Multi-robot cooperative detection control method for underwater pipeline and related equipment

Abstract

This application discloses a multi-robot collaborative inspection and control method and related equipment for underwater pipelines, including: controlling a central underwater robot to reach the working position of a dense underwater pipeline and acquiring the distribution information of the pipeline group; controlling the central underwater robot to initiate fixed-point hovering at the working position, and allocating multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the pipeline group distribution information; after issuing inspection task instructions to their respective master underwater robots, controlling each master underwater robot to perform fixed-distance inspections along the extension direction of its corresponding pipeline, identifying anomalies in the collected pipeline status data, and generating anomaly identification results; when an anomaly is determined to occur, the central underwater robot issues a re-inspection instruction to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot to control the autonomous underwater robot to perform fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area. This application can realize synchronous inspection of multiple pipelines in dense pipeline scenarios, improving inspection accuracy and efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robot control technology, specifically to a multi-robot collaborative detection and control method and related equipment for underwater pipelines. Background Technology

[0002] Subsea pipelines are critical infrastructure for offshore oil and gas development, water resource transportation, and cross-regional energy transmission, and are widely used in nearshore engineering, deep-sea energy extraction, and port pipeline network deployment. Due to limitations imposed by seabed topography, engineering layout, and pipeline network operation and maintenance requirements, underwater pipelines are generally deployed in a dense, parallel, long-distance, and complex manner. During long-term service, they are prone to defects such as damage, corrosion, and deformation, necessitating efficient and precise inspection technologies to ensure the safe and stable operation of the pipeline network.

[0003] Currently, underwater pipeline inspection technology mainly adopts a single underwater robot operating independently. Traditional manual remote-controlled inspection methods require inspecting each pipeline sequentially, which is cumbersome and time-consuming. Autonomous navigation inspection methods can only execute tasks according to a preset path, lacking adaptability to dense pipeline scenarios and unable to simultaneously inspect multiple pipelines. Therefore, existing technologies cannot achieve high-precision and high-efficiency inspection of dense underwater pipeline groups, failing to meet the actual needs of current underwater pipeline network operation and maintenance.

[0004] The preceding description is intended to provide general background information and does not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a multi-robot collaborative inspection and control method and related equipment for underwater pipelines, which can realize synchronous inspection of multiple pipelines in dense pipeline scenarios, and improve the inspection accuracy and efficiency of dense underwater pipeline groups.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines, including: The control center underwater robot reaches the working position of the dense underwater pipeline and obtains the distribution information of the pipeline group; The central underwater robot is controlled to initiate fixed-point hovering at the work location, and multiple autonomous underwater robots are allocated based on the distribution information of the pipeline group; Establish a communication channel between the central underwater robot and each of the main underwater robots, and issue inspection task instructions to each of the main underwater robots through the communication channel; After each of its main underwater robots responds to the inspection task command, it controls its main underwater robot to perform fixed-distance inspections along the extension direction of the corresponding pipeline and collect the corresponding pipeline status data. Anomaly identification is performed on the pipeline status data to generate anomaly identification results; When an anomaly is determined based on the abnormal results, the central underwater robot sends a re-inspection command to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot to control the autonomous underwater robot to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area.

[0007] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a multi-robot collaborative detection and control device for underwater pipelines, comprising: The acquisition module is used to control the central underwater robot to reach the working position of the dense underwater pipeline and acquire the distribution information of the pipeline group; The allocation module is used to control the central underwater robot to start fixed-point hovering at the working position, and to allocate multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the distribution information of the pipeline group; The task issuing module is used to establish a communication channel between the central underwater robot and each of the main underwater robots, and to issue inspection task instructions to each of the main underwater robots through the communication channel. The fixed-distance inspection module is used to control each main underwater robot to perform fixed-distance inspection along the extension direction of the corresponding pipeline after each main underwater robot responds to the inspection task instruction, and to collect the corresponding pipeline status data. Anomaly detection module is used to detect anomalies in the pipeline status data and generate anomaly detection results; The fixed-point re-inspection module is used to send a re-inspection command to the corresponding autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) through the central underwater robot when an anomaly is determined based on the anomaly result, so as to control the AUV to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area.

[0008] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines as described in the first aspect.

[0009] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a storage medium storing a computer program capable of being loaded by a processor and executing the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines as described in the first aspect.

[0010] This application provides a multi-robot collaborative inspection and control method, device, equipment, and medium for underwater pipelines. First, a central underwater robot is controlled to reach the location of a dense underwater pipeline and acquire pipeline distribution information. Then, the central underwater robot hovers at a fixed point and allocates multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the pipeline distribution information. Next, a communication channel is established between the central robot and each autonomous underwater robot, and inspection task instructions are uniformly issued to ensure effective transmission and execution of the instructions. Then, each autonomous underwater robot is driven to synchronously perform fixed-distance inspections along the corresponding pipeline extension direction and collect pipeline status data, achieving parallel inspection of multiple pipelines. Next, anomaly identification is performed on the status data to quickly determine if there are any anomalies in the pipeline. When an anomaly is confirmed, the central underwater robot issues a re-inspection instruction to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot, controlling it to re-inspect the abnormal area at a fixed point and record the anomaly location. Finally, the central underwater robot coordinates and schedules the collaborative operation of multiple autonomous underwater robots to complete efficient inspection, anomaly identification, and accurate re-inspection positioning of a dense underwater pipeline group, thereby improving the operational efficiency and accuracy of underwater pipeline group inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0011] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-robot collaborative detection and control device for underwater pipelines provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of systems and methods consistent with those detailed in the appended claims or with some aspects of this application.

[0014] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover descriptions such as non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, components, features, and elements with the same names in different embodiments of this application may have the same meaning or different meanings, the specific meaning of which must be determined by its interpretation in that specific embodiment or further in conjunction with the context of that specific embodiment.

[0015] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0016] In the following description, the use of suffixes such as "module," "part," or "unit" to denote elements is solely for the purpose of illustrative purposes and has no specific meaning in itself. Therefore, "module," "part," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.

[0017] To address the aforementioned technical problems and overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this application provides a multi-robot collaborative inspection and control method and related equipment for underwater pipelines, which can realize synchronous inspection operations of multiple pipelines in dense pipeline scenarios, thereby improving inspection accuracy and efficiency.

[0018] In scenarios requiring the inspection of dense underwater pipelines, this application provides a multi-robot collaborative inspection and control system for underwater pipelines, comprising a central underwater robot and at least one autonomous underwater robot (AUV). The system controls the central underwater robot to reach the work location of the dense underwater pipeline and acquire the distribution information of the pipeline group. It controls the central underwater robot to initiate fixed-point hovering at the work location and allocates multiple AUVs based on the pipeline group distribution information. A communication channel is established between the central underwater robot and each AUV, and inspection task instructions are issued to each AUV through the communication channel. After each AUV responds to the inspection task instruction, it controls each AUV to perform fixed-distance inspections along the extension direction of its corresponding pipeline and collects corresponding pipeline status data. Anomaly identification is performed on the pipeline status data, generating anomaly identification results. When an anomaly is determined based on the anomaly results, the central underwater robot issues a re-inspection instruction to the corresponding AUV to control the AUV to perform fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area.

[0019] In a specific embodiment, the multi-robot collaborative detection and control system for underwater pipelines provided in this embodiment adopts a "1+N" central distributed architecture, consisting of at least one central ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle), N executing AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles), and a surface control terminal. The surface control terminal is connected to the central ROV via cables, and can issue operational commands to the ROV and AUV, and monitor and display their operational status and received data in real time. The central ROV is equipped with devices such as an INS (Inertial Navigation System), a DVL (Doppler Velocity Log), and a USBL (Ultra-Short Baseline Positioning System), and has underwater acoustic communication and / or optical communication capabilities. The central ROV can receive commands issued by the surface control terminal, execute the assigned tasks, and receive data transmitted by the AUVs and transmit it to the surface control terminal via cables. The central ROV provides stable position information, thus providing a position reference for each executing AUV. The executing AUVs operate as distributed workstations, conducting parallel inspections under the scheduling of the central ROV; underwater acoustic and / or optical communication is available between the executing AUVs and the central ROV. The AUVs can transmit acquired image / video data to the central ROV. Due to the cableless, autonomous operation of the AUVs, parallel operation between them avoids cable entanglement, making them well-suited for dense underwater pipeline environments.

