Aircraft-based tower inspection system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a kind of tower inspection system based on aerial vehicle, including central controller, aerial vehicle, positioning equipment, positioning equipment includes first positioning device and second positioning device, first positioning device includes positioning anchor point and first positioning label, second positioning device includes positioning base station and second positioning label, positioning anchor point is located in the middle position of tower, positioning base station is located at the end of tower, first positioning label and second positioning label are located on aerial vehicle, first positioning label sends first positioning signal to positioning anchor point, positioning anchor point sends the first time of receiving first positioning signal to central controller, second positioning label sends second positioning signal to positioning base station, positioning base station sends the second time of receiving second positioning signal to central controller, central controller controls aerial vehicle flight based on first time and second time.This application can accurately determine the position where aerial vehicle is located.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of tower inspection technology, and more specifically, to a tower inspection system based on an aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the power sector, there are two methods for inspecting power transmission towers: manual inspection and machine inspection. Manual inspection involves inspectors climbing the towers to conduct tests, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and may lead to safety accidents. Machine inspection mainly uses aircraft to fly around the towers along preset flight paths, using GPS navigation or single-vision navigation technology to assist in the inspection.

[0003] However, GPS signals are easily blocked and interfered with near towers, resulting in a significant decrease in accuracy; single-vision navigation is prone to failure when lighting changes or texture loss occurs. Although ultra-wideband (UWB) technology can provide high-precision indoor and outdoor positioning, its signals are prone to severe non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation and multipath effects in large, dense metal structures such as towers, leading to problems such as positioning jumps or even loss. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application discloses an aircraft-based tower inspection system, which solves the problems of signal obstruction, timeliness, and easy loss that exist when inspecting towers using existing technologies such as GPS navigation, single vision navigation, or ultra-wideband.

[0005] In a first aspect, this disclosure relates to a tower inspection system based on an aircraft. The tower inspection system includes: a central controller; an aircraft for flying around a tower and communicatively connected to the central controller; and a positioning device communicatively connected to the central controller. The positioning device includes a first positioning device and a second positioning device. The first positioning device includes a positioning anchor point and a first positioning tag. The second positioning device includes a positioning base station and a second positioning tag. The positioning anchor point is located at the middle of the tower, and the positioning base station is located at one end of the tower. Both the positioning anchor point and the positioning base station are communicatively connected to the central controller. The first positioning tag and the second positioning tag are located on the aircraft. The first positioning tag is used to send a first positioning signal to the positioning anchor point. The positioning anchor point is used to send the first time the first positioning signal is received to the central controller at a first time. The second positioning tag is used to send a second positioning signal to the positioning base station. The positioning base station is used to send the second time the second positioning signal is received to the central controller at a second time. The central controller is used to control the aircraft to fly along a preset flight path based on the received first and second times.

[0006] This embodiment of the application sets up positioning anchor points on the tower and a first positioning tag on the aircraft. During the aircraft's flight along a preset flight path, the positioning anchor points receive a first positioning signal from the first positioning tag and then immediately transmit the received signal to the central controller. The central controller can determine the aircraft's real-time position based on this first instant. Simultaneously, to address the inaccuracy of relying solely on the first positioning device to determine the aircraft's real-time position, a positioning base station is also set up on the tower, and a second positioning tag is placed on the aircraft. The positioning base station receives a second positioning signal from the second positioning tag and immediately transmits the received signal to the central controller. Through the coordinated arrangement of the positioning anchor points and the positioning base station, and utilizing the strong long-distance diffraction capability of the second positioning signal, a positioning backup is provided for the first positioning device. Thus, the central controller can simultaneously determine the aircraft's precise position based on both the first and second instants, thereby ensuring continuous and stable flight of the aircraft in the complex environment of the tower.

[0007] In some embodiments, the positioning base station includes a first base station and a second base station, both of which are communicatively connected to the central controller. The first base station is located at the top of the tower, and the second base station is located within a preset range at the bottom of the tower. The vertical height between the second base station and the bottom of the tower is greater than the maximum height of obstacles within the preset range.

[0008] In some embodiments, the positioning anchor point is located on the tower body, and when the aircraft flies around the tower according to the flight path, the vertical height between the positioning anchor point and the aircraft is not greater than the horizontal distance between the positioning anchor point and the aircraft.

