Aircraft, obstacle avoidance control method, device and system for an aircraft

Abstract

The application provides an aircraft, an obstacle avoidance control method, device and system for the aircraft. The aircraft comprises a body, a visual sensor and a direct flight time sensor connected to the body. The detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft. The visual sensor is configured to detect an obstacle in the at least one direction when a first preset condition is met. The direct flight time sensor is configured to detect an obstacle in the at least one direction at least in a case where the first preset condition is not met. The first preset condition is related to a condition under which the visual sensor can detect an obstacle.

Description

Aircraft, obstacle avoidance control method, device and system of aircraft TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aircraft technology, in particular to an aircraft, an obstacle avoidance control method, device and system of aircraft. BACKGROUND

[0002] An aircraft needs to detect obstacles during flight to find and plan a reasonable flight path in a flight environment with obstacles.

[0003] In existing aircraft, a visual sensor is usually used to detect obstacles. However, the detection effect of the visual sensor is poor in scenes such as night, which limits the applicable scenarios of obstacle avoidance of the aircraft and cannot achieve obstacle avoidance in more scenarios.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the problem of limited applicable scenarios of obstacle avoidance technology in existing aircraft in the prior art, the embodiments of the present application provide an aircraft, an obstacle avoidance control method, device and system of aircraft.

[0006] In a first aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide an aircraft, which comprises a body and a visual sensor and a direct flight time sensor connected to the body, a detection range of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlaps in at least one direction of the aircraft, and the visual sensor is used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction under the condition that a first preset condition is met, the direct flight time sensor is used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction at least in part of the case that the first preset condition is not met, and the first preset condition is related to a condition in which the visual sensor can detect obstacles.

[0007] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application further disclose an obstacle avoidance control method of an aircraft, which comprises:

[0008] Detecting obstacles in at least one direction of the aircraft using a visual sensor of the aircraft under the condition that a first preset condition is met, and detecting obstacles in the at least one direction using a direct flight time sensor of the aircraft at least in part of the case that the first preset condition is not met, the first preset condition being related to a condition in which the visual sensor can detect obstacles, wherein a detection range of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlaps in the at least one direction;

[0009] Controlling the aircraft according to the detected obstacle information.

[0010] In a third aspect, the embodiments of the present application further disclose an obstacle avoidance control device of an aircraft, the device comprising: a memory and a processor, the memory being configured to store a computer program; and the processor being configured to execute the computer program and implement the following steps when executing the computer program:

[0011] detecting, using a visual sensor of the aircraft, an obstacle in at least one direction of the aircraft in a case where a first preset condition is met, the first preset condition being related to a condition under which the visual sensor can detect an obstacle, and detecting, using a direct time of flight sensor of the aircraft, the obstacle in the at least one direction in a case where the first preset condition is not met in part, a detection range of the visual sensor and a detection range of the direct time of flight sensor at least partially overlapping in the at least one direction;

[0012] controlling the aircraft according to the detected obstacle information.

[0013] In a fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present application further provide an obstacle avoidance control system of an aircraft, the system comprising: a memory, a processor, a visual sensor and a direct time of flight sensor, the memory being configured to store a computer program; and the processor being configured to execute the computer program and implement the following steps when executing the computer program:

[0014] the visual sensor being configured to detect an obstacle in at least one direction of the aircraft in a case where a first preset condition is met;

[0015] the direct time of flight sensor being configured to detect the obstacle in the at least one direction in a case where the first preset condition is not met in part, the first preset condition being related to a condition under which the visual sensor can detect an obstacle, a detection range of the visual sensor and a detection range of the direct time of flight sensor at least partially overlapping in the at least one direction;

[0016] the processor being configured to control the aircraft according to the detected obstacle information.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, the embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program being configured to cause a processor to implement the obstacle avoidance control method of the aircraft according to the second aspect when the computer program is executed by the processor.

[0018] In the embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor can be simultaneously arranged in the aerial vehicle to perform obstacle detection, and the detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aerial vehicle. By setting a first preset condition related to the condition in which the visual sensor can detect an obstacle, the detection of the obstacle is performed by the visual sensor when the first preset condition is met, and the detection of the obstacle is performed by the direct flight time sensor when the first preset condition is not met. In this way, the problem that the obstacle detection by the visual sensor in the prior art limits the part of the obstacle avoidance scene can be solved to a certain extent, the obstacle detection in more scenes is realized, and the applicable scene of the aerial vehicle obstacle avoidance technology is expanded.

[0019] The above description is only a summary of the technical solutions of the present application. In order to enable one skilled in the art to better understand the technical means of the present application, the content of the specification can be implemented, and in order to enable the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application to be more obvious and easy to understand, the following specific embodiments of the present application are described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other drawings according to these drawings without creating any creative labor.

[0021] Fig. 1 schematically shows a structure schematic diagram of an aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Fig. 2 schematically shows a structure schematic diagram of another aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Fig. 3 schematically shows a structure schematic diagram of the aerial vehicle shown in Fig. 2 from another angle;

[0024] Fig. 4 schematically shows a structure schematic diagram of still another aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Fig. 5 schematically shows a flowchart of an obstacle avoidance control method of an aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Fig. 6 schematically shows a structure schematic diagram of an obstacle avoidance control device of an aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Fig. 7 schematically shows a structure schematic diagram of an obstacle avoidance control system of an aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Explanation of reference signs: 10 - body, 101 - arm, 102 - foot stand, 11 - visual sensor, 12 - direct time-of-flight sensor, 121 - transmitter of direct time-of-flight sensor, 122 - receiver of direct time-of-flight sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0030] The terms "first", "second" in the description and claims of the present application can explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise specified. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / ", generally means that the front and rear associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0031] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0032] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connection" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] Embodiments of the present application provide a kind of aircraft. Example, the aircraft can include but not limited to manned aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicle, aircraft can include any one of logistics aircraft, aerial vehicle, performance aircraft, industry operation aircraft, competitive aircraft and agricultural plant protection aircraft, the type of aircraft is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application. Aircraft can detect obstacles during flight, to find and plan reasonable flight path in the flight environment with obstacles.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, a structural schematic diagram of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to FIG. 2, a structural schematic diagram of another aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to FIG. 3, a structural schematic diagram of the aircraft shown in FIG. 2 from another angle is shown. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the aircraft can specifically include a body 10, and a visual sensor 11 and a direct-time of flight (DTOF) sensor 12 connected to the body 10. The detection ranges of the visual sensor 11 and the direct-time of flight sensor 12 at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft. The visual sensor 11 can be used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction if a first preset condition is met. The direct-time of flight sensor 12 is used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction at least in part of the case where the first preset condition is not met. The first preset condition is related to a condition under which the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor 11 and the direct-time of flight sensor 12 can be provided in the aircraft to perform obstacle avoidance detection. The detection ranges of the visual sensor 11 and the direct-time of flight sensor 12 at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft. By setting a first preset condition related to a condition under which the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles, the visual sensor 11 is used to detect obstacles if the first preset condition is met. The direct-time of flight sensor 12 is used to detect obstacles at least in part of the case where the first preset condition is not met. In this way, the problem that part of the obstacle avoidance scenarios is limited due to the obstacle detection by the visual sensor 11 only in the prior art can be solved to some extent. Obstacle detection in more scenarios is achieved, and the applicable scenarios of the aircraft obstacle avoidance technology are expanded.

