Unmanned aerial vehicle cooperative hoisting system

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, in particular to an unmanned aerial vehicle cooperative hoisting system. The unmanned aerial vehicle cooperative hoisting system comprises at least a load and an unmanned aerial vehicle group composed of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles; a tether is connected between the unmanned aerial vehicles and is used for realizing the connection and wired communication between the unmanned aerial vehicles and the load; a tether controller is provided with a target tether tension observer and is arranged at the connection position of each unmanned aerial vehicle and the tether and is used for determining the target tether tension of the tether through the target tether tension observer and the flight state of each unmanned aerial vehicle; a system controller is signal-connected with the tether controller and each unmanned aerial vehicle and is used for triggering the communication between the unmanned aerial vehicles under the condition that the event trigger symbol of the unmanned aerial vehicle meets a preset event trigger mechanism and controlling the formation flight of the unmanned aerial vehicles according to a preconfigured event trigger formation controller and the target tether tension. The application provides the unmanned aerial vehicle cooperative hoisting system with more stable communication effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and more specifically, to a UAV collaborative hoisting system. Background Technology

[0002] In current multi-drone collaborative lifting systems, communication between drones and between drones and lifting devices is generally conducted wirelessly. However, under complex interference conditions, wireless communication is prone to problems such as packet loss, interruption, and link damage, which can lead to the failure of collaborative command issuance and potentially cause serious consequences.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a drone hoisting system with more stable communication. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a drone-assisted lifting system, comprising at least: Load and drone pods consisting of multiple drones; Tethers are used to connect the drones to each other, enabling wired communication between the drones and between the drones and the payload. A tether controller is configured with a target tether tension observer. The tether controller is located at the connection point between each UAV and the tether and is used to determine the target tether tension of the tether through the target tether tension observer and the flight status of each UAV. The system controller is connected to the tether controller and each UAV. The system controller is used to trigger communication between UAVs when the event trigger symbol of the UAV meets the preset event trigger mechanism, and to control each UAV to fly in formation according to the pre-configured event trigger formation controller and the target tether tension. The event trigger symbol refers to the flight state parameter of the UAV when flying in formation, and the event trigger symbol is determined according to the target tether tension.

[0005] In one optional embodiment of this application, the tether is an armored optical fiber or an armored optical cable.

[0006] In an optional embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned UAV collaborative lifting system further includes: A switch, located in the system controller, is connected to each UAV and the tether controller via signals, and to each UAV via communication; and / or, A hoisting device, wherein the first end of the hoisting device is fixedly connected to each of the tethering ropes, and the second end of the hoisting device is detachably connected to the load.

[0007] In an optional embodiment of this application, the system controller includes at least: An event generator is used to generate the event trigger symbols based on the flight state parameters of the tether controller and each UAV; The dynamic rule configuration module is used to store and control the preset event triggering mechanism.

[0008] In one optional embodiment of this application, each UAV is equipped with a UAV controller, which is used to control the flight of the UAV according to a first instruction issued by the system controller or in response to a second instruction input through a peripheral device, and control the flight of the UAV based on the second instruction.

[0009] In one optional embodiment of this application, the unmanned aerial vehicle controller communicates with the system controller via a formation protocol.

[0010] In one optional embodiment of this application, the hoisting device is a movable pulley, the tether rope is wound around the movable pulley, and the movable pulley rolls on the tether rope. The bottom of the movable pulley is used to hoist the load.

[0011] In an optional embodiment of this application, the hoisting device further includes: A pulley mounting base is provided, wherein the two ends of the movable pulley are rotatably connected to the pulley mounting base, and the lower end of the pulley mounting base is provided with a mounting hole for hoisting loads.

[0012] In an optional embodiment of this application, the hoisting device further includes: A hook is located at the bottom of the movable pulley. One end of the hook is used to connect to the movable pulley, and the other end is used to lift the load.

[0013] In one optional embodiment of this application, a mounting plate is fixed below the drone, and the mounting plate is equipped with at least one of a camera, a GPS positioning module, and a communication module; the tether is fixedly mounted to the bottom of the mounting plate via a flange.