[0009] In some embodiments, the tower includes a crossarm, the crossarm having a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other, the positioning anchor point including a first anchor point and a second anchor point, both the first anchor point and the second anchor point being communicatively connected to the central controller, the first anchor point being located at the first end, and the second anchor point being located at the second end.

[0010] In some embodiments, the positioning anchor point further includes a third anchor point, which is communicatively connected to the central controller. The third anchor point is located at a first position on the tower body. The first position is located on the side of the crossarm near the first end and the top of the tower. The vertical height between the first position and the middle position of the crossarm is less than the horizontal distance between the first position and the first end. The middle position of the crossarm is the location of the center point of the line connecting the first end and the second end.

[0011] In some embodiments, the positioning anchor point further includes a fourth anchor point, which is communicatively connected to the central controller. The fourth anchor point is located at a second position on the tower body, which is located on the side of the crossarm close to the first end and away from the top of the tower. The vertical height between the second position and the middle position of the crossarm is less than the horizontal distance between the second position and the first end.

[0012] In some embodiments, the straight-line distance between the third anchor point and the first end is equal to the straight-line distance between the fourth anchor point and the first end.

[0013] In some embodiments, the positioning anchor point further includes a fourth anchor point, which is communicatively connected to the central controller. The fourth anchor point is located at a third position on the tower body. The third position is located on the side of the crossarm near the second end and away from the top of the tower. The vertical height between the third position and the middle position of the crossarm is less than the horizontal distance between the third position and the second end.

[0014] In some embodiments, the straight-line distance between the third anchor point and the first end is equal to the straight-line distance between the fourth anchor point and the second end.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first positioning device is an ultra-wideband positioning device, and the second positioning device is an ultra-high frequency positioning device.

[0016] In this embodiment, a first base station and a second base station are respectively set at the top and bottom of the tower, reducing the obstruction of the second positioning signal by the tower or other obstacles. A first anchor point and a second anchor point are set at opposite ends of the crossarm. A third anchor point and a fourth anchor point are set at a third position near the top of the tower and a fourth position near the bottom of the tower, respectively. The vertical height between the positioning anchor point and the aircraft is controlled to be no greater than the horizontal distance between the positioning anchor point and the aircraft, ensuring that at least one anchor point can receive the first positioning signal sent by the first positioning tag when the aircraft flies around the tower. This allows the central controller to simultaneously determine the precise position of the aircraft based on the first and second times, thereby ensuring continuous and stable flight of the aircraft in the complex environment of the tower. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the tower inspection system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a first structure for arranging positioning anchor points and positioning base stations on a tower, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of a second structure for arranging positioning anchor points and positioning base stations on a tower, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a third structure for arranging positioning anchor points and positioning base stations on a tower, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a fourth structure for arranging positioning anchor points and positioning base stations on a tower, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a fifth structure for arranging positioning anchor points and positioning base stations on a tower, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a sixth structure for arranging positioning anchor points and positioning base stations on a tower, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Numbering on the map:

[0025] 1. Central controller; 2. Positioning device; 21. First positioning device; 211. Positioning anchor point; 211. First anchor point; 211a. Second anchor point; 211b. Third anchor point; 211c. Fourth anchor point; 211d. First positioning tag; 212. Second positioning device; 22. Positioning base station; 221. First UFH base station; 221a. Second UFH base station; 221b. Second positioning tag; 222. Aircraft; 3. Tower; 4. Crossarm; 41. First terminal; 411. Second terminal; 412. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0027] It should be understood that the various steps described in the method embodiments of this disclosure may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. Furthermore, method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0028] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended inclusions, meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". Definitions of other terms will be given in the description below.

[0029] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this disclosure are used only to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules or units or their interdependencies.

[0030] It should be noted that the terms "a" and "a plurality of" used in this disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0031] The names of messages or information exchanged between multiple devices in the embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of such messages or information.

[0032] This application provides an aircraft-based tower inspection system. This system can be used to inspect the construction progress of multiple towers during the construction of power transmission lines. Alternatively, it can also be used to inspect the fault conditions of insulators or hardware in one or more towers along a power transmission line.

[0033] It should be noted that this application does not limit the specific application scenarios of the tower inspection system. Depending on the actual situation, the tower inspection system can also be applied to other application scenarios besides those mentioned above.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The tower inspection system includes a central controller 1, a positioning device 2, and an aircraft 3. The aircraft 3 flies around the tower 4 and is communicatively connected to the central controller 1. In this embodiment, the central controller 1 can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, a single-chip microcomputer, or any conventional processor.

