Intelligent table tennis ball collecting device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of sports equipment auxiliary equipment, and discloses an intelligent table tennis ball collecting device which comprises a base plate, and the base plate is provided with a driving assembly, an adsorption assembly, a table tennis ball collecting assembly, a sensing assembly and a control system mainboard. The table tennis ball collecting assembly comprises a ball storage bin, a filtering net bag, a sealing cover, a conveying pipe and a collecting body. Environment image data and distance data are obtained through the sensing assembly, and the control system mainboard establishes a two-dimensional grid map and controls the chassis to move. The fan extracts air in the ball storage bin to form a negative pressure field, the negative pressure field generates directional airflow at the conveying pipe and the collecting body, the directional airflow applies fluid resistance to the table tennis balls, and the fluid resistance guides the table tennis balls to break away from the ground and be sucked into the ball storage bin. A second infrared distance measuring sensor is combined to obtain table tennis stacking height data to judge a full-load state, and a microswitch is used for generating a disconnection signal to cut off a power supply circuit of a driving motor when a chassis is separated from the ground.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sports equipment auxiliary devices, specifically to an intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device. Background Technology

[0002] During table tennis training and matches, table tennis balls are scattered on the ground. Manually collecting these scattered balls is physically and time-consuming. Existing table tennis ball collection devices on the market rely on manual pushing and pulling or operating along preset routes. They are not equipped with visual recognition modules and distance sensors, and cannot automatically acquire environmental image data and distance data. Existing table tennis ball collection devices cannot autonomously build a two-dimensional grid map and identify the pixel position of the table tennis ball, which means that the device cannot autonomously plan its movement trajectory and control the chassis to move to the position of the table tennis ball.

[0003] Existing ping-pong ball collection equipment uses a roller structure or a mechanical claw structure to collect ping-pong balls. The mechanical structure is in direct contact with the surface of the ping-pong ball, which is complex. Existing ping-pong ball collection equipment does not use a fluid collection method that uses a fan to draw air to create a negative pressure field. It cannot use the fluid resistance generated by directional airflow to lift the ping-pong ball off the ground and suck it into the storage space.

[0004] The existing ping-pong ball collection equipment lacks a full-load detection device in its internal storage space, making it impossible to obtain data on the stacking height of the ping-pong balls and to automatically cut off the working circuit when fully loaded. The existing ping-pong ball collection equipment does not have a suspension detection structure at the bottom. When an external lifting force forces the equipment to lift off the ground and become suspended, the motor and wheels inside the chassis continue to rotate, lacking a power-off protection mechanism based on the chassis lifting off the ground.

[0005] Therefore, this invention proposes an intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device to address the shortcomings of existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device, which solves the problem that existing ping-pong ball collecting devices cannot acquire environmental image data and distance data to establish a two-dimensional grid map for planning the chassis movement trajectory.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention provides an intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device, including a chassis, a driving component inside the chassis, an adsorption component and a ping-pong ball collecting component on the top of the chassis, a sensing component on the front side of the chassis, and a control system motherboard at the center of the chassis. The control system motherboard has a built-in control system, which is used to connect the sensing component, the driving component and the adsorption component.

[0008] The adsorption assembly includes a support frame fixedly connected to the top of the chassis. A shelf is fixedly connected to the top of the support frame, and a fan is fixedly connected to the top of the shelf. The air inlet of the fan faces the ping-pong ball collecting assembly. The ping-pong ball collecting assembly includes a ball storage chamber fixedly connected to the top surface of the chassis. The top of the ball storage chamber is open, and a filter bag is installed inside the ball storage chamber. A sealing cap is fixedly connected to the top of the filter bag, and the sealing cap is compatible with the ball storage chamber. A collection port is opened on the side of the filter bag away from the fan. A conveying pipe is fixedly connected to the side of the ball storage chamber away from the fan, and the end of the conveying pipe is fixedly connected to the collecting body. The side of the ball storage chamber closest to the fan is fixedly connected to the air inlet of the fan through a pipe.

[0009] The drive assembly includes a motor and wheels. The motor is mounted inside the chassis, and its output shaft is connected to the wheels. The sensing assembly includes sensors mounted on the chassis surface and the surface of the collection body. The control system's main board signal receiver is connected to the sensing assembly's signal terminal, and the control system's output terminal is connected to the input terminals of both the drive assembly and the adsorption assembly. The battery module is fixed inside the chassis, and the hand handle is fixed to the top of the fan.

[0010] The sensor assembly consists of a visual recognition camera, a first infrared ranging sensor, and a second infrared ranging sensor. A bracket is fixed to the front surface of the chassis, and the visual recognition camera is fixed to the outside of the bracket. A rotating shaft is connected to the side wall of the visual recognition camera, and both ends of the rotating shaft are connected to the inner wall of the bracket. The first infrared ranging sensors are arranged around the edge of the funnel-shaped opening at the front of the collection body. The second infrared ranging sensor is fixed to the bottom of the sealing cover, with its probe facing the bottom of the filter bag. Microswitches are fixed to the wheel suspension brackets on both sides of the center line at the bottom of the chassis, with the microswitch contacts facing the moving axle of the wheel. The signal output terminal of the microswitch is connected to the data input terminal of the main control chip.

