A control method and device of a UAV, the UAV, and a storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a kind of unmanned plane control method, device, unmanned plane and storage medium, wherein, the method comprises: according to the tracking instruction of ground station to the strike target, control unmanned plane moves to target area;After unmanned plane moves to target area, the target image is acquired using the nacelle of unmanned plane;According to the tracking positioning result of strike target in target image, determine the angle deviation information between unmanned plane and strike target relative;In response to the shooting instruction of ground station to strike target, according to the angle deviation information between unmanned plane and strike target relative, adjust the posture of unmanned plane, so that the shooting port of shooting device installed on unmanned plane is aimed at strike target, and drive shooting device to shoot at strike target.The application can realize the shooting port of shooting device installed on unmanned plane aiming at strike target by adjusting the position and posture of unmanned plane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and in particular to a control method, device, UAV, and storage medium for a UAV. Background Technology

[0002] Existing strike drones generally use conventional multi-rotor drones, with an additional large-sized dedicated weapon gimbal added, and a firing device fixed on the weapon gimbal. The firing device is aimed by rotating the weapon gimbal.

[0003] However, adding a weapon gimbal increases the overall weight of the drone, thereby affecting its performance, causing the drone's size to increase exponentially, significantly reducing its portability, and also decreasing its battery life.

[0004] Therefore, a method to replace the weapon gimbal for aiming the firing device at the target is urgently needed for research. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a control method, device, drone, and storage medium for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which can replace the method of aiming at targets by using a dedicated weapon gimbal to control the firing device. The firing port of the firing device installed on the drone can be aimed at the target simply by adjusting the attitude of the drone.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided, applied to the flight control system of the UAV, wherein the UAV is a vector UAV with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage, and the flight control system is connected to a ground station. The method includes: Based on the tracking instructions sent by the ground station, the drone is controlled to move to the target area; the target area is the area where the drone is located when the target is within its observation range. After the drone moves to the target area, it uses its pod to acquire target images; the target images are the images of the targets within the drone's observation range. Based on the tracking and positioning results of the target in the target image, the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target is determined; In response to the firing command sent by the ground station, the attitude of the UAV is adjusted according to the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target, and the firing device is driven to fire at the target.

[0007] Optionally, based on the tracking and positioning results of the target in the target image, the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target is determined, including: Based on the recognition results of target features in the target image, the camera inside the drone's pod is controlled to rotate with the pod to a position directly facing the target, so that the camera inside the pod can lock onto and track the target. During the process of the camera inside the pod locking onto and tracking the target, the relative angular deviation between the drone and the target is determined based on the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage and the drone's current attitude information.

[0008] Optionally, based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, the attitude of the UAV is adjusted so that the firing port of the firing device mounted on the UAV is aligned with the target, including: During the process of the camera inside the pod locking onto and tracking the target, the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage is obtained in real time. Based on the real-time acquired rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage, the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage is calculated. Based on the relative angular deviation between the UAV and the target, and the rotational angular rate of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage, the target rotational angular rate corresponding to the attitude adjustment of the UAV is obtained. The drone's fuselage rotation is controlled based on the angle deviation information and the target rotation angular rate to adjust the drone from its current attitude to the target attitude; the target attitude is the drone's attitude when the target is located on the axis of the firing port of the firing device.

[0009] Optionally, based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, and the rotational angular rate information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage, the target rotational angular rate corresponding to the attitude adjustment of the UAV is obtained, including: Based on the ballistic characteristics of the firing device and the distance between the UAV and the target, the ballistic compensation angle of the firing device is obtained. The target rotation angular rate corresponding to the UAV is obtained by calculating the ballistic compensation angle, the relative angular deviation between the UAV and the target, and the rotation angular rate of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage.

[0010] Optionally, the drone's fuselage rotation is controlled based on the angle deviation information and the target rotation angular rate to adjust the drone from its current attitude to the target attitude, including: Based on the angle deviation information, the drone's body is controlled to adjust its attitude at the target rotation angular rate, and the attitude adjustment of the drone is completed when the angle between the axis of the drone's body and the aiming line of the pod's camera is less than the preset angle.

[0011] Optionally, the angle deviation information includes heading angle deviation information and pitch angle deviation information, and the target rotation angular rate includes horizontal rotation angular rate and pitch rotation angular rate; based on the angle deviation information, the UAV fuselage is controlled to adjust its attitude at the target rotation angular rate, including: Based on the heading angle deviation information, the drone's fuselage is controlled to rotate at a horizontal rotation rate on the horizontal plane so that the axis corresponding to the drone's fuselage is located on the vertical plane where the aiming line of the pod's camera is located. Based on the pitch angle deviation information, the drone's fuselage is controlled to rotate in the vertical plane at a pitch rotation rate until the angle between the drone's fuselage axis and the aiming line of the pod's camera is less than a preset angle, at which point the control of the drone's fuselage rotation in the vertical plane is stopped.

[0012] Optionally, the method further includes: The distance between the drone and the target is compared with a preset distance; If the distance between the drone and the target is greater than the preset distance, the drone will be controlled to move toward the target while keeping the firing nozzle of the firing device aligned with the target, until the distance between the drone and the target is no greater than the preset distance, at which point the drone will be stopped moving toward the target.

[0013] Optionally, the flight control system is also connected to a firing drive unit, which drives the firing device to fire at the target; the control method for the UAV also includes: In response to the firing command sent by the ground station, the flight control system controls the firing drive to drive the firing device to fire at the target.

[0014] Optionally, the method further includes: After the firing device completes its firing action on the target, the impact force of the firing device on the drone is obtained. Based on the magnitude of the impact force exerted on the drone by the shooting device, determine whether it is necessary to perform force buffering control on the drone; If necessary, control the drone to maintain the adjusted attitude and release control of the drone's flight position until the impact force on the drone is reduced to within the target range, then restore control of the drone's flight.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided, applied to a ground station, wherein the ground station is wirelessly connected to at least one UAV, the UAV being a vector UAV with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage, the flight control system being connected to the ground station, and the method comprising: Send tracking commands to the flight control system so that the flight control system can control the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking commands; the target area is the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the UAV's observation range; A firing command is sent to the flight control system so that the flight control system adjusts the attitude of the UAV based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, aligns the firing port of the firing device mounted on the UAV with the target, and drives the firing device to fire at the target.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a control device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided, applied to the flight control system of the UAV. The UAV is a vector UAV with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage. The flight control system is connected to a ground station. The device includes: The mobile control module is used to control the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking instructions sent by the ground station; the target area is the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the UAV's observation range. The target image acquisition module is used to acquire target images using the drone's pod after the drone moves to the target area; the target image is the image corresponding to the strike target located within the drone's observation range; The angle deviation information determination module is used to determine the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target based on the tracking and positioning results of the target in the target image; The attitude adjustment module is used to respond to the firing command sent by the ground station to engage the target. It adjusts the attitude of the UAV based on the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target and drives the firing device to fire at the target.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a control device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided, applied to a ground station, the ground station being wirelessly connected to at least one UAV, the UAV being a vector UAV with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage, the flight control system being connected to the ground station, and the device comprising: The tracking command sending module is used to send tracking commands to the flight control system, so that the flight control system controls the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking commands; the target area is the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the UAV's observation range; The firing command sending module is used to send firing commands to the flight control system so that the flight control system can adjust the attitude of the UAV based on the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target and the firing device is driven to fire at the target.

