Unmanned aerial vehicle airborne platform for road defect detection and detection device

Abstract

The utility model discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle airborne platform for road defect detection and a detection device, and relates to the technical field of aircraft accessories, the airborne platform comprises an equipment frame and a plurality of supporting legs, each supporting leg is provided with a ball joint structure, and the supporting legs are connected with the equipment frame through the ball joint structures; the ball joint structure comprises a ball seat and a ball head, the ball seat is fixed on the equipment frame, and the ball head is rotatably arranged in the ball seat; the upper end of the supporting leg is fixedly connected with the ball head; the ball joint structure further comprises an elastic washer and a supporting table, the elastic washer and the supporting table are each of an annular structure arranged on the outer side of the supporting leg in a sleeving mode, the supporting table is fixed to the supporting leg, and the elastic washer is clamped between the ball seat and the supporting table. The supporting leg has a preset posture inclining outwards, the lower end of the supporting leg is located on the outer side of the upper end of the supporting leg, and the detection device comprises the airborne platform. According to the structural design adopted by the scheme, the unmanned aerial vehicle can stably land under the complex road surface condition of a road.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of aircraft parts technology, and in particular to an airborne platform and detection device for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for highway defect detection. Background Technology

[0002] As an important transportation infrastructure, the health of highways and their structures directly affects driving safety and transportation efficiency. For example, if highway defects such as cracks, potholes, and ruts are not detected and dealt with in a timely manner, they will accelerate the damage to the road surface structure and even cause major traffic accidents. Efficient and accurate highway defect detection is of great significance for highway maintenance and management.

[0003] In existing technologies, highway defect detection mainly relies on two methods: manual inspection and dedicated inspection vehicles.

[0004] Manual inspections rely primarily on personnel walking or riding in patrol vehicles to visually inspect the roads. This method is inefficient, especially on highways and expressways, where manual inspections are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also pose safety hazards. While specialized inspection vehicles (such as integrated inspection vehicles and laser profiler vehicles) offer higher accuracy, they are expensive, have high operating costs, and significantly disrupt normal traffic flow during the inspection process.

[0005] In recent years, with the rapid development of drone technology, using drones equipped with high-definition cameras, infrared thermal imagers, lidar, and other highway defect detection equipment for highway inspection has become a new technological direction. Specific examples include the technical solutions provided in patent documents such as application number CN202410742152.2, entitled "A Method for Detecting Highway Cracks Based on Drone Photography," and application number CN202420268886.7, entitled "A Drone-Based Platform for Highway Use." The application of drones in highway defect detection offers advantages such as mobility, a wide field of view, and minimal disruption to ground traffic.

[0006] However, in practical applications, highway defect detection cannot be completed solely by drones flying in the air. Drones need to frequently land on the highway surface during inspections, mainly for the following reasons:

[0007] Due to the limited range of onboard batteries, drones cannot complete the inspection of the entire route in one go. In practice, after flying a certain distance, drones need to land on the road (usually the emergency lane or a temporarily closed work area), replace the batteries, and then take off again to continue the inspection of the next section.

[0008] Aerial inspection is generally used to quickly identify suspected defects. However, for key indicators such as crack depth, concrete strength, pavement skid resistance, and smoothness, aerial vision or aerial lidar inspection alone cannot obtain accurate data. Contact-based fine inspection or near-ground inspection is required. In this case, the drone needs to land near the defect and work with a robotic arm to use specialized inspection tools (such as crack depth gauges, rebound hammers, ultrasonic probes, lidar, friction coefficient measuring instruments, etc.) to conduct on-site measurements.

[0009] Unlike traditional drones that primarily operate in the air (such as aerial photography and surveying), the road landing environment places greater demands on the drone's onboard platform (especially the landing gear):

[0010] Unlike conventional flat ground for takeoff and landing, highways serve as platforms for frequent drone landings. These platforms are characterized by: cross slopes, longitudinal slopes, and complex slopes (not simply lateral or longitudinal slopes), as well as localized unevenness. When a drone lands on a sloping or potholed surface, the ground contact height of each outrigger varies. If the landing gear is a rigid structure and the drone's near-ground measurements are inaccurate, it will affect the drone's landing stability and may even cause the drone to tip over. Furthermore, the highway defect detection equipment carried by drones is mostly precision instruments, and the adverse effects of vibrations triggered during ground contact on these instruments must be considered.

[0011] In the prior art, the technical solutions for related airborne platforms, such as the solution provided by the invention entitled "Buffer Device for UAV Landing" with application number CN202311576799.4, address the complex surface conditions of road surfaces. In order to reduce the risk of instability, shaking, and rollover of UAVs during defect detection, it is necessary to further optimize the structure of the airborne platform. Utility Model Content

[0012] To address the aforementioned issue of further optimizing the structure of the airborne platform, this utility model provides an airborne platform and detection device for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for highway defect detection. The structural design adopted in this solution enables the UAV to land stably under complex road surface conditions.

