Unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a vehicle body and a first camera connected with the vehicle body; the undercarriage is connected with the fuselage, and the undercarriage can rotate relative to the fuselage so as to have a folded state and a falling state for supporting the fuselage; when the undercarriage is in a folded state, the undercarriage is folded at the bottom of the fuselage and is located outside the view field range of the first camera; and under the condition that the undercarriage is in a falling state, at least part of the undercarriage is located in the view field range of the first camera. According to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the undercarriage can prevent the first camera from being damaged, and the supporting effect of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Traditional drones are usually equipped with a three-axis gimbal and a camera, and the gimbal stabilizes the camera. In order to protect the drone, a landing gear is set at the end of the arm to protect the drone when it lands.

[0003] However, during the flight of a drone, the drone's camera often captures the landing gear, affecting the imaging results. In some drone-glasses control systems, the drone will transmit the captured images to the glasses for display, and the user can control the flight of the drone based on the display results. At this time, the landing gear will also affect the user's field of view, which is not conducive to flight control and reduces the user experience.

[0004] In addition, the landing gear at the end of the arm will protrude from the fuselage, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the drone and the folding design of the arm. Summary of the invention

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a drone to reduce or avoid the problem of drone landing gear failure.

[0006] A drone, comprising:

[0007] body;

[0008] A first camera is connected to the body; and

[0009] A landing gear connected to the fuselage, the landing gear being rotatable relative to the fuselage to have a retracted state and a lowered state for supporting the fuselage;

[0010] Wherein, when the landing gear is in a retracted state, the landing gear is retracted to the bottom of the fuselage and is outside the field of view of the first camera; when the landing gear is in a lowered state, the landing gear is at least partially within the field of view of the first camera.

[0011] When the fuselage of the above-mentioned drone lands, the landing gear can fall down to support the fuselage, thereby separating the first camera from the ground or the desktop to prevent the first camera from being damaged, and the landing gear is at least partially located within the field of view of the first camera, which is conducive to the reasonable layout of the landing gear. When the fuselage is raised, at least two landing gears can be retracted to be located outside the field of view of the first camera, so as not to affect the panoramic shooting effect of the drone. At the same time, when the landing gear is retracted, at least two landing gears are retracted to the bottom of the fuselage, which is conducive to reducing the space occupied by the drone, and at the same time, it is also conducive to reducing the impact of the landing gear on the field of view design of the first camera, so as to expand the field of view of the first camera and meet the needs of panoramic shooting.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first camera is disposed at the bottom of the body.

[0013] In one embodiment, the optical axis of the first camera is substantially parallel to the heading axis of the drone.

[0014] In one embodiment, the field of view of the first camera is greater than or equal to 180 degrees.

[0015] In one of the embodiments, an opening is provided at the bottom of the body, and the opening is approximately located in the middle of the bottom. The first camera is partially disposed in the body and protrudes from the bottom of the body through the opening.

[0016] In one embodiment, the landing gear comprises a first end and a second end which are far away from each other, and the first end is rotatably connected to the fuselage.

[0017] Wherein, the second end portion can move away from or closer to the first camera as the first end portion rotates relative to the fuselage, and when the landing gear is in a retracted state, the second end portion is attached to the bottom of the fuselage;

[0018] and / or, during the process of the landing gear switching from the lowered state to the retracted state, the second end portion moves toward the first camera;

[0019] And / or, the rotation axis of the landing gear is substantially parallel to the roll axis of the UAV.

[0020] In one embodiment, the landing gear includes a first end and a second end that are far away from each other, the first end is rotatably connected to the fuselage, and the second end is provided with a notch. When the landing gear is in a retracted state, the notch faces the first camera, and the second end together surrounds at least a portion of the first camera along the circumference of the first camera.

[0021] In one of the embodiments, the landing gear is capable of rotating relative to the fuselage along a rotation axis, and when the landing gear is in a retracted state, a projection of the landing gear at least partially overlaps with a projection of the first camera in a direction along the bottom and perpendicular to the axis.

[0022] In one of the embodiments, the number of the landing gears is greater than or equal to two, at least two of the landing gears are respectively rotatably connected to the bottom of the fuselage, and the rotation centers of at least two of the landing gears are respectively located on two sides opposite to each other of the first camera.

[0023] In one embodiment, the bottom is provided with at least two receiving grooves, and the at least two receiving grooves together surround at least a portion of the first camera along the circumference of the first camera, and the landing gear and the receiving grooves correspond one by one. When the landing gear is in a retracted state, at least a portion of each landing gear is received in the corresponding receiving groove.