[0011] The main control chip extracts the color matrix and contour edge nodes from the environmental image data acquired by the visual recognition camera. It then compares the color matrix and contour edge nodes to identify the position of the ping-pong ball pixel. The main control chip reads the distance value obtained from the first infrared ranging sensor to confirm the coordinates of environmental obstacles in front of the chassis. The main control chip calculates the real-time attitude of the chassis by combining the wheel speed data collected by the wheel encoder with the heading angle data collected by the inertial measurement unit built into the control system motherboard. The main control chip builds a two-dimensional grid map in its internal memory. It converts the ping-pong ball pixel position into a target node in the two-dimensional grid map and the coordinates of environmental obstacles into obstruction nodes in the two-dimensional grid map. Finally, the main control chip uses a Kalman filter algorithm to calculate the coordinate update variables for the target and obstruction nodes. The main control chip generates the desired centerline velocity and desired rotational angular velocity based on the target node coordinates and the real-time pose of the chassis. The main control chip analyzes the velocity based on the wheel kinematics model and converts it into a first pulse width modulation signal and a second pulse width modulation signal. The main control chip sends the pulse width modulation signal to the motor drive circuit. The motor drives the wheels to generate a speed difference. The chassis relies on the speed difference to move along the travel path. The chassis drives the collecting body to the position of the ping-pong ball.

[0012] The main control chip integrates the chassis approach distance assessed by the visual recognition camera with the distance between the front opening of the collection body and the surface of the ping-pong ball detected by the first infrared ranging sensor. When the visually assessed distance or the infrared detection distance is within the distance threshold set internally by the main control chip, the main control chip sends a closing command to the relay to connect the power supply circuit of the ventilation fan. The fan impeller rotates and draws air from inside the ball storage chamber through the pipe, causing the air pressure inside the ball storage chamber to drop and form a negative pressure. The external ambient air pressure is greater than the air pressure inside the ball storage chamber, creating a pressure difference. The external ambient air passes through the funnel-shaped opening of the collection body and enters the internal space of the collection body, where it flows to form a directional airflow. The directional airflow applies fluid resistance to the surface of the ping-pong ball. The fluid resistance exceeds the sum of the ping-pong ball's weight and the ground friction, and the fluid resistance propels the ping-pong ball into the collection body. The ping-pong ball follows the directional airflow into the air inlet of the delivery pipe and rises inside the delivery pipe channel. The ping-pong ball passes through the air outlet of the delivery pipe into the internal space of the ball storage chamber and falls onto the surface of the filter screen after passing through the collection port.

[0013] The second infrared ranging sensor emits infrared signals to the surface of the ping-pong balls and calculates the stacking height. When the stacking height reaches the volume height threshold set internally by the main control chip and continues for more than a set time filtering period, the main control chip determines that the internal space of the ball storage compartment is full. The main control chip sends a disconnect command to the relay to cut off the fan power supply circuit, and the fan stops rotating. The main control chip sends a stop pulse signal to the motor drive circuit to cut off the motor power supply current, and the chassis stops moving.

[0014] An external lifting force is applied to the handle surface, causing the chassis and support frame to detach from the ground and become suspended. The wheels, losing ground support, droop downwards under gravity, triggering the microswitch contacts to release pressure and generate an open signal. The main control chip receives this open signal and cuts off the motor power supply. The external lifting force then removes the handle surface, causing the chassis to touch the ground again. The wheels, under renewed pressure, press the microswitch contacts upwards, generating a closed signal. The main control chip receives this closed signal, reconnects the motor power supply, triggers a system reset command to clear the internally stored 2D grid map and any incomplete movement commands, and scans the environment to prevent collisions.

[0015] This invention provides an intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device. It has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention receives environmental image data and distance data acquired by a visual recognition camera and a first infrared ranging sensor through the control system motherboard. It uses a Kalman filter algorithm to process the pixel position of the ping-pong ball and the coordinates of environmental obstacles to establish a two-dimensional grid map. The main control chip sends a pulse width modulation signal to the drive motor, which drives the wheels to generate a speed difference, controlling the chassis to move to the position of the stationary ping-pong ball, thereby realizing the recognition of the ping-pong ball coordinates and the planning of the chassis movement trajectory.

[0016] 2. This invention uses a fan to draw air from inside the ball storage chamber and discharge it to the external environment, creating a negative pressure field inside the ball storage chamber. The negative pressure field causes the external ambient air to rush into the collection body and form a directional airflow inside the delivery pipe. The directional airflow applies fluid resistance to the surface of the ping-pong ball, and the fluid resistance pushes the ping-pong ball off the ground and into the ball storage chamber along the delivery pipe. The collection of the ping-pong ball is completed by using fluid resistance.

[0017] 3. This invention acquires the stacking height data of ping-pong balls through a second infrared ranging sensor and sends it to the main control chip. When the stacking height data of ping-pong balls reaches the volume height threshold, the main control chip cuts off the power supply circuit of the fan. Combined with the micro switch fixed at the bottom of the chassis, a disconnection signal is generated when the chassis is lifted off the ground and the compression is released. The main control chip cuts off the power supply line of the drive motor according to the disconnection signal, thus completing the determination of the full load state of the ball storage compartment and the power failure protection action when the chassis is suspended. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sensing component in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the ping-pong ball collecting component in this invention; Figure 4 This is a system framework diagram of the present invention.

[0019] The components include: 1. Chassis; 2. Drive assembly; 21. Motor; 22. Wheels; 3. Adsorption assembly; 31. Support frame; 32. Frame; 33. Fan; 34. Pipeline; 4. Ping-pong ball collection assembly; 41. Ball storage chamber; 42. Filter net; 43. Sealing cover; 44. Conveying pipe; 45. Collection body; 46. Collection port; 5. Sensing assembly; 51. Bracket; 52. First infrared ranging sensor; 53. Visual recognition camera; 54. Second infrared ranging sensor; 6. Control system mainboard; 7. Hand handle; 8. Micro switch. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions in 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.

