Course control method and system of photovoltaic cleaning robot

Abstract

The invention relates to a course control method and system for a photovoltaic cleaning robot, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining an initial pitch angle, an initial roll angle, an initial course angle and real-time attitude information at the starting moment of the photovoltaic cleaning robot, and the attitude information comprises the pitch angle, the roll angle and the course angle; calculating an attitude stability index based on the pitch angle and the roll angle in a historical time window; judging whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operation state or not according to the attitude stability index; if the photovoltaic cleaning robot is judged to be in the stable operation state, detecting a deviation value of a current course angle relative to an initial course angle; and correcting the current course angle based on the judgment result of the stable operation state: if the deviation value exceeds a preset drift threshold value, correcting the current course angle through the initial course angle. According to the method, low-cost control of the course angle of the MEMS attitude sensor is realized through judgment of the MEMS sensor and the stability index, and the course stability and accuracy are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of photovoltaic robot control technology, specifically relating to a heading control method and system for a photovoltaic cleaning robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of the "carbon neutrality" goal, photovoltaic (PV) power generation, as a clean and renewable primary energy source, is being popularized globally at an unprecedented pace. The refined operation and maintenance of PV power plants, especially the cleanliness of the PV panel surfaces, is increasingly becoming a focus of industry attention. The cleanliness of PV module surfaces is directly related to their power generation efficiency. Studies show that pollutants such as dust, sand, bird droppings, pollen, and snow can cause shading, leading to a 5% to 30% loss in PV power generation. In arid, windy areas, the loss can even exceed 50%. Solar cells partially obscured by bird droppings or dense dust can transform from "power generation units" into "resistance units," jeopardizing module safety and lifespan.

[0003] Traditional manual cleaning of solar panels faces problems such as high labor costs, low efficiency, inconsistent cleaning quality, and high water consumption. Relying on natural rainfall for cleaning has limited cleaning capacity, is highly dependent on rainfall, and is uncontrollable. In recent years, solar panel cleaning robots have emerged as an intelligent and automated operation and maintenance solution, perfectly solving the pain points of traditional solar panel cleaning methods.

[0004] Photovoltaic cleaning robots need to move straight along the longitudinal (or transverse) axis of the photovoltaic array. However, because the robot frequently needs to cross the aluminum alloy frames between the modules (which usually have a certain height difference), poorly designed cleaning robots are prone to getting stuck or experiencing severe bumps at these points. This can cause slight slippage or speed differences in the left and right drive wheels, resulting in a deviation in the direction of travel. Any tiny deviation in heading angle will be amplified over long distances, gradually deviating from the preset path during travel. This can cause one side of the robot to collide with the array frame and become stuck, reducing cleaning efficiency and even damaging the module frames and the robot itself, increasing maintenance workload.

[0005] The current sensor used to detect the heading of the photovoltaic cleaning robot produces significant and unstable noise, making it impossible to reliably control the robot. While using dual antennas for real-time heading detection offers stable and drift-free orientation, it requires two additional antennas, and the high cost of the dual-antenna orientation satellite navigation chip limits its widespread adoption. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To achieve high-precision and low-cost heading control of a photovoltaic cleaning robot, in a first aspect of the present invention, a heading control method for a photovoltaic cleaning robot is provided, comprising: acquiring the initial pitch angle, initial roll angle, initial heading angle, and real-time attitude information of the photovoltaic cleaning robot at the start time, wherein the attitude information includes the pitch angle, roll angle, and heading angle; calculating an attitude stability index based on the pitch angle and roll angle within a historical time window; determining whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state according to the attitude stability index; if it is determined to be in a stable operating state, detecting the deviation value of the current heading angle relative to the initial heading angle; correcting the current heading angle based on the determination result of the stable operating state; if the deviation value exceeds a preset drift threshold, correcting the current heading angle using the initial heading angle.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the calculation of attitude stability index based on the pitch angle and the roll angle within a historical time window includes: calculating the average value and standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window based on the pitch angle within the historical time window; and calculating the average value and standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window based on the roll angle within the historical time window.

