Combined laser weeding robot

Abstract

This utility model discloses a combined laser weeding robot, including a vehicle assembly that serves as the robot chassis for support and movement, and a control assembly, a vision laser assembly, a power supply assembly, and a shell mounted on it. The control assembly is fixed to the rear of the vehicle assembly and is electrically or signal-connected to the vehicle assembly, the vision laser assembly, and the power supply assembly, respectively. The vision laser assembly is installed in the middle of the vehicle assembly for positioning, navigation, and weed identification and removal. The power supply assembly is installed at the front of the vehicle assembly and is electrically connected to the vehicle assembly, the control assembly, and the vision laser assembly for power supply. The shell is fixedly connected to the outer periphery of the upper surface of the vehicle assembly via base columns, enclosing the chassis superstructure to form a protective outer shell. This utility model robot achieves fully automated operation from positioning and navigation, movement, target recognition to laser weeding through the coordinated operation of its components, improving work efficiency and utilizing renewable energy for power, resulting in no residue and no pollution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this utility model belong to the field of agricultural robot technology, and more specifically, relate to a combined laser weeding robot. Background Technology

[0002] Weeds, with their extensive root systems and strong ability to absorb nutrients and water, often compete with crops for sunlight, water, nutrients, and space in the field, leading to decreased crop yield and quality. Weeds also carry pests and diseases, causing outbreaks and significant losses to the agricultural economy. Common weeding methods include manual weeding, chemical weeding, and mechanical weeding. Manual weeding is precise and suitable for small, complex environments, but it is labor-intensive and inefficient. Chemical weeding with herbicides is applicable to large areas and is easy to operate, but excessive herbicide use can increase weed resistance, pollute the environment, and may cause soil compaction. Mechanical weeding is environmentally friendly, but it can easily damage crops and has low efficiency.

[0003] Laser weeding technology is a precise and efficient weeding method that achieves different weeding effects by controlling laser parameters such as focusing diameter, power, time, and scanning speed without the use of chemical agents. It requires no consumables, produces no waste gas, and has low operating costs, consuming only electricity. Therefore, laser weeding can be considered a precise, non-contact physical weeding method.

[0004] However, existing laser weeding equipment uses a single laser head to rotate, lift, and move to aim at the weed target. Such laser weeding equipment requires adjusting the laser head orientation before firing the laser for each weed, resulting in low work efficiency and limited accuracy. Alternatively, two linear platforms can be used to move the laser galvanometer to achieve accurate targeting. However, the two linear moving platforms have high response motion loss, and for situations where weeds grow randomly, the working movement time is long and the efficiency is low. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the aforementioned deficiencies or improvement needs of existing technologies, this utility model provides a combined laser weeding robot. Through the control components, the robot vehicle component, vision laser component, and power supply component work together to achieve autonomous navigation, 360° rotation, omnidirectional lateral movement, and precise weed identification and eradication. The fully automated operation improves work efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a combined laser weeding robot, comprising a vehicle assembly that serves as the robot chassis for support and movement, and a control assembly, a vision laser assembly, a power supply assembly, and a housing mounted thereon. The control assembly is fixed to the rear of the vehicle assembly and is electrically or signal-connected to the vehicle assembly, the vision laser assembly, and the power supply assembly, respectively. The vision laser assembly is mounted in the middle of the vehicle assembly, and the power supply assembly is mounted at the front end of the vehicle assembly and is electrically connected to the vehicle assembly, the control assembly, and the vision laser assembly. The housing is fixedly connected to the outer periphery of the upper surface of the vehicle assembly via a base column, covering the chassis superstructure to form a protective shell.

[0007] Furthermore, the locomotive assembly includes a steering wheel and a load-bearing platform. The steering wheel includes a frame, a steering mechanism, and a tire module. The frame is fixed to the bottom of the four corners of the load-bearing platform. The steering mechanism is mounted on the frame and includes a steering wheel motor and a steering wheel motor driver. The steering wheel motor has a built-in encoder. Two tire modules are arranged at the bottom of the load-bearing platform, one in front and one in back. Each tire module is equipped with two steering wheels.

