial measurement unit 3 rigidly mounted inside the center of gravity of the work box 1 and a GNSS receiver 4 mounted on the top of the work box 1; the collision detection unit includes multiple high-frequency response accelerometers mounted on the key load-bearing structure of the work box 1, and piezoelectric thin film sensors 141 laid inside the anti-collision pads 14 at the corners of the work box 1. The outer side of the work box 1 is hinged with an interference fit of a sealing strip to have multiple openable transparent areas 11. The top of the work box 1 is fixedly equipped with a protective cover 12 for protecting the monitor 2. The monitor 2 is made of transparent material. The inside of the work box 1 has two symmetrically distributed T-shaped slides 13. Multiple counterweights 5 are provided, and they are all made of magnetic material that can attract each other. The multiple counterweights 5 are fixed by a clamping mechanism 6. When this device is working, the attitude detection unit, consisting of an inertial measurement unit 3 rigidly installed at the center of gravity inside the working box and a GNSS receiver 4 on top, first fuses and calculates the three-dimensional attitude and position of the device in real time, forming the perception basis for balance control. At the same time, the collision detection unit, consisting of high-frequency response accelerometers distributed in the key load-bearing structure and piezoelectric thin film sensors 141 embedded in the anti-collision pad 14, continuously monitors abnormal mechanical impacts and contact stresses. When the central controller detects attitude tilt caused by wind and waves or an impending collision, it immediately drives the adjustment motor 81, which moves the entire clamping mechanism 6 along the T-shaped slide 13 through the threaded rod 8 and the T-shaped slider 7, quickly adjusting the lateral or longitudinal position of the counterweight 5. To address varying degrees of imbalance, the control motor 64 can drive the drive disk 62, which, through the cooperation of the limiting rod 611 and the limiting groove 621, causes the L-shaped grippers 61 of the circumferential array to open or close synchronously, adapting to different masses composed of multiple magnetic material counterweights 5. If necessary, the electric push rod can drive the support plate 661 at the bottom of the extension plate 66 to extend from the insertion grooves at different heights, forming a stable superimposed support, jointly achieving dynamic matching between the counterweight clamping center and the device's center of gravity, generating a reverse restoring torque. This process achieves closed-loop control through perception, decision-making, and execution, enabling active and adaptive adjustment of the counterweight's center of mass and clamping state in three-dimensional space, rather than traditional passive ballast or single-dimensional balance. This allows the device to actively resist capsizing and optimize mapping attitude under complex sea conditions. Furthermore, by utilizing the built-in piezoelectric thin film sensor 141 to detect collision risks in advance, combined with the emergency buoyancy function of the floating airbag 9, the stability, safety, and data quality of mapping operations are significantly improved.