[0014] Firstly, the UAV collaborative hoisting system provided in this application includes a tether connecting each UAV in the UAV group to the load. Each UAV and the load communicate via the tether through wired communication. It adopts a wired communication network architecture that integrates communication and hoisting functions, breaking through the traditional design of separating communication and hoisting devices in multi-UAV systems. By using a rope that combines communication and hoisting functions, the UAVs are connected through a switch to form a wired communication network. The use of a wired communication network (with the rope serving both hoisting and communication functions) avoids packet loss and interruption issues in complex working conditions and reduces interference from additional communication ropes on UAV pose, improving system stability. Furthermore, wired communication can significantly reduce latency, preventing neighboring UAVs from using expired status information due to latency, thus ensuring formation control performance. Secondly, the UAV collaborative hoisting system provided in this application includes multiple UAVs. The distributed control architecture supports flexible expansion of multiple UAVs. Each UAV only needs to interact with its neighbors, reducing the system's computational burden and making it suitable for large-scale UAV hoisting tasks.

[0015] Thirdly, the embodiments of this application use a target tether tension observer to determine the target tether tension of the UAV in real time, which facilitates the integration of the observed values ​​obtained by the target tether tension observer into the control input calculation, integrates the distributed control protocol of tension observation, improves the robustness of collaborative hoisting, and solves the problem of interference of tether tension fluctuations on multi-aircraft collaborative formation. Fourthly, this application's embodiments employ an event-triggered mechanism. This mechanism uses event-triggered symbols to trigger the event, replacing the traditional time-triggered periodic control. Communication between UAVs is only triggered to transmit data when the event-triggered symbol meets a preset event-triggered mechanism. This ensures the communication module is only awakened when triggered, reducing communication frequency, lowering static power consumption, and improving bandwidth utilization. This solves the problems of increased data volume and redundancy in periodic transmission associated with traditional wired communication. Simultaneously, a pre-configured event-triggered formation controller controls each UAV to fly in formation. Control inputs are updated only at the event trigger moment (i.e., when communication is achieved), reducing the frequency of actuator action switching, lowering mechanical wear, and extending service life. In summary, the embodiments of this application provide a more stable, lower energy consumption, and less computational burden drone collaborative hoisting system. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system hoisting system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0017] In the process of developing this application, the applicant discovered that there is an urgent need for a drone hoisting system with more stable communication.

[0018] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a drone-assisted lifting system. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description of the drone-assisted lifting system, in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings, is provided. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0019] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first" and "second," are used solely to distinguish the described objects and have no sequential or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages). It should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used solely for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0020] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0021] Please see Figure 1 This application provides a drone-assisted lifting system, which includes at least: a load, a drone group, a tether, a tether controller, and a system controller, wherein: Load and drone pods consisting of multiple drones; The tethers are connected between the drones to enable connection and wired communication between the drones and the payload. like Figure 1 As shown, this is an exemplary drone collaborative lifting system, in which each drone communicates with the load via a tether. Figure 1 The example includes four drones and eight tethers. The eight tethers include four tethers for connecting each drone to the load, and four tethers for wired communication between adjacent drones. These tethers serve as both hoisting ropes and communication lines, referring to any cable with integrated "communication + load-bearing" functions, such as armored optical fibers or armored optical cables. This application does not exhaustively list all possible tethers; they can be flexibly selected based on actual needs, requiring only that they fulfill the functions of communication and hoisting.

[0022] A tether controller is configured with a target tether tension observer. The tether controller is located at the connection point between each UAV and the tether and is used to determine the target tether tension of the tether through the target tether tension observer and the flight status of each UAV. The target tether tension observer is obtained by correcting the initial tension observer using the estimated tether tension and the actual tether tension measured. It is a model used to determine the tether tension based on the inherent properties of the UAV and the tether, the UAV's flight state, and the tether's state. The actual tether tension is obtained directly by a detector or calculated using other real-time physical quantities such as tether angle and length; this embodiment does not exhaustively describe all possibilities. The estimated tether tension refers to the tension estimated based on the target tether tension observer. The tension error between the actual tether tension and the estimated tether tension is less than a preset tension error, which can be flexibly set according to actual conditions; this embodiment does not specifically limit this. Tether tension can be used to calculate judgment quantities in event-triggered states, and it is also required for formation control through tension / tension error input. Specifically, it can be explained that only with target tension and actual tension (or tension error) can formation control of the UAV be performed. The dynamic behavior between the UAV and the load is transmitted through the tether; therefore, the UAV can determine the load's force and attitude state through tension. If the target tension and actual tension (or tension error) of the tether can be determined, it becomes clear how the UAV needs to be adjusted to control the load's attitude. Tether tension is a crucial physical quantity for maintaining flight stability and judging the accuracy of load attitude control during multi-drone hoisting operations.