[0013] To address the above problems, the UAV airborne platform and detection device for highway defect detection provided by this utility model solves the problems through the following technical points: The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection includes an equipment frame and multiple legs connected to the lower end of the equipment frame. Each leg is equipped with a ball joint structure, and the legs are connected to the equipment frame through the ball joint structure.

[0014] The ball joint structure includes a ball seat and a ball head. The ball seat is fixed on the equipment frame, and the ball head is rotatably disposed inside the ball seat.

[0015] The upper end of the support leg is fixedly connected to the ball head;

[0016] The ball joint structure also includes an elastic washer and a support platform. Both the elastic washer and the support platform are annular structures sleeved on the outside of the outrigger. The support platform is fixed on the outrigger, and the elastic washer is clamped between the ball seat and the support platform.

[0017] The outrigger has a pre-set outward tilt: the lower end of the outrigger is located outside the upper end of the outrigger.

[0018] When applied to highway defect detection, this solution mounts the equipment frame onto a drone, with the outriggers serving as the landing gear for the airborne platform. This solution addresses the challenges of frequent takeoffs and landings for drones in highway defect detection, where the landing environment is random and complex (the road surface has slopes and potholes, with different slope directions, gradients, pothole locations, depths, and sizes at different landing points). It proposes a technical solution to achieve stable drone landings under complex road surface conditions.

[0019] In the above structural design, the ball joint structure configured for each outrigger is used to achieve the following: each outrigger forms a ball-joint connection with the equipment frame through its upper ball joint structure. This allows the outrigger to swing in any radial direction relative to the equipment frame by rotating the ball joint relative to the ball seat, adapting to complex road conditions such as cross slopes, longitudinal slopes, and composite slopes. The elastic washer and support platform are used to achieve elastic support of the outrigger by the ball seat. Specifically, when the outrigger swings synchronously with the ball head in any direction, the support platform swings synchronously with the outrigger. Therefore, in this direction, the supporting effect of the elastic washer on the support platform is further enhanced, making the swing of the outrigger a damped swing. When the supporting force of the elastic washer on the support platform meets the supporting force required for the outrigger load, the outrigger swings through the support platform and the elastic washer... The elastic washers provide stable support for the equipment frame. While providing damping force during the swinging of the outriggers, the elastic washers also gradually form reliable support, effectively reducing the impact on the UAV and highway defect detection equipment during the ground contact process, thus achieving the purpose of flexible landing. The preset attitude is designed to force each outrigger to swing outward from its lower end relative to its upper end. In this way, when the UAV is vertically descending to the road surface, the lift provided by the rotor of the UAV gradually decreases. From the moment of contact with the ground to the moment it is stably supported by the ground, the outriggers form an angle with the ground. As the load on the outriggers increases, the bottom of the outriggers receives a horizontal force that slides outward. Thus, the support point provided by the road surface for the outriggers slides outward from the landing position, causing the outriggers to swing to a state that can stably support the equipment frame.

[0020] In summary, unlike existing technologies, this solution achieves multi-directional swing of the outriggers through a ball joint structure, damped swing and final support of the outriggers through elastic washers, and guides the outriggers to slide outwards through a preset outward tilt attitude. This allows the UAV to achieve stable and reliable landing under complex road surface conditions such as cross slopes, longitudinal slopes, compound slopes, and local potholes. At the same time, this solution has a simple structure, controllable cost, and is easy to maintain, making it particularly suitable for application scenarios in highway defect detection where UAVs need to take off and land frequently.

[0021] In one specific implementation, the ball seat and the support platform constrain the elastic washer to a compressed state. In this way, the thrust of the elastic washer loaded on the support platform provides constraint on the swaying of the outriggers, thereby reducing the frequency and amplitude of the swaying of the outriggers during the flight of the UAV and ensuring the stability of the UAV during flight.

[0022] A further technical solution for the UAV-borne platform used for highway defect detection is as follows:

[0023] The outrigger includes a top section and a bottom section. The upper end of the top section is fixedly connected to a ball head, and the lower end of the top section is detachably connected to the upper end of the bottom section. The lower end of the bottom section is provided with a ground contact element for contacting the ground, and the support platform is fixed on the top section.