[0025] Specifically, the clamping mechanism 6 includes a fixed disk 65, a plurality of grippers 61 arranged in a circumferential array around the fixed disk 65, a drive disk 62 for driving the plurality of grippers 61 to open or close synchronously, a gear 63 meshing with the drive disk 62, and a control motor 64 for driving the gear 63. The gripper 61 is L-shaped. A limit rod 611 is fixedly installed at the top of the transverse part of the gripper 61. A limit groove 621 that is adapted to engage with the limit rod 611 is opened on the surface of the drive disk 62. A rotating block 622 that is rotatably engaged with the fixed disk 65 is provided at the center of the drive disk 62. A moving block 612 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the transverse part of the gripper 61. A connecting plate 651 that is fixedly connected to the control motor 64 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the fixed disk 65. A moving groove 652 that is slidably engaged with the moving block 612 is opened at the bottom of the fixed disk 65. The cross sections of the moving block 612 and the moving groove 652 are T-shaped and adapted to each other. During use, the size of the waves and the weather conditions can be used to predict in advance how much weight the device needs to be weighed, and then to preliminarily determine how many counterweights 5 need to be placed. By manually opening the transparent area 11, the number of counterweights 5 can be adjusted. The counterweights 5 can be clamped and fixed by their own adsorption force and clamping mechanism 6, thereby pre-optimizing the stability of the device and reducing the risk of tilting during operation. When it is necessary to clamp or release the counterweight 5, the control motor 64 starts, drives the gear 63 to rotate, and then drives the drive disk 62 that meshes with it to rotate. The drive disk 62 is adapted to engage with the limit rod 611 at the top of the gripper 61 through the limit groove 621 opened on its surface, converting the rotational motion into the radial opening and closing motion of the gripper 61. At the same time, the T-shaped moving block 612 fixed to the bottom of the gripper 61 slides in the T-shaped moving groove 652 at the bottom of the fixed disk 65. This T-shaped cross section ensures that the gripper 61 moves smoothly in the radial direction without falling off. The fixed disk 65 provides a stable installation for the control motor 64 through the connecting plate 651. The rotating block 622 at the center of the drive disk 62 is rotatably engaged with the fixed disk 65. By combining the snap-fit ​​transmission of the drive disc 62 and the limit rod 611 with the sliding guide of the T-shaped moving block 612 and the moving groove 652, the high-precision synchronous opening and closing of multiple L-shaped grippers 61 is achieved. This can effectively adapt to different sizes and masses composed of multiple magnetic counterweights 5, ensuring the reliability of clamping and the stability of dynamic balance during counterweight adjustment.

[0026] Furthermore, an extension plate 66 is slidably provided at the bottom of the gripper 61. The extension plate 66 is driven to extend and retract by an electric push rod installed inside the gripper 61. Each of the extension plates 66 has an insertion groove at its bottom. A support plate 661 for jointly supporting the counterweight 5 is slidably inserted into the insertion groove. The heights of the insertion grooves on the multiple extension plates 66 are different from each other. Pull rings 6611 are fixedly provided at the ends of the multiple support plates 661. When the clamping mechanism 6 needs to support an assembly of counterweights 5 with irregular shapes or large volumes, the electric push rod installed inside the gripper 61 can drive the extension plate 66 to extend downwards, increasing the clamping depth. Then, the operator can pull out multiple pallets 661 from the insertion slots with different heights through the pull ring 6611, making it easier to place multiple counterweights 5. After placement, multiple pallets 661 are inserted, so that they are staggered and stacked in the center area of ​​the bottom of the counterweights 5 to form a stable support platform. The insertion slots with stepped height distribution and the stackable pallets 661 constitute an adaptive lifting pallet mechanism, which effectively solves the problem that the existing clamping mechanism lacks effective support for the bottom of the counterweights and is prone to loosening under dynamic loads, significantly improving the load-bearing stability and safety of counterweights with different combinations.

[0027] Furthermore, the clamping mechanism 6 is connected to the work box 1 via a sliding assembly. The sliding assembly includes a T-shaped slider 7 fixed to the top of the fixed plate 65, and a threaded rod 8 threadedly connected to the T-shaped slider 7 and rotatably connected to the side wall of the work box 1. The threaded rod 8 is driven by an adjusting motor 81 fixed to the side wall of the work box 1. The inertial measurement unit 3, GNSS receiver 4, monitor 2, control motor 64, adjustment motor 81, electric push rod and piezoelectric film sensor 141 are all electrically connected to the central controller. A floating airbag 9 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the working box 1. The floating airbag 9 is connected to an air pump for controlling its expansion state. The air pump is electrically connected to the central controller. When the inertial measurement unit 3 detects that the device is tilted, the central controller starts the adjusting motor 81 to drive the threaded rod 8 to rotate, which forces the T-shaped slider 7 to move the entire clamping mechanism 6 and the counterweight 5 along the T-shaped slide 13. By adjusting the center of gravity position, it resists the torque of wind and waves in real time. If the collision detection unit is triggered or the attitude is seriously out of control, the controller will immediately start the air pump to quickly inflate the floating airbag 9 and make it float, ensuring that the device will not capsize and sink. Through the integrated intelligent closed-loop control of the adjusting motor 81, the sensing system and the air pump by the central controller, fully automatic collaborative operation from attitude perception, center of gravity adjustment to emergency avoidance is realized, which effectively improves the automation level and survivability of surveying and mapping operations in complex sea conditions.

