An underwater speedometer and underwater vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses an underwater speed measuring instrument and an underwater vehicle. The underwater speed measuring instrument comprises a shell, and at least three detection groups which are distributed on the shell in a circumferential direction and each comprises at least three acoustic transponders having at least two different detection directions. In this way, the underwater speed measuring instrument has a 360-degree omnidirectional detection range, and each detection group has at least two different detection directions, so that the spatial detection blind area can be greatly broken through, and the complex flow field adaptability and system robustness are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of underwater vehicle technology, and in particular to an underwater speed measuring instrument and an underwater vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] During underwater navigation, underwater vehicles need to obtain their speed relative to the seabed. Currently, there are two main methods for underwater measurement: optical detection and acoustic detection. However, underwater, light waves attenuate significantly, limiting their propagation and measurement distance. In contrast, sound waves have better propagation performance in water, and their reflection coefficient is higher when they encounter underwater targets, which is beneficial for obtaining object information.

[0003] Existing underwater velocity measuring instruments have the following significant drawbacks in practical applications: limited detection direction and blind zone issues. Conventional equipment often relies on 2-4 acoustic transponders with fixed directions, resulting in limited ability to capture complex three-dimensional water flow fields. Insufficient adaptability to dynamic environments. A single detection group structure cannot respond to sudden changes in water flow direction in real time.

[0004] The industry has attempted to expand the detection range by increasing the number of beams (such as 6-beam DVL) or combining it with an acoustic Doppler profiler, but these solutions significantly increase the size and power consumption of the equipment and do not overcome the physical limitations of a single detector. Other research has employed mechanical rotating transducers to achieve multi-directional scanning, but their slow dynamic response and susceptibility to mechanical failures make them unsuitable for the real-time speed measurement requirements of high-speed mobile platforms.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a compact and reliable underwater speed measuring instrument that can overcome spatial detection blind spots through innovative sensor layout, improve adaptability to complex flow fields and system robustness, while taking into account equipment miniaturization and energy efficiency optimization. Utility Model Content

[0006] This application provides an underwater speed measuring instrument and an underwater vehicle to solve the problem that existing single underwater speed measuring instruments have insufficient detection capability in complex flow fields due to the existence of detection blind spots.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one technical solution adopted in this application is to provide an underwater speed measuring instrument. The underwater speed measuring instrument includes: a housing; at least three detection groups, which are circumferentially spaced on the housing, each detection group including at least three acoustic transponders, and the at least three acoustic transponders having at least two different detection directions.

[0008] In some embodiments, the at least three detection groups are distributed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the housing.

[0009] In some embodiments, the number of detection groups is three, and the included angle between two adjacent detection groups is 120°; or

[0010] The number of detection groups is four, and the included angle between two adjacent detection groups is 90°.

[0011] In some embodiments, the housing includes a plurality of sidewalls forming a regular polygon, and each of the sidewalls is provided with the detection group; or

[0012] The housing includes a circular sidewall, on which at least three detection groups are evenly distributed.

[0013] In some embodiments, the housing further includes a horizontally arranged top wall and / or bottom wall, the side walls being arranged around the top wall and / or bottom wall, and the at least two different detection directions including a horizontal direction and an inclined direction different from the horizontal direction, the horizontal direction being parallel to the outer surface of the top wall and / or the bottom wall.

[0014] In some embodiments, each of the detection groups includes three acoustic transponders distributed along a circumferential distance, wherein the detection direction of the two acoustic transponders located at the edge of the detection group is horizontal, and the detection direction of the acoustic transponder located in the middle is inclined.

[0015] In some embodiments, the housing includes a circularly arranged sidewall, and the two acoustic transponders located at the edge of the detection group are both arranged in a horizontal direction and radially.

[0016] The side wall is also provided with a clearance groove corresponding to the detection group, and the detection direction of the acoustic transponder located in the middle is inclined toward the clearance groove.

[0017] In some embodiments, each detection group includes four acoustic transponders, wherein the detection direction of the two acoustic transponders located at the edge of the detection group is horizontal, and the detection directions of the two acoustic transponders located in the middle are upward tilting and downward tilting, respectively.