[0021] See attached document Figure 1-4 The present invention provides an intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device, including a chassis 1, a driving component 2 inside the chassis 1, an adsorption component 3 and a ping-pong ball collecting component 4 respectively on the top of the chassis 1, a sensing component 5 on the front side of the chassis 1, and a control system motherboard 6 at the center of the chassis 1. The control system motherboard 6 has a built-in control system, which is used to connect the sensing component 5, the driving component 2 and the adsorption component 3.

[0022] The adsorption assembly 3 includes a support frame 31 fixedly connected to the top of the chassis 1. A frame 32 is fixedly connected to the top of the support frame 31, and a fan 33 is fixedly connected to the top of the frame 32. The air inlet of the fan 33 faces the ping-pong ball collecting assembly 4. The ping-pong ball collecting assembly 4 includes a ball storage chamber 41 fixedly connected to the top surface of the chassis 1. The top of the ball storage chamber 41 is open. A filter bag 42 is provided inside the ball storage chamber 41. A sealing cover 43 is fixedly connected to the top of the filter bag 42. The sealing cover 43 is compatible with the ball storage chamber 41. A collection port 46 is opened on the side of the filter bag 42 away from the fan 33. A conveying pipe 44 is fixedly connected to the side of the ball storage chamber 41 away from the fan 33. A collection body 45 is fixedly connected to the end of the conveying pipe 44. The side of the ball storage chamber 41 near the fan 33 is fixedly connected to the air inlet of the fan 33 through a pipe 34. The drive assembly 2 includes a motor 21 and wheels 22. The motor 21 is installed inside the chassis 1, and its output shaft is connected to the wheels 22. The sensing assembly 5 includes sensors, which are installed on the surface of the chassis 1 and the surface of the collecting body 45. The signal receiving end of the control system main board 6 is connected to the signal end of the sensing assembly 5, and the output end of the control system is connected to the input end of the drive assembly 2 and the input end of the adsorption assembly 3. The battery module is fixed inside the chassis 1, and the hand handle 7 is fixed to the top of the fan 33.

[0023] The control system receives data sent by the sensor in the sensing component 5, converts the data into coordinate signals, and sends a running command to the motor 21 in the drive component 2 according to the coordinate signals. The motor 21 drives the wheel 22 to rotate, and the chassis 1 moves with the wheel 22 to generate displacement. The chassis 1 moves and drives the collecting body 45 to the position of the ping-pong ball.

[0024] The fan 33 rotates and discharges the air inside the ball storage chamber 41 through the pipe 34. The air pressure inside the ball storage chamber 41 drops and forms a negative pressure. Ambient air enters the conveying pipe 44 through the collection body 45. The air flows inside the collection body 45 and forms fluid pressure. The fluid pressure forces the ping-pong ball into the conveying pipe 44. The airflow inside the conveying pipe 44 guides the ping-pong ball through the collection port 46 and falls into the ball storage chamber 41.

[0025] ; In the formula, Represents external environmental pressure; Represents air density; Represents the external airflow velocity; This represents the internal gas pressure of the collecting body 45; The airflow velocity inside the main collection body 45 represents the airflow velocity.

[0026] See attached document Figure 1 Appendix Figure 2 and attached Figure 3 The chassis 1 carries the adsorption component 3 and the drive component 2. The support frame 31 is fixedly connected to the top of the chassis 1, the frame 32 is fixedly connected to the top of the support frame 31, and the fan 33 is fixedly connected to the top of the frame 32. The exhaust end of the fan 33 faces the external space. The air inlet end of the fan 33 is fixedly connected to the side of the ball storage chamber 41 near the fan 33 through the pipe 34. The side of the ball storage chamber 41 away from the fan 33 is fixedly connected to the air outlet end of the conveying pipe 44. The end of the conveying pipe 44 is fixedly connected to the air outlet end of the collection body 45. The ball storage chamber 41, the conveying pipe 44, and the collection body 45 are connected to form a fluid channel.

[0027] The sensor in the sensing component 5 collects ground image data and distance data. The sensor converts the image data and distance data into electrical signals and transmits the electrical signals to the control system. The control system calculates the target coordinate data based on the electrical signals and generates a speed command using the target coordinate data. The control system sends the speed command to the motor 21. The motor 21 rotates according to the speed command. The motor 21 drives the wheels 22 on both sides to generate a speed difference. The chassis 1 performs steering and linear displacement based on the speed difference.

[0028] ; In the formula, Represents the centerline velocity of chassis 1; This represents the physical radius of the wheel (22). This represents the rotational angular velocity of the right wheel 22; This represents the rotational angular velocity of the left wheel 22.

[0029] The chassis 1 supports the motor 21 and wheels 22. The motor 21 is symmetrically fixed on both sides of the bottom center line of the chassis 1. The wheels 22 are distributed at the four corners of the bottom of the chassis 1. The output shaft of the motor 21 extends outward through the side wall of the chassis 1. The surface of the output shaft of the motor 21 is machined with a first keyway. The inner wall of the center hole of the wheel 22 is machined with a second keyway. The output shaft of the motor 21 and the center hole of the wheel 22 are locked together by a flat key. The weight of the chassis 1 is transmitted to the ground through the wheels 22 and the casters. The surface of the wheel 22 contacts the ground and generates friction.