[0008] Furthermore, determining whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state based on the attitude stability index includes: if the deviation of the average pitch angle within the historical time window from the initial pitch angle, the standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window, the deviation of the average roll angle within the historical time window from the initial roll angle, and the standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window are all lower than their respective preset thresholds, then the photovoltaic cleaning robot is determined to be in a stable operating state.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the stability index further includes: coefficient of variation, skewness, or kurtosis.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the step of correcting the current heading angle using the initial heading angle includes: using the initial heading angle as the target value of the photovoltaic cleaning robot to correct the current heading angle.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the real-time attitude information is obtained through a MEMS inertial measurement unit mounted on the photovoltaic robot.

[0012] A second aspect of the present invention provides a heading control system for a photovoltaic cleaning robot, comprising: an acquisition module for acquiring the initial pitch angle, initial roll angle, initial heading angle, and real-time attitude information of the photovoltaic cleaning robot at the start-up time, wherein the attitude information includes the pitch angle, roll angle, and heading angle; a calculation module for calculating an attitude stability index based on the pitch angle and roll angle within a historical time window; a judgment module for judging whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state according to the attitude stability index: if it is judged to be in a stable operating state, then detecting the deviation value of the current heading angle relative to the initial heading angle; and a correction module for correcting the current heading angle based on the judgment result of the stable operating state: if the deviation value exceeds a preset drift threshold, then correcting the current heading angle using the initial heading angle.

[0013] Furthermore, the calculation module includes: a first calculation unit, used to calculate the average value and standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window based on the pitch angle within the historical time window; and a second calculation unit, used to calculate the average value and standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window based on the roll angle within the historical time window.

[0014] A third aspect of the present invention provides an electronic device comprising: one or more processors; and a storage device for storing one or more programs, wherein when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the heading control method for the photovoltaic cleaning robot provided in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0015] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the heading control method for the photovoltaic cleaning robot provided in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention ingeniously utilizes multi-source sensor data, including MEMS gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers, combined with the unique tilt angle information of photovoltaic panels, to perform real-time attitude and heading correction through an adaptive filtering algorithm. This method not only effectively suppresses heading drift caused by gravitational interference and magnetic field distortion but also significantly improves the robot's navigation robustness under complex lighting and variable weather conditions. The stability of heading control is greatly enhanced, thus ensuring high repeatability and full coverage of the cleaning path. Furthermore, this invention has advantages such as compact structure, low cost, and ease of integration, and can be widely applied to various photovoltaic cleaning robot systems, demonstrating promising engineering application prospects and market promotion value. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1This is a basic flowchart illustrating the heading control method of the photovoltaic cleaning robot in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of the photovoltaic cleaning robot installed in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 A side view of the photovoltaic cleaning robot installed in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the heading control system of a photovoltaic cleaning robot in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device in some embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The principles and features of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples given are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0019] Example 1 refer to Figures 1 to 3 In a first aspect of the present invention, a heading control method for a photovoltaic cleaning robot is provided, comprising: S100. acquiring the initial pitch angle, initial roll angle, initial heading angle, and real-time attitude information of the photovoltaic cleaning robot at the start time, wherein the attitude information includes the pitch angle, roll angle, and heading angle; S200. calculating an attitude stability index based on the pitch angle and roll angle within a historical time window; S300. determining whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state according to the attitude stability index: if it is determined to be in a stable operating state, detecting the deviation value of the current heading angle relative to the initial heading angle; S400. correcting the current heading angle based on the determination result of the stable operating state: if the deviation value exceeds a preset drift threshold, correcting the current heading angle using the initial heading angle.

[0020] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 Photovoltaic panels are typically installed at a certain tilt angle θ to better receive sunlight. This invention installs a MEMS IMU-based attitude sensor on a photovoltaic cleaning robot, and obtains the three-dimensional angles of the robot's motion, including pitch, roll, and yaw, through the fusion of gyroscope and accelerometer data. Assume the photovoltaic cleaning robot's attitude angles at point A upon startup are... At this point, the robot's wheels are parallel to the aluminum alloy frame of the photovoltaic panel. When the photovoltaic cleaning robot moves to point B, its attitude angle is... If the robot's yaw direction does not change, then the current attitude angle... euler 1 and the attitude angle at the next moment euler If 2 are approximately equal, then the following relationship holds: , Right now: .

