Underwater object observation method, underwater device, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses an underwater object observation method, an underwater device and a computer readable storage medium. The underwater object observation method comprises the following steps: establishing a reference navigation route, wherein the reference navigation route comprises at least one first navigation route, and the first navigation route is used for providing a depth running direction and a reference running distance in the depth running direction; and controlling the underwater device to perform observation on a measured object according to the reference navigation route. In the first navigation route, the underwater device is controlled to perform fixed-distance observation on the measured object. During the fixed-distance observation on the first navigation route, the observation posture of the underwater device is adjusted according to the forward multi-beam sonar reflection signal and / or the longitudinal multi-beam sonar reflection signal and the running condition of the underwater device on the first navigation route. Compared with the prior art, the fixed-distance observation can be performed on the full profile of the underwater object on the first navigation route, and the posture of the underwater device is adaptively adjusted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine observation technology, and in particular to a method for observing underwater objects, underwater equipment, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of science and technology, human exploration of the ocean has entered an unprecedented depth and breadth. The combination of advanced underwater robots, unmanned underwater vehicles, and remote sensing technologies allows us to reveal the mysterious world of the deep sea. Current technologies offer two main methods for underwater robots to observe underwater objects: one is observation through real-time control by operators; the other is a pre-set navigation route, allowing the underwater robot to automatically perform observations according to that route.

[0003] For the first method, when the object being measured has an irregular shape, it severely tests the operator's ability to judge the surrounding environment of the underwater robot. A mistake could lead to a collision. For the second method, while it allows the underwater robot to observe the object, it lacks effective attitude control for adjustments in the depth direction. When the surface of the object has a turning point, simply adjusting the depth of the underwater robot will inevitably result in incomplete observation of the turning point. Furthermore, the underwater robot lacks adaptive attitude adjustment capabilities during observation. If the target object is lost, it will inevitably lead to wasted working time. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide an underwater object observation method, underwater equipment, and computer-readable storage medium, aiming to solve the problem that underwater robots, when executing the automatic navigation schemes provided by the prior art, lack adaptive adjustment capabilities and are unable to combine the actual situation of the surface of the object being measured, resulting in incomplete observation of the surface of the object being measured.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes a method for observing underwater objects, wherein the three-dimensional depth observation method for underwater objects includes:

[0006] Establish a reference navigation route, the reference navigation route including at least one first navigation route, the first navigation route being used to provide a depth running direction and a reference running distance in the depth running direction;

[0007] The underwater device is controlled to observe the object under test according to the reference navigation route; wherein, the underwater device is controlled to perform fixed-distance observation of the object under test on the first navigation route;

[0008] During the fixed-distance observation of the first navigation route, the observation attitude of the underwater equipment is adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and / or the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal and the operation status of the underwater equipment on the first navigation route.

[0009] Optionally, the step of adjusting the observation attitude of the underwater equipment based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and / or the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal and the operation status of the underwater equipment on the first navigation route during the fixed-range observation of the first navigation route includes:

[0010] The depth direction is determined based on the first navigation route currently being executed by the underwater device;

[0011] The attitude triggering conditions are confirmed based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal acquired in real time.

[0012] When the first triggering condition is confirmed to be met based on the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal, the underwater device is controlled to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has not been observed.

[0013] When the second trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal, the underwater device is controlled to adjust its attitude in the direction in which the object under test has been observed.

[0014] Optionally, after the step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has not been observed when the first trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal, or after the step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has been observed when the second trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal, the method further includes:

[0015] The underwater device is controlled to move along the unobserved area of ​​the surface of the object being measured.

[0016] Optionally, the step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards a direction in which the object under test has not been observed when the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal confirms that the first triggering condition is met includes:

[0017] When the first triggering condition is met, the underwater device is controlled to hover at its current position;

[0018] Determine whether the destination of the first navigation route has been reached;

[0019] Control the underwater device to rotate towards the area where the object under test is not being observed;

[0020] During rotation, the observation distance between the underwater equipment and the object under test is dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

[0021] Optionally, the step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has been observed when the second trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal includes:

[0022] When the second triggering condition is met, the underwater device is controlled to hover at a designated position;

[0023] Determine whether the destination of the first navigation route has been reached;

[0024] The underwater device is controlled to lock the viewing angle and rotated toward the observed area of ​​the object being measured.