[0018] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a drone is provided, including a memory and a processor, the memory for storing processor-executable instructions; the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions in the memory to implement the steps of the method as described in the first aspect or its various implementations.

[0019] According to a sixth aspect of the invention, a ground station is provided, including a memory and a processor, the memory for storing processor-executable instructions; the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions in the memory to implement the steps of the method as described in the second aspect.

[0020] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method as described in the first aspect or its various implementations.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: Based on a vector UAV with a fixed firing device, by decoupling the position and attitude control of the UAV, the attitude of the fuselage can be adjusted while controlling the position. This allows the firing port of the firing device mounted on the UAV to aim at the target, replacing the method of using a dedicated weapon gimbal to control the firing device to aim at the target. This significantly improves the aiming speed and accuracy of the firing device mounted on the UAV. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 An application scenario diagram provided for one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to one embodiment of this application is provided. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a drone provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating another drone control method provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a control device for a drone provided as an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another control device for a drone provided as an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of a drone provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or server that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0025] Currently, the application of drones equipped with direct-fire weapons for target engagement is becoming increasingly widespread. Existing strike drones generally adopt conventional multi-rotor platforms, with an additional large-sized servo gimbal added, and the firing device fixed on the gimbal. The weapon is aimed by rotating the gimbal, and the gimbal structure bears the recoil after firing.

[0026] However, the existing solution has obvious drawbacks: in order to meet the requirements of aiming adjustment and anti-recoil load, the servo gimbal is large in size and weight, which increases the overall size and load requirements of the supporting multi-rotor UAV. The equipment is bulky and cannot be carried by a single soldier or deployed quickly. At the same time, the fuselage and gimbal are separate independent structures, and their movement is prone to mutual interference. This, coupled with problems such as mechanical transmission gaps and vibration, results in slow aiming response and low strike accuracy. Moreover, the separate structure has many components, a high failure rate, and high overall control complexity, making it difficult to adapt to the requirements of lightweight, fast response, and high precision in actual combat.

[0027] To address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art or related technologies, this invention provides a control method, device, drone, and storage medium for a drone. The method includes: controlling the drone to move to a target area according to a tracking command sent by a ground station; the target area is the area where the drone is located when the target is within its observable range; after the drone moves to the target area, acquiring a target image using the drone's pod; the target image is an image corresponding to the target within the drone's observable range; determining the relative angular deviation information between the drone and the target based on the tracking and positioning results of the target in the target image; and responding to a firing command sent by the ground station, adjusting the drone's attitude according to the relative angular deviation information between the drone and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device mounted on the drone is aligned with the target, and driving the firing device to fire at the target. This application achieves the goal of aligning the firing port of the firing device mounted on the drone with the target by adjusting the drone's fuselage attitude.

[0028] It should be understood that the technical solution of this application can be applied to the following scenarios, but is not limited to: In some possible ways, Figure 1 An application scenario diagram provided for an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, this application scenario may include a drone 110 and a ground station 120. The drone 110 can establish a connection with the ground station 120 via a wired network or a wireless network.

[0029] For example, the drone 110 may be a vector drone, etc., but is not limited thereto. The ground station 120 may be a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, etc., but is not limited thereto. In one embodiment of this application, the drone 110 may send a request message to the ground station 120, which may be used to request a firing command to engage a target. Further, the drone 110 may receive a response message sent by the ground station 120, which includes receiving a firing command to engage a target.

[0030] also, Figure 1 An example of a drone and a network device is given, but in practice, other numbers of drones and network devices may be included, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0031] In other possible implementations, the technical solution of this application can also be implemented by the aforementioned UAV 110, or by the aforementioned ground station 120, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0032] After introducing the application scenarios of the embodiments of this application, the technical solution of this application will be described in detail below: Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a drone provided in this application embodiment. This method is applied to the drone's flight control system. The drone is a vector drone with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage. The flight control system is connected to a ground station. This method can be implemented by, for example... Figure 1 The drone 110 shown is used for execution, but is not limited to this. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the method may include the following steps: S210: Based on the tracking instructions for the target sent by the ground station, control the UAV to move to the target area.

[0033] The target area is the area where the drone is located when the target is within its observable range.

[0034] Here, the target area is not a fixed coordinate area, but an effective operating area based on the observation capabilities of the UAV. That is, the current position of the UAV can be used as its effective target area when the target enters the image acquisition range of the camera on the UAV's pod. Therefore, selecting the target area as the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the UAV's observation range can lay the foundation for the subsequent target image acquisition and aiming calculation of the target by the camera in the UAV's pod.

[0035] It should be noted that, as Figure 3 As shown, the UAV has four rotor assemblies 1, each of which can be mounted on the fuselage 2 of the UAV in a lateral and / or longitudinal tilting manner. The UAV also has a tilting mechanism for controlling the pitch of its fuselage 2. The tilting mechanism includes tilting devices 3 installed corresponding to the four rotor assemblies 1. A tilting device 3 is installed on the left front and right front rotor assemblies 1 of the UAV, and can be controlled by a first drive module to adjust the longitudinal tilt of the rotor assemblies 1 located on the left front and right front of the fuselage 2, thereby achieving tilt control of the front side of the fuselage 2 in the pitch direction. At the same time, the tilting devices 3 installed on the left rear and right rear rotor assemblies 1 of the UAV can be controlled by a second drive module to adjust the longitudinal tilt of the rotor assemblies 1 located on the left rear and right rear of the fuselage 2, thereby achieving tilt control of the rear side of the fuselage 2 in the pitch direction. In addition, the tilting devices 3 on each rotor assembly 1 of the UAV are independent components, so as to achieve independent control of the tilting of each propeller on the rotor assembly 1 along the roll direction of the fuselage.