[0024] In the above scheme, the top section provides the structural foundation for the connection between the outriggers and the ball joint, and provides the installation foundation for the support platform. Specifically, when this scheme is applied to different detection tasks, simply changing the bottom section to different lengths allows the highway defect detection equipment to be supported at a suitable ground clearance, thus improving the versatility of this scheme. The ground contact component guides the lower end of the bottom section to slide on the ground, preventing the stability of the drone's landing from being affected by friction and jamming between the lower end of the outriggers and the ground. In specific applications, the ground contact component can be a universal ball bearing or a wear-resistant and smooth sliding plate. When using a sliding plate, a flat or curved plate that provides surface or line support can be used to reduce the impact of ground potholes on the outriggers' swing. Additionally, depending on the specific task characteristics, the ground contact component can also be an anti-slip mat, allowing the airborne platform to slide along the slope towards the bottom when applied to slope road defect detection, preventing it from remaining at the desired defect detection position.

[0025] The ground contact component includes a universal ball bearing, which is disposed in a ball bearing cavity in the bottom section. An elastic filling layer is provided in the ball bearing cavity, and the ball bearing cavity provides support for the top side of the universal ball bearing through the elastic filling layer.

[0026] The above scheme aims to achieve the following: Utilizing the characteristic that the compression of the elastic filler layer varies with load, dynamic control of the sliding behavior of the outrigger's bottom end is achieved. During the drone's descent, when the drone first touches the road surface, the outrigger load is relatively small, and the elastic filler layer is in a low-compression state. In this state, the elastic filler layer has weak rolling constraint on the universal ball bearings, allowing the universal ball bearings to roll freely with minimal resistance. This guides the bottom end of the outrigger to slide outward along the road surface, assisting the outrigger in reliably swinging to a stable state supporting its load under a preset outward tilt attitude. As the drone continues to descend and the rotor lift gradually decreases, the outrigger load gradually increases, and the compression of the elastic filler layer on the top side of the universal ball bearings also increases. The wrapping and squeezing effect of the elastic filler layer on the universal ball bearings intensifies, and the rolling resistance of the universal ball bearings gradually increases. When the drone, road defect detection equipment, etc., are completely supported by the outriggers, the elastic filler layer is further compressed, thereby increasing the rolling resistance of the universal ball bearings. This effectively prevents the airborne platform from sliding down the slope due to the gravitational component on the inclined road surface, thus avoiding positional drift of the road defect detection equipment relative to the detection position after landing. Meanwhile, this solution has a simple structure: it can automatically complete the outward swing guidance of the lower end of the outriggers and the stable ground support of the airborne platform during the landing of the drone without any sensors or active control components.

[0027] The universal ball bearings are constrained in the ball bearing cavity by a pressure ring at the lower end of the bottom section via a threaded connection.

[0028] The above solution aims to address the following issues: Due to the presence of dust, gravel, and silt on highway surfaces, the universal ball bearings, as moving parts that directly contact the ground and roll frequently, are prone to embedding impurities into their cavities during rolling. This solution constrains the universal ball bearings through a pressure ring connected to the bottom section by threads. Maintenance personnel can easily remove the universal ball bearings and elastic filler layer from the cavities simply by disassembling the pressure ring. This facilitates cleaning of the universal ball bearing surface, elastic filler layer, and the interior of the cavities, as well as replacement of the universal ball bearings and elastic filler layer, ensuring their normal function. Furthermore, this structure allows maintenance personnel to replace universal ball bearings of different materials or diameters, or to replace elastic filler layers with different elastic coefficients and filler amounts, to adjust the rolling characteristics of the universal ball bearings based on different highway surface conditions (such as the friction characteristics of asphalt and cement pavements). This enables the onboard platform to flexibly adapt to diverse testing scenarios.

[0029] Both the top and bottom sections are straight rods, connected by threads, and are coaxial. The center of the ball head is located on the axis of the support leg.

[0030] In the above scheme, the outrigger is designed as a straight rod, and the center of the ball joint is always located on the outrigger axis. This structure is simple and easy to manufacture. However, compared with a curved rod outrigger, the ball joint is not collinear with the outrigger axis, which generates torque when the outrigger is under load. This causes the bottom of the outrigger to swing outward and the outrigger to twist around the axis, which poses a risk to the stable landing of the airborne platform.

[0031] The support platform includes a flat washer and two nuts threaded onto the legs;

[0032] The flat washer is fitted onto the support leg through its central hole, and the lower end of the elastic washer is supported on the upper surface of the flat washer. Two nuts are stacked on top of each other, and the lower end of the flat washer is supported on the upper surface of the top nut.

