An amphibious wheeled-legged unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The application relates to a land-air amphibious wheeled-foot unmanned aerial vehicle and relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles. The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a unmanned aerial vehicle body, a flight device, balance adjusting devices and walking wheels. The flight device is arranged on the unmanned aerial vehicle body. The balance adjusting devices are arranged in two, and the two balance adjusting devices are rotatably arranged on the two sides of the unmanned aerial vehicle body. The walking wheels are arranged on the balance adjusting devices. The balance adjusting device comprises a first connecting arm, a second connecting arm, a third connecting arm and a fourth connecting arm. The first connecting arm is rotatably arranged on the unmanned aerial vehicle body, and is rotatably connected with the second connecting arm. The second connecting arm is rotatably connected with the walking wheel. The third connecting arm is rotatably arranged on the unmanned aerial vehicle body, and is rotatably connected with the fourth connecting arm. The fourth connecting arm is rotatably connected with the walking wheel. The problems of poor multi-terrain adaptability of the existing land-air amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and in particular to an amphibious wheeled UAV. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of unmanned systems, drone devices that can both fly and walk on land have appeared on the market.

[0003] However, existing amphibious drones have poor obstacle-crossing ability and insufficient terrain adaptability when switching to ground walking mode, making them unable to be flexibly deployed in emergency rescue, complex terrain inspection and combat scenarios.

[0004] Regarding the aforementioned technologies, existing amphibious drones suffer from poor adaptability to various terrains. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that aims to solve the problem of poor adaptability to various terrains of existing amphibious UAVs.

[0006] The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provided in this application adopts the following technical solution: An amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising: The drone itself; The flight device is mounted on the main body of the drone; Two balance adjustment devices are provided, and the two balance adjustment devices are rotatably mounted on both sides of the UAV body; The traveling wheels are mounted on the balance adjustment device; The balance adjustment device includes a first connecting arm, a second connecting arm, a third connecting arm, and a fourth connecting arm. The first connecting arm is rotatably mounted on the drone body and is rotatably connected to the second connecting arm, which is rotatably connected to the walking wheel. The third connecting arm is rotatably mounted on the drone body and is rotatably connected to the fourth connecting arm, which is rotatably connected to the walking wheel.

[0007] Optionally, the amphibious wheeled UAV includes a central control unit and a balance drive component, both of which are mounted on the UAV body, and the central control unit is electrically connected to the balance drive component. Both the first connecting arm and the third connecting arm are disposed at the drive end of the balance drive assembly.

[0008] Optionally, the balance drive assembly includes a first balance drive motor and a second balance drive motor, both of which are mounted on the UAV body and are electrically connected to the central control unit. The first connecting arm is disposed at the driving end of the first balancing drive motor, and the third connecting arm is disposed at the driving end of the second balancing drive motor.

[0009] Optionally, the flight device includes a flight arm and a rotor, the rotor being rotatably mounted on the flight arm and electrically connected to the central control unit.

[0010] Optionally, at least four flying arms are provided, and the at least four flying arms are circumferentially distributed on the UAV body.

[0011] Optionally, four flying arms are provided, and the four flying arms are distributed in an X-shape on the UAV body.

[0012] Optionally, the rotor includes a forward-rotating rotor and a reverse-rotating rotor, both of which are coaxially and oppositely mounted on the flight arm.

[0013] Optionally, the amphibious wheeled UAV includes a sensing sensor, which is mounted on the UAV body and electrically connected to the central control unit.

[0014] Optionally, the UAV body includes an upper body, a lower body, and a buffer assembly. The central control unit, the flight device, and the sensing sensor are all disposed on the upper body, the balance drive assembly is disposed on the lower body, and the buffer assembly is disposed between the upper body and the lower body.