[0008] Furthermore, the visual laser assembly includes a laser generator and a laser galvanometer module, both of which are mounted on the lower center of the load-bearing platform of the locomotive assembly, and multiple sets of the laser generators are connected in parallel.

[0009] Furthermore, the laser galvanometer module includes a first mounting base fixed to the bottom of the load-bearing platform, a Z-axis moving mechanism mounted on the first mounting base, and a laser galvanometer module mounted on the Z-axis moving mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, the Z-axis moving mechanism includes a Z-axis connecting plate with two parallel Z-axis slide rails fixedly mounted on its side. A Z-axis linear motor is provided at the Z-axis connecting plate located between the two Z-axis slide rails. A Z-axis slider is slidably fitted on each Z-axis slide rail. The laser galvanometer module is installed at the center of the Z-axis slider and is connected to the laser generator through an optical fiber connector.

[0011] Furthermore, the laser galvanometer module also includes a spectral camera, a second depth camera, and a fill light module mounted on the laser galvanometer module, and mounted near the second depth camera.

[0012] Furthermore, the visual laser assembly also includes a lidar installed at the front end of the centerline of the top surface of the housing, a first depth camera installed in the middle of the front side of the housing, a touch screen and a power distribution box installed on the side of the housing, and a lighting device installed on the front surface of the waist of the housing.

[0013] Furthermore, the visual laser assembly also includes a water-cooled unit, which is arranged in parallel and fixed on the rear plane of the load-bearing platform of the locomotive assembly. One water-cooled unit can handle the heat generated by 2 to 3 of the laser generators.

[0014] Furthermore, the energy supply component includes a housing and a battery pack disposed within the housing. Two housings are equipped with controllers. The first controller is connected to a three-phase AC motor mounted on a motor support frame at the bottom of the load-bearing platform via a drive module. The second controller is equipped with a laser control module connected to the laser galvanometer module.

[0015] Furthermore, the three-phase AC motor is an AC variable frequency brushless chassis motor and uses a planetary reducer for speed reduction.

[0016] In summary, compared with the prior art, the above-described technical solution conceived by this utility model can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0017] (1) The present invention provides a combined laser weeding robot that integrates a locomotive component, a control component, a vision laser component, and a power supply component. The control component's navigation system controls the laser radar and depth camera of the vision laser component to plan the path. The locomotive control system controls the steering wheel of the drive locomotive component to rotate and move. The vision laser control system controls the spectral camera and depth camera to accurately identify the location of weeds and link the laser galvanometer module to emit lasers for precise weed killing. The components form a closed loop through real-time data interaction, realizing fully automated operation from autonomous movement and target recognition to laser weeding, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0018] (2) The present invention provides a combined laser weeding robot, which is equipped with a depth camera and a hyperspectral camera for vision, thermal imaging, and image analysis. Through the effective combination of spectral analysis and galvanometer, the vision transmits the signal to the galvanometer for scanning. The spectral camera detects the obstructed and hidden parts and transmits them to the galvanometer for scanning. The galvanometer receives the signals from different imaging devices, makes judgments, and performs execution planning. It accurately and quickly scans the plot, quickly finds and removes weeds, and accurately controls the weeding range without causing damage.

[0019] (3) The present invention provides a combined laser weeding robot. The laser galvanometer control system of the vision laser module of the control component identifies the three-dimensional coordinates of the center point of crops and weeds by combining a depth camera and a spectral camera. It controls the automatic switching of the supplementary light module to supplement light and automatically controls the Z-axis movement mechanism to make the laser galvanometer aim at the weeds and ablate them with laser. It can adapt to the use scenario with insufficient light, so that laser weeding can adapt to a variety of complex scenarios.

[0020] (4) The present invention provides a combined laser weeding robot that uses a combination of laser radar on the top of the vehicle and a first depth camera at the front of the vehicle for navigation. It also uses point-to-point ranging, 5G communication and Beidou positioning to assist in autonomous driving path planning. The robot can be remotely controlled by a remote controller or manually controlled by a touch screen to walk and weed. The weeding robot can complete the work automatically, effectively shortening the weeding time.