[0036] Therefore, during drone flight, the tilt mechanism can be used to adjust the tilt angle of the propellers located on the rotor assembly, so that the entire drone fuselage maintains its horizontal attitude during forward and backward flight. When the drone is flying to the right, the tilt mechanism located on the right side of the fuselage can be used to adjust the tilt angle of the propellers on the rotor assembly located on the right side of the fuselage, thereby controlling the drone to fly to the right. Furthermore, the tilting device controls the longitudinal tilt of the rotor assembly, ensuring that the UAV remains stable during forward or backward movement, thus improving the stability of the firing device when engaging targets. Simultaneously, the tilting device controls the lateral tilt of the rotor assembly, ensuring that the UAV remains stable during lateral movement, further enhancing the stability of the firing device when engaging targets. Moreover, since the tilting device controls both longitudinal and lateral tilt of the rotor assembly, the UAV remains stable during omnidirectional movement, further improving the stability of the firing device when engaging targets. This ensures flexible attitude adjustment for the UAV, allowing it to perform forward, backward, leftward, rightward, and hovering maneuvers within a set attitude.

[0037] Here, the UAV's flight control system is connected to the ground station. After the ground operator issues a tracking command for the designated target through the ground station, the ground station sends the firing command to the UAV's flight control system. Once the UAV's flight control system receives the tracking command, it controls the UAV to fly toward the target and move to the target area.

[0038] S220. After the drone moves to the target area, it uses the drone's pod to acquire target images.

[0039] The target image is an image of the target being attacked that is within the observation range of the UAV.

[0040] It should be noted that after the drone moves to the target area, it uses a camera on its pod to acquire real-time images of the target. The pod is mounted on the fuselage and can move relative to the fuselage in three dimensions. This allows the camera on the pod to remain in a position directly facing the target as the pod moves in three dimensions, thus enabling the pod to track the target in real time.

[0041] Here, while the drone's pod acquires target images, the drone can be controlled to hover within the target area, and then the pod can be used to collect images of the target. After acquiring the target image, the flight control system sends the target image to the ground station to provide complete image data support for subsequent target locking and tracking.

[0042] S230. Based on the tracking and positioning results of the target in the target image, determine the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target.

[0043] It should be noted that the UAV flight control system in this embodiment is equipped with image recognition and positioning algorithms, enabling the flight control system to perform real-time recognition analysis and dynamic tracking of target images collected by the pod. Based on the recognition analysis results and dynamic tracking results, the pod locks onto the center coordinates of the target. Combined with the UAV's current attitude, hovering angle, and spatial coordinates, the angular deviation information between the UAV and the center point of the target can be calculated, providing data for attitude adjustment of the aircraft and aiming of the firing device at the target.

[0044] For example, after the pod acquires the target image, the flight control system identifies the center point of the target in real time based on the image recognition algorithm, and then controls the pod to track and locate the center point of the target. The obtained relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target is as follows: under the current UAV attitude, the UAV's fuselage is horizontally offset to the right by 2.3° relative to the center point of the target, and the UAV's fuselage is pitched upwards by 1.8° relative to the center point of the target.

[0045] S240, in response to the firing command sent by the ground station to engage the target, adjusts the attitude of the UAV based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, aligns the firing port of the firing device mounted on the UAV with the target, and drives the firing device to fire at the target.

[0046] The firing device can be a direct-fire weapon, such as a gun or rocket launcher. Here, the firing device can be fixedly mounted on the fuselage via a mounting bracket. After the firing device is mounted on the fuselage, the axis of the firing port of the firing device is parallel to the axis of the fuselage. This allows the firing device to maintain the same attitude adjustment as the drone's fuselage when the drone's attitude is adjusted, thereby realizing the adjustment of the firing direction and firing position of the firing device. In short, by adjusting the attitude of the drone, the firing port of the firing device mounted on the drone can be aligned with the target, thus realizing the elimination of the gimbal for mounting the firing device on the drone.

[0047] Here, the UAV's flight control system controls the rotor assemblies to tilt based on the relative angular deviation between the UAV and the target, adjusting the UAV's horizontal tilt angle, pitch angle, and spatial position to achieve attitude adjustment. Since the firing device is fixedly mounted on the UAV's fuselage, the attitude adjustment simultaneously adjusts the relative angle and position between the firing device's nozzle and the target. Therefore, by adjusting the UAV's attitude based on the relative angular deviation, the firing device's nozzle can be precisely aligned with the target. Thus, responding to firing commands from the ground station, adjusting the fuselage's attitude in this embodiment replaces the prior art's gimbal-controlled aiming adjustment of the firing device, achieving precise target alignment even without a gimbal. Meanwhile, after the firing port of the firing device installed on the drone is aligned with the target, the flight control system can control the firing device to fire at the target according to the firing command, so as to control the firing device to complete the accurate strike on the target.

[0048] Using the above method, based on a vector UAV with a fixed firing device, the position and attitude of the UAV can be decoupled and adjusted at the same time as the position is controlled. This allows the firing port of the firing device mounted on the UAV to aim at the target, replacing the method of using a dedicated weapon gimbal to control the firing device to aim at the target. This significantly improves the aiming speed and accuracy of the firing device mounted on the UAV.

[0049] In some possible embodiments, adjusting the attitude of the UAV based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, aligning the firing nozzle of the firing device mounted on the UAV with the target, and driving the firing device to fire at the target, may include the following steps: S310. Based on the recognition results of the target features in the target image, control the camera in the drone's pod to rotate with the pod to a position directly facing the target, so that the camera in the pod can lock onto and track the target.

[0050] After acquiring the target image, the image recognition algorithm in the pod calculates the target features such as the outline and key points of the target in the image to achieve target recognition. Then, the relative position between the identified target and the pod's optical axis is fed back to the pod in real time. Based on the relative position between the target and the pod's optical axis, the pod is controlled to rotate relative to the UAV's fuselage in three-dimensional space, that is, to control the horizontal rotation and pitch rotation of the pod, so that the optical axis of the camera in the pod is always facing the target. The camera in the pod is also controlled to continuously follow the target in three-dimensional space, completing the continuous locking and stable tracking of the target by the camera in the pod.

[0051] It should be noted that the pod here is only responsible for visual tracking and framing of the target, and does not bear the responsibility of aiming the firing device at the target, nor does it resist the recoil of the firing device after the firing action is completed. Therefore, the pod in this embodiment can be a lightweight structure that only meets the requirement of visual tracking of the target.

[0052] This step enables the camera inside the pod to continuously lock onto the target, preventing the target from shifting out of the camera's field of view and thus avoiding interruptions in target tracking.

[0053] S320: During the process of locking onto and tracking the target using the camera inside the pod, the relative angular deviation between the drone and the target is determined based on the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage and the drone's current attitude information.

[0054] The current attitude information of the drone can be obtained from the flight control and navigation system.

[0055] Because the camera inside the pod continuously rotates with the pod to a position directly facing the target during target locking and tracking, the relative position between the target and the UAV in its current posture can be determined in real time by collecting real-time information on the rotation angle of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage. Furthermore, the relative angular deviation between the UAV and the target can be determined in real time using this real-time rotation angle information. Therefore, this embodiment uses the UAV's fuselage posture as a reference, integrating the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage, to obtain the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target in the horizontal and pitch directions. This provides precise parameters for subsequent adjustments to the UAV's overall attitude and for aligning the firing nozzle of the firing device with the target.