[0018] In some embodiments, the underwater detector further includes a connection end, the housing includes a spaced-apart top wall and a bottom wall, and a side wall disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall, the connection end is disposed on the top wall, the bottom wall or the side wall, and the connection end is electrically connected to the at least three detection groups.

[0019] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, another technical solution adopted in this application is to provide an underwater vehicle. The underwater vehicle includes a robot body and an underwater speedometer as described above, the underwater speedometer being mounted on the robot body.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: Unlike existing technologies, this application discloses an underwater speedometer and an underwater vehicle. With at least three detection groups distributed circumferentially along the hull, each group including at least three acoustic transponders with at least two different detection directions, the underwater detector can cover a 360° detection range around its perimeter. This wide detection range allows for the detection of information across the entire range of the robot body, including its front, back, left, and right sides. The detection range covers a 360° omnidirectional area around the robot body, ensuring no blind spots and enabling the detection of lateral blind spots. It effectively monitors non-uniform flow fields such as turbulence and vortices. With this omnidirectional detection range, even sudden changes in water flow direction can be detected by the underwater detector, reducing the risk of detection failure. Therefore, the underwater speedometer provided by this application has a 360° omnidirectional detection range, and each detection group has at least two different detection directions. Through integrated design, it can significantly overcome spatial detection blind spots and improve adaptability to complex flow fields and system robustness. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the underwater speed measuring device provided in this application;

[0023] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a top view of the underwater speed measuring instrument.

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a side view of the underwater velocity measuring instrument. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in the embodiments of this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0027] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0028] This application provides an underwater vehicle, which includes a robot body and an underwater speed measuring instrument 100. The underwater speed measuring instrument 100 is installed on the robot body to enhance the ability to detect the movement speed of the robot body. The robot body can be an autonomous robot body (AUV), a remotely operated robot body (ROV), an unmanned underwater vehicle (USV), a coastal gliding device, a towed navigation device, a diver's control console, or a deep-sea submersible, etc.

[0029] See Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the underwater speed measuring device provided in this application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a top view of the underwater velocity measuring instrument. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a side view of the underwater velocity measuring instrument.

[0030] The underwater speed measuring device 100 includes a housing 10 and at least three detection groups 20. The at least three detection groups 20 are distributed circumferentially on the housing 10. Each detection group 20 includes at least three acoustic transponders 22. The at least three acoustic transponders 22 have at least two different detection directions. The detection direction refers to the direction in which a single acoustic transponder sends out sound waves, or it can be understood as the orientation of the end face of a single acoustic transponder.

[0031] The housing 10 has a receiving space (not shown), which is sufficient to accommodate a data processing module (not shown) and a power supply module (not shown), ensuring a compact overall structure and complete functionality.

[0032] Three, four, five or six detection groups 20 can be provided along the circumference of the housing 10. The detection group 20 adopts an integrated module design, and each detection group 20 can have three, four, five or six acoustic transponders 22.

[0033] The transmitting end of the acoustic transponder 22 is exposed on the side wall 12 of the housing 10. The acoustic transponder 22 typically includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter generates an acoustic signal and transmits it into the water. The receiver receives the echo signal of the target in the water. Here, the end face of the transmitting end can be the end face of the transmitter that transmits the acoustic signal, or it can be the end face shared by the transmitter and the receiver. That is, the transmitted signal can be both emitted from this end face and received from this end face.

[0034] The underwater detector 100 also includes a connection end 30. The housing 10 includes a top wall 11 and a bottom wall 13 spaced apart, and a side wall 12 disposed between the top wall 11 and the bottom wall 13. The connection end 30 can be disposed on the top wall 11, the bottom wall 13 or the side wall 12. The connection end 30 is electrically connected to the at least three detection groups 20.

[0035] The connector 30 is also used to connect to the robot body, enabling both a physical connection to fix the underwater detector 100 to the robot body and data transmission and power supply. This allows the underwater detector 100 and the robot body to work collaboratively, ensuring real-time monitoring and precise control, providing the robot body with high-precision speed and distance information, and ensuring stable operation of the underwater vehicle in complex environments. The connector 30 is designed to be compatible with multiple interface standards to meet the needs of different robot bodies. In other embodiments, the connector can also be located on the side wall of the housing or other positions.