[0030] The control system sends a pulse width modulation signal to the motor 21, which energizes the coil inside the motor 21 to generate electromagnetic torque. The electromagnetic torque is transmitted to the wheel 22 through the output shaft of the motor 21. The wheel 22 rotates against the ground friction. The control system sends a first duty cycle signal to the left motor 21 of the chassis 1 and a second duty cycle signal to the right motor 21 of the chassis 1. The two motors 21 receive the duty cycle signals and generate corresponding speeds. The two wheels 22 synchronously generate a speed difference. The chassis 1 performs yaw and rotation around the geometric center point of the chassis 1 by relying on the speed difference.

[0031] ; In the formula, This represents the angular velocity of chassis 1. This represents the physical radius of the wheel (22). This represents the straight-line distance between the centers of the left and right wheels 22; This represents the rotational angular velocity of the right wheel 22; This represents the rotational angular velocity of the left wheel 22.

[0032] The bottom end of the support frame 31 is fixedly connected to the top of the chassis 1. The support frame 31 extends upward along the vertical direction of the chassis 1. The top end of the support frame 31 is fixedly connected to the frame 32. The top surface of the chassis 1 has a mounting hole. The bottom edge of the support frame 31 is welded with a flange. Bolts pass through the flange and are inserted into the mounting hole on the surface of the chassis 1. Nuts are tightened at the end of the bolts to fix the support frame 31 to the chassis 1. The bottom of the frame 32 has a connecting hole. The top end of the support frame 31 is inserted into the connecting hole at the bottom of the frame 32. A pin passes through the side wall of the frame 32 and locks the frame 32 and the support frame 31 together.

[0033] The fan 33 is fixedly connected to the top of the frame 32, and the handle 7 is fixedly connected to the top of the fan 33. The frame 32 bears the weight of the ball storage chamber 41 and the fan 33. The frame 32 transmits the weight to the chassis 1 through the support frame 31. The handle 7 is welded to the top surface of the fan 33. The handle 7 protrudes upward away from the frame 32 to form a gap. The surface of the handle 7 is covered with a rubber sleeve. The handle 7 withstands the externally applied lifting force, which is transmitted to the frame 32 through the handle 7. The frame 32, through the support frame 31, lifts the chassis 1 off the ground. The handle 7 is independent of the electrical connection network between the motor 21 and the control system. A micro switch 8 is fixed to the bottom of the chassis 1. The contacts of the micro switch 8 face the ground. The signal output terminal of the micro switch 8 is connected to the data input terminal of the main control chip. The contacts of the micro switch 8 are pressed against the ground.

[0034] An external lifting force is applied to the surface of the handle 7. The support frame 31 moves upward synchronously with the frame 32 and the handle 7. The chassis 1 follows the support frame 31 and leaves the ground, becoming suspended. The contacts of the micro switch 8 leave the ground, releasing the pressure and generating an open signal. The main control chip receives the open signal from the micro switch 8 and cuts off the power supply to the motor 21, stopping the motor 21. The entire structure follows the handle 7 in a non-working spatial transfer. The entire structure moves to the target position, the external lifting force leaves the surface of the handle 7, and the chassis 1 contacts the ground. The contacts of the micro switch 8 are pressed against the ground, generating a closed signal. The main control chip receives the closed signal from the micro switch 8. The main control chip reconnects the power supply to the motor 21 and immediately triggers a system reset command, clearing the internally stored two-dimensional grid map and previously incomplete movement commands. The main control chip controls the system to re-enter the visual recognition and ranging initialization process, scanning the current environment to prevent the chassis 1 from blindly colliding based on a failed trajectory.

[0035] The ball storage chamber 41 is fixedly connected to the top surface of the chassis 1. The top of the ball storage chamber 41 is open, and a filter bag 42 is installed inside the ball storage chamber 41. A sealing cover 43 is fixedly connected to the top of the filter bag 42, and the sealing cover 43 and the ball storage chamber 41 are adapted to each other to form a sealed space. A collection port 46 is opened on the side of the filter bag 42 away from the fan 33. The fan 33 exhausts the air inside the ball storage chamber 41 to the external environment. Due to the obstruction of the sealing cover 43 and the connection of the pipe 34, the volume of air inside the ball storage chamber 41 is reduced, forming a negative pressure field.

[0036] The ball storage bin 41 has an inlet on the side away from the blower 33. A threaded joint is fixed at the inlet, and an O-ring is embedded inside the threaded joint. The air outlet of the conveying pipe 44 is screwed into the threaded joint and squeezes the O-ring. The conveying pipe 44 is made of corrugated pipe material. A clamp is fitted on the outer wall of the air inlet of the conveying pipe 44. The clamp fixes the air inlet of the conveying pipe 44 to the tail end of the collecting body 45. The front end of the collecting body 45 forms a funnel-shaped opening structure. The cross-sectional area inside the collecting body 45 decreases towards the tail end. The pressure difference causes the external ambient air to rush into the funnel-shaped opening of the collecting body 45. The air flows into the conveying pipe 44 along the inner wall of the collecting body 45. The air flows inside the collecting body 45 and the conveying pipe 44 to form a directional airflow.

[0037] The chassis 1 moves, causing the collecting body 45 to approach the stationary ping-pong ball close to the ground. The directional airflow contacts the surface of the ping-pong ball, generating fluid resistance. The direction of the fluid resistance is towards the inside of the collecting body 45. The value of the fluid resistance exceeds the sum of the weight of the ping-pong ball and the friction force of the ground. The ping-pong ball leaves the ground and enters the inside of the collecting body 45. The ping-pong ball enters the conveying pipe 44 along the direction of the airflow and climbs up. The air flowing inside the conveying pipe 44 prevents the surface of the ping-pong ball from contacting the inner wall of the conveying pipe 44. The ping-pong ball enters the ball storage chamber 41 through the channel of the conveying pipe 44 and falls onto the surface of the filter net 42.

