A deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to underwater robot technical field especially relates to a deep sea diving load micro -observation type submersible, include: casing, the both ends of casing are provided with front -viewing camera and rear -viewing camera respectively, and casing is rotatively connected with front -viewing camera, and the advance and retreat propeller and the submersible float propeller, the advance and retreat propeller and the submersible float propeller all are arranged in the casing, and the advance and retreat propeller drive casing moves in the first direction, and the submersible float propeller drive casing moves in the second direction, and the adapter box and the altimeter, the adapter box and the altimeter all are arranged in the casing, and the adapter box is installed with lithium cell and control panel, the utility model discloses an electronic device and battery are integrated in the adapter box to reduce the occupation of each component to space, and then have space to carry high -definition camera, can be conveniently carried to the manned submersible or heavy -duty operation type submersible, solved the problem that the micro -submersible adopts analog camera in the prior art and the imaging quality is poor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of underwater robot technology, and in particular to a deep-sea submersible micro observation submersible. Background Technology

[0002] Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), also known as underwater robots, are important equipment for unmanned diving. They are characterized by safety, economy, efficiency, and large operating depth, and are widely used in fields such as offshore oil and gas development, deep-sea mining, and scientific research.

[0003] For specific seabed environments, large submersibles suffer from problems such as enormous size, inability to enter confined spaces, difficulties in transportation and deployment, high costs, and poor maneuverability. In such cases, miniature submersibles are needed for exploration. Currently, miniature submersibles carry relatively simple and low-end payloads and all use analog cameras for seabed observation. However, analog cameras have extremely low resolution, poor image interference resistance, and insufficient color reproduction and dynamic range, making it difficult to acquire high-quality seabed images.

[0004] Because high-definition cameras are larger and heavier than analog cameras, using real-time high-resolution cameras on small-sized submersibles places high demands on the overall design of the submersible, making it difficult to complete the overall design within limited layout space and weight constraints. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a deep-sea submersible micro observation vehicle. By integrating electronic components and batteries into a junction box, the space occupied by each component is reduced, thus creating space to mount a high-definition camera. This solves the problem of poor imaging quality in existing micro submersibles using analog cameras.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0007] A deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle includes:

[0008] A housing, wherein a front-view camera and a rear-view camera are respectively installed inside both ends of the housing, and the housing is rotatably connected to the front-view camera;

[0009] The forward and backward thrusters and the submersible thrusters are both disposed within the housing. The forward and backward thrusters drive the housing to move in a first direction, and the submersible thrusters drive the housing to move in a second direction.

[0010] The device includes a junction box and an altimeter, both of which are housed within the casing. The junction box contains a lithium battery and a control board.

[0011] The aforementioned solution utilizes a forward-looking camera, a rear-looking camera, forward / reverse thrusters, and a submersible / surface-mounted thruster. The forward-looking camera is a 4K resolution, SDI signal camera, providing stable, reliable, and latency-free real-time 4K video. Employing a global shutter, it can capture images of the seabed during submersible navigation, offering exceptional mobile observation capabilities. The rear-looking camera has a 1080p resolution and assists the forward-reverse camera. The thrusters generate thrust by rotating blades in the water, driving the hull forward, backward, and turning. The forward / reverse thrusters are horizontally positioned, rotating blades clockwise or counterclockwise to move the hull forward and backward and rotate it left and right. The submersible / surface-mounted thrusters are vertically positioned, rotating blades clockwise or counterclockwise to move the hull vertically. A seabed altimeter uses acoustic wave detection to determine the submersible's height relative to the seabed. By integrating the submersible's electronics and batteries into a junction box, the space occupied by each component is reduced, freeing up space for a high-definition camera, thus improving the quality of seabed imaging.

[0012] Furthermore, the housing includes a cover and side plates that are detachably connected to both sides of the cover. The two ends of the cover form a bow and a stern, respectively, and a fastening ring is provided on the stern.

[0013] The aforementioned design utilizes a hull made of buoyancy material to provide buoyancy for the submersible in the deep sea, maintaining it in a essentially neutral buoyancy state. The hull and side panels are connected by bolts, facilitating disassembly for maintenance and repair. Forward-looking and rearward-looking cameras are positioned near the bow and stern, respectively, for easy observation of the seabed. Mooring rings are used to secure the umbilical cable, which connects the umbilical cable winch to the hull.

