Aircraft

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides an aircraft. The aircraft comprises an aircraft body, a visual sensor and a direct flight time sensor, the visual sensor and the direct flight time sensor are connected to the aircraft body, and the detection range of the visual sensor and the detection range of the direct flight time sensor are at least partially overlapped in at least one direction of the aircraft. The visual sensor is used for detecting obstacles in the at least one direction, and the direct time-of-flight sensor is at least used for detecting obstacles in the at least one direction. According to the aircraft, the problem that in the prior art, part of obstacle avoidance scenes are limited due to the fact that obstacle detection is conducted only through the visual sensor can be solved to a certain extent, obstacle detection under more scenes is achieved, and the application scene of the aircraft obstacle avoidance technology is expanded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of aircraft technology, and in particular relates to an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] The aircraft needs to perform obstacle detection during flight to find and plan a reasonable flight path in an obstacle-filled flight environment.

[0003] Existing aircraft typically use visual sensors to detect obstacles. However, these sensors have poor detection performance in scenarios such as nighttime, which limits their applicability and prevents them from avoiding obstacles in a wider range of scenarios. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application aims to provide an aircraft to solve the problem of limited applicable scenarios of obstacle avoidance technology in existing aircraft.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0006] The present application discloses an aircraft, which includes: a body and a visual sensor and a direct time-of-flight sensor connected to the body, wherein the detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft, and the visual sensor is used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction, and the direct time-of-flight sensor is at least used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present application, the aircraft can be equipped with both a visual sensor and a direct time-of-flight sensor for obstacle avoidance detection. The detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft. This can, to a certain extent, address the existing problem of obstacle detection using only the visual sensor, which limits obstacle avoidance to certain scenarios. This allows obstacle detection in more scenarios and expands the applicable scope of the aircraft's obstacle avoidance technology.

[0008] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and will become apparent from the following description or learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 The following schematically shows a structural diagram of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0011] Figure 2 The structure diagram of another aircraft described in an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown;

[0012] Figure 3 Schematically shows Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of the aircraft from another angle is shown;

[0013] Figure 4 The structural diagram of another aircraft described in an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown.

[0014] Reference numerals: 10 - body, 101 - arm, 102 - tripod, 11 - visual sensor, 12 - direct time-of-flight sensor, 121 - transmitter of the direct time-of-flight sensor, 122 - receiver of the direct time-of-flight sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0016] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application may explicitly or implicitly refer to one or more of these features. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more. Furthermore, "and / or" in the specification and claims refers to at least one of the connected items, and the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the connected items.

[0017] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that 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" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do 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 should not be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0018] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0019] The present application provides an aircraft. For example, the aircraft may include, but is not limited to, manned or unmanned aircraft. The aircraft may include any of the following: logistics aircraft, aerial photography aircraft, performance aircraft, industrial operation aircraft, competitive aircraft, and agricultural plant protection aircraft. The present application does not specifically limit the type of aircraft. The aircraft can perform obstacle detection during flight to find and plan a reasonable flight path in an obstructed environment.

[0020] Reference Figure 1 , showing a schematic structural diagram of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application, with reference to Figure 2 , shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application, referring to Figure 3 , showing Figure 2 The structure diagram of the aircraft from another angle is shown in FIG. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the aircraft may specifically include: an aircraft body 10, and a visual sensor 11 and a direct-time of flight (DTOF) sensor 12 connected to the aircraft body 10. The detection ranges of the visual sensor 11 and the direct-time of flight sensor 12 at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft, and the visual sensor 11 can be used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction, and the direct-time of flight sensor 12 is at least used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction.

[0021] In the embodiment of the present application, through the synergistic effect of the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12, the problem of limited obstacle avoidance scenarios caused by only using the visual sensor 11 in the existing technology can be solved to a certain extent, obstacle detection in more scenarios can be achieved, and the applicable scenarios of aircraft obstacle avoidance technology can be expanded.

[0022] Optionally, the visual sensor 11 can be used to detect obstacles in at least one direction when a first preset condition is met, and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is used to detect obstacles in at least one direction at least in some cases where the first preset condition is not met, and the first preset condition is related to the condition under which the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles.