[0024] In one of the embodiments, the UAV further includes: a driving assembly, wherein the driving assembly is used to drive the two landing gears to rotate in opposite directions relative to the fuselage.

[0025] In one of the embodiments, the driving assembly includes a driving element and two connecting rods, the two landing gears are respectively arranged on both sides of the driving element, and the two landing gears are respectively connected to the output shaft of the driving element through the two connecting rods.

[0026] In one embodiment, the driving assembly further includes a transmission element, which is connected to the output shaft of the driving element and has transmission parts located on opposite sides of the output shaft, and each of the connecting rods is rotatably connected to a corresponding one of the transmission parts.

[0027] In one of the embodiments, when the two landing gears are in a lowered state, an angle between the two landing gears is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 80°.

[0028] In one of the embodiments, when the two landing gears are in a lowered state, in a direction perpendicular to the bottom, a height difference between the two landing gears and the first camera is greater than or equal to 4 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm.

[0029] In one of the embodiments, when the two landing gears are in a lowered state, in a direction parallel to the bottom, a maximum distance between the two landing gears and the first camera is greater than or equal to 30 mm and less than or equal to 70 mm.

[0030] In one embodiment, the drone also includes a second camera disposed on the top of the fuselage, the sum of the field of view angles of the non-overlapping fields of view of the first camera and the second camera is equal to 360 degrees, and the fuselage is located outside the field of view of the first camera and the second camera.

[0031] In one of the embodiments, a dimension of the fuselage in a first direction is greater than a dimension of the fuselage in a second direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to a direction from the top to the bottom, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0032] In one of the embodiments, a ratio of a size of the body in the second direction to a size of the body in the first direction is greater than or equal to 0.6 and less than 1.

[0033] In one embodiment, the drone further includes a plurality of arms, which are spaced apart in sequence along the circumference of the fuselage, and the arms are located outside the field of view of the first camera and the second camera, or are located within the overlapping field of view of the first camera and the second camera.

[0034] In one of the embodiments, in the first direction, a ratio of a distance between the top and the arm to a distance between the top and the bottom is greater than or equal to 0.35 and less than or equal to 0.45.

[0035] In one embodiment, the overlapping field of view of the first camera and the second camera is greater than 1.5°.

[0036] In one embodiment, the drone further comprises:

[0037] The in-position sensor is used for outputting an in-position signal indicating that the landing gear is in a lowered state when the landing gear is in a lowered state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drone in some embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the UAV shown in FIG. 1 from another angle.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the field of view of the first camera and the second camera in some embodiments.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the rotation direction of the landing gear of the UAV shown in FIG. 2 .

[0042] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV when the landing gear is in a lowered state in some embodiments.

[0043] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV when the landing gear is in a retracted state in some embodiments.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a landing gear in some embodiments.

[0045] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of some other embodiments when the landing gear is in the lowered state.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of the landing gear shown in FIG. 8 when it is in a retracted state.

[0047] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drive assembly in some embodiments.

[0048] FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of the driving assembly shown in FIG. 10 from another angle.

[0049] Reference numerals:

[0050] 10. UAV; 11. fuselage; 111. top; 112. bottom; 1121. opening; 1122. receiving slot; 12. first camera; 13. second camera; 14. landing gear; 141. first end; 142. second end; 1421. notch; 15. drive assembly; 151. drive element; 1511. output shaft; 152. connecting rod; 153. transmission element; 1531. transmission part; 16. machine arm; 17. blade; 18. ranging module; 21. first direction; 22. second direction; 23. third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0052] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0053] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like appear, these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0055] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if there is a description that a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, etc., or similar descriptions appear, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0056] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0057] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2, which show schematic diagrams of the structure of the drone 10 at different angles in some embodiments of the present application. The drone 10 provided in the present application may include a fuselage 11, a first camera 12, and a second camera 13. The two ends of the fuselage 11 are the top 111 and the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11, respectively. During flight, the top 111 and the bottom 112 can be located at the top and bottom of the fuselage 11 along the gravity direction, respectively. The first camera 12 is arranged at the bottom 112, and the second camera 13 is arranged at the top 111. The pictures taken by the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 can be spliced ​​to form a panoramic image. In some embodiments, the sum of the field of view angles of the non-overlapping fields of view of the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 is equal to 360 degrees, which is conducive to achieving a panoramic shooting effect.