[0025] During rotation, the relative attitude between the underwater equipment and the object under test is dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

[0026] Optionally, the step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has been observed when the second trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal includes:

[0027] When the second triggering condition is met, the underwater device is controlled to hover at its current position;

[0028] Determine whether the destination of the first navigation route has been reached;

[0029] Control the underwater device to rotate in the direction of the observed area of ​​the object under test, and lock the view of the object under test;

[0030] During rotation, the observation distance and relative attitude between the underwater equipment and the object under test are dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

[0031] Optionally, the angle at which the distance between the underwater device and the object being measured is minimized during rotation can be used as the locking angle.

[0032] Optionally, the reference navigation line consists of at least two segments of first navigation line and at least two segments of second navigation line arranged at intervals; the first navigation line is used to provide a depth running direction and a reference running distance in the depth running direction; the second navigation line is used to provide a reference running direction in a fixed depth plane and a running distance in the reference running direction; the depth running directions provided by two adjacent segments of the first navigation line are different.

[0033] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention also proposes an underwater device, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a control program for the underwater device stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the control program for the underwater device is configured to implement the steps of the control method for the underwater device as described above.

[0034] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for an underwater device, wherein the control program for the underwater device, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method for the underwater device as described above.

[0035] Compared with existing technologies, the underwater object observation method provided by this invention adopts a method of controlling the underwater equipment to perform fixed-distance observation of the object under test along a first navigation path. This allows the underwater equipment to adaptively adjust its own attitude during the observation process, ensuring the observation effect. Furthermore, throughout the process, distance information obtained from forward multibeam sonar reflection signals and / or longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signals allows for timely and accurate adjustment of the underwater equipment's direction. This ensures that the underwater equipment can perform comprehensive and complete observation of the entire surface contour of the object under test along the first navigation path, while also preventing collisions between the underwater equipment and the object. Attached Figure Description

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0037] in:

[0038] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the underwater object observation method provided in this application;

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a reference navigation route is provided for the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the observation process of underwater equipment along the depth direction for existing technologies;

[0041] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Detailed flowchart of step S300;

[0042] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Detailed flowchart of step S330;

[0043] Figures 6-11 A schematic diagram of the underwater equipment attitude adjustment process is provided for one embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 12 for Figure 4 A detailed flowchart of an embodiment of step S340;

[0045] Figures 13-17 A schematic diagram of the underwater equipment attitude adjustment process is provided for another embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 18 for Figure 4 A detailed flowchart of another embodiment of step S340;

[0047] Figures 19-24 A schematic diagram of the underwater equipment attitude adjustment process is provided for another embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 25 A schematic diagram of the observation process of the underwater equipment along the first navigation path is provided for this application;

[0049] Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the underwater device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0052] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0053] The use of "applies to" or "configured to" in this application implies open and inclusive language, which does not exclude the applicability to or configuration to devices performing additional tasks or steps. Additionally, the use of "based on" implies openness and inclusivity, because processes, steps, calculations, or other actions "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0054] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as "exemplary" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this application. Details are set forth in the following description for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that this application can be made without using these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures and processes are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and features disclosed in this application.

[0055] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0056] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the underwater object observation method provided in this application. The method can be applied to underwater equipment equipped with at least a forward-facing multibeam sonar and a depth sensor, enabling the underwater equipment to detect multiple parameters such as speed, distance, and depth. The underwater equipment also includes a camera device to provide users with comprehensive visual observation. In a preferred embodiment, the underwater device may also be equipped with a longitudinal multibeam sonar device; the terms "forward" and "longitudinal" are relative to the attitude of the underwater device; for example, when the underwater device is in a horizontal attitude, "forward" can be defined as the horizontal direction, and "longitudinal" can be defined as the vertical direction; similarly, if "forward" is defined as the vertical direction, then the corresponding "longitudinal" can also be understood as the horizontal direction; the aforementioned multibeam sonar device may specifically be a Doppler Velocity Log (DVL); each of the aforementioned multibeam sonar devices can detect the travel speed and distance in its oriented direction; the forward multibeam sonar device can be understood as a multibeam sonar device fixedly installed on the underwater device and aligned with the camera device; or the multibeam sonar device can be movably installed on the underwater device through an additional device (such as a gimbal, bracket, etc.), and can be aligned with the camera device after angle adjustment; the underwater device includes, but is not limited to, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Underwater robots can be of various types, including AUVs, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and autonomous / remotely controlled underwater vehicles (ARVs), and can also be underwater exploration equipment, underwater submarine equipment, or other underwater operation equipment; this application does not limit the scope of these types. In some other embodiments, the underwater device may also be equipped with a downward DVL (Directional Vehicle) system.

