A spraying unit and a control method

Abstract

The application provides a spraying monomer device and a control method, relates to the field of agricultural aviation technology, and is used for pesticide spraying. The related control method can improve the stability of flight and adjust the spraying parameters according to the real-time flight state. The spraying monomer device comprises a medicine box and various functional modules; the spraying monomer device integrates various functional modules with the medicine box as the main body; the functional modules comprise a camera module, a pressure adjusting unit, a spraying head unit, a data processing unit and a mounting interface; the camera module is used for collecting images; the pressure adjusting unit is used for adjusting the spraying pressure; the spraying head unit is used for spraying; the data processing unit is used for generating control instructions of the camera module, the pressure adjusting unit and the spraying head unit; and the mounting interface is used for connecting the unmanned aerial vehicle mounting point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of agricultural aviation technology, and in particular to a spraying unit and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of precision agriculture, agricultural drones have been widely used in the prevention and control of crop diseases and pests. The existing "prescription map" operation mode typically involves two steps: first, using a surveying drone equipped with a multispectral camera to conduct aerial surveys of farmland to generate prescription maps; then, importing the data into the agricultural drone for spraying. To improve efficiency, the industry has begun exploring "integrated sensing and spraying" technology, which involves directly installing spectral sensors on agricultural drones to achieve simultaneous flight, surveying, and spraying.

[0003] Existing airborne spraying systems primarily rely on externally mounted sensors on the drone's fuselage or landing gear, connected to the spray tank and nozzles via long tubing. However, existing airborne systems suffer from the following technical challenges: dispersed structure and poor adaptability. Sensors, computing units, and the spraying system are scattered and fixed at different locations on the drone's fuselage, leading to a dispersed center of gravity and poor flight stability. Furthermore, existing cameras often use fixed time intervals for taking pictures. When the drone's operating speed and altitude change, this fixed shooting interval results in unstable forward overlap. At excessively high speeds, insufficient overlap may lead to missed measurements, while at excessively low speeds, data redundancy may result in wasted computing power.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a spraying unit and control method to improve the flight stability of UAVs and dynamically adjust shooting and spraying parameters according to real-time flight status. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a spraying device and control method to improve the flight stability of a drone and dynamically adjust the shooting parameters and spraying parameters according to the real-time flight status.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a spraying unit device, which includes a medicine tank and various functional modules; The spraying unit uses a medicine tank as the main body and integrates various functional modules into the main body structure of the medicine tank. The functional modules include: a camera module, a pressure adjustment unit, a nozzle unit, a data processing unit, and an installation interface; The camera module is used to acquire images; The pressure regulating unit is used to adjust the spraying pressure; The nozzle unit is used for spraying; The data processing unit is used to generate control commands for the camera module, the pressure regulating unit, and the nozzle unit; The installation interface is used to connect to the drone mounting point.

[0007] In one possible design, the data processing unit is embedded in the side wall of the medicine box; The data processing unit is configured with internal heat dissipation ducts arranged along the airflow direction.

[0008] In one possible design, the camera module includes a CMOS imaging sensor and a filter switching mechanism; The filter switching mechanism is located in front of the optical path of the CMOS imaging sensor lens. The filter switching mechanism includes a filter carrier and at least one filter; the filter switching mechanism is either a mechanical switching type or an electrically tuned type.

[0009] In one possible design, the functional module also includes a shock-absorbing platform; The shock-absorbing platform is located at the top front of the medicine box; The camera module is mounted on the shock-absorbing platform via a shock-absorbing connector.

[0010] Secondly, this application also provides a control method applied to a data processing unit, the method comprising: The system acquires the current flight parameters of the drone and the current field of view of the camera module; the flight parameters include flight speed and flight altitude. The required photo interval is calculated based on the preset heading overlap requirements, camera field of view, and flight parameters. Determine whether the current flight status meets the heading overlap requirement; If the heading overlap ratio requirement is not met, a flight parameter adjustment command is generated and sent to the UAV; If the heading overlap ratio requirement is met, the photo-taking command is sent to the camera module at the specified photo-taking interval.

