Lifting and folding spraying robot autonomous operation system and method

Abstract

The application provides a lifting and folding spraying robot autonomous operation system and method, which comprises a master control unit, a sensing module, an electric control driving module, an executing mechanism, a wireless communication module and a remote interaction terminal; the sensing module, the electric control driving module and the wireless communication module are electrically connected with the master control unit; the executing mechanism is electrically connected with the electric control driving module; and the wireless communication module is in communication connection with the remote interaction terminal. The application forms a closed loop from initialization, positioning, planning, walking, obstacle avoidance, height adjustment, spraying arm control, intelligent spraying to automatic recharging, without manual intervention, and greatly improves the automation level; the visual identification of the vegetation type and height makes the spray head always at the best spraying distance, improves the uniformity and water saving effect; the visual and ultrasonic wave fusion obstacle avoidance, the electric control differential steering and the automatic adjustment of the speed according to the terrain adapt to the sloping land and the bumpy road surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of spraying robot operation control technology, specifically to an autonomous operation system and method for a lifting and folding spraying robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of urban greening, park maintenance, municipal landscaping and other fields, the demand for large-scale and refined green vegetation maintenance is increasing. Spraying operations, as the core link of vegetation maintenance, are mainly used for pest and disease control and irrigation. Their operation efficiency, spraying accuracy and equipment adaptability directly determine the maintenance quality and resource utilization efficiency.

[0003] Existing equipment is mostly single-function mechanical structure, lacking intelligent collaborative control capabilities, and cannot achieve fully autonomous operation throughout the entire process of "path planning - height adaptive adjustment - intelligent control of spray volume - remote real-time monitoring - automatic recharging upon completion of work". This technological gap means that spraying operations still require a large amount of manual intervention, making it impossible to achieve unmanned and intelligent maintenance, and difficult to adapt to the development needs of large-scale, refined, and efficient modern greening maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an autonomous operation system and method for a lifting and folding spraying robot, which solves the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: The autonomous operation system of the lifting and folding spraying robot includes: a main control unit, a sensing module, an electronic control drive module, an actuator, a wireless communication module, and a remote interaction terminal; the sensing module, the electronic control drive module, and the wireless communication module are all electrically connected to the main control unit, the actuator is electrically connected to the electronic control drive module, and the wireless communication module is communicatively connected to the remote interaction terminal; The perception module includes a satellite positioning module, an inertial navigation module, a visual recognition module, an environmental sensing module, a displacement sensor, and an angle sensor, used to collect data on the robot's position, posture, surrounding environment, vegetation information, obstacle information, working height, and spray arm angle. The main control unit has a built-in path planning module and a spraying decision module. The path planning module uses a grid method to divide the work area and combines the work area boundary, vegetation type distribution, real-time obstacle location and terrain slope data to generate the optimal work path without repetition or omission, supporting breakpoint continuation and priority work in key areas. The spraying decision module automatically determines the spraying parameters based on vegetation type, soil moisture, ambient temperature and humidity, wind speed and light intensity to achieve precise water control. The actuator includes a walking drive mechanism, a lifting platform, a spray arm adjustment mechanism, a spray execution component, and an automatic docking and charging mechanism; the lifting platform has a stroke of 0–800 mm and is equipped with a displacement sensor to maintain the optimal distance between the spray nozzle and the vegetation canopy; The wireless communication module works in conjunction with the remote interactive terminal to upload robot status data in real time and receive remote control commands, enabling remote monitoring and intervention.

[0006] Furthermore, the environmental sensing module in the perception module includes an air temperature and humidity sensor, a soil moisture sensor, a liquid level sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a wind speed sensor, and a light intensity sensor; the ultrasonic sensor is integrated with the visual recognition module to achieve dual obstacle avoidance functions of long-distance obstacle type recognition and short-distance obstacle distance detection.

[0007] Furthermore, the satellite positioning module is a GPS / BeiDou dual-mode positioning module, which is integrated with the inertial navigation module to achieve positioning calibration and eliminate initial positioning errors.

[0008] Furthermore, the electronically controlled drive module includes a walking differential drive unit, a lifting drive unit, a spray arm drive unit, and a spray pump drive unit, used to realize electronically controlled differential steering and walking, closed-loop adjustment of the lifting platform height, stepless extension and rotation folding control of the spray arm, and closed-loop adjustment of spray pressure and flow rate; the walking differential drive unit in the electronically controlled drive module supports forward, reverse, fixed-point turning, U-turn and curved driving, and automatically adjusts the driving speed according to the terrain: high speed on flat roads, low speed on slopes or bumpy roads.

