Portable near-surface garbage pickup unmanned remote-controlled submersible

Abstract

The application relates to the field of unmanned underwater vehicles, in particular to a portable near-surface garbage picking unmanned remote control submersible, which comprises a floating body frame, a general control box, a mechanical arm and a propulsion system, the floating body frame is in a rectangular structure; the general control box is fixedly arranged on the floating body frame, and a power module, a control module and a driving module are arranged in the general control box; the control module is electrically connected with the driving module; the mechanical arm is installed at the front end of the floating body frame; the tail end of the mechanical arm is provided with a clamping mechanism for clamping garbage; the propulsion system comprises eight equal-thrust propellers, the eight equal-thrust propellers comprise four horizontal propellers and four vertical propellers; the four vertical propellers are arranged at the bottom corners of the floating body frame; the four horizontal propellers are arranged below the general control box and are uniformly distributed at the square corners; each horizontal propeller is rotationally connected with the floating body frame through an independently controlled motor shaft; the submersible has the advantages that the propulsion direction can be flexibly adjusted near the water surface, and the picking range is wide.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aquatic waste collection technology, and in particular to a portable, near-surface waste-collecting unmanned remotely operated vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the shipping and tourism industries, solid waste such as plastic bottles, foam, and packaging materials often float near the water surface, polluting the aquatic environment and threatening waterway safety. Traditional manual vessel salvage is unsafe, inefficient, and unable to cover shallow waters and narrow areas. Utilizing remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to replace manual labor for near-surface garbage collection has become an important approach.

[0003] Existing near-water surface debris cleanup technologies mainly fall into two categories. The first is surface-mounted boat-type collection devices, such as CN110904934A "A Bionic Marine Plastic Recycling Device" and CN110904933A "A Submersible for Collecting Surface Debris." These devices use a hull or frame to set up filtration and collection structures to clean surface debris. However, their main structure is surface-mounted, resulting in weak handling of suspended debris below the surface and poor flexibility. The second is frame-type underwater robots, such as CN107226185A "A Micro-sized Fully Freedom Cable-Controlled Underwater Robot," which discloses a frame consisting of an upper floating body, a lower floating body, and a connecting frame, with eight thrusters set at a fixed 30° angle. CN105711779A "An Eight-Thrust Underwater Cleaning Robot" uses a rectangular outer frame with eight thrusters arranged in conjunction with brushes for cleaning. The framework of this type of solution is mostly welded or bolted, which makes the whole structure heavy and inconvenient to disassemble and assemble. In order to accommodate deep water pressure, it is made heavy, resulting in energy waste in shallow water conditions.

[0004] In summary, the existing technology has at least the following technical problems: insufficient flexibility of the surface boat configuration, weak handling of floating garbage below the water surface, inconvenience of disassembly and transportation of welded or bolted frames, and high energy consumption in shallow water, resulting in limited ability to flexibly reach and accurately pick up garbage near the water surface. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a portable unmanned remotely operated vehicle for near-water surface garbage retrieval.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A portable, near-surface litter-collecting unmanned remotely operated vehicle includes: The floating frame has a rectangular structure. The main control box is fixed on the floating frame and contains a power module, a control module and a drive module. The control module is electrically connected to the drive module, and the power module supplies power to the control module. A robotic arm is mounted at the front end of the floating frame, and the end of the robotic arm is equipped with a gripping mechanism for holding waste; and The propulsion system includes eight constant-thrust thrusters, comprising four horizontal thrusters and four vertical thrusters. The four vertical thrusters are arranged at the four bottom corners of the floating frame, and the four horizontal thrusters are located below the main control box and evenly distributed at the four corners of a square. Each horizontal thruster is rotatably connected to the floating frame via an independently controlled motor shaft. The motor shaft is configured to drive the corresponding horizontal thruster to freely rotate within a 90° range from the lateral to the front-rear direction, thereby adjusting the thrust direction of the thruster.

[0007] To optimize the above solution, the following technical measures were also adopted: As one preferred embodiment, the floating frame includes: Two side plates are arranged opposite each other and spaced apart along the lateral direction, and each side plate is provided with a second connecting hole along the lateral direction; The upper connecting plate is horizontally arranged, and its two ends along the lateral direction are respectively engaged and connected to the corresponding side plate along the lateral direction; A horizontally positioned support plate has second connecting protrusions at both ends along its lateral direction. Each second connecting protrusion has a second locking hole, which extends laterally through the corresponding side plate. Two second snap-fit ​​pieces are respectively engaged and connected to the second snap-fit ​​holes on the corresponding sides in the vertical direction.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, each of the side plates is provided with a first connecting hole along its side, the first connecting hole being located below the second connecting hole, and the floating frame further includes: A lower connecting plate, horizontally positioned, has first connecting protrusions at both ends along its lateral direction. Each first connecting protrusion has a first locking hole, which passes laterally through the first connecting hole, allowing the first locking hole to extend beyond the outer side of the corresponding side plate. Two first snap-fit ​​pieces are respectively engaged and connected to the first snap-fit ​​holes on the corresponding sides in the vertical direction.