[0058] In conjunction with FIG. 3 , it can be understood that the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 may have overlapping fields of view, and the larger the overlapping fields of view of the first camera 12 and the second camera 13, the more conducive it is to stitch the images captured by the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 through an algorithm to form a panoramic image. In some embodiments, the overlapping field of view angle of the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 is greater than 1.5°, the maximum field of view angle of the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 may be greater than or equal to 183°, and the overlapping field of view angle of the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 may also be greater than 5° or greater than 10° to enhance the panoramic shooting effect.

[0059] To achieve a panoramic shooting effect, both the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 may use a fisheye lens with a wide-angle shooting effect. In some embodiments, the bottom 112 of the body 11 is provided with an opening 1121, which is approximately located in the middle of the bottom 112. The first camera 12 is partially disposed in the body 11 and protrudes from the bottom 112 of the body 11 from the opening 1121, so as to obtain a larger shooting field of view and enhance the connection strength and structural stability of the first camera 12 and the body 11. The second camera 13 may also be disposed in the body 11 and protrude from the top 111 of the body 11.

[0060] Since the first camera 12 is located at the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11, in order to prevent the first camera 12 from contacting the ground or the table when the drone 10 takes off or lands, causing damage to the first camera 12,

[0061] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, in some embodiments, the drone 10 also includes a landing gear 14, which is connected to the fuselage 11, and the landing gear 14 can rotate relative to the fuselage 11 to have a retracted state and a fallen state for supporting the fuselage 11; wherein, when the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, the landing gear 14 is retracted at the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11 and is located outside the field of view of the first camera 12; when the landing gear 14 is in the fallen state, the landing gear 14 is at least partially located within the field of view of the first camera 12.

[0062] For the above-mentioned UAV 10, when the fuselage 11 lands, the landing gear 14 can fall down to support the fuselage 11, thereby separating the first camera 12 from the ground or the table to prevent the first camera 12 from being damaged, and the landing gear 14 is partially located within the field of view of the first camera 12, effectively utilizing the space; and during the flight of the fuselage 11, the landing gear 14 is retracted to the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11 and is located outside the field of view of the first camera 12 to avoid being exposed.

[0063] In some embodiments, the optical axis of the first camera 12 is substantially parallel to the heading axis of the drone 10 ; illustratively, the field of view of the first camera 12 is greater than or equal to 180 degrees.

[0064] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first camera 12 can be fixedly mounted on the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11, or installed on the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11 through a shock-absorbing mechanism (shock-absorbing ball). Due to the configuration of its optical axis and field of view, the drone 10 can take a wide range of pictures facing the bottom 111 of the fuselage 11, and folding the landing gear 14 at the bottom 111 of the fuselage 11 is conducive to the reasonable layout of the landing gear 14 and avoiding exposure of the landing gear 14.

[0065] In some embodiments, the rotation axis of the landing gear 14 is substantially parallel to the roll axis of the drone 10 .

[0066] As shown in combination with FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the number of the landing gears 14 is greater than or equal to two, at least two landing gears 14 are located on opposite sides of the first camera 12, and the landing gears 14 can rotate relative to the fuselage 11 to have a retracted state and a dropped state for supporting the fuselage 11. When the landing gear 14 is in the dropped state, the size of the landing gear 14 in the direction perpendicular to the bottom 112 is greater than the size of the first camera 12 in the direction perpendicular to the bottom 112, so as to separate the first camera 12 from a carrier such as the ground or a table when the drone 10 lands. When the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, the landing gear 14 is retracted to the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11 and is located outside the field of view of the first camera 12, and the first camera 12 will not capture the landing gear 14.

[0067] In this embodiment, at least two landing gears 14 are located on opposite sides of the first camera 12. By fixing at least three points, the supporting effect of the drone 10 on the ground or the table can be improved, making the landing of the drone 10 more stable and reducing the risk of the drone 10 tipping over.

[0068] Exemplarily, the direction perpendicular to the bottom 112 may refer to the direction of gravity or the direction perpendicular to the plane where the roll axis and the pitch axis of the drone 10 are located.