[0015] Optionally, the buffer assembly includes a buffer member, a guide shaft, and a guide mating member. The buffer member is disposed between the upper body and the lower body, the guide shaft is disposed on the lower body, and the guide mating member is disposed on the upper body. The guide shaft is slidably disposed within the guide mating member.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of this utility model have the following advantages: This application's amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle combines flight and land walking functions. The presence of a balance adjustment device allows for adjustments in multiple degrees of freedom, enabling self-balancing, small obstacle crossing, and attitude adjustment capabilities. It also provides excellent traversal capabilities across complex terrains, solving the problem of poor multi-terrain adaptability of existing amphibious unmanned aerial vehicles. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model 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 recorded in this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 These are schematic diagrams of the overall structure of the amphibious wheeled UAV from different angles in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the balance adjustment device, balance drive assembly, walking wheels and UAV body of the amphibious wheeled UAV in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the flight device of the amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the embodiments of this application.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) body; 2. Flight device; 21. Flight arm; 22. Rotor; 221. Rotor with forward rotation; 222. Rotor with reverse rotation; 3. Balance adjustment device; 31. First connecting arm; 32. Second connecting arm; 33. Third connecting arm; 34. Fourth connecting arm; 4. Walking wheel; 5. Balance drive assembly; 51. First balance drive motor; 52. Second balance drive motor; 6. Sensing sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] This application discloses an amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be used both on land and in the air.

[0023] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, an amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a UAV body 1, a flight device 2, a balance adjustment device 3, and wheels 4. The flight device 2 is mounted on the UAV body 1. There are two balance adjustment devices 3, which are rotatably mounted on both sides of the UAV body 1. The wheels 4 are mounted on the balance adjustment devices 3. The balance adjustment device 3 includes a first connecting arm 31, a second connecting arm 32, a third connecting arm 33, and a fourth connecting arm 34. The first connecting arm 31 is rotatably mounted on the UAV body 1 and rotatably connected to the second connecting arm 32, which is rotatably connected to the wheels 4. The third connecting arm 33 is rotatably mounted on the UAV body 1 and rotatably connected to the fourth connecting arm 34, which is rotatably connected to the wheels 4.

[0024] This application's amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle combines flight and land walking functions. The presence of the balance adjustment device 3 allows for adjustments in multiple degrees of freedom, enabling self-balancing, small obstacle crossing, and attitude adjustment capabilities. It also provides excellent traversal capabilities across complex terrains, solving the problem of poor multi-terrain adaptability of existing amphibious unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0025] Specifically, there are two walking wheels 4, located on both sides of the drone body 1, and each walking wheel 4 is mounted on the balance adjustment device 3 on each side of the drone body 1.

[0026] In this application, one walking wheel 4 is mounted on the UAV body 1 via four corresponding connecting arms. When the amphibious wheeled UAV is walking on land, if the amphibious wheeled UAV tilts or bumps due to external forces, causing the center of gravity to shift from the support projection area of ​​the line connecting the two walking wheels 4, such as when it tilts forward: the third connecting arm 33 and the fourth connecting arm 34 can be bent (i.e., the third connecting arm 33 and the fourth connecting arm 34 can be folded), or the first connecting arm 31 and the second connecting arm 32 can be extended to pull the center of gravity of the vehicle body back to the support area.

[0027] When a leftward tilt occurs, the connecting arm on the left side of the UAV body 1 can extend, and the connecting arm on the right side of the UAV body 1 can bend, thereby adjusting the lateral attitude of the amphibious wheeled UAV and allowing the center of gravity to fall back to the support area.

[0028] The four connecting arms in this application provide multi-dimensional center of gravity adjustment capabilities in both the lateral and longitudinal directions. Compared with the existing pure two-wheel structure, it has a larger balance range and stronger anti-interference ability. When encountering small bumps, the connecting arms can quickly adjust to compensate for the posture without significantly adjusting the speed, thus achieving rapid overall balance recovery. It also has the ability to cross small obstacles and good ability to traverse complex terrain.

[0029] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the amphibious wheeled UAV includes a central control unit and a balance drive assembly 5. Both the central control unit and the balance drive assembly 5 are mounted on the UAV body 1, and the central control unit is electrically connected to the balance drive assembly 5. The first connecting arm 31 and the third connecting arm 33 are both mounted on the drive end of the balance drive assembly 5.

[0030] Specifically, the control system introduces a state feedback control mechanism based on a linear quadratic regulator (LQR), namely the LQR control strategy:

[0031] This scheme can ensure that the system maintains balance under dynamic loads, overturning disturbances, etc., converges quickly, has a system response time of less than 0.2s, and is highly robust.