[0023] In the embodiment of the present application, a first preset condition related to the conditions under which the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles is set. When the first preset condition is met, the visual sensor 11 is used to detect obstacles. In some cases where the first preset condition is not met, the time-of-flight sensor 12 is used to directly detect obstacles. This can, to a certain extent, solve the problem of the existing technology that only uses the visual sensor 11 for obstacle detection, which limits the use of some obstacle avoidance scenarios. This allows obstacle detection in more scenarios and expands the applicable scenarios of aircraft obstacle avoidance technology.

[0024] In specific applications, the flight speed of an aircraft is faster than that of a ground-based mobile robot. When the aircraft performs obstacle detection, long-distance obstacle detection is required to ensure that the aircraft can detect obstacles when it is far away from the obstacle during flight, so as to reserve sufficient response time for the aircraft to slow down to a stop or reverse movement, thereby preventing the aircraft from hitting the obstacle and causing a crash or safety accident. The distance from the aircraft slowing down to a stop at the current flight speed is usually called the safety distance. The larger the safety distance, the greater the maximum flight speed that the aircraft can achieve under the premise of power performance support. Therefore, the farther the obstacle can be detected, the higher the flight speed that the aircraft can support under the premise of power performance support. Considering that the actual use scenario is an aircraft, this application chooses to set a direct flight time sensor 12 on the aircraft for obstacle detection. The measurement principle of the direct flight time sensor is to measure the time difference between the transmitted pulse and the reflected pulse to calculate the distance of the object being measured. Since it uses the speed of light to measure distance, in current application scenarios, in theory, there will be no problem of accuracy decreasing with increasing distance. Therefore, the effective detection distance of the direct flight time sensor is very long. The indirect time-of-flight (ITOF) sensor uses an indirect method to measure the time of flight. Specifically, it measures the phase difference between the received wave and the transmitted wave, converts it into a specific time of flight, and then calculates the distance. Since ITOF does not directly measure the time of flight, its measurement accuracy is low. Moreover, if the distance is too far, the waveform of the received wave will have problems such as reduced signal-to-noise ratio and phase ambiguity. Therefore, the effective detection distance of ITOF is not as good as DTOF. Since the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 has a longer detection distance than the indirect time-of-flight sensor (ITOF), and the measurement accuracy and anti-interference ability of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for obstacles do not decrease significantly with the increase of distance, it can also capture relatively high-precision, low-noise, and high-reliability depth information in long-distance scenarios, achieving higher obstacle detection accuracy. Therefore, considering that the flight speed of the aircraft is often faster, the choice of using the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is more suitable for the use scenario of the aircraft flying at high speed. For example, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect obstacles within a range of 20 meters or even further, while the indirect time-of-flight sensor can only detect obstacles within a maximum range of 5 meters. The flight speed of the aircraft usually needs to reach at least 5m / s in actual use, and the indirect time-of-flight sensor can only detect obstacles within a maximum range of 5 meters and cannot support the aircraft to reach a speed of 5m / s. For example, the aircraft can only reach a speed of 2m / s, which greatly affects the user experience of the aircraft. The use of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can support the aircraft to reach a speed of at least 5m / s.

[0025] In specific applications, the body 10 may include structural bodies such as the fuselage, arms or tripods of the aircraft. The specific content of the body 10 may not be limited in the embodiments of the present application. The principle of obstacle detection by the visual sensor 11 mainly relies on image processing and computer vision technology. By analyzing the image information captured by the camera, obstacle detection and distance estimation are achieved, thereby guiding the aircraft to perform route planning to achieve obstacle avoidance. Specifically, it can be a stereoscopic vision obstacle avoidance that captures images through two or more cameras, uses stereo vision technology to calculate the depth information of objects in the scene, and then determines the distance and position of the obstacle. It can also be a monocular vision obstacle avoidance that captures images through a single camera, combines deep learning methods or traditional image processing methods to identify obstacles and estimate their distance. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific way in which the visual sensor 11 performs obstacle detection to achieve obstacle avoidance.