[0035] Positioning device 2 is communicatively connected to central controller 3. Positioning device 2 includes a first positioning device 21 and a second positioning device 22. The first positioning device 21 includes a positioning anchor point 211 and a first positioning tag 212. The second positioning device 22 includes a positioning base station 221 and a second positioning tag 222. The positioning anchor point 211 is located in the middle of the tower 4, and the positioning base station 221 is located at one end of the tower 4. Both the positioning anchor point 211 and the positioning base station 221 are communicatively connected to central controller 1. The first positioning tag 212 and the second positioning tag 222 are located on the aircraft 3. The "end" of the tower 4 includes the top, bottom, and a preset range of the tower's location. The first positioning tag 212 is used to send a first positioning signal to the positioning anchor point 211, and the positioning anchor point 211 is used to send the received first positioning signal to central controller 1 immediately. The second positioning tag 222 is used to send a second positioning signal to the positioning base station 221, and the positioning base station 221 is used to send the received second positioning signal to central controller 1 immediately. The central controller 1 is used to control the aircraft 3 to fly according to the preset flight path based on the first and second times received.

[0036] In this embodiment, the aircraft 3 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as an example for explanation. In other embodiments, the aircraft 3 can also be an unmanned helicopter or a vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing aircraft. This application does not limit the specific type of aircraft 3.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first positioning device 21 is an ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning device, wherein the positioning anchor point 211 is a UWB anchor point and the first positioning tag 212 is a UWB tag. The second positioning device 22 is an ultra-high frequency (UHF) positioning device, wherein the positioning base station 221 is a UHF base station and the second positioning tag 222 is a UHF tag.

[0038] When the drone flies far from the UWB anchor point, it may be unable to be covered by the UWB anchor point's line of sight due to obstruction from components of tower 4, causing the central controller 1 to be unable to locate the drone's position using the UWB device. In this case, because the UHF device is deployed at both higher and lower positions, it can always be guaranteed to receive the drone's signal (even non-line-of-sight diffracted signals), thus achieving seamless switching. The UHF system provides continuous position information, preventing the drone from losing its position.

[0039] This embodiment of the application sets up UWB anchor points on the tower 4 and UWB tags on the aircraft 3. During the flight of the aircraft 3 along a preset flight path, after receiving the first positioning signal from the first positioning tag 212, the UWB anchor point transmits the received first positioning signal to the central controller 1. The central controller 1 can determine the real-time position of the aircraft 3 based on this first time. Simultaneously, to address the inaccuracy of relying solely on the first positioning device 21 to determine the real-time position of the aircraft 3, a UFH base station is also set up on the tower 4, and a UFH tag is attached to the aircraft 3. The UFH base station receives the second positioning signal from the UFH tag and transmits the received second positioning signal to the central controller 1. Through the coordinated arrangement of the UFH anchor points and the UFH base station, and utilizing the strong long-distance diffraction capability of the second positioning signal, a positioning backup for the UWB device is provided. Thus, the central controller 1 can simultaneously determine the precise position of the aircraft 3 based on both the first and second times, thereby ensuring the continuous and stable flight of the aircraft 3 in the complex environment of the tower 4.

[0040] It should be noted that this embodiment uses the example of the first positioning device 21 being a UWB device and the second positioning device 22 being a UHF device for explanation and illustration. This does not imply that the first positioning device 21 must be a UWB device, and / or the second positioning device 22 must be a UHF device. It is understood that if a device possesses the functions of a UWB device or a UHF device, the first positioning device 21 may not be a UWB device, and / or the second positioning device 22 need not be a UHF device.

[0041] In one embodiment, please refer again to Figure 2The UFH base station includes a first UFH base station 221a and a second UFH base station 221b. Both the first UFH base station 221a and the second UFH base station 221b are communicatively connected to the central controller 1. The first UFH base station 221a is located at the top of the tower 4, and the second UFH base station 221b is located within a preset range at the bottom of the tower 4. The vertical height between the second UFH base station 221b and the bottom of the tower is greater than the maximum height of obstacles within the preset range.