[0056] For example, after the camera inside the drone's pod locks onto and tracks the target, the pod deflects 3.5° to the left and 2° upward relative to the drone's fuselage. The flight control system records the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the fuselage in real time. At the same time, the flight control system reads the current attitude information of the drone in its current state (hovering or flying) to determine the position and angle information of the axis corresponding to the drone's fuselage in three-dimensional space. Using the axis corresponding to the drone's fuselage as a reference, the system performs a fusion calculation on the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage, and finally calculates that the drone as a whole has an angle deviation of 3.5° horizontally and 2° pitch relative to the target, generating angle deviation information that can be directly used for flight control position and attitude adjustment.

[0057] Using the above method, firstly, based on the recognition results of target features in the target image, the camera inside the drone's pod is controlled to rotate with the pod to a position directly facing the target. This ensures continuous lock-on tracking of the target using only the camera inside the pod, enabling real-time acquisition of the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage. Then, using the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage and the drone's current attitude information, the relative angular deviation information between the drone and the target can be accurately and quickly determined, providing a precise data foundation for subsequent attitude adjustments of the drone.

[0058] In some possible embodiments, adjusting the attitude of the drone based on the relative angular deviation information between the drone and the target, so that the firing nozzle of the firing device mounted on the drone is aligned with the target, may include the following steps: S410: During the process of locking onto and tracking the target using the camera inside the pod, the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage is obtained in real time.

[0059] It should be noted that when controlling the rotation of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage, the pod's rotation relative to the drone's fuselage is controlled by the motor assembly inside the pod. Therefore, the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage can be obtained by real-time acquisition of the rotation data of the output shaft of the motor assembly.

[0060] S420. Based on the real-time acquired rotation angle information of the pod relative to the fuselage of the UAV, calculate the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the fuselage of the UAV.

[0061] Here, during the acquisition of multiple consecutive frames of target images from the camera inside the pod, the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage is obtained in real time. This rotation angle change and the time interval during the pod's rotation are then calculated to obtain the angular rate information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage. Specifically, when the angle change is zero, it can be determined that the pod is not rotating relative to the drone's fuselage, and the target is stationary. When the angle change is not zero, it can be determined that the pod is rotating relative to the drone's fuselage, and the pod is rotating relative to the drone's fuselage as the target moves, indicating that the target is not stationary. This angular rate information can be used to determine the speed and trend of the pod's rotation relative to the drone's fuselage. Furthermore, it can be used to determine whether the target is stationary, moving slowly, or moving rapidly, thus enabling prediction of the target's movement.

[0062] For example, when the pod acquires images of the target at two adjacent moments, the horizontal angle between the pod and the UAV changes from 2.1° to 2.5°. The rotational rate of the pod relative to the UAV can be obtained by dividing the difference in the angle between the pod and the UAV by the time interval between the two adjacent moments.

[0063] In this step, by using the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage obtained in real time, the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage can be calculated to identify the target's motion state. Based on the rotation angular rate information obtained in this step, the target rotation angular rate corresponding to the drone's attitude adjustment can be adapted to the target's current motion state, thereby enabling the firing device to aim at the target after the drone's attitude adjustment.

[0064] S430: Based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, and the rotational angular rate information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage, obtain the target rotational angular rate corresponding to the attitude adjustment of the UAV.

[0065] Here, based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, and the rotational angular rate information of the UAV's fuselage relative to the pod, the target rotational angular rate corresponding to the current motion state of the target can be determined when adjusting the attitude of the UAV. This allows the flight control system to control the UAV's fuselage to adjust its attitude at a speed that matches the current motion state of the target, preventing fuselage shaking caused by excessively rapid adjustments and missing the target due to excessively slow adjustments.

[0066] For example, if there is a 3° horizontal angular deviation between the UAV's fuselage and the target, and if the target is detected to be moving slowly laterally and the pod's rotation rate is at a low speed, the flight control system will match and output the optimal target rotation rate for the UAV's fuselage under the current motion state, based on the relative angular deviation between the UAV and the target, and the rotation rate of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage. This will ensure that the UAV's rotation speed is synchronized with the target's movement speed.

[0067] This step takes into account both static aiming deviation (relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target) and the dynamic motion characteristics of the target (rotational angular rate information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage). It determines the target rotational angular rate corresponding to the attitude adjustment of the UAV, which can match the current motion state of the target. This ensures that when the flight control system controls the UAV's fuselage to adjust its attitude according to the target rotational angular rate, there will be no fuselage shaking caused by excessively fast adjustment or missing the target caused by excessively slow adjustment.

[0068] S440: Control the rotation of the UAV body based on the angle deviation information and the target rotation angular rate to adjust the UAV from the current attitude to the target attitude.

[0069] Among them, the target attitude is the attitude of the UAV when the target is located on the axis of the firing port of the firing device.

[0070] Here, controlling the rotation of the UAV's fuselage based on the angle deviation information and the target rotation angular rate can be understood as follows: using the angle deviation information as the target for correcting the UAV's fuselage attitude, and using the target rotation angular rate as the constraint on the speed of attitude adjustment of the UAV, the various rotor assemblies on the UAV are controlled to tilt, so as to drive the UAV's fuselage to rotate smoothly and adjust its attitude, ultimately so that the firing port of the firing device is aligned with the target.

[0071] Since the firing device in this embodiment is directly fixed to the fuselage of the drone, the firing port of the firing device can be aligned with the target by adjusting the attitude of the drone. Therefore, while the drone is made to reach the target attitude where the target is on the central axis of the drone fuselage through this step, the firing port of the firing device can be aligned with the target.

[0072] It should be noted that before the drone takes off, the axis of the firing device's firing port is calibrated based on the positional information between the axis of the drone's fuselage and the axis of the firing port. This ensures that after the drone adjusts its fuselage attitude, it can align the axis of the firing port with the target, thus guaranteeing the accurate aiming of the firing device's firing port at the target.

[0073] Using the above method, it is possible to achieve decoupled control of the drone's attitude and flight position by controlling the tilt of the drone without a gimbal, thereby achieving synchronous adjustment of the drone's attitude and flight position. Ultimately, this enables precise aiming of the firing port of the firing device at the target, thus replacing the aiming scheme of controlling the firing device through a gimbal in the existing technology.

[0074] In some possible embodiments, obtaining the target rotation angular rate corresponding to the attitude adjustment of the UAV based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, and the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage, may include the following steps: S510: Based on the ballistic characteristics of the firing device and the distance between the UAV and the target, the ballistic compensation angle corresponding to the firing device is obtained.

[0075] Among these, ballistic characteristics can include gravitational drop, wind resistance, initial velocity of the projectile, and ballistic curvature.