[0014] Furthermore, there are two thrusters, one end of each thruster penetrates the bow, and the other end of each thruster penetrates the two side plates respectively.

[0015] The above scheme uses two forward and backward thrusters, both horizontally positioned at the end of the hull near the bow. When the hull needs to turn, the two thrusters output thrust in opposite directions, causing the hull to turn to the left or right, thus achieving the hull's left and right turning function and enabling it to turn.

[0016] Furthermore, the submersible propulsion device is located on the top of the housing, and a handle is also provided on the top of the housing.

[0017] The above design incorporates a submersible thruster, vertically mounted within the hull, which drives the hull to move vertically. A handle facilitates manual retrieval of the hull. Both the submersible thruster and the forward / reverse thruster are connected to the hull via bolts.

[0018] Furthermore, protective covers are installed at both ends of the forward and backward thrusters and on the submersible thrusters.

[0019] The above solution, through the setting of a protective cover, which is mesh-like and reduces gaps, prevents cables, seaweed, etc. from entering the forward / reverse propulsion or submersible propulsion and getting entangled in the propeller, which could lead to loss of control of the forward / reverse propulsion or submersible propulsion or motor jamming, thus improving the service life of the submersible.

[0020] Furthermore, a forward-looking light and a rear-looking light are respectively provided inside both ends of the housing, and the forward-looking light and the rear-looking light pass through the bow and stern respectively.

[0021] The above solution uses forward and rear-view lights to provide illumination, making it easier for the forward and rear-view cameras to clearly observe the seabed.

[0022] Furthermore, the forward-looking camera extends through the bow, and a first adapter ring is fitted onto the forward-looking camera;

[0023] The housing is also equipped with a gimbal, and the gimbal and the forward-viewing light are both connected to the forward-viewing camera through the first adapter ring. The gimbal drives the forward-viewing camera and the forward-viewing light to rotate in the second direction.

[0024] The above solution utilizes a pan-tilt unit (PTZ) connected to the housing via bolts, and a front-view illuminator connected to a first adapter ring via bolts. The PTG serves as a rotatable camera support platform, horizontally positioned with its axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of the first adapter ring. This allows the PTG to rotate the first adapter ring, which in turn rotates the front-view camera and front-view illuminator upwards or downwards, enabling pitch adjustment for a wider field of view. The end of the first adapter ring furthest from the PTG is rotatably connected to the housing via a bearing.

[0025] Furthermore, the rearview camera is connected to the rearview lighting lamp via a second adapter ring.

[0026] The above solution involves setting up a second adapter ring, which is fitted onto the rearview camera, and the rearview lighting is installed on the second adapter ring.

[0027] Furthermore, the docking box is electrically connected to the submersible thruster, the forward-looking camera, the forward-reverse thruster, the forward-looking light, the rear-looking camera, the rear-looking light, the gimbal, and the altimeter.

[0028] The above scheme utilizes a junction box, which serves as a centralized station for signal processing and control during seabed observation. The junction box provides power to cameras and lighting equipment and controls their operation. The junction box is connected to the housing via bolts, and the altimeter is also connected to the junction box via bolts.

[0029] A grid plate is connected to the bottom of the shell.

[0030] The above solution uses a grid panel to connect the submersible thruster, forward-facing camera, forward / backward thruster, forward-facing light, rear-facing camera, rear-facing light, gimbal, altimeter, and docking box via cables. The grid panel is used to secure the cables. The docking box is connected to a host computer via fiber optic cable, allowing the host computer to set the robot's parameters and control its movements.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0032] (I) This utility model, by setting up a docking box, connects to the forward-looking camera, the rear-looking camera, the forward / reverse thruster, the submersible thruster, and the altimeter. By integrating all electronic components and batteries into the docking box, the system's space occupation is reduced, the overall weight is lightened, and it has a high degree of integration, making it easy to mount on manned submersibles or heavy-duty operational submersibles. Simultaneously, both the forward-looking and rear-looking cameras are high-definition cameras, providing high-quality imaging of seabed information and expanding its ability for detailed seabed observation. By integrating the two high-definition cameras, the forward-looking and rear-looking cameras, into the shell through the docking box, a micro submersible can be equipped with high-definition cameras, achieving high-quality imaging of seabed information while maintaining a small size and high mobility.