[0069] At least two landing gears 14 are located on opposite sides of the first camera 12, which can provide protection for the first camera 12 from multiple directions. By fixing at least two points, the support effect of the drone 10 on the ground or the table can be improved, so that the landing of the drone 10 is more stable and the risk of tipping over is reduced. When the fuselage 11 is raised, at least two landing gears 14 can be retracted to be located outside the field of view of the first camera 12, which will not affect the panoramic shooting effect of the drone 10. At the same time, when the landing gears 14 are retracted, at least two landing gears 14 are retracted to the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11, which is conducive to reducing the space occupied by the drone 10, and also helps to reduce the impact of the landing gear 14 on the field of view design of the first camera 12, thereby helping to expand the field of view of the first camera 12 and meet the needs of panoramic shooting. It can be understood that the landing gear 14 and the first camera 12 are arranged in the fuselage 11 in coordination with each other, which can provide protection for the first camera 12 and improve the connection stability between the first camera 12 and the fuselage 11, while eliminating the need to set up a gimbal to carry the camera, which is beneficial to simplifying the structure of the drone 10, reducing the manufacturing cost of the drone 10, and compressing the space occupied by the drone 10.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the landing gear 14 includes a first end 141 and a second end 142 that are separated from each other and connected to each other. The first end 141 is rotatably connected to the fuselage 11. The first end 141 can rotate relative to the fuselage 11 around an axis so that the second end 142 can move around the axis toward the first camera 12 or away from the camera. When the landing gear 14 switches from the retracted state to the dropped state, the second end 142 moves around the axis away from the first camera 12. When the landing gear 14 switches from the dropped state to the retracted state, the second end 142 moves around the axis toward the first camera 12. As a result, the movement of the landing gear 14 relative to the fuselage 11 is not likely to interfere with the first camera 12 and the fuselage 11, and the fuselage 11 does not need to reserve a space for the landing gear 14, which can simplify the design and preparation of the landing gear 14.

[0071] In the present application, the drone 10 is provided with two landing gears 14 as an example, but the number of the landing gears 14 is not limited thereto. When the drone 10 is provided with a greater number of landing gears 14, the plurality of landing gears 14 may be arranged in sequence and spaced apart along the circumference of the first camera 12. In the present application, for the convenience of description, the height direction of the fuselage 11, that is, the direction from the bottom 112 to the top 111 is referred to as the first direction 21, and a second direction 22 and a third direction 23 are defined. The second direction 22 and the third direction 23 are two directions perpendicular to each other on a plane parallel to the bottom 112. The first direction 21, the second direction 22 and the third direction 23 are perpendicular to each other in pairs. The first direction 21, the second direction 22 and the third direction 23 constitute a spatial rectangular coordinate system, and the axis of rotation of the landing gear 14 relative to the fuselage 11 may be parallel to the second direction 22.

[0072] The direction from the bottom 112 to the top 111 is parallel to the direction of the heading axis of the drone 10 .

[0073] In some embodiments, when the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, the two second ends 142 are attached to the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11, for example, attached to the two opposite sides of the first camera 12, which can maximize the compression of the occupied space of the drone 10 during flight. Referring to Figures 5, 6 and 7, in some embodiments, in the direction along the bottom 112 and perpendicular to the axis, that is, in the third direction 23, the projection of the landing gear 14 overlaps with at least part of the first camera 12, so that the landing gear 14 can provide effective protection for the first camera 12 and also occupy a smaller space when retracted.

[0074] Further, in some embodiments, the second end 142 of the landing gear 14 is provided with a notch 1421. When the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, the notch 1421 is arranged toward the first camera 12, and the second ends 142 of the two landing gears 14 together surround at least a portion of the first camera 12 along the circumference of the first camera 12. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG6, the two second ends 142 are opposite to each other and are roughly arranged to form a ring surrounding the first camera 12, and the two second ends 142 can be arranged at intervals to avoid mutual interference between the two landing gears 14. In this way, when the landing gear 14 is in the dropped state, the two landing gears 14 are respectively on both sides of the first camera 12 in the third direction 23, and when the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, parts of the two second ends 142 are located on both sides of the first camera 12 in the second direction 22, which will not interfere with the first camera 12 and can also compress the occupied space of the drone 10 to the greatest extent.

[0075] In some embodiments, the bottom 112 of the fuselage 11 is provided with at least two receiving grooves 1122, and the receiving grooves 1122 are arranged one by one with the landing gear 14, and the at least two receiving grooves 1122 surround at least a portion of the first camera 12 along the circumference of the first camera 12, and when the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, at least a portion of each landing gear 14 is received in the corresponding receiving groove 1122. For example, the landing gear 14 can be completely received in the corresponding receiving groove 1122, and the surface of the landing gear 14 facing away from the bottom 112 is flush with the bottom 112, thereby further compressing the occupied space of the drone 10 and improving the appearance integrity of the drone 10. It should be noted that the two receiving grooves 1122 can be arranged at intervals from each other, so that when the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, the two second ends 142 are spaced apart, and the two receiving grooves 1122 can also be connected to each other, so that when the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, the two second ends 142 can just abut against each other.