[0011] In one possible design, before generating the photo-taking command and sending it to the camera module, the method further includes: The camera module's exposure parameters are used to determine whether the image has motion blur and whether the image quality meets the requirements. If the requirements are met, a photo-taking command is generated and sent to the camera module at the specified photo-taking interval; If the requirements are not met, a camera parameter adjustment command is generated and sent to the camera module.

[0012] In one possible design, determining whether motion blur exists in the image and whether the image quality meets the requirements based on the exposure parameters of the camera module includes: Calculate the maximum permissible image displacement and the current flight speed, and the maximum permissible exposure time required at the current speed. If the current exposure time of the camera module is greater than the maximum allowable exposure time, the captured image is determined to not meet the requirements.

[0013] In one possible design, if the maximum allowable exposure time required at the current speed is lower than the minimum exposure time of the camera module hardware, or the ISO sensitivity requirement exceeds the upper limit of the ISO sensitivity of the camera module, then the currently acquired data is determined to be invalid, and the current frame image is marked as a low-confidence image; if a low-confidence image acquisition event occurs, an alarm message is sent to the software operator.

[0014] In one possible design, the method further includes: Receive images captured by the camera module; The image is subjected to radiometric calibration and band calculation to obtain the solution results; the solution results include the crop water deficit index and / or disease level within the field of view; Based on the calculation results, control commands are generated for the pressure regulating valve and / or flow valve, and the control commands are sent to the pressure regulating valve and / or flow valve.

[0015] Thirdly, this application also provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the control method described above.

[0016] Fourthly, this application also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the control method as described above.

[0017] Fifthly, this application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the control method as described above.

[0018] This application provides a spraying unit device that integrates various functional modules with a medicine tank as the main body, which can solve the problems of system dispersion and unstable center of gravity in the prior art.

[0019] This application also provides a control method that can dynamically adjust the shooting interval and flight parameters during flight to ensure the quality of images captured under different flight conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application 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 some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a spraying unit provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a camera module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the electrical connections and data flow of a data processing unit provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a control method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ; Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a control method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail 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 in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] All actions involving the acquisition of signal information or data in this application are carried out in accordance with the relevant data protection laws and policies of the country where the application is located, and with the authorization of the owner of the relevant device.

[0024] In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more. Terms such as "first" and "second" are used only for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a spraying unit provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the spraying unit includes a medicine tank 100 and various functional modules.

[0026] The spraying unit uses the medicine tank 100 as its main support, integrating all functional modules onto the tank's structure. The medicine tank can be made of high-strength polyethylene (PE) or carbon fiber composite material to further reduce the weight of the empty tank.

[0027] The functional modules include: camera module 200, pressure adjustment unit 300, nozzle unit 400, data processing unit 500, and mounting interface 600.

[0028] The camera module 200 is used to acquire images, and the camera module 200 can be a multispectral camera.

[0029] The pressure regulating unit 300 is used to adjust the spraying pressure. Specifically, the pressure regulating unit 300 can be installed at the bottom of the medicine tank 100, and includes a pressure regulating valve and a pressure transmitter, and is connected to the liquid outlet at the bottom of the medicine tank via a flange.

[0030] The nozzle unit 400 is used for spraying. Specifically, the nozzle unit 400 can be installed at the bottom of the medicine tank 100. The nozzle unit 400 includes a nozzle and a nozzle adjustment mechanism. The nozzle is used to spray the liquid in the medicine tank, and the nozzle adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the angle of the nozzle. Specifically, the nozzle angle adjustment mechanism can be symmetrically installed on both sides of the bottom of the medicine tank, and the pitch and horizontal adjustment of the nozzle is achieved by a stepper motor driving the connecting rod.

[0031] In existing technologies, the pipeline between the medicine tank and the nozzle is too long, resulting in slow pressure regulation response and significant spatial lag in spraying execution. This application directly connects the pressure regulation unit to the bottom outlet of the medicine tank via a flange, significantly shortening the length of the medicine pipeline. Combined with the high-speed processing capability of the data processing unit, the pressure response time of the liquid system is controlled within 180ms. This design significantly reduces the time lag in the "sensing-decision-execution" closed loop, effectively solving the problem of variable spraying spatial misalignment in traditional long-pipeline systems, and achieving centimeter-level precision application.