[0021] In tilt θ On the inclined plane of an angle, the attitude angles (pitch, roll) and yaw of a MEMS attitude sensor have a clear relationship: when pitch or roll remains constant, yaw does not change. If yaw changes significantly, but pitch or roll changes little, it can be assumed that the yaw is due to a drift in the yaw of the MEMS attitude sensor, rather than a deviation in the robot's actual yaw. This principle can be used to suppress yaw drift in the MEMS attitude sensor.

[0022] In view of this, in step S200 of some embodiments of the present invention, calculating the attitude stability index based on the pitch angle and the roll angle within the historical time window includes: S201. Based on the pitch angle within the historical time window, calculate the average value and standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window; S202. Based on the roll angle within the historical time window, calculate the average and standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window.

[0023] Specifically, when a cleaning robot is cleaning a photovoltaic panel, its posture angle changes very slowly. The change in posture angle only becomes more drastic when the robot crosses the aluminum alloy frame between the components. Therefore, let's assume the cleaning robot's posture when it starts cleaning a photovoltaic panel is as follows: The pitch angle of the MEMS attitude sensor during a period of time prior to time t is cached. and roll angle Calculate the mean and standard deviation as follows: , , , .

[0024] Furthermore, determining whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state based on the attitude stability index includes: if the deviation of the average pitch angle within the historical time window from the initial pitch angle, the standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window, the deviation of the average roll angle within the historical time window from the initial roll angle, and the standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window are all lower than their respective preset thresholds, then the photovoltaic cleaning robot is determined to be in a stable operating state.

[0025] Right now: , Without loss of generality, the stability metrics also include: coefficient of variation, skewness, or kurtosis.

[0026] In step S300 of some embodiments of the present invention, it is determined whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state according to the attitude stability index: if it is determined to be in a stable operating state, the deviation value of the current heading angle relative to the initial heading angle is detected. At this point, it indicates that the photovoltaic cleaning robot's attitude angle is stable and has not deviated significantly. At this time, the robot's rolling wheel should be approximately parallel to the frame of the photovoltaic panel. Then, the deviation value of the current heading angle relative to the initial heading angle is detected.

[0027] In step S400 of some embodiments of the present invention, the current heading angle is corrected based on the judgment result of the stable operation state: if the deviation value exceeds the preset drift threshold, the current heading angle is corrected by the initial heading angle.

[0028] Specifically, at this time This indicates that the heading of the MEMS attitude sensor has deviated and needs to be corrected. Subsequently, the heading angle drift of the MEMS attitude sensor can be controlled within a small range, preventing it from drifting indefinitely.

[0029] It is understandable that achieving long-term heading angle stability using low-cost MEMS attitude sensors is a simple system implementation that does not require a complex data processing system.

[0030] Example 2 refer to Figure 4 In a second aspect, the present invention provides a heading control system 1 for a photovoltaic cleaning robot, comprising: an acquisition module 11, configured to acquire the initial pitch angle, initial roll angle, initial heading angle, and real-time attitude information of the photovoltaic cleaning robot at the start time, wherein the attitude information includes the pitch angle, roll angle, and heading angle; a calculation module 12, configured to calculate an attitude stability index based on the pitch angle and roll angle within a historical time window; a judgment module 13, configured to determine whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state according to the attitude stability index; if it is determined to be in a stable operating state, then detecting the deviation value of the current heading angle relative to the initial heading angle; and a correction module 14, configured to correct the current heading angle based on the judgment result of the stable operating state; if the deviation value exceeds a preset drift threshold, then correcting the current heading angle using the initial heading angle.

[0031] Furthermore, the calculation module 12 includes: a first calculation unit, used to calculate the average value and standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window based on the pitch angle within the historical time window; and a second calculation unit, used to calculate the average value and standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window based on the roll angle within the historical time window.

[0032] Example 3 refer to Figure 5 In a third aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device comprising: one or more processors; and a storage device for storing one or more programs, wherein when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the heading control method of the photovoltaic cleaning robot of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0033] Electronic device 500 may include a processing unit (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, etc.) 501, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in read-only memory (ROM) 502 or a program loaded from storage device 508 into random access memory (RAM) 503. The RAM 503 also stores various programs and data required for the operation of electronic device 500. The processing unit 501, ROM 502, and RAM 503 are interconnected via bus 504. An input / output (I / O) interface 505 is also connected to bus 504.