[0076] In combination with FIG. 5 , FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show schematic diagrams of the structure of the landing gear 14 in other embodiments. In other embodiments, when the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, the two second ends 142 are arranged together around the first camera 12, and the two second ends 142 partially overlap in the second direction 22, for example, a portion of one of the second ends 142 is inserted into the notch 1421 of the other second end 142, or both of the two second ends 142 are partially inserted into each other's notches 1421. Such a configuration can not only avoid mutual interference or interference with the first camera 12 when the landing gear 14 rotates relative to the fuselage 11, but also extend the size of the landing gear 14 in the first direction 21, so that when the landing gear 14 is in the dropped state, the first camera 12 is better isolated from a carrier such as the ground or a desktop, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the first camera 12.

[0077] 5 , 10 , and 11 , in some embodiments, the UAV 10 further includes a drive assembly 15, which is used to drive the two landing gears 14 to rotate in opposite directions relative to the fuselage 11. Driven by the drive assembly 15, the two landing gears 14 can rotate synchronously in opposite directions relative to the fuselage 11, which can make the state switching of the landing gears 14 more synchronous and avoid interference between the landing gears 14 during rotation.

[0078] In some embodiments, the driving assembly 15 includes a driving element 151 and two connecting rods 152. The driving element 151 includes but is not limited to any applicable electric motor or motor. The driving element 151 has an output shaft 1511 that can rotate. The two landing gears 14 are respectively arranged on both sides of the driving element 151. The two landing gears 14 are respectively connected to the output shaft 1511 of the driving element 151 through the two connecting rods 152. When the output shaft 1511 of the driving element 151 rotates, the two landing gears 14 can be driven to rotate synchronously relative to the fuselage 11 through the two connecting rods 152. The first end 141 of the landing gear 14 can be connected to the connecting rod 152 through any suitable rotating connection structure such as a hinge or a rotating shaft. The connecting rod 152 can be arranged in the fuselage 11. The rotating connection structure between the connecting rod 152 and the first end 141 extends from the inside of the fuselage 11 to the outside of the fuselage 11 and is rotatably connected to the first end 141. This can not only realize the transmission connection between the driving component 15 and the landing gear 14, but also prevent the driving component 15 from affecting the appearance of the drone 10. The fuselage 11 can also provide good protection for the various components of the driving component 15.

[0079] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the driving assembly 15 further includes a transmission element 153, which is connected to the output shaft 1511 of the driving element 151 and has transmission parts 1531 located on opposite sides of the output shaft 1511, and the transmission parts 1531 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the connecting rods 152, and each connecting rod 152 is rotatably connected to the corresponding transmission part 1531. When the output shaft 1511 rotates, the two transmission parts 1531 are driven to rotate synchronously, thereby driving the two landing gears 14 to rotate synchronously in opposite directions through the connecting rods 152, so that the driving of the two landing gears 14 is more stable and synchronous.

[0080] Please refer to FIG. 4 again. In some embodiments, when the two landing gears 14 are in the dropped state, the angle between the two landing gears 14 is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 80°, for example, it can be 60°, 70° or 80°. Thus, the opening angle of the landing gear 14 in the dropped state can be reasonably configured, which is beneficial to improving the landing stability of the drone 10 and providing effective protection for the first camera 12.

[0081] In some embodiments, when the two landing gears 14 are in a falling state, in a direction perpendicular to the bottom 112, that is, in the first direction 21, the height difference between the two landing gears 14 and the first camera 12 is greater than or equal to 4 mm, and less than or equal to 20 mm, for example, it can be 4 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm or 20 mm. Thus, there is a sufficient height difference between the landing gear 14 and the first camera 12 to separate the landing gear 14 from a carrier such as the ground or a desktop, and provide effective protection for the first camera 12. At the same time, the height difference between the landing gear 14 and the first camera 12 will not be too large, which is conducive to compressing the size of the landing gear 14, thereby compressing the occupied space of the drone 10. Further, when the two landing gears 14 are in a falling state, in a direction perpendicular to the bottom 112, that is, in the first direction 21, the height difference between the two landing gears 14 and the first camera 12 is greater than or equal to 8 mm, and less than or equal to 16 mm, which can further enhance the protective effect of the landing gear 14 on the first camera 12 and compress the occupied space of the drone 10.