[0009] As one of the preferred methods, four second positioning members are evenly distributed around the center of the plate at the bottom of the support plate. The four second positioning members correspond one-to-one with the four horizontal pushers. The second positioning members are elastic clamps and are connected to the bottom of the support plate through a vertical motor shaft. The horizontal pushers are elastically embedded in the corresponding second positioning members. The main control box is located at the top of the support plate.

[0010] As one of the preferred methods, the robotic arm is located at the front end of the lower connecting plate, and the four vertical thrusters are arranged in pairs facing each other and symmetrically inside the two side plates, with the two vertical thrusters in each group arranged at intervals and facing each other.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, a vision system is also included, comprising a waterproof camera, an infrared obstacle avoidance sensor, and an illumination device. The waterproof camera, infrared obstacle avoidance sensor, and illumination device are all electrically connected to the control module. The waterproof camera is used to detect target image information and send the image information to the control module. The infrared obstacle avoidance sensor is used to provide ranging information and send the ranging information to the control module. The control module is used to identify the target and drive the robotic arm to perform the picking action.

[0012] As one preferred embodiment, the thruster is driven by a 12V DC motor. The control module includes a main control board, and the drive module includes a dual-channel DC motor drive module. The main control board is used to output thruster direction control commands and PWM speed control signals to the dual-channel DC motor drive module. The dual-channel DC motor drive module converts the direction / speed commands given by the main control board into power signals that can directly drive the 12V DC thruster motor.

[0013] As one preferred embodiment, the upper connecting plate includes a body and two snap-fit ​​parts. The body is elliptical and is integrally formed with the two snap-fit ​​parts. The two snap-fit ​​parts are distributed laterally opposite to each other on both sides of the body. The snap-fit ​​parts protrude laterally from the body. The side plate is provided with a third snap hole corresponding to the snap-fit ​​part, and the third snap hole is snapped into the snap-fit ​​part.

[0014] As one of the preferred methods, the side plate is provided with four first positioning members, and the four first positioning members correspond one-to-one with the four vertical thrusters. The first positioning members are elastic clamps, and the vertical thrusters are elastically embedded in the corresponding first positioning members.

[0015] As a preferred method, the floating frame is made by 3D printing.

[0016] Because of the above-described solutions, one or more technical solutions provided in this application embodiment have at least the following technical effects or advantages: As one aspect, integrating the three types of electrical modules—power supply, control, and drive—into the same central control box creates an integrated structure for control, drive, and power supply. This reduces long-distance wiring when the modules are arranged separately, lowers the risk of line damage and water ingress, and provides unified protection for the internal modules, which is beneficial for maintaining the coordinated and stable operation of each unit in complex underwater environments.

[0017] On another front, after the propulsion system maneuvers the submersible to the vicinity of the target waste, the robotic arm located at the front end and facing the direction of operation can use its end gripping mechanism to grip and pick up solid waste on and near the water surface. This enables the submersible to handle floating waste near the water surface, avoiding the limitations of relying solely on filtration or netting methods to pick up large or irregularly shaped waste.

[0018] On another front, the eight constant thrust thrusters consist of four horizontal thrusters and four vertical thrusters, with the vertical thrusters positioned at the four corners of the bottom of the floating frame. The vertical thrust generated by the vertical thrusters can be used to overcome buoyancy differences to enable the submersible to ascend and descend. The four vertical thrusters are located at the four corners of the bottom and are arranged symmetrically, which helps to form balanced vertical support and generate roll / pitch moments to adjust attitude during differential operation. The horizontal thrust generated by the horizontal thrusters can be used to enable the submersible to translate and turn in the horizontal plane. This arrangement gives the submersible multi-degree-of-freedom maneuverability in the water, allowing it to flexibly reach different positions near the water surface.