[0032] When the amphibious wheeled UAV is in land-walking mode, the central control unit can drive the balance drive component 5 to work according to the current motion state of the amphibious wheeled UAV, thereby adjusting the rotation direction of the first connecting arm 31, the second connecting arm 32, the third connecting arm 33 and the fourth connecting arm 34 to achieve the balance of the amphibious wheeled UAV walking on land.

[0033] The amphibious wheeled drone also includes a power source, which is a rechargeable power source located on the drone body 1. The power source is electrically connected to the central control unit to provide energy for the operation of the amphibious wheeled drone.

[0034] Meanwhile, the power supply is a rechargeable power source, which can be replenished at any time, extending the service life of the amphibious wheeled drone.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, the balance drive assembly 5 includes a first balance drive motor 51 and a second balance drive motor 52. Both the first balance drive motor 51 and the second balance drive motor 52 are mounted on the UAV body 1, and both the first balance drive motor 51 and the second balance drive motor 52 are electrically connected to the central control unit. The first connecting arm 31 is mounted on the drive end of the first balance drive motor 51, and the third connecting arm 33 is mounted on the drive end of the second balance drive motor 52.

[0036] Specifically, based on the support of the walking wheel 4, the first balance drive motor 51 can control the rotation angle of the first connecting arm 31 and the second connecting arm 32, and the second balance drive motor 52 can control the rotation angle of the third connecting arm 33 and the fourth connecting arm 34.

[0037] Driven by the first balance drive motor 51 and the second balance drive motor 52, the first connecting arm 31, the second connecting arm 32, the third connecting arm 33 and the fourth connecting arm 34 can be controlled in a coordinated manner to achieve adjustments in various states such as longitudinal pitch adjustment, lateral tilt adjustment and ground clearance adjustment.

[0038] For example, lateral tilt adjustment: when encountering side obstacles (such as narrow passages or protrusions), the connecting arm on one side of the drone body 1 extends, and the other side of the drone bends, allowing the drone body 1 to tilt towards the unobstructed side and avoid the obstacle.

[0039] Longitudinal pitch adjustment: When going downhill, bend the first connecting arm 31 and the second connecting arm 32, and extend the third connecting arm 33 and the fourth connecting arm 34 to tilt the UAV body 1 forward, which can increase grip; when going uphill, adjust in the opposite direction to avoid the vehicle body tilting backward.

[0040] Therefore, under the control of the central control unit, the first balance drive motor 51 and the second balance drive motor 52 can adjust the first connecting arm 31, the second connecting arm 32, the third connecting arm 33 and the fourth connecting arm 34 by driving their rotation, so that the UAV body 1 can be adjusted more flexibly and precisely, and can be adapted to complex scenarios such as obstacle avoidance, climbing slopes and bumpy roads.

[0041] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the flight device 2 includes a flight arm 21 and a rotor 22, with the rotor 22 rotatably mounted on the flight arm 21.

[0042] Specifically, at least four flying arms 21 are provided, and the at least four flying arms 21 are circumferentially distributed on the UAV body 1, with rotors 22 located at the ends of the flying arms 21 away from the UAV body 1.

[0043] In this embodiment, four flying arms 21 are provided, and the four flying arms 21 are distributed in an X-shape on the UAV body 1.

[0044] The X-shaped layout of the flight arm 21 in this application makes the front, rear, left and right sides of the fuselage virtually unobstructed, which facilitates the sensors for monitoring set on the UAV body 1 to obtain a wider field of view (such as the perception sensor 6 disclosed later).

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, the rotor 22 includes a forward-rotating rotor 221 and a reverse-rotating rotor 222, both of which are coaxially mounted opposite each other on the flight arm 21.

[0046] Specifically, the same flight arm 21 has a forward-rotating rotor 221 and a reverse-rotating rotor 222 respectively located at the upper and lower ends. The rotation direction of the forward-rotating rotor 221 is opposite to that of the reverse-rotating rotor 222. This design can cancel out the torque.