[0076] Here, the ballistic compensation angle required under the current firing conditions is quantitatively calculated by using the inherent ballistic characteristics of the firing device and the straight-line distance between the UAV and the target measured in real time by the UAV. This compensation angle can be used to offset the ballistic drop and deviation errors caused by the physical environment and range during the bullet's flight.

[0077] For example, a firing device mounted on the fuselage of a drone has the characteristic of long-range ballistic descent. The measured straight-line distance between the drone and the target on the ground is 120m. Therefore, the preset ballistic parameters corresponding to the firing device can be used here: at a range of 120m, the projectile naturally falls to form a pitch compensation angle of 1.2°. The flight control system can then generate the corresponding ballistic compensation angle based on this to correct the aiming of the firing port of the subsequent firing device.

[0078] Therefore, this step can overcome the limitations of pure geometric aiming of the firing device, introduce ballistic characteristics and the distance between the UAV and the target, and generate the ballistic compensation angle corresponding to the firing device. This solves the problem of the bullet falling and deviating during long-range shooting, making it impossible to aim at the target. In particular, when calculating the ballistic compensation angle corresponding to the firing device, the ballistic compensation angle can be dynamically generated based on the real-time distance between the UAV and the target. This can be adapted to different shooting ranges and improve the bullet's hit rate against the target from the source.

[0079] The S520 calculates the ballistic compensation angle, the relative angular deviation between the UAV and the target, and the rotational angular rate of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage to obtain the target rotational angular rate corresponding to the UAV.

[0080] Here, the target rotation angular rate corresponding to the UAV can be calculated using the following formula:

[0081] in, The target rotation angular rate corresponding to the UAV. It is the information on the relative angular deviation between the drone and the target. It is the ballistic compensation angle. It is the information on the rotational angular rate of the pod relative to the fuselage of the drone.

[0082] Therefore, by using the ballistic compensation angle (physical error correction), the angular deviation information between the UAV and the target (geometric alignment error), and the rotational angular rate information of the pod relative to the fuselage (target movement dynamic characteristics), the target rotational angular rate corresponding to the UAV's fuselage during attitude adjustment can ensure that the rotational amplitude and speed of the fuselage during attitude adjustment meet the triple requirements of geometric alignment, ballistic compensation, and dynamic target tracking. This enables the projectiles fired by the firing device, which adjusts with the UAV's fuselage attitude, to overcome the problem of inaccurate target strikes caused by ballistic drop due to gravity and range.

[0083] By using the above method, the attitude of the UAV is adjusted according to the target rotation angular rate obtained above. This allows the projectiles fired by the firing device, which adjusts with the attitude of the UAV, to overcome the problem of inaccurate hits on the target caused by the ballistic drop due to gravity and range, thereby improving the accuracy of the projectiles hitting the target.

[0084] In some possible implementations, controlling the drone's fuselage rotation based on angle deviation information and target rotation angular rate to adjust the drone from its current attitude to a target attitude may include: controlling the drone's fuselage to adjust its attitude at the target rotation angular rate based on angle deviation information, and completing the attitude adjustment of the drone when the angle between the axis of the drone's fuselage and the aiming line of the pod's camera is less than a preset angle.

[0085] Here, by using the angle deviation information as the total correction amount and the target rotation angular rate as the adjustment speed, smooth control of the UAV's body attitude can be achieved.

[0086] Meanwhile, since the camera always faces the target as the pod rotates, when adjusting the drone's attitude, the angle between the drone's axis and the aiming line of the camera in the pod is monitored in real time. When the angle between the drone's axis and the aiming line of the camera in the pod is less than a preset angle, it can be determined that the drone's axis is aligned with the camera's aiming line. This indicates that the drone's axis is basically aligned with the target's aiming direction, and attitude adjustment is immediately stopped, completing the coarse attitude alignment.

[0087] For example, if the drone's fuselage is currently at a horizontal angle of 4.5° relative to the target, the flight control system will match the target's rotation rate and then control the drone to turn. Here, during the adjustment of the drone's attitude, the angle between the drone's axis and the aiming line of the camera in the pod is collected in real time, with the preset angle set at 0.5°. As the drone gradually rotates and the angle between the drone's axis and the aiming line of the camera in the pod is adjusted from 4.5° to 0.4°, since 0.4° is less than the preset 0.5°, the flight control system will immediately lock the current drone's attitude to complete the adjustment of the drone's attitude.

[0088] Using the above method, it is possible to use a unified visual reference (the aiming line of the camera) and a body reference (the axis of the body) to control the angle between the visual aiming direction of the camera in the pod and the axis of the body to be less than a preset angle, so as to accurately and quickly complete the attitude adjustment of the UAV.

[0089] Furthermore, the angle deviation information includes heading angle deviation information and pitch angle deviation information, and the target rotation angular rate includes horizontal rotation angular rate and pitch rotation angular rate.

[0090] Accordingly, based on the angle deviation information, controlling the drone's fuselage to adjust its attitude at the target rotation angular rate can include the following steps: S610. Based on the heading angle deviation information, control the drone's fuselage to rotate on the horizontal plane at a horizontal rotation rate so that the axis corresponding to the drone's fuselage is located on the vertical plane where the aiming line of the pod's camera is located.

[0091] For example, if the target has a 5° horizontal heading angle deviation relative to the drone, the flight control system will drive the drone's fuselage to yaw horizontally to the left based on the heading angle deviation information and the corresponding horizontal rotation rate. This corrects the lateral offset of the fuselage. When the fuselage's axis is completely within the vertical plane of the camera's aiming line of sight in the pod, the drone's horizontal attitude is adjusted and locked, and it will no longer rotate laterally.

[0092] In this step, by controlling the drone's fuselage to rotate at a horizontal rotation rate on the horizontal plane based on the heading angle deviation information, the horizontal angle of the drone's fuselage can be adjusted so that the axis of the fuselage falls into the vertical plane where the axis of the camera in the pod is located, thus completing the alignment of the drone's fuselage with the target in the azimuth plane.

[0093] S620: Based on the pitch angle deviation information, control the drone's fuselage to rotate in the vertical plane at a pitch rotation rate until the angle between the drone's fuselage axis and the aiming line of the pod's camera is less than a preset angle, then stop controlling the drone's fuselage rotation in the vertical plane.

[0094] Here, when controlling the drone's fuselage to rotate at a pitch rotation rate in the vertical plane, the propellers on the drone can be kept horizontal, providing the drone with upward vertical lift. This allows the drone to hover in the air, and by controlling the tilting devices of each rotor assembly, the attitude angle of the fuselage in the pitch direction can be adjusted, so that the firing port of the firing device is oriented towards the target.