[0032] The data processing unit 500 is used to generate control commands for the camera module, pressure regulation unit, and nozzle unit.

[0033] Mounting interface 600 is used to connect to the drone mounting point. Mounting interface 600 can be a quick-release heavy-duty hoisting interface, and mounting interface 600 is located on the top of the medicine box 100.

[0034] Existing equipment often employs an externally mounted, distributed layout, leading to instability in the drone's center of gravity and reduced aerodynamic performance. The spraying unit design provided in this application improves the integration and flight stability of the unit, abandoning the traditional externally mounted, distributed sensor layout and adopting a fully integrated unit design with the spray tank as the carrier. By integrating all functional modules onto the spray tank structure, the unit's center of gravity is concentrated at the drone's mounting center, effectively reducing flight attitude deviations caused by unbalanced external load torque. Simultaneously, the standardized quick-release interface design shortens the installation and disassembly time, significantly improving the adaptability efficiency for field operations.

[0035] In one possible design, the data processing unit 500 is embedded in the side wall of the medicine box 100. The number of data processing units 500 can be determined based on actual needs; for example, one data processing unit can be embedded on one side of the medicine box 100, or one data processing unit can be embedded on each of the left and right sides of the medicine box 100. Furthermore, the data processing unit 500 is equipped with an internal heat dissipation duct arranged along the airflow direction for heat dissipation of the data processing unit; the heat dissipation duct can be made of aluminum.

[0036] It should be noted that the data processing unit provided in this application embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented in the control method embodiment below, and can achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0037] In one possible design, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a camera module provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the camera module 200 can be a variable band multispectral camera module, including a CMOS imaging sensor 210 and a filter switching mechanism 220.

[0038] The CMOS imaging sensor 210 is used for imaging. A filter switching mechanism 220 is disposed in front of the lens optical path of the CMOS imaging sensor 210. The filter switching mechanism 220 includes a filter carrier component 221 and at least one filter 222. The filter switching mechanism 220 can be a mechanical switching type or an electrically tunable type. The filter switching mechanism 220 is used to switch between different filters. The filter carrier component 221 is detachable and can be designed as a rotating filter wheel or a plug-in slot structure. The filter 222 can be physically plugged in or rotated for replacement, rather than being glued to the sensor surface. Furthermore, the filter carrier component 221 can also be an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) or a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) placed in front of the lens, controlling the light transmission wavelength via an electrical signal to achieve non-mechanical band switching.

[0039] The filter wheel / slot can accommodate multiple sets of narrowband filters with different center wavelengths. For example, one set is 660nm red light + 850nm near-infrared for calculating NDVI; another set is 730nm red edge + 850nm near-infrared for calculating NDRE, etc. Depending on different operational objectives such as disease monitoring or nutritional diagnosis, the filter sets can be physically replaced before operation, or the filter wheel can be driven to rotate to the specified wavelength position via a micro stepper motor.

[0040] In addition, the camera module 200 also includes a housing assembly 230, an ambient light sensor 240, and a shock-absorbing connector 250. The housing assembly 230 can be an aluminum alloy housing with an IP65 protection rating. The ambient light sensor 240 can be at least one independent probe, located on the top of the camera module, to collect ambient irradiance in real time for subsequent image radiometric calibration. The shock-absorbing connector 250 serves a shock-absorbing function and can be a silicone shock-absorbing ball connecting the camera module's housing assembly 230 to the medicine box shock-absorbing platform. The lens optical axis of the camera module 200 is vertically downward or maintains a specific tilt angle to avoid interference from the airflow of the drone propellers.