[0042] In this embodiment, a fixing clamp can be used to fix the first UFH base station 221a to the top of the tower. The specific shape of the fixing clamp can refer to relevant equipment in the prior art, and this application is not limited in this regard, as long as it can fix the first UFH base station 221a to the top of the tower. Meanwhile, since the vertical height between the second UFH base station 221b and the tower base needs to be greater than the maximum height of obstacles within a preset range, the second UFH base station 221b needs to be fixedly installed to the top of a fixing bracket, and the bottom end of the fixing bracket is fixed to the ground within a preset range. Similarly, the specific shape of the fixing bracket can refer to relevant equipment in the prior art, and this application is not limited in this regard.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the tower 4 is generally located in mountainous or hilly areas, where there may be obstacles such as buildings and trees around it. In this embodiment, it is necessary to set the vertical height between the second UFH base station 221b and the tower base to be greater than the maximum height of the buildings, trees and other obstacles within the preset range.

[0044] The preset range can be set according to the actual situation. For example, the preset range can be a circular area with a radius of 10 meters centered on the base of the tower. Alternatively, the preset range can be a quadrilateral area with a length of 10 meters and a width of 8 meters centered on the base of the tower. The preset range can be set according to the actual situation. The preset range can be a regular shape or an irregular image; this application does not limit this.

[0045] A first UFH base station 221a and a second UFH base station 221b are respectively set within a predetermined range at the top and bottom of tower 4, making the deployment mode of the UFH base stations a high-low deployment mode. When the drone flies around tower 4, the first UFH base station 221a receives the second positioning signal from the UFH tag, and at the same time, the second UFH base station 221b also receives the second positioning signal from the UFH tag (according to the working principle of the UFH device, the UFH tag will send positioning signals to all UFH base stations simultaneously). The first UFH base station 221a sends the second time of receiving the second positioning signal to the central controller 1, and the second UFH base station 221b also sends the second time of receiving the second positioning signal to the central controller 1 (it can be understood that the two second times may be the same or different). The central controller 1 determines the position of the drone relative to tower 4 based on the second time sent by the first UFH base station 221a and the second time sent by the second UFH base station 221b. This effectively solves the problem of radio signal obstruction caused by the tower structure when using only UWB devices, and achieves global coverage of the flight area around tower 4.

[0046] The positioning anchor point 211 is located on the tower body of the iron tower 4. When the aircraft 3 flies around the iron tower 4 according to the flight path, the vertical height between the positioning anchor point 211 and the aircraft 3 is not greater than the horizontal distance between the positioning anchor point 211 and the aircraft 3.

[0047] In other words, the vertical height between the positioning anchor point 211 and the UAV should be kept within one time the horizontal distance between the UAV and the positioning anchor point 211. Ideally, the vertical height between the positioning anchor point 211 and the UAV should be as small as possible. This is to ensure that the UWB device can achieve the highest positioning accuracy, while minimizing the impact of the metal truss and other equipment of the tower 4 on the transmission of the positioning signal of the UWB device.

[0048] Understandably, when deploying positioning anchor points 211 on Tower 4, the principle of "close to the UAV's flight path" must be followed. Corresponding positioning anchor points 211 should be configured at different flight levels to ensure that there are always multiple positioning anchor points 211 near the UAV's flight path that are at a similar altitude to the UAV and have line-of-sight communication capabilities.

[0049] Depending on the actual needs, the number of positioning anchor points 211 can be one or more. The layout of positioning anchor points 211 on the iron tower 4 will be described in detail below.

[0050] It should be noted that tower 4 includes crossarm 41, which is mainly used to install, fix, and support insulator strings and conductors, and to ensure sufficient safe distance between conductors and between conductors and the tower body of tower 4. During drone inspections, the focus is mainly on the area around crossarm 41 of tower 4 to check for any improper installation or damage to equipment.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the preset flight path of the drone is mainly set around the area where the crossarm 41 of the iron tower 4 is located.

[0052] This embodiment uses a single crossarm 41 as an example for explanation. The crossarm 41 includes a first end 411 and a second end 412 that are arranged opposite to each other. The positioning anchor point 211 includes a first anchor point 211a and a second anchor point 211b. Both the first anchor point 211a and the second anchor point 211b are communicatively connected to the central controller 1. The first anchor point 211a is located at the first end 411, and the second anchor point 211b is located at the second end 412.

[0053] A first anchor point 211a (i.e., the first UWB anchor point) and a second anchor point 211b (i.e., the second UWB anchor point) are respectively set at opposite ends of the crossarm 41, so that no matter which end of the UAV flies to, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0054] To ensure that no matter which side of the crossarm 41 in the tower 4 the drone flies along the preset flight path to, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to collect the corresponding signal to determine the current position of the drone, at least two positioning anchor points 211 need to be set on the tower body of the tower 4.