[0026] However, when using the visual sensor 11 to detect obstacles for obstacle avoidance, both stereoscopic and monocular vision are significantly affected by lighting and texture, and detection accuracy is highly correlated with obstacle distance: the farther the obstacle, the lower the detection accuracy. Therefore, at night when ambient brightness is low or in conditions with weak texture, the visual sensor 11 may not be able to detect obstacles, or it may detect false obstacles such as clouds, fog, or particles, meaning that the visual sensor 11 may fail to detect obstacles. However, when performing obstacle detection, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12's detection accuracy depends on the duration of its pulses. Therefore, its measurement accuracy and anti-interference capabilities do not significantly decrease with decreasing ambient brightness or increasing distance. Even in low-light or long-distance scenarios, it can capture relatively high-precision, low-noise, and highly reliable depth information, achieving high obstacle detection accuracy. That is, in the event that the visual sensor 11 fails, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can still be used to supplement effective obstacle detection. The use of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can better make up for the shortcomings of the visual sensor 11 in obstacle detection and expand the applicable scenarios of obstacle avoidance.

[0027] In the embodiment of the present application, a first preset condition can be set according to the condition under which the visual sensor 11 can detect an obstacle. When the first preset condition is met, that is, when the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle, the visual sensor 11 can be used to detect the obstacle. When the first preset condition is not met, that is, when the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be used to detect the obstacle. The condition under which the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle is related to the performance or capability of the visual sensor 11 itself. Generally, the visual sensor 11 can only detect the obstacle when some relevant information is met. The relevant parameters can be environmental information or information about the obstacle. For example, the environmental information can be the brightness of the environment, and the information about the obstacle can be the texture distribution of the obstacle. The visual sensor 11 can only detect the obstacle when the brightness of the environment meets a specific range or the texture distribution of the obstacle meets a threshold.

[0028] Optionally, the first preset condition may be related to information about the aircraft's environment or obstacle information. In specific applications, whether the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles is highly correlated with the aircraft's environment or obstacle information. Therefore, if the first preset condition is related to the aircraft's environment or obstacle information, it is beneficial to better switch between the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 based on the first preset condition, thereby achieving higher obstacle detection accuracy.

[0029] Optionally, the first preset condition is related to the brightness of the aircraft's environment or the texture distribution of obstacles. In specific applications, whether the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles is highly correlated with the brightness of the aircraft's environment or the texture distribution of the obstacles. Therefore, if the first preset condition is related to the brightness of the aircraft's environment or the texture distribution of the obstacles, it is beneficial to better switch between the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 based on the first preset condition, thereby achieving higher obstacle detection accuracy.

[0030] Optionally, the first preset condition may include: the brightness of the aircraft's environment is greater than or equal to a first threshold and less than or equal to a second threshold, or the texture richness of the obstacle is greater than or equal to a third threshold. In a specific application, if the brightness of the aircraft's environment is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than or equal to the second threshold, it can be considered that the visual sensor 11 can detect the obstacle and has a high degree of obstacle detection accuracy. Similarly, the visual sensor 11 can only detect the obstacle if the texture richness of the obstacle is greater than or equal to the third threshold. In this case, using the visual sensor 11 to detect obstacles not only enables obstacle detection, but also achieves high obstacle detection accuracy.

[0031] It should be noted that, in actual applications, the values ​​of the first threshold, the second threshold, and the third threshold can be determined based on the detection performance of the visual sensor 11. The first threshold can be the brightness value of low-illuminance ambient light, for example, 1 illuminance (lux), and the second threshold can be the brightness value of high-illuminance ambient light. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific values ​​of the first and second thresholds. Similarly, the specific value of the third threshold can also be set according to actual conditions.

[0032] Optionally, some of the situations in which the first preset condition is not met include: the brightness of the environment in which the aircraft is located is less than the first threshold, or the texture richness of the obstacle is less than the third threshold. In a specific application, when the brightness of the environment in which the aircraft is located is less than the first threshold, it can be considered that the brightness of the environment in which the aircraft is located is too low, and the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle, or the detection accuracy of the obstacle is low, and the obstacle information detected by the visual sensor 11 cannot be used to avoid the obstacle. Similarly, when the texture richness of the obstacle is less than the third threshold, it can be considered that the visual sensor 11 cannot detect the obstacle, such as low-texture obstacles such as glass and water surface. In this case, using the visual sensor 11 to detect the obstacle may not detect the obstacle, or the detection accuracy of the obstacle is low, and the obstacle avoidance cannot be performed based on the detected obstacle information.