[0041] Existing airborne cameras typically use fixed spectral channels, such as only fixed R, G, B, and NIR bands. This prevents the flexible replacement of filters to calculate specific vegetation indices based on different crops (e.g., the spectral differences between wheat stripe rust and powdery mildew) or different growth stages, thus limiting the accuracy of disease identification. The camera module design provided in this application improves the versatility and cost-effectiveness of spectral sensing equipment. Addressing the limitations of fixed spectral bands in existing cameras, this application designs an optical structure with replaceable filters. Users only need to replace the narrowband filter set at low cost to calculate different vegetation indices (e.g., NDVI, NDRE, OSAVI, etc.) on the same hardware terminal, meeting various operational scenarios from crop disease monitoring (red-edge band requirements) to biomass estimation (red-light band requirements), avoiding the cost of purchasing multiple cameras for different monitoring purposes.

[0042] In one possible design, the functional module also includes a shock-absorbing platform 700; The shock-absorbing platform 700 is located at the front top of the medicine box and is used to mount the camera module 200, serving a shock-absorbing function. Specifically, the camera module 200 can be mounted on the shock-absorbing platform 700 via the shock-absorbing connector 250.

[0043] In one possible design, the shock-absorbing platform 700 is a raised platform, meaning that the height of the shock-absorbing platform 700 is higher than the top of the medicine box to avoid obstruction by the drone propellers. The specific height above the top of the medicine box can be set according to the actual structure. For example, the height of the shock-absorbing platform is 50mm higher than the top surface of the medicine box.

[0044] For example, this application provides specific structural parameters of a spraying unit device, the main structure of which includes: Medicine box carrier: Made of high-strength, corrosion-resistant PE material, with a volume of 25L and a wall thickness of [missing information]. It also features internal cross-shaped reinforcing ribs to withstand the weight of the liquid and each module when fully loaded. The overall dimensions of the medicine box (including external modules) are controlled within... Within.

[0045] Sensing module installation: An integrated raised platform is designed at the top front of the medicine box, extending 50mm above the top surface of the medicine box. The multispectral camera module is mounted on this platform, with the lens optical axis tilted downwards, and the field of view (FOV) is [missing information]. The coverage area of ​​a single frame at the operating height The sensor is connected to the medicine box via a shock-absorbing bracket to eliminate high-frequency vibration interference.

[0046] Actuator integration: The pressure regulating unit (including a pressure regulating valve and a pressure transmitter) is directly connected to the liquid outlet at the bottom of the medicine tank via a flange, with an adjustment range of 0.1-1.0 MPa and a response time of [missing information]. Angle adjustment mechanisms are symmetrically installed on both sides of the bottom of the medicine tank, driven by stepper motors. The nozzle assembly is 30mm from the edge of the medicine tank, and the nozzle spacing is 500mm. The stepper motor has a torque of 1.0 N·m and supports pitch direction. adjust.

[0047] The multispectral camera module features a quick-release filter interface. A filter mount with a threaded or magnetic structure is located at the front of the lens. The device is equipped with a set of narrowband filters (e.g., center wavelengths of 450nm, 550nm, 660nm, 730nm, and 850nm). When monitoring crop nitrogen content, the filters are replaced with 730nm (red edge) and 850nm (near-infrared) filters, and the system software automatically switches to NDRE (Normalized Difference Red Edge Index) calculation mode. When monitoring crop biomass or cover, the filters are replaced with 660nm (red light) and 850nm (near-infrared) filters, and the system software automatically switches to NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) calculation mode. This design allows a single hardware terminal to adapt to the detection needs of multiple crop physiological parameters without replacing the entire camera module.

[0048] Figure 3 This application provides a schematic diagram of the electrical connections and data flow of a data processing unit, as shown in the embodiments. Figure 3 As shown, the multispectral camera is connected to the data processing unit via a shielded data cable; the UAV flight control system communicates with the data processing unit via an interface (transmitting speed v and altitude H information); the data processing unit outputs control signals to the pressure regulating unit (pressure regulating valve) and the angle adjusting mechanism (stepper motor).

[0049] The following describes a control method provided by the present invention, which is applied to the data processing unit of the spraying unit described above.

[0050] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method provided in an embodiment of this application, applied to a data processing unit, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps: First, initialize the parameters and set the camera's field of view. The required heading overlap threshold σ, and the maximum allowable motion ambiguity distance. For example, setting the field of view. The required heading overlap threshold σ = 60% (0.6) and the maximum allowable motion ambiguity distance. Typically, this is taken as 0.5 times the ground resolution GSD. Then, perform the following steps: Step 410: Obtain the current flight parameters of the drone and the current field of view of the camera module.