[0036] In a specific application, the flight speed of the aircraft is faster than the moving speed of the ground robot. When the aircraft detects obstacles, long-distance obstacle detection is required to ensure that the aircraft can detect obstacles when it is far away from the obstacles during flight, so as to reserve enough response time for the aircraft to slow down to stop moving or move in reverse, avoiding the aircraft from crashing into obstacles and causing accidents. The moving distance from the current flight speed of the aircraft to the stop is usually called a safety distance. The greater the safety distance, the greater the maximum flight speed of the aircraft under the premise of power performance support. Therefore, the aircraft can detect obstacles farther away, and the aircraft can support a greater flight speed under the premise of power performance support. The present application considers the actual use scene of the aircraft, and therefore selects to set a direct time-of-flight sensor 12 on the aircraft to detect obstacles. The measurement principle of the direct time-of-flight sensor is to measure the time difference between the transmitted pulse and the reflected pulse to calculate the distance of the measured object. Since the distance is measured by using the speed of light, theoretically, there is no decrease in accuracy due to an increase in distance in the current application scene. Therefore, the effective detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor is very far. The indirect time-of-flight sensor (ITOF) measures the flight time indirectly, specifically by measuring the phase difference between the received wave and the transmitted wave, converting the specific flight time into a distance. Since ITOF does not directly measure the flight time, its measurement accuracy is low. Moreover, if the distance is too far, the received wave will have a decrease in signal-to-noise ratio and phase ambiguity. Therefore, the effective detection distance of ITOF is not as good as that of DTOF. Since the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 has a longer detection distance than the indirect time-of-flight sensor (ITOF), and the measurement accuracy and anti-interference ability of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for obstacles do not decrease significantly with the increase of distance, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can capture relatively high-precision, low-noise, and high-credibility depth information in a long-distance scene, achieving high obstacle detection accuracy. Therefore, considering that the flight speed of the aircraft is usually fast, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is more suitable for the use scene of high-speed flight of the aircraft. For example, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect obstacles within a range of 20 meters or even farther, while the indirect time-of-flight sensor can only detect obstacles within a range of 5 meters at most. The flight speed of the aircraft usually needs to reach at least 5 m / s in actual use. The indirect time-of-flight sensor can only detect obstacles within a range of 5 meters at most, which cannot support the aircraft to reach a speed of 5 m / s. For example, the aircraft can only reach a speed of 2 m / s, which greatly affects the use experience of the aircraft. The use of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can support the aircraft to reach a speed of at least 5 m / s.

[0037] In a specific application, the body 10 can include a fuselage, a boom or a foot stand of an aircraft, etc. The specific content of the body 10 can not be limited in the embodiments of the present application. The principle of obstacle detection of the visual sensor 11 mainly depends on image processing and computer vision technology. By analyzing the image information captured by the camera, the detection and distance estimation of the obstacle are realized, so as to guide the aircraft to plan the route to realize obstacle avoidance. Specifically, the stereo vision obstacle avoidance can be realized by collecting images through two or more cameras, calculating the depth information of the object in the scene by using stereo vision technology, and then judging the distance and position of the obstacle. The monocular vision obstacle avoidance can also be realized by collecting images through a single camera, combining a deep learning method or a traditional image processing method to identify the obstacle and estimate its distance. The specific way of obstacle detection by the visual sensor 11 to realize obstacle avoidance can not be limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0038] However, in the process of obstacle detection by the visual sensor 11 to realize obstacle avoidance, whether it is stereo vision obstacle avoidance or monocular vision obstacle avoidance, it is greatly affected by light and texture, and the detection accuracy is greatly related to the distance of the obstacle. The farther the obstacle is, the lower the detection accuracy is. Therefore, in the case of low ambient brightness at night or weak texture, the visual sensor 11 can not be able to detect the obstacle, or the visual sensor 11 can detect false obstacles such as clouds, fog and particles, i.e. the visual sensor 11 can fail when detecting obstacles. When the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 detects obstacles, its detection accuracy depends on the duration of its pulse, so the measurement accuracy and anti-interference ability will not decrease significantly with the decrease of ambient brightness or the increase of distance. In the low brightness or long distance scene, relatively high precision, low noise and high reliability depth information can be captured, and high obstacle detection accuracy can be realized. That is, in the case of failure of the visual sensor 11, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can still be used for effective obstacle detection. The use of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can better compensate for the shortcomings of the visual sensor 11 when detecting obstacles, and can expand the applicable scene of obstacle avoidance.

[0039] In the embodiments of the present application, the first preset condition can be set according to a condition in which the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle. In a case where the first preset condition is met, that is, in a case where the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle, the visual sensor 11 can be used for obstacle detection. In a case where the first preset condition is not met, that is, in a case where the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle, the direct flight time sensor 12 can be used for obstacle detection. The condition in which the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle is related to the performance or capability of the visual sensor 11 itself. Generally, the visual sensor 11 needs to meet some related information to detect the obstacle. The related parameters can be environmental information or obstacle information. For example, the environmental information can be the brightness of the environment, and the obstacle information can be the texture distribution of the obstacle. When the brightness of the environment meets a certain interval or the texture distribution of the obstacle meets a threshold, the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle.

[0040] Optionally, the first preset condition can be related to the information of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or the information of the obstacle. In specific applications, whether the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle is highly related to the information of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or the information of the obstacle. Therefore, in a case where the first preset condition is related to the information of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or the information of the obstacle, it is beneficial to better switch the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 according to the first preset condition, and to obtain higher obstacle detection accuracy.

[0041] Optionally, the first preset condition is related to the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or the texture distribution of the obstacle. In specific applications, whether the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle is highly related to the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or the texture distribution of the obstacle. Therefore, in a case where the first preset condition is related to the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or the texture distribution of the obstacle, it is beneficial to better switch the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 according to the first preset condition, and to obtain higher obstacle detection accuracy.

[0042] Optionally, the first preset condition being met can include that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to a first threshold and less than or equal to a second threshold, or the texture richness of the obstacle is greater than or equal to a third threshold. In specific applications, in a case where the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than or equal to the second threshold, it can be considered that the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle and has high obstacle detection accuracy. Similarly, in a case where the texture richness of the obstacle is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle. In this case, the visual sensor 11 is used for obstacle detection, which not only can detect the obstacle, but also has high obstacle detection accuracy.

[0043] It should be noted that in actual application, the values of the first threshold value, the second threshold value and the third threshold value can be determined according to the detection performance of the visual sensor 11. The first threshold value can be the brightness value of the low-illuminance ambient light, for example, 1 lux, and the second threshold value can be the brightness value of the high-illuminance ambient light. The specific values of the first threshold value and the second threshold value are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. Similarly, the specific value of the third threshold value can also be set according to the actual situation.

[0044] Optionally, the part of the situation in which the first preset condition is not met includes that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is less than the first threshold value, or the texture richness of the obstacle is less than the third threshold value. In a specific application, in the case that the brightness of the environment of the aerial vehicle is less than the first threshold value, it can be considered that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is too low, the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle or the detection accuracy of the obstacle is low, and the obstacle information detected by the visual sensor 11 cannot be used for obstacle avoidance. Similarly, in the case that the texture richness of the obstacle is less than the third threshold value, it can be considered that the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle, such as low-texture obstacles such as glass and water surface. In this case, the use of the visual sensor 11 for obstacle detection can not detect the obstacle or the detection accuracy of the obstacle is low, and the detected obstacle information cannot be used for obstacle avoidance.