[0082] In some embodiments, when the two landing gears 14 are in the dropped state, in the direction parallel to the bottom 112, that is, in the third direction 23, the maximum distance between the two landing gears 14 and the first camera 12 is greater than or equal to 30 mm and less than or equal to 70 mm, for example, it can be 30 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm or 70 mm. Thus, the distance between the landing gear 14 and the first camera 12 will not be too far, which can provide effective protection for the first camera 12, and at the same time can also reduce the occupied space of the drone 10.

[0083] In some embodiments, the drone 10 further includes a plurality of arms 16 , which are spaced apart in sequence along the circumference of the fuselage 11 , and a blade 17 may be provided at one end of each arm 16 away from the fuselage 11 , and the plurality of blades 17 cooperate to enable the drone 10 to fly or land.

[0084] In some embodiments, the size of the fuselage 11 in the first direction 21 is larger than the size in the second direction 22. For example, the fuselage 11 can be columnar, cup-shaped or table-shaped, which is conducive to increasing the distance between the first camera 12 and the second camera 13, and increasing the accommodation space of the fuselage 11 between the first camera 12 and the second camera 13, so that it is easier to accommodate components such as batteries and circuit boards of the drone 10 in the space between the fuselage 11 and the first camera 12 and the second camera 13, and improve the central stability of the drone 10. In addition, the increase in the distance between the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 also makes it easier for the blades 17 and the arms 16 to be located outside the field of view of the first camera 12 and the second camera 13, and they are not easily photographed by the first camera 12 and the second camera 13, thereby improving the panoramic shooting effect of the drone 10. Of course, parts of the arm 16 and the blades 17 may also be located within the overlapping field of view of the first camera 12 and the second camera 13. When the images taken by the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 are stitched together to form a panoramic image, the arm 16 and the blades 17 will not appear in the panoramic image, which is also beneficial to improving the panoramic shooting effect of the drone 10.

[0085] In some embodiments, the ratio of the size of the fuselage 11 in the second direction 22 to the size of the fuselage 11 in the first direction 21 is greater than or equal to 0.6 and less than or equal to 1, for example, it can be 0.6, 0.8 or 0.9. Thus, while reasonably increasing the distance between the first camera 12 and the second camera 13 and the accommodating space of the fuselage 11 between the first camera 12 and the second camera 13, the central stability of the drone 10 can also be improved.

[0086] In some embodiments, in the first direction 21, the ratio of the distance between the top 111 and the arm 16 to the distance between the top wall and the bottom 112 (i.e., the size of the fuselage 11 in the first direction 21) is greater than or equal to 0.35 and less than or equal to 0.45, for example, it can be 0.35, 0.40 or 0.45. In other words, the arm 16 is arranged at a position of the fuselage 11 closer to the top 111. Therefore, by reasonably configuring the size of the fuselage 11 on both sides of the arm 16, the center of gravity stability of the drone 10 can be improved, and it is beneficial to improve the flight stability of the drone 10. In addition, it can also make it difficult for the arm 16 and the blade 17 to enter the field of view of the first camera 12 and the second camera 13, thereby improving the panoramic shooting effect.

[0087] In some embodiments, the drone 10 may further include an in-position sensor, which is disposed on the fuselage 11 or on the landing gear 14. The in-position sensor is used to output an in-position signal indicating that the landing gear 14 is in a retracted state when the landing gear 14 is in a retracted state. By providing the in-position sensor, when the drone 10 lands, the in-position sensor can first sense whether the landing gear 14 is in a dropped state. When the in-position sensor outputs an in-position signal indicating that the landing gear 14 is in a dropped state, the drone 10 is driven to land. When the in-position sensor does not output an in-position signal indicating that the landing gear 14 is in a dropped state, the drone 10 is driven to stop landing. In this way, it is possible to avoid the situation where the drone 10 lands when the landing gear 14 has not fallen or has not fallen into place, and to prevent the first camera 12 from being damaged due to the landing of the landing gear 14 without falling into place.

[0088] In some embodiments, the in-position sensor may include a micro switch, which is configured to be triggered when the landing gear 14 switches to the dropped state, thereby outputting an in-position signal indicating that the landing gear 14 is in the dropped state. For example, the micro switch may be provided at the connection between the landing gear 14 and the drive assembly 15, such as at the connection between the landing gear 14 and the connecting rod 152, and when the landing gear 14 rotates to the dropped state along with the connecting rod 152, the micro switch can be triggered. In other embodiments, the in-position sensor may include a Hall sensor, which is provided on one of the landing gears 14, and a magnet is provided on the other landing gear 14, and the Hall sensor is used to sense the magnetic field of the magnet. It is understandable that as the two landing gears 14 rotate relative to the fuselage 11, the distance between the two landing gears 14 will change, that is, the distance between the magnet and the Hall sensor changes, and the magnetic field strength sensed by the Hall sensor changes. When the magnetic field strength of the magnet sensed by the Hall sensor is less than or equal to the second preset value, the in-position signal indicating that the landing gear 14 is in the dropped state is output. The second preset value may be the magnetic field strength sensed by the Hall sensor when the landing gear 14 is in the dropped state, and may be specifically set according to the distance between the landing gears 14 in the dropped state, which is not limited in the present application.