[0055] For further details, please refer to Figure 3 The positioning anchor point 211 also includes a third anchor point 211c (i.e., the third UWB anchor point). The third UWB anchor point is communicatively connected to the central controller 1. The third UWB anchor point is located at the first position on the tower body. The first position is located on the side of the crossarm 41 near the first end 411 and the top of the tower 4. The vertical height between the first position and the middle position of the crossarm is less than the horizontal distance between the first position and the first end 411. The middle position of the crossarm is the location of the center point of the line connecting the first end 411 and the second end 412.

[0056] In this embodiment, a first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point are respectively set at opposite ends of the crossarm 41, and a third UWB anchor point is set at the first position. The three positioning anchor points 211 form a triangular layout so that no matter whether the UAV flies to opposite ends of the crossarm 41 or to the side of the crossarm 41 near the top of the tower, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0057] Meanwhile, by controlling the vertical height between the first position and the middle position of the crossarm to be less than the horizontal distance between the first position and the first end 411, it can be avoided that when the drone flies around the area where the crossarm 41 of the tower 4 is located, the vertical height between the drone and the crossarm 41 is too large, which will affect the reception of the positioning signal of one or more positioning anchor points 211 by the positioning tag.

[0058] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 4 The positioning anchor point 211 also includes a fourth anchor point 211d (fourth UWB anchor point). The fourth anchor point 211d is connected to the central controller 1. The fourth anchor point 211d is located at the second position of the tower body. The second position is located on the side of the crossarm 41 close to the first end 411 and away from the top of the tower. The vertical height between the second position and the middle position of the crossarm is less than the horizontal distance between the second position and the first end 411.

[0059] In this embodiment, a first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point are respectively set at opposite ends of the crossarm 41. At the same time, a third UWB anchor point and a fourth UWB anchor point are respectively set at the first position and the second position. The four anchor points form a quadrilateral layout so that no matter whether the UAV flies to opposite ends of the crossarm 41, the middle of the crossarm 41 near the top of the tower, or the middle of the crossarm 41 away from the top of the tower, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0060] It is understandable that a first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point can be set at opposite ends of the crossarm 41, and a fourth UWB anchor point can be set at the second position. The three positioning anchor points 211 form a triangular layout so that no matter whether the UAV flies to opposite ends of the crossarm 41 or to the side of the crossarm 41 away from the top of the tower, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0061] In this embodiment, the straight-line distance between the third UWB anchor point and the first end 411 is equal to the straight-line distance between the fourth UWB anchor point and the first end 411. Alternatively, the straight-line distance between the third UWB anchor point and the second end 412 is equal to the straight-line distance between the fourth UWB anchor point and the second end 412.

[0062] When the drone flies around the tower 4 to the middle position of the crossarm 41 near the first end 411, or when the drone flies around the tower 4 to the middle position of the crossarm 41 near the second end 412, the third UWB analog circuit and the fourth UWB anchor point can receive the signal sent by the UWB tag without obstruction, thereby accurately locating the current position of the drone.

[0063] In another embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 The fourth UWB anchor point is located at the third position on the tower body. The third position is located on the side of the crossarm 41 that is close to the second end 412 and far from the top of the tower. The vertical height between the third position and the middle position of the crossarm is less than the horizontal distance between the third position and the second end 412.

[0064] In this embodiment, a first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point are respectively set at opposite ends of the crossarm 41, a third UWB anchor point is set at a first position, and a fourth UWB anchor point is set at a third position. The four anchor points form a quadrilateral layout so that no matter whether the UAV flies to opposite ends of the crossarm 41, the middle of the crossarm 41 near the top of the tower, or the middle of the crossarm 41 away from the top of the tower, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0065] Similarly, a first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point can be set at opposite ends of the crossarm 41, and a fourth UWB anchor point can be set at the third position. The three positioning anchor points 211 form a triangular layout so that no matter whether the UAV flies to opposite ends of the crossarm 41 or to the side of the crossarm 41 near the top of the tower, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0066] Specifically, the straight-line distance between the third UWB anchor point and the first end 411 is equal to the straight-line distance between the fourth UWB anchor point and the second end 412. This ensures that regardless of whether the UAV flies to the side of the crossarm closer to the first end 411 or the side of the crossarm closer to the second end 412, the third UWB anchor point can receive the signal sent by the UWB tag on the UAV, thereby determining the UAV's current position.