[0095] Using the above method, the attitude adjustment of the drone can be decomposed into two orthogonal dimensions: horizontal rotation control and pitch rotation control. This enables dual-axis decoupled control of the drone in the horizontal and pitch directions. First, the horizontal angle deviation of the drone is adjusted to eliminate the horizontal offset between the drone and the target, ensuring that the drone and the camera's aiming line of sight are on the same vertical plane. Then, based on the pitch angle deviation information, the drone's body is controlled to rotate in the vertical plane at a pitch rotation rate to eliminate the pitch offset between the drone and the target, achieving high-precision alignment between the drone's axis and the camera's aiming line of sight.

[0096] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: S710 compares the distance between the drone and the target with a preset distance.

[0097] Here, the straight-line distance between the drone and the target can be detected in real time. The measured distance is compared with the preset safe strike distance (preset distance) built into the flight control system to determine whether the drone needs to be controlled to fly closer.

[0098] For example, after the shooting device on the drone completes aiming and alignment, the distance between the drone and the target is measured in real time as 180m; the device presets the optimal shooting distance (preset distance) as 100m, and the flight control system automatically compares 180m with 100m and determines that the current distance exceeds the reasonable shooting range.

[0099] S720. If the distance between the UAV and the target is greater than the preset distance, while keeping the firing port of the firing device aligned with the target, control the UAV to move toward the target until the distance between the UAV and the target is no greater than the preset distance, then stop controlling the UAV to move toward the target.

[0100] When the distance between the drone and the target is greater than the preset distance, while keeping the firing port constantly aimed at the target without missing the target, the drone's position can be flexibly adjusted to move towards the target until the distance between them is reduced to less than or equal to the preset distance. At this point, the drone should stop moving towards the target and enter a stable firing posture to ensure that the firing device can strike the target within the optimal range.

[0101] For example, if the preset distance is 100m and the distance between the drone and the target is 180m, the drone will smoothly approach the target while maintaining its body attitude, pod tracking, and firing nozzle always pointing at the target. When the distance between the drone and the target is 95m (not greater than the preset distance), the drone will stop moving forward, hover and lock its position, and wait for the firing command from the control firing device.

[0102] Using the above method, when the distance between the UAV and the target is greater than a preset distance, the attitude and position of the UAV are decoupled and controlled so that the aiming device can be continuously aimed at the target without interruption. This improves the reliability of the aiming device in long-distance scenarios.

[0103] In some possible embodiments, the flight control system is also connected to a firing drive device, which is used to drive the firing device to fire at the target; the control method of the UAV also includes: in response to a firing command sent by a ground station to fire at the target, using the flight control system to control the firing drive device to drive the firing device to fire at the target.

[0104] Here, after receiving the firing command from the ground station, the flight control system can determine whether to send a firing command to the firing drive device based on the firing conditions of the firing device, thereby controlling the firing drive device to drive the firing device to fire at the target. The firing conditions include at least the loading status of the ammunition in the firing device and whether the firing nozzle of the firing device mounted on the UAV is aligned with the target.

[0105] Using the above method, firing commands are issued through the ground station, enabling operators to control the strike on the target via the ground station.

[0106] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: S810: After the firing device completes the firing action on the target, obtain the impact force of the firing device on the UAV.

[0107] After the firing device completes the firing action, the instantaneous recoil impact force and vibration load acting on the entire drone can be collected in real time by force sensors and inertial measurement units located on the drone's fuselage. This will provide real-time data on the impact force of the firing device on the drone, providing data for subsequent buffering judgments.

[0108] S820: Determine whether force buffering control is needed for the drone based on the magnitude of the impact force from the shooting device.

[0109] Here, the impact force of the shooting device on the UAV can be compared with the preset safety impact threshold in the flight control system. If the impact force of the shooting device on the UAV is greater than the safety impact threshold, it is determined that the recoil disturbance is strong and the UAV needs to be controlled by force buffering. If the impact force of the shooting device on the UAV is less than the safety impact threshold, it can be considered as a weak impact force. Therefore, it is determined that no force buffering control is needed and the UAV can be controlled to maintain normal flight control.

[0110] S830, if necessary, controls the drone to maintain the adjusted attitude and releases control of the drone's flight position until the impact force on the drone is reduced to within the target range, then restores control of the drone's flight.

[0111] When it is determined that force-absorbing control of the UAV is necessary: ​​lock the UAV's currently adjusted aiming attitude without additional correction to the UAV's fuselage angle; temporarily release the UAV's active flight position and reduce attitude adjustment control to suppress the cumulative jitter caused by frequent attitude corrections from the flight control system; then, after the impact force (recoil impact force, fuselage vibration) on the UAV has decreased to within the target range, restore the UAV's normal flight position and attitude control. Thus, this step can achieve a brief attitude lock and pause of active control of the UAV at the moment of firing to prevent secondary oscillations caused by the UAV resisting recoil.

[0112] Using the above method, for cases where the firing device is strapped to the fuselage and the recoil after the firing device fires directly acts on the entire UAV, the logic of firing impact force detection and force buffering control constituted by steps S810 to S830 solves the problem of fuselage vibration and attitude instability caused by the impact force of the firing device on the fuselage after the firing device completes the firing action against the target.

[0113] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another control method for a drone provided in this application. The method is applied to a ground station, which is wirelessly connected to at least one drone. The drone is a vector drone equipped with a flight control system and a firing device. The flight control system is connected to the ground station. This method can be implemented by, for example... Figure 1 The ground station 120 shown is used for execution, but is not limited to this. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the method may include the following steps: S910 sends tracking commands to the flight control system, so that the flight control system can control the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking commands.

[0114] The target area is the area where the drone is located when the target is within its observable range.

[0115] Here, after the ground station detects the tracking command for the target input by the operator, it generates a standardized mission command and sends it to the UAV's flight control system via a wireless communication link, so that the flight control system can control the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking command.

[0116] S920: Send a firing command to the flight control system so that the flight control system adjusts the attitude of the UAV based on the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target, and drives the firing device to fire at the target.

[0117] Using the above method, tracking and firing commands are issued by the ground station, enabling operators to control the firing device on the UAV to safely and accurately strike the target.

[0118] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a control device for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, this device is applied to the flight control system of a drone. The drone is a vector drone with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage. The flight control system is connected to a ground station. The control device of this drone includes: The mobile control module 1010 is used to control the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking instructions sent by the ground station; the target area is the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the UAV's observation range; The target image acquisition module 1020 is used to acquire target images using the drone's pod after the drone moves to the target area; the target image is an image of the strike target located within the drone's observation range. The angle deviation information determination module 1030 is used to determine the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target based on the tracking and positioning results of the target in the target image. The attitude adjustment module 1040 is used to respond to the firing command sent by the ground station to the target, adjust the attitude of the UAV according to the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target, and drive the firing device to fire at the target.