[0057] The underwater object depth observation method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the specific steps are as follows:

[0059] Step S100: Establish a reference navigation route, which includes at least one segment of a first navigation route. The first navigation route is used to provide the depth direction of travel and the reference travel distance in the depth direction of travel.

[0060] In this embodiment of the application, the reference navigation line is used to clarify the operating logic of the underwater equipment, and the underwater equipment can use the reference navigation line as a basis to perform automatic observation of the observed target.

[0061] Specifically, the reference navigation line consists of at least two first navigation lines and at least two second navigation lines spaced apart. The first navigation lines provide the underwater equipment's depth direction (vertical direction) and a reference travel distance in that direction. The second navigation lines provide the underwater equipment's reference direction (horizontal direction) within a fixed depth plane and a travel distance in that direction. In this embodiment, the reference navigation line is continuous; that is, except for the start and end points of the reference navigation lines, the end point of any first navigation line can constitute the start point of a connected second navigation line, and similarly, the end point of a second navigation line also constitutes the start point of a connected first navigation line.

[0062] Operators can complete the process of establishing the above-mentioned reference navigation route by drawing or other means on any device with an input interface (such as a mobile phone or a remote control with a display screen).

[0063] Please refer to the following: Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a reference navigation route for an embodiment of this application. L1, L2, and L3 can be considered the first navigation route. L1, L2, and L3 provide the direction of movement and reference travel distance of the underwater equipment in the underwater depth direction. For example, L2 and L3 provide the downward depth travel direction, while L1 provides the upward depth travel direction. Furthermore, the reference travel distance can be clearly defined using a reference scale; for example, if a reference scale corresponds to 1 centimeter in the reference route for an actual distance of 5 meters, then when the length of the reference route is 3 centimeters, the corresponding reference travel distance is 15 meters. S1 and S2 can be considered the second navigation route. S1 and S2 provide the reference travel direction and travel distance of the underwater equipment within a fixed depth plane. This travel distance can also be determined using the method described above for clearly defining the reference travel distance.

[0064] Point A serves as the starting point of this reference navigation route and has clearly defined initial water depth information, such as 50 meters underwater. Each first navigation route also has clearly defined starting and ending water depths. For example, point B is the starting point of first navigation route L1, with a water depth of 70 meters; point C is the ending point of first navigation route L1, with a water depth of 50 meters. It should be noted that in this reference navigation route diagram, the reference travel distance provided by each segment of the first or second navigation route can be the same or different. In this embodiment, adjacent segments of the first navigation route provide different directions of travel in terms of depth. For example, L1 provides an upward direction of depth movement, while L2 provides a downward direction of depth movement.

[0065] Furthermore, the selection of the starting point A can be a fixed point based on specific coordinates (latitude, longitude, and depth) or a random selection based on a certain relationship established between the underwater equipment and the object being measured within a specified depth. This application does not impose any restrictions. It is understood that once the starting point of the reference navigation route is determined, the underwater equipment will automatically observe the object being measured according to the reference navigation route.

[0066] Step S200: Control the underwater equipment to perform observations on the object under test according to the reference navigation route; wherein, control the underwater equipment to perform fixed-distance observations on the object under test on the first navigation route.

[0067] In this embodiment, when the underwater device observes the object being measured along the first navigation route, the distance between the underwater device and the object remains constant. For fixed-distance observation, the distance is determined based on the real-time acquired forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and a preset observation distance, thereby adjusting the underwater device's operating attitude and observation position.

[0068] This application focuses on the first navigation route (in the depth direction) because when the underwater equipment executes the second navigation route, it can adaptively adjust the heading angle through forward multibeam sonar reflection signals, without involving pitch changes in the observation attitude.

[0069] Step S300: During the fixed-distance observation of the first navigation route, the observation attitude of the underwater equipment is adjusted according to the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and / or the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal and the operation status of the underwater equipment on the first navigation route.

[0070] In the embodiments of this application, during the process of underwater equipment observing the object at a distance along the depth direction, in addition to the case where the surface of the object is composed of both plane and arc surfaces or multiple arc surfaces, there may also be cases where the surface of the object has a turning surface (such as a stepped shape).

