Multi-unmanned aerial vehicle cooperative hoisting device

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a multi-unmanned aerial vehicle cooperative hoisting device, which comprises a rope device and at least two unmanned aerial vehicles, and the rope device comprises: a first connecting assembly comprising a first flexible member and a first movable pulley, the first flexible member is wound on the first movable pulley, and the first movable pulley rolls on the first flexible member, and the bottom of the first movable pulley is used for hoisting a load member; two groups of second connecting assemblies are respectively located at two ends of the length direction of the first flexible member, and any group of second connecting assemblies is connected with at least one unmanned aerial vehicle. In the application, the combination structure of the first movable pulley and the first flexible member helps to balance and distribute the load, improves the system stability, reduces the system control difficulty, and allows the unmanned aerial vehicles participating in the cooperative hoisting to maintain a general position and height (meter level). The stress of each unmanned aerial vehicle is automatically distributed by the rope device, the stress between the unmanned aerial vehicles is automatically adjusted, and the stability of the whole multi-machine cooperative hoisting device is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of drone collaborative operation technology, specifically to a multi-drone collaborative hoisting device. Background Technology

[0002] Multi-drone collaborative lifting refers to the use of multiple drones working together to lift large loads exceeding the weight limit of a single drone. This method enables rapid lifting of large loads in the field, overcoming the limitation of single drones in lifting capacity. Individual drones are highly maneuverable and can be used for solo transport or in collaborative operations to lift large loads.

[0003] Traditional multi-drone collaborative lifting involves directly connecting multiple drones to the load via ropes. Because ropes are under stress and lack flexibility, strict altitude control is required among the drones during flight to ensure even load distribution. Currently, factors such as RTK positioning accuracy, drone mechanical control precision, weather conditions, airflow disturbances between drones, and lateral displacement make it impossible to achieve absolute positioning in both position and altitude during multi-drone collaborative operations. This leads to uneven load distribution on the ropes, and in some cases, individual drones may not be properly secured, causing the system to collapse due to overload of the remaining drones, ultimately resulting in the collapse of the entire multi-drone collaborative lifting system.

[0004] To ensure precise positioning (centimeter-level) during multi-drone collaborative processes, complex systems such as high-speed multi-drone communication and force coupling calculation are often required during the control process to ensure flight safety. This process is time-consuming, difficult, and costly, which hinders the widespread adoption of multi-drone collaborative lifting. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a multi-UAV collaborative hoisting device to solve the problems of existing multi-UAV collaborative processes, which use rigid rope structures, have high precision requirements, are fragile, and have limited applicability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0007] This application provides a multi-drone collaborative hoisting device, including a rope device and at least two drones, wherein the rope device includes:

[0008] The first connecting component includes a first flexible member and a first movable pulley. The first flexible member is wound around the first movable pulley, and the first movable pulley rolls on the first flexible member. The bottom of the first movable pulley is used to lift the load component.

[0009] Two sets of second connecting components are located at both ends of the length direction of the first flexible component, and each set of second connecting components is connected to at least one of the drones.

[0010] Optionally, any group of the second connection components includes:

[0011] The second movable pulley is connected to the end of the first flexible member along its length.

[0012] The second flexible member is wound around the second movable pulley, and the second movable pulley rolls on the second flexible member. The two ends of the second flexible member in the length direction are respectively connected to one of the drones.

[0013] Optionally, the first connection component further includes:

[0014] The first hook is located at the bottom of the first movable pulley. One end of the first hook is used to connect to the first movable pulley, and the other end is used to lift the load.

[0015] Optionally, the second connection component further includes:

[0016] The second hook is located at the bottom of the second movable pulley. One end of the second hook is connected to the second movable pulley, and the other end is connected to the end of the first flexible member in the length direction.

[0017] Optionally, the rope device is in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of the rope device are used to lift the same load.

[0018] Optionally, the first flexible member and the second flexible member are flexible ropes.

[0019] Optionally, both the first movable pulley and the second movable pulley include:

[0020] The pulley mounting base and the movable pulley are provided, with both ends of the movable pulley rotatably connected to the pulley mounting base; the lower end of the pulley mounting base is provided with a mounting hole for hoisting load components.