[0020] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines according to an embodiment of this application. This embodiment primarily uses the application of this multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines to computer equipment as an example for illustration. Specifically, the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines provided in this embodiment may include the following steps: S1. Control the central underwater robot to reach the working position of the dense underwater pipeline and obtain the distribution information of the pipeline group; Specifically, for step S1, the central underwater robot is first controlled to navigate smoothly from its starting position to a preset work position in the dense underwater pipeline area. This preset work position serves as the core reference point for the overall inspection operation, ensuring it is within the core work area of ​​the pipeline cluster. During and after the central underwater robot's navigation to its destination, the distribution information of the pipeline cluster within this area is continuously collected and integrated to determine the overall layout and spatial arrangement of the pipeline cluster, providing a complete scenario and layout basis for subsequent multi-robot collaborative inspection. For example, the central underwater robot is navigated to the central work point of a dense near-shore seabed oil and gas pipeline cluster to obtain basic information such as the arrangement and overall distribution range of multiple pipelines within the area.

[0021] S2. The central underwater robot starts hovering at the work location and allocates multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the distribution information of the pipeline group; Specifically, in step S2, after the central underwater robot arrives at the designated work position, it is controlled to initiate a fixed-point hovering state, ensuring the central underwater robot remains stably positioned at a fixed spatial coordinate at that work position without any positional deviation. This serves as the stable operational benchmark for the entire multi-robot inspection system. Subsequently, based on the acquired pipeline distribution information and the operational requirements of the pipeline group, multiple autonomous underwater robots are uniformly allocated and coordinated. The inspection target and work assignment for each autonomous underwater robot are determined, completing the task allocation and configuration of the multiple robots. For example, based on the number and arrangement of pipelines to be inspected within the pipeline group, a dedicated autonomous underwater robot is matched to each pipeline to be inspected, completing a one-to-one correspondence between robots and pipelines to be inspected.

[0022] S3. Establish a communication channel between the central underwater robot and each of the main underwater robots, and issue inspection task instructions to each of the main underwater robots through the communication channel; Specifically, in step S3, after the allocation of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), a dedicated communication channel is established between the central AUV and each AUV to ensure stable and smooth information transmission between the central AUV and each AUV, enabling effective command interaction. Then, through the established communication channel, the central AUV uniformly issues corresponding inspection task commands to each AUV, determining the operational content of each AUV and completing the precise issuance of global tasks. For example, a dedicated communication link is established between the central AUV and each AUV, through which inspection execution commands for corresponding pipelines are sent to each AUV.

[0023] S4. After each of the main underwater robots responds to the inspection task command, it controls its main underwater robot to perform fixed-distance inspection along the extension direction of the corresponding pipeline and collect the corresponding pipeline status data. Specifically, in step S4, after each autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) receives and successfully responds to the inspection task command, it independently controls each AUV to move at a constant speed along the pipeline extension direction it is assigned to, performing pipeline inspection operations according to a fixed-distance standard. Throughout the pipeline inspection process, each AUV continuously collects the status data of its corresponding pipeline, with multiple AUVs operating synchronously to simultaneously complete the status data collection for multiple pipelines. For example, each AUV travels at a fixed distance along its corresponding pipeline extension direction, collecting relevant status data such as the surface condition and structural morphology of the pipeline throughout the entire process.

[0024] S5. Perform anomaly identification on pipeline status data and generate anomaly identification results; Specifically, in step S5, all pipeline status data collected by each underwater robot are uniformly analyzed and processed. Data identification determines whether any abnormalities exist in the pipeline. After standardizing the data, clear anomaly identification results are generated, intuitively reflecting whether any abnormalities exist in the pipeline status. For example, all collected pipeline status data are analyzed one by one, ultimately outputting an identification result indicating whether the pipeline status is normal or abnormal.

[0025] S6. When an anomaly is determined to have occurred based on the abnormal results, a re-inspection command is sent from the central underwater robot to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot to control the autonomous underwater robot to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area. Specifically, in step S6, based on the anomaly identification results, if an anomaly is confirmed in the pipeline, a special re-inspection command is immediately sent from the central underwater robot to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot that detected the anomaly. Upon receiving the command, the autonomous underwater robot is controlled to stop moving in the anomaly area and perform a fixed-point re-inspection operation to accurately verify the anomaly area. Simultaneously, the specific location information of the anomaly area is recorded, completing the verification and precise positioning of the anomaly. For example, after identifying an anomaly in a pipeline, a re-inspection command is issued to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot, controlling the robot to perform a fixed-point re-inspection at the anomaly point and record the location information of the anomaly area in detail.

[0026] This embodiment uses a central underwater robot for global scheduling. Through a series of collaborative operations, including positioning and deployment, robot allocation, task assignment, parallel inspection, anomaly identification, and fixed-point re-inspection, it enables multi-robot synchronous inspection of dense underwater pipeline groups. This not only improves the efficiency of pipeline group inspection but also accurately completes pipeline status acquisition and anomaly area location, thereby ensuring the integrity and accuracy of underwater pipeline inspection.

[0027] Furthermore, in some embodiments, step S1, "controlling the central underwater robot to reach the working location of the dense underwater pipeline and obtaining the distribution information of the pipeline group," may specifically include: S11. The central underwater robot collects real-time image data of the pipeline environment during underwater navigation and uploads the image data to the surface control terminal via cable; Specifically, in step S11, during its underwater navigation towards the target work area, the central underwater robot continuously activates its image acquisition equipment to acquire real-time, uninterrupted image data of the surrounding environment of the underwater pipeline, fully recording the actual layout of the pipeline and the surrounding environment. The acquired image data is stably and in real-time transmitted back to the surface control terminal via a dedicated cable connecting the central underwater robot and the surface control terminal, ensuring that the surface control terminal can simultaneously acquire real underwater pipeline environment images. For example, when the central underwater robot navigates in a near-shore seabed pipeline area, it uses its onboard underwater camera to capture real-time images of the pipeline distribution, and the captured image data is transmitted in real-time to the surface control terminal on the surface work vessel via a dedicated communication cable.

[0028] S12. The received image data is processed by the waterborne control terminal to identify the number of pipes appearing in the image and the spacing between adjacent pipes. Specifically, in step S12, after receiving the image data uploaded by the central underwater robot, the surface control terminal initiates an image processing procedure to analyze and interpret the image. Using image recognition technology, it accurately locates the pipe targets in the image and counts and determines the total number of pipes appearing in the image. Simultaneously, based on the processed image data, it measures and calculates the distance between adjacent pipes, completing the extraction and quantification of core parameters for the pipe layout. For example, the surface control terminal processes the returned underwater pipe image, automatically identifying six pipes in the image, and calculates that the distance between adjacent pipes is 1.5 meters using reference information such as laser markers provided by the central underwater robot.

[0029] S13. When the number of identified pipes is greater than the preset number threshold and the spacing is less than the preset distance threshold, the current scenario is determined to be a dense pipe operation scenario, and the operator confirms the operation location through the water control terminal. Specifically, in step S13, the number of pipes obtained from image processing is compared with a preset quantity threshold, and the distance between adjacent pipes is compared with a preset distance threshold. Only when both conditions are met simultaneously—the number of pipes exceeding the preset quantity threshold and the distance between adjacent pipes being less than the preset distance threshold—is the current underwater scene officially determined to be a dense pipe operation scene. After scene determination, the operator manually confirms the location via a surface control terminal, ultimately locking and determining the specific location of the detection operation. For example, if the preset pipe quantity threshold is 4 pipes and the preset distance threshold is 2 meters, and 6 pipes with a distance of 1.5 meters are identified in the scene, meeting all determination conditions, the system determines it to be a dense pipe operation scene. The operator confirms this on the surface control terminal and sets the location as the official operation point.

[0030] This embodiment uses a combination of image acquisition, image processing, dual threshold determination, and manual confirmation to accurately identify underwater dense pipeline operation scenarios and determine the operation location, providing an accurate operational benchmark for subsequent inspection operations.