[0038] ; In the formula, This represents the fluid resistance exerted on the ping-pong ball by the airflow field; This represents the air resistance coefficient of the ping-pong ball's surface. Represents air density; Represents the cross-sectional area of ​​a ping-pong ball facing the wind; This represents the relative velocity generated by the airflow speed and the speed of the ping-pong ball.

[0039] See attached document Figure 3 The chassis 1 moves closer to the ground, and the ping-pong ball relies on the sensors in the sensing component 5 to provide data. The sensors consist of a visual recognition camera 53, a first infrared ranging sensor 52, and a second infrared ranging sensor 54. A bracket 51 is fixed to the front surface of the chassis 1, and the visual recognition camera 53 is fixed to the outside of the bracket 51. The bracket 51 lifts the visual recognition camera 53 off the surface of the chassis 1. A rotating shaft driven by a servo motor is connected to the side wall of the visual recognition camera 53. The two ends of the rotating shaft are connected to the inner wall of the bracket 51. The servo motor has a built-in angle sensor, which is used to feed back the lens pitch angle data to the main control chip in real time. The visual recognition camera 53 rotates around the rotating shaft to change the lens pitch angle. The lens of the visual recognition camera 53 faces the ground area in front of the chassis 1, and the outer shell structure of the chassis 1 is outside the field of view of the image obtained by the lens of the visual recognition camera 53.

[0040] The first infrared ranging sensor 52 is arranged around the edge of the funnel-shaped opening at the front of the collecting body 45. The probe of the first infrared ranging sensor 52 faces the external space in front of the collecting body 45. The first infrared ranging sensor 52 detects the distance between the collecting body 45 and the obstacle in front. The signal output terminal of the visual recognition camera 53 is connected to the signal receiving terminal of the control system motherboard 6. The signal output terminals of the first infrared ranging sensor 52 and the second infrared ranging sensor 54 are connected to the signal receiving terminal of the control system motherboard 6. The control system receives image data and distance values.

[0041] See attached document Figure 3 and attached Figure 4 The control system motherboard 6 is located at the center of the chassis 1. The control system motherboard 6 has a built-in control system and a main control chip is soldered on its surface. The data output terminal of the visual recognition camera 53 is connected to the data input terminal of the main control chip through a bus line. The data output terminals of the first infrared ranging sensor 52 and the second infrared ranging sensor 54 are connected to the data input terminal of the main control chip through a bus line. The main control chip performs calculations on the image data and distance values ​​to generate action commands. The motor 21 drive circuit and a relay are fixed on the surface of the control system motherboard 6. The main control chip command output terminal is connected to the signal receiving pin of the motor 21 drive circuit and the relay signal receiving pin.

[0042] The power supply output terminal of the motor 21 drive circuit is connected to the power supply pin of the motor 21, and the power supply output terminal of the relay is connected to the power supply pin of the fan 33. The main control chip sends pulse signals to the motor 21 drive circuit, and the motor 21 drive circuit adjusts the current parameters of the motor 21 according to the pulse signals. The main control chip sends switching signals to the relay, and the relay controls the on and off states of the power supply line of the fan 33 according to the switching signals. The control system motherboard 6 has an integrated optocoupler on its surface. The optocoupler is connected in series between the main control chip and the motor 21 drive circuit, and between the main control chip and the relay. The optocoupler blocks the electromagnetic interference signals generated by the operation of the motor 21 and the fan 33 from being transmitted to the main control chip.

[0043] See attached document Figure 1 Appendix Figure 2 and attached Figure 3The control system connects to the main control chip upon power supply. The main control chip executes a system self-test program and sends test electrical signals to the visual recognition camera 53, the first infrared ranging sensor 52, and the second infrared ranging sensor 54. The visual recognition camera 53, the first infrared ranging sensor 52, and the second infrared ranging sensor 54 send status signals back to the main control chip, which then verifies the status signals and completes the calibration. The visual recognition camera 53 acquires image data of the environment in front of the chassis 1. The first infrared ranging sensor 52 emits infrared signals into the environment in front of the chassis 1. The infrared signals are reflected when they come into contact with the surface of environmental obstacles. The first infrared ranging sensor 52 receives the reflected infrared signals and calculates the distance. The visual recognition camera 53 sends the environmental image data to the main control chip, and the first infrared ranging sensor 52 sends the distance values ​​to the main control chip.

[0044] The main control chip extracts the color matrix and contour edge nodes from the environmental image data. It then compares these to identify the ping-pong ball pixel position. The chip reads distance values ​​to confirm the coordinates of obstacles in front of chassis 1. Using a Kalman filter algorithm, the chip performs odometry calculations on the wheel speed data collected by the wheel encoder and the heading angle data collected by the inertial measurement unit (IMU) integrated on the control system motherboard 6 to obtain the real-time pose of chassis 1 in the global coordinate system. Simultaneously, the chip fuses the ping-pong ball pixel position and obstacle coordinates obtained from vision and ranging sensors. The chip builds a two-dimensional grid map in its internal memory. It converts the ping-pong ball pixel position into a target node in the grid map and the obstacle coordinates into blocking nodes. The Kalman filter algorithm calculates the coordinate update variables for both target and blocking nodes. This process eliminates measurement errors accumulated from the environmental image data and distance values. Finally, the chip outputs the fused coordinate data as the data source for the chassis 1's movement.