[0119] In some possible implementations, the angle deviation information determination module 1030 includes: The locking and tracking unit is used to control the camera inside the drone's pod to rotate with the pod to a position directly facing the target, based on the recognition results of the target features in the target image, so that the camera inside the pod can lock onto and track the target. The angle deviation information determination unit is used to determine the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target during the process of the camera in the pod locking and tracking the target. This is based on the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage and the current attitude information of the UAV.

[0120] In some possible implementations, the attitude adjustment module 1040 includes: The rotation angle information acquisition unit is used to acquire the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage in real time during the process of the camera inside the pod locking onto and tracking the target. The rotation angular rate information calculation unit is used to calculate the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the fuselage of the UAV based on the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the fuselage of the UAV obtained in real time. The target rotation angular rate calculation unit is used to obtain the target rotation angular rate corresponding to the attitude adjustment of the UAV based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, as well as the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage. The attitude adjustment unit is used to control the rotation of the UAV's fuselage based on the angle deviation information and the target rotation angular rate, so as to adjust the UAV from the current attitude to the target attitude; the target attitude is the attitude of the UAV when the target is located on the axis of the firing port of the firing device.

[0121] In some possible implementations, the target rotational angular rate calculation unit includes: The ballistic compensation angle calculation subunit is used to obtain the ballistic compensation angle corresponding to the firing device based on the ballistic characteristics of the firing device and the distance between the UAV and the target. The target rotation angular rate calculation subunit is used to calculate the target rotation angular rate corresponding to the UAV based on the ballistic compensation angle, the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, and the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage.

[0122] In some possible implementations, the attitude adjustment unit includes: The attitude adjustment subunit is used to control the drone's fuselage to adjust its attitude at the target rotation angular rate based on the angle deviation information, and to complete the attitude adjustment of the drone when the angle between the axis of the drone's fuselage and the aiming line of the pod's camera is less than a preset angle.

[0123] In some possible implementations, the angle deviation information includes heading angle deviation information and pitch angle deviation information, and the target rotation angular rate includes horizontal rotation angular rate and pitch rotation angular rate; the attitude adjustment subunit includes: The first fuselage rotation adjustment subunit is used to control the fuselage of the UAV to rotate at a horizontal rotation rate on the horizontal plane according to the heading angle deviation information, so that the axis corresponding to the fuselage of the UAV is located on the vertical plane where the aiming line of the camera of the pod is located. The second fuselage rotation adjustment subunit is used to control the drone's fuselage to rotate in the vertical plane at a pitch rotation rate based on the pitch angle deviation information, until the angle between the drone's fuselage axis and the aiming line of the pod's camera is less than a preset angle, at which point the control of the drone's fuselage rotation in the vertical plane is stopped.

[0124] In some possible embodiments, the control device for the drone further includes: The comparison module is used to compare the distance between the drone and the target with a preset distance; The flight control module is used to control the drone to move toward the target if the distance between the drone and the target is greater than a preset distance, while keeping the firing port of the firing device aligned with the target, until the distance between the drone and the target is no greater than the preset distance, at which point the drone is stopped from moving toward the target.

[0125] In some possible embodiments, the flight control system is also connected to a firing drive device, which drives the firing device to fire at the target; the control device of the UAV also includes: The firing control module is used to respond to the firing command sent by the ground station to engage the target, and to use the flight control system to control the firing drive device to drive the firing device to fire at the target.

[0126] In some possible embodiments, the control device for the drone further includes: The impact force acquisition module is used to acquire the impact force on the UAV by the firing device after the firing device completes the firing action on the target; The control and judgment module is used to determine whether force buffering control is needed for the drone based on the magnitude of the impact force from the shooting device. The buffer control module is used to control the drone to maintain the adjusted attitude if necessary, and to release control of the drone's flight position until the impact force on the drone is reduced to within the target range, at which point control of the drone's flight is restored.

[0127] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a control device for a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the device is applied to a ground station, which is wirelessly connected to at least one drone. The drone is a vector drone with a flight control system and a firing device installed on its fuselage. The flight control system is connected to the ground station, and the drone's control device includes: The tracking command sending module 1110 is used to send tracking commands to the flight control system so that the flight control system controls the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking commands; the target area is the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the UAV's observable range; The firing command sending module 1120 is used to send firing commands to the flight control system so that the flight control system can adjust the attitude of the UAV according to the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target and the firing device is driven to fire at the target.

[0128] It should be understood that the embodiments of the UAV control device and the embodiments of the UAV control method can correspond to each other, and similar descriptions can be found in the embodiments of the calibration method. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here. Specifically, Figure 5 and 6 The control device of the UAV shown can execute the above-described UAV control method embodiment, and the aforementioned and other operations and / or functions of each module in the UAV control device are respectively for implementing the corresponding process in the above-described calibration method. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0129] The control device for a drone according to embodiments of the present invention has been described above from the perspective of functional modules, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that this functional module can be implemented in hardware, in software instructions, or in a combination of hardware and software modules. Specifically, the steps of the calibration and detection methods in the embodiments of the present invention can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware and / or by software instructions. The steps of the calibration and detection methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention can be directly manifested as execution by a hardware decoding processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. Optionally, the software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps in the above-described drone control method embodiments.

[0130] This disclosure provides an embodiment of a drone. Optionally, the drone includes a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; a processor configured to execute the executable instructions in the memory to implement the steps of the drone control method provided in this disclosure.

[0131] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of a drone 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0132] like Figure 7As shown, the drone 110 may include a drone, and the drone 110 may further include: The system includes a memory 1101 and a processor 1102. The memory 1101 stores computer programs and transfers the program code to the processor 1102. In other words, the processor 1102 can retrieve and run the computer programs from the memory 1101 to implement the methods described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0133] For example, the processor 1102 can be used to execute the above-described method embodiments according to instructions in the computer program.

[0134] In some embodiments of the present invention, the drone 110 may include, but is not limited to: General-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc.

[0135] In some embodiments of the present invention, the memory 1101 includes, but is not limited to: Volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static RAM (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchronous Link DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0136] In some embodiments of the present invention, the computer program may be divided into one or more modules, which are stored in the memory 1101 and executed by the processor 1102 to perform the method provided by the present invention. The one or more modules may be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of performing a specific function, which describe the execution process of the computer program in the controller.

[0137] like Figure 7 As shown, the drone 110 may also include: Transceiver 1103, which can be connected to processor 1102 or memory 1101.

[0138] The processor 1102 can control the transceiver 1103 to communicate with other devices; specifically, it can send information or data to other devices or receive information or data sent by other devices. The transceiver 1103 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1103 may further include antennas, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0139] It should be understood that the various components in the UAV are connected through a bus system, which includes a data bus, a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus.

[0140] This disclosure provides another embodiment of a ground station. Optionally, the ground station includes a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; a processor configured to execute the executable instructions in the memory to implement the steps of the UAV control method provided in this disclosure.