[0031] Furthermore, in some embodiments, step S2, "controlling the central underwater robot to initiate fixed-point hovering at the work location and allocating multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the distribution information of the pipeline group," may specifically include: S21. The control center underwater robot starts the fixed-point anti-current hovering function at the working position, and uses the inertial navigation system and Doppler velocimeter to maintain its position and attitude; Specifically, in step S21, after the central underwater robot arrives at the designated work location, it immediately activates the fixed-point anti-current hovering function. This function is used to resist positional deviations caused by underwater currents and water flow disturbances, ensuring that the robot maintains a fixed spatial position within the work area. Simultaneously, the inertial navigation system and Doppler velocimeter work together. The inertial navigation system continuously outputs the robot's attitude and orientation reference data, while the Doppler velocimeter measures the robot's relative velocity to its surrounding environment in real time. The data from both systems is fused to regulate the robot's power output, accurately and stably maintaining its spatial position and work attitude, providing a fixed and reliable core reference for multi-robot collaborative operations. For example, if there is a 1.2-knot lateral current in the seabed work area, after the central underwater robot activates fixed-point anti-current hovering, the inertial navigation system locks its pitch and heading attitude, and the Doppler velocimeter corrects displacement deviations in real time, ensuring the robot remains stable at the work coordinate point without drifting.

[0032] S22. The central underwater robot counts the number of pipes to be inspected based on the distribution information of the pipe group, and generates an allocation scheme for autonomous underwater robots that is equal to the number of pipes to be inspected. Specifically, in step S22, the central underwater robot, based on the acquired pipeline distribution information, systematically reviews and counts all pipelines requiring inspection within the work area to determine the total number of pipelines to be inspected. Then, according to the configuration rule of one autonomous underwater robot corresponding to one pipeline to be inspected, it generates an autonomous underwater robot allocation plan. The total number of autonomous underwater robots configured in the plan is completely consistent with the counted number of pipelines to be inspected, ensuring that each pipeline has a dedicated autonomous underwater robot responsible for inspection. For example, if the count shows 7 pipelines to be inspected within the work area, the central underwater robot immediately generates an allocation plan containing 7 autonomous underwater robots, ensuring a perfect match between the number of robots and the number of pipelines.

[0033] S23. Based on the allocation scheme, with the central underwater robot's own position as the reference point and the spatial direction of each pipeline, a target hovering point is planned for each autonomous underwater robot, so that each autonomous underwater robot corresponds to a pipeline. Specifically, for step S23, using the current spatial position of the central underwater robot as the core reference origin, and combining the actual spatial direction and arrangement of each pipeline to be inspected, a dedicated target hovering point is planned for each assigned autonomous underwater robot. The position of this hovering point is aligned with the starting section of the corresponding pipeline inspection, ultimately achieving a deployment relationship where one autonomous underwater robot uniquely corresponds to one pipeline to be inspected, thus preparing the positions for each robot to independently carry out inspection operations. For example, if the central underwater robot is located at the center of the pipeline group, and the seven pipelines extend in different directions such as northeast and southeast, then target hovering points are planned for the seven autonomous underwater robots corresponding to each pipeline, each close to the starting end of the corresponding pipeline.

[0034] This embodiment establishes a stable operating benchmark by using a central underwater robot to hover in place against the current. Robots are matched according to the number of pipelines to be inspected and dedicated hovering points are planned to achieve a one-to-one correspondence between multiple robots and multiple pipelines, laying the foundation for subsequent parallel inspection operations.

[0035] Furthermore, in some embodiments, step S3, "establishing a communication channel between the central underwater robot and each of the host underwater robots, and issuing inspection task instructions to each of the host underwater robots through the communication channel," may specifically include: S31. A point-to-point directional communication channel is established between the control center underwater robot and each autonomous underwater robot using underwater acoustic communication and / or optical communication. Specifically, in step S31, a one-to-one directional communication link is established between the central underwater robot and each of the autonomous underwater robots. The communication method can be either underwater acoustic communication or optical communication, or both can be configured as backups. The point-to-point directional communication channel serves only the information exchange between the central underwater robot and the corresponding individual autonomous underwater robot, avoiding signal interference between multiple robots and ensuring the directionality and exclusivity of communication transmission. For example, the central underwater robot establishes independent communication channels for each of the five autonomous underwater robots, with three using optical communication channels and two using underwater acoustic communication channels. Each autonomous underwater robot forms a dedicated point-to-point communication connection only with the central robot.

[0036] S32. Send a task message containing the corresponding pipeline identifier, target hovering point coordinates and inspection start command to each autonomous underwater vehicle through the central underwater robot and communication channel; Specifically, in step S32, the central underwater robot sends a task message individually and directionally to each autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) through the established directional communication channel. The message contains three key pieces of information: first, the identifier of the corresponding pipeline, used to identify the target pipeline that the AUV is responsible for inspecting; second, the coordinates of the target hovering point, used to specify the starting position of the AUV's operation; and third, the inspection start command, used to trigger the AUV to start the inspection operation. These three pieces of information combine to form a complete and executable inspection task command. For example, sending a task message to the AUV responsible for inspecting pipeline number 4 includes the pipeline identifier "4", the spatial coordinates of the target hovering point (120.5, 30.2, -85.6), and the "start inspection" start command.

[0037] S33. After receiving the mission message, each of the underwater robots sends a confirmation signal back to the surface control terminal. The surface control terminal determines the reliability of the communication channel based on whether it receives the confirmation signal. If it is unreliable, it switches the communication mode and re-establishes the communication channel. Specifically, in step S33, after each autonomous underwater vehicle successfully receives the task message, it immediately sends a confirmation signal back to the surface control terminal through the original communication channel. The surface control terminal determines whether the current communication channel is stable and reliable based on whether it receives this confirmation signal. If no confirmation signal is received and the communication channel is deemed unreliable, the communication mode is immediately switched, and a new point-to-point directional communication channel is established for the corresponding autonomous underwater vehicle until the communication link is restored to reliability. For example, if the surface control terminal does not receive a confirmation signal from an autonomous underwater vehicle, it determines that the optical communication channel has failed and immediately switches to underwater acoustic communication to rebuild the directional communication channel between the robot and the central control unit.

[0038] This embodiment ensures stable, accurate, and traceable command transmission between the central hub and each autonomous underwater robot through multi-mode point-to-point directional communication, standardized task message distribution, communication reliability verification, and automatic reconstruction, providing communication assurance for the reliable execution of inspection tasks.

[0039] Furthermore, in some embodiments, step S4, "after each main underwater robot responds to the inspection task command, it controls its own main underwater robot to perform fixed-distance inspections along the extension direction of the corresponding pipeline and collects the corresponding pipeline status data," may specifically include: S41. After receiving the inspection task instruction, each autonomous underwater vehicle autonomously navigates to the target hovering point of the corresponding pipeline and initiates fixed-point hovering at the target hovering point; Specifically, in step S41, after receiving the corresponding inspection task instruction, each autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) autonomously plans its navigation path and precisely navigates to the target hovering point specified in the task, based on its own navigation and navigation control capabilities without external remote control intervention. Upon reaching the target hovering point, it immediately initiates fixed-point hovering control, maintaining itself stably in that spatial position, preparing its position for subsequent pipeline inspection operations, and ensuring the accuracy of the inspection start position. For example, after receiving the task instruction, the AUV responsible for the corresponding pipeline inspection autonomously navigates to the preset target hovering point, locks its position, and maintains a stable hover, waiting to enter the inspection operation state.

[0040] S42. Control the autonomous underwater robot to start the pipe inspection mode, use the Doppler velocimeter to measure the relative distance between itself and the pipe wall in real time, and move forward at a constant distance from the pipe wall according to the preset fixed distance observation value. Specifically, in step S42, after the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) stabilizes at the target hovering point, it initiates a pipe-side inspection operation. During the inspection, it continuously measures the relative distance between itself and the pipe wall in real time using its onboard Doppler velocimeter. The real-time measurement is compared with a preset fixed-distance observation value. Based on the comparison result, the AUV dynamically adjusts its navigation attitude and position, maintaining a constant distance from the pipe wall and moving smoothly forward along the pipe's extension direction. For example, if the preset fixed-distance observation value is 1 meter, the AUV monitors the distance deviation in real time using the Doppler velocimeter, quickly adjusts its position, and maintains a constant distance of 1 meter while moving at a uniform speed along the pipe's extension direction.