[0009] Furthermore, the path planning module built into the main control unit automatically avoids obstacles, narrow passages, and non-working areas during the planning process; when the operation is interrupted, it records the coordinates of the interruption point and the completed area to enable resume from the breakpoint; it supports users to define key work areas, so that the robot can complete the spraying of key areas first and then perform ordinary area operations.

[0010] Furthermore, the spray arm adjustment mechanism can achieve stepless extension and retraction of 1–2.5m, rotation of -45° to 90°, and folding for storage, and is equipped with an angle sensor. When not in operation, it automatically folds to improve maneuverability; the spray execution component includes independently controlled nozzles in groups to achieve dual-sided, single-sided, fixed-point, or intermittent spraying. The lifting platform in the actuator feeds back height data in real time through a displacement sensor, forming a closed-loop control with a height positioning error of no more than 5 mm. The spray arm adjustment mechanism expands to its maximum width in wide working areas and automatically retracts to its minimum width in narrow passages. It also automatically and quickly folds when entering non-working areas, turning, or avoiding obstacles, reducing the lateral size of the machine body.

[0011] A method for autonomous operation of a lifting and folding actuator includes the following closed-loop control steps executed sequentially: Step 1: System Initialization and Positioning Calibration After the robot is powered on, the main control unit performs a self-test on each of the satellite positioning module, inertial navigation module, vision acquisition module, environmental sensing module, and actuators. If the self-test passes, it performs fusion positioning calibration using GPS / BeiDou dual-mode positioning combined with inertial navigation to eliminate initial positioning errors. It generates an electronic fence for the work area through on-site delineation, map import, or manual drawing to obtain information on work boundaries, terrain features, and restricted areas. If the self-test fails, the operation is locked and a fault code is uploaded. Step 2: Autonomous Path Planning Based on the boundary shape of the work area, the distribution of vegetation types, the real-time location of obstacles, and the terrain slope data, the work area is divided into several unit grids using the grid method; the optimal work path is generated with no repetition, no omission, and high efficiency based on AI algorithms or full-coverage path planning algorithms; obstacles, narrow passages, and non-work areas are automatically avoided during the planning process; and breakpoint continuation and priority work in key areas are supported. Step 3: Autonomous Walking and Obstacle Avoidance The robot travels at a constant speed along the optimal path and uses electronically controlled differential steering to achieve multiple motion modes. The travel speed is automatically adjusted according to the terrain. Obstacle detection is performed by fusing visual recognition and ultrasonic sensors. The robot can identify the type and outline of obstacles at a long distance and detect the distance of obstacles at a close distance. When the distance to an obstacle is less than the safety threshold, the robot automatically decelerates. When the distance to an obstacle is less than the critical safety distance, the robot automatically executes a detour strategy. After detour, the robot automatically returns to the original planned path. Step 4: Automatic adjustment of working height: The system uses a visual recognition module to collect real-time images of the vegetation in front of the user, identifying the vegetation type, canopy height, and density. It automatically matches the target working height based on the vegetation type and controls the actuator to be continuously adjustable within a stroke range of 0–800 mm. Step 5: Controlling the folding and unfolding of the spray arm: Based on the working width, passage width, and obstacle position, the automatic control system extends and retracts the spray arm steplessly within the range of 1–2.5m, rotates within the range of -45° to 90°, and folds it for storage; it extends to the maximum width in wide working areas and automatically retracts to the minimum width in narrow passages; it automatically and quickly folds when entering non-working areas, turning, or avoiding obstacles; after the posture adjustment is completed, the angle sensor confirms that it is in place before entering the spraying state. Step Six: Intelligent Spray Control Based on soil moisture, air temperature and humidity, wind speed, light intensity, and vegetation type, the system automatically adjusts spray pressure, spray flow rate, and spray time; automatically switches between spray and jet modes; and uses group control of nozzles to achieve double-sided, single-sided, fixed-point, or intermittent spraying. Through closed-loop feedback, the system adjusts pump pressure and flow rate in real time to ensure stable spray uniformity. Step 7: Status Monitoring and Remote Interaction The system collects and uploads data in real time, including position, speed, lifting height, spray arm posture, spraying parameters, remaining pesticide, remaining battery power, operating area, operating time, and fault status. The data is uploaded to a remote interactive terminal via a wireless communication module. The system supports remote issuance of control commands such as start, pause, continue, emergency stop, return, and parameter modification. Step 8: Automatic End and Automatic Recharge: When the work area is fully completed or the remaining power is below the set threshold, spraying will stop immediately, and the spray pump and nozzle valve of the actuator will be closed. The shortest and safest return path will be automatically planned based on the current location and the location of the charging base. The system will autonomously travel along the return path to the charging area, complete the automatic docking and charging, and continuously avoid obstacles during the return process.