[0021] (5) The present invention provides a combined laser weeding robot with a chassis that adopts a steering wheel travel structure to achieve 360° rotation and omnidirectional lateral movement. It has extremely high flexibility in narrow spaces and can achieve precise operation accuracy through the control system.

[0022] (6) The present invention provides a combined laser weeding robot. The laser device uses a plant-specific laser head designed for the characteristics of plants and soil. The laser head is specially designed to be sealed, heat dissipated, and prevent the protective lens from fogging. The laser power output is adjusted by visual feedback and relearning to optimize the integrated motion control and achieve the best weeding effect.

[0023] (7) The combined laser weeding robot of this utility model can achieve 24-hour uninterrupted operation with fully automated operation, which can reduce the labor intensity of workers, and the weeds are accurately located, the cost is relatively low, the intelligence level is high, the weeding efficiency is high, there are no chemical agents, and the whole is simple and reliable. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a combined laser weeding robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a combined laser weeding robot (without a shell) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another perspective of a combined laser weeding robot (without a shell) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 3 A front view structural diagram;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the electrical control cabinet of a combined laser weeding robot control component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a combined laser weeding robot shell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same technical features, specifically: 1-locomotive assembly, 11-steering wheel, 12-platform, 2-control assembly, 3-vision laser assembly, 31-laser generator, 32-laser galvanometer module, 33-lidar, 33-touch screen, 4-power supply assembly, 5-housing. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0032] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0033] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first," "second," etc., such descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. In this utility model, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] like Figure 1-6As shown, this embodiment of the present invention provides a combined laser weeding robot, including a vehicle assembly 1, a control assembly 2, a vision laser assembly 3, a power supply assembly 4, and a housing 5. The vehicle assembly 1 serves as the chassis of the entire robot, providing support and mobility, and all other components are directly or indirectly mounted on it. The control assembly 2 is fixed to the rear of the vehicle assembly 1 and is electrically or signal-connected to the vehicle assembly 1, the vision laser assembly 3, and the power supply assembly 4, respectively. The vision laser assembly 3 is mounted in the middle of the vehicle assembly 1, and the power supply assembly 4 is mounted at the front of the vehicle assembly 1 and electrically connected to the vehicle assembly 1, the control assembly 2, and the vision laser assembly 3. The housing 5 is fixedly connected to the vehicle assembly 1, enclosing the upper structure of the vehicle assembly 1 to form a protective shell.

[0036] The locomotive component 1 includes a steering wheel 11 and a load-bearing platform 12. The steering wheel 11 includes a frame, a steering mechanism, and tire modules. The frame is fixed to the bottom of the four corners of the load-bearing platform 12. The steering mechanism is mounted on the frame and includes a steering wheel motor and a steering wheel motor driver. The steering wheel motor is connected to the battery pack of the power supply component 4. The control component 2 is electrically or signal-connected to each steering wheel motor. The steering wheel motor has a built-in encoder to obtain the angle and position information of the motor rotor in real time, thereby achieving precise position and speed control. Its output end is connected to the input end of the wheel through the steering wheel motor driver, and the steering wheel 11 is driven to rotate by the steering wheel motor. The bottom of the load-bearing platform 12 is equipped with a platform bottom support frame and a motor support frame for mounting the chassis bottom motor. Two tire modules are also set at the bottom of the load-bearing platform 12, one in front and one behind. Each tire module is equipped with two active steering wheels 11.

[0037] The control component 2 comprises four sub-modules: a locomotive control module, a navigation control module, a power control module, and a vision laser control module, all housed in an electrical control cabinet. These modules are connected electrically or by signal connections, and each has a built-in control system. The locomotive control module drives the steering wheel motor to rotate the steering wheel, enabling 360° rotation and omnidirectional lateral movement, thus achieving precise robot movement. The navigation control module processes path planning, positioning, and obstacle avoidance data from sensor sensors to ensure autonomous navigation. The power control module manages energy distribution and circuit protection, providing stable power to the locomotive component 1, vision laser component 3, and other components. The vision laser control module coordinates with the vision laser component 3 to perform weed identification, positioning, and eradication operations. The control component 2 is also connected to a remote controller and an autonomous driving controller, allowing remote control of the robot's movement.