[0033] (ii) By setting two forward and backward thrusters, when the shell needs to turn, the two forward and backward thrusters output thrust in opposite directions, and the forward and backward thrusters drive the shell to turn to the left or right, thereby realizing the left and right turning function of the shell and turning, so that the shell can accurately reach the measured area.

[0034] (III) This utility model sets up a pan-tilt unit, which drives the first adapter ring to rotate, thereby driving the forward-looking camera and the forward-looking light to rotate up or down, so as to realize the pitch adjustment of the forward-looking camera and the forward-looking light, so as to observe a larger range. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This invention relates to a structural schematic diagram of a deep-sea submersible micro observation submersible.

[0036] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The left view;

[0037] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A bottom view;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shell of this utility model;

[0039] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Internal structure diagram;

[0040] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The right view;

[0041] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of point A.

[0042] The following are labels in the attached diagram: 1. Shell; 11. Cover; 12. Side plate; 13. Submersible thruster; 14. Handle; 15. Protective cover; 2. Bow; 21. Forward-facing camera; 22. Advancing / retracting thruster; 23. Forward-facing illumination; 3. Stern; 31. Rear-facing camera; 32. Rear-facing illumination; 33. Fastening ring; 34. Second adapter ring; 4. Gimbal; 41. First adapter ring; 5. Connector box; 51. Altimeter; 6. Grille plate. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the device proposed by this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of this utility model will become clearer according to the following description. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, only used to conveniently and clearly assist in illustrating the purpose of the embodiments of this utility model. Please refer to the accompanying drawings to make the objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only used to complement the content disclosed in the specification, for those skilled in the art to understand and read, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this utility model. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportional relationships, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that this utility model can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this utility model.

[0044] Correspondingly, such as Figure 1 As shown, this utility model provides a deep-sea submersible micro observation submersible, including: a shell 1, a forward and backward thruster 22 and a submersible thruster 13. A forward-looking camera 21 and a rear-looking camera 31 are respectively installed inside both ends of the shell 1, and the shell 1 is rotatably connected to the forward-looking camera 21.

[0045] In this embodiment, the forward-looking camera 21 is a 4K resolution, SDI signal camera, thereby providing stable, reliable, and delay-free real-time 4K video. The forward-looking camera 21 uses a global shutter, which can capture images of the seabed during the submersible's navigation, providing an ultimate mobile observation effect; ensuring that the 4K ultra-high-definition SDI video signal output by the forward-looking camera 21 is of stable quality and clear image, and expanding its ability to conduct detailed seabed observations; the rear-looking camera 31 has a resolution of 1080p, assisting the forward-looking camera 21 in observation.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first direction is the horizontal direction and the second direction is the vertical direction; both the forward and backward thruster 22 and the submersible thruster 13 are disposed inside the housing 1. The forward and backward thruster 22 drives the housing 1 to move in the horizontal direction, and the submersible thruster 13 drives the housing 1 to move in the vertical direction.

[0047] In this embodiment, the thruster generates thrust by rotating blades in the water, driving the shell 1 forward or backward. The forward / reverse thruster 22 is horizontally positioned and rotates its blades clockwise or counterclockwise to move the shell 1 in the forward / backward direction and rotate it left / right. The submersible thruster 13 is vertically positioned and rotates its blades clockwise or counterclockwise to move the shell 1 in the up / down direction.