[0019] In another aspect, four horizontal thrusters are arranged at the four corners of a square below the main control box. Each horizontal thruster can freely rotate within a 90° range from the lateral to the longitudinal direction via an independently controlled motor shaft. The horizontal thrusters are symmetrically distributed at the four corners of the square below the main control box, making the horizontal thrust approximately symmetrical about the origin. This facilitates the synthesis of the resultant force in any horizontal direction and the rotational torque around the vertical axis. More importantly, each horizontal thruster can rotate 90° online between the lateral and longitudinal directions via an independently controlled motor shaft. That is, during navigation and propulsion, the thrust direction is along the longitudinal direction to provide forward / reverse power. When lateral positioning or attitude fine-tuning is required, the thrust direction is turned to the side to provide lateral thrust. The same horizontal thruster can undertake the functions of longitudinal propulsion and lateral thrusting under different working conditions, and the steering of each thruster is independent and can be coordinated differentially. As a result, the ability of submersibles to adjust thrust direction, flexibly change motion direction and fine-tune attitude in confined spaces near the water surface is improved, making it easier to accurately approach and stably align with scattered floating debris in complex near-water environments such as waves and obstacles. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only involve some embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the portable near-water surface garbage retrieval unmanned remotely operated vehicle of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1A schematic diagram of the mid-floating body frame and the propulsion system from one perspective.

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of the mid-floating body frame and the thruster from another perspective.

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A structural diagram of the central support plate, vertical thruster, and main control box.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the power module, control module, drive module, and thruster.

[0026] Figure label: 1. Floating frame; 11. Side plate; 111. Third locking hole; 112. First connecting hole; 113. Second connecting hole; 12. Upper connecting plate; 121. Locking part; 13. Lower connecting plate; 131. First connecting protrusion; 132. First locking hole; 14. Bearing plate; 141. Second connecting protrusion; 142. Second locking hole; 15. First locking component; 16. Second locking component; 21. Horizontal thruster; 22. Vertical thruster; 23. First positioning component; 24. Second positioning component; 3. Main control box; 4. Robotic arm; 5. Lighting device; 6. Control module; 7. Drive module; 8. Power module. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this invention, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so as to more clearly understand the purpose, features and advantages of this invention. It should be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, but are only for illustrating the essential spirit of the technical solutions of this invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0028] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the word “comprising” and its variations, such as “including” and “having”, shall be understood to have an open, inclusive meaning, that is, to be interpreted as “including, but not limited to”.

[0029] Throughout this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the appearance of "in an embodiment" or "an embodiment" in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be combined in any manner in one or more embodiments.

[0030] The singular forms “a” and “the” used in this specification and the appended claims include plural references unless otherwise expressly stated herein. It should be noted that the term “or” is generally used to mean “and / or” unless otherwise expressly stated herein.

[0031] In the following description, in order to clearly demonstrate the structure and working method of the present invention, a number of directional terms will be used. However, terms such as "front", "back", "left", "right", "outside", "inside", "outward", "inward", "up", and "down" should be understood as convenient terms and not as limiting terms.

[0032] The implementation details of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following content is only for the convenience of understanding the implementation details and is not necessary for implementing this solution.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this embodiment provides a portable near-surface garbage retrieval unmanned remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which consists of a floating frame 1, a main control box 3, a robotic arm 4, and a propulsion system. The floating frame 1 has a rectangular structure and serves as the support and mounting base for the entire device. The main control box 3 is fixed to the floating frame 1 and integrates a power module 8, a control module 6, and a drive module 7, providing control, drive, and power for the entire device. The robotic arm 4 is mounted at the front end of the floating frame 1, and its end has a gripping mechanism for holding garbage. The propulsion system includes eight constant-thrust thrusters: four horizontal thrusters 21 are arranged at the four corners of a square below the main control box 3, and four vertical thrusters 22 are arranged at the four corners of the bottom of the floating frame 1. The horizontal thrusters 21 are rotatably connected to the floating frame 1 via independently controlled motor shafts and can freely rotate within a 90° range from lateral to longitudinal. The following describes each component in turn.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the floating frame 1 is a rectangular structure, meaning it has a rectangular outline in top view, with two opposing borders along its length and width, forming an open skeleton for mounting various components. The rectangular frame has a robotic arm 4 mounted at its front end along its length, a central control box 3 housed inside the frame, vertical thrusters 22 mounted at the four bottom corners, and a horizontal thruster 21 mounted below the central control box 3.

[0035] In one specific embodiment, the floating frame 1 is manufactured by 3D printing. Specifically, the various plates constituting the floating frame 1 (including but not limited to side plates 11, upper connecting plates 12, lower connecting plates 13, and load-bearing plates 14) can be integrally printed using additive manufacturing processes such as fused deposition modeling or photopolymerization. The materials used can be selected from engineering plastics such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polylactic acid, polycarbonate, or carbon fiber reinforced nylon, depending on the strength and buoyancy requirements. When low-density materials such as PLA or ABS are used, the self-weight of the frame can be further reduced while meeting the structural stiffness requirements.