[0034] Typically, the following devices can be connected to I / O interface 505: input devices 506 including, for example, touchscreens, touchpads, keyboards, mice, cameras, microphones, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.; output devices 507 including, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), speakers, vibrators, etc.; storage devices 508 including, for example, hard disks; and communication devices 509. Communication device 509 allows electronic device 500 to communicate wirelessly or wiredly with other devices to exchange data. Although Figure 5 An electronic device 500 with various devices is shown; however, it should be understood that it is not required to implement or possess all of the devices shown. More or fewer devices may be implemented or possessed alternatively. Figure 5 Each box shown can represent a device or multiple devices as needed.

[0035] Specifically, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments of this disclosure include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program containing program code for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via a communication device 509, or installed from a storage device 508, or installed from a ROM 502. When the computer program is executed by a processing device 501, it performs the functions defined in the methods of embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the computer-readable medium described in embodiments of this disclosure can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination thereof. A computer-readable storage medium can be, for example,—but not limited to—an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code contained on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to: wires, optical fibers, RF (radio frequency), etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0036] The aforementioned computer-readable medium may be included in the aforementioned electronic device; or it may exist independently and not assembled into the electronic device. The aforementioned computer-readable medium carries one or more computer programs, which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to: Computer program code for performing the operations of embodiments of this disclosure can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof. Programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages—such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and Python—and conventional procedural programming languages—such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving remote computers, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)—or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0037] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heading control method for a photovoltaic cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: The initial pitch angle, initial roll angle, initial heading angle, and real-time attitude information of the photovoltaic cleaning robot at the moment of startup are obtained, and the attitude information includes pitch angle, roll angle, and heading angle. Based on the pitch angle and roll angle within the historical time window, calculate the attitude stability index; The photovoltaic cleaning robot is judged to be in a stable operating state based on the attitude stability index: if it is determined to be in a stable operating state, the deviation value of the current heading angle relative to the initial heading angle is detected. Based on the judgment result of stable operation, the current heading angle is corrected: if the deviation value exceeds the preset drift threshold, the current heading angle is corrected by the initial heading angle.

2. The heading control method for the photovoltaic cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The calculation of attitude stability indices based on the pitch angle and roll angle within the historical time window includes: Based on the pitch angle within the historical time window, calculate the average and standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window; Based on the roll angle within the historical time window, calculate the average and standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window.

3. The heading control method for the photovoltaic cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state based on the attitude stability index includes: If the deviation of the average pitch angle within the historical time window from the initial pitch angle, the standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window, the deviation of the average roll angle within the historical time window from the initial roll angle, and the standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window are all lower than their respective preset thresholds, then the photovoltaic cleaning robot is determined to be in a stable operating state.

4. The heading control method for the photovoltaic cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stability metrics also include: coefficient of variation, skewness, or kurtosis.

5. The heading control method for the photovoltaic cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of correcting the current heading angle using the initial heading angle includes: The initial heading angle is used as the target value for the photovoltaic cleaning robot, and the current heading angle is corrected accordingly.

6. The heading control method for the photovoltaic cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The real-time attitude information is acquired through a MEMS inertial measurement unit mounted on the photovoltaic robot.

7. A heading control system for a photovoltaic cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire the initial pitch angle, initial roll angle, initial heading angle and real-time attitude information of the photovoltaic cleaning robot at the start time. The attitude information includes pitch angle, roll angle and heading angle. The calculation module is used to calculate attitude stability indices based on the pitch angle and roll angle within a historical time window; The judgment module is used to determine whether the photovoltaic cleaning robot is in a stable operating state based on the attitude stability index: if it is determined to be in a stable operating state, the deviation value of the current heading angle relative to the initial heading angle is detected. The correction module is used to correct the current heading angle based on the judgment result of the stable operation state: if the deviation value exceeds the preset drift threshold, the current heading angle is corrected by the initial heading angle.

8. The heading control system of the photovoltaic cleaning robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The computing module includes: The first calculation unit is used to calculate the average value and standard deviation of the pitch angle within the historical time window, based on the pitch angle within the historical time window. The second calculation unit is used to calculate the average value and standard deviation of the roll angle within the historical time window, based on the roll angle within the historical time window.

9. An electronic device, comprising: One or more processors; A storage device for storing one or more programs, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement the heading control method for the photovoltaic cleaning robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the heading control method of the photovoltaic cleaning robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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