[0033] Optionally, the period during which the brightness of the aircraft's environment is greater than or equal to the first threshold includes at least daytime. Thus, during daytime, the brightness of the aircraft's environment meets the first preset condition, and the visual sensor 11 can be used to detect obstacles. The period during which the brightness of the aircraft's environment is less than the first threshold includes at least part or all of the nighttime. Thus, during part or all of the nighttime, the brightness of the aircraft's environment does not meet the first preset condition. In this case, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be used to detect obstacles, enabling the aircraft to perform multi-scenario obstacle detection, for example, 24 / 7 obstacle detection, facilitating obstacle avoidance and flight safety both day and night.

[0034] Optionally, the visual sensor 11 and / or the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can also be used to detect ambient brightness, thereby determining whether the brightness of the aircraft's environment meets the first preset condition based on the ambient brightness, thereby facilitating switching between the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. In the embodiments of the present application, using the visual sensor 11 and / or the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 to detect ambient brightness avoids the need for an additional ambient brightness detection sensor to perform separate ambient brightness detection. This greatly simplifies the aircraft's structure and reduces its structural cost.

[0035] Of course, the aircraft may include a sensor for detecting ambient brightness. The sensor is used to detect the brightness of the environment in which the aircraft is located. The aircraft's processor may choose whether to use the obstacle information detected by the visual sensor 11 or the obstacle information detected by the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 based on the brightness of the environment detected by the sensor.

[0036] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor 11 is located on one or more sides of the body 10. When the visual sensor 11 is located on one side of the body 10, the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles on that side of the body 10. When the visual sensor 11 is located on multiple sides of the body 10, the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles on multiple sides of the body 10. In specific applications, those skilled in the art can set the visual sensor 11 on one or more sides of the body 10 according to actual needs. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the position of the visual sensor 11.

[0037] In specific applications, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be installed on one or more sides of the body 10 as needed, cooperating with the visual sensor 11 to detect obstacles. For example, if the visual sensor 11 is installed on only one side of the body 10, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be installed on the same side as the visual sensor 11, so that the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the visual sensor 11 at least partially overlap on that side of the body 10. For another example, if the visual sensor 11 is installed on multiple sides of the body 10, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be installed on at least one side of the body 10 where the visual sensor 11 is installed, so that the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the visual sensor 11 on at least one side at least partially overlap.

[0038] Optionally, one side of the body 10 may include a front side, that is, when the visual sensor 11 is only arranged on one side of the body 10, the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 may both be arranged on the front side of the body 10, so that the detection ranges of the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12 at least partially overlap in the front direction of the aircraft, so as to realize the detection of obstacles in the front direction of the aircraft.

[0039] Optionally, the multiple sides of the body 10 may include at least two of the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom sides of the body 10, so that the visual sensor 11 can detect obstacles in at least two directions of the aircraft. Furthermore, the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the visual sensor 11 may at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft. For example, the visual sensor 11 can detect omnidirectionally in six directions of the aircraft: front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom. The direct time-of-flight sensor 12 may be located on the front side of the body 10, and the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the visual sensor 11 may at least partially overlap in the direction of the front of the aircraft. The sensing range of the visual sensor 11 and the sensing field of view of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 may be the same or different. For example, the sensing field of view of a single visual sensor 11 may be 200 degrees, while the sensing field of view of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 may be 100 degrees.

[0040] For example, the vision sensor 11 may be disposed on the front, left, right, and bottom sides of the aircraft body 10, so as to detect obstacles in front, to the left, to the right, and below the aircraft through the vision sensor 11. The direct time-of-flight sensor 12 may be disposed on the front side of the aircraft body 10, and the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the vision sensor 11 may at least partially overlap in the front direction of the aircraft.

[0041] Optionally, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is disposed on a first bearing structure of the body 10 , and the first bearing structure can be used to support the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 .

[0042] Optionally, the first supporting structure may include the body 10, the arm 101, or the tripod 102, with the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 disposed on at least one of the body 10, the arm 101, and the tripod 102 to increase the layout flexibility of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. For example, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 may be disposed on the nose of the body 10. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the content of the first supporting structure or the installation location of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12.