[0036] Through the above structure and molding method, the rectangular structure allows the components of the whole machine to be symmetrically arranged along two mutually perpendicular axes, which is conducive to centering the center of gravity and simplifying assembly positioning. The use of 3D printing to form each plate in one piece allows for flexible design of the plate wall thickness, reinforcing ribs and snap-fit ​​structure according to the stress requirements. While achieving the lightweight of the frame, it ensures the necessary structural rigidity, thereby reducing the frame self-weight that the propulsion system needs to overcome, reducing energy consumption in shallow water operation conditions near the water surface, and facilitating rapid iteration and modification of the plate structure according to requirements.

[0037] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, in one specific embodiment, the floating frame 1 includes two side plates 11, an upper connecting plate 12, a bearing plate 14, and two second snap-fit ​​members 16.

[0038] The two side panels 11 are arranged opposite each other and spaced apart along the lateral direction, that is, they are placed on both sides of the rectangular frame in the width direction, parallel to each other and with a gap, so as to enclose the lateral boundary of the frame together with the upper and lower connecting plates. Each side panel 11 has a second connecting hole 113 opened along the lateral direction.

[0039] In a further embodiment, each side plate 11 is also provided with a first connecting hole 112 located below the second connecting hole 113 along the side, and a third locking hole 111 is provided at the corresponding locking position of the upper connecting plate 12 (see below for details). Here, "alternally provided" means that the hole axis runs through the width direction of the frame (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the surface of the side plate 11) so that the connecting protrusion on another plate can be inserted laterally.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, the upper connecting plate 12 is horizontally positioned, and its two ends along the lateral direction are respectively engaged with the corresponding side plates 11. In a more specific embodiment, as... Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, the upper connecting plate 12 includes a body and two snap-fit ​​portions 121. The body is elliptical and integrally formed with the two snap-fit ​​portions 121. The two snap-fit ​​portions 121 are distributed laterally opposite to each other on both sides of the body, and the snap-fit ​​portions 121 protrude laterally from the body. Correspondingly, the side plate 11 is provided with a third snap hole 111 corresponding to the snap-fit ​​portion 121, and the third snap hole 111 is engaged with the snap-fit ​​portion 121. The cross-sectional shape of the snap-fit ​​portion 121 can be dovetail, T-shaped, or stepped, etc., which can form a non-retractable cross-section with the third snap hole 111, so that after the upper connecting plate 12 is pushed into the third snap hole 111 of the side plate 11 from the side, it is confined to the position in the width direction without the need for additional fasteners.

[0041] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the support plate 14 is horizontally arranged, with second connecting protrusions 141 at both ends along its lateral direction. Each second connecting protrusion 141 has a second locking hole 142. During assembly, the second connecting protrusions 141 pass laterally through the second connecting holes 113 on the side plate 11, causing the second locking holes 142 to extend beyond the outer side of the corresponding side plate 11. Two second locking members 16 are respectively engaged vertically with the corresponding second locking holes 142, i.e., the second locking members 16 are inserted from above or below into the second locking holes 142 extending beyond the outer side of the side plate 11, thereby locking the support plate 14 vertically onto the side plate 11. Here, the second locking member 16 is a T-shaped locking block, inserted from above and below and locked into the second locking hole 142.

[0042] In this embodiment, the upper connecting plate 12 forms a lateral anti-reverse locking with the third locking hole 111 of the side plate 11 through the snap-fit ​​parts 121 at both ends. The bearing plate 14 is locked in the vertical direction by the second connecting protrusions 141 at both ends passing through the second connecting holes 113 of the side plate 11 and then by the second snap-fit ​​parts 16 and the second locking holes 142. Thus, the connection between each plate can be completed by a pure snap-fit ​​method of "protrusions passing through corresponding holes and snap-fit ​​parts snapping into protrusions and locking holes", without the need for screws, bolts or other fasteners. The floating frame 1 can be quickly disassembled and assembled without tools and transported in a modular manner. It can be easily folded and stored or carried in sections before and after arriving at the working water area, which significantly reduces the difficulty of transportation and on-site maintenance. At the same time, the snap-fit ​​connection avoids the problems of thermal deformation and non-disassembly caused by welding. The plates can be replaced individually, which improves the maintainability of the frame.