[0038] The visual laser assembly 3 includes a laser generator 31, a laser galvanometer module 32, a lidar 33, a first depth camera, a touchscreen 34, a power distribution box, and a lighting device. The laser generator 31 and the laser galvanometer module 32 are mounted under the load-bearing platform 12 of the locomotive assembly 1 at its lower center. The laser generator 31 generates a high-energy laser beam as the energy source for weeding. Multiple units are connected in parallel to improve work efficiency and coverage. The laser galvanometer module 32 controls the irradiation path of the laser beam through a high-speed deflecting lens to achieve precise positioning and dynamic weeding. The lidar 33 is installed at the front end of the centerline of the top surface of the housing 5. The first depth camera is installed in the middle of the front side of the housing 5. The lidar 33 and the first depth camera are used for environmental scanning and real-time mapping, working together for composite navigation and obstacle avoidance. The touchscreen 34 provides a human-machine interface for convenient operation and settings. The power distribution box provides power distribution and control for the various components of the equipment to ensure normal operation. Both the touchscreen 34 and the power distribution box are installed on the side of the housing 5. Two headlights are installed on the front surface of the housing 5 at the waist of the vehicle body to provide illumination when there is insufficient light, ensuring that the equipment can operate normally in various environments.

[0039] The laser galvanometer module controls the irradiation path of the laser beam through a high-speed deflecting lens, achieving precise positioning and dynamic weed removal. It includes a first mounting base, a laser galvanometer module, a supplementary lighting module, an optical fiber connector, a spectral camera, a second depth camera, and a Z-axis moving mechanism.

[0040] The first mounting base is fixed to the bottom of the load-bearing platform 12 for mounting the laser galvanometer module on the lower plane of the load-bearing platform and enclosing the laser galvanometer module inside;

[0041] The Z-axis moving mechanism is mounted on the first mounting base and includes a Z-axis connecting plate, a Z-axis slide rail, a Z-axis linear motor, and a Z-axis slider. Two parallel Z-axis slide rails are fixedly mounted on the side of the Z-axis connecting plate, and a Z-axis slider is slidably mounted on each Z-axis slide rail. The laser galvanometer module is mounted at the center of the Z-axis slider. The Z-axis linear motor is located on the Z-axis connecting plate between the two Z-axis slide rails. The Z-axis linear motor is connected to the power distribution box. All components are connected to form an integrated moving platform. The focal length is adjusted in real time according to the target distance to ensure that the laser galvanometer module can accurately focus on the target weeds.

[0042] The laser galvanometer module is connected to the laser generator via the fiber optic connector, transmitting the laser beam generated by the laser generator to the laser galvanometer module. The laser galvanometer module is equipped with a spectral camera for spectral analysis of the target and a second depth camera for depth information acquisition of the target, which together assist in achieving fine target identification.

[0043] The supplementary lighting module is installed next to the laser galvanometer module and close to the second depth camera. It provides supplementary lighting in low-light environments to ensure the imaging quality of the second depth camera. It includes a second mounting base and a light shield. The light shield is fixed on both sides of the second mounting base and surrounds the laser galvanometer.

[0044] Furthermore, the visual laser assembly 3 also includes a water-cooled unit, which is arranged in parallel and fixedly installed on the rear plane of the load-bearing platform 12 of the locomotive assembly 1. The water-cooled unit is connected to the cooling interface of the laser generator through flexible water pipes to form a closed loop. The heat-generating part of each laser generator is embedded with a metal water-cooling plate. The coolant flows through the water-cooling plate to absorb heat and then returns to the water-cooled unit for heat dissipation. One water-cooled unit can handle the heat generated by 2 to 3 laser generators.

[0045] The energy supply component 4 includes a housing and a battery pack housed within the housing. Two housings contain controllers. The first controller is connected to a three-phase AC motor mounted on a motor support frame at the bottom of the load-bearing platform 12 via a drive module. The second controller has a laser control module directly connected to the laser galvanometer module. The three-phase AC motor is an AC variable frequency brushless chassis motor with planetary gear reducer. The battery is a lithium battery, used to power the steering wheel motor of the locomotive component, the control component, and the vision laser component.