[0071] like Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the observation process of an underwater device along its depth direction using existing technology. According to existing underwater inertial navigation systems, the underwater device performs a constant attitude and speed descent for observation within the depth variation range from point A to point B. However, once it reaches the precise point A, it does not perform the distance-based observation as described in this application. Therefore, existing technology cannot accurately measure the depth of the underwater equipment during the entire observation process from point A to point B. Figure 2Effective observations are performed in regions a and b; however, there is a risk of collision between the underwater equipment and the object being measured. Compared with existing underwater inertial navigation systems, this application not only avoids collisions but also enables the underwater equipment to perform comprehensive distance-based observations of the entire contour of the object being measured along the first navigation path. Specifically, this effect is achieved through forward multibeam sonar and longitudinal multibeam sonar mounted on the underwater equipment.

[0072] Specifically, the above situation can be determined using forward multibeam sonar reflection signals and / or longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signals. For example, during the observation of an underwater device maintaining an observation distance along the depth direction, the detection data from the longitudinal multibeam sonar device is used to confirm whether the underwater device can normally perform movement in the depth direction. If the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal confirms that the underwater device can meet the requirements for normal movement in the depth direction, then the information fed back from the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal is mainly used as the ranging relationship.

[0073] Therefore, when the distance information obtained from forward multibeam sonar reflection signals or longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signals changes beyond the range, it is necessary to adjust the observation attitude of the underwater equipment to adapt to the changing situation.

[0074] Please refer to the following: Figure 4 ,for Figure 1 A detailed flowchart of step S300, which includes:

[0075] S310. Confirm the depth and direction of travel based on the first navigation route currently being executed by the underwater equipment;

[0076] The purpose of this step is to clarify the observations already performed by the underwater equipment along the first navigation path, thereby distinguishing between the observed and unobserved areas of the object being measured. Figure 2 For example, the depth direction provided by the first navigation route is from top to bottom.

[0077] S320. Confirm the attitude triggering conditions based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal acquired in real time.

[0078] Since forward-facing and longitudinal-facing multibeam sonar devices continuously emit sonar signals, these signals are reflected and received by underwater equipment, enabling analysis and calculation of distance and underwater equipment operating speed. This step primarily uses distance relationships as attitude triggering conditions.

[0079] S330. When the first triggering condition is confirmed to be met based on the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal, control the underwater equipment to adjust its attitude in the direction in which the object under test has not been observed.

[0080] The purpose of this step is for the underwater equipment to confirm the attitude triggering conditions by receiving longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signals. Its core logic is to prevent the underwater equipment from colliding during the observation of the first navigation path. Please combine this with... Figure 5 ,for Figure 4 Detailed flowchart of step S330; step S330 includes:

[0081] S331. When the first triggering condition is met, control the underwater equipment to hover at the current position;

[0082] Please refer to the following: Figures 6-11 This provides a schematic diagram of the underwater equipment attitude adjustment process according to an embodiment of this application; and corresponds overall to the provisions of this application regarding... Figure 3 The observation situation in area a: When the underwater equipment confirms the presence of a target object or obstacle below it by receiving a downward multibeam sonar reflection signal, and the distance has reached the set threshold D2 (the set threshold D2 can be the same as or different from the preset observation distance D1), it indicates that if the underwater equipment continues to move in the direction provided by the first navigation route, it may cause a collision with the target object or obstacle. At this time, the first trigger condition is met, and to avoid a collision, the underwater equipment will be controlled to hover at the current position.

[0083] S332. Determine whether the end point of the first navigation route has been reached; if not, proceed to step S333; if yes, end the process directly.

[0084] Specifically, the depth gauge installed on the underwater equipment can determine the current water depth of the equipment, which can be compared with the water depth at the end of the first navigation route. If the current depth of the underwater equipment is between the starting and ending depths of the first navigation route, it indicates that the end of the first navigation route has not yet been reached.

[0085] S333, Control the underwater equipment to rotate in the direction of the area where the object being measured is not being observed;

[0086] Because the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal was continuous during the previous observations, and a fixed distance was maintained between the underwater equipment and the object being measured, it can be determined that the underwater equipment accurately observed the surface of the object being measured, which was on the completed first navigation path. Therefore, in this step, the underwater equipment will be controlled to rotate towards the area where the object being measured was not observed. Figures 8-10 The rotation direction shown is counterclockwise.