[0036] Each detection group 20 includes at least three acoustic transponders 22, which have at least two different detection directions to improve the detection range and accuracy and ensure all-round coverage. This arrangement not only maintains the comprehensiveness of the underwater detector 100's detection in all directions but also effectively avoids excessive overlap of detection areas.

[0037] In this embodiment, the at least three detection groups 20 are evenly spaced around the circumference of the shell 10. This design allows the combination of the at least three detection groups 20 to provide omnidirectional coverage of the underwater monitoring area surrounding the robot body, effectively avoiding blind spots and improving speed measurement accuracy. Simultaneously, the acoustic transponders 22 of the detection groups 20 employ multi-directional detection technology to ensure accurate reception of echo signals at different water layers and angles, further optimizing the comprehensiveness and accuracy of data acquisition, thereby providing solid data support for the underwater vehicle's navigation and obstacle avoidance.

[0038] For example, if there are three detection groups 20, the angle between two adjacent detection groups 20 is 120°; or, if there are four detection groups 20, the angle between two adjacent detection groups 20 is 90°.

[0039] Similarly, when there are six detection groups 20, the angle between two adjacent detection groups 20 is 60°, and so on.

[0040] The included angle between two adjacent detection groups 20 refers to the included angle between the center lines of the detection groups 20, in order to reflect the uniformity of the equal distribution of each detection group 20, ensure all-round monitoring without blind spots, and improve the overall detection performance and reliability of the underwater detector 100.

[0041] Optionally, the housing 10 includes multiple sidewalls 12 forming a regular polygon, and each sidewall 12 is provided with a detection group 20. For example, when the housing 10 is a regular hexagon, one detection group 20 is arranged on each sidewall 12, and the included angle between two adjacent detection groups 20 is 60°, which can achieve 360° coverage without blind spots and ensure the integrity and accuracy of the detection data. Alternatively, the housing 10 can also be a regular triangle, a regular quadrilateral, or a regular pentagon, etc., with one detection group 20 arranged on each sidewall 12.

[0042] Alternatively, the housing 10 includes circularly arranged sidewalls 12, on which at least three detection groups 20 are evenly distributed. The circular design of the housing 10 makes the distribution of the detection groups 20 more uniform, and the coverage of each detection group 20 overlaps with each other to form a seamless monitoring network. This layout not only enhances the continuity and consistency of the detection data, but also improves the response speed and stability of the underwater detector 100 in dynamic environments, ensuring that the robot body can flexibly respond to various emergencies in complex underwater environments and guarantee navigation safety.

[0043] The housing 10 also includes a horizontally arranged top wall 11 and / or bottom wall 13, and side walls 12 arranged around the top wall 11 and / or bottom wall 13. At least two different detection directions include a horizontal direction A and an inclined direction B different from the horizontal direction A. The horizontal direction A is parallel to the outer surface of the top wall 11 and / or bottom wall 13, while the inclined direction B forms a certain angle with the outer surface of the top wall 11 and / or bottom wall 13. It can be tilted upward or downward relative to the horizontal outer surface to ensure comprehensive detection at different depths and angles, further optimize the three-dimensionality and multi-dimensionality of data acquisition, and improve the overall performance and adaptability of the underwater detector 100.

[0044] In this embodiment, at least one of the top wall 11 and the bottom wall 13 is a horizontally arranged planar structure, and the detection direction of each detection group 20 includes at least the horizontal direction A and the inclined direction B. For example, when the underwater detector 100 is installed on the top or bottom of the robot body, the detection range of the underwater detector 100 can cover the area around and above or below the robot body, realizing all-round three-dimensional monitoring. Through this multi-directional and multi-angle detection layout, the underwater detector 100 can capture all-round marine environmental information in real time, effectively avoiding navigation errors and obstacle avoidance risks caused by blind spots, thereby providing more accurate and reliable navigation support for underwater vehicles and ensuring that they can perform tasks safely and efficiently in complex and ever-changing underwater environments.