[0045] The main control chip calculates the position and heading deviations based on the target node coordinates in the two-dimensional grid map and the real-time pose of the chassis 1. It then uses a path tracking algorithm (such as PID or pure tracking algorithm) to generate the desired centerline velocity and desired rotational angular velocity of the chassis 1. The main control chip analyzes the desired velocity based on the wheel kinematics model, converting it into target values ​​for the rotational angular velocity of the left and right wheels 22. These are further converted into first and second pulse width modulation (PWM) signals. The main control chip sends these signals to the motor 21 drive circuit on the surface of the control system motherboard 6. The motor 21 drive circuit outputs current to the motor 21 on the left side of the chassis 1 based on the first PWM signal, and to the motor 21 on the right side based on the second PWM signal. The motors 21 drive the wheels 22, creating a speed difference. The chassis 1, relying on this speed difference, moves along the travel path. This displacement of the chassis 1 causes the collecting body 45 to reach the ping-pong ball's position and cover the entity corresponding to the ping-pong ball.

[0046] The main control chip integrates the dynamic evaluation distance of the chassis 1 by the visual recognition camera 53 and the distance between the front opening of the main body 45 and the surface of the ping-pong ball detected by the first infrared ranging sensor 52. The main control chip has a distance threshold set internally. When either the visual evaluation distance or the infrared detection distance is within the distance threshold range, the main control chip sends a closing command to the relay on the control system motherboard 6. The relay receives the closing command and connects to the power supply circuit of the fan 33, so that the fan 33 receives power and generates a rotational motion.

[0047] The impeller of the fan 33 rotates and draws air from the inside of the ball storage chamber 41 through the pipe 34. The fan 33 discharges the air inside the ball storage chamber 41 into the external environment. The volume of air inside the ball storage chamber 41 decreases, resulting in a drop in air pressure. The external air pressure is greater than the internal air pressure of the ball storage chamber 41, forming a pressure difference. The pressure difference causes the external air to flow towards the area with lower air pressure. The air passes through the funnel-shaped opening of the collection body 45 and enters the internal space of the collection body 45. The air flows inside the collection body 45, forming a directional airflow.

[0048] Once the directional airflow velocity inside the collecting body 45 reaches a stable state, the directional airflow applies fluid resistance to the surface of the ping-pong ball. The direction of the fluid resistance is towards the air inlet of the delivery pipe 44 at the tail end of the collecting body 45. Gravity attracts the ping-pong ball downwards, while ground friction hinders its movement. When the fluid resistance exceeds the sum of the ping-pong ball's weight and the ground friction, the fluid resistance pushes the ping-pong ball off the ground. The ping-pong ball then follows the directional airflow into the collecting body 45, and the directional airflow guides the ping-pong ball through the air inlet of the delivery pipe 44 and into the channel of the delivery pipe 44. The air velocity inside the delivery pipe 44 remains stable. The fluid drag generated by the directional airflow continuously overcomes the gravity of the ping-pong ball, guiding it to slide or roll upward along the inner wall of the delivery pipe 44 to the outlet of the delivery pipe 44. The ping-pong ball passes through the outlet of the delivery pipe 44 and enters the internal space of the ball storage chamber 41. The ping-pong ball falls onto the surface of the filter net 42 by gravity through the collection port 46. The mesh size of the filter net 42 is smaller than the diameter of the ping-pong ball, and the filter net 42 intercepts the ping-pong ball from entering the pipe 34, thus preventing it from entering the fan 33.

[0049] See attached document Figure 1 Appendix Figure 2 and attached Figure 3 The ping-pong balls remain inside the filter net 42 and are stacked within the filter net 42. A second infrared ranging sensor 54 is fixed to the bottom of the sealing cover 43. The probe of the second infrared ranging sensor 54 faces the bottom of the filter net 42. The second infrared ranging sensor 54 emits infrared signals to the surface of the ping-pong balls, receives the reflected infrared signals, and calculates the stacking height of the ping-pong balls. The second infrared ranging sensor 54 sends the stacking height of the ping-pong balls to the main control chip. The main control chip has a volume height threshold set in its internal memory.

[0050] The main control chip compares the stack height of the ping-pong balls with the volume height threshold. When the stack height reaches the volume height threshold and continues to exceed the set time filtering period (used to filter dynamic ping-pong ball interference during the falling process), the main control chip determines that the internal space of the ball storage chamber 41 has reached the full load state. The main control chip sends a disconnect command to the relay on the surface of the control system motherboard 6. The relay receives the disconnect command and cuts off the power supply circuit of the fan 33. The fan 33 stops rotating and stops discharging the air inside the ball storage chamber 41 to the external environment. The air pressure inside the ball storage chamber 41 and the air pressure in the external environment return to a balanced state. The funnel-shaped opening of the collecting body 45 stops sucking in the air from the external environment. The main control chip sends a stop pulse signal to the motor 21 drive circuit on the surface of the control system motherboard 6. The motor 21 drive circuit cuts off the power supply current to the motor 21. The motor 21 stops rotating and the chassis 1 stops displacing.