[0043] For example, when the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 needs to detect obstacles in the front direction of the aircraft, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be set in at least one of the nose, the front arm 101 or the front leg 102 according to actual needs.

[0044] It should be noted that Figure 1 Only the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is shown to be arranged on the nose of the aircraft and between the two vision sensors 11. Figure 2 Only the case where the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is set on the arm 101 is shown. Figure 3FIG. 1 shows only the case where the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is arranged on the tripod 102. Figure 2 In addition to being arranged at the end of the arm 101 (far away from the body 10), the direct flight time sensor 12 can also be arranged in the middle of the arm 101 or the root of the arm 101 (close to the body 10).

[0045] Optionally, the body 10 may include a second bearing structure, and the visual sensor 11 is disposed on the second bearing structure, and the second bearing structure may be used to support the visual sensor 11 .

[0046] Optionally, the second supporting structure may include a body 10, an arm 101, or a tripod 102, and the visual sensor 11 may be disposed on at least one of the body 10, the arm 101, and the tripod 102 to increase the layout flexibility of the visual sensor 11. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the content of the second supporting structure or the installation location of the visual sensor 11.

[0047] For example, when the visual sensor 11 needs to detect obstacles in all directions of the aircraft, the visual sensor 11 can be set on the fuselage 10. For example, three visual sensors 11 can be set on the upper side of the fuselage 10, and three visual sensors 11 can be set on the lower side of the fuselage 10. Alternatively, two visual sensors 11 can be set on the left and right ends of the nose of the fuselage 10, two visual sensors 11 can be set on the left and right ends of the tail of the fuselage 10, and two visual sensors 11 can be set on the lower side of the fuselage 10. Alternatively, visual sensors 11 can be set on the front, rear, upper, lower, left and right sides of the fuselage 10. The specific implementation method can be set based on actual needs.

[0048] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are located in the same component or different components of the body 10. When the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are located in the same component of the body 10, the layout of the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be made more compact. When the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are located in different components of the body 10, the layout of the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is flexible.

[0049] Optionally, the component may include a supporting structure, which can be used to support at least one of the visual sensor 11 and the direct time of flight sensor 12, that is, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time of flight sensor 12 can be set on the same supporting structure or on different supporting structures as needed.

[0050] Optionally, the supporting structure includes a body 10, an arm 101, or a tripod 102, and the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be simultaneously connected to one of the body 10, the arm 101, or the tripod 102 as needed, or connected to two different ones of the body 10, the arm 101, or the tripod 102, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can both be located at the nose of the aircraft, for example, at the nose of the body 10. Alternatively, the visual sensor 11 is located at the nose of the aircraft, and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is located at the tripod 102.

[0051] like Figure 1 As shown, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are located on the same component of the aircraft 10, namely, the nose of the aircraft 10. There are at least two visual sensors 11, so that the visual sensors 11 at two different locations can perform three-dimensional obstacle avoidance detection. The direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is located between the at least two visual sensors 11, so that the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11 overlap in at least one flight direction of the aircraft.

[0052] For example, the visual sensors 11 can be set at the left and right ends of the nose, and the direct flight time sensor 12 can be set on the nose and located between the two visual sensors 11, so that the detection range of the direct flight time sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11 can better overlap.

[0053] Reference Figure 4 , shows a structural diagram of another aircraft according to an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 4 As shown, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 may specifically include a transmitter 121 and a receiver 122. The transmitter 121 may be used to send an optical signal, and the receiver 122 may be used to receive an optical signal reflected by an obstacle. Figures 1 to 3 Alternatively, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 may be configured as shown in FIG. Figure 4 The split arrangement shown is used to improve the layout flexibility of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 .

[0054] In specific applications, if the transmitter 121 and receiver 122 of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are integrated, the overall size of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 will be relatively large. In some installation scenarios with limited space, for example, where there is no space for large components on the nose of the aircraft, or where other components such as a gimbal on the nose need to be avoided, installing a large direct time-of-flight sensor 12 may be impractical. In such cases, it may be possible to consider separating the transmitter 121 and receiver 122 of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 to increase the layout flexibility of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12.