[0047] The forward-rotating rotor 221 is positioned above the counter-rotating rotor 222. When the forward-rotating rotor 221 rotates clockwise, the counter-rotating rotor 222 rotates counterclockwise. The reaction torques generated by the two cancel each other out, keeping the UAV body 1 stable during hovering and flight, and preventing the rotor 22 from spinning. At the same time, the synergistic effect of the forward-rotating rotor 221 and the counter-rotating rotor 222 can also improve the overall lift efficiency. The counter-rotating rotor 222 can partially recover the vortex energy generated by the forward-rotating rotor 221.

[0048] It should be noted that the forward-rotating rotor 221 and the reverse-rotating rotor 222 on the flight arm 21 are both driven by independent rotor 22 drive units. The rotor 22 drive units are electrically connected to the central control unit, which controls the rotation of the corresponding forward-rotating rotor 221 and the reverse-rotating rotor 222.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle includes a sensing sensor 6, which is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle body 1.

[0050] Specifically, the perception sensor 6 is electrically connected to the control unit. The perception sensor 6 is a binocular camera that can perform depth perception and 3D mapping, and upload this perception data to the control unit. The control unit can run SLAM and obstacle avoidance algorithms based on the received perception information.

[0051] The control has built-in real-time localization and mapping (SLAM) and obstacle avoidance algorithms.

[0052] The binocular camera can calculate the depth information of the environment (such as the distance to obstacles and the height difference of the terrain) by collecting images, and at the same time acquire the visual features of the environment (such as the shape of obstacles and the texture of the ground) and upload them to the control unit. The SLA can use the binocular data to extract environmental features and build a real-time 3D map (such as the steps on the ground and the position of trees in the air); at the same time, it can calculate the precise position and attitude of the drone itself (such as the coordinates when moving on the ground and the altitude when flying in the air).

[0053] SLAM then uploads its own position information and the constructed environment map information to the obstacle avoidance algorithm. The obstacle avoidance algorithm can identify obstacles in the map (such as rocks on land and buildings in the air) and plan obstacle avoidance paths (such as the wheels and feet avoiding rocks on land and adjusting the flight direction to avoid buildings in the air). Finally, the obstacle avoidance algorithm uploads the target path or attitude command to LQR.

[0054] If the amphibious wheeled UAV is in land mode, LQR can control the balance adjustment device 3 by driving the wheel balance drive component 5 according to the path requirements, so as to adjust its attitude, position and walking balance. If the amphibious wheeled UAV is in air mode, LQR can adjust the rotation speed of each rotor drive component 22 according to the path requirements to maintain flight attitude.

[0055] Furthermore, the UAV body 1 includes an upper body, a lower body, and a buffer assembly. The control unit, flight device 2, and perception sensor 6 are all located on the upper body, while the balance drive assembly 5 is located on the lower body.

[0056] The upper and lower bodies are connected by a buffer assembly, which can effectively buffer impacts (such as vertical landing impacts, lateral collision impacts, obstacle crossing bumps, etc.), protect the sensing sensor 6 and the control system, as well as other precision components in the upper body, and extend the service life of the amphibious wheeled UAV.

[0057] Furthermore, the buffer assembly includes a buffer element, a guide shaft, and a guide mating element. The buffer element is telescopically disposed between the upper body and the lower body. In order to achieve rapid vibration damping and avoid rebound that causes the upper body to shake and cause secondary impact, the buffer element is selected as a damping spring. Multiple damping springs are provided and disposed between the upper body and the lower body.

[0058] The guide shaft is located on the side of the lower body facing the upper body. The guide mating part is a linear bearing. The guide mating part is located on the side of the upper body facing the lower body. The guide shaft is slidably located inside the guide mating part. Through the cooperation between the guide shaft and the guide mating part, the upper body and the lower body can be forced to move relative to each other only in the vertical direction, prohibiting lateral offset and rotational shaking (avoiding changes in the camera baseline). This can effectively reduce the detection error of the sensing sensor 6 caused by the relative movement between the upper body and the lower body.

[0059] There are multiple guide shafts and guide mating parts. Multiple guide shafts are distributed on the lower body, and multiple guide mating parts are distributed on the upper body corresponding to the positions of the guide shafts.

[0060] In this embodiment, the guide shaft and guide mating parts are evenly distributed on the inner side of the buffer.