[0045] Optionally, the period in which the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to the first threshold value at least includes the daytime period, so that in the daytime period, the brightness of the environment of the aerial vehicle meets the requirement of the first preset condition, and the visual sensor 11 can be used for obstacle detection. The period in which the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is less than the first threshold value at least includes part or all of the night period, so that in part or all of the night period, the brightness of the environment of the aerial vehicle does not meet the requirement of the first preset condition. At this time, the direct flight time sensor 12 can be used for obstacle detection, so that the aerial vehicle can realize multi-scene obstacle detection, for example, all-weather 24-hour obstacle detection, which is beneficial to the aerial vehicle to avoid obstacles in both day and night, and realize flight safety.

[0046] Optionally, the visual sensor 11 and / or the direct flight time sensor 12 can also be used for detecting the environmental brightness to determine whether the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located meets the requirement of the first preset condition according to the environmental brightness, so as to switch the visual sensor 11 or the direct flight time sensor 12. In the embodiments of the present application, the detection of the environmental brightness by the visual sensor 11 and / or the direct flight time sensor 12 can avoid the additional setting of the environmental brightness detection sensor to separately detect the environmental brightness. In this way, the structure of the aerial vehicle can be greatly simplified, and the structural cost of the aerial vehicle can be reduced.

[0047] Of course, the aerial vehicle can comprise a sensor for detecting the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located, and the processor of the aerial vehicle can select whether to use the obstacle information detected by the visual sensor 11 or the obstacle information detected by the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 based on the brightness of the environment detected by the sensor.

[0048] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor 11 is located on one or more sides of the body 10. In the case where the visual sensor 11 is located on one side of the body 10, the visual sensor 11 can perform obstacle detection on the side of the body 10. In the case where the visual sensor 11 is located on multiple sides of the body 10, the visual sensor 11 can perform detection on the multiple sides of the body 10. In specific applications, a person skilled in the art can set the visual sensor 11 on one or more sides of the body 10 according to actual needs, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the position of the visual sensor 11.

[0049] In specific applications, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be correspondingly set on one or more sides of the body 10 according to actual needs to cooperate with the visual sensor 11 to achieve detection of obstacles. For example, in the case where the visual sensor 11 is only provided on one side of the body 10, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be provided on the same side as the visual sensor 11, so that the detection range of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the visual sensor 11 at least partially overlaps on the side of the body 10. For another example, in the case where the visual sensor 11 is provided on multiple sides of the body 10, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be provided on at least one side of the body 10 on which the visual sensor 11 is provided, and the detection range of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at least partially overlaps with the detection range of the visual sensor 11 on at least one side.

[0050] Optionally, one side of the body 10 can include a front side, i.e., in the case where the visual sensor 11 is only provided on one side of the body 10, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be provided on the front side of the body 10, so that the detection range of the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at least partially overlaps in the front direction of the aerial vehicle, to achieve detection of obstacles in the front direction of the aerial vehicle.

[0051] Optionally, the multiple sides of the body 10 can include at least two of the front side, the rear side, the left side, the right side, the upper side and the lower side of the body 10, so that the visual sensor 11 can realize obstacle detection in at least two directions of the aircraft. Moreover, the detection ranges of the direct flight time sensor 12 and the visual sensor 11 can at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft. For example, the visual sensor 11 can detect omnidirectional perception in a total of six directions of the front, the rear, the left, the right, the upper and the lower of the aircraft, the direct flight time sensor 12 can be arranged on the front side of the body 10, and the detection ranges of the direct flight time sensor 12 and the visual sensor 11 can at least partially overlap in the front side direction of the aircraft. Wherein, the sensing range of the visual sensor 11 and the sensing field range of the direct flight time sensor 12 can be the same or different, for example, the sensing field range of a single visual sensor 11 can be 200 degrees, and the sensing field range of the direct flight time sensor 12 can be 100 degrees.

[0052] For example, the visual sensor 11 can be arranged on the front side, the left side, the right side and the lower side of the body 10, so as to realize obstacle detection in the front, the left, the right and the lower of the aircraft by the visual sensor 11. The direct flight time sensor 12 can be arranged on the front side of the body 10, and the detection ranges of the direct flight time sensor 12 and the visual sensor 11 can at least partially overlap in the front side direction of the aircraft.

[0053] Optionally, the direct flight time sensor 12 is arranged on the first bearing structure of the body 10, and the first bearing structure can be used to support the direct flight time sensor 12.

[0054] Optionally, the first bearing structure can include the body 10, the arm 101 or the foot support 102, and the direct flight time sensor 12 is arranged on at least one of the body 10, the arm 101 and the foot support 102, so as to improve the layout flexibility of the direct flight time sensor 12. For example, the direct flight time sensor 12 is arranged on the nose of the body 10. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on the content of the first bearing structure and the mounting position of the direct flight time sensor 12.

[0055] For example, in the case that the direct flight time sensor 12 needs to realize obstacle detection in the front side direction of the aircraft, the direct flight time sensor 12 can be arranged on at least one of the nose, the front arm 101 or the front foot support 102 according to actual needs.

[0056] It should be noted that only the direct flight time sensor 12 is arranged on the nose between the two visual sensors 11 in FIG. 1, only the direct flight time sensor 12 is arranged on the arm 101 in FIG. 2, and only the direct flight time sensor 12 is arranged on the foot 102 in FIG. 3. In FIG. 2, the direct flight time sensor 12 can be arranged at the end of the arm 101 (away from the body 10), at the middle of the arm 101, or at the root of the arm 101 (close to the body 10).

[0057] Optionally, the body 10 can include a second bearing structure, and the visual sensor 11 is arranged on the second bearing structure. The second bearing structure can be used to support the visual sensor 11.

[0058] Optionally, the second bearing structure can include the body 10, the arm 101, or the foot 102, and the visual sensor 11 is arranged on at least one of the body 10, the arm 101, and the foot 102 to improve the layout flexibility of the visual sensor 11. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on the second bearing structure and the mounting position of the visual sensor 11.

[0059] For example, when the visual sensor 11 needs to detect obstacles in all directions of the aircraft, the visual sensor 11 can be arranged on the body 10, such as arranging three visual sensors 11 on the upper side of the body 10, arranging three visual sensors 11 on the lower side of the body 10, or arranging two visual sensors 11 on the left and right ends of the nose of the body 10, arranging two visual sensors 11 on the left and right ends of the tail of the body 10, arranging two visual sensors 11 on the lower side of the body 10, or arranging visual sensors 11 on the front side, the rear side, the upper side, the lower side, the left side, and the right side of the body 10. The specific implementation manner can be set based on actual needs.

[0060] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 are located on the same component or different components of the body 10. When the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 are located on the same component of the body 10, the layout of the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 can be more compact, and when the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 are located on different components of the body 10, the flexible layout of the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 is facilitated.

[0061] Optionally, the component can include a bearing structure, which can be used to bear at least one of the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, i.e., the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be disposed on the same bearing structure or on different bearing structures as needed.