[0021] Optionally, a mounting plate is fixed to the bottom of the drone, and the mounting plate is equipped with a camera, a GPS positioning module and a communication module; the rope device is fixed to the bottom of the mounting plate via a flange.

[0022] Optionally, a tension sensor is provided between the mounting plate and the rope device.

[0023] Optionally, it also includes:

[0024] A control terminal is communicatively connected to the UAV, and the control terminal is used to control the flight and hoisting operations of the UAV;

[0025] The control terminal is equipped with a GPS positioning chip and a wireless communication module, and has a built-in electronic map.

[0026] The multi-UAV collaborative hoisting device provided in this application embodiment includes a rope device and at least two UAVs. The rope device includes: a first connecting component, including a first flexible element and a first movable pulley, wherein the first flexible element is wound around the first movable pulley and the first movable pulley rolls on the first flexible element, and the bottom of the first movable pulley is used to hoist a load component; and two sets of second connecting components, respectively located at both ends of the length direction of the first flexible element, wherein any set of second connecting components is connected to at least one of the UAVs.

[0027] The multi-UAV collaborative hoisting device provided in this application embodiment has the following technical advantages compared to the prior art:

[0028] In this application, the first flexible element is wound around the first movable pulley, so that the first movable pulley rolls on the first flexible element. The combined structure of the first movable pulley and the first flexible element helps to balance and distribute the load, improve system stability, reduce system control difficulty, and allow the drones participating in the collaborative hoisting to maintain an approximate position and height (meter level). The force on each drone is automatically distributed by the rope device, automatically adjusting the force between each drone, and ensuring the stability of the entire multi-drone collaborative hoisting system. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of this application and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 This is a simplified structural diagram of a multi-UAV collaborative hoisting device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0031] The following labels are shown in the attached diagram:

[0032] 30 drones;

[0033] First flexible component 11, first movable pulley 12, first hook 13;

[0034] Second movable pulley 21, second flexible component 22, second hook 23. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This invention discloses a multi-UAV collaborative hoisting device to solve the problems of existing multi-UAV collaborative processes, which use rigid rope structures, have high precision requirements, are fragile, and have limited applicability.

[0036] To make the technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not an exhaustive list of all embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0037] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a simplified structural diagram of a multi-UAV collaborative hoisting device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0038] In one specific embodiment, the multi-UAV collaborative lifting device provided in this application includes:

[0039] Rope system and at least two drones 30, the rope system including:

[0040] The first connecting assembly includes a first flexible member 11 and a first movable pulley 12. The first flexible member 11 is wound around the first movable pulley 12, and the first movable pulley 12 rolls on the first flexible member 11. The bottom of the first movable pulley 12 is used to lift the load member.

[0041] Two sets of second connecting components are located at both ends of the length direction of the first flexible member 11, and each set of second connecting components is connected to at least one drone 30.

[0042] The first flexible element 11 is wound around the first movable pulley 12, thereby adjusting the position of the load element so that the load can be suspended stably. The first movable pulley 12 rolls on the first flexible element 11 to distribute the load and reduce the pressure on individual connection points, preventing system collapse caused by single-unit overload, and allowing the UAVs 30 to fly collaboratively within a meter-level accuracy range without relying on high-precision real-time positioning and complex mechanical calculations. The flexible rope and pulley assembly can buffer the impact of airflow disturbances and the lateral displacement of the UAVs 30, improving stability in dynamic environments; it supports modular addition and reduction of the number of UAVs 30 to meet different weight load requirements. The bottom of the first movable pulley 12 can be equipped with a hook or hoisting device to hoist the load element. It can be understood that the two are detachably fixedly connected to facilitate the disassembly and hoisting of the load element.

[0043] The first flexible component 11 can be a structure such as a rope, chain, or belt, preferably a high-strength rope, and can be set as needed.

[0044] A set of second connecting components is provided at both ends of the first flexible member 11 along its length. These second connecting components connect to the drone 30. The second connecting components can be configured with the same structure as the first connecting components, thereby further realizing the dynamic coupling between the pulley system and the load lifting point, achieving automatic force balancing across multiple drones. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the second connecting components can be configured as ropes, chains, or belts, as needed. In other embodiments, the multi-drone collaborative lifting device may include two drones. Both the first flexible member and the second connecting component are configured as ropes, with the rope serving as an extension of the first flexible member, connected to one drone respectively.