[0061] In summary, an amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a UAV body 1, a flight device 2, a balance adjustment device 3, and wheels 4. The flight device 2 is mounted on the UAV body 1. Two balance adjustment devices 3 are provided, rotatably mounted on both sides of the UAV body 1. The wheels 4 are mounted on the balance adjustment devices 3. The balance adjustment device 3 includes a first connecting arm 31, a second connecting arm 32, a third connecting arm 33, and a fourth connecting arm 34. The first connecting arm 31 is rotatably mounted on the UAV body 1 and rotatably connected to the second connecting arm 32, which is rotatably connected to the wheels 4. The third connecting arm 33 is rotatably mounted on the UAV body 1 and rotatably connected to the fourth connecting arm 34, which is rotatably connected to the wheels 4.

[0062] The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle of this application combines the functions of flight and land walking, and integrates the wheeled ground motion system with the X8 coaxial flight system into an integrated platform. It combines the advantages of the X8 coaxial flight system, such as long endurance, high load capacity and strong wind resistance, with the complex ground adaptability of the balance adjustment device 3, and can be widely used in multi-mission scenarios such as emergency rescue or urban inspection.

[0063] Due to the presence of the balance adjustment device 3, this application can be adjusted in multiple degrees of freedom, possessing the ability to self-balance, overcome small obstacles, and adjust attitude, and can have good ability to traverse complex terrain, thus solving the problem of poor multi-terrain adaptability of existing amphibious UAVs.

[0064] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0065] It should be noted that this utility model is introduced with an amphibious wheeled drone as an example to illustrate the specific structure and working principle of the utility model. However, the application of this utility model is not limited to an amphibious wheeled drone, but can also be applied to the production and use of other similar products.

[0066] It should be understood that this invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this invention is limited only by the appended claims.

[0067] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., 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 land-and-air amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that, include: The drone itself; The flight device is mounted on the main body of the drone; Two balance adjustment devices are provided, and the two balance adjustment devices are rotatably mounted on both sides of the UAV body; The traveling wheels are mounted on the balance adjustment device; The balance adjustment device includes a first connecting arm, a second connecting arm, a third connecting arm, and a fourth connecting arm. The first connecting arm is rotatably mounted on the drone body and is rotatably connected to the second connecting arm, which is rotatably connected to the walking wheel. The third connecting arm is rotatably mounted on the drone body and is rotatably connected to the fourth connecting arm, which is rotatably connected to the walking wheel.

2. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a central control unit and a balance drive assembly. Both the central control unit and the balance drive assembly are mounted on the UAV body, and the central control unit is electrically connected to the balance drive assembly. Both the first connecting arm and the third connecting arm are located at the drive end of the balance drive assembly.

3. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The balance drive assembly includes a first balance drive motor and a second balance drive motor. Both the first balance drive motor and the second balance drive motor are mounted on the UAV body, and both the first balance drive motor and the second balance drive motor are electrically connected to the central control unit. The first connecting arm is disposed at the driving end of the first balancing drive motor, and the third connecting arm is disposed at the driving end of the second balancing drive motor.

4. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flight device includes a flight arm and a rotor, the rotor being rotatably mounted on the flight arm and electrically connected to the central control unit.

5. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that, The flight arms are provided in at least four, and the at least four flight arms are circumferentially distributed on the UAV body.

6. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drone body is provided with four flying arms, which are distributed in an X-shape.

7. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rotor includes a forward-rotating rotor and a reverse-rotating rotor, both of which are coaxially mounted opposite each other on the flight arm.

8. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a sensing sensor, which is mounted on the UAV body and electrically connected to the central control unit.

9. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that, The UAV body includes an upper body, a lower body, and a buffer assembly. The central control unit, the flight device, and the sensing sensor are all located on the upper body. The balance drive assembly is located on the lower body, and the buffer assembly is located between the upper body and the lower body.

10. The amphibious wheeled unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that, The buffer assembly includes a buffer member, a guide shaft, and a guide mating member. The buffer member is disposed between the upper body and the lower body, the guide shaft is disposed on the lower body, and the guide mating member is disposed on the upper body. The guide shaft is slidably disposed within the guide mating member.

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