[0062] Optionally, the bearing structure includes the body 10, the arm 101, or the leg 102, and the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be connected to one of the body 10, the arm 101, or the leg 102 or to different two of the body 10, the arm 101, or the leg 102 as needed, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be located at the nose, e.g., the nose of the body 10. Alternatively, the visual sensor 11 is located at the nose, and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is located at the leg 102.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 1, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are disposed on the same component of the body 10, i.e., the nose of the body 10. The number of the visual sensor 11 is at least two to achieve actual stereoscopic obstacle avoidance detection of the two visual sensors 11 at different positions. The direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is located between the at least two visual sensors 11 to enable the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11 to overlap in at least one flight direction of the aircraft.

[0064] For example, the visual sensor 11 can be disposed at both left and right ends of the nose, and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be disposed on the nose between the two visual sensors 11 to enable the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11 to overlap better.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 4, another structure of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As shown in FIG. 4, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can specifically include a transmitter 121 and a receiver 122. The transmitter 121 can be used to send light signals, and the receiver 122 can be used to receive light signals reflected by obstacles. The transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 can be integrally disposed as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 to achieve high-precision detection of obstacles. Alternatively, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 can be separately disposed as shown in FIG. 4 to improve the layout flexibility of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12.

[0066] In a specific application, the overall volume of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be large when the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are integrally arranged. For some installation scenarios, for example, there is no space to arrange a large-volume component at the nose position, or the gimbal and other components at the nose need to be avoided, it can not be possible to install a large-volume direct time-of-flight sensor 12. In this case, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be arranged separately to improve the layout flexibility of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12.

[0067] Optionally, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are integrally arranged on the same component of the body 10, and the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are arranged separately on the same component of the body 10 to improve the layout compactness of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122, thereby facilitating the improvement of the detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for obstacles. Alternatively, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are arranged separately on different components of the body 10 to further improve the layout flexibility of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 to further adapt to various complex installation scenarios. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific arrangement positions of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122. For example, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are integrally arranged at the nose or the foot of the body 10, or the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are arranged separately at two ends of the nose of the body 10, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are arranged near two different visual sensors 11, respectively.

[0068] Optionally, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are arranged on the same component of the body 10, the number of the visual sensor 11 is at least two, and the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are integrally arranged between the at least two visual sensors 11, so that the detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for obstacles is high, and the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11 can better overlap.

[0069] Optionally, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are arranged on the same component of the body 10, the number of the visual sensor 11 is at least two, and the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are arranged separately between the at least two visual sensors 11. The layout flexibility of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is achieved, and the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11 can better overlap.

[0070] Optionally, the component can include a bearing structure for bearing at least one of the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 to achieve reliable support for the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12.

[0071] Optionally, the bearing structure includes the body 10, the arm 101, or the foot 102. The emitter 121 and the receiver 122 of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11 can be arranged in at least one of the body 10, the arm 101, or the foot 102 as needed to improve the layout flexibility of the emitter 121 and the receiver 122 of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the visual sensors 11.

[0072] Optionally, the at least two visual sensors 11 can include a first visual sensor and a second visual sensor, the emitter 121 is close to the first visual sensor, and the receiver 122 is close to the second visual sensor to reserve sufficient space between the emitter 121 and the receiver 122 for the layout of other components.

[0073] Optionally, the at least two visual sensors 11 can include a first visual sensor and a second visual sensor, the distance between the emitter 121 and the first visual sensor is less than the distance between the emitter 121 and the receiver 122, and the distance between the receiver 122 and the second visual sensor is less than the distance between the receiver 122 and the emitter 121. In this way, sufficient space can be reserved between the receiver 122 and the emitter 121 for the layout of bulky components (such as a gimbal, etc.).

[0074] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the aerial vehicle can further include a processor, in response to the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 satisfying a second preset condition, the processor allows the speed of the aerial vehicle to be greater than or equal to a fourth threshold value, so that the aerial vehicle can detect obstacles at high speed, achieve obstacle avoidance under high-speed flight conditions, and improve the flight safety of the aerial vehicle.

[0075] In order to improve the detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for long-distance obstacles, the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 needs to satisfy a second preset condition.

[0076] In a specific application, the second preset condition is related to at least one of the aperture, the exposure time, and the number of exposures of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. Specifically, the aperture, the exposure time, and the number of exposures are three main factors that affect the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. Generally, the larger the aperture, the longer the exposure time, and the more the number of exposures, the greater the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, and the second preset condition is more likely to be met. The greater the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, the more likely the light signal reflected by the obstacle from the light signal emitted by the transmitter of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is received by the receiver of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. Therefore, the greater the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 means that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect a farther obstacle. The present application takes into account that the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 has a specific relationship with the distance to be measured. Therefore, in the present application, the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is tried to be made to meet the preset condition, and the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is tried to be made to be as large as possible, so as to ensure that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect a farther obstacle, so as to adapt to the use scene of high-speed flight of the aircraft.

[0077] Optionally, the fourth threshold value can be 5 meters per second, that is, in the case that the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 meets the second preset condition, the aircraft can be allowed to fly at a speed greater than or equal to 5 meters per second, so that the aircraft can perform obstacle detection at high speed, realize obstacle avoidance under the condition of high-speed flight, and improve the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0078] Generally, in the case that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not adjustable, if the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is adjusted to be large, in the daytime scene, because the ambient light is more and stronger, stray light may enter the receiver of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, which is not the light emitted by the emitter of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 reflected by the obstacle, resulting in that the distance measured by the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not the real distance of the obstacle, affecting the measurement distance and measurement accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. At night, because the ambient light is less and weaker, therefore, the adjustment of the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 to be large will not affect the ranging accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night. The present application considers that in the daytime scene and the like with high ambient brightness, the visual sensor 11 can be used for obstacle detection, while in the night scene and the like with low ambient brightness, the visual sensor 11 cannot be used, and therefore it is more necessary to rely on the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 to detect obstacles in the night scene and the like with low ambient brightness. Therefore, in the case that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not adjustable, the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is adjusted to be as large as possible, so as to guarantee the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the night scene and the like with low ambient brightness as much as possible.

[0079] Optionally, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime. In a specific application, in the daytime, because the ambient brightness is large, the ambient brightness of the aircraft can generally meet the requirements of the first preset condition, at this time, the visual sensor 11 can be used to realize obstacle detection, and the probability of using the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is low. At night, because the ambient brightness is small, the ambient brightness of the aircraft generally does not meet the requirements of the first preset condition, at this time, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is generally needed to be used to detect obstacles. That is, the probability of using the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is much greater than the probability of using the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime.

[0080] In the embodiment of the present application, by setting the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night to be greater than the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime, it is beneficial to obtain higher detection accuracy in the case that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 detects obstacles at night, and it is beneficial to the implementation of the obstacle avoidance technology of the aircraft.

[0081] Optionally, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is a first distance, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime is a second distance, and the first distance is at least 2 times the second distance, so that higher detection accuracy is obtained in the case that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 detects obstacles at night.

[0082] It should be noted that in specific applications, the first distance can be set to 2 times, 2.5 times, 3.8 times, or 5 times, etc. of the second distance according to actual needs by those skilled in the art, and the present embodiment does not specifically limit the multiple relationship between the first distance and the second distance.

[0083] Optionally, for the case that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is adjustable, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted in aperture size, exposure times, exposure time, and the like, so that the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be large in the low brightness environment such as night and the high brightness environment such as day. For example, the aperture value of the aircraft is adjustable, which can be adjusted to be small in the daytime to make the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 not so large, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime, and which can be adjusted to be large at night to make the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 large, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night. Alternatively, the exposure time of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted to be small in the daytime to make the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 not so large, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime, and which can be adjusted to be large at night to make the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 large, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night.