[0045] Optionally, each detection group 20 includes three acoustic transponders 22 distributed along the circumferential distance, wherein the detection direction of the two acoustic transponders 22 located at the edge of the detection group 20 is the horizontal direction A, and the detection direction of the acoustic transponder 22 located in the middle is the inclined direction B.

[0046] The housing 10 includes a circularly arranged sidewall 12. The two acoustic transponders 22 located at the edge of the detection group 20 are both arranged in the horizontal direction A and radially. The circular structure of the housing 10 can optimize the layout of the acoustic transponders 22, ensure that each acoustic transponder works together to form an all-round, blind-spot-free acoustic detection network, improve the accuracy and efficiency of data acquisition, effectively enhance the navigation and obstacle avoidance capabilities of the underwater detector 100 in complex environments, and ensure the safety and mission execution efficiency of the underwater vehicle.

[0047] The side wall 12 is also provided with a clearance groove 120 corresponding to the detection group 20. The detection direction of the middle acoustic transponder 22 is inclined toward the clearance groove 120. The clearance groove 120 is used to avoid blocking the detection path of the middle acoustic transponder 22 and ensure that its detection signal is not interfered with.

[0048] By setting the detection direction of the middle acoustic transponder 22 to the tilt direction B, it is possible not only to ensure the coverage of the sound waves emitted by the underwater speedometer 100 and avoid excessive overlap of the detection areas of each acoustic transponder 22 in the detection group 20, but also to detect the target within the detection range of the underwater speedometer 100 based on the echo situation, and obtain various detection information data including distance and speed. It can also effectively capture water flow fluctuations and provide effective reference information for the attitude adjustment of the underwater vehicle. For example, the attitude of the underwater vehicle can be dynamically adjusted based on the detection information provided by the underwater speedometer 100, so as to achieve the underwater vehicle maintaining a hovering state at a specific position in the flowing underwater environment.

[0049] In this embodiment, the center points of the end faces of the three acoustic transponders 22 in the detection group 20 are arranged collinearly along the circumference. Collinear arrangement means that the center points of the end faces of the three acoustic transponders 22 are all on the same straight line or curve along the circumference. The collinear arrangement is manifested as the line connecting the center points of the three acoustic transponders forming a straight line on the detection group 20. This layout not only facilitates the quick installation and maintenance of the acoustic transponders 22, but also reduces the potential failure rate caused by complex design.

[0050] Optionally, each detection group 20 includes four acoustic transponders 22, wherein the detection direction of the two acoustic transponders 22 located at the edge of the detection group 22 is horizontal (A), and the detection directions of the two acoustic transponders 22 located in the middle are upward and downward, respectively; or any one of the acoustic transponders 22 has a horizontal detection direction, while the other acoustic transponders 22 have upward and downward detection directions, etc. It is understood that this application does not limit the detection direction of any specific acoustic transponder, as long as at least two different detection directions exist.

[0051] In each detection group 20, the four acoustic transponders 22 can be distributed circumferentially; or the two acoustic transponders 22 located at the edge can be spaced apart circumferentially, and the two acoustic transponders 22 located in the middle can be superimposed in position, with the detection direction tilted upward and downward respectively, forming a three-dimensional monitoring network to further ensure the detection stability of the detection group 20.

[0052] This embodiment describes various arrangements of the four acoustic transponders 22 in each detection group 20 as described above, which can provide the underwater speed measuring instrument 100 with an almost omnidirectional detection field of view, ensuring that at least one acoustic transponder can receive sufficient echo signals regardless of the attitude of the underwater vehicle, thereby maintaining stable speed measuring capability in complex environments.

[0053] Optionally, the detection group 20 also includes a laser emitter for providing a reference size. Since a single laser emitter cannot provide a reference size, the number of laser emitters installed on the underwater speedometer 100 should be at least two, and each laser emitter is also installed on the housing 10. The lasers emitted by any two laser emitters should be parallel.

[0054] The laser emitter can be displayed on the underwater velocimeter 100 in the form that the emitting end of the laser emitter is exposed on the side wall 12, or the side wall 12 can have openings that allow the laser emitted by the laser emitter to pass through. It should be noted that modules or devices that provide reference dimensions and consist of at least two laser emitting units are also within the scope of protection of this embodiment.