[0043] Furthermore, for the upper connecting plate 12 and the side plate 11, the upper connecting plate 12 and the side plate 11 are laterally snapped together, and the upper connecting plate 12 and the side plate 11 are mutually limited in the vertical direction. For the support plate 14 and the side plate 11, the second connecting protrusion 141 of the support plate 14 passes through the second connecting hole 113 of the side plate 11, and the second snap-fit ​​member 16 is snapped into the second snap hole 142 in the vertical direction, thereby realizing the mutual limitation of the support plate 14 and the side plate 11 in the lateral direction. In this way, by simply snapping together, the lateral and vertical constraints between the two side plates 11 and the support plate 14, the upper connecting plate 12 and / or the lower connecting plate 13 can be realized, that is, the assembly connection of this floating frame 1 is realized, making it a whole structure, further enhancing its portability and practicality.

[0044] In one specific implementation, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, each side plate 11 has a first connecting hole 112 on its side, and the first connecting hole 112 is located below the second connecting hole 113. The floating frame 1 also includes a lower connecting plate 13 and two first snap-fit ​​pieces 15. The lower connecting plate 13 is horizontally arranged, and its two ends on its side are respectively provided with first connecting protrusions 131. The first connecting protrusions 131 are provided with first snap-fit ​​holes 132. During assembly, the first connecting protrusions 131 pass through the first connecting holes 112 on the side plate 11 on its side, so that the first snap-fit ​​holes 132 extend out of the outer side of the corresponding side plate 11. The two first snap-fit ​​pieces 15 are respectively engaged with the first snap-fit ​​holes 132 on the corresponding side in the vertical direction, thereby locking the lower connecting plate 13 on the side plate 11 in the vertical direction.

[0045] The lower connecting plate 13 and the upper bearing plate 14 adopt the same connection method of "the lateral protrusions passing through the corresponding connecting holes of the side plates 11, and then being locked by the snap-fit ​​parts in the vertical direction into the protrusion's snap-fit ​​holes". This makes the floating frame 1 have multiple layers of horizontal plates in the height direction, including the upper connecting plate 12, the bearing plate 14, and the lower connecting plate 13, and each layer of plates is connected to the side plates 11 by a unified snap-fit ​​method. On the one hand, the setting of multiple layers of horizontal plates enhances the overall rigidity and torsional resistance of the rectangular frame in the height direction, making the frame less prone to deformation when subjected to thrust from the propeller and water flow loads; on the other hand, the upper, middle, and lower plates all adopt a consistent detachable snap-fit ​​structure, which standardizes the assembly and disassembly steps of the entire frame and makes the operation consistent, further improving the efficiency of disassembly and reassembly.

[0046] In one specific implementation, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, four second positioning members 24 are evenly distributed around the center of the bottom of the support plate 14, and each of the four second positioning members 24 corresponds to one of the four horizontal pushers 21. The second positioning members 24 are elastic clamps and are connected to the bottom of the support plate 14 through a vertical motor shaft. During assembly, the horizontal pushers 21 are elastically engaged in the corresponding second positioning members 24, and the main control box 3 is located on the top of the support plate 14.

[0047] Specifically, the four second positioning components 24 are evenly distributed around the center of the bearing plate 14, forming a square arrangement at the four corners. Each second positioning component 24 is made of a shark-shaped elastic clamp with an opening. The shape of its inner cavity is adapted to the shape of the motor housing or mounting base of the horizontal thruster 21. During installation, the horizontal thruster 21 is pressed into the elastic clamp through the opening, and the elastic restoring force of the clamp is used to hold the thruster tightly. At the same time, the thruster is connected to the bottom of the bearing plate 14 through the vertical motor shaft.

[0048] The elastic clamp 24 utilizes its own elastic deformation to secure the horizontal thruster 21, avoiding the cumbersome disassembly and assembly caused by screw fastening in traditional installations. Furthermore, the clamp's elasticity provides some cushioning against water flow impact. The horizontal thruster 21 is fixed to the underside of the support plate 14 in a square configuration at its four corners, with the main control box 3 located on top of the support plate 14. This arrangement of the thrusters and the main control box in a vertically layered manner ensures they do not interfere with each other, resulting in a compact overall structure. The horizontal thrusters 21 can be quickly inserted or removed by hand, facilitating on-site replacement of faulty thrusters and significantly improving maintenance convenience. The symmetry of the four horizontal thrusters 21 about the center of the support plate 14 also promotes balanced horizontal thrust.

[0049] In one specific implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, the side plate 11 is provided with four first positioning members 23, and the four first positioning members 23 correspond one-to-one with the four vertical thrusters 22. The first positioning members 23 are also elastic clamps, and the vertical thrusters 22 are elastically embedded in the corresponding first positioning members 23.

[0050] Specifically, the four first positioning components 23 are respectively arranged on the two side plates 11, so that the four vertical thrusters 22 are finally located at the bottom four corners of the floating frame 1.