[0051] The flight parameters include flight speed and flight altitude. The data processing unit reads the UAV's flight parameters in real time through the communication interface. Specifically, the data processing unit reads the current ground flight speed v (unit: m / s) and relative operating altitude H (unit: m) from the UAV flight controller at a frequency of 10Hz via serial port or CAN bus.

[0052] Step 420: Calculate the required photo interval based on the preset heading overlap requirements, camera field of view, and flight parameters.

[0053] The data processing unit does not use a fixed time interval to trigger the camera, but instead uses dynamic triggering logic based on the heading overlap rate. Specifically, the shooting interval can be the shooting time interval, and the current camera field of view is set to... The preset heading overlap rate is (For example, 60%). The data processing unit calculates the time interval between two photos using the following formula. : in, The time interval between photos; Flight altitude; This represents the current field of view of the camera module. is the preset heading overlap ratio; v is the flight speed.

[0054] The data processing unit calculates the time interval between photo captures. Then, control commands are generated and sent to the camera module, causing the camera module to capture images at specified time intervals. Specifically, the data processing unit can send a trigger signal to the camera module at time intervals Δt, which is used to control the camera module to perform the shooting action. When the flight speed... Increase or height When the temperature drops, the photo interval can be automatically reduced. Increase the shooting frequency to avoid missing any areas. When the flight speed... Reduce or height When it rises, it can automatically increase in size. Reduce shooting frequency to avoid data redundancy.

[0055] In the triggering methods, besides those based on time intervals... The triggering method can also be location-based, where the drone sends a trigger signal every time it moves a specific distance. The data processing unit calculates the distance interval between two photos using the following formula. : in, This refers to the photo taking distance interval; Flight altitude; This represents the current field of view of the camera module. is the preset heading overlap ratio; v is the flight speed.

[0056] Step 430: Determine whether the current flight status meets the heading overlap requirements.

[0057] Forward overlap ratio, also known as image overlap ratio, refers to the degree of overlap between two consecutive photographs taken along the same flight path. It is calculated by determining the percentage of overlap between two adjacent photographs relative to the entire photograph. The forward overlap ratio is typically between 60% and 80% to ensure that no captured information is missed along the entire flight path.

[0058] Determine whether the current flight status meets the heading overlap rate requirement, that is, determine whether the current heading overlap rate reaches the heading overlap rate threshold; if the heading overlap rate requirement is not met, proceed to step 440; if the heading overlap rate requirement is met, proceed to step 450.

[0059] Step 440: Generate flight parameter adjustment instructions and send them to the UAV.

[0060] If the forward overlap requirement is not met, a flight parameter adjustment command is generated and sent to the UAV, causing the UAV to change its flight parameters, such as flight altitude and / or flight speed, to improve the image quality of the camera module. After the UAV changes its flight altitude and / or flight speed based on the flight parameter adjustment command, it continues to execute the above steps to obtain the current flight parameters of the UAV and the current field of view of the camera module, and calculates a new photo interval.

[0061] Step 450: Generate a photo-taking command and send the photo-taking command to the camera module at photo-taking intervals.

[0062] If the heading overlap ratio requirement is met, a photo capture command is generated and sent to the camera module at photo capture intervals, so that the camera module can capture images at the photo capture intervals calculated in step 420.

[0063] Existing camera modules acquire images at a fixed frequency (fixed shooting interval). When the drone's flight speed or altitude changes, fluctuations in image overlap rate can easily occur, making it impossible to guarantee the consistency of the image overlap rate and leading to missed data or significant redundancy. This application introduces dynamic triggering logic based on flight parameters (speed v and altitude H) to calculate the optimal shooting interval in real time, ensuring that the forward overlap rate is always maintained at a preset threshold (e.g., 60%). This technical solution can eliminate blind spots caused by excessively high flight speeds and data redundancy caused by excessively low speeds, significantly improving the success rate of subsequent image stitching and the efficiency of computing resource utilization.