[0041] S431. During the movement, control the autonomous underwater robot to continuously collect image data or video data of the pipe wall as pipe status data, and transmit the pipe status data back to the central underwater robot in real time through the communication channel; Specifically, in step S43, during the entire process of moving forward at a fixed distance along the pipe wall, the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) continuously collects image or video data of the pipe wall and uses this data as pipe status data. Simultaneously, through a pre-established communication channel, the collected pipe status data is continuously and in real-time transmitted back to the central AUV, ensuring that the central system can synchronously obtain real-time pipe status information. For example, when the AUV moves along the pipe for inspection, it continuously captures high-definition video data of the pipe wall, and every second of video footage is transmitted to the central AUV in real-time through the communication channel.

[0042] This embodiment enables each autonomous underwater robot to stably complete the inspection of the corresponding pipeline through autonomous positioning, fixed-distance and stable attitude inspection, and real-time data acquisition and transmission, thereby ensuring the continuity and real-time nature of pipeline status acquisition.

[0043] Furthermore, in some embodiments, step S42, "controlling the autonomous underwater robot to start the pipe inspection mode," further includes: S421. When the autonomous underwater robot detects a branching or intersection in the pipeline during the inspection process, it controls the autonomous underwater robot to continue the automatic inspection along the original direction of travel, and at the same time reports the change in the working condition of the pipeline branching or intersection to the central underwater robot through the communication channel. Specifically, in step S421, the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) continuously senses changes in the spatial structure of the pipeline throughout its inspection. When it detects a branching or intersection of pipelines along the inspection path, it does not interrupt the current inspection operation and continues to automatically move forward along the original direction of travel. Simultaneously, it reports the information on the branching or intersection to the central AUV in real time via the communication channel, providing feedback on the structural changes of the pipeline on-site. For example, when the AUV is inspecting the main pipeline, if it senses a three-way branch, it will continue to inspect along the original direction of the main pipeline and upload the "pipeline branching" information to the central AUV.

[0044] S422. The information on changes in working conditions is forwarded to the surface control terminal via the central underwater robot, so that the operator can reissue the path selection instruction through the surface control terminal; Specifically, in step S422, after receiving the operational condition change information reported by the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the central underwater robot directly forwards the information to the surface control terminal. The terminal then visually displays the site conditions of pipeline bifurcations or intersections to the operator. Based on the site conditions, the operator edits and reissues the path selection command through the surface control terminal to determine the target pipeline that the AUV needs to inspect subsequently. For example, after the central underwater robot forwards the pipeline intersection information, the operator checks the site conditions on the surface control terminal and issues the command to "switch to inspect the pipeline on the intersection side."

[0045] S423. If a new path selection instruction is received, control the autonomous underwater robot to switch to the pipeline specified in the path selection instruction with the highest priority and continue the inspection. Specifically, in step S423, if the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) receives a new path selection instruction from the surface control terminal, it sets the instruction as the highest priority, immediately adjusts its navigation direction and work path, abandons the original route, and switches to the pipeline specified in the instruction to continue its inspection work, prioritizing the response to manual path planning requests. For example, after receiving the instruction to "switch to the left branch pipeline for inspection," the AUV immediately suspends its original route inspection and turns to the left branch pipeline to continue its work.

[0046] S424. If no new path selection instruction is received, control the autonomous underwater vehicle to maintain its original direction of travel; Specifically, for step S424, if the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) does not receive a reissued path selection instruction within the set period, it maintains the original inspection control logic and continues to complete the inspection along the initial direction of travel without autonomously changing the inspection path, thus ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the inspection. For example, if the AUV does not receive a path adjustment instruction after waiting, it continues to inspect along the original main pipeline at a constant speed without making any path changes.

[0047] This embodiment addresses the complex operating conditions of pipeline branching and converging by adopting a control method that switches between continuous inspection reporting and command priority, balancing the continuity of inspection operations with the flexibility of path adjustment, and better adapting to the inspection needs of complex pipeline configurations.

[0048] Furthermore, in some embodiments, step S6, "when an anomaly is determined to have occurred based on the abnormal results, a re-inspection command is issued by the central underwater robot to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot to control the autonomous underwater robot to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area," may specifically include: S61. Perform real-time image recognition on the received pipeline status data. When it is determined that there is a pipeline defect or abnormal feature, generate a re-inspection command and send the re-inspection command to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot through the central underwater robot. Specifically, in step S61, real-time image recognition is continuously performed on the received pipeline status data. Feature analysis is used to determine if the pipeline exhibits abnormal features such as defects, damage, corrosion, or deformation. When a pipeline defect or abnormal feature is detected, a dedicated re-inspection command is immediately generated and precisely sent by the central underwater robot to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot that detected the anomaly, triggering the fixed-point re-inspection process. For example, during real-time recognition of the returned pipeline status image, if cracks or dents are detected in the pipeline wall, a re-inspection command is generated and sent by the central underwater robot to the autonomous underwater robot responsible for that pipeline.

[0049] S62. After the corresponding autonomous underwater vehicle receives the re-inspection command, control the autonomous underwater vehicle to immediately stop moving along the pipe, perform fixed-point hovering at the current position, and adjust its own observation angle and observation distance according to the attitude adjustment parameters in the re-inspection command; Specifically, in step S62, after receiving the re-inspection command, the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) immediately stops moving along the pipe and initiates fixed-point hovering at the location of the anomaly to stabilize its spatial position and attitude. Simultaneously, according to the attitude adjustment parameters in the re-inspection command, it autonomously adjusts the observation angle and distance to align the acquisition equipment with the anomaly area, preparing for refined re-inspection. For example, after receiving the command, the AUV immediately stops moving and hovers, adjusting the observation angle from the side to directly facing the anomaly area, while simultaneously closing the observation distance to the optimal re-inspection range.

[0050] S63. Control the autonomous underwater robot to perform a detailed re-inspection of the abnormal area and transmit the image or video data obtained from the re-inspection back; Specifically, in step S63, after the attitude and distance are adjusted, the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is controlled to conduct a detailed re-inspection of the abnormal area, continuously collecting clear image or video data. After the data collection is completed, the high-definition data obtained from the re-inspection is transmitted back in real time, providing complete image data for anomaly confirmation. For example, the AUV performs close-up, high-definition re-inspection and filming of the abnormal area of ​​the pipeline, and transmits the captured video and close-up images back in real time.

[0051] S64. Based on the position of the central underwater robot and the corresponding position of the autonomous underwater robot, calculate and record the spatial coordinates of the abnormal area; Specifically, for step S64, using the position of the central underwater robot as a reference and combining it with the real-time position of the autonomous underwater robot detecting the anomaly, the precise spatial coordinates of the anomaly area are obtained through spatial positioning calculation. After the calculation is completed, the coordinate information is formally recorded, and the anomaly location is calibrated and stored. For example, by combining the reference coordinates of the central underwater robot and the real-time coordinates of the autonomous underwater robot, the three-dimensional spatial coordinates of the anomaly area are calculated, and these coordinates are completely recorded and saved.

[0052] This embodiment achieves rapid verification and accurate location of pipeline anomalies through a series of processes including real-time anomaly identification, fixed-point attitude adjustment and re-inspection, data feedback, and coordinate calculation and recording, thereby improving the accuracy of detection and location traceability.

[0053] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines may further include: S71. Pre-set agreed conditions for each autonomous underwater vehicle, the agreed conditions including at least one of the following: operating range, operating time and travel distance; Specifically, for step S71, before the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) begins its inspection operation, a set of pre-defined conditions is established for each robot to determine the completion of the operation. These conditions can be any one of the following: operating range, operating time, or travel distance, or a combination of multiple conditions can be set as a standardized basis for determining the robot's task completion. For example, a travel distance of 1500 meters can be preset as the sole pre-defined condition for a particular AUV; or a running time of 1.5 hours and an operating range of a 600-meter radius area centered on the starting point can be preset simultaneously. Meeting either condition triggers the task completion determination.

[0054] S72. When any of the operating parameters of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) are detected to meet any of the agreed conditions, the AUV's task is deemed to be completed. Specifically, for step S72, throughout the robot's inspection process, its operating parameters are continuously monitored in real time and compared with preset conditions. As long as the operating parameters of any autonomous underwater vehicle meet any one of the preset conditions, the robot's inspection task is immediately determined to be complete. For example, if a robot's preset conditions are a running time of 1.5 hours and a travel distance of 1500 meters, when its travel distance is monitored to have reached 1500 meters, even if the 1.5-hour running time has not been reached, the robot's task is directly determined to be complete.