[0089] In some embodiments, the drone 10 may further include a rotation speed sensor, which is used to sense the rotation speed of the blade 17 and output a signal to drive the landing gear 14 to fall when the rotation speed of the blade 17 is lower than the third preset value. It is understandable that when the rotation speed of the blade 17 is lower than the third preset value, the blade 17 may be faulty or the drone 10 is landing. At this time, driving the landing gear 14 to fall can avoid the drone 10 landing due to a blade 17 failure or the first camera 12 being damaged during normal landing, thereby improving the safety performance of the drone 10. The third preset value can be set according to the rotation speed of the blade 17 in a normal flight state, and is not limited in this application.

[0090] In some embodiments, the drone 10 may further include a distance measurement module 18 disposed at the bottom 112, the distance measurement module 18 including but not limited to a time-of-flight (TOF) three-dimensional distance measurement module, the distance measurement module 18 can measure the distance between the drone 10 and a carrier such as the ground or a desktop in the vertical direction (first direction 21), and output a signal to drive the landing gear 14 to fall when the height of the fuselage 11 from the ground is less than a first preset value, so that the landing gear 14 can be driven to fall in time during the landing process of the drone 10, avoiding damage to the first camera 12 during the landing process. The first preset value can be designed according to the falling speed of the landing gear 14 and the height of the first camera 12 protruding from the bottom 112, which is not limited in this application.

[0091] Based on the drone 10 of any of the above embodiments, the present application also provides a drone control method of the drone 10, comprising the following steps:

[0092] The height of the fuselage 11 from the ground is sensed, that is, the distance between the fuselage 11 and the ground or a tabletop in the first direction 21 is sensed, and the landing gear 14 is driven to be retracted when the height of the fuselage 11 from the ground is greater than a first preset value, and the landing gear 14 is driven to be dropped when the height of the fuselage 11 from the ground is less than the first preset value. In this way, the landing gear 14 of the drone 10 can be ensured to be in a retracted state during flight, the occupied space of the drone 10 can be compressed, and the landing gear 14 can be prevented from colliding. At the same time, the landing gear 14 of the drone 10 can also be ensured to be in a dropped state during landing, so as to provide effective protection for the first camera 12. The height of the fuselage 11 from the ground can be sensed by the distance measurement module 18, and the specific settings can be obtained by referring to the above records.

[0093] In some embodiments, the drone control method may further include:

[0094] Detecting whether the landing gear 14 is in a dropped state;

[0095] When the landing gear 14 is in the lowered state, the fuselage 11 is driven to land;

[0096] When the landing gear 14 is in the retracted state, the fuselage 11 is controlled to stop landing.

[0097] Thus, it is possible to ensure that the landing gear 14 is in a down state when the fuselage 11 lands, so as to provide protection for the first camera 12 and improve the safety performance of the drone 10. Detecting whether the landing gear 14 is in a down state can be achieved by an in-position sensor, and the specific setting can be obtained by referring to the above description.

[0098] In some embodiments, the drone control method may further include: when it is detected that the landing gear 14 is in a dropped state, sending the state of the landing gear 14 to a remote controller; the remote controller is used to output an indication signal, and the indication signal is used to indicate that the landing gear 14 is in a dropped state.

[0099] Among them, the drone 10 can send the status of the landing gear 14 through its communication link with the remote controller;

[0100] The indication signal may be an icon on a display screen, the on and off of an LED light, the vibration of a motor, the sound of a speaker, etc.

[0101] In some embodiments, the drone control method may further include: responding to a control signal from a remote controller, controlling the landing gear 14 of the drone 10 to be in a retracted state or a lowered state.

[0102] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0103] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A drone, characterized in that: include: body; A first camera connected to the body; as well as, A landing gear is connected to the fuselage, and the landing gear can rotate relative to the fuselage to have a retracted state and a dropped state for supporting the fuselage; wherein, when the landing gear is in the retracted state, the landing gear is retracted to the bottom of the fuselage and is outside the field of view of the first camera; when the landing gear is in the dropped state, the landing gear is at least partially within the field of view of the first camera.

