Self-balancing UAVs for Tunnel and Cave Exploration and Their Operation Methods

Abstract

This invention relates to a self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration and its operating method. The UAV comprises a frame and a protective shield. The shield is a spherical cage composed of interconnected arc-shaped rings. Each arc-shaped ring has a connecting guide rail in its inner wall. The UAV is located inside the shield. Four balancing supports extend outward along the center line of each support's axis. Each balancing support has a ball at its outer end, which slides within the corresponding guide rail. If the self-balancing UAV accidentally lands, the shield contacts the ground. The UAV is suspended inside the shield by the front ends of the balancing supports and the balls. The UAV's center of gravity is at the lower end of the central frame. The vertical force of the center of gravity causes the central frame to shift towards the vertical line of the shield's center. Simultaneously, this causes the balancing supports and their front-end balls to slide along the guide rails towards a horizontal state parallel to the shield's diameter plane, thus placing the UAV horizontally within the shield. This invention enables the UAV to maintain self-balancing in unexpected situations or in harsh, uneven terrain, allowing it to retake off and conduct exploration without collisions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) application technology, and relates to a self-balancing UAV for tunnel and cave exploration and its operation method. Background Technology

[0002] When drones conduct exploration operations in tunnels, caves, or in the wild, if the drone's propeller collides with tunnel walls, rock walls, or tree branches, it can damage the propeller or cause the drone to lose balance and crash. Drones that crash often land upside down or at an angle, and because of this imbalance, they cannot take off again, resulting in the termination of the exploration operation and the loss of the drone. Furthermore, existing drones cannot land and take off again in caves or on uneven terrain, limiting their usability. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration and its operation method, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art. It enables the UAV to always be in a self-balancing state in case of accidents or in harsh ground environments with uneven terrain, so as to complete the task of re-take-off and collision avoidance for exploration.

[0004] Therefore, a self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration includes a frame and a protective cover. The protective cover is a spherical cage composed of arc-shaped rings with interconnected sidewalls. The inner wall of each arc ring is provided with a guide rail that is interconnected. The UAV is located inside the protective cover. The four arms of the UAV are provided with balance pillars extending outward along the center line of the arm axis. Each balance pillar has a ball at its outer end, and each ball slides in the guide rail of its corresponding part. The center of gravity of the UAV is at the lower end of the frame in the middle of the UAV.

[0005] As a further description of the above technical solution: the lengths of the balancing pillars are the same, and the midpoint of the straight line connecting the diagonal rolling balls is the same point as the midpoint of the spherical cage.

[0006] As a further description of the above technical solution: the cross-sectional shape of the guide rail is adapted to the shape of the ball.

[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution: the arc rings of the spherical cage formed by the arc rings connected to each other's sidewalls are circular rings or circular rings.

[0008] As a further description of the above technical solution: the arc rings connected to each other on their sidewalls share a common guide rail at the inner sidewalls where they are connected.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution: the lower end of the middle frame of the drone is provided with a mission bay, and the front and rear ends of the mission bay are provided with a surround-scan sonar, a camera and a lighting lamp.

[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution: the straight length of the connecting diagonal balance support and the outer end of the rolling ball of the UAV is less than the diameter of the ball formed by the inner bottom of the guide rail by 0.1 to 1.2 mm.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution: the protective cover can be two semi-circular cages that are interlocked to form a whole.

[0012] A method for operating a self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration includes the following steps: (1) Prepare a self-balancing drone. Place the drone inside the protective cover. The rolling balls at the front end of each balance support of the drone are located in the guide rails on the corresponding part of the same diameter surface inside the spherical cage. (2) The shield protects the self-balancing drone from collision damage. If the self-balancing drone accidentally lands, the shield will contact the ground. The drone will be suspended inside the shield by the front end of each balance pillar and the ball. The center of gravity of the drone is at the lower end of the middle frame of the drone. The vertical force of the center of gravity causes the middle frame of the drone to move towards the vertical line of the center of the shield. At the same time, it drives each balance pillar and the ball at its front end to slide along the guide rail to a horizontal state parallel to the diameter plane of the shield, so that the drone is in a horizontal state inside the shield. (3) Restart the drone. The drone will take off with the protective shield and leave the ground to continue the field tunnel and cave exploration.

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution: the self-balancing recovery after the drone accidentally lands begins after the protective cover contacts the ground.

[0014] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention solves the problem that when existing drones are conducting exploration operations in tunnels, caves, or in the wild, if the drone's propeller collides with the tunnel wall, cave wall, or tree branches, the drone's propeller will be damaged or the drone will lose balance and fall. The landed drone is often in a tilted or overturned state, and the unbalanced drone cannot take off again.