[0067] When positioning anchor points 211 are set on both the side of crossarm 41 near the tower top and the side of crossarm 41 away from the tower top, a baseline in the vertical direction is actively introduced. This ensures that when the drone's altitude changes, the distances from the drone to the third and fourth UWB anchor points change in opposite directions (one increases, the other decreases). This strong contrast provides the positioning drone with an extremely clear altitude change signal, thereby improving the vertical positioning accuracy from "meter-level" to "centimeter-level". Simultaneously, deploying positioning anchor points 211 at different heights on tower 4 provides the drone with more selectable line-of-sight signal paths from different directions, effectively suppressing multipath interference and avoiding jumps in positioning points. Furthermore, it expands the vertical range of the high-precision positioning area, achieving seamless coverage of the entire operation process.

[0068] Please see Figure 6 A first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point are respectively set at the first end 411 and the second end 412. A corresponding third UWB anchor point is set at the first position and the fourth position on the side of the crossarm 41 near the top of the tower. At the same time, a fourth UWB anchor point is set at the second position or the third position on the side of the crossarm 41 away from the top of the tower. The five positioning anchor points 211 form a pentagonal layout so that no matter whether the UAV flies to the opposite ends of the crossarm 41 or the middle of the crossarm 41 near the top of the tower, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0069] Alternatively, a first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point can be set at the first end 411 and the second end 412 respectively. A corresponding fourth UWB anchor point can be set at the second and third positions on the side of the crossarm 41 away from the top of the tower. At the same time, a third UWB anchor point can be set at the first or fourth position on the side of the crossarm 41 close to the top of the tower. The five positioning anchor points 211 form a pentagonal layout so that no matter whether the UAV flies to the opposite ends of the crossarm 41 or the middle of the crossarm 41 close to the top of the tower, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0070] Please see Figure 7A first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point are respectively set at the first end 411 and the second end 412. A corresponding third UWB anchor point is set at the first position and the fourth position on the side of the crossarm 41 near the top of the tower. At the same time, a corresponding fourth UWB anchor point is set at the second position and the third position on the side of the crossarm 41 away from the top of the tower. The six positioning anchor points 211 form a hexagonal layout so that no matter whether the UAV flies to the opposite ends of the crossarm 41 or the middle of the crossarm 41 near the top of the tower, there is a corresponding positioning anchor point 211 to receive the first positioning signal sent by the UWB tag, thereby determining the position of the UAV relative to the tower 4.

[0071] Although the quadrilateral layout formed by four positioning anchor points 211, the pentagonal layout formed by five positioning anchor points 211, and the hexagonal layout formed by six positioning anchor points 211 use more positioning anchor points 211 and have a slightly higher cost compared to the linear layout formed by two positioning anchor points 211 and the triangular layout formed by three positioning anchor points 211, the quadrilateral layout formed by four positioning anchor points 211, the pentagonal layout formed by five positioning anchor points 211, and the hexagonal layout formed by six positioning anchor points 211 can solve the problem of inaccurate drone positioning when the drone flies around the iron tower 4, which is caused by the positioning anchor points 211 being unable to receive the positioning tag signal due to the obstruction of the equipment on the iron tower 4.

[0072] It is understood that there may be one or more crossarms 41 in the tower 4. When there are multiple crossarms, the specific range of the tower 4 can be inspected as needed, and corresponding positioning anchor points 211 can be set around the crossarms 41 within the corresponding range. The layout of one or more positioning anchor points 211 is as described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0073] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, both the positioning anchor point 211 and the positioning base station 221 can be installed on the tower 4 or within the preset range of the tower base using corresponding standard clamps. There is no need to perform destructive operations such as drilling or welding on the tower 4 body. The installation and maintenance of the positioning anchor point 211 and the positioning base station 221 are convenient and suitable for large-scale deployment on existing power towers 4.

[0074] It should also be noted that in other embodiments, multiple positioning anchor points 211 can be arranged on the tower body according to actual needs. If the arrangement of multiple positioning anchor points 211 is a simple combination, split or optimization scheme based on this scheme, it falls within the scope of this scheme.