[0064] In one possible design, Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating another control method provided in an embodiment of this application, applied to a data processing unit, such as... Figure 5 As shown, before generating the photo-taking command in step 450, the following steps are also included: Step 460: Determine whether there is motion blur in the image based on the exposure parameters of the camera module, and determine whether the image quality meets the requirements.

[0065] To ensure image clarity at different speeds, before triggering a photo capture, the camera module's exposure parameters are used to determine if motion blur exists in the image, thus assessing whether the image quality meets requirements. Specifically, the maximum permissible image displacement and the current flight speed are used to calculate the maximum permissible exposure time required at the current speed. If the camera module's current exposure time is not greater than the maximum permissible exposure time, there is no motion blur, and the captured image is deemed to meet requirements. Step 450 is then executed, generating a photo capture command and sending the command to the camera module at photo capture intervals. If the camera module's current exposure time exceeds the maximum permissible exposure time, motion blur exists, and the captured image is deemed not to meet requirements. Step 470 is then executed. Step 470 involves generating a camera parameter adjustment command and sending it to the camera module.

[0066] Camera parameter adjustment commands can be used to adjust the ISO sensitivity and / or exposure time of the camera module, thereby improving the quality of captured images.

[0067] First, set the maximum permissible image displacement. (Typically, it's taken as 0.5 times the ground resolution GSD). Based on the maximum permissible image shift. Given the current flight speed, calculate the maximum permissible exposure time required at that speed. : in, This is the maximum permissible exposure time; This is the maximum permissible image displacement. This represents the current flight speed.

[0068] If the ambient light is dim, the camera module will automatically calculate the theoretical exposure time. If the image is not properly positioned, it will be determined that it will exhibit motion blur, meaning it does not meet the sharpness requirements. The system then forcibly locks the exposure time to [a specific value]. Simultaneously increase the ISO sensitivity gain until the ISO limit is reached (e.g., ISO 3200).

[0069] If the maximum allowable exposure time required at the current speed is lower than the minimum exposure time of the camera module hardware, or the ISO sensitivity requirement exceeds the ISO sensitivity limit of the camera module, the currently acquired data is determined to be invalid, and the current frame image is marked as a low-confidence image; if a low-confidence image acquisition event occurs, an alarm message is sent to the software operator.

[0070] If calculated Below the camera hardware's minimum exposure time (i.e., shutter speed) If the ISO requirement exceeds the threshold, or the ISO requirement exceeds the sensor's signal-to-noise ratio limit (i.e., the camera module's ISO reaches the limit but still cannot meet the brightness requirement), the currently acquired data is determined to be invalid, the frame image is marked as "low confidence", an alarm message is sent to the software operator, and a deceleration command is fed back to the drone flight control system to control the drone to reduce its flight speed and perform validity threshold determination.

[0071] By integrating an ambient light sensor and combining it with exposure time threshold interlocking control, the system can dynamically adjust ISO sensitivity while ensuring no motion blur (by controlling the upper limit of exposure time). This ensures that the device can still acquire spectral images with sufficient clarity for recognition algorithms even in cloudy weather or field environments with drastic lighting changes. This improves data availability in complex lighting conditions and guarantees the reliability of all-weather operation.

[0072] In one possible design, an image is received from a camera module; radiometric calibration and band calculations are performed on the image to obtain a solution result; the solution result includes the crop water deficit index and / or disease level within the field of view; control commands for a pressure regulating valve and / or a flow valve are generated based on the solution result, and the control commands are sent to the pressure regulating valve and / or flow valve.

[0073] The data processing unit (such as the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano) receives image data, loads the corresponding vegetation index algorithm model based on the currently installed filter parameters, and calculates crop moisture or disease levels. Closed-loop control: The processing unit outputs a control signal to the pressure regulating unit at the bottom based on the calculation results. By adjusting the opening of the solenoid valve, the spraying pressure (within the range of 0.1-1.0 MPa) is changed, thereby regulating the spraying flow rate and achieving variable-rate application.