[0055] Optionally, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are combined and arranged on the same part of the body 10, or the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are separately arranged on the same part of the body 10 to improve the compactness of the layout of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122, thereby helping to improve the detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for obstacles. Alternatively, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are separately arranged on different parts of the body 10 to further improve the layout flexibility of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122, so as to further adapt to various complex installation scenarios. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific setting position of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122. For example, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are combined and arranged on the nose or tripod of the body 10, or the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are separately arranged at the two ends of the nose of the body 10, for example Figure 4 As shown, the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are respectively arranged near two different visual sensors 11.

[0056] Optionally, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are arranged on the same component of the body 10, the number of visual sensors 11 is at least two, and the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are combined and arranged between at least two visual sensors 11, so that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 has higher detection accuracy for obstacles, and the detection range of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11 can better overlap.

[0057] Optionally, the visual sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 are disposed on the same component of the body 10, with at least two visual sensors 11 being provided, and the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 being separately disposed between at least two visual sensors 11. This allows for a flexible layout of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, and allows for better overlap between the detection ranges of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the two visual sensors 11.

[0058] Optionally, the component may include a bearing structure, where the bearing structure is used to bear at least one of the vision sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 , so as to achieve reliable support for the vision sensor 11 and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 .

[0059] Optionally, the supporting structure includes the body 10, the arm 101, or the tripod 102. The transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, and the two vision sensors 11 can be provided on at least one of the body 10, the arm 101, or the tripod 102 as needed, to increase the layout flexibility of the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, and the vision sensor 11.

[0060] Optionally, the at least two visual sensors 11 may include a first visual sensor and a second visual sensor, the transmitter 121 is close to the first visual sensor, and the receiver 122 is close to the second visual sensor, so as to reserve sufficient space between the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 for layout of other components.

[0061] Optionally, the at least two visual sensors 11 may include a first visual sensor and a second visual sensor, the distance between the transmitter 121 and the first visual sensor being smaller than the distance between the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122, and the distance between the receiver 122 and the second visual sensor being smaller than the distance between the receiver 122 and the transmitter 121. In this way, sufficient space can be reserved between the receiver 122 and the transmitter 121 for the layout of large components (such as a pan / tilt head, etc.).

[0062] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the aircraft may also include: a processor, in response to the amount of light entering the direct flight time sensor 12 meeting the second preset condition, the processor allows the speed of the aircraft to be greater than or equal to a fourth threshold, so that the aircraft can perform obstacle detection during high-speed flight, achieve obstacle avoidance under high-speed flight conditions, and improve the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0063] In order to improve the detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 for long-distance obstacles, the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 needs to meet a second preset condition.

[0064] In a specific application, the second preset condition is related to at least one of the aperture, exposure time, and number of exposures of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. Specifically, the aperture, exposure time, and number of exposures are the three main factors that affect the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. Generally, the larger the aperture, the longer the exposure time, and the more exposures, the greater the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, and the easier it is to meet the second preset condition. The greater the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, the more likely it is that the light signal emitted by the transmitter of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and reflected by an obstacle will be received by the receiver of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. Therefore, the greater the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, the more distant obstacles the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect. This application takes into account the specific relationship between the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and the measured distance. Therefore, this application will try its best to make the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 reach the preset conditions, so that the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is as large as possible to ensure that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect obstacles at a greater distance to adapt to the use scenario of high-speed flight of the aircraft.

[0065] Optionally, the fourth threshold value can be 5 meters per second, that is, when the amount of light entering the direct flight time sensor 12 meets the second preset condition, the aircraft can be allowed to fly at a speed greater than or equal to 5 meters per second, so that the aircraft can detect obstacles while flying at high speed, achieve obstacle avoidance under high-speed flight conditions, and improve the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0066] Generally speaking, in the case where the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not adjustable, if the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is adjusted to a larger value, in the daytime scene, due to the high and strong ambient light, stray light may enter the receiver of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. The stray light is not the light emitted by the transmitter of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 and reflected by the obstacle, resulting in the distance measured by the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 not being the actual distance of the obstacle, affecting the measurement distance and measurement accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12. At night, due to the low and weak ambient light, the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is adjusted to a larger value. It will not affect the ranging accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night. This application takes into account that the visual sensor 11 can be used to detect obstacles in scenes with high ambient brightness such as during the day, while the visual sensor 11 cannot be used in scenes with low ambient brightness such as at night. Therefore, it is more necessary to rely on the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 to detect obstacles in scenes with low ambient brightness such as at night. Therefore, this application tends to adjust the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 to as large as possible when the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 cannot be adjusted, so as to ensure the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in scenes with low ambient brightness such as at night as much as possible.