[0015] This invention provides a protective shield for self-balancing drones, preventing collision damage. If the drone accidentally lands, the shield contacts the ground, and the drone is suspended inside the shield by the front ends of its balancing struts and ball bearings. The drone's center of gravity is located at the lower end of its central frame. The vertical force of this center of gravity causes the central frame to shift towards the vertical line of the shield's center. Simultaneously, this causes the balancing struts and their front ball bearings to slide along guide rails towards a horizontal position parallel to the shield's diameter plane, placing the drone in a horizontal position within the shield. Upon restarting, the drone, carrying the shield, takes off, detaches from the ground, and continues its exploration of tunnels and caves in the field. This invention can be widely applied to drone exploration operations in forests, tunnels, and caves, significantly reducing drone damage rates and improving the recovery rate of drones after collisions.

[0016] 2. This invention has a simple structure, using only mechanical components, which achieves the purpose of avoiding collision damage to the drone and self-balancing recovery after a crash. It is simpler and more effective than the traditional drone collision avoidance structure that uses radar ranging. The manufacturing cost is about 70% lower than that of traditional drones. The process of this invention is simple and easy to master. This invention has good usage effects and has the advantages of being labor-saving, simple, efficient and practical. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the balance support, rolling ball, and guide rail of the present invention. Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the AA cross-sectional structure in the diagram; Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the balance support, ball bearing, and guide rail of the present invention. Figure 5 This is another structural schematic diagram showing a partial cross-sectional view of the balance support, ball bearing, and guide rail of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the guide rail on the inner end face of the protective cover of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the technical means, creative features, and achieved objectives and effects of the present invention, the present invention will be further elaborated below with reference to specific embodiments. However, the following embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and not all embodiments. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments without creative effort are all within the protection scope of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the construction methods in the following embodiments are conventional methods. Unless otherwise specified, the materials, devices, equipment, etc., used in the following embodiments can be obtained commercially.

[0019] Example 1: As Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration is disclosed. This invention employs a traditional four-propeller UAV, comprising a frame 10, four arms 11, motors 6 located at the outer ends of each arm, and propellers 5 driven by the motors. The frame houses a flight control system, a power battery, a communication system, an electronic adjuster, and an onboard receiving and transmitting module. The invention features a mission bay 7 at the lower end of the middle frame of the UAV. The front and rear ends of the mission bay are equipped with a surround-scan sonar, a camera 8, and a lighting device 9. The surround-scan sonar, camera 8, and lighting device 9 are all electrically connected to the UAV's power battery and control unit. During exploration, the control unit activates the front and rear cameras and lighting device in the mission bay, transmitting the detected cave information back to the control unit in the ground control box via the communication system. The control unit analyzes and processes the camera images and sonar data to obtain images and boundary information of the cave. Through 3D modeling, the cave is reconstructed to obtain information about its shape and structure.

[0020] The self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration of the present invention includes a frame 10 and a protective cover 1. The protective cover 1 is a spherical cage composed of arc-shaped rings connected to each other on its sidewalls. The arc-shaped rings of the spherical cage are either circular or circular. Each arc-shaped ring has a guide rail 2 that communicates with each other in the middle of its inner wall. The guide rail 2 at the inner sidewalls of the arc-shaped rings connected to each other is a common guide rail. The UAV is located inside the protective cover 1. The four arms 11 of the UAV are provided with balancing support columns 4 extending outward along the center line of the arm axis. Each balancing support column 4 has a ball 3 at its outer end, and each ball 3 is slidably fitted in the guide rail 2 of its corresponding part. The center of gravity of the UAV is at the lower end of the frame 10 in the middle of the UAV.

[0021] The protective cover can be composed of two interlocking semi-circular cages to facilitate the placement of drones. The two semi-circular cages can be connected at the joint using spaced screws. The cover material can be aluminum, or high-toughness, impact-resistant synthetic materials such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and high-impact polypropylene (ABS, PP, PBT).

[0022] The lower end of the middle frame of the drone is equipped with a mission compartment 7. The front and rear ends of the mission compartment 7 are equipped with a ring-scan sonar, a camera 8 and a light 9. The mission compartment 7 makes the center of gravity of the drone located at the lower end of the middle frame 10 of the drone.

[0023] The balancing struts are of the same length, and the midpoint of the straight line connecting the diagonal rolling balls is the same point as the midpoint of the spherical cage, which facilitates the self-balancing recovery of the drone.

[0024] The cross-sectional shape of the guide rail is adapted to the shape of the ball to facilitate the movement of the ball within the guide rail.

[0025] The arc rings whose sidewalls are connected share a common guide rail at the inner sidewalls where they are connected.