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, the interior of the shell 1 is equipped with a docking box 5 and an altimeter 51. The seabed altimeter 51 detects the height of the submersible relative to the seabed using an acoustic detection method.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the shell 1 includes a cover 11 and side plates 12 that are detachably connected to both sides of the cover 11. Both the cover 11 and the side plates 12 are made of buoyancy material. The use of buoyancy material in the shell 1 provides buoyancy for the submersible in the deep sea, so that the submersible is basically in a neutral buoyancy state.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, the two ends of the casing 11 form a bow 2 and a stern 3, respectively, with a stabilizing ring 33 provided on the stern 3. The casing 11 is connected to the side plate 12 by bolts, facilitating disassembly of the casing 1 for maintenance. A forward-looking camera 21 and a rear-looking camera 31 are respectively located near the bow 2 and stern 3 for easy observation of the seabed; the stabilizing ring 33 is used to secure the umbilical cable, which is used to connect the umbilical cable winch to the casing 1.

[0051] It should be noted that there are two thrusters 22. One end of each thruster 22 penetrates the bow section 2, and the other end of each thruster 22 penetrates the two side plates 12 respectively. Both thrusters 22 are horizontally positioned at the end of the housing 1 near the bow section 2. When the housing 1 needs to turn, the two thrusters 22 output thrust in opposite directions, thus driving the housing 1 to turn to the left or right, thereby realizing the left and right turning function of the housing 1 and turning.

[0052] In this embodiment, the submersible thruster 13 is located on the top of the housing 11, and a handle 14 is also provided on the top of the housing 11. The submersible thruster 13 is vertically installed inside the housing 1, and can drive the housing 1 to move in the vertical direction. The handle 14 facilitates manual handling of the housing 1. Both the submersible thruster 13 and the forward / reverse thruster 22 are connected to the housing 11 by bolts.

[0053] In this embodiment, protective covers 15 are installed at both ends of the forward / reverse thruster 22 and on the submersible thruster 13. The protective covers 15 are mesh-like, reducing gaps and preventing cables, seaweed, etc. from entering the forward / reverse thruster 22 or the submersible thruster 13 and getting tangled in the propeller, which could cause the forward / reverse thruster 22 or the submersible thruster 13 to lose control or the motor to jam, thus improving the service life of the submersible.

[0054] In this embodiment, a forward-looking light 23 and a rear-looking light 32 are respectively installed inside both ends of the housing 11, and the forward-looking light 23 and the rear-looking light 32 penetrate the bow 2 and the stern 3 respectively. The forward-looking light 23 and the rear-looking light 32 provide illumination, making it easier for the forward-looking camera 21 and the rear-looking camera 31 to clearly observe the seabed conditions.

[0055] like Figure 7 As shown, the forward-looking camera 21 passes through the bow 2, and a first adapter ring 41 is fitted on the forward-looking camera 21; a pan-tilt unit 4 is also provided inside the housing 11. The pan-tilt unit 4 and the forward-looking light 23 are both connected to the forward-looking camera 21 through the first adapter ring 41. The pan-tilt unit 4 drives the forward-looking camera 21 and the forward-looking light 23 to rotate in the vertical direction.

[0056] It should be noted that the pan-tilt head 4 is connected to the housing 11 by bolts, and the front-view illuminator 23 is connected to the first adapter ring 41 by bolts. The pan-tilt head 4 is a rotatable camera support platform, and it is horizontally positioned. The axis of rotation of the pan-tilt head 4 is perpendicular to the axis of the first adapter ring 41, thus the pan-tilt head 4 drives the first adapter ring 41 to rotate, which in turn drives the front-view camera 21 and the front-view illuminator 23 to rotate upwards or downwards, thereby achieving pitch adjustment of the front-view camera 21 and the front-view illuminator 23 to observe a wider range. The end of the first adapter ring 41 furthest from the pan-tilt head 4 is rotatably connected to the housing 11 via a bearing. The rear-view camera 31 is connected to the rear-view illuminator 32 via a second adapter ring 34, which is fitted onto the rear-view camera 31, and the rear-view illuminator 32 is mounted on the second adapter ring 34.

[0057] Inside the housing 11, there is also a connector box 5, which contains a lithium battery and a control board. The connector box 5 is electrically connected to the submersible thruster 13, the forward-looking camera 21, the forward-reverse thruster 22, the forward-looking light 23, the rear-looking camera 31, the rear-looking light 32, the gimbal 4, and the altimeter 51.