[0012] Furthermore, the specific method of intelligent spraying control in step six is ​​as follows: low-lying vegetation adopts fine mist spraying mode, and tall vegetation adopts spray mode; when the soil moisture or air humidity is high, the spraying volume is reduced, and when the humidity is low or the wind speed is high, the spraying volume is increased and the droplet size is adjusted; through the closed-loop feedback control of the spraying pump and valve, the pressure and flow rate are adjusted in real time to keep the spraying uniformity stable.

[0013] Furthermore, in step seven, the instruction response delay for status monitoring and remote interaction does not exceed a preset threshold to ensure the real-time performance and security of remote control; the remote interaction terminal is a mobile APP, PC, or cloud platform.

[0014] Furthermore, the triggering conditions for automatic termination and automatic recharging in step eight also include the remaining drug quantity being lower than the minimum limit; continuous obstacle detection and avoidance during the return process to ensure a safe return; automatic docking and charging upon arrival at the charging position, and uploading the return completion and charging start status information to the remote terminal.

[0015] This invention provides an autonomous operating system and method for a lifting and folding spraying robot. Compared with the prior art, it has the following advantages: 1. From initialization, positioning, planning, walking, obstacle avoidance, height adjustment, spray arm control, intelligent spraying to automatic recharging, a closed loop is formed, requiring no manual intervention and greatly improving the level of automation.

[0016] 2. Visual recognition of vegetation type and height ensures that the nozzles are always at the optimal spraying distance, improving uniformity and water-saving effect.

[0017] 3. The spraying arm is telescopic, rotatable, and foldable to adapt to different working widths and narrow passages. When not in use, it can be folded to reduce the size of the machine, improve maneuverability, and avoid collisions.

[0018] 4. Multi-sensor fusion decision-making automatically adjusts spraying parameters based on vegetation, soil, and weather conditions to achieve on-demand water supply and save water and energy.

[0019] 5. Vision + ultrasonic obstacle avoidance, electronically controlled differential steering, and automatic speed adjustment according to terrain, adapting to slopes and bumpy roads.

[0020] 6. Real-time data upload and remote command issuance enable unattended operation and centralized management.

[0021] 7. Automatically returns to charging when battery is low or after operation is completed, supporting continued operation from interruption points and improving operation continuity. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the autonomous operation system method of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the control system structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the spray control logic of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention are described clearly and completely. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] Example 1 The present invention provides an autonomous operation system for a lifting and folding spraying robot, comprising a main control unit, a sensing module, an electronic control drive module, an actuator, a wireless communication module, and a remote interactive terminal; the sensing module, the electronic control drive module, and the wireless communication module are all electrically connected to the main control unit, the actuator is electrically connected to the electronic control drive module, and the wireless communication module is communicatively connected to the remote interactive terminal.

[0026] The sensing module includes a satellite positioning module (GPS / BeiDou dual-mode), an inertial navigation module, a visual recognition module, an environmental sensing module (air temperature and humidity, soil moisture, liquid level, ultrasonic waves, wind speed, and light sensors), a displacement sensor, and an angle sensor. The satellite positioning module and the inertial navigation module are integrated to achieve positioning calibration, eliminating initial positioning errors and stabilizing positioning accuracy within 0.5 meters. The visual recognition module and the ultrasonic sensor are integrated to achieve dual obstacle avoidance: long-distance obstacle type recognition and short-distance obstacle distance detection.

[0027] The main control unit incorporates a path planning module and a spraying decision module. The path planning module uses a grid method to divide the work area and, based on AI algorithms or a full-coverage path planning algorithm, generates an optimal work path that is unique and complete, taking into account work area boundaries, vegetation type distribution, real-time obstacle locations, and terrain slope data. It supports resuming from breakpoints and prioritizing key areas. The spraying decision module automatically determines spraying parameters based on vegetation type, soil moisture, ambient temperature and humidity, wind speed, and light intensity.