[0026] The straight length of the connection between the drone and the diagonal balance support and the outer end of the ball is 0.1 to 1.2 mm shorter than the diameter of the ball formed by the bottom of the guide rail, so as to facilitate the movement of the ball within the guide rail.

[0027] A method for operating a self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration includes the following steps: (1) Prepare a self-balancing drone. Place the drone inside the protective cover. The rolling balls at the front end of each balance support of the drone are located in the guide rails on the corresponding part of the same diameter surface inside the spherical cage. (2) The shield protects the self-balancing drone from collision damage. If the self-balancing drone accidentally lands, the shield will contact the ground. The drone will be suspended inside the shield by the front end of each balance pillar and the ball. The center of gravity of the drone is at the lower end of the middle frame of the drone. The vertical force of the center of gravity causes the middle frame of the drone to move towards the vertical line of the center of the shield. At the same time, it drives each balance pillar and the ball at its front end to slide along the guide rail to a horizontal state parallel to the diameter plane of the shield, so that the drone is in a horizontal state inside the shield. (3) Restart the drone. The drone will take off with the protective shield and leave the ground to continue the field tunnel and cave exploration.

[0028] The self-balancing recovery of a drone after an accidental landing begins after the shield touches the ground, including the rolling and coming to a stop of the shield after the accidental landing.

[0029] The following are comparative data from simulation experiments comparing the self-balancing drone and the traditional drone in this embodiment of the invention: (1). Test method: Under the same conditions, the simulation experimental comparison data are as follows: Table 1:

[0030] Table 1 shows that all indicators of the present invention are superior to those of traditional drones. The collision damage rate of the present invention is zero, while that of traditional drones is 85%. The accidental crash and take-off rate of the present invention is 99%, while that of traditional drones is 5%. The drone of the present invention can adapt to the harsh environment of uneven ground inside caves to complete cave exploration, and can also travel through forests. The present invention has the advantages of simple structure and high practicality.

[0031] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration, comprising a frame and a protective cover, characterized in that: The protective cover is a spherical cage composed of arc rings connected to each other on the sidewalls. The inner wall of each arc ring is provided with a guide rail that is connected to each other. The drone is located inside the protective cover. The four arms of the drone are provided with balance pillars extending outward along the center line of the arm axis. Each balance pillar has a ball at its outer end. Each ball slides in the guide rail of the corresponding part. The center of gravity of the drone is at the lower end of the middle frame of the drone.

2. The self-balancing UAV for tunnel and cave exploration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The balance supports are of the same length, and the midpoint of the straight line connecting the diagonal rolling balls is the same point as the midpoint of the spherical cage.

3. The self-balancing UAV for tunnel and cave exploration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the guide rail is adapted to the shape of the ball.

4. The self-balancing UAV for tunnel and cave exploration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc rings of the spherical cage formed by the interconnected arc rings on each sidewall are either circular rings or circular rings.

5. The self-balancing UAV for tunnel and cave exploration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc rings whose sidewalls are connected to each other are those whose inner sidewalls share a common guide rail.

6. The self-balancing UAV for tunnel and cave exploration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drone has a mission bay at the lower end of its central frame, and the front and rear ends of the mission bay are equipped with a surround-scan sonar, a camera, and a lighting device.

7. The self-balancing UAV for tunnel and cave exploration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The straight length of the connection between the diagonal balance support and the outer end of the ball of the drone is 0.1 to 1.2 mm shorter than the diameter of the ball formed by the inner bottom of the guide rail.

8. The self-balancing UAV for tunnel and cave exploration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective cover can be two semi-circular cages that are interlocked to form a single protective cover.

9. A method for operating a self-balancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for tunnel and cave exploration, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Prepare a self-balancing drone. Place the drone inside the protective cover. The rolling balls at the front end of each balance support of the drone are located in the guide rails on the corresponding part of the same diameter surface inside the spherical cage. (2) The shield protects the self-balancing drone from collision damage. If the self-balancing drone accidentally lands, the shield will contact the ground. The drone will be suspended inside the shield by the front end of each balance pillar and the ball. The center of gravity of the drone is at the lower end of the middle frame of the drone. The vertical force of the center of gravity causes the middle frame of the drone to move towards the vertical line of the center of the shield. At the same time, it drives each balance pillar and the ball at its front end to slide along the guide rail to a horizontal state parallel to the diameter plane of the shield, so that the drone is in a horizontal state inside the shield. (3) Restart the drone. The drone will take off with the protective shield and leave the ground to continue the field tunnel and cave exploration.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The self-balancing recovery of the drone after an accidental landing begins after the protective shield touches the ground.

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