[0075] In this embodiment, a first base station and a second base station are respectively set at the top and bottom of the tower 4, reducing the obstruction of the second positioning signal by the tower 4 or other obstacles. A first anchor point 211a and a second anchor point 211b are set at the two opposite ends of the crossarm 41. A third anchor point 211c and a fourth anchor point 211d are set at a third position near the top of the tower and a fourth position near the bottom of the tower, respectively. The vertical height between the positioning anchor point 211 and the aircraft 3 is controlled to be no greater than the horizontal distance between the positioning anchor point 211 and the aircraft 3, ensuring that when the aircraft 3 flies around the tower 4, at least one anchor point can receive the first positioning signal sent by the first positioning tag 212. This allows the central controller 1 to determine the precise position of the aircraft 3 based on the first time and the second time simultaneously, thereby ensuring the continuous and stable flight of the aircraft 3 in the complex environment of the tower 4.

[0076] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle based tower inspection system, comprising: The iron tower inspection system comprises: a central controller; an aircraft for flying around the iron tower and being communicatively connected to the central controller; a positioning device communicatively connected to the central controller, the positioning device comprising a first positioning device and a second positioning device, the first positioning device comprising a positioning anchor point and a first positioning tag, the second positioning device comprising a positioning base station and a second positioning tag, the positioning anchor point being arranged at a middle position of the iron tower, the positioning base station being arranged at an end of the iron tower, and the positioning anchor point and the positioning base station being communicatively connected to the central controller, the first positioning tag and the second positioning tag being arranged on the aircraft, the first positioning tag being configured to send a first positioning signal to the positioning anchor point, the positioning anchor point being configured to send a first time of receiving the first positioning signal to the central controller, the second positioning tag being configured to send a second positioning signal to the positioning base station, the positioning base station being configured to send a second time of receiving the second positioning signal to the central controller, and the central controller being configured to control the aircraft to fly along a preset flight path based on the received first time and second time.

2. The tower inspection system of claim 1, wherein, The positioning base station comprises a first base station and a second base station, the first base station and the second base station being communicatively connected to the central controller, the first base station being arranged at a top of the iron tower, and the second base station being arranged within a preset range of a bottom of the iron tower, a vertical height between the second base station and the bottom being greater than a maximum height of an obstacle within the preset range.

3. The tower inspection system of claim 1, wherein, The positioning anchor point is arranged at a tower body of the iron tower, and when the aircraft flies around the iron tower along the flight path, a vertical height between the positioning anchor point and the aircraft is not greater than a horizontal distance between the positioning anchor point and the aircraft.

4. The tower inspection system of claim 3, wherein, The iron tower comprises a cross arm, the cross arm comprising oppositely arranged first and second ends, the positioning anchor point comprises first and second anchor points, the first and second anchor points being communicatively connected to the central controller, the first anchor point being arranged at the first end, and the second anchor point being arranged at the second end.

5. The tower inspection system of claim 4, wherein, The positioning anchor point further comprises a third anchor point, the third anchor point being communicatively connected to the central controller, the third anchor point being arranged at a first position of the tower body, the first position being arranged at a side of the cross arm close to the first end and away from a top of the iron tower, a vertical height between the first position and a middle position of the cross arm being less than a horizontal distance between the first position and the first end, the middle position of the cross arm being a position of a center point of a line connecting the first end and the second end.

6. The tower inspection system of claim 5, wherein, The positioning anchor point further comprises a fourth anchor point, the fourth anchor point being communicatively connected to the central controller, the fourth anchor point being arranged at a second position of the tower body, the second position being arranged at a side of the cross arm close to the first end and close to the top of the iron tower, a vertical height between the second position and the middle position of the cross arm being less than a horizontal distance between the second position and the first end.

7. The tower inspection system of claim 6, wherein, The straight-line distance between the third anchor point and the first end is equal to the straight-line distance between the fourth anchor point and the first end.

8. The tower inspection system of claim 5, wherein, The positioning anchor point further comprises a fourth anchor point, which is communicatively connected to the central controller, and is located at a third position of the tower body, which is located on one side of the cross arm close to the second end and away from the tower top, and the vertical height between the third position and the intermediate position of the cross arm is less than the horizontal distance between the third position and the second end.

9. The tower inspection system of claim 8, wherein, The straight-line distance between the third anchor point and the first end is equal to the straight-line distance between the fourth anchor point and the second end.

10. The tower inspection system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The first positioning device is an ultra-wideband positioning device, and the second positioning device is a very high frequency positioning device.

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