[0033] In the above scheme, the overlapping of two nuts forms a locking mechanism, enabling precise adjustment and stable maintenance of the elastic washer's compression. When it is necessary to adjust the damping characteristics of the elastic washer on the outrigger's swing, adjusting the position of the two nuts on the outrigger changes the compression of the elastic washer. The flat washer, as the force transmission element between the elastic washer and the nuts, prevents the elastic washer from twisting with the top nut when the nuts are rotated. The mutual compression between the top and bottom nuts prevents the nuts from loosening due to vibrations and impacts from frequent drone takeoffs and landings, ensuring the long-term stability of the adjusted elastic washer's compression. At the same time, when the elastic washer becomes fatigued and loose after long-term use, adjusting the nuts restores the initial preload of the elastic washer, thus extending the effective life of the elastic washer.

[0034] The outriggers are arranged at intervals around the edge of the equipment frame;

[0035] Relative to the center of the equipment frame, the inner thickness of the elastic washer is greater than the outer thickness, and the lower end of the support leg is located outside the upper end of the support leg, which is supported by the elastic washer for the support platform.

[0036] In the above scheme, the arrangement of the outriggers is used to provide multi-point support for the equipment frame to ensure the stability of the support for the equipment frame; the above thickness setting method means that the thickness of the elastic washer is different at different positions in the circumferential direction of the elastic washer (the cross section of the elastic washer is a wedge-shaped cross section), and the position with the larger thickness is installed closer to the center of the equipment frame. In this way, by taking advantage of the characteristic that the inner side of the elastic washer can provide greater support force to the support platform than the outer side, the outriggers are constrained to have a preset posture with the lower end tilted outward.

[0037] The ball seat has anti-slip textures on its outer wall, which are located in the area where the outer wall mates with the elastic washer.

[0038] In the above solutions, the anti-slip texture is used to prevent the elastic washer from rotating around its own axis, thus avoiding changes in its support state on the support platform due to rotation during use. In one specific implementation, the outer wall of the ball seat is hemispherical, and the anti-slip texture is a groove provided on a local part of the outer wall. The surface of the groove is smooth and smoothly transitions to the surface outside the groove on the ball seat. When the elastic washer uses a rubber ring sensitive to local stress, the problem of tearing of the elastic washer caused by the anti-slip texture is avoided.

[0039] The equipment frame is provided with a first bolt hole for connecting the equipment frame to the UAV, and a second bolt hole for connecting the equipment frame to the highway defect detection equipment.

[0040] The second bolt hole has several groups, and each group of second bolt holes includes two parallel strip bolt holes. The strip bolt holes penetrate the equipment frame from top to bottom and extend along the length direction of the equipment frame or along the width direction of the equipment frame.

[0041] In the above scheme, the first bolt hole is used to realize the bolt connection between the airborne platform and the UAV, and the second bolt hole is used to realize the mounting of the highway defect detection equipment on the equipment frame. Specifically, a single highway defect detection device is bolted to the equipment frame through a set of second bolt holes; each set of second bolt holes includes two parallel strip bolt holes, which are used to realize the highway defect detection device is connected to the equipment frame through two rows of bolts, and the specific connection position can be adjusted in the length direction of the strip bolt holes. A single set of second bolt holes can accommodate multiple highway defect detection devices; the strip bolt holes penetrate the equipment frame from top to bottom, that is, the upper end of the strip bolt hole is connected to the top surface of the equipment frame, and the lower end is connected to the bottom surface of the equipment frame. In this way, by supporting the top surface of the equipment frame with the cap end of the bolt connecting the highway defect detection device and the upper end of the highway defect detection device is supported on the bottom surface of the equipment frame, the reliable mounting of the highway defect detection device on the equipment frame can be completed.

[0042] This solution also relates to a detection device for highway defect detection, including highway defect detection equipment and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airborne platform as described in any of the above, wherein the highway defect detection equipment is fixed on an equipment frame.

[0043] The above-mentioned detection device includes the airborne platform, which is a specific application of the airborne platform.

[0044] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0045] This solution enables drones to land smoothly and reliably on complex road surfaces such as cross slopes, longitudinal slopes, combined slopes, and local potholes. At the same time, this solution has a simple structure, controllable cost, and is easy to maintain, making it particularly suitable for application scenarios in highway defect detection where drones need to take off and land frequently. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is a front view of a specific embodiment of the UAV airborne platform and detection device for highway defect detection described in this solution;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a top view of a specific embodiment of the UAV airborne platform and detection device for highway defect detection described in this solution;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the assembly formed by the ball joint structure and the outrigger portion in a specific embodiment of the UAV airborne platform and detection device for highway defect detection described in this solution.

[0049] The reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows: 1. Equipment frame; 11. Strip bolt hole; 2. Ball joint structure; 21. Ball seat; 22. Elastic washer; 23. Support platform; 24. Ball head; 3. Leg; 31. Top section; 32. Bottom section; 33. Universal ball bearing; 34. Elastic filling layer. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments:

[0051] Example 1:

[0052] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection includes an equipment frame 1 and multiple legs 3 connected to the lower end of the equipment frame 1. Each leg 3 is equipped with a ball joint structure 2, and the legs 3 are connected to the equipment frame 1 through the ball joint structure 2.