[0051] In a more specific arrangement, the four vertical thrusters 22 are arranged in pairs, forming two groups. These two groups are symmetrically positioned on the inner sides of the two side plates 11, with the two vertical thrusters 22 in each group spaced apart and facing each other along the width of the frame. This allows each group to provide symmetrical vertical thrust to its respective side plate 11. The structure of the first positioning member 23 is similar to that of the second positioning member 24 described above; both are open elastic clamps. During installation, the vertical thrusters 22 are pressed into the clamps through the openings and held in place, thus fixing them to the lower part of the side plate 11.

[0052] The vertical thrusters 22 are secured to the four bottom corners of the side plate 11 by elastic clamps 23, using the same type of elastic clamps as the horizontal thrusters 21, which are secured to the bottom of the support plate 14. This allows all eight thrusters to be quickly assembled and disassembled. This arrangement ensures that the four vertical thrusters 22 are symmetrically positioned at the four bottom corners to provide balanced vertical thrust, and also allows for individual and rapid replacement of damaged thrusters, reducing overall machine maintenance costs and downtime.

[0053] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the main control box 3 is fixed on the floating frame 1. In one embodiment, the main control box 3 sits on top of the support plate 14 and is supported by the support plate 14. Inside, there is a power module 8, a control module 6, and a drive module 7. The control module 6 is electrically connected to the drive module 7, and the power module 8 supplies power to the control module 6 and all electrical units of the whole machine.

[0054] In one specific implementation, the thruster is driven by a 12V DC motor. The control module 6 includes a main control board, and the drive module 7 includes a dual-channel DC motor drive module. The main control board is used to output thruster direction control commands and PWM speed regulation signals to the dual-channel DC motor drive module. The dual-channel DC motor drive module converts the direction / speed commands given by the main control board into power signals that can directly drive the 12V DC thruster motor.

[0055] Specifically, the power supply module 8 can use a lithium battery pack with a nominal voltage of not less than 12V (such as a 12V lithium polymer battery), the main control board of the control module 6 can use an Arduino series microcontroller development board (such as Arduino UNO and its compatible boards), its onboard microcontroller (such as ATmega328P) runs motion control algorithms and outputs logic level control signals to the outside, and the drive module 7 can use an L298N dual H-bridge motor drive module. Each H-bridge can independently control the forward and reverse rotation and speed of a DC motor, so a single L298N can drive two 12V DC thruster motors, and the eight thrusters of the whole machine can be configured with four dual-path drive modules.

[0056] In this embodiment, the power supply module 8, control module 6, and drive module 7 are integrated into the same main control box 3, forming an integrated electrical core of "power supply-control-drive". The main control board outputs low-current logic signals (including direction signals and PWM speed control signals), which are amplified by the dual-channel DC motor drive module into high-current power signals that can drive the 12V DC thruster motors, thereby precisely adjusting the direction and speed of each thruster with a smaller control signal. The integration of the electrical core simplifies the overall wiring and enhances the anti-interference capability. The main control box 3 provides unified protection for the internal modules, reducing the risk of water ingress or damage to the wiring in the underwater environment. The combination of 12V DC power supply, general-purpose microcontroller, and dual H-bridge drive makes the components readily available, low-cost, and allows for flexible expansion of the drive module according to the number of thrusters.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, the robotic arm 4 is installed at the front end of the floating frame 1, and the end of the robotic arm 4 is provided with a clamping mechanism for clamping garbage.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, the robotic arm 4 is disposed at the front end of the lower connecting plate 13, that is, it extends forward from the front end of the floating frame 1 in the length direction, so that the clamping mechanism is oriented towards the working direction.

[0059] The robotic arm 4 is driven by a robotic arm actuator motor and configured to rotate in the horizontal plane around a vertical axis, achieving two or more flexion and extension movements in the vertical direction. Its end-effector gripping mechanism can be a two-finger gripper, with the two fingers driven to open and close by a micro-servo motor or electromagnetic mechanism to grip solid waste such as bottles, foam blocks, and packaging materials. The root of the robotic arm 4 is fixed to the front end of the lower connecting plate 13, thus moving together with the floating frame 1. When the submersible is propelled by the propulsion system to the vicinity of the target waste, the control module 6 drives the robotic arm actuator motor to turn the robotic arm in the horizontal plane and align it with the waste. Then, it controls the flexion and extension joints to adjust the end-effector height and extension distance, and finally drives the two-finger gripper to close and grasp the waste.