[0084] Optionally, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold value, so that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect obstacles at a long distance at night, which is beneficial to the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0085] Optionally, the fifth threshold value is equal to 10 meters. In specific applications, when the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than or equal to 10 meters, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can realize obstacle detection of 10 meters or more, which is beneficial to the aircraft to implement obstacle avoidance technology according to the obstacle situation, and improve the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0086] Optionally, for the case that the aperture of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not adjustable, the aperture of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is a large aperture with an aperture value less than or equal to the sixth threshold value, so that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can meet the second preset condition. In this way, when the speed of the aircraft is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold value, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can still detect obstacles, realize obstacle avoidance under high-speed flight conditions, and improve the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0087] Optionally, the sixth threshold value is equal to 1.0, that is, the Fno (F-number) of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 should be greater than or equal to 1.0, so that the light quantity of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can meet the second preset condition.

[0088] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can also be used to detect the obstacle in at least one direction when the first preset condition is met. That is, when the visual sensor 11 detects the obstacle in at least one direction, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be started to detect the obstacle in at least one direction. The detection result of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be fused with the detection result of the visual sensor 11 to further improve the detection accuracy of the obstacle. For example, for a high ambient brightness use scenario such as daytime, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can simultaneously detect the distance of the obstacle, and the distance values detected by the two sensors can be fused according to different weights set according to actual conditions.

[0089] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can also be used to detect a specific type of false obstacle which is identified as an obstacle by the visual sensor 11, and the aerial vehicle further comprises a processor which sets the false obstacle as a non-obstacle. For example, the specific type of false obstacle includes cloud, fog or particle.

[0090] In actual application, the visual sensor 11 can identify the false obstacle such as cloud, fog or particle as an obstacle, and then the aerial vehicle can perform obstacle avoidance. However, the cloud, fog or particle is not a real obstacle, and can not need to avoid obstacles. Therefore, in this case, the visual sensor 11 used for obstacle detection can identify the false obstacle. Therefore, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be selected for obstacle detection to improve the accuracy of obstacle detection. The direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can confirm whether the object is an obstacle according to the reflectivity of the object. If the reflectivity of the object is very low, it can be identified as a non-obstacle. For example, the reflectivity of the object such as cloud, fog or particle is low, and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 will not identify it as an obstacle. Therefore, by means of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, the situation that the visual sensor 11 detects the false obstacle can be avoided, and the accuracy of obstacle detection is improved.

[0091] Optionally, the at least one direction of the aerial vehicle can include at least one of front, back, left, right, up and down of the aerial vehicle, and the present application does not specifically limit the detection direction of the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for the obstacle.

[0092] In the embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor can be simultaneously arranged in the aerial vehicle to perform obstacle detection, and the detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aerial vehicle. By setting the first preset condition related to the condition in which the visual sensor can detect the obstacle, the detection of the obstacle is performed by the visual sensor when the first preset condition is met, and the detection of the obstacle is performed by the direct flight time sensor when the first preset condition is not met. In this way, the problem that the obstacle detection by the visual sensor only in the prior art limits the part of the obstacle avoidance scene can be solved to a certain extent, the obstacle detection in more scenes is realized, and the applicable scene of the aerial vehicle obstacle avoidance technology is expanded.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 5, a step flowchart of an obstacle avoidance control method of an aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As shown in FIG. 5, the obstacle avoidance control method can include the following steps:

[0094] In step 501, the visual sensor of the aerial vehicle is used to detect the obstacle in at least one direction of the aerial vehicle when a first preset condition is met, and the direct flight time sensor of the aerial vehicle is used to detect the obstacle in the at least one direction when the first preset condition is not met, the first preset condition being related to a condition in which the visual sensor can detect the obstacle, and the detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlap in the at least one direction.

[0095] In a specific application, in the embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 can be simultaneously arranged in the aerial vehicle to perform obstacle detection, and the detection ranges of the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aerial vehicle. By setting the first preset condition related to the condition in which the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle, the detection of the obstacle is performed by the visual sensor 11 when the first preset condition is met, and the detection of the obstacle is performed by the direct flight time sensor 12 when the first preset condition is not met. In this way, the problem that the obstacle detection by the visual sensor 11 only in the prior art limits the part of the obstacle avoidance scene can be solved to a certain extent, the obstacle detection in more scenes is realized, and the applicable scene of the aerial vehicle obstacle avoidance technology is expanded.

[0096] In step 502, the aerial vehicle is controlled according to the detected obstacle information.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, the aerial vehicle can be controlled to plan a flight route according to the obstacle information detected by the visual sensor 11 and / or the direct flight time sensor 12, so as to avoid the obstacle and improve the flight safety of the aerial vehicle.

[0098] In the embodiments of the present application, the first preset condition can be set according to the condition in which the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle. In the case where the first preset condition is met, that is, in the case where the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle, the visual sensor 11 can be used for obstacle detection. In the case where the first preset condition is not met, that is, in the case where the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle, the direct flight time sensor 12 can be used for obstacle detection. The condition in which the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle is related to the performance or capability of the visual sensor 11 itself. Generally, the visual sensor 11 needs to meet some related information to detect the obstacle, wherein the related parameters can be environmental information or obstacle information, for example, the environmental information can be the brightness of the environment, and the obstacle information can be the texture distribution of the obstacle. When the brightness of the environment meets a certain interval or the texture distribution of the obstacle meets a threshold, the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle.

[0099] Optionally, the first preset condition can be related to the information of the environment in which the aircraft is located or the information of the obstacle. In specific applications, whether the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle is highly related to the information of the environment in which the aircraft is located or the information of the obstacle. Therefore, in the case where the first preset condition is related to the information of the environment in which the aircraft is located or the information of the obstacle, it is beneficial to better switch the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 according to the first preset condition, and to obtain higher obstacle detection accuracy.

[0100] Optionally, the first preset condition is related to the brightness of the environment in which the aircraft is located or the texture distribution of the obstacle. In specific applications, whether the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle is highly related to the brightness of the environment in which the aircraft is located or the texture distribution of the obstacle. Therefore, in the case where the first preset condition is related to the brightness of the environment in which the aircraft is located or the texture distribution of the obstacle, it is beneficial to better switch the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 according to the first preset condition, and to obtain higher obstacle detection accuracy.

[0101] Optionally, the first preset condition being met can include that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to a first threshold value and less than or equal to a second threshold value, or the texture richness of the obstacle is greater than or equal to a third threshold value. In a specific application, in a case where the brightness of the environment of the aerial vehicle is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and less than or equal to the second threshold value, it can be considered that the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle and the detection accuracy of the obstacle is high. Similarly, in a case where the texture richness of the obstacle is greater than or equal to the third threshold value, the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle. In this case, the detection of the obstacle using the visual sensor 11 can not only detect the obstacle, but also has high detection accuracy of the obstacle.

[0102] It should be noted that in actual applications, the values of the first threshold value and the second threshold value can be determined according to the detection performance of the visual sensor 11. The first threshold value can be the brightness value of the low-illumination ambient light, for example, 1 lux, and the second threshold value can be the brightness value of the high-illumination ambient light. The specific values of the first threshold value and the second threshold value are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. Similarly, the specific value of the third threshold value can also be set according to actual conditions.