[0074] For example, the acquired images undergo radiometric calibration and band calculations via an embedded processing unit. The processing unit calculates the crop water deficit index or disease level within the field of view within ≤80ms. Based on the calculation results, a PWM signal is generated to control the pressure regulating valve and flow valve at the bottom. For instance, if a severely water-deficient area is detected, the pressure is adjusted to 0.8MPa; if a mildly water-deficient area is detected, the pressure is adjusted to 0.3MPa.

[0075] Figure 6 An example is a schematic diagram of the physical structure of an electronic device, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device may include a processor 610, a communications interface 620, a memory 630, and a communication bus 640. The processor 610, communications interface 620, and memory 630 communicate with each other via the communication bus 640. The processor 610 can call logical instructions from the memory 630 to execute control methods.

[0076] Furthermore, the logical instructions in the aforementioned memory 630 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0077] On the other hand, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer is able to execute the control methods provided by the above methods.

[0078] In another aspect, this application also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, is implemented to perform the control methods provided by the above methods.

[0079] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; 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. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0080] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the control methods described in various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0081] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application 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 this application.

Claims

1. A spraying unit device, characterized in that, The device includes a medicine box and various functional modules; The spraying unit uses a medicine tank as the main body and integrates various functional modules into the main body structure of the medicine tank. The functional modules include: a camera module, a pressure adjustment unit, a nozzle unit, a data processing unit, and an installation interface; The camera module is used to acquire images; The pressure regulating unit is used to adjust the spraying pressure; The nozzle unit is used for spraying; The data processing unit is used to generate control commands for the camera module, the pressure regulating unit, and the nozzle unit; The installation interface is used to connect to the drone mounting point.

2. The spraying unit device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data processing unit is embedded in the side wall of the medicine box; The data processing unit is configured with internal heat dissipation ducts arranged along the airflow direction.

3. The spraying unit device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera module includes a CMOS imaging sensor and a filter switching mechanism; The filter switching mechanism is located in front of the optical path of the CMOS imaging sensor lens. The filter switching mechanism includes a filter carrier and at least one filter; the filter switching mechanism is either a mechanical switching type or an electrically tuned type.

4. The spraying unit device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The functional module also includes a shock absorption platform; The shock-absorbing platform is located at the top front of the medicine box; The camera module is mounted on the shock-absorbing platform via a shock-absorbing connector.

5. A control method, characterized in that, Applied to a data processing unit, the method includes: The system acquires the current flight parameters of the drone and the current field of view of the camera module; the flight parameters include flight speed and flight altitude. The required photo interval is calculated based on the preset heading overlap requirements, camera field of view, and flight parameters. Determine whether the current flight status meets the heading overlap requirement; If the heading overlap ratio requirement is not met, a flight parameter adjustment command is generated and sent to the UAV; If the heading overlap ratio requirement is met, a photo capture command is generated and sent to the camera module at the specified photo capture interval.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Before generating the photo-taking command, the following are also included: The exposure parameters of the camera module are used to determine whether there is motion blur in the image and whether the image quality meets the requirements. If the requirements are met, a photo-taking command is generated and sent to the camera module at the specified photo-taking interval; If the requirements are not met, a camera parameter adjustment command is generated and sent to the camera module.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of determining whether motion blur exists in the image and whether the image quality meets the requirements based on the exposure parameters of the camera module includes: Calculate the maximum permissible image displacement and the current flight speed, and the maximum permissible exposure time required at the current speed. If the current exposure time of the camera module is greater than the maximum allowable exposure time, the captured image is determined to not meet the requirements.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the maximum allowable exposure time required at the current speed is lower than the minimum exposure time of the camera module hardware, or the ISO sensitivity requirement exceeds the ISO sensitivity limit of the camera module, then the currently acquired data is determined to be invalid, and the current frame image is marked as a low confidence image. If a low-confidence image acquisition event occurs, an alarm message will be sent to the software operator.

9. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive images captured by the camera module; The image is subjected to radiometric calibration and band calculation to obtain the solution results; the solution results include the crop water deficit index and / or disease level within the field of view; Based on the calculation results, control commands are generated for the pressure regulating valve and / or flow valve, and the control commands are sent to the pressure regulating valve and / or flow valve.

10. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements all the steps of the control method as described in any one of claims 5 to 9.

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