[0060] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, the propulsion system includes eight constant-thrust thrusters, namely four horizontal thrusters 21 and four vertical thrusters 22. The four vertical thrusters 22 are arranged at the four bottom corners of the floating frame 1, and their thrust direction extends vertically to generate vertical thrust that causes the submersible to rise or descend. The four horizontal thrusters 21 are located below the main control box 3 and are evenly distributed at the four corners of the square. Their thrust direction is in the horizontal plane and are used to generate horizontal thrust that causes the submersible to translate and turn in the horizontal plane.

[0061] In this embodiment, each horizontal thruster 21 is rotatably connected to the floating frame 1 via an independently controlled motor shaft. The motor shaft is configured to drive the corresponding horizontal thruster 21 to freely rotate within a 90° range from the lateral to the front-rear direction, so as to adjust the thrust direction of the thruster.

[0062] Specifically, one end of the motor shaft is rotatably engaged with the floating frame 1, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second positioning component 16. By controlling the rotation angle of the motor shaft, the normal of the nozzle / disc of the horizontal thruster 21 can swing 90° between the "lateral" and "forward / backward" directions in the horizontal plane. When the motor shaft causes the thrust of the horizontal thruster 21 to be in the forward / backward direction, the thruster mainly provides longitudinal thrust for the submersible to move forward or backward; when the motor shaft causes the thrust of the horizontal thruster 21 to be turned laterally, the thruster mainly provides lateral (left / right) thrust. Since the four horizontal thrusters 21 are located at the four corners of the square and their rotation is independently controllable, by coordinating the magnitude and direction of the thrust of each thruster, a resultant force in any direction and a rotational torque about the vertical axis can be synthesized in the horizontal plane, thereby enabling the submersible to move and turn in any direction in the horizontal plane.

[0063] In one specific implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the present invention also includes a vision system, which includes a waterproof camera, an infrared obstacle avoidance sensor (not shown), and an illumination device 5. The waterproof camera, the infrared obstacle avoidance sensor, and the illumination device 5 are all electrically connected to the control module 6. The waterproof camera is used to detect target image information and send the image information to the control module 6. The infrared obstacle avoidance sensor is used to provide ranging information and send the ranging information to the control module 6. The control module 6 is used to identify the target and drive the robotic arm 4 to perform the picking action.

[0064] Specifically, a waterproof camera can be installed at the front end of the floating frame 1 or on the main control box 3 to acquire real-time visual images underwater. An infrared obstacle avoidance sensor can be used to obtain distance information between the submersible and the target debris or between the submersible and obstacles. The lighting device 5 can be a waterproof LED supplementary light, installed at the front of the floating frame 1, to provide auxiliary lighting for the camera in complex lighting conditions near the water surface, turbid water, or nighttime environments. After receiving the image information and ranging information, the control module 6 can perform fusion processing to locate the relative position of the target debris, and plan the motion path accordingly, coordinating the actions of the propulsion system and the robotic arm 4.

[0065] In this embodiment, the vertical thruster 22 provides vertical freedom and the horizontal thruster 21 provides horizontal freedom. Together, they enable the submersible to perform multi-degree-of-freedom maneuvering, including surfacing and diving, horizontal translation, and turning in place. The horizontal thruster 21's design allows it to turn 90° between the lateral and longitudinal directions, enabling a single horizontal thruster 21 to function as both a longitudinal and lateral thruster, avoiding the need for additional thrusters to accommodate multiple thrust directions. While maintaining the overall layout of eight equal-thrust thrusters, the combined thrust direction and attitude of the entire submersible can be flexibly changed by adjusting the thrust direction of each thruster online. This improves the submersible's maneuverability and aiming ability in confined spaces near the water surface, wave disturbances, and near obstacles, facilitating precise approach to dispersed floating debris.

[0066] By combining image recognition, distance measurement, and auxiliary lighting through a vision system, the submersible can still detect targets in near-surface underwater environments where close-range human observation is lacking. A waterproof camera, in conjunction with infrared ranging, improves the accuracy of locating floating debris in complex near-surface environments such as waves, reflections, and turbidity. The control module 6 then uses this information to drive the robotic arm 4 to complete the retrieval, thereby increasing the success rate and automation of the retrieval operation.

[0067] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or basic characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Therefore, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention, and no reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0068] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A portable, near-surface litter-collecting unmanned remotely operated vehicle, characterized in that, include: The floating frame (1) has a rectangular structure; The main control box (3) is fixed on the floating frame (1). Inside it are a power module (8), a control module (6) and a drive module (7). The control module (6) is electrically connected to the drive module (7), and the power module (8) supplies power to the control module (6). A robotic arm (4) is mounted at the front end of the floating frame (1), and the end of the robotic arm (4) is provided with a clamping mechanism for gripping garbage; and The propulsion system includes eight constant thrust thrusters, which include four horizontal thrusters (21) and four vertical thrusters (22). The four vertical thrusters (22) are arranged at the bottom four corners of the floating frame (1), and the four horizontal thrusters (21) are located below the main control box (3) and evenly distributed at the four corners of a square. Each horizontal thruster (21) is rotatably connected to the floating frame (1) via an independently controlled motor shaft. The motor shaft is configured to drive the corresponding horizontal thruster (21) to freely turn within a 90° range from the lateral to the front-rear direction to adjust the thrust direction of the thruster.