[0051] The stack height of the ping-pong balls did not reach the volume height threshold. The visual recognition camera 53 continuously acquired environmental image data in front of the chassis 1 and sent the environmental image data to the main control chip. The main control chip extracted the color matrix and contour edge nodes from the environmental image data. The main control chip compared the color matrix and contour edge nodes to find the position of the ping-pong ball pixels. The main control chip did not identify the position of the ping-pong ball pixels in the environmental image data. The main control chip determined that there was no ping-pong ball entity in front of the chassis 1. The main control chip started the internal timer to accumulate the target time value. The main control chip's internal memory has a time threshold. When the target time value reaches the time threshold, the main control chip sent a disconnect command to the relay to stop the fan 33 from rotating. The main control chip sent a stop pulse signal to the motor 21 drive circuit to stop the motor 21 from rotating. The main control chip cut off the power supply lines of the first infrared ranging sensor 52, the second infrared ranging sensor 54 and the visual recognition camera 53 and entered a low-power sleep mode. The main control chip has a wake-up time period set internally. When the main control chip is in low-power sleep mode for a cumulative time until the wake-up time period is reached, the main control chip exits the low-power sleep mode and connects the power supply lines of the visual recognition camera 53, the first infrared ranging sensor 52, and the second infrared ranging sensor 54. The visual recognition camera 53 resumes acquiring image data of the environment in front of the chassis 1.

[0052] The first infrared ranging sensor 52 can be replaced with an ultrasonic ranging sensor, which is fixed to the front surface of the chassis 1. The ultrasonic ranging sensor emits ultrasonic pulse signals into the environment in front of the chassis 1. These pulse signals are reflected from the surface of obstacles, forming echo signals. The ultrasonic ranging sensor receives these echo signals, records the emission time of the ultrasonic pulse signal and the reception time of the echo signal, and extracts the time difference between the emission and reception times. The ultrasonic ranging sensor uses this time difference to calculate the distance to obstacles in front of the chassis 1 and sends the distance value to the main control chip. The main control chip then uses the distance value to perform coordinate positioning and obstacle avoidance actions.

[0053] ; In the formula, This represents the distance value calculated by the ultrasonic ranging sensor. This represents the speed at which ultrasound propagates within the air medium. It represents the time difference between the time point when the ultrasonic pulse signal is transmitted and the time point when the echo signal is received.

[0054] The visual recognition camera 53 can be used in conjunction with a LiDAR sensor. The LiDAR sensor is fixed to the outside of a bracket 51 on the front surface of the chassis 1, with the LiDAR sensor probe facing the environment in front of the chassis 1. The LiDAR sensor emits a laser beam to illuminate the environment in front of the chassis 1. The laser beam contacts the surface of environmental obstacles and the surface of the ping-pong ball, causing diffuse reflection to form a reflected beam, which the LiDAR sensor receives. The LiDAR sensor measures the round-trip time of the laser beam to form a spatial coordinate point cloud matrix, which is then sent to the main control chip. The main control chip receives the spatial coordinate point cloud matrix and extracts the geometric contour data and surface reflectivity intensity features of objects from it. The main control chip compares the geometric contour data and surface reflectivity intensity features with the size and material characteristics of the ping-pong ball to generate more accurate three-dimensional coordinates of the target node. The main control chip separates the three-dimensional coordinates of the blocking nodes corresponding to the environmental obstacles. The main control chip uses the three-dimensional coordinates of the target node and the blocking node to output coordinate fusion data. The main control chip reads two-dimensional grid map data to plan the movement trajectory of the chassis 1.

[0055] See attached document Figure 1 Appendix Figure 2 and attached Figure 3 Motor 21 is replaced with a stepper motor, which is fixed on both sides of the center line of the bottom of chassis 1. A bearing seat is fixed on the bottom edge of chassis 1. The central shaft of wheel 22 passes through the inner ring of the bearing seat. A drive pulley is fixed on the surface of the output shaft of the stepper motor, and a driven pulley is fixed on the surface of the central shaft of wheel 22. A synchronous belt is fitted on the outer side of the drive pulley and the outer side of the driven pulley. The teeth on the inner wall of the synchronous belt mesh with the teeth on the outer side of the drive pulley and the outer side of the driven pulley. The rotation of the output shaft of the stepper motor drives the drive pulley to rotate. The rotation of the drive pulley pulls the synchronous belt to rotate. The rotation of the synchronous belt pulls the driven pulley to rotate. The rotation of the driven pulley drives the central shaft of wheel 22 to rotate inside the bearing seat. The central shaft of wheel 22 drives wheel 22 to rotate.

[0056] The motor 21 drive circuit on the surface of the control system motherboard 6 is replaced with a stepper motor driver. The main control chip sends a pulse sequence signal to the stepper motor driver, which supplies current to the internal coil of the stepper motor. The internal rotor of the stepper motor receives the pulse sequence signal and generates a rotation angle. The rotation angle is transmitted to the central shaft of wheel 22 through the driving pulley, the synchronous belt, and the driven pulley. Wheel 22 overcomes the ground friction by rotating and drives the chassis 1 to move. The main control chip adjusts the frequency of the pulse sequence signal to change the rotational angular velocity of the stepper motor output shaft.

[0057] ; In the formula, This represents the rotational angular velocity of wheel 22; This represents the number of teeth on the outer perimeter of the drive pulley; This represents the number of teeth on the outer perimeter of the driven pulley; This represents the angular velocity of the stepper motor's output shaft.