[0053] The ball joint structure 2 includes a ball seat 21 and a ball head 24. The ball seat 21 is fixed on the equipment frame 1, and the ball head 24 is rotatably disposed inside the ball seat 21.

[0054] The upper end of the support leg 3 is fixedly connected to the ball head 24;

[0055] The ball joint structure 2 also includes an elastic washer 22 and a support platform 23. Both the elastic washer 22 and the support platform 23 are annular structures sleeved on the outside of the support leg 3. The support platform 23 is fixed on the support leg 3, and the elastic washer 22 is clamped between the ball seat 21 and the support platform 23.

[0056] The support leg 3 has a pre-set posture of tilting outward: the lower end of the support leg 3 is located outside the upper end of the support leg 3.

[0057] When applied to highway defect detection, this solution uses a frame 1 mounted on a drone, with the highway defect detection equipment mounted on the frame 1. The outriggers 3 serve as the landing gear for the airborne platform. This solution addresses the challenges of frequent takeoffs and landings for drones in highway defect detection, where the landing environment is random and complex (the road surface has slopes and potholes, with different slope directions, gradients, pothole locations, depths, and sizes at different landing points). It proposes a technical solution to enable stable landing of drones under complex road surface conditions.

[0058] In the above structural design, the ball joint structure 2 configured for each outrigger 3 is used to achieve the following: each outrigger 3 forms a ball joint connection with the equipment frame 1 through its upper ball joint structure 2. Thus, by rotating the ball head 24 relative to the ball seat 21, the outrigger 3 can swing in any radial direction relative to the equipment frame 1 to adapt to complex road conditions such as cross slopes, longitudinal slopes, and composite slopes. The elastic washer 22 and the support platform 23 are used to achieve elastic support of the outrigger 3 by the ball seat 21. Specifically, when the outrigger 3 swings synchronously with the ball head 24 in any direction, the support platform 23 swings synchronously with the outrigger 3. Therefore, in this direction, the supporting effect of the elastic washer 22 on the support platform 23 is further strengthened, making the swing of the outrigger 3 a damped swing. When the supporting force of the elastic washer on the support platform 23 meets the supporting force required by the load of the outrigger 3... The outriggers 3 provide stable support for the equipment frame 1 through the support platform 23 and the elastic washer 22. The elastic washer 22 provides damping force during the swinging of the outriggers 3, and by gradually forming reliable support, it can effectively reduce the impact on the UAV and highway defect detection equipment during the ground contact process, thus achieving the purpose of flexible landing. The preset attitude is designed to force each outrigger 3 to have an attitude in which the lower end swings outward relative to the upper end. In this way, when the UAV is vertically descending to the road surface, the lift provided by the rotor of the UAV gradually decreases, and from the process of touching the ground to being stably supported by the ground, the outriggers 3 have an angle with the ground. As the load on the outriggers 3 increases, the bottom end of the outriggers 3 obtains a horizontal force that slides outward. In this way, the support point provided by the road surface for the outriggers 3 slides outward to the landing position, causing the outriggers 3 to swing to a state that can stably support the equipment frame 1.

[0059] In summary, unlike existing technologies, this solution achieves multi-directional swinging of the outriggers 3 through the ball joint structure 2, damped swinging and final support of the outriggers 3 through the elastic washer 22, and guides the outriggers 3 to slide outward through a preset outward tilting attitude. This allows the UAV to achieve stable and reliable landing under complex road surface conditions such as cross slopes, longitudinal slopes, compound slopes, and local potholes. At the same time, this solution has a simple structure, controllable cost, and is easy to maintain, making it particularly suitable for application scenarios in highway defect detection where UAVs need to take off and land frequently.

[0060] In one specific implementation, the ball seat 21 and the support platform 23 constrain the elastic washer 22 to a compressed state. In this way, the thrust of the elastic washer 22 on the support platform 23 provides constraint on the swaying of the outrigger 3, thereby reducing the swaying frequency and amplitude of the outrigger 3 during the flight of the UAV and ensuring the stability of the UAV during flight.

[0061] Example 2:

[0062] This embodiment is a further refinement of embodiment 1:

[0063] The support leg 3 includes a top section 31 and a bottom section 32. The upper end of the top section 31 is fixedly connected to the ball head 24, and the lower end of the top section 31 is detachably connected to the upper end of the bottom section 32. The lower end of the bottom section 32 is provided with a ground contact element for contacting the ground, and the support platform 23 is fixed on the top section 31.