[0087] S334. During rotation, the observation distance between the underwater equipment and the object being measured is dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

[0088] See Figures 8-9 During attitude adjustment, the distance information obtained from forward multibeam sonar reflections may change for underwater equipment. For example, in... Figure 8 In this case, the distance D4 between the underwater equipment and the object being measured is greater than the set distance D1; similarly, the distance information obtained from the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal will also show a certain change, i.e., D3 is greater than D2. Furthermore, since D4 is greater than D1, the position of the underwater equipment needs to be dynamically adjusted, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the distance between the underwater equipment and the object being measured is adjusted to D1.

[0089] S340. When the second triggering condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal, the underwater equipment is controlled to adjust its attitude in the direction in which the object being measured has been observed.

[0090] The purpose of this step is for the underwater equipment to confirm the attitude triggering conditions by receiving the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal. Its core logic is to prevent the measured object from disappearing from the underwater equipment's field of view, or to prevent the distance between the underwater equipment and the measured object from being too large due to the presence of a turning surface, thus preventing missed observations. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 12 ,for Figure 4 A detailed flowchart of an embodiment of step S340; step S340 includes:

[0091] S341. When the second triggering condition is met, control the underwater equipment to hover at the designated position;

[0092] Please refer to the following: Figures 13-17 This provides a schematic diagram of the underwater equipment attitude adjustment process for another embodiment of this application; and corresponds overall to the provisions of this application regarding... Figure 3 The observation situation in region b. In this step, the second triggering condition can be manifested as: a significant anomaly in the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal received by the underwater equipment in the current observation attitude. This anomaly can be understood as a significant deviation between the distance information determined by the received forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and the observed distance, such as a set observation distance of 1 meter, but an instantaneously obtained distance of 5 meters. The above anomaly usually manifests in two specific forms: one is that there is no longer a measured object in front of the underwater equipment, and the other is that the surface of the measured object exhibits a non-transitional change.

[0093] If the underwater device is no longer positioned in front of the target object, it means the device is now below it. If the device continues to follow the first navigation route, it may lose sight of the target object and fail to obtain any useful observation information. If the distance between the underwater device and the target object changes non-transiently, it indicates that the target object presents a significant turning point in the current water depth. Maintaining the observation attitude and directly adjusting the observation distance would result in a lack of observation of part of the target object's turning point. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the second trigger condition is met, the underwater device will be controlled to adjust to the final position where the target object can be observed and then hover.

[0094] S342. Determine whether the end point of the first navigation route has been reached; if not, proceed to step S343; if yes, end the process directly.

[0095] This step is the same as the comparison process in step S332, and will not be described again here.

[0096] S343. Control the underwater equipment to lock the viewing angle and control the underwater equipment to rotate in the direction of the observed area of ​​the object being measured;

[0097] Because the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal was continuous during the previous observations, and the underwater equipment maintained a fixed distance from the object being measured; and because the distance information provided by the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal obtained by the underwater equipment showed a significant anomaly at the next moment, indicating the existence of a critical point, the viewing angle was locked at the current perspective, and the underwater equipment was controlled to rotate towards the area of ​​the object being measured that had already been observed. Figures 12-13 The rotation direction shown is clockwise.

[0098] S344. During rotation, the relative attitude between the underwater equipment and the object being measured is dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

[0099] After the viewing angle is locked, since the underwater equipment needs to maintain a fixed distance from the object being measured, the water depth at which the underwater equipment exhibits the greatest change in relative attitude with the object during rotation can be calculated using the water depth at the hovering position and the preset observation distance. In other words, the maximum relative attitude with the object is achieved when the underwater equipment's observation angle is vertically upward or vertically downward.

[0100] Please see Figure 18 ,for Figure 4 A detailed flowchart of another embodiment of step S340; step S340 includes:

[0101] S341' When the second triggering condition is met, control the underwater equipment to hover at the current position;

[0102] The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment lies in the hovering position. In this embodiment, the position where the triggering condition is met is used as the hovering position. The explanation of the second triggering condition is the same as in step S341, and will not be repeated here. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 19-24 This provides a schematic diagram of the underwater equipment attitude adjustment process for another embodiment of this application; and corresponds overall to the provisions of this application regarding... Figure 3 The observation situation in the middle region b.