[0103] Optionally, the part of the case where the first preset condition is not met includes that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is less than the first threshold value, or the texture richness of the obstacle is less than the third threshold value. In a specific application, in a case where the brightness of the environment of the aerial vehicle is less than the first threshold value, it can be considered that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is too low, the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle, or the detection accuracy of the obstacle is low, and the obstacle information detected by the visual sensor 11 cannot be used for obstacle avoidance. Similarly, in a case where the texture richness of the obstacle is less than the third threshold value, it can be considered that the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle, such as low-texture obstacles such as glass and water surface. In this case, the detection of the obstacle using the visual sensor 11 can not detect the obstacle, or the detection accuracy of the obstacle is low, and the detected obstacle information cannot be used for obstacle avoidance.

[0104] Optionally, the period in which the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to the first threshold value at least includes a daytime period, such that, during the daytime period, the brightness of the environment of the aerial vehicle satisfies the requirement of the first preset condition, and the visual sensor 11 can be used to detect the obstacles. The period in which the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is less than the first threshold value at least includes a part or all of a nighttime period, such that, during the part or all of the nighttime period, the brightness of the environment of the aerial vehicle does not satisfy the requirement of the first preset condition. At this time, the direct flight time sensor 12 can be used to detect the obstacles, so that the aerial vehicle can realize obstacle detection in multiple scenes, for example, can realize all-weather 24h obstacle detection, which is beneficial to the aerial vehicle to avoid obstacles during the day and at night, and realizes flight safety.

[0105] Optionally, the visual sensor 11 and / or the direct flight time sensor 12 can also be used to detect the brightness of the environment, so as to determine whether the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located satisfies the requirement of the first preset condition according to the brightness of the environment, so as to switch the visual sensor 11 or the direct flight time sensor 12.

[0106] In the embodiments of the present application, the detection of the brightness of the environment by the visual sensor 11 and / or the direct flight time sensor 12 can avoid the additional setting of an environment brightness detection sensor to separately detect the brightness of the environment. In this way, the structure of the aerial vehicle can be greatly simplified, and the structural cost of the aerial vehicle can be reduced.

[0107] Of course, the aerial vehicle can include a sensor for detecting the brightness of the environment, which is used to detect the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located. The processor of the aerial vehicle can select whether to use the obstacle information detected by the visual sensor 11 or the obstacle information detected by the direct flight time sensor 12 based on the brightness of the environment detected by the sensor.

[0108] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the obstacle avoidance control method can further include: in response to the amount of light entering the direct flight time sensor satisfying a second preset condition, allowing the speed of the aerial vehicle to be greater than or equal to a fourth threshold value, so that the aerial vehicle can detect obstacles at high speed, realize obstacle avoidance under high-speed flight conditions, and improve the flight safety of the aerial vehicle.

[0109] In a specific application, when the speed of the aircraft is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold value, the flight speed of the aircraft is fast, and when the aircraft performs obstacle detection, long-distance obstacle detection needs to be performed. Since the measurement accuracy and anti-interference ability of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for obstacles do not decrease significantly with the increase of the distance, relatively high-precision, low-noise, and high-credibility depth information can be captured in a long-distance scenario, and high obstacle detection accuracy can be achieved. Therefore, when performing long-distance obstacle detection, the detection result of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for obstacles can be relied on. In order to improve the detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for long-distance obstacles, the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 needs to meet the second preset condition.

[0110] In a specific application, the second preset condition is related to at least one of the aperture, exposure time, and exposure frequency of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. Specifically, the aperture, exposure time, and exposure frequency are three main factors that affect the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. Generally, the larger the aperture, the longer the exposure time, and the more the exposure frequency, the greater the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, and the second preset condition is more easily met.

[0111] Alternatively, the fourth threshold value can be 5 meters per second, that is, when the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 meets the second preset condition, the aircraft can be allowed to fly at a speed greater than or equal to 5 meters per second, so that the aircraft can perform obstacle detection at a high speed, achieve obstacle avoidance under high-speed flight conditions, and improve the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0112] Alternatively, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime. In a specific application, during the day, since the environmental brightness is large, the environmental brightness of the aircraft can generally meet the requirements of the first preset condition, at this time, the visual sensor 11 can be used to achieve obstacle detection, and the use probability of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is low. At night, since the environmental brightness is small, the environmental brightness of the aircraft generally does not meet the requirements of the first preset condition, at this time, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is generally needed to be used to perform obstacle detection. That is, the use probability of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is much greater than the use probability in the daytime.

[0113] In the embodiments of the present application, by setting the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night to be greater than the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime, it is beneficial to obtain higher detection accuracy when the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 performs obstacle detection at night, and it is beneficial to the implementation of the obstacle avoidance technology of the aircraft.

[0114] Specifically, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted in terms of aperture size, exposure times, exposure time, and the like, so that the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime.

[0115] Optionally, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is a first distance, and the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime is a second distance, the first distance being at least 2 times the second distance, so that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 has higher detection accuracy when detecting obstacles at night.

[0116] It should be noted that in specific applications, the first distance can be set to be 2 times, 2.5 times, 3.8 times, or 5 times the second distance, and the like, according to actual needs, and the present application does not limit the multiple relationship between the first distance and the second distance.

[0117] Optionally, for the case that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is adjustable, the aperture size, exposure times, and exposure time of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted, so that the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be large in both low-light environments such as at night and high-light environments such as in the daytime. For example, the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted adaptively according to the ambient brightness. For example, the aperture value of the aircraft can be adjusted, and in the daytime, the aperture value of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted to be small, so that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not large, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime, and at night, the aperture value of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted to be large, so that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is large, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the nighttime. Alternatively, in the daytime, the exposure time of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted to be small, so that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not large, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the daytime, and at night, the exposure time of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be adjusted to be large, so that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is large, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in the nighttime.

[0118] Optionally, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold value, so that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect obstacles at a long distance at night, which is beneficial to the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0119] Optionally, the fifth threshold value is equal to 10 meters. In a specific application, in a case that the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than or equal to 10 meters, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be enabled to achieve 10 meters or more of obstacle detection, which is conducive to the implementation of obstacle avoidance technology by the aerial vehicle according to the obstacle situation, and improves the flight safety of the aerial vehicle.

[0120] Optionally, in a case that the aperture of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not adjustable, the aperture of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is a large aperture with an aperture value less than or equal to a sixth threshold value, so that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can meet the second preset condition. In this way, in a case that the speed of the aerial vehicle is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold value, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can still perform obstacle detection, achieve obstacle avoidance under high-speed flight conditions, and improve the flight safety of the aerial vehicle.

[0121] Optionally, the sixth threshold value is equal to 1.0, that is, the aperture value (Fno) of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 should be greater than or equal to 1.0, so that the light amount of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can meet the second preset condition.

[0122] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can also be used to detect obstacles in at least one direction in a case that the first preset condition is met. That is, while the visual sensor 11 is detecting obstacles in at least one direction, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be started to detect obstacles in at least one direction. The detection result of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be fused with the detection result of the visual sensor 11 to further improve the detection accuracy of the obstacles. For example, for a use scenario with high ambient brightness such as daytime, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can simultaneously detect the distance of the obstacles, and the distance values detected by the two sensors can be fused according to different weights set according to actual conditions.

[0123] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can also be used to detect a specific type of false obstacle that is identified as an obstacle by the visual sensor 11, and the aerial vehicle further includes a processor that sets the false obstacle as a non-obstacle. For example, the specific type of false obstacle includes clouds, fog, or particles.