[0055] Optionally, the detection group 20 may also include an illumination unit and a camera unit to assist the underwater vehicle in visual recognition and navigation in low-light environments. The illumination unit can be arranged around the camera unit to ensure uniform illumination and improve image clarity; the high-resolution images captured by the camera unit can also be fused with acoustic data to further enhance underwater environmental perception capabilities and ensure accurate hovering of the vehicle under complex conditions. Through this multi-dimensional sensor fusion technology, the underwater speedometer 100 not only improves speed measurement accuracy but also enhances environmental adaptability, ensuring that the vehicle can obtain reliable data support under various complex hydrological conditions, thereby achieving efficient and safe navigation control.

[0056] Unlike existing technologies, this application discloses an underwater speedometer and an underwater vehicle. With at least three detection groups distributed circumferentially along the hull, each group including at least three acoustic transponders with at least two different detection directions, the underwater detector can cover a 360° circumferential detection range. This wide coverage allows the underwater detector, when mounted on a robot body, to detect information across the entire robot's front, back, left, and right sides. Its detection range covers a 360° omnidirectional area around the robot, ensuring no blind spots and enabling detection of lateral blind spots. It effectively monitors non-uniform flow fields such as turbulence and vortices. With its omnidirectional detection range, even sudden changes in water flow direction can be detected, reducing the risk of detection failure. Therefore, the underwater speedometer provided in this application has a 360° omnidirectional detection range, and each detection group has at least two different detection directions. Through its integrated design, it can significantly overcome spatial detection blind spots, improve adaptability to complex flow fields, and enhance system robustness.

[0057] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An underwater speed measuring instrument, characterized in that, The underwater speed measuring device includes: case; At least three detection groups are distributed circumferentially on the housing, and each detection group includes at least three acoustic transponders, which have at least two different detection directions.

2. The underwater speed measuring instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least three detection groups are distributed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the housing.

3. The underwater speed measuring instrument according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of detection groups is three, and the included angle between two adjacent detection groups is 120º; or The number of detection groups is four, and the included angle between two adjacent detection groups is 90º.

4. The underwater speed measuring instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes multiple sidewalls forming a regular polygon, and each sidewall is provided with the detection group; or The housing includes a circular sidewall, on which at least three detection groups are evenly distributed.

5. The underwater speed measuring instrument according to claim 4, characterized in that, The housing further includes a horizontally arranged top wall and / or bottom wall, the side walls are arranged around the top wall and / or bottom wall, and the at least two different detection directions include a horizontal direction and an inclined direction different from the horizontal direction, the horizontal direction being parallel to the outer surface of the top wall and / or bottom wall.

6. The underwater speed measuring instrument according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned detection groups includes three acoustic transponders distributed along a circumferential distance, wherein the detection direction of the two acoustic transponders located at the edge of the detection group is horizontal, and the detection direction of the acoustic transponder located in the middle is inclined.

7. The underwater speed measuring instrument according to claim 6, characterized in that, The housing includes a circularly arranged sidewall, and the two acoustic transponders located at the edge of the detection group are both horizontally oriented and radially arranged. The side wall is also provided with a clearance groove corresponding to the detection group, and the detection direction of the acoustic transponder located in the middle is inclined toward the clearance groove.

8. The underwater speed measuring instrument according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the detection groups includes four acoustic transponders, wherein the two acoustic transponders located at the edge of the detection group have a horizontal detection direction, and the two acoustic transponders located in the middle have an upward tilt direction and a downward tilt direction, respectively.

9. The underwater speed measuring instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that, The underwater speed measuring instrument also includes a connecting end. The housing includes a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart from each other, and a side wall disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall. The connecting end is disposed on the top wall, the bottom wall or the side wall, and the connecting end is electrically connected to the at least three detection groups.

10. An underwater vehicle, characterized in that, The underwater vehicle includes a robot body and an underwater speed measuring instrument as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the underwater speed measuring instrument is mounted on the robot body.

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