[0064] In the above scheme, the top section 31 provides the structural foundation for the connection between the outrigger 3 and the ball joint 24, and provides the installation foundation for the support platform 23. Specifically, when this scheme is applied to different detection tasks, by simply changing the bottom section 32 of different lengths, the highway defect detection equipment can be supported at a suitable ground clearance, thereby improving the versatility of this scheme. The ground contact component is used to guide the lower end of the bottom section 32 to slide on the ground, avoiding the impact on the stability of the UAV landing due to friction and jamming between the lower end of the outrigger 3 and the ground. In specific applications, the ground contact component can be a universal ball bearing 33 or a wear-resistant and smooth sliding plate. When using a sliding plate, a flat plate or curved plate that can provide surface support or line support can be used to reduce the impact of ground potholes on the swing of the outrigger 3. At the same time, depending on the specific task characteristics, the ground contact component can also be an anti-slip mat, so that when applied to slope road defect detection, the airborne platform slides along the slope to the bottom side and cannot remain at the required defect detection position.

[0065] Example 3:

[0066] This embodiment is a further refinement of embodiment 2:

[0067] The ground contact component includes a universal ball bearing 33, which is disposed in the ball bearing cavity of the bottom section 32. An elastic filling layer 34 is disposed in the ball bearing cavity, and the ball bearing cavity provides support for the top side of the universal ball bearing 33 through the elastic filling layer 34.

[0068] The above scheme aims to achieve: Utilizing the characteristic that the compression of the elastic filler layer 34 varies with the load, dynamic control of the sliding behavior of the bottom end of the outrigger 3 can be realized. During the drone's descent, when the drone first touches the ground, the load on the outrigger 3 is relatively small, and the elastic filler layer 34 is in a low-compression state. In this state, the elastic filler layer 34 has a weak rolling constraint on the universal ball bearings 33, allowing the universal ball bearings 33 to roll freely with minimal resistance. This guides the bottom end of the outrigger 3 to slide outwards along the road surface, assisting the outrigger 3 in reliably swinging to a stable state supporting its load under a preset outward tilt attitude. As the drone continues to descend and the rotor lifts... As the force gradually decreases, the load on the outrigger 3 gradually increases, and the compression of the elastic filling layer 34 by the top side of the universal ball bearing 33 also increases accordingly. The wrapping and squeezing effect of the elastic filling layer 34 on the universal ball bearing 33 intensifies, and the rolling resistance of the universal ball bearing 33 gradually increases. When the UAV, highway defect detection equipment, etc. are completely supported by the outrigger 3, the elastic filling layer 34 is further compressed, thereby increasing the rolling resistance of the universal ball bearing 33. This effectively prevents the airborne platform from sliding down the slope due to the component of gravity on the inclined road surface, thus avoiding positional drift of the highway defect detection equipment relative to the detection position after landing. At the same time, this solution has a simple structure: it can automatically complete the outward swing guidance of the lower end of the outrigger 3 and the stable ground support of the airborne platform during the landing of the UAV without any sensors or active control components.

[0069] Example 4:

[0070] This embodiment is a further refinement of embodiment 3:

[0071] The universal ball bearing 33 is constrained in the ball bearing cavity by a pressure ring at the lower end of the bottom section 32 via a threaded connection.

[0072] The above solution aims to address the following issues: Due to the presence of dust, gravel, and mud on highway surfaces, the universal ball bearing 33, as a moving part that directly contacts the ground and rolls frequently, is prone to embedding impurities into its cavity during rolling. This solution constrains the universal ball bearing 33 by connecting the pressure ring to the bottom section 32 via a threaded connection. This allows maintenance personnel to easily remove the universal ball bearing 33 and the elastic filler layer 34 from the cavity simply by disassembling the pressure ring. This facilitates cleaning of the surface of the universal ball bearing 33, the elastic filler layer 34, and the interior of the cavity, as well as replacement of the universal ball bearing 33 and the elastic filler layer 34, ensuring their normal function. Furthermore, this structure allows maintenance personnel to replace the universal ball bearing 33 with different materials or diameters, or to replace the elastic filler layer 34 with different elastic coefficients and filling amounts, to adjust the rolling characteristics of the universal ball bearing 33 based on different highway surface conditions (such as the friction characteristics of asphalt and cement pavements). This enables the onboard platform to flexibly adapt to diverse testing scenarios.

[0073] Example 5:

[0074] This embodiment is a further refinement of embodiment 2:

[0075] Both the top section 31 and the bottom section 32 are straight rods, and the top section 31 and the bottom section 32 are threaded together. The top section 31 and the bottom section 32 are coaxial, and the center of the ball head 24 is located on the axis of the support leg 3.