[0023] The system controller is connected to the tether controller and each UAV signal respectively. The system controller is used to trigger communication between UAVs when the event triggering symbol of the UAV meets the preset event triggering mechanism, and to control each UAV to fly in formation according to the pre-configured event triggering formation controller and the target tether tension. The event trigger symbol refers to flight state parameters during UAV formation flight, including but not limited to: sampling period, event trigger time sequence, flight state data, previous transmission state, and current sampling state; the event trigger symbol is determined based on the target tether tension. Sampling in this embodiment refers to collecting state parameters of the UAVs, tethers, and loads during UAV formation flight. This can be done by configuring speed detectors, tension detectors, angle detectors, etc., to sample according to the sampling period, which can be 1 minute, 30 seconds, 10 seconds, or even real-time; this embodiment does not impose specific limitations.

[0024] When the event trigger symbol satisfies the preset event triggering mechanism, communication between UAVs is triggered. This enables communication between individual UAVs in a UAV group, between adjacent UAVs, or between UAVs related to the event trigger symbol. After communication between UAVs is achieved, they can exchange their respective flight status parameters to facilitate each event-triggered formation controller in controlling the current UAVs to fly in formation based on their current flight status parameters and those of adjacent or other UAVs.

[0025] The event-triggered formation controller is used to control the drones to fly in formation. The formation sequence, flight trajectory, etc. can be stored in the memory of the drone or in the event-triggered formation controller. Once the event-triggered formation controller receives the communication signal sent by the drone, it immediately starts to control the drones to fly in formation.

[0026] Firstly, the UAV collaborative hoisting system provided in this application includes a tether connecting each UAV in the UAV group to the load. Each UAV and the load communicate via the tether through wired communication. It adopts a wired communication network architecture that integrates communication and hoisting functions, breaking through the traditional design of separating communication and hoisting devices in multi-UAV systems. By using a rope that combines communication and hoisting functions, the UAVs are connected through a switch to form a wired communication network. The use of a wired communication network (with the rope serving both hoisting and communication functions) avoids packet loss and interruption issues in complex working conditions and reduces interference from additional communication ropes on UAV pose, improving system stability. Furthermore, wired communication can significantly reduce latency, preventing neighboring UAVs from using expired status information due to latency, thus ensuring formation control performance. Secondly, the UAV collaborative hoisting system provided in this application includes multiple UAVs. The distributed control architecture supports flexible expansion of multiple UAVs. Each UAV only needs to interact with its neighbors, reducing the system's computational burden and making it suitable for large-scale UAV hoisting tasks.

[0027] Thirdly, the embodiments of this application use a target tether tension observer to determine the target tether tension of the UAV in real time, which facilitates the integration of the observed values ​​obtained by the target tether tension observer into the control input calculation, integrates the distributed control protocol of tension observation, improves the robustness of collaborative hoisting, and solves the problem of interference of tether tension fluctuations on multi-aircraft collaborative formation. Fourthly, this application's embodiments employ an event-triggered mechanism. This mechanism uses event-triggered symbols to trigger the event, replacing the traditional time-triggered periodic control. Communication between UAVs is only triggered to transmit data when the event-triggered symbol meets a preset event-triggered mechanism. This ensures the communication module is only awakened when triggered, reducing communication frequency, lowering static power consumption, and improving bandwidth utilization. This solves the problems of increased data volume and redundancy in periodic transmission associated with traditional wired communication. Simultaneously, a pre-configured event-triggered formation controller controls each UAV to fly in formation. Control inputs are updated only at the event trigger moment (i.e., when communication is achieved), reducing the frequency of actuator action switching, lowering mechanical wear, and extending service life. In summary, the embodiments of this application provide a more stable, lower energy consumption, and less computational burden drone collaborative hoisting system.

[0028] In one optional embodiment of this application, the tether is an armored optical fiber or an armored optical cable.