[0058] The wheels 22 and omnidirectional wheels on chassis 1 are replaced with Mecanum wheels. Stepper motors are fixed at each of the four corners inside chassis 1. The output shafts of the stepper motors connect to the driving pulley, the synchronous belt, and the driven pulley. The driven pulleys are connected to the Mecanum wheels. The main control chip sends pulse sequence signals to the stepper motor drivers. The stepper motors receive these pulse sequence signals and generate rotational motion. The frictional force generated by the Mecanum wheels is synthesized into a physical vector. Chassis 1 relies on this physical vector to perform lateral translation and stationary rotation on the ground. The main control chip loads an inverse kinematics model of omnidirectional movement of the Mecanum wheels, converting the chassis's desired linear velocity and yaw rate into independent pulse frequency commands for each of the four stepper motors, thereby achieving omnidirectional flexible movement.

Claims

1. A smart ping-pong ball collecting device, characterized in that, Includes a chassis (1), which is provided with a drive assembly (2), an adsorption assembly (3), a ping-pong ball collection assembly (4), a sensing assembly (5), and a control system motherboard (6). The control system motherboard (6) is connected to the sensing component (5), the driving component (2) and the adsorption component (3) respectively. The ping-pong ball collecting assembly (4) includes a ball storage chamber (41), a filter net (42), a sealing cover (43), a conveying pipe (44), and a collecting body (45). The sealing cover (43) is adapted to the ball storage chamber (41) to form a sealed space inside the ball storage chamber (41). The adsorption component (3) is connected to the ball storage chamber (41) through the pipe (34) to draw air from the sealed space to generate a negative pressure field. The negative pressure field generates a directional airflow at the collection body (45) through the delivery pipe (44) to draw the ping-pong ball into the ball storage chamber (41). The sensing component (5) acquires environmental image data and distance data and sends them to the control system motherboard (6). The control system motherboard (6) performs coordinate fusion processing on the environmental image data and the distance data to establish a two-dimensional grid map, and controls the drive component (2) to move according to the two-dimensional grid map.

2. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adsorption assembly (3) includes a support frame (31) fixedly connected to the top of the chassis (1), a frame (32) fixedly connected to the top of the support frame (31), a fan (33) fixedly connected to the top of the frame (32), and the air inlet of the fan (33) is connected to the ball storage chamber (41) through the pipe (34). The fan (33) is used to exhaust the air inside the sealed space to the external environment. The directional airflow applies fluid resistance to the ping-pong ball, and the fluid resistance guides the ping-pong ball through the collection port (46) opened on the filter net (42).

3. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main control chip is built into the main control chip of the control system motherboard (6). The main control chip receives the environmental image data sent by the sensing component (5) and converts it into coordinate signals. The main control chip sends running instructions to the driving component (2) according to the coordinate signals. The drive assembly (2) includes multiple motors (21) disposed inside the chassis (1) and wheels (22) distributed at the four corners of the bottom of the chassis (1). The main control chip sends pulse width modulation signals to the motors (21), and the motors (21) drive the wheels (22) to generate a speed difference.

4. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sensing component (5) includes a visual recognition camera (53) and a first infrared ranging sensor (52). The visual recognition camera (53) acquires the environmental image data, and the first infrared ranging sensor (52) acquires the distance data. The main control chip extracts the color matrix and contour edge nodes from the environmental image data to identify the position of the ping-pong ball pixel and converts the position of the ping-pong ball pixel into a target node in the two-dimensional grid map.

5. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The main control chip uses the distance data to confirm the coordinates of environmental obstacles and converts the coordinates of environmental obstacles into blocking nodes in the two-dimensional grid map; The main control chip uses a Kalman filter algorithm to process the coordinate update variables of the target node and the blocking node.

6. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support frame (31) is fixed with a hand handle (7) at the top, and the chassis (1) is fixed with a micro switch (8) at the bottom. The contacts of the micro switch (8) face the ground and are connected to the main control chip. When the chassis (1) is lifted off the ground, the contacts of the micro switch (8) are released from pressure and generate a disconnect signal. The main control chip cuts off the power supply line of the motor (21) according to the disconnect signal.

7. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom of the sealing cover (43) is fixed with a second infrared ranging sensor (54), which acquires the stacking height data of the ping-pong balls and sends it to the main control chip. The main control chip compares the ping-pong ball stack height data with the volume height threshold, and determines that the ball storage compartment (41) has reached the full load state when the ping-pong ball stack height data reaches the volume height threshold.

8. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The main control chip is connected to a relay, which is connected in series in the power supply circuit of the fan (33); When the ball storage hopper (41) is determined to be at full load, the main control chip sends a disconnect command to the relay to stop the operation of the fan (33).

9. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the main control chip fails to identify the position of the ping-pong ball pixel, it starts an internal timer to accumulate the time value without a target. When the targetless time value reaches the time threshold, the main control chip enters a low-power sleep mode. When the cumulative time of the low-power sleep mode reaches the wake-up time cycle, the main control chip connects the power supply lines of the visual recognition camera (53) and the first infrared ranging sensor (52).

10. The intelligent ping-pong ball collecting device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sensing component (5) is used in conjunction with a lidar sensor, which is fixed on the outside of the bracket (51); the lidar sensor emits a laser beam and receives the reflected beam, measures the flight time and forms a spatial coordinate point cloud matrix, which is then sent to the main control chip. The main control chip extracts the geometric contour data of the object and the surface reflectivity intensity features in the spatial coordinate point cloud matrix, and compares the size and material characteristics of the ping-pong ball to generate the three-dimensional coordinates of the target node and the three-dimensional coordinates of the blocking node. The main control chip uses the three-dimensional coordinates of the target node and the three-dimensional coordinates of the blocking node to output coordinate fusion data and reads the two-dimensional grid map to plan the movement trajectory of the chassis (1).

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