[0076] In the above scheme, the outrigger 3 is designed as a straight rod, and the center of the ball head 24 is always located on the axis of the outrigger 3. This structure has the characteristics of simple structure and convenient processing. At the same time, compared with the outrigger 3 being a curved rod, because the center of the ball is not collinear with the axis of the outrigger 3, torque is generated when the outrigger 3 is under load, which causes the bottom of the outrigger 3 to swing outward and the outrigger 3 torsionally couple around the axis, which brings risks to the stable landing of the airborne platform.

[0077] Example 6:

[0078] This embodiment is a further refinement of embodiment 1:

[0079] The support platform 23 includes a flat washer and two nuts threaded onto the support leg 3;

[0080] The flat washer is fitted onto the support leg 3 through its central hole. The lower end of the elastic washer 22 is supported on the upper surface of the flat washer. Two nuts are stacked on top of each other, with the lower end of the flat washer supported on the upper surface of the top nut.

[0081] In the above scheme, the compression of the elastic washer 22 is precisely adjusted and stably maintained by using two nuts stacked on top of each other to form a locking mechanism. When it is necessary to adjust the damping characteristics of the elastic washer 22 on the swing of the support leg 3, the compression of the elastic washer 22 can be changed by adjusting the position of the two nuts on the support leg 3. The flat washer, as the force transmission element between the elastic washer 22 and the nut, is used to prevent the elastic washer 22 from twisting with the top nut when the nut is rotated. The mutual compression of the top nut and the bottom nut can prevent the nut from loosening due to the vibration and impact caused by the frequent take-off and landing of the UAV, ensuring that the compression of the elastic washer 22 is stable in the long term after adjustment. At the same time, when the elastic washer 22 becomes fatigued and loose after long-term use, the initial preload of the elastic washer 22 can be restored by adjusting the nut, thereby extending the effective life of the elastic washer 22.

[0082] Example 7:

[0083] This embodiment is a further refinement of embodiment 1:

[0084] The support legs 3 are arranged at intervals around the edge of the equipment frame 1;

[0085] Relative to the center position of the equipment frame 1, the thickness of the inner side of the elastic washer 22 is greater than the thickness of the outer side, and the lower end of the support leg 3 is located on the outer side of the upper end of the support leg 3, which is supported by the elastic washer 22 for the support platform 23.

[0086] In the above scheme, the arrangement of the support legs 3 is used to provide multi-point support for the equipment frame 1 to ensure the stability of the support for the equipment frame 1; the above thickness setting method means that the thickness of the elastic washer 22 is different at different positions in the circumferential direction of the elastic washer 22 (the cross section of the elastic washer 22 is a wedge-shaped cross section), and the position with the larger thickness is installed closer to the center of the equipment frame 1. In this way, by taking advantage of the characteristic that the inner side of the elastic washer 22 can provide greater support force to the support platform 23 compared with the outer side, the support legs 3 are constrained to have a preset posture with the lower end tilted outward.

[0087] Example 8:

[0088] This embodiment is a further refinement of embodiment 7:

[0089] The ball seat 21 has anti-slip textures on its outer wall, which are located in the area where the outer wall mates with the elastic washer 22.

[0090] In the above scheme, the anti-slip texture is used to prevent the elastic washer 22 from rotating around its own axis, so as to avoid the elastic washer 22 changing its support state on the support platform 23 due to its own rotation during use. In a specific implementation, the outer wall of the ball seat 21 is hemispherical, and the anti-slip texture is a groove provided on a local part of the outer wall. The surface of the groove is a smooth surface and smoothly transitions to the surface of the ball seat 21 other than the groove. When the elastic washer 22 is a rubber ring sensitive to local stress, the problem of tearing of the elastic washer 22 caused by the anti-slip texture is avoided.

[0091] Example 9:

[0092] This embodiment is a further refinement of embodiment 1:

[0093] The equipment frame 1 is provided with a first bolt hole for connecting the equipment frame 1 to the UAV, and the equipment frame 1 is provided with a second bolt hole for connecting the equipment frame 1 to the highway defect detection equipment.

[0094] The second bolt hole has several groups, and each group of second bolt holes includes two parallel strip bolt holes 11. The strip bolt holes 11 penetrate the equipment frame 1 from top to bottom, and extend along the length direction of the equipment frame 1 or along the width direction of the equipment frame 1.