[0028] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawings are merely examples and do not limit the present invention. The objectives of the present invention have been fully and effectively achieved. The functions and structural principles of the present invention have been shown and explained in the embodiments, and any variations or modifications may be made to the implementation of the present invention without departing from the stated principles.

Claims

1. A marine engineering underwater surveying device, characterized in that, Includes a work box (1), a monitor (2) mounted on the work box (1), a counterweight (5) with adjustable position located inside the work box (1), and a sensing and detection system; The sensing and detection system includes an attitude detection unit and a collision detection unit; The attitude detection unit includes an inertial measurement unit (3) rigidly mounted at the center of gravity inside the work box (1) and a GNSS receiver (4) mounted on the top of the work box (1). The collision detection unit includes multiple high-frequency response accelerometers installed on the key load-bearing structure of the work box (1), and piezoelectric thin film sensors (141) laid inside the anti-collision pads (14) at the corners of the work box (1).

2. The marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the work box (1) is hinged with a sealing strip through an interference fit to have multiple openable transparent areas (11). The top of the work box (1) is fixedly provided with a protective cover (12) for protecting the monitor (2). The monitor (2) is made of transparent material. The inside of the work box (1) has two symmetrically distributed T-shaped grooves (13).

3. The marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The counterweight (5) is provided in multiple parts, and all of them are made of magnetic material that can attract each other.

4. The marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The multiple counterweights (5) are fixed by a clamping mechanism (6); The clamping mechanism (6) includes a fixed disk (65), a plurality of grippers (61) arranged in a circumferential array around the fixed disk (65), a drive disk (62) for driving the plurality of grippers (61) to open or close synchronously, a gear (63) meshing with the drive disk (62), and a control motor (64) for driving the gear (63).

5. The marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gripper (61) is L-shaped; A limiting rod (611) is fixedly provided at the top of the transverse part of the gripper (61), and a limiting groove (621) is provided on the surface of the drive disk (62) to be adapted to and engaged with the limiting rod (611). A rotating block (622) is provided at the center of the drive disk (62) to be engaged with the fixed disk (65). A movable block (612) is fixedly provided at the bottom of the transverse part of the gripper (61), and a connecting plate (651) fixedly connected to the control motor (64) is fixedly provided on the outer wall of the fixed disk (65). A movable groove (652) is opened at the bottom of the fixed disk (65) to slide and engage with the movable block (612). The cross-sections of the movable block (612) and the movable groove (652) are T-shaped and compatible.

6. The marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 5, characterized in that: An extension plate (66) is slidably provided at the bottom of the gripper (61), and the extension plate (66) is driven to extend and retract by an electric push rod installed inside the gripper (61).

7. A marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the multiple extension plates (66) has an insertion groove at its bottom. A support plate (661) for jointly supporting the counterweight block (5) is slidably inserted into the multiple insertion grooves. The insertion grooves on the multiple extension plates (66) have different heights. Pull rings (6611) are fixedly provided on the ends of the multiple support plates (661).

8. A marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism (6) is connected to the work box (1) via a sliding component; The sliding assembly includes a T-shaped slider (7) fixed to the top of the fixed plate (65) and a threaded rod (8) threadedly connected to the T-shaped slider (7) and rotatably connected to the side wall of the work box (1). The threaded rod (8) is driven by an adjusting motor (81) fixed to the side wall of the work box (1).

9. A marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inertial measurement unit (3), GNSS receiver (4), monitor (2), control motor (64), adjustment motor (81), electric push rod, and piezoelectric thin film sensor (141) are all electrically connected to the central controller.

10. A marine engineering underwater surveying device according to claim 9, characterized in that: A floating airbag (9) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the working box (1). The floating airbag (9) is connected to an air pump for controlling its expansion state. The air pump is electrically connected to the central controller.

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