[0045] The multi-UAV collaborative hoisting device provided in this application embodiment has the following technical advantages compared to the prior art:

[0046] In this application, the first flexible member 11 is wound around the first movable pulley 12, so that the first movable pulley 12 rolls on the first flexible member 11. The combined structure of the first movable pulley 12 and the first flexible member 11 helps to balance and distribute the load, improve system stability, reduce system control difficulty, and allow the drones 30 participating in the collaborative hoisting to maintain an approximate position and height (meter level). The force on each drone 30 is automatically distributed by the rope device, automatically adjusting the force between each drone 30, and ensuring the stability of the entire multi-drone collaborative hoisting device.

[0047] In one specific embodiment, any set of second connecting components includes a second movable pulley 21 and a second flexible member 22; the second movable pulley 21 is connected to the end of the first flexible member 11 in the longitudinal direction; the second flexible member 22 is wound around the second movable pulley 21, and the second movable pulley 21 rolls on the second flexible member 22, and the two ends of the second flexible member 22 in the longitudinal direction are respectively connected to a drone 30.

[0048] The second movable pulley 21 is connected to the end of the first flexible member 11 along its length, so that the ends of the second movable pulley 21 and the first flexible member 11 are relatively fixed. The second flexible member 22 is wound around the second movable pulley 21, and the second movable pulley 21 rolls relative to the second flexible member 22, allowing the second flexible member 22 to move relative to the second movable pulley 21 along its length, further increasing the system's flexibility and allowing adjustment of force distribution in different directions, further realizing automatic force balancing among multiple drones. The two ends of the second flexible member 22 along its length are respectively connected to a drone 30, so that each participating drone 30 can independently adjust its position and attitude to adapt to different load requirements.

[0049] It is understood that the second flexible component 22 can also be configured as a rope, chain or belt, preferably a high-strength rope, and can be configured as needed or with reference to the first flexible component 11 to simplify the system composition.

[0050] Specifically, the first connecting component also includes a first hook 13 located at the bottom of the first movable pulley 12. One end of the first hook 13 is used to connect with the first movable pulley 12, and the other end is used to hoist the load component.

[0051] The first hook 13 has a simple structure and can easily and effectively fix the load. One end of the first hook 13 is connected to the first movable pulley 12, and the other end is used for actual hoisting of goods, ensuring the safety and convenience of operation. It can be understood that the first hook 13, the first movable pulley 12 and the load are all fixed by hook mounting.

[0052] Similarly, the second connection component also includes:

[0053] The second hook 23 is located at the bottom of the second movable pulley 21. One end of the second hook 23 is connected to the second movable pulley 21, and the other end is connected to the end of the first flexible member 11 in the length direction.

[0054] The second hook 23 is preferably configured with the same structure as the first hook 13. One end of the second hook 23 is connected to the second movable pulley 21, and the other end is connected to the end of the first flexible member 11, thereby increasing the modularity of the entire system and facilitating quick installation and disassembly. One end of the second hook 23 is hooked to the second movable pulley 21, and the other end of the first flexible member 11 is hooked to the second hook 23 by knotting.

[0055] In one alternative embodiment, the rope assemblies are configured in multiple sets for lifting the same load. When handling particularly heavy or complex-shaped items, the weight can be distributed by increasing the number of rope assemblies, thereby improving the overall load-bearing capacity and stability. This method also better balances forces in all directions, preventing the cargo from tilting or swaying.

[0056] Specifically, the first flexible component 11 and the second flexible component 22 are flexible ropes. Flexible materials are chosen as connectors primarily because they possess good flexibility and strength, enabling them to withstand significant tensile forces without compromising operational flexibility. Furthermore, the flexible ropes can absorb impact energy, protecting the equipment from damage caused by sudden external forces.