[0058] The junction box 5 serves as a centralized station for signal processing and control during seabed observation. It integrates the submersible's electronic components and batteries, reducing the space occupied by each component on the hull 1 and freeing up space for a high-definition camera, thus improving seabed imaging quality. The junction box 5 provides power to the camera and lighting equipment and controls their operation. The junction box 5 is bolted to the housing 11, and the altimeter 51 is also bolted to the junction box 5.

[0059] A grid plate 6 is connected to the bottom of the housing 1. The submersible thruster 13, the forward-facing camera 21, the forward-reverse thruster 22, the forward-facing light 23, the rear-facing camera 31, the rear-facing light 32, the gimbal 4, and the altimeter 51 are all connected to the junction box 5 via cables. The grid plate 6 is used to fix the cables. The junction box 5 is connected to a host computer via optical fiber. The host computer can set the parameters of this robot and control its movements.

[0060] The exploration process of this invention's deep-sea submersible micro-observation submersible is as follows: The submersible is deployed on a deep-sea manned submersible or a heavy-duty operational submersible and enters the seabed. The forward-facing camera 21, rear-facing camera 31, forward-facing illumination 23, and rear-facing illumination 32 are all turned on. The submersible is then propelled to the seabed by the submersible thruster 13. After reaching a suitable depth, the forward / backward thruster 22 is activated, propelling the submersible forward. The forward-facing camera 21 and rear-facing camera 31 capture images of the underwater conditions and transmit them to a host computer. The forward-facing camera 21 is rotated by the gimbal 4 to capture a wider range of deep-sea conditions. The forward / backward thruster 22 enables the submersible to turn, allowing it to explore adjacent areas. This invention integrates all electronic components and batteries within the junction box 5, reducing the system's space requirements and overall weight. It boasts high integration, enabling the micro-submersible to carry a high-definition camera and allowing for convenient mounting on manned submersibles or heavy-duty operational submersibles.

[0061] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0062] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle, characterized by, include: The housing (1) has a front-view camera (21) and a rear-view camera (31) respectively installed inside its two ends, and the housing (1) is rotatably connected to the front-view camera (21). The forward and backward thrusters (22) and the submersible thrusters (13) are both disposed inside the housing (1). The forward and backward thrusters (22) drive the housing (1) to move in a first direction, and the submersible thrusters (13) drive the housing (1) to move in a second direction. The connection box (5) and the altimeter (51) are both located inside the housing (1). The connection box (5) contains a lithium battery and a control board.

2. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The housing (1) includes a cover (11) and side plates (12) detachably connected to both sides of the cover (11). The two ends of the cover (11) form a bow (2) and a stern (3), respectively. A fastening ring (33) is provided on the stern (3).

3. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, There are two thrusters (22), one end of each thruster (22) penetrates the bow (2), and the other end of each thruster (22) penetrates the two side plates (12).

4. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle of claim 2, wherein, The submersible thruster (13) is located on the top of the cover (11), and a handle (14) is also provided on the top of the cover (11).

5. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle of claim 3, wherein, Protective covers (15) are installed at both ends of the forward and backward thrusters (22) and on the submersible thrusters (13).

6. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle of claim 2, wherein, The front-viewing lamp (23) and the rear-viewing lamp (32) are respectively installed inside the two ends of the cover (11), and the front-viewing lamp (23) and the rear-viewing lamp (32) pass through the bow (2) and the stern (3) respectively.

7. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that, The forward-looking camera (21) passes through the bow (2), and a first adapter ring (41) is fitted on the forward-looking camera (21). The housing (11) is also equipped with a gimbal (4). The gimbal (4) and the front-view lighting lamp (23) are both connected to the front-view camera (21) through the first adapter ring (41). The gimbal (4) drives the front-view camera (21) and the front-view lighting lamp (23) to rotate in the second direction.

8. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation submersible as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The rearview camera (31) is connected to the rearview lamp (32) via a second adapter ring (34).

9. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation submersible as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The connector box (5) is electrically connected to the submersible thruster (13), the forward-looking camera (21), the forward-reverse thruster (22), the forward-looking light (23), the rear-looking camera (31), the rear-looking light (32), the gimbal (4), and the altimeter (51).

10. The deep-sea submersible micro-observation submersible as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the housing (1) is connected to a grid plate (6).

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