[0028] The electronically controlled drive module includes a differential travel drive unit, a lifting drive unit, a spray arm drive unit, and a spray pump drive unit. The differential travel drive unit supports forward, reverse, point-to-point turning, U-turn, and curved driving, and automatically adjusts the speed according to the terrain; the lifting drive unit realizes closed-loop adjustment of the lifting platform height; the spray arm drive unit realizes stepless extension, rotation, and folding control of the spray arm; and the spray pump drive unit realizes closed-loop adjustment of spray pressure and flow rate.

[0029] The actuator includes a walking drive mechanism, a lifting platform (stroke 0–800mm, equipped with a displacement sensor), a spray arm adjustment mechanism (1–2.5m stepless telescopic, -45°~90° rotation and folding storage, equipped with an angle sensor), a spray execution component (grouped and independently controlled nozzles), and an automatic docking and charging mechanism.

[0030] The wireless communication module works in conjunction with a remote interactive terminal (mobile APP, PC or cloud platform) to upload robot status data in real time and receive remote control commands.

[0031] The system works in concert with the above modules to automatically complete the entire closed-loop autonomous operation process, including initialization calibration, path planning, obstacle avoidance, height adjustment, spray arm folding and unfolding control, intelligent spraying, status monitoring, automatic termination and automatic recharging.

[0032] Example 2 This invention also provides an autonomous operation method for the above-mentioned system, comprising eight closed-loop control steps executed sequentially: Step 1: System Initialization and Positioning Calibration: After the robot is powered on, the main control unit performs a self-check on each module and actuator; it performs positioning calibration through GPS / BeiDou and inertial navigation fusion; it generates an electronic fence through on-site delineation, map import, or manual drawing; if a self-check fails, the operation is locked and a fault code is uploaded.

[0033] Step 2, Autonomous Path Planning: The work area is divided using a grid method, and the optimal path is generated based on AI or full-coverage path planning algorithms; it automatically avoids obstacles, narrow passages and non-work areas; and it supports resuming from breakpoints and prioritizing key areas.

[0034] Step 3, Autonomous Walking and Obstacle Avoidance: Travel at a constant speed along the optimal path, with electronically controlled differential steering to achieve multiple movement modes; speed is automatically adjusted according to the terrain; visual and ultrasonic fusion is used to detect obstacles, decelerating when the distance is less than the safety threshold, and performing detours when the distance is less than the critical safety distance, returning to the original path after detours.

[0035] Step 4: Automatic adjustment of working height: Visually recognizes vegetation type, canopy height and density, automatically matches the target working height, controls the lifting platform to be continuously adjustable from 0 to 800 mm, and uses a displacement sensor for closed-loop feedback to keep the nozzle at the optimal distance from the canopy.

[0036] Step 5: Sprayer arm folding and unfolding control: Based on the working width, passage width and obstacle position, automatically control the extension (1–2.5m), rotation (-45°~90°) and folding of the sprayer arm; unfold for wide operations, retract for narrow passages, and quickly fold when not in operation or to avoid obstacles; spraying begins after the angle sensor confirms the position.

[0037] Step Six: Intelligent Spraying Control: Based on soil moisture, air temperature and humidity, wind speed, light, and vegetation type, the spraying pressure, flow rate, and time are automatically adjusted, and the spray / jet mode is switched; nozzle group control enables double-sided, single-sided, fixed-point, or intermittent spraying; closed-loop feedback adjusts pump pressure and flow rate to ensure uniformity.

[0038] Step 7, Status Monitoring and Remote Interaction: Real-time collection and uploading of location, speed, lifting height, spray arm posture, spraying parameters, remaining pesticide / battery charge, operation data and fault status; remote terminal can issue commands such as start, pause, emergency stop, return, parameter modification, etc., with response delay not exceeding a preset threshold.