[0124] In actual application, the visual sensor 11 can identify false obstacles such as cloud, fog and particle as obstacles, and then the aircraft can perform obstacle avoidance. However, cloud, fog and particle are not real obstacles, and can not need to avoid obstacles. Therefore, in this case, the detection of obstacles by using the visual sensor 11 can identify false obstacles. Therefore, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be selected to detect obstacles to improve the accuracy of obstacle detection. The direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can confirm whether the objects are obstacles according to the reflectivity of the objects. If the reflectivity of the objects is very low, it can be identified that the objects are not obstacles. For example, the reflectivity of cloud, fog and particle is low, and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 will not identify them as obstacles. Therefore, by using the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, the situation that the visual sensor 11 detects false obstacles can be avoided, and the accuracy of obstacle detection is improved.

[0125] Optionally, the at least one direction of the aircraft can include at least one of front, back, left, right, up and down of the aircraft, and embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the detection direction of the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for obstacles.

[0126] Parts not mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can refer to the related introduction of the foregoing embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0127] In the embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor can be simultaneously arranged in the aircraft to perform obstacle avoidance detection, and the detection range of the visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor at least partially overlaps in at least one direction of the aircraft. By setting the first preset condition related to the condition that the visual sensor can detect obstacles, in the case that the first preset condition is met, the detection of obstacles is performed by the visual sensor, and in the case that the first preset condition is not met, the detection of obstacles is performed by using the direct time-of-flight sensor. In this way, the problem that the obstacle avoidance scene is limited in the prior art due to the detection of obstacles by only using the visual sensor can be solved to a certain extent, the detection of obstacles in more scenes is realized, and the applicable scene of the aircraft obstacle avoidance technology is expanded.

[0128] Please refer to Figure 6, which is an obstacle avoidance control device of an aircraft provided in the embodiments of the present application. The obstacle avoidance control device 600 comprises a memory 601 and a processor 602. The memory 601 and the processor 602 can be connected through a bus 603, for example. The memory 601 is configured to store a computer program. The processor 602 is configured to execute the computer program and implement the following steps when executing the computer program: detecting an obstacle in at least one direction of the aircraft using a visual sensor of the aircraft in a case where a first preset condition is met, detecting the obstacle in the at least one direction using a direct time of flight sensor of the aircraft in a case where the first preset condition is not met, the first preset condition being related to a condition in which the visual sensor can detect the obstacle, wherein a detection range of the visual sensor and the direct time of flight sensor at least partially overlaps in the at least one direction; and controlling the aircraft according to the detected obstacle information.

[0129] Parts not mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can refer to the related descriptions of the foregoing embodiments, which will not be described herein again. It should be noted that the obstacle avoidance control device of the aircraft in the embodiments of the present application has the same technical effects as the obstacle avoidance control method of the aircraft in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be described herein again.

[0130] Please refer to Figure 7, which is an obstacle avoidance control system of an aircraft provided in the embodiments of the present application. The obstacle avoidance control system 700 comprises a memory 701, a processor 702, a visual sensor 703 and a direct time of flight sensor 704. The memory 701, the processor 702, the visual sensor 703 and the direct time of flight sensor 704 can be connected through a bus 705, for example. The memory 701 is configured to store a computer program. The processor 702 is configured to execute the computer program and implement the following steps when executing the computer program: the visual sensor 703 is configured to detect an obstacle in at least one direction of the aircraft in a case where a first preset condition is met, the direct time of flight sensor 704 is configured to detect the obstacle in the at least one direction in a case where the first preset condition is not met, the first preset condition being related to a condition in which the visual sensor can detect the obstacle, wherein a detection range of the visual sensor and the direct time of flight sensor at least partially overlaps in the at least one direction; and the processor 702 is configured to control the aircraft according to the detected obstacle information.

[0131] Parts not mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can refer to the related descriptions of the foregoing embodiments, which will not be described herein again. It should be noted that the obstacle avoidance control system of the aircraft in the embodiments of the present application has the same technical effects as the obstacle avoidance control method of the aircraft in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be described herein again.

[0132] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. The computer program is executed by a processor to enable the processor to implement the obstacle avoidance control method of the aircraft according to the above embodiments.

[0133] It should be noted that the computer readable storage medium of the embodiment of the present application has the same technical effects as the obstacle avoidance control method of the aircraft in the above embodiments, and will not be described here.

[0134] The above-mentioned apparatus embodiments are only schematic, and units shown as separate components can or can not be physically separate, and components shown as units can or can not be physical units, i.e., can be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment scheme. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement without creative labor.

[0135] As used herein, the term "one embodiment", "an embodiment", or "one or more embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the application. Moreover, the appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

[0136] In the specification provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it can be understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some examples, well-known methods, structures and techniques are not shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of the present specification.

[0137] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The application can be implemented by means of both hardware and software, and any combination thereof. In a unit claim, several elements can be presented - the use of "each" before the first of these elements does not exclude the presence of additional such elements subsequent to the first so introduced. The word "first", "second", "third", and the like in the description do not necessarily indicate any order. These words can be understood as naming.

[0138] Finally, it should be noted that the above examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit the same; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing examples, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing examples, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An aircraft, characterized in that The aerial vehicle comprises a body and a visual sensor and a direct flight time sensor connected to the body, a detection range of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlaps in at least one direction of the aerial vehicle, and the visual sensor is used to detect an obstacle in the at least one direction when a first preset condition is met, and the direct flight time sensor is used to detect the obstacle in the at least one direction at least in a part of a case where the first preset condition is not met, and the first preset condition is related to a condition in which the visual sensor can detect the obstacle.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, The first preset condition is related to information of an environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or information of the obstacle.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein, The first preset condition is related to brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or texture distribution of the obstacle.

4. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein, The first preset condition being met includes that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to a first threshold value and less than or equal to a second threshold value, or the texture richness of the obstacle is greater than or equal to a third threshold value.

5. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein, The part of the case where the first preset condition is not met includes that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is less than the first threshold value, or the texture richness of the obstacle is less than the third threshold value.

6. The aircraft of claim 5, wherein, The time period in which the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to the first threshold value at least includes a daytime period, and the time period in which the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is less than the first threshold value at least includes a part or all of a nighttime period.

7. The aircraft of any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein, The visual sensor and / or the direct flight time sensor are further used to detect environmental brightness.

8. The aircraft of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The visual sensor is located on one side or more sides of the body.

9. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein, The direct flight time sensor is arranged on a first bearing structure of the body.

10. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein, The first bearing structure comprises the body, an arm or a foot support, and the direct flight time sensor is arranged on at least one of the body, the arm and the foot support.

11. The aircraft of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, One side of the body includes a front side.

12. The aircraft of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The multiple sides of the body include at least two of a front side, a rear side, a left side, a right side, an upper side and a lower side of the body.

13. The aircraft of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor are located on the same component or different components of the body.

14. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein, The component comprises a bearing structure for bearing at least one of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor.

15. The aircraft of claim 14, wherein, The bearing structure comprises the body, an arm or a foot support.

16. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein, The visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor are arranged on the same component of the body, the number of the visual sensors is at least two, and the direct flight time sensor is located between the at least two visual sensors.

17. The aircraft of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The direct flight time sensor comprises a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter is used to send a light signal, and the receiver is used to receive the light signal reflected by the obstacle; wherein the transmitter and the receiver are integrally arranged or separately arranged.