[0055] S73. Based on the real-time position and trajectory of the autonomous underwater vehicle, generate recorded data of the detected range and control the autonomous underwater vehicle to return to the preset return point near the central underwater vehicle; Specifically, in step S73, after the robot completes its task, it combines its current real-time position with its entire navigation trajectory to generate and store recorded data of the inspected area; simultaneously, it issues a return-to-base command to the robot, controlling it to navigate to a pre-set return-to-base point around the central underwater robot. For example, after a robot completes its inspection, it generates recorded data of "1200 meters of inspected pipeline length" based on its navigation trajectory, and then controls the robot to return to a preset return-to-base point 15 meters around the central underwater robot.

[0056] This embodiment determines task completion by setting preset quantitative conditions, generates a detection range record, and controls the robot to return to its home position, thereby achieving standardized closed-loop management of inspection tasks and orderly robot return.

[0057] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines may further include: S81. When a fault is detected in any autonomous underwater vehicle, the fault status information is reported to the surface control terminal through the central underwater robot via the faulty autonomous underwater vehicle. Specifically, in step S81, during the collaborative inspection operation, the operating status of each autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is continuously monitored. When any AUV detects a malfunction, it generates malfunction status information and sends it to the central AUV via a communication channel. The central AUV then relays this information to the surface control terminal, completing the reporting of the malfunction information. For example, if an AUV experiences a power anomaly during inspection, it immediately generates malfunction status information, which is then transmitted to the surface control terminal via the central AUV, allowing the surface end to promptly grasp the malfunction situation.

[0058] S82. After receiving the fault status information, the surface control terminal immediately issues a pause command to the other normally operating autonomous underwater robots, controlling the other normally operating autonomous underwater robots to perform fixed-point hovering and suspend the current inspection task; Specifically, in step S82, after receiving the fault status information, the surface control terminal immediately issues a pause command to all normally operating autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Upon receiving the command, each normally operating robot immediately hovers at its current position, stops moving along the pipe and collecting data, suspends all current inspection tasks, and remains in place. For example, after receiving a fault report, the surface control terminal immediately sends a pause command to the other three normally operating robots, and all three robots hover at their current pipe positions, ceasing their inspection operations.

[0059] S83. Based on the real-time location of the faulty autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), remotely control the central AUV to navigate to the fault location to perform a recovery operation on the faulty AUV, and record the detection range completed by the faulty AUV. Specifically, in step S83, the surface control terminal, based on the real-time location of the faulty autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), remotely controls the central AUV to navigate from its original work position to the fault location and performs a retrieval operation. Simultaneously, based on the AUV's trajectory and work progress, it records the completed pipeline inspection range and stores the fault operation data. For example, based on the AUV's real-time coordinates, the central AUV arrives at the fault location and completes the retrieval, while simultaneously recording that the robot has completed an inspection range of 600 meters of pipeline.

[0060] S84. After the central underwater robot completes the recovery operation and returns to the original working position to restart the fixed-point hovering, the above-water control terminal sends a resumption operation command to the other autonomous underwater robots that are operating normally, so that the other autonomous underwater robots that are operating normally can continue to perform the original inspection task. Specifically, in step S84, after the central underwater robot completes the recovery of the faulty robot, it automatically returns to its initial working position and restarts its hovering to restore a stable working baseline. At this time, the surface control terminal issues a resumption command to all normally idled robots, and each robot continues to perform its original inspection task before the fault occurred. For example, after the central underwater robot completes recovery, returns to its original working point, and hovers stably, the surface control terminal issues a resumption command, and the normally idled robots then continue to complete the remaining inspection along the original pipeline from their hovering positions.

[0061] This embodiment addresses robot malfunction scenarios by employing closed-loop control through fault reporting, global pause, fault recovery, and operation resumption to ensure safe and orderly fault handling and minimize interference with the overall inspection operation.

[0062] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines may further include: The system can switch between fully autonomous mode, semi-autonomous mode, or manual takeover mode depending on the operation status. In the fully autonomous mode, the central underwater robot performs global scheduling and position calibration, while each individual underwater robot autonomously performs pipe-side navigation, obstacle avoidance, and data acquisition. The semi-autonomous mode is configured so that when an anomaly is detected in the pipeline, the operator can adjust the attitude of the autonomous underwater robot via the central underwater robot through the surface control terminal. The manual takeover mode is configured so that when the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) malfunctions or experiences communication abnormalities, the central AUV will automatically approach the malfunctioning AUV, allowing the operator to manually control the recovery process through the monitoring screen transmitted back by the central AUV.

[0063] Specifically, throughout the entire underwater pipeline inspection operation, the system matches the current operational scenario and equipment operating status in real time, automatically or on demand switching between three control modes: fully autonomous, semi-autonomous, and manual takeover, ensuring that the control method always adapts to the current operational requirements. For example, it switches to fully autonomous mode during routine pipeline inspections; switches to semi-autonomous mode when a pipeline anomaly is detected; and switches to manual takeover mode when the robot malfunctions or communication is interrupted.

[0064] In the fully autonomous mode, the central underwater robot centrally manages the overall operation scheduling and its own position calibration, providing a stable control and positioning benchmark for the entire operation. Each individual underwater robot independently completes all tasks, including navigating along the pipeline, autonomously avoiding obstacles, and continuously collecting pipeline status data, without any human intervention. For example, during routine pipeline inspections without any abnormalities or faults, the central robot coordinates and schedules all equipment and calibrates its position, while each individual underwater robot autonomously inspects the pipeline, avoids obstacles, and collects data, with the system operating fully automatically throughout the entire process.

[0065] The semi-autonomous mode is suitable for scenarios involving the detection of pipeline anomalies. In this mode, the operator issues control commands via the surface control terminal. These commands are transmitted through the central underwater robot to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot, allowing for precise adjustment of the robot's observation posture and enabling detailed observation of the abnormal area. For example, if a suspected defect is found in the pipe wall during inspection, the system switches to semi-autonomous mode. The operator then fine-tunes the pitch and turn angles of the corresponding autonomous robot via the surface control terminal, clearly observing the details of the defect.

[0066] The manual takeover mode is suitable for scenarios where the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) malfunctions or experiences communication issues. In this case, the central AUV will automatically approach the malfunctioning / communication-abnormal AUV. The operator can then manually control the recovery process of the malfunctioning AUV by monitoring the on-site footage transmitted back by the central AUV. For example, if an AUV suddenly malfunctions and its communication is unstable, the central AUV will automatically approach the malfunctioning AUV, and the operator can manually complete the recovery operation by monitoring the footage transmitted back from the central AUV.

[0067] This embodiment achieves a balance between the efficiency of routine inspections, the accuracy of anomaly detection, and the safety of fault handling through adaptive switching of three control modes, significantly improving adaptability to different operating scenarios.

[0068] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines may further include: S9. When the autonomous underwater robot detects an obstacle ahead, it automatically calculates an obstacle avoidance path, bypasses the obstacle along the path, and then returns to the original scheduled inspection route to continue performing the inspection task.

[0069] Specifically, for step S9, the autonomous underwater robot performs a fixed-distance inspection along the pipeline, continuously detecting and identifying obstacles in the area ahead, and sensing in real time whether there are obstacles blocking the inspection route. Once an obstacle is detected ahead, the obstacle avoidance process is immediately triggered, providing real-time perception basis for subsequent obstacle avoidance operations.

[0070] After confirming the presence of an obstacle ahead, the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) combines its current position, the spatial location and shape of the obstacle, and the direction of the original scheduled inspection route to autonomously calculate and plan a reasonable obstacle avoidance path that can safely bypass the obstacle and facilitates subsequent return to the original route. This ensures that the path meets the requirements for safe navigation and continuous inspection. Following the automatically generated obstacle avoidance path, the AUV adjusts its navigation attitude and direction of travel, moving smoothly and safely along the path, avoiding the obstacle area throughout the entire process, completing the obstacle avoidance operation, and preventing collisions, jamming, and other problems.

[0071] After successfully navigating the obstacle, the autonomous underwater robot automatically adjusts its course and precisely returns to its original fixed-distance inspection route, resuming its original inspection progress and continuing to complete subsequent pipeline inspections according to the established requirements without interrupting the overall inspection process.