[0103] S342' Determine whether the end point of the first navigation route has been reached; if not, proceed to step S343'; if yes, end the process directly.

[0104] This step is the same as the comparison process in steps S332 and S342, and will not be described again here.

[0105] S343' Control the underwater equipment to rotate in the direction of the observed area of ​​the object being measured, and lock the viewing angle of the object being measured;

[0106] Compared to step S343, which first locks the viewpoint of the underwater device and then rotates it to a fixed point, this step first controls the underwater device to rotate, and uses the area where the object being measured is closest to the underwater device during the rotation as the element for locking the viewpoint. This is because during the rotation, the underwater device can determine the possible range of distance between the underwater device and the object being measured based on the reflected signal from the forward multibeam sonar. Therefore, the viewpoint at the minimum distance between the underwater device and the object being measured during the rotation is used as the locked viewpoint.

[0107] S344' During rotation, the observation distance and relative attitude between the underwater equipment and the object being measured are dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

[0108] In this step, due to different hovering positions, such as Figure 22 As shown, when the underwater equipment rotates, the distance between it and the object being measured is greater than the preset distance. Therefore, compared with step S344, this step also requires the addition of a part to adjust the observation distance. That is, during the rotation process, both the observation distance between the underwater equipment and the object being measured will be adjusted, and the relative attitude between the underwater equipment and the object being measured will be dynamically adjusted. After adjustment, the observation distance between the underwater equipment and the object being measured will be the preset observation distance. The process of adjusting the relative attitude between the underwater equipment and the object being measured is as described in step S344, and will not be repeated here.

[0109] It is understandable that steps S330 and S340 are parallel steps and have no sequential relationship. After step S330 or step S340 is completed, the process will proceed to step S350.

[0110] S350: Control the underwater equipment to move along the unobserved area of ​​the surface of the object being measured.

[0111] correspond Figure 2 In the case of region a, such as Figure 11 As shown; corresponding Figure 2 In the case of region b, such as Figure 17 and Figure 24 As shown, based on the observation angle of the underwater equipment and combined with image processing technology, the underwater equipment will be controlled to automatically run along the direction of the unobserved area on the surface of the object being measured and perform fixed-distance observation.

[0112] See Figure 25 This provides a schematic diagram of the underwater equipment's observation process along the first navigation route for this application.

[0113] like Figure 25 As shown, in Figure 3 Based on this, the underwater equipment follows a first navigation route, moving downwards from point A to point B. At the starting point of this first navigation route, the underwater equipment is in a horizontal position. When approaching region a of the object being measured, the underwater equipment rotates counter-clockwise and performs distance-based observations of that region. Due to the presence of curved surfaces between regions a and b, the underwater equipment's observation attitude is adaptively adjusted based on the shape of the object's surface to achieve the desired distance-based observation. This adaptive adjustment manifests as a change in the underwater equipment's pitch angle. When approaching region b of the object being measured, the underwater equipment rotates clockwise and performs distance-based observations of that region. This process continues until the underwater equipment reaches the depth of point B, completing the observation of the first traverse route.

[0114] Understandably, once the underwater equipment reaches the end of the first navigation route, it will use that end as the starting point of the second navigation route, which is connected to it, based on the configuration of the established reference navigation route, and then execute the second navigation route. This process is repeated until the underwater equipment has completed all executions according to the established reference navigation route.

[0115] Compared with existing technologies, the underwater object observation method provided by this invention adopts a method of controlling the underwater equipment to perform fixed-distance observation of the object under test along a first navigation path. This allows the underwater equipment to adaptively adjust its own attitude during the observation process, ensuring the observation effect. Furthermore, throughout the process, distance information obtained from forward multibeam sonar reflection signals and / or longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signals allows for timely and accurate adjustment of the underwater equipment's direction. This ensures that the underwater equipment can perform comprehensive and complete observation of the entire surface contour of the object under test along the first navigation path, while also preventing collisions between the underwater equipment and the object.

[0116] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in the above-described method of the specific implementation, the order in which each step is written does not imply a strict execution order and does not constitute any limitation on the implementation process. The specific execution order of each step should be determined by its function and possible internal logic.

[0117] Reference Figure 26 The diagram below provides a structural schematic of the underwater device for an embodiment of this application.