[0067] Optionally, the detection range of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than its detection range during the day. In specific applications, during the day, due to the higher ambient brightness, the ambient brightness of the aircraft generally meets the first preset condition. In this case, the visual sensor 11 can be used to detect obstacles, and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is less likely to be used. At night, due to the lower ambient brightness, the ambient brightness of the aircraft generally does not meet the first preset condition. In this case, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is generally required for obstacle detection. In other words, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is much more likely to be used at night than during the day.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, by setting the detection distance of the direct flight time sensor 12 at night to be greater than the detection distance of the direct flight time sensor 12 during the day, it is beneficial for the direct flight time sensor 12 to obtain higher detection accuracy when performing obstacle detection at night, which is beneficial to the implementation of aircraft obstacle avoidance technology.

[0069] Optionally, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is a first distance, and the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 during the day is a second distance, and the first distance is at least twice the second distance, so that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can obtain higher detection accuracy when performing obstacle detection at night.

[0070] It should be noted that in specific applications, those skilled in the art can set the first distance to 2 times, 2.5 times, 3.8 times or 5 times the second distance according to actual needs. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the relationship between the multiples of the first distance and the second distance.

[0071] Optionally, if the amount of light entering the TOF sensor 12 is adjustable, the aperture size, number of exposures, and exposure time of the TOF sensor 12 can be adjusted to increase the detection distance of the TOF sensor 12 in both low-light environments, such as at night, and high-light environments, such as during the day. For example, if the aperture value of the aircraft is adjustable, the aperture value of the TOF sensor 12 can be adjusted to a smaller value during the day to reduce the amount of light entering the TOF sensor 12, thereby ensuring the detection distance and detection accuracy of the TOF sensor 12 in daytime scenes. Meanwhile, the aperture value of the TOF sensor 12 can be adjusted to a larger value at night to allow more light to enter the TOF sensor 12, thereby ensuring the detection distance and detection accuracy of the TOF sensor 12 in nighttime scenes. Alternatively, during the day, the exposure time of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be shortened so that the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not so large, thereby ensuring the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in daytime scenes, while at night, the exposure time of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be increased so that the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is larger, thereby ensuring the detection distance and detection accuracy of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 in night scenes.

[0072] Optionally, the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold, so that the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can perform long-distance obstacle detection at night, which is beneficial to the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0073] Optionally, the fifth threshold is equal to 10 meters. In a specific application, when the detection distance of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 at night is greater than or equal to 10 meters, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can detect obstacles at a distance of 10 meters or more, which helps the aircraft implement obstacle avoidance technology based on the obstacle situation and improves the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0074] Optionally, if the aperture of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is not adjustable, the aperture of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 is set to a large aperture with an aperture value less than or equal to a preset threshold, so that the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 meets the second preset condition. In this way, when the aircraft's speed is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can still detect obstacles, achieving obstacle avoidance under high-speed flight conditions and improving aircraft flight safety.

[0075] Optionally, the preset threshold is equal to 1.0, that is, the aperture value (Fno) of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 should be greater than or equal to 1.0, so that the amount of light entering the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can meet the second preset condition.

[0076] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can also be used to detect obstacles in at least one direction when the first preset condition is met. That is, while the visual sensor 11 is detecting obstacles in at least one direction, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be activated to detect obstacles in at least one direction. The detection results of the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be fused with the detection results of the visual sensor 11 to further improve the detection accuracy of obstacles. For example, for usage scenarios with high ambient brightness such as daytime, the visual sensor 11 can detect the distance to the obstacle simultaneously with the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, and the distance values ​​detected by the two sensors can be fused with different weights according to actual conditions.

[0077] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 may also be used to detect specific types of false obstacles. These specific types of false obstacles are identified as obstacles by the visual sensor 11. The aircraft further includes a processor that sets the false obstacles as non-obstacles. For example, the specific types of false obstacles include clouds, fog, or particles.