[0046] The shell 5 is mounted on the load-bearing platform 12 via components such as base columns.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the navigation system of the control component controls the lidar and depth camera of the visual laser component to plan the navigation path. The locomotive control system controls the steering wheel of the drive locomotive component to rotate and move. The visual laser control system controls the spectral camera and depth camera to accurately identify the location of weeds. The laser galvanometer module is linked to emit lasers for precise killing. All components work together to form a closed loop through real-time data interaction, realizing the fully automated control of the robot from navigation, autonomous movement to target recognition and killing operation.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A combined laser weeding robot, characterized by, The system includes a vehicle assembly (1) that serves as the chassis of the robot for support and movement, and a control assembly (2), a vision laser assembly (3), a power supply assembly (4), and a housing (5) mounted thereon. The control assembly (2) is fixed to the rear of the vehicle assembly (1) and is electrically or signal-connected to the vehicle assembly (1), the vision laser assembly (3), and the power supply assembly (4), respectively. The vision laser assembly (3) is mounted in the middle of the vehicle assembly (1). The power supply assembly (4) is mounted at the front end of the vehicle assembly (1) and is electrically connected to the vehicle assembly (1), the control assembly (2), and the vision laser assembly (3). The housing (5) is fixedly connected to the outer periphery of the upper surface of the vehicle assembly (1) through a base column, covering the chassis superstructure within it to form a protective shell.

2. The combined laser weeding robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locomotive assembly (1) includes a steering wheel (11) and a load-bearing platform (12). The steering wheel (11) includes a frame, a steering mechanism and a tire module. The frame is fixed at the bottom of the four corners of the load-bearing platform (12). The steering mechanism is mounted on the frame and includes a steering wheel motor and a steering wheel motor driver. The steering wheel motor has an encoder built in. The bottom of the load-bearing platform (12) is provided with two tire modules, one in front and one behind. Each tire module is equipped with two steering wheels (11).

3. The combined laser weeding robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The visual laser assembly (3) includes a laser generator (31) and a laser galvanometer module (32), which are mounted on the lower center of the load-bearing platform (12) of the locomotive assembly (1), and multiple sets of the laser generators (31) are connected in parallel.

4. The combined laser weeding robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The laser galvanometer module (32) includes a first mounting base fixed to the bottom of the load-bearing platform (12), a Z-axis moving mechanism mounted on the first mounting base, and a laser galvanometer module mounted on the Z-axis moving mechanism.

5. The combined laser weeding robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The Z-axis moving mechanism includes a Z-axis connecting plate with two parallel Z-axis slide rails fixedly mounted on its side. A Z-axis linear motor is located on the Z-axis connecting plate between the two Z-axis slide rails. A Z-axis slider is slidably fitted on each Z-axis slide rail. The laser galvanometer module is installed at the center of the Z-axis slider and is connected to the laser generator through an optical fiber connector.

6. The combined laser weeding robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The laser galvanometer module (32) also includes a spectral camera, a second depth camera, and a fill light module installed on the laser galvanometer module.

7. The combined laser weeding robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The visual laser assembly (3) also includes a lidar (33) installed on the front end of the top of the housing (5), a first depth camera installed in the middle of the front side of the housing (5), a touch screen 34 and a power distribution box installed on the side of the housing (5), and a lighting device installed on the front of the waist of the housing (5).

8. The combined laser weeding robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The visual laser assembly (3) also includes a water-cooled unit, which is arranged in parallel and fixed on the rear plane of the load-bearing platform (12) of the locomotive assembly (1). One water-cooled unit can handle the heat generated by 2 to 3 laser generators.

9. The combined laser weeding robot according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The energy supply component includes a housing and a battery pack installed inside the housing. Two housings are equipped with controllers. The first controller is connected to a three-phase AC motor installed on a motor support frame at the bottom of the load-bearing platform (12) via a drive module. The second controller is equipped with a laser control module connected to the laser galvanometer module.

10. The combined laser weeding robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The three-phase AC motor is an AC variable frequency brushless chassis motor and uses a planetary reducer for speed reduction.

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