[0072] This embodiment achieves autonomous obstacle avoidance during the inspection process by autonomously detecting obstacles and planning automatic obstacle avoidance paths, and then returning to the original route after detouring, thus ensuring continuous and stable inspection operations without the risk of collision.

[0073] To facilitate understanding of the multi-robot cooperative detection and control method for underwater pipelines provided in this embodiment, this embodiment also provides another implementation method for the multi-robot cooperative detection and control method for underwater pipelines, including the following steps: The surface control terminal controls the ROV's underwater operation and determines the work location. Since this solution is designed for scenarios with dense underwater pipelines, an AUV is not necessary for single-pipeline scenarios; therefore, the work scenario must be matched first. Specifically, the work location can be confirmed based on real-time underwater footage captured by the ROV. For example, if the ROV's footage from a certain location shows more than two pipelines, and each pipeline meets a set distance range (confirmed using sonar equipment), the spacing between the pipelines can also be determined. This indicates a dense pipeline work scenario, and the operator issues a selection command through the surface control terminal to confirm the work location.

[0074] Once the operator selects a work location, the ROV activates its fixed-point, current-resistant hovering function to maintain position and attitude stability, serving as a reference for subsequent operations with an AUV. The ROV cancels its fixed-point, current-resistant hovering function when the operator issues a position change or work completion command via the surface control terminal.

[0075] The number of pipelines is matched with the number of AUVs, with one AUV corresponding to one pipeline. The target position for each AUV is set according to the location of the ROV and the pipeline. After autonomously navigating to the corresponding target position, each AUV performs a fixed-point hovering. In a preferred embodiment, the AUV can be located somewhere between the ROV and the corresponding pipeline.

[0076] The surface control terminal can also assign tasks to AUVs based on pipeline layout information. Before task assignment, communication channels are established between each AUV and ROV to ensure that directional commands issued by the ROV can be received by the designated AUV. In this solution, communication methods can include underwater acoustic communication and / or optical communication. For example, matching communication channels can be established automatically by searching and adding them. Diverse communication methods can meet emergency needs. If optical communication channels cannot transmit signals, underwater acoustic communication can be switched. AUVs can also transmit real-time captured images to the ROV via the communication channel, and the ROV transmits the images to the surface control terminal via cable.

[0077] After receiving the task instructions from the ROV, each AUV performs an inspection along the extension direction of its corresponding pipeline. In this scheme, each AUV is also equipped with a DVL (Distance Vehicle Leveler), which can calculate its own position and relative distance to the pipeline wall based on its position relative to the ROV, thereby performing fixed-distance observation of the pipeline wall.

[0078] The surface control terminal identifies the transmitted video images. When an anomaly is detected, it issues corresponding control commands, which are transmitted via the central ROV to the corresponding AUV. The AUV is then controlled to hover, adjust its observation attitude and distance, and re-inspect the abnormal area. After confirming the anomaly during the re-inspection, the location of the abnormal area in the pipeline is recorded based on the positions of the ROV and AUV.

[0079] The maritime control terminal can combine preset agreed conditions, such as the AUV's operating range, operating time, and travel distance. When the AUV's operating parameters reach any of the above agreed conditions, the maritime control terminal determines that the AUV's current task has been completed. It also generates the detected range and records the data by combining the AUV's location information and navigation trajectory.

[0080] In a specific embodiment, if the pipeline being operated by an AUV is branching or has multiple intersecting pipelines, there are several possible responses. One is that the AUV can automatically inspect along its original direction of travel and proactively report changes in operating conditions. Another is to respond to the instructions reissued by the waterborne control terminal and control the AUV to continue inspecting along other designated pipelines. This latter response has the highest priority.

[0081] In addition, when an AUV malfunctions, it reports its status information to the surface control terminal via the central ROV. Upon receiving the fault information, the surface control terminal immediately controls the remaining operational AUVs to hover at a fixed point and suspends their current inspection tasks. Based on the real-time location of the malfunctioning AUV, the surface control terminal remotely controls the central ROV to navigate to the fault location to retrieve it, ending the malfunctioning AUV's inspection task and generating and recording its completed inspection range. After the ROV completes the retrieval of the malfunctioning AUV and returns to its original operating reference position, it restarts the current-resistant hovering. The surface control terminal then issues a resumption command to the remaining operational AUVs, and each AUV continues its original inspection task. Alternatively, another AUV can be dispatched to continue the task of the malfunctioning AUV, depending on the actual situation.

[0082] In summary, compared with existing technologies, the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines provided in this embodiment controls a central underwater robot to reach the work location of dense underwater pipelines and obtain pipeline distribution information. The central underwater robot then hovers at a fixed point and allocates multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the pipeline distribution information. Next, a communication channel is established between the central robot and each autonomous underwater robot, and inspection task instructions are uniformly issued to ensure the effective transmission and execution of task instructions. Then, each autonomous underwater robot is driven to synchronously perform fixed-distance inspections along the corresponding pipeline extension direction and collect pipeline status data, achieving parallel detection of multiple pipelines. Next, anomaly identification is performed on the status data to quickly determine if there are any anomalies in the pipeline. When an anomaly is confirmed, the central underwater robot issues a re-inspection instruction to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot, controlling it to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the anomaly location. Finally, the central underwater robot coordinates and schedules multiple autonomous underwater robots to work collaboratively, completing efficient inspection, anomaly identification, and accurate re-inspection positioning of dense underwater pipeline groups, thereby improving the operational efficiency and detection accuracy of underwater pipeline group detection.

[0083] To facilitate better implementation of the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines according to the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a multi-robot collaborative detection and control device for underwater pipelines based on the above-described multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines. The meanings of the terms used are the same as in the above-described multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines, and specific implementation details can be found in the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0084] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-robot collaborative detection and control device for underwater pipelines provided in an embodiment of this application. Specifically, the multi-robot collaborative detection and control device for underwater pipelines may include an acquisition module 201, an allocation module 202, a task issuance module 203, a fixed-distance inspection module 204, an anomaly identification module 205, and a fixed-point re-inspection module 206, as detailed below: The acquisition module 201 is used to control the central underwater robot to reach the working position of the dense underwater pipeline and acquire the distribution information of the pipeline group; The allocation module 202 is used to control the central underwater robot to start fixed-point hovering at the working position and allocate multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the distribution information of the pipeline group; The task issuing module 203 is used to establish a communication channel between the central underwater robot and each of the main underwater robots, and to issue inspection task instructions to each of the main underwater robots through the communication channel. The fixed-distance inspection module 204 is used to control each of its own underwater robots to perform fixed-distance inspections along the extension direction of the corresponding pipeline after each robot responds to the inspection task command, and to collect the corresponding pipeline status data. The anomaly identification module 205 is used to identify anomalies in pipeline status data and generate anomaly identification results. The fixed-point re-inspection module 206 is used to send a re-inspection command to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot through the central underwater robot when an anomaly is determined based on the abnormal results, so as to control the autonomous underwater robot to perform fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area.

[0085] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the acquisition module 201 is specifically used for: The central underwater robot collects real-time image data of the pipeline environment during underwater navigation and uploads the image data to the surface control terminal via cable. The received image data is processed by the waterborne control terminal to identify the number of pipes appearing in the image and the spacing between adjacent pipes. When the number of identified pipes exceeds a preset quantity threshold and the spacing between them is less than a preset distance threshold, the current scenario is determined to be a dense pipe operation scenario, and the operator confirms the operation location through the waterborne control terminal.

[0086] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the allocation module 202 is specifically used for: The control center underwater robot activates the fixed-point anti-current hovering function at the working position, and uses the inertial navigation system and Doppler velocimeter to maintain its position and attitude; The central underwater robot counts the number of pipes that need to be inspected based on the distribution information of the pipe group, and generates an allocation scheme for autonomous underwater robots that is equal to the number of pipes that need to be inspected. Based on the allocation scheme, the central underwater robot's own position is used as a reference point and the spatial direction of each pipeline to plan target hovering points for each autonomous underwater robot, so that each autonomous underwater robot corresponds to a pipeline.