[0039] Step 8: Automatic End and Automatic Recharge: When the operation is completed or the battery level is below the threshold (or the remaining amount of pesticide is below the limit), spraying stops, the pump valve is closed, the spray arm is folded back to its original position, and the lifting platform is lowered to its lowest position; the system automatically plans a safe return path, continuously avoids obstacles, autonomously travels to the charging area to complete docking and charging, and uploads the status. Detailed Implementation

[0040] After the robot is powered on, the main control unit sequentially checks the communication status of each module, the output range of the sensors, and the smoothness of the actuator movements. Upon successful self-test, it activates GPS / BeiDou satellite signal reception and fuses it with inertial navigation data (using extended Kalman filtering) to output a stable position (error <0.5m). The user can define the boundary of the work area on a map via a mobile app, and the system automatically generates an electronic fence. If the self-test fails, the app displays a fault code, and the robot cannot start.

[0041] Path planning and obstacle avoidance: The work area is an irregular lawn in a park, approximately 500 m², containing 3 trees (obstacles) and a 1.2 m wide path. The system uses a grid method to divide the area into 0.2 m × 0.2 m grids. A main path is generated based on a full-coverage path planning algorithm (bow-shaped reciprocating path), and local detour paths are generated using an AI algorithm at tree locations. The planning results achieve a robot coverage rate of 99.5%, with a total path length of approximately 650 m.

[0042] The robot travels at a speed of 0.5 m / s, accelerating to 0.8 m / s on flat terrain and decreasing to 0.3 m / s on slopes. Visual recognition detects a pedestrian at a distance of 5 m. Ultrasonic measurement shows the distance is 2 m, and the robot decelerates to 0.2 m / s. At a distance of 0.8 m, it triggers a detour: turning 30° to the left, bypassing the pedestrian, and then returning to the original path using a path tracking algorithm.

[0043] Height Adjustment and Sprayer Arm Control: The vision recognition module acquires an image of the vegetation ahead, identifying it as shrubs approximately 0.6m in height. The system matches the target working height to 0.4m (sprayer head 0.2m from the top of the canopy). The lifting platform rises from position 0, with real-time feedback from the displacement sensor, stopping at 0.4m with an error of ±3mm. The working width is 2m, and the sprayer arm automatically extends to 2.5m (1.25m on each side). When the robot approaches a narrow path (1.2m wide), the sprayer arm automatically retracts to 1.0m (0.5m on each side). Before entering a non-working area, the sprayer arm quickly folds (reducing the lateral dimension to 0.6m). After the angle sensor confirms the fold is in place, the robot turns.

[0044] Intelligent Spraying Control: Soil moisture content 25% (volume moisture content), air temperature 32℃, humidity 40%, wind speed 2m / s, light intensity 80000 lux, vegetation tall fescue lawn. The system determines that an increase in spraying volume is needed: spraying pressure is set to 0.3MPa, flow rate 2L / min, using fine mist mode. Sprayer Grouping: Simultaneous spraying on both sides, with each sprayer operating for 80% of the time. Closed-Loop Feedback: The flow sensor detects an actual flow rate of 1.9L / min and automatically increases the pump duty cycle to 2.0L / min. When soil moisture rises to 40%, the system automatically reduces the pressure to 0.2MPa and the flow rate to 1.2L / min.

[0045] Remote interaction and automatic recharging: During operation, the robot uploads a data packet (JSON format) to the cloud platform every second. The user's app displays 32% battery remaining, 8% remaining pesticide, 480m² completed area, and an estimated 15 minutes remaining. The user issues a "pause" command via the app, and the robot immediately stops spraying and locks its position. One hour later, the user issues a "continue" command, and the robot resumes operation from where it left off.

[0046] When the remaining battery power drops to 25% (threshold 30%), the system automatically terminates the process. Spraying stops, pump valves close, spray arms fold, and the lifting platform lowers. A return path is planned (current coordinates → charging dock coordinates, avoiding obstacles). The return speed is 0.6 m / s, with continuous ultrasonic obstacle avoidance. Upon reaching the charging dock, infrared docking initiates automatic charging, and a "return complete" message is uploaded.

[0047] Extended application scenarios: When operating in the green belt of a residential area (0.8m wide, with hedges 0.5m high), the spray arm retracts to 1.0m, the lifting platform rises to 0.3m, and the spraying mode is used. When operating at the base of trees (where branches droop), the lifting platform lowers to 0.1m, the spray arm folds, and only the nozzle rod is used for localized spraying.

[0048] The above embodiments demonstrate that the system and method of the present invention can adapt to various vegetation types and terrains, achieving fully autonomous, high-precision, and intelligent spraying operations, significantly improving efficiency and water-saving effects.