[0029] Armored optical fiber and armored optical cable refer to optical fibers with one or more protective layers of metal (such as stainless steel, aluminum) or non-metal (such as aramid, glass fiber) added outside the standard optical fiber structure (core, cladding, coating). The protective layer can be outside the tight-buffered fiber or outside the cable core. The core of armored optical fiber / cable possesses excellent mechanical protection performance: a) High compressive strength: It can withstand extremely high vertical pressure, preventing fiber breakage or performance degradation due to squeezing or heavy object crushing during installation or use; b) Impact and shear resistance: It can effectively resist external impacts, sharp object punctures, falling stones, and even the gnawing of rodents (such as rats); c) Tensile strength: The armor layer can distribute most of the tensile force, preventing excessive tension on the internal optical fiber during laying and suspension, ensuring stable optical performance. Simultaneously, armored optical fiber and armored optical cable also have excellent durability and long lifespan. Due to the protection of the armor layer, the fragile internal optical fiber is effectively isolated from the harsh external environment, greatly reducing the failure rate caused by physical damage, thereby extending the overall service life of the optical cable.

[0030] In an optional embodiment of this application, the above-described UAV collaborative hoisting system further includes: a switch and / or a hoisting device, wherein: The switch is located in the system controller and is connected to each drone and the tethered controller for signaling and communication. This embodiment uses a switch for communication between drones. Because it uses precise forwarding instead of broadcasting, network bandwidth is effectively utilized. Simultaneously, communication between devices can proceed in parallel, without waiting or congestion due to communication from other unrelated devices, allowing for faster file transfers, avoiding network latency, and significantly improving network performance and speed. Broadcasting means all devices can "hear" the traffic, providing opportunities for network sniffing and attacks. The switch's precise forwarding mechanism ensures that a device typically only receives data destined for itself, making it difficult to eavesdrop on communication between other devices, thus improving network security at the physical level. Through the switch, new devices can be easily added to the network by "plugging and unplugging network cables," and the switch automatically learns their MAC addresses, thereby increasing the flexibility of drone expansion.

[0031] The first end of the hoisting device is fixedly connected to each of the tethering ropes, and the second end of the hoisting device is detachably connected to the load. This embodiment of the application uses a detachable hoisting device to secure the load, facilitating the removal and loading of the load and making operation more convenient.

[0032] In an optional embodiment of this application, the system controller includes at least: an event generator and a dynamic rule configuration module, wherein: The event generator is used to generate the event trigger symbol based on the flight status parameters of the tether controller and each UAV; the event generator can be a microprocessor, a chip, or other configurable small electronic device.

[0033] The dynamic rule configuration module is used to store and control the preset event triggering mechanism. This dynamic rule configuration module can be a register, memory, etc. Developers can pre-store the event triggering mechanism in this dynamic rule configuration module and set up an open-source interface. Subsequently, the control content is written into the dynamic rule configuration module through this open-source interface to achieve dynamic control of the event triggering mechanism.

[0034] This application embodiment can separate event generation and event triggering by setting up an event generator and a dynamic rule configuration module, so as to facilitate developers or users to dynamically adjust the event triggering mechanism and make it more flexible.

[0035] In one optional embodiment of this application, each UAV is equipped with a UAV controller, which is used to control the flight of the UAV according to a first instruction issued by the system controller or in response to a second instruction input through a peripheral device, and control the flight of the UAV based on the second instruction.

[0036] The second instruction can be, for example, an instruction entered by the operator through a remote control or other peripheral device. In other words, in addition to controlling the drone through the first instruction generated by the system controller, the present application embodiment can also control it through the second instruction of the peripheral device, thereby improving the control flexibility of the overall hoisting control system.

[0037] In one optional embodiment of this application, the unmanned aerial vehicle controller communicates with the system controller via a formation protocol.

[0038] The drone formation protocol enables intelligent collaborative flight of all drones, thereby achieving lead-follow and distributed flight among drones, which in turn increases the variety of lifting methods of drone groups.

[0039] In one optional embodiment of this application, the hoisting device is a movable pulley, the tether rope is wound around the movable pulley, and the movable pulley rolls on the tether rope. The bottom of the movable pulley is used to hoist the load.

[0040] The tether is wound around a movable pulley, allowing adjustment of the load's position and ensuring stable suspension. The movable pulley rolls on the tether to distribute the load and reduce pressure on individual connection points, preventing system collapse due to single-unit overload. It also allows drone teams to fly collaboratively with meter-level accuracy, without relying on high-precision real-time positioning and complex mechanical calculations. The flexible rope and pulley assembly buffers the impact of airflow disturbances and lateral displacement of the drones, improving stability in dynamic environments. It supports modular adjustments to the number of drones to meet different load weight requirements. Hooks or lifting devices can be installed at the bottom of the movable pulley for detachable and fixed connections to facilitate load assembly and disassembly.