[0078] In actual applications, the visual sensor 11 will identify false obstacles such as clouds, fog, and particles as obstacles, and the aircraft will then perform obstacle avoidance. However, clouds, fog, and particles are not real obstacles and do not require obstacle avoidance. Therefore, in this case, using the visual sensor 11 to detect obstacles may identify false obstacles. Therefore, a direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can be used to detect obstacles to improve the accuracy of obstacle detection. The direct time-of-flight sensor 12 can, for example, determine whether these objects are obstacles based on their reflectivity. If the object's reflectivity is very low, it can be identified as not an obstacle. For example, objects such as clouds, fog, and particles have a low reflectivity, and the direct time-of-flight sensor 12 will not identify them as obstacles. Therefore, by using the direct time-of-flight sensor 12, it is possible to avoid the visual sensor 11 detecting false obstacles, thereby improving the accuracy of obstacle detection.

[0079] Optionally, at least one direction of the aircraft may include at least one of the front, back, left, right, up and down of the aircraft. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the detection direction of obstacles by the visual sensor 11 and the direct flight time sensor 12.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present application, a visual sensor and a direct time-of-flight sensor can be simultaneously installed in an aircraft for obstacle avoidance detection. The detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft. By setting a first preset condition related to the conditions under which the visual sensor can detect obstacles, the visual sensor is used to detect obstacles when the first preset condition is met. In some cases where the first preset condition is not met, the direct time-of-flight sensor is used to detect obstacles. This can, to a certain extent, address the problem of the existing technology that only relies on visual sensors for obstacle detection, resulting in limited obstacle avoidance scenarios. This allows obstacle detection in more scenarios and expands the applicable scenarios of aircraft obstacle avoidance technology.

[0081] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative use of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0082] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and purpose of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An aircraft, characterized in that: The aircraft includes: a body and a visual sensor and a direct time-of-flight sensor connected to the body, the detection ranges of the visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor at least partially overlap in at least one direction of the aircraft, and the visual sensor is used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction, and the direct time-of-flight sensor is at least used to detect obstacles in the at least one direction.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that The visual sensor is used to detect obstacles in at least one direction when a first preset condition is met, and the direct flight time sensor is used to detect obstacles in at least one direction at least in some cases where the first preset condition is not met. The first preset condition is related to the condition under which the visual sensor can detect obstacles, and the first preset condition is related to information about the environment in which the aircraft is located or information about obstacles.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that The visual sensor is located on one side or multiple sides of the body, and / or the direct time-of-flight sensor is located on one side or multiple sides of the body.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that The direct time-of-flight sensor is used to detect obstacles in the front direction of the aircraft.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that The direct time-of-flight sensor is arranged on the first supporting structure of the body.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5, characterized in that The first supporting structure includes the body, the arm or the tripod, and the direct time-of-flight sensor is provided on at least one of the body, the arm and the tripod.

7. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that The visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor are located in the same component or different components of the body.

8. The aircraft according to claim 7, characterized in that The components include the body, arms or tripod.

9. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that The visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor are arranged on the same component of the body. The number of the visual sensors is at least two, and the direct time-of-flight sensor is located between at least two of the visual sensors.

10. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that The direct time-of-flight sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the transmitter is used to send light signals and the receiver is used to receive light signals reflected by obstacles; wherein the transmitter and the receiver are combined into one body, or the transmitter and the receiver are separated into two bodies.

11. The aircraft according to claim 10, characterized in that The transmitter and the receiver are integrated and arranged on the same part of the body, the transmitter and the receiver are separately arranged on the same part of the body, or the transmitter and the receiver are separately arranged on different parts of the body.

12. The aircraft according to claim 10, characterized in that The visual sensor and the direct time-of-flight sensor are arranged on the same component of the body. The number of the visual sensors is at least two, and the transmitter and the receiver are separately arranged between at least two of the visual sensors.

13. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that The aperture of the direct time-of-flight sensor is a large aperture whose aperture value is less than or equal to a preset threshold.

14. The aircraft according to claim 13, characterized in that The preset threshold is equal to 1.

0.

15. The aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The at least one direction of the aircraft includes at least one of front, back, left, right, up, and down of the aircraft.

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