[0049] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0050] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An autonomous operating system for a lifting and folding spraying robot, characterized in that, include: The system comprises a main control unit, a sensing module, an electronically controlled drive module, an actuator, a wireless communication module, and a remote interactive terminal; the sensing module, the electronically controlled drive module, and the wireless communication module are all electrically connected to the main control unit, the actuator is electrically connected to the electronically controlled drive module, and the wireless communication module is communicatively connected to the remote interactive terminal. The perception module includes a satellite positioning module, an inertial navigation module, a visual recognition module, an environmental sensing module, a displacement sensor, and an angle sensor, used to collect data on the robot's position, posture, surrounding environment, vegetation information, obstacle information, working height, and spray arm angle. The main control unit has a built-in path planning module and a spraying decision module. The path planning module uses a grid method to divide the work area and combines the work area boundary, vegetation type distribution, real-time obstacle location and terrain slope data to generate the optimal work path without repetition or omission, supporting breakpoint continuation and priority work in key areas. The spraying decision module automatically determines the spraying parameters based on vegetation type, soil moisture, ambient temperature and humidity, wind speed and light intensity to achieve precise water control. The actuator includes a walking drive mechanism, a lifting platform, a spray arm adjustment mechanism, a spray execution component, and an automatic docking and charging mechanism; the lifting platform has a stroke of 0–800 mm and is equipped with a displacement sensor to maintain the optimal distance between the spray nozzle and the vegetation canopy; The wireless communication module works in conjunction with the remote interactive terminal to upload robot status data in real time and receive remote control commands, enabling remote monitoring and intervention.

2. The autonomous operation system of the lifting and folding spraying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The environmental sensing module in the perception module includes an air temperature and humidity sensor, a soil moisture sensor, a liquid level sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a wind speed sensor, and a light intensity sensor; the ultrasonic sensor is integrated with the visual recognition module to achieve dual obstacle avoidance functions of long-distance obstacle type recognition and short-distance obstacle distance detection.

3. The autonomous operation system for the lifting and folding spraying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The satellite positioning module is a GPS / BeiDou dual-mode positioning module. The satellite positioning module is integrated with the inertial navigation module to achieve positioning calibration and eliminate initial positioning errors.

4. The autonomous operation system of the lifting and folding spraying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronically controlled drive module includes a walking differential drive unit, a lifting drive unit, a spray arm drive unit, and a spray pump drive unit. It is used to realize electronically controlled differential steering and walking, closed-loop adjustment of the lifting platform height, stepless extension and rotation folding control of the spray arm, and closed-loop adjustment of spray pressure and flow. The walking differential drive unit in the electronically controlled drive module supports forward, reverse, fixed-point turning, U-turn, and curved driving, and automatically adjusts the driving speed according to the terrain: high speed on flat roads and low speed on slopes or bumpy roads.

5. The autonomous operation system of the lifting and folding spraying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The path planning module built into the main control unit automatically avoids obstacles, narrow passages, and non-working areas during the planning process; when the operation is interrupted, it records the coordinates of the interruption point and the completed area to enable resume from the breakpoint; it supports users to define key work areas, so that the robot can complete the spraying of key areas first and then perform ordinary area operations.

6. The autonomous operation system of the lifting and folding spraying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spray arm adjustment mechanism can achieve stepless extension and retraction of 1–2.5m, rotation of -45° to 90°, and folding for storage, and is equipped with an angle sensor. When not in operation, it automatically folds to improve maneuverability. The spray execution component includes independently controlled nozzles in groups to achieve dual-sided, single-sided, fixed-point, or intermittent spraying. The lifting platform in the actuator feeds back height data in real time through a displacement sensor, forming a closed-loop control with a height positioning error of no more than 5 mm. The spray arm adjustment mechanism expands to its maximum width in wide working areas and automatically retracts to its minimum width in narrow passages. It also automatically and quickly folds when entering non-working areas, turning, or avoiding obstacles, reducing the lateral size of the machine body.