2. The portable near-surface garbage retrieval unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floating frame (1) includes: Two side plates (11) are arranged opposite each other and spaced apart along the lateral direction, and each side plate (11) is provided with a second connecting hole (113) along the lateral direction. The upper connecting plate (12) is horizontally arranged, and the two ends of the upper connecting plate (12) are respectively connected to the corresponding side plate in the lateral direction. A support plate (14) is horizontally arranged. The support plate (14) has second connecting protrusions (141) at both ends along its lateral direction. Each second connecting protrusion (141) has a second locking hole (142). The second connecting protrusion (141) passes laterally through the second connecting hole (113), causing the second locking hole (142) to extend beyond the outer side of the corresponding side plate (11). Two second snap-fit ​​pieces (16) are respectively snapped into the second snap-fit ​​hole (142) on the corresponding side along the vertical direction.

3. The portable near-surface litter-collecting unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the side plates (11) has a first connecting hole (112) laterally formed, the first connecting hole (112) being located below the second connecting hole (113), and the floating frame further includes: The lower connecting plate (13) is horizontally arranged. Each of the two ends of the lower connecting plate (13) along its lateral direction has a first connecting protrusion (131). The first connecting protrusion (131) has a first locking hole (132). The first connecting protrusion (131) passes laterally through the first connecting hole (112), so that the first locking hole (132) extends outward from the outer side of the corresponding side plate (11). Two first snap-fit ​​pieces (15) are respectively snapped into the first snap-fit ​​hole (132) on the corresponding side along the vertical direction.

4. The portable near-surface garbage retrieval unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the support plate (14) is evenly distributed with four second positioning parts (24) around the center of the plate body. The four second positioning parts (24) correspond one-to-one with the four horizontal pushers (21). The second positioning parts (24) are elastic clamps and are connected to the bottom of the support plate (14) through a vertical motor shaft. The horizontal pushers (21) are elastically embedded in the corresponding second positioning parts (24). The main control box (3) is set on the top of the support plate (14).

5. The portable near-surface garbage retrieval unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The robotic arm (4) is located at the front end of the lower connecting plate (13). The four vertical thrusters (22) are arranged in pairs facing each other and symmetrically inside the two side plates (11). The two vertical thrusters (22) in each group are spaced apart and arranged opposite each other.

6. The portable near-surface litter-collecting unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, It also includes a vision system, which includes a waterproof camera, an infrared obstacle avoidance sensor and a lighting device (5). The waterproof camera, the infrared obstacle avoidance sensor and the lighting device are all electrically connected to the control module. The waterproof camera is used to detect target image information and send the image information to the control module (6). The infrared obstacle avoidance sensor is used to provide ranging information and send the ranging information to the control module (6). The control module (6) is used to identify the target and drive the robotic arm (4) to perform the picking action.

7. The portable near-surface litter retrieval unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The thruster is driven by a 12V DC motor. The control module includes a main control board, and the drive module includes a dual-channel DC motor drive module. The main control board is used to output thruster direction control commands and PWM speed regulation signals to the dual-channel DC motor drive module. The dual-channel DC motor drive module converts the direction / speed commands given by the main control board into power signals that can directly drive the 12V DC thruster motor.

8. The portable near-surface litter-collecting unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper connecting plate (12) includes a body and two snap-fit ​​parts (121). The body is elliptical and is integrally formed with the two snap-fit ​​parts (121). The two snap-fit ​​parts (121) are distributed laterally opposite to each other on both sides of the body. The snap-fit ​​parts (121) protrude laterally from the body. The side plate (11) is provided with a third snap hole (111) corresponding to the snap-fit ​​part (121). The third snap hole (111) is snapped into the snap-fit ​​part (121).

9. The portable near-surface garbage retrieval unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The side plate (11) is provided with four first positioning parts (23), and the four first positioning parts (23) correspond one-to-one with the four vertical thrusters (22). The first positioning parts (23) are elastic clamps, and the vertical thrusters (22) are elastically embedded in the corresponding first positioning parts (23).

10. The portable near-surface litter-collecting unmanned remotely operated vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floating frame (1) is made by 3D printing.

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