[0087] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the task issuing module 203 is specifically used for: A point-to-point directional communication channel is established between the control center underwater robot and each autonomous underwater robot using underwater acoustic communication and / or optical communication. The central underwater robot and communication channel send a task message to each autonomous underwater robot, which includes the corresponding pipeline identifier, target hovering point coordinates and inspection start command. After receiving the mission message, each underwater robot sends a confirmation signal to the surface control terminal. The surface control terminal determines the reliability of the communication channel based on whether it receives the confirmation signal. If the signal is unreliable, it switches the communication mode and re-establishes the communication channel.

[0088] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the interval inspection module 204 is specifically used for: After receiving the inspection task instruction, each autonomous underwater vehicle autonomously navigates to the target hovering point of the corresponding pipeline and initiates fixed-point hovering at the target hovering point; The autonomous underwater robot is controlled to start the pipe inspection mode, and the relative distance between it and the pipe wall is measured in real time using a Doppler velocimeter. It moves forward at a constant distance from the pipe wall according to the preset fixed distance observation value. During the movement, the autonomous underwater robot continuously collects image or video data of the pipe wall as pipe status data, and transmits the pipe status data back to the central underwater robot in real time through the communication channel.

[0089] Furthermore, in some embodiments, controlling the autonomous underwater robot to initiate the pipe-line inspection mode also includes: When the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) detects a branching or intersection in the pipeline during its inspection, it controls the AUV to continue its automatic inspection along its original direction of travel, and simultaneously reports the changes in the pipeline's branching or intersection to the central AUV via the communication channel. The central underwater robot forwards information about changes in working conditions to the surface control terminal, so that the operator can reissue the path selection command through the surface control terminal. If a new path selection instruction is received, the autonomous underwater vehicle is controlled to switch to the pipeline specified in the path selection instruction with the highest priority to continue the inspection. If no new path selection instruction is received, the autonomous underwater vehicle will maintain its original direction of travel.

[0090] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the fixed-point re-inspection module 206 is specifically used for: Real-time image recognition is performed on the received pipeline status data. When a pipeline defect or abnormal feature is detected, a re-inspection command is generated and sent to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot through the central underwater robot. After receiving the re-inspection command, the corresponding autonomous underwater vehicle immediately stops moving along the pipe, performs fixed-point hovering at the current position, and adjusts its own observation angle and observation distance according to the attitude adjustment parameters in the re-inspection command. Control the autonomous underwater robot to perform a detailed re-inspection of the abnormal area and transmit the image or video data obtained from the re-inspection back; Based on the position of the central underwater robot and the corresponding position of the autonomous underwater robot, the spatial coordinates of the abnormal area are calculated and recorded.

[0091] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the device further includes a setting module, specifically used for: Pre-defined conditions are set for each autonomous underwater vehicle, including at least one of the following: operating range, operating time, and travel distance; When any of the operating parameters of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) are detected to meet any of the agreed conditions, the AUV's task is deemed to be completed. Based on the real-time location and trajectory of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the system generates recorded data of the detected range and controls the AUV to return to a preset return point near the central AUV.

[0092] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the device further includes a fault handling module, specifically used for: When a malfunction is detected in any autonomous underwater vehicle, the malfunctioning autonomous underwater vehicle will report the malfunction status information to the surface control terminal through the central underwater robot. After receiving the fault status information, the surface control terminal immediately issues a pause command to the other normally operating autonomous underwater vehicles, controlling the other normally operating autonomous underwater vehicles to perform fixed-point hovering and suspend the current inspection task; Based on the real-time location of the faulty autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the remotely controlled central AUV navigates to the fault location to perform a recovery operation on the faulty AUV and records the detection range completed by the faulty AUV. After the central underwater robot completes the recovery operation and returns to its original working position to restart its fixed-point hovering, the above-water control terminal issues a resumption command to the other autonomous underwater robots that are operating normally, so that the other autonomous underwater robots that are operating normally can continue to perform their original inspection tasks.

[0093] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the device further includes a mode switching module, specifically used for: The system can switch between fully autonomous mode, semi-autonomous mode, or manual takeover mode depending on the operation status. In the fully autonomous mode, the central underwater robot performs global scheduling and position calibration, while each individual underwater robot autonomously performs pipe-side navigation, obstacle avoidance, and data acquisition. The semi-autonomous mode is configured so that when an anomaly is detected in the pipeline, the operator can adjust the attitude of the autonomous underwater robot via the central underwater robot through the surface control terminal. The manual takeover mode is configured so that when the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) malfunctions or experiences communication abnormalities, the central AUV will automatically approach the malfunctioning AUV, allowing the operator to manually control the recovery process through the monitoring screen transmitted back by the central AUV.

[0094] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the device further includes an obstacle handling module, specifically used for: When the autonomous underwater vehicle detects an obstacle ahead, it automatically calculates an obstacle avoidance path, bypasses the obstacle along the path, and then returns to the original inspection route to continue its inspection task.

[0095] For specific limitations regarding the multi-robot collaborative inspection and control device for underwater pipelines, please refer to the limitations of the multi-robot collaborative inspection and control method for underwater pipelines mentioned above, which will not be repeated here. Each module in the aforementioned multi-robot collaborative inspection and control device for underwater pipelines can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, or a combination thereof. These modules can be embedded in or independent of the processor in a computer device in hardware form, or stored in the memory of a computer device in software form, so that the processor can call and execute the corresponding operations of each module.

[0096] The multi-robot collaborative inspection and control device for underwater pipelines provided in this embodiment uses a central underwater robot to coordinate and schedule multiple autonomous underwater robots to work together, thereby completing efficient inspection, anomaly identification, and accurate re-inspection and positioning of dense underwater pipeline groups, thus improving the operational efficiency and inspection accuracy of underwater pipeline group inspection.

[0097] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it illustrates a structural schematic diagram of the electronic device involved in the embodiments of this application, specifically: The electronic device may include components such as a processor 301 with one or more processing cores, a memory 302 with one or more computer-readable storage media, a power supply 303, and an input unit 304. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 3 The electronic device structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements. Wherein: The processor 301 is the control center of the electronic device. It connects various parts of the electronic device via various interfaces and lines, and performs various functions and processes data by running or executing software programs and / or modules stored in the memory 302, and by calling data stored in the memory 302, thereby providing overall monitoring of the electronic device. Optionally, the processor 301 may include one or more processing cores; preferably, the processor 301 may integrate an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly handles the operating system, user interface, and applications, and the modem processor mainly handles wireless communication. It is understood that the modem processor may not be integrated into the processor 301.

[0098] The memory 302 can be used to store software programs and modules. The processor 301 executes various functional applications and multi-robot collaborative detection and control methods for underwater pipelines by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory 302. The memory 302 may mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system, application programs required for at least one function (such as sound playback function, image playback function, etc.), etc.; the data storage area may store data created according to the use of the electronic device, etc. In addition, the memory 302 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device. Accordingly, the memory 302 may also include a memory controller to provide the processor 301 with access to the memory 302.

[0099] The electronic device also includes a power supply 303 that supplies power to various components. Preferably, the power supply 303 can be logically connected to the processor 301 through a power management system, thereby enabling functions such as charging, discharging, and power consumption management through the power management system. The power supply 303 may also include one or more DC or AC power supplies, recharging systems, power fault detection circuits, power converters or inverters, power status indicators, and other arbitrary components.

[0100] The electronic device may also include an input unit 304, which can be used to receive input digital or character information and generate keyboard, mouse, joystick, optical or trackball signal inputs related to user settings and function control.

[0101] Although not shown, the electronic device may also include a display unit, etc., which will not be described in detail here. Specifically, in this embodiment, the processor 301 in the electronic device loads the executable files corresponding to the processes of one or more applications into the memory 302 according to the following instructions, and the processor 301 runs the applications stored in the memory 302 to realize various functions, as follows: The system controls a central underwater robot to reach the work location of a dense network of underwater pipelines and acquire information on the pipeline distribution. The central underwater robot then initiates a fixed-point hovering maneuver at the work location and allocates multiple autonomous underwater robots (AUVs) based on the pipeline distribution information. A communication channel is established between the central underwater robot and each of the AUVs, and inspection task commands are sent to each AUV through this channel. After each AUV responds to the inspection task command, it performs a fixed-distance inspection along the extension direction of its corresponding pipeline and collects the corresponding pipeline status data. Anomaly identification is performed on the pipeline status data, generating anomaly identification results. When an anomaly is determined based on the anomaly results, the central underwater robot sends a re-inspection command to the corresponding AUV to control it to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area.