7. A method for autonomous operation of a lifting and folding actuator, characterized in that, Applied to the autonomous operating system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, it includes the following closed-loop control steps executed sequentially: Step 1: System Initialization and Positioning Calibration After the robot is powered on, the main control unit performs a self-test on each of the satellite positioning module, inertial navigation module, vision acquisition module, environmental sensing module, and actuators. If the self-test passes, it performs fusion positioning calibration using GPS / BeiDou dual-mode positioning combined with inertial navigation to eliminate initial positioning errors. It generates an electronic fence for the work area through on-site delineation, map import, or manual drawing to obtain information on work boundaries, terrain features, and restricted areas. If the self-test fails, the operation is locked and a fault code is uploaded. Step 2: Autonomous Path Planning Based on the boundary shape of the work area, the distribution of vegetation types, the real-time location of obstacles, and the terrain slope data, the work area is divided into several unit grids using the grid method; the optimal work path is generated with no repetition, no omission, and high efficiency based on AI algorithms or full-coverage path planning algorithms; obstacles, narrow passages, and non-work areas are automatically avoided during the planning process; and breakpoint continuation and priority work in key areas are supported. Step 3: Autonomous Walking and Obstacle Avoidance The robot travels at a constant speed along the optimal path and uses electronically controlled differential steering to achieve multiple motion modes. The travel speed is automatically adjusted according to the terrain. Obstacle detection is performed by fusing visual recognition and ultrasonic sensors. The robot can identify the type and outline of obstacles at a long distance and detect the distance of obstacles at a close distance. When the distance to an obstacle is less than the safety threshold, the robot automatically decelerates. When the distance to an obstacle is less than the critical safety distance, the robot automatically executes a detour strategy. After detour, the robot automatically returns to the original planned path. Step 4: Automatic adjustment of working height: The system uses a visual recognition module to collect real-time images of the vegetation in front of the user, identifying the vegetation type, canopy height, and density. It automatically matches the target working height based on the vegetation type and controls the actuator to be continuously adjustable within a stroke range of 0–800 mm. Step 5: Controlling the folding and unfolding of the spray arm: Based on the working width, passage width, and obstacle position, the automatic control system extends and retracts the spray arm steplessly within the range of 1–2.5m, rotates within the range of -45° to 90°, and folds it for storage; it extends to the maximum width in wide working areas and automatically retracts to the minimum width in narrow passages; it automatically and quickly folds when entering non-working areas, turning, or avoiding obstacles; after the posture adjustment is completed, the angle sensor confirms that it is in place before entering the spraying state. Step Six: Intelligent Spray Control Based on soil moisture, air temperature and humidity, wind speed, light intensity, and vegetation type, the system automatically adjusts spray pressure, spray flow rate, and spray time; automatically switches between spray and jet modes; and uses group control of nozzles to achieve double-sided, single-sided, fixed-point, or intermittent spraying. Through closed-loop feedback, the system adjusts pump pressure and flow rate in real time to ensure stable spray uniformity. Step 7: Status Monitoring and Remote Interaction The system collects and uploads data in real time, including position, speed, lifting height, spray arm posture, spraying parameters, remaining pesticide, remaining battery power, operating area, operating time, and fault status. The data is uploaded to a remote interactive terminal via a wireless communication module. The system supports remote issuance of control commands such as start, pause, continue, emergency stop, return, and parameter modification. Step 8: Automatic End and Automatic Recharge: When the work area is fully completed or the remaining power is below the set threshold, spraying will stop immediately, and the spray pump and nozzle valve of the actuator will be closed. The shortest and safest return path will be automatically planned based on the current location and the location of the charging base. The system will autonomously travel along the return path to the charging area, complete the automatic docking and charging, and continuously avoid obstacles during the return process.

8. The autonomous operation method of the lifting and folding actuator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The specific method of intelligent spraying control in step six is ​​as follows: low-lying vegetation adopts fine mist spraying mode, and tall vegetation adopts spray mode; when the soil moisture or air humidity is high, the spraying volume is reduced, and when the humidity is low or the wind speed is high, the spraying volume is increased and the droplet size is adjusted; through the closed-loop feedback control of the spraying pump and valve, the pressure and flow rate are adjusted in real time to keep the spraying uniformity stable.

9. The autonomous operation method of the lifting and folding actuator according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step seven, the command response delay for status monitoring and remote interaction does not exceed a preset threshold to ensure the real-time performance and security of remote control; the remote interaction terminal is a mobile APP, PC, or cloud platform.

10. The autonomous operation method of the lifting and folding actuator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The triggering conditions for automatic termination and automatic recharging in step eight also include the remaining drug quantity being lower than the minimum limit; continuous obstacle detection and avoidance during the return process to ensure a safe return; automatic docking and charging upon arrival at the charging position, and uploading the return completion and charging start status information to the remote terminal.

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