18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein, The transmitter and the receiver are combined on the same component of the body, the transmitter and the receiver are separated on the same component of the body, or the transmitter and the receiver are separated on different components of the body.

19. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein, The visual sensor and the direct time of flight sensor are combined on the same component of the body, the number of the visual sensor is at least two, and the transmitter and the receiver are combined between at least two of the visual sensors.

20. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein, The visual sensor and the direct time of flight sensor are combined on the same component of the body, the number of the visual sensor is at least two, and the transmitter and the receiver are separated between at least two of the visual sensors.

21. The aircraft of any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein, The component includes a bearing structure for bearing at least one of the visual sensor and the direct time of flight sensor.

22. The aircraft of claim 21, wherein, The bearing structure includes the body, an arm or a leg of the body.

23. The aircraft of claim 20, wherein, The at least two visual sensors include a first visual sensor and a second visual sensor, the transmitter is close to the first visual sensor, and the receiver is close to the second visual sensor.

24. The aircraft of claim 23, wherein, The at least two visual sensors include a first visual sensor and a second visual sensor, a distance between the transmitter and the first visual sensor is less than a distance between the transmitter and the receiver, and a distance between the receiver and the second visual sensor is less than the distance between the receiver and the transmitter.

25. The aircraft of any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein, The aerial vehicle further includes a processor, in response to the amount of light entering the direct time of flight sensor satisfying a second preset condition, the processor allows the speed of the aerial vehicle to be greater than or equal to a fourth threshold value.

26. The aircraft of claim 25, wherein, The second preset condition is related to at least one of an aperture, an exposure time and an exposure number of the direct time of flight sensor.

27. The aircraft of claim 25, wherein, The fourth threshold value is 5 meters per second.

28. The aircraft of claim 25, wherein, The detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor at night is greater than the detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor in the daytime.

29. The aircraft of claim 28, wherein, The detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor at night is a first distance, the detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor in the daytime is a second distance, and the first distance is at least 2 times the second distance.

30. The aircraft of claim 28, wherein, The detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor at night is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold value.

31. The aircraft of claim 30, wherein, The fifth threshold value is equal to 10 meters.

32. The aircraft of claim 28, wherein, The aperture of the direct time of flight sensor is a large aperture with an aperture value less than or equal to a sixth threshold value.

33. The aircraft of claim 32, wherein, The sixth threshold value is equal to 1.

0.

34. The aircraft of any one of claims 1 to 33, wherein, The direct time of flight sensor is further configured to detect the obstacle in the at least one direction when the first preset condition is satisfied.

35. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, The direct time of flight sensor is further configured to detect a specific type of false obstacle that is identified as an obstacle by the visual sensor, and the aerial vehicle further includes a processor configured to set the false obstacle as a non-obstacle.

36. The aircraft of claim 35, wherein, The specific type of false obstacle includes cloud, fog or particle.

37. The aircraft of any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein, The at least one direction of the aerial vehicle includes at least one of front, back, left, right, up and down of the aerial vehicle.

38. An obstacle avoidance control method for an aircraft, characterized in that, The method includes: detecting, using a visual sensor of the aerial vehicle, an obstacle in at least one direction of the aerial vehicle in a case where a first preset condition is met, detecting, using a direct time of flight sensor of the aerial vehicle, the obstacle in the at least one direction in a case where the first preset condition is not met, the first preset condition being related to a condition under which the visual sensor is able to detect the obstacle, wherein a detection range of the visual sensor and the direct time of flight sensor at least partially overlap in the at least one direction; controlling the aerial vehicle according to the detected obstacle information.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein, The first preset condition is related to information of an environment in which the aerial vehicle is located or information of the obstacle.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein, The first preset condition is related to brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located, texture distribution of the obstacle, or reflectivity of the obstacle.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein, The first preset condition being met includes that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to a first threshold value and less than or equal to a second threshold value, or the texture richness of the obstacle is greater than or equal to a third threshold value.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein, The case where the first preset condition is not met includes that the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is less than the first threshold value, or the texture richness of the obstacle is less than the third threshold value.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein, The time period in which the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is greater than or equal to the first threshold value at least includes a daytime period, and the time period in which the brightness of the environment in which the aerial vehicle is located is less than the first threshold value at least includes part or all of a nighttime period.

44. The method of any one of claims 39 to 43, wherein, The visual sensor and / or the direct time of flight sensor are further configured to detect the brightness of the environment.

45. The method of any one of claims 38 to 44, wherein, The method further includes: in response to an amount of light entering the direct time of flight sensor meeting a second preset condition, allowing a speed of the aerial vehicle to be greater than or equal to a fourth threshold value.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein, The second preset condition is related to at least one of an aperture, an exposure time, and an exposure number of the direct time of flight sensor.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein, The fourth threshold value is 5 meters per second.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein, The detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor at night is greater than the detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor in the daytime.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein, The detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor at night is a first distance, and the detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor in the daytime is a second distance, the first distance being at least 2 times the second distance.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein, The detection distance of the direct time of flight sensor at night is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold value.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein, The fifth threshold value is equal to 10 meters.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein, The aperture of the direct time of flight sensor is a large aperture with an aperture value less than or equal to a sixth threshold value.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein, The sixth threshold value is equal to 1.

0.

54. The method of any one of claims 38-53, wherein, The method further includes: in the case where the first preset condition is met, the direct time of flight sensor is also used to detect the obstacle in the at least one direction, and the detected obstacle information is determined according to obstacle information detected by the visual sensor and obstacle information detected by the direct time of flight sensor.

55. The method of claim 38, wherein, The method further includes: detecting, using the direct time of flight sensor, a specific type of false obstacle that would be identified as an obstacle by the visual sensor; controlling the aerial vehicle to continue moving according to a set path without avoiding the false obstacle.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein, The specific type of false obstacle includes cloud, fog or particle.

57. The method of any one of claims 38 to 56, wherein, The at least one direction of the aerial vehicle includes at least one of front, back, left, right, up and down of the aerial vehicle.

58. An obstacle avoidance control device for an aircraft, the device comprising: The device comprises a memory and a processor, the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to execute the computer program and realize the following steps when executing the computer program: Detecting the obstacle in the at least one direction of the aerial vehicle using a visual sensor of the aerial vehicle in the case that a first preset condition is met, detecting the obstacle in the at least one direction using a direct flight time sensor of the aerial vehicle in the case that the first preset condition is not met, the first preset condition being related to the condition that the visual sensor can detect the obstacle, wherein the detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlap in the at least one direction; Controlling the aerial vehicle according to the detected obstacle information.

59. An obstacle avoidance control system for an aerial vehicle, the system comprising: The system comprises a memory, a processor, a visual sensor and a direct flight time sensor, the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to execute the computer program and realize the following steps when executing the computer program: The visual sensor is used to detect the obstacle in the at least one direction of the aerial vehicle in the case that a first preset condition is met; The direct flight time sensor is used to detect the obstacle in the at least one direction in the case that the first preset condition is not met, the first preset condition being related to the condition that the visual sensor can detect the obstacle, wherein the detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor at least partially overlap in the at least one direction; The processor is used to control the aerial vehicle according to the detected obstacle information.

60. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program, the computer program is executed by the processor to make the processor realize the obstacle avoidance control method of the aerial vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 38-57.

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