2. The drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first camera is arranged at the bottom of the body; And / or, the optical axis of the first camera is substantially parallel to the heading axis of the drone; And / or, the field of view of the first camera is greater than or equal to 180 degrees.

3. The drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: An opening is provided at the bottom of the fuselage, and the opening is approximately located in the middle of the bottom. The first camera is partially arranged in the fuselage and protrudes from the bottom of the fuselage through the opening.

4. The drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The landing gear comprises a first end and a second end which are far away from each other, wherein the first end is rotatably connected to the fuselage, Wherein, the second end portion can move away from or closer to the first camera as the first end portion rotates relative to the fuselage, and when the landing gear is in a retracted state, the second end portion is attached to the bottom of the fuselage; and / or, during the process of the landing gear switching from the lowered state to the retracted state, the second end portion moves toward the first camera; And / or, the rotation axis of the landing gear is substantially parallel to the roll axis of the UAV.

5. The drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The landing gear includes a first end and a second end that are far away from each other, the first end is rotatably connected to the fuselage, and the second end is provided with a notch. When the landing gear is in a retracted state, the notch faces the first camera, and the second end together surrounds at least a portion of the first camera along the circumference of the first camera.

6. The drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The landing gear can rotate relative to the fuselage along the rotation axis. When the landing gear is in a retracted state, the projection of the landing gear at least partially overlaps with the projection of the first camera in a direction along the bottom and perpendicular to the axis.

7. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The number of the landing gears is greater than or equal to two, at least two of the landing gears are respectively rotatably connected to the bottom of the fuselage, and the rotation centers of at least two of the landing gears are respectively located on two sides opposite to each other of the first camera.

8. The drone according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom is provided with at least two receiving grooves, and the at least two receiving grooves together surround at least a portion of the first camera along the circumference of the first camera. The landing gears correspond to the receiving grooves one by one. When the landing gears are in a retracted state, at least a portion of each landing gear is received in the corresponding receiving groove.

9. The drone according to claim 7, characterized in that: The UAV further comprises: a driving assembly, which is used to drive the two landing gears to rotate in opposite directions relative to the fuselage.

10. The drone according to claim 9, characterized in that: The driving assembly comprises a driving element and two connecting rods. The two landing gears are respectively arranged on both sides of the driving element. The two landing gears are respectively connected to the output shaft of the driving element through the two connecting rods.

11. The drone according to claim 10, characterized in that: The driving assembly further comprises a transmission element, which is connected to the output shaft of the driving element and has transmission parts located on two opposite sides of the output shaft, and each of the connecting rods is rotatably connected to a corresponding one of the transmission parts.

12. The drone according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the two landing gears are in a lowered state, an angle between the two landing gears is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 80°.

13. The drone according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the two landing gears are in a dropped state, in a direction perpendicular to the bottom, a height difference between the two landing gears and the first camera is greater than or equal to 4 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm.

14. The drone according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the two landing gears are in a lowered state, in a direction parallel to the bottom, a maximum distance between the two landing gears and the first camera is greater than or equal to 30 mm and less than or equal to 70 mm.

15. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The drone also includes a second camera disposed on the top of the fuselage, the sum of the field of view angles of the non-overlapping fields of view of the first camera and the second camera is equal to 360 degrees, and the fuselage is located outside the field of view of the first camera and the second camera.

16. The drone according to claim 15, characterized in that: The size of the fuselage in a first direction is greater than that in a second direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to a direction from the top to the bottom, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

17. The drone according to claim 16, characterized in that: A ratio of a size of the body in the second direction to a size of the body in the first direction is greater than or equal to 0.6 and less than 1.

18. The drone according to claim 16, characterized in that: The drone also includes a plurality of arms, which are arranged in sequence and spaced apart along the circumference of the fuselage. The arms are located outside the field of view of the first camera and the second camera, or are located within the overlapping field of view of the first camera and the second camera.

19. The drone according to claim 18, characterized in that: In the first direction, a ratio of a distance between the top and the arm to a distance between the top and the bottom is greater than or equal to 0.35 and less than or equal to 0.

45.

20. The drone according to claim 15, characterized in that: The overlapping field of view of the first camera and the second camera is greater than 1.5°.

21. The drone according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Also includes: The in-position sensor is used for outputting an in-position signal indicating that the landing gear is in a lowered state when the landing gear is in a lowered state.

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