[0057] The aforementioned hoisting device employs hoisting ropes that connect two drones (30 in total) together, then connects them using a pulley system. The pulleys balance the forces between the drones (30 in total), improving system stability and reducing control complexity. With this new connection method, the drones (30 in total) participating in the collaborative hoisting only need to maintain approximate positions and altitudes (meter-level). The forces on each drone (30 in total) are automatically distributed by the rope system, automatically adjusting the forces between them to ensure the stability of the entire multi-drone collaborative hoisting device. Flight operations can be carried out based on existing meter-level positioning accuracy control modules. The rope system automatically matches the position and altitude of each drone (30 in total), reducing the accuracy requirements of the control module. Redundancy protection mechanism: The rope system automatically balances the forces between the drones (30 in total) to prevent system crashes caused by single-drone overload. Reduced control complexity: The pulley system automatically distributes the load, allowing a swarm of 30 UAVs to fly collaboratively with meter-level accuracy, without relying on high-precision real-time positioning and complex mechanical calculations; Enhanced system robustness: The combination of flexible ropes and pulleys buffers the impact of airflow disturbances and the lateral displacement of the 30 UAVs, improving stability in dynamic environments; Strong scalability: Supports modular addition and removal of the 30 UAVs to adapt to different weight-level payload requirements. By adjusting the pulley tension, the flight stability of the 30 UAV swarm is dynamically optimized, reducing system control complexity.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, both the first movable pulley 12 and the second movable pulley 21 include:

[0059] The pulley mounting base and the movable pulley are rotatably connected to the pulley mounting base at both ends of the axial direction. The lower end of the pulley mounting base is provided with a mounting hole for hoisting load components.

[0060] The pulley mounting base is a U-shaped base with rotating holes on the two opposite side walls. The axial ends of the movable pulley are inserted into the rotating holes to achieve rotation of the movable pulley relative to the pulley mounting base. There is a mounting hole directly below the pulley mounting base, which facilitates the direct or indirect hanging of load components under the pulley, ensuring that the load can be stably suspended and facilitating quick loading and unloading.

[0061] Specifically, a mounting plate is fixed to the bottom of the drone 30. This mounting plate houses a camera, a GPS positioning module, and a communication module. A rope device is securely mounted to the bottom of the mounting plate via a flange. The mounting plate, which provides additional mounting points, integrates key components such as a camera, GPS positioning module, and communication module. The camera provides real-time video feedback, helping operators monitor the cargo status and the surrounding environment. The GPS positioning module is used to accurately locate the drone 30, forming the basis for precise flight control. The communication module supports data exchange with other drones 30 and ground stations, ensuring smooth information flow. The rope device is securely mounted to the bottom of the mounting plate via a flange, ensuring the stability and safety of the entire system.

[0062] Furthermore, a tension sensor is positioned between the mounting plate and the rope assembly to monitor the actual tension on the rope. This is crucial for dynamically adjusting the attitude and position of the UAV 30, effectively preventing safety accidents caused by overload, and also helping to optimize load distribution among the UAVs 30.

[0063] Based on the above embodiments, the hoisting device also includes a control terminal. The control terminal is the core device that communicates with all the drones 30 and is responsible for directing the entire workflow of the multi-drone collaborative hoisting device. It allows users to remotely control the drones 30 to perform complex flight tasks and precise hoisting operations. The built-in GPS chip, in conjunction with the wireless communication module, enables the control terminal to obtain the specific location of each drone 30 and display it on an electronic map, greatly improving the intuitiveness and convenience of operation. The built-in electronic map not only helps in planning the optimal flight path but also displays obstacle information, enhancing flight safety.

[0064] In one specific implementation, multi-machine collaborative hoisting employs RTK real-time differential positioning. One machine serves as the master unit, using CORS station positioning with a horizontal accuracy of ±2cm and a vertical accuracy of ±4cm. The remaining machines communicate with the master unit using a self-built RTK reference station mode, achieved through real-time carrier phase differential technology. The relative positioning accuracy between the machines is ±1cm horizontally and ±2cm vertically. This approach ensures that even in areas without CORS signals, or after the loss of CORS signals, the relative positions of the machines can be maintained, guaranteeing system safety.

[0065] The drone 30 adopts a single remote control mode, which can control 4 or more drones 30 through one remote control (theoretically supporting 2, 4, 8, 16, etc., but considering the complexity and efficiency of the system, the combination of 2, 4, and 8 is more commonly used).