[0141] The present invention also provides a computer storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, enables the computer to perform the methods of the above-described method embodiments. Alternatively, one embodiment of the present invention also provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods of the above-described method embodiments.

[0142] When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially as a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present invention are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., Digital Video Disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., Solid State Disk (SSD)).

[0143] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the modules and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0144] In the several embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or modules may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0145] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. For example, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application may be integrated into one processing module, or each module may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into one module.

[0146] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), applied to the flight control system of the UAV, wherein the UAV is a vector UAV with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage, the flight control system being connected to a ground station, characterized in that, The method includes: Based on the tracking instructions for the target sent by the ground station, the drone is controlled to move to the target area; the target area is the area where the drone is located when the target is within the drone's observable range. After the drone moves to the target area, it uses its pod to acquire a target image; the target image is an image of the target being struck that is within the drone's observation range. Based on the tracking and positioning results of the target in the target image, the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target is determined; In response to the firing command sent by the ground station, the attitude of the UAV is adjusted according to the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target, and the firing device is driven to fire at the target.

2. The control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target based on the tracking and positioning results of the target image includes: Based on the recognition results of the target features in the target image, the camera in the drone's pod is controlled to rotate with the pod to a position directly facing the target, so that the camera in the pod can lock onto and track the target. During the process of the camera inside the pod locking onto and tracking the target, the relative angular deviation between the drone and the target is determined based on the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the drone's fuselage and the drone's current attitude information.

3. The control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the attitude of the UAV based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device mounted on the UAV is aligned with the target, and driving the firing device to fire at the target, includes: During the process of the camera inside the pod locking onto and tracking the target, the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the fuselage of the drone is acquired in real time. Based on the rotation angle information of the pod relative to the fuselage of the UAV obtained in real time, the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the fuselage of the UAV is calculated. Based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, and the rotational angular rate information of the pod relative to the UAV's fuselage, the target rotational angular rate corresponding to the attitude adjustment of the UAV is obtained. The drone's fuselage rotation is controlled based on the angle deviation information and the target rotation angular rate to adjust the drone from its current attitude to the target attitude; the target attitude is the drone's attitude when the target is located on the axis of the firing port of the firing device.

4. The control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the target rotation angular rate corresponding to the attitude adjustment of the UAV based on the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, and the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the UAV fuselage, includes: Based on the ballistic characteristics of the firing device and the distance between the UAV and the target, the ballistic compensation angle of the firing device is obtained. The target rotation angular rate corresponding to the UAV is obtained by calculating the ballistic compensation angle, the relative angular deviation information between the UAV and the target, and the rotation angular rate information of the pod relative to the fuselage of the UAV.

5. The control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of controlling the fuselage rotation of the UAV based on the angle deviation information and the target rotation angular rate to adjust the UAV from its current attitude to the target attitude includes: Based on the angle deviation information, the drone's fuselage is controlled to adjust its attitude at the target rotation angular rate, and the attitude adjustment of the drone is completed when the angle between the axis of the drone's fuselage and the aiming line of the pod's camera is less than a preset angle.

6. The control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The angle deviation information includes heading angle deviation information and pitch angle deviation information, and the target rotation angular rate includes horizontal rotation angular rate and pitch rotation angular rate; the step of controlling the UAV fuselage to adjust its attitude according to the angle deviation information at the target rotation angular rate includes: Based on the heading angle deviation information, the drone's fuselage is controlled to rotate on the horizontal plane at the horizontal rotation angular rate, so that the axis corresponding to the drone's fuselage is located on the vertical plane where the aiming line of the pod's camera is located; Based on the pitch angle deviation information, the drone's fuselage is controlled to rotate in the vertical plane at the pitch rotation rate until the angle between the axis of the drone's fuselage and the aiming line of the pod's camera is less than a preset angle, at which point the control of the drone's fuselage rotation in the vertical plane is stopped.

7. The control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The distance between the drone and the target is compared with a preset distance; If the distance between the drone and the target is greater than the preset distance, the drone is controlled to move toward the target while keeping the firing port of the firing device aligned with the target, until the distance between the drone and the target is no greater than the preset distance, at which point the drone is stopped from moving toward the target.

8. The control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flight control system is also connected to a firing drive device, which is used to drive the firing device to fire at the target; the control method of the UAV also includes: In response to a firing command sent by a ground station, the flight control system controls the firing drive to drive the firing device to fire at the target.

9. The control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the firing device completes the firing action on the target, the impact force of the firing device on the UAV is obtained. Based on the magnitude of the impact force exerted on the drone by the firing device, determine whether it is necessary to perform force buffering control on the drone. If necessary, control the drone to maintain the adjusted attitude and release control of the drone's flight position until the impact force on the drone is reduced to within the target range, at which point control of the drone's flight is restored.

10. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), applied to a ground station, wherein the ground station is wirelessly connected to at least one UAV, the UAV being a vector UAV with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage, the flight control system being connected to the ground station, characterized in that... The method includes: A tracking command is sent to the flight control system, so that the flight control system controls the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking command; the target area is the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the observation range of the UAV; A firing command is sent to the flight control system, so that the flight control system adjusts the attitude of the UAV based on the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target, and drives the firing device to fire at the target.

11. A control device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), applied to the flight control system of an UAV, wherein the UAV is a vector UAV with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage, the flight control system being connected to a ground station, characterized in that, The device includes: The mobile control module is used to control the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking command for the target sent by the ground station; the target area is the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the observation range of the UAV. The target image acquisition module is used to acquire a target image using the pod of the UAV after the UAV moves to the target area; the target image is an image corresponding to the strike target located within the observation range of the UAV. Angle deviation information determination module is used to determine the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target based on the tracking and positioning results of the target in the target image; The attitude adjustment module is used to respond to the firing command sent by the ground station to engage the target, adjust the attitude of the UAV according to the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target, and drive the firing device to fire at the target.

12. A control device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), applied to a ground station, the ground station being wirelessly connected to at least one UAV, the UAV being a vector UAV with a flight control system and a firing device mounted on its fuselage, the flight control system being connected to the ground station, characterized in that... The device includes: The tracking command sending module is used to send tracking commands to the flight control system, so that the flight control system controls the UAV to move to the target area according to the tracking commands; the target area is the area where the UAV is located when the target is within the observation range of the UAV; The firing command sending module is used to send firing commands to the flight control system, so that the flight control system adjusts the attitude of the UAV according to the relative angle deviation information between the UAV and the target, so that the firing port of the firing device installed on the UAV is aligned with the target, and drives the firing device to fire at the target.

13. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), characterized in that, include: A memory on which computer programs are stored; A processor for executing the computer program in the memory to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

14. A ground station, characterized in that, include: A memory on which computer programs are stored; A processor for executing the computer program in the memory to implement the steps of the method of claim 10.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1-10.

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