[0095] In the above scheme, the first bolt hole is used to realize the bolt connection between the airborne platform and the UAV, and the second bolt hole is used to realize the mounting of the highway defect detection equipment on the equipment frame 1. Specifically, a single highway defect detection device is bolted to the equipment frame 1 through a set of second bolt holes; each set of second bolt holes includes two parallel strip bolt holes 11, which are used to realize the highway defect detection device is connected to the equipment frame 1 through two rows of bolts, and the specific connection position can be adjusted in the length direction of the strip bolt holes 11. A single set of second bolt holes can accommodate multiple highway defect detection devices; the strip bolt holes 11 penetrate the equipment frame 1 from top to bottom, that is, the upper end of the strip bolt hole 11 is connected to the top surface of the equipment frame 1, and the lower end is connected to the bottom surface of the equipment frame 1. In this way, by supporting the top surface of the equipment frame 1 with the cap end of the bolt connecting the highway defect detection device, and supporting the upper end of the highway defect detection device with the bottom surface of the equipment frame 1, the reliable mounting of the highway defect detection device on the equipment frame 1 can be completed.

[0096] Example 10:

[0097] Based on Embodiment 1, this embodiment provides a detection device for highway defect detection, including highway defect detection equipment and the UAV airborne platform described in Embodiment 1, wherein the highway defect detection equipment is fixed on the equipment frame 1.

[0098] The above detection device includes the airborne platform in Embodiment 1, which is a specific application of the airborne platform.

[0099] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific embodiments of the present invention are limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, other embodiments derived without departing from the technical solution of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An airborne platform for highway defect detection, comprising an equipment frame (1) and multiple legs (3) connected to the lower end of the equipment frame (1), characterized in that, Each leg (3) is equipped with a ball joint structure (2), and the legs (3) are connected to the equipment frame (1) through the ball joint structure (2); The ball joint structure (2) includes a ball seat (21) and a ball head (24). The ball seat (21) is fixed on the equipment frame (1), and the ball head (24) is rotatably disposed inside the ball seat (21). The upper end of the support leg (3) is fixedly connected to the ball head (24); The ball joint structure (2) also includes an elastic washer (22) and a support platform (23). The elastic washer (22) and the support platform (23) are both annular structures sleeved on the outside of the support leg (3). The support platform (23) is fixed on the support leg (3), and the elastic washer (22) is clamped between the ball seat (21) and the support platform (23). The outrigger (3) has a pre-set posture of tilting outward: the lower end of the outrigger (3) is located outside the upper end of the outrigger (3).

2. The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support leg (3) includes a top section (31) and a bottom section (32). The upper end of the top section (31) is fixedly connected to the ball head (24), and the lower end of the top section (31) is detachably connected to the upper end of the bottom section (32). The lower end of the bottom section (32) is provided with a ground contact element for contacting the ground, and the support platform (23) is fixed on the top section (31).

3. The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ground contact component includes a universal ball (33), which is disposed in the ball cavity of the bottom section (32). An elastic filling layer (34) is disposed in the ball cavity, and the ball cavity provides support for the top side of the universal ball (33) through the elastic filling layer (34).

4. The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection according to claim 3, characterized in that, The universal ball (33) is constrained in the ball cavity by a pressure ring at the lower end of the bottom section (32) through a threaded connection.

5. The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the top section (31) and the bottom section (32) are straight rods. The top section (31) and the bottom section (32) are threaded together. The top section (31) and the bottom section (32) are coaxial. The center of the ball head (24) is located on the axis of the support leg (3).

6. The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support platform (23) includes a flat washer and two nuts threaded onto the support leg (3); The flat washer is fitted onto the support leg (3) through its central hole. The lower end of the elastic washer (22) is supported on the upper surface of the flat washer. The two nuts are stacked on top of each other, and the lower end of the flat washer is supported on the upper surface of the top nut.

7. The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The legs (3) are arranged at intervals around the edge of the equipment frame (1); The thickness of the inner side of the elastic washer (22) is greater than the thickness of the outer side relative to the center position of the equipment frame (1).

8. The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection according to claim 7, characterized in that, The ball seat (21) has anti-slip textures on its outer wall, which are located in the area where the outer wall mates with the elastic washer (22).

9. The UAV airborne platform for highway defect detection according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The equipment frame (1) is provided with a first bolt hole for connecting the equipment frame (1) to the UAV, and the equipment frame (1) is provided with a second bolt hole for connecting the equipment frame (1) to the highway defect detection equipment; The second bolt hole has several groups, and each group of second bolt holes includes two parallel strip bolt holes (11). The strip bolt holes (11) penetrate the equipment frame (1) from top to bottom. The strip bolt holes (11) extend along the length direction of the equipment frame (1) or along the width direction of the equipment frame (1).

10. A detection device for highway defect detection, comprising highway defect detection equipment, characterized in that, It also includes the UAV airborne platform according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the highway defect detection equipment is fixed on the equipment frame (1).

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