[0066] Single-drone flight mode: Control a single drone 30 by selecting the switch channel on the remote controller. For example, if the switch channel is switched to drone #2 30, all current operations of the remote controller will be mapped to drone #2 30, and the other drones 30 will remain in their current state. Drones 30 that have not yet taken off will remain stationary, while drones 30 that have already taken off will remain hovering.

[0067] Multi-drone flight mode: Multiple drones 30 can be controlled simultaneously via the remote control switch. When the switch is set to the multi-drone control position, the positioning system detects the positions of the already airborne drones 30, using the geometric center of the detected drone position as the multi-drone control center point. When operating forward, backward, left, right, ascend, or descend, the drones 30 maintain their relative positions and perform the aforementioned operations. When controlling the heading, the multiple drones 30 use the previously determined control center point as the center, and the entire multi-drone system adopts a single-drone displacement approach, ensuring that the entire multi-drone system performs turning operations around the control center point. In multi-drone flight mode, the onboard camera footage is transmitted back to the main unit, and gimbal controls are mapped to the main unit's gimbal.

[0068] The specific operational procedures are as follows: Takeoff: If the takeoff site is large enough, the aircraft are arranged in the planned array after takeoff. After connecting the cables, the remote control switch is switched to multi-aircraft flight mode, and multiple drones (30 units) take off simultaneously to begin operations. If minor adjustments to the positions of the drones (30 units) are needed after takeoff, the switch can be switched to single-aircraft flight mode for that drone (30 unit). After adjustment, it can be switched back to multi-aircraft flight mode to carry out material transportation. If the site is small, the remote control switch is switched to single-aircraft control mode, the cables are connected, and the drones (30 units) take off one by one. The relative positions are adjusted, and then the multi-aircraft flight mode is switched back to for coordinated multi-aircraft flight. Landing: Similar to takeoff and landing, if the site permits, the entire drone group lands; if the site does not permit, the system is switched to single-aircraft flight mode, and each drone (30 unit) lands one by one.

[0069] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0070] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A multi-UAV collaborative hoisting device, characterized in that, Includes a rope device and at least two drones, the rope device comprising: The first connecting component includes a first flexible member and a first movable pulley. The first flexible member is wound around the first movable pulley, and the first movable pulley rolls on the first flexible member. The bottom of the first movable pulley is used to lift the load component. Two sets of second connecting components are located at both ends of the length direction of the first flexible component, and each set of second connecting components is connected to at least one of the drones.

2. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of claim 1, wherein, Any group of the second connection components includes: The second movable pulley is connected to the end of the first flexible member along its length. The second flexible member is wound around the second movable pulley, and the second movable pulley rolls on the second flexible member. The two ends of the second flexible member in the length direction are respectively connected to one of the drones.

3. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of claim 1, wherein, The first connection component further includes: The first hook is located at the bottom of the first movable pulley. One end of the first hook is used to connect to the first movable pulley, and the other end is used to lift the load.

4. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of claim 2, wherein, The second connection component also includes: The second hook is located at the bottom of the second movable pulley. One end of the second hook is connected to the second movable pulley, and the other end is connected to the end of the first flexible member in the length direction.

5. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of claim 1, wherein, The rope device is in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of the rope device are used to lift the same load.

6. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of claim 2, wherein, The first flexible component and the second flexible component are flexible ropes.

7. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of claim 6, wherein, Both the first movable pulley and the second movable pulley include: The pulley mounting base and the movable pulley are provided, with both ends of the movable pulley rotatably connected to the pulley mounting base; the lower end of the pulley mounting base is provided with a mounting hole for hoisting load components.

8. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of claim 7, wherein, The drone is fixed to a mounting plate at its lower part. The mounting plate is equipped with a camera, a GPS positioning module, and a communication module. The rope device is fixed to the lower part of the mounting plate via a flange.

9. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of claim 8, wherein, A tension sensor is provided between the mounting plate and the rope device.

10. The multi-UAV cooperative lifting device of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, Also includes: A control terminal is communicatively connected to the UAV, and the control terminal is used to control the flight and hoisting operations of the UAV; The control terminal is equipped with a GPS positioning chip and a wireless communication module, and has a built-in electronic map.

Images