[0102] For details on the implementation of each of the above operations, please refer to the previous examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0103] This application embodiment utilizes a central underwater robot to coordinate and schedule multiple autonomous underwater robots to work collaboratively, thereby achieving efficient inspection, anomaly identification, and precise re-inspection and positioning of dense underwater pipeline groups, thus improving the operational efficiency and accuracy of underwater pipeline group inspection.

[0104] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be performed by instructions, or by instructions controlling related hardware. These instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium and loaded and executed by a processor.

[0105] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a storage medium storing multiple instructions that can be loaded by a processor to execute steps in any of the multi-robot cooperative detection and control methods for underwater pipelines provided in embodiments of this application. For example, the instructions can execute the following steps: The system controls a central underwater robot to reach the work location of a dense network of underwater pipelines and acquire information on the pipeline distribution. The central underwater robot then initiates a fixed-point hovering maneuver at the work location and allocates multiple autonomous underwater robots (AUVs) based on the pipeline distribution information. A communication channel is established between the central underwater robot and each of the AUVs, and inspection task commands are sent to each AUV through this channel. After each AUV responds to the inspection task command, it performs a fixed-distance inspection along the extension direction of its corresponding pipeline and collects the corresponding pipeline status data. Anomaly identification is performed on the pipeline status data, generating anomaly identification results. When an anomaly is determined based on the anomaly results, the central underwater robot sends a re-inspection command to the corresponding AUV to control it to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area.

[0106] For details on the implementation of each of the above operations, please refer to the previous examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0107] The storage medium may include: read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk, etc.

[0108] Since the instructions stored in the storage medium can execute the steps of any of the underwater pipeline multi-robot collaborative detection and control methods provided in the embodiments of this application, the beneficial effects that any of the underwater pipeline multi-robot collaborative detection and control methods provided in the embodiments of this application can achieve can be realized, as detailed in the preceding embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0109] The above provides a detailed description of a multi-robot collaborative detection and control method and related equipment for underwater pipelines provided in the embodiments of this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines, characterized in that, include: The control center underwater robot reaches the working position of the dense underwater pipeline and obtains the distribution information of the pipeline group; The central underwater robot is controlled to initiate fixed-point hovering at the work location, and multiple autonomous underwater robots are allocated based on the distribution information of the pipeline group; Establish a communication channel between the central underwater robot and each of the main underwater robots, and issue inspection task instructions to each of the main underwater robots through the communication channel; After each of its main underwater robots responds to the inspection task command, it controls its main underwater robot to perform fixed-distance inspections along the extension direction of the corresponding pipeline and collect the corresponding pipeline status data. Anomaly identification is performed on the pipeline status data to generate anomaly identification results; When an anomaly is determined based on the abnormal results, the central underwater robot sends a re-inspection command to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot to control the autonomous underwater robot to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area.

2. The multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system initiates fixed-point hovering of the central underwater robot at the work location and allocates multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the distribution information of the pipeline group, including: The central underwater robot is controlled to activate the fixed-point anti-current hovering function at the working position, and maintain its position and attitude using an inertial navigation system and a Doppler velocimeter; The central underwater robot counts the number of pipes that need to be inspected based on the distribution information of the pipe group, and generates an allocation scheme for autonomous underwater robots that is equal to the number of pipes that need to be inspected. Based on the allocation scheme, the central underwater robot's own position is used as a reference point and the spatial direction of each pipeline as a target hovering point for each autonomous underwater robot, so that each autonomous underwater robot corresponds to one pipeline.

3. The multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of establishing a communication channel between the central underwater robot and each of the respective primary underwater robots, and issuing inspection task instructions to each primary underwater robot through the communication channel, includes: The central underwater robot and each autonomous underwater robot establish a point-to-point directional communication channel using underwater acoustic communication and / or optical communication. The central underwater robot and the communication channel send task messages to each autonomous underwater robot, including the identifier of the corresponding pipeline, the coordinates of the target hovering point, and the inspection start command. After receiving the mission message, each of the underwater robots sends a confirmation signal back to the surface control terminal. The surface control terminal determines the reliability of the communication channel based on whether it receives the confirmation signal. If the communication channel is unreliable, it switches the communication mode and re-establishes the communication channel.

4. The multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, After each underwater robot responds to the inspection task command, it controls its respective underwater robot to perform a fixed-distance inspection along the extension direction of the corresponding pipeline and collects the corresponding pipeline status data, including: After receiving the inspection task instruction, each autonomous underwater vehicle autonomously navigates to the target hovering point of the corresponding pipeline and initiates fixed-point hovering at the target hovering point; The autonomous underwater robot is controlled to start the pipe inspection mode, and the relative distance between it and the pipe wall is measured in real time using a Doppler velocimeter. It moves forward at a constant distance from the pipe wall according to the preset fixed distance observation value. During the movement, the autonomous underwater robot continuously collects image or video data of the pipe wall as the pipe status data, and transmits the pipe status data back to the central underwater robot in real time through the communication channel.

5. The multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, When an anomaly is determined based on the abnormal results, the central underwater robot sends a re-inspection command to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot to control the autonomous underwater robot to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area, including: Real-time image recognition is performed on the received pipeline status data. When a pipeline defect or abnormal feature is determined, a re-inspection command is generated and sent to the corresponding autonomous underwater robot through the central underwater robot. After receiving the re-inspection command, the corresponding autonomous underwater vehicle immediately stops moving along the pipe, hovers at the current position, and adjusts its observation angle and observation distance according to the attitude adjustment parameters in the re-inspection command. The autonomous underwater robot is controlled to perform a detailed re-inspection of the abnormal area and the image or video data obtained from the re-inspection is transmitted back. Based on the position of the central underwater robot and the position of the corresponding autonomous underwater robot, the spatial coordinates of the abnormal area are calculated and recorded.

6. The multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Pre-defined conditions are set for each autonomous underwater vehicle, including at least one of the following: operating range, operating time, and travel distance; When any autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is detected to have its operating parameters meet any of the agreed conditions, the AUV is deemed to have completed its task. Based on the real-time position and trajectory of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), recorded data of the detected range is generated, and the AUV is controlled to return to a preset return point near the central AUV.

7. The multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When a malfunction is detected in any autonomous underwater vehicle, the malfunctioning autonomous underwater vehicle reports the malfunction status information to the surface control terminal through the central underwater robot. After receiving the fault status information, the above-water control terminal immediately issues a pause command to the other normally operating autonomous underwater robots, controlling the other normally operating autonomous underwater robots to perform fixed-point hovering and suspend the current inspection task; Based on the real-time location of the faulty autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the central AUV is remotely controlled to navigate to the fault location to perform a recovery operation on the faulty AUV, and the detection range completed by the faulty AUV is recorded. After the central underwater robot completes the recovery operation and returns to its original working position to restart its fixed-point hovering, the above-water control terminal issues a resumption command to the other normally operating autonomous underwater robots, so that the other normally operating autonomous underwater robots can continue to perform their original inspection tasks.

8. A multi-robot collaborative detection and control device for underwater pipelines, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to control the central underwater robot to reach the working position of the dense underwater pipeline and acquire the distribution information of the pipeline group; The allocation module is used to control the central underwater robot to start fixed-point hovering at the working position, and to allocate multiple autonomous underwater robots based on the distribution information of the pipeline group; The task issuing module is used to establish a communication channel between the central underwater robot and each of the main underwater robots, and to issue inspection task instructions to each of the main underwater robots through the communication channel. The fixed-distance inspection module is used to control each main underwater robot to perform fixed-distance inspection along the extension direction of the corresponding pipeline after each main underwater robot responds to the inspection task instruction, and to collect the corresponding pipeline status data. Anomaly detection module is used to detect anomalies in the pipeline status data and generate anomaly detection results; The fixed-point re-inspection module is used to send a re-inspection command to the corresponding autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) through the central underwater robot when an anomaly is determined based on the anomaly result, so as to control the AUV to perform a fixed-point re-inspection of the abnormal area and record the location information of the abnormal area.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the multi-robot collaborative detection and control method for underwater pipelines as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A storage medium, characterized in that, The system stores a computer program capable of being loaded by a processor and executing the multi-robot cooperative detection and control method for underwater pipelines as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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