[0041] In an optional embodiment of this application, the hoisting device further includes: a pulley mounting base, wherein: The two ends of the movable pulley are rotatably connected to the pulley mounting base, and the lower end of the pulley mounting base is provided with a mounting hole for hoisting loads.

[0042] The pulley mounting base is a U-shaped base with rotating holes on the two opposite side walls. The axial ends of the movable pulley are inserted into the rotating holes to achieve rotation of the movable pulley relative to the pulley mounting base. There is a mounting hole directly below the pulley mounting base, which makes it convenient to hang the load directly or indirectly under the pulley, ensuring that the load can be stably suspended and facilitating quick loading and unloading.

[0043] In one optional embodiment of this application, a mounting plate is fixed below the drone, and the mounting plate is equipped with at least one of a camera, a GPS positioning module, and a communication module; the tether is fixedly mounted to the bottom of the mounting plate via a flange.

[0044] A mounting plate is fixed beneath the drone, providing additional mounting points and integrating key components such as a camera, GPS positioning module, and communication module. The camera provides real-time video feedback, helping operators monitor the cargo status and surrounding environment. The GPS positioning module accurately locates the drone's position, forming the basis for precise flight control. The communication module supports data exchange with other drones and ground stations, ensuring smooth information flow. A cable system is securely mounted directly beneath the mounting plate via a flange, ensuring the stability and safety of the entire system.

[0045] In an optional embodiment of this application, the hoisting device further includes: The hook is located at the bottom of the movable pulley. One end of the hook is used to connect to the movable pulley. The hook has a simple structure and can fix the load simply and effectively. The other end of the hook is used to suspend the load, ensuring the safety and convenience of operation. It can be understood that the hook, the movable pulley and the load are all fixed by the hook hanging method.

[0046] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowchart are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order constraint on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the diagram may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these sub-steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0047] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0048] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A drone-assisted lifting system, characterized in that, At least including: Load and drone pods consisting of multiple drones; Tethers are used to connect the drones to each other, enabling wired communication between the drones and between the drones and the payload. A tether controller is configured with a target tether tension observer. The tether controller is located at the connection point between each UAV and the tether and is used to determine the target tether tension of the tether through the target tether tension observer and the flight status of each UAV. The system controller is connected to the tether controller and each UAV. The system controller is used to trigger communication between UAVs when the event trigger symbol of the UAV meets the preset event trigger mechanism, and to control each UAV to fly in formation according to the pre-configured event trigger formation controller and the target tether tension. The event trigger symbol refers to the flight state parameter of the UAV when flying in formation, and the event trigger symbol is determined according to the target tether tension.

2. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tether is an armored optical fiber or an armored optical cable.

3. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A switch is installed in the system controller and is connected to each UAV and the tether controller for signal transmission, as well as to each UAV for communication. And / or, A hoisting device, wherein the first end of the hoisting device is fixedly connected to each of the tethering ropes, and the second end of the hoisting device is detachably connected to the load.

4. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system controller includes at least: An event generator is used to generate the event trigger symbols based on the flight state parameters of the tether controller and each UAV; The dynamic rule configuration module is used to store and control the preset event triggering mechanism.

5. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each drone is equipped with a drone controller, which is used to control the drone to fly according to a first instruction issued by the system controller or in response to a second instruction input through a peripheral device, and to control the drone to fly based on the second instruction.

6. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The UAV controller communicates with the system controller via a formation protocol.

7. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The hoisting device is a movable pulley, the tether rope is wound around the movable pulley, and the movable pulley rolls on the tether rope. The bottom of the movable pulley is used to hoist the load.

8. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hoisting device also includes: A pulley mounting base is provided, wherein the two ends of the movable pulley are rotatably connected to the pulley mounting base, and the lower end of the pulley mounting base is provided with a mounting hole for hoisting loads.

9. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The hoisting device also includes: A hook is located at the bottom of the movable pulley. One end of the hook is used to connect to the movable pulley, and the other end is used to lift the load.

10. The UAV collaborative hoisting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone is fixed to a mounting plate at its lower part. The mounting plate is equipped with at least one of a camera, a GPS positioning module, and a communication module. The tether is fixed to the lower part of the mounting plate via a flange.

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