[0118] The underwater device may include: a processor 1001, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, a network interface 1004, and a memory 1005. The communication bus 1002 is used to enable communication between these components. The user interface 1003 may include a display screen or an input unit such as a keyboard; optionally, the user interface 1003 may also include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface. The network interface 1004 may optionally include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface (such as a Wi-Fi interface). The memory 1005 may be a high-speed random access memory (RAM) or a stable non-volatile memory (NVM), such as a disk drive. The memory 1005 may also optionally be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0119] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 10 The structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the underwater equipment and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0120] like Figure 10As shown, the memory 1005, which serves as a storage medium, may include an operating system, a network communication module, a user interface module, and a control program for underwater equipment.

[0121] exist Figure 10 In the underwater device shown, the network interface 1004 is mainly used for data communication with other devices; the user interface 1003 is mainly used for data interaction with the user; the processor 1001 and the memory 1005 in the underwater device of the present invention can be set in the underwater device, and the underwater device calls the control program of the underwater device stored in the memory 1005 through the processor 1001 and executes the above-mentioned method for observing underwater objects.

[0122] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes that element.

[0123] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0124] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0125] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for observing underwater objects, characterized in that, The underwater object observation method includes: Establish a reference navigation route, the reference navigation route including at least one first navigation route, the first navigation route being used to provide a depth running direction and a reference running distance in the depth running direction; The underwater device is controlled to observe the object under test according to the reference navigation route; wherein, the underwater device is controlled to perform fixed-distance observation of the object under test on the first navigation route; During the fixed-distance observation of the first navigation route, the observation attitude of the underwater equipment is adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and / or the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal and the operation status of the underwater equipment on the first navigation route.

2. The observation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the observation attitude of the underwater equipment during the fixed-range observation of the first navigation route, based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and / or the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal and the operation status of the underwater equipment on the first navigation route, includes: The depth direction is determined based on the first navigation route currently being executed by the underwater device; The attitude triggering conditions are confirmed based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal and the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal acquired in real time. When the first triggering condition is confirmed to be met based on the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal, the underwater device is controlled to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has not been observed. When the second trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal, the underwater device is controlled to adjust its attitude in the direction in which the object under test has been observed.

3. The observation method according to claim 2, characterized in that, After the step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has not been observed when the first trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal, or the step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has been observed when the second trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal, the method further includes: The underwater device is controlled to move along the unobserved area of ​​the surface of the object being measured.

4. The observation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards a direction in which the object under test has not been observed when the first triggering condition is confirmed to be met based on the longitudinal multibeam sonar reflection signal includes: When the first triggering condition is met, the underwater device is controlled to hover at its current position; Determine whether the destination of the first navigation route has been reached; Control the underwater device to rotate towards the area where the object under test is not being observed; During rotation, the observation distance between the underwater equipment and the object under test is dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

5. The observation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has been observed when the second trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal includes: When the second triggering condition is met, the underwater device is controlled to hover at a designated position; Determine whether the destination of the first navigation route has been reached; Control the underwater device to lock the viewing angle, and control the underwater device to rotate towards the observed area of ​​the object being measured; During rotation, the relative attitude between the underwater equipment and the object under test is dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

6. The observation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of controlling the underwater device to adjust its attitude towards the direction in which the object under test has been observed when the second trigger condition is confirmed to be met based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal includes: When the second triggering condition is met, the underwater device is controlled to hover at its current position; Determine whether the destination of the first navigation route has been reached; Control the underwater device to rotate in the direction of the observed area of ​​the object under test, and lock the view of the object under test; During rotation, the observation distance and relative attitude between the underwater equipment and the object under test are dynamically adjusted based on the forward multibeam sonar reflection signal.

7. The observation method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The angle at which the distance between the underwater device and the object being measured is minimized during the rotation process is taken as the locking angle.

8. The observation method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The reference navigation line consists of at least two segments of first navigation line and at least two segments of second navigation line arranged at intervals; the first navigation line is used to provide the depth running direction and the reference running distance in the depth running direction; The second navigation line is used to provide a reference direction of travel within a fixed depth plane and a travel distance along the reference direction of travel; The depth directions provided by the first navigation lines in two adjacent segments are different.

9. An underwater device, characterized in that, The underwater device includes: a memory, a processor, and a control program for the underwater device stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the control program being configured to implement the steps of the underwater object observation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a control program for an underwater device, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the underwater object observation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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