Hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines and control methods thereof

Abstract

Embodiments of the present specification provide a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines, comprising: a robot body; a sensing module; and a control device; wherein the sensing module is connected to the control device; wherein the control device is located in the robot body and is connected to a drive device of the robot body; wherein the sensing module comprises a pressure sensor and a thermal imaging sensor; wherein the pressure sensor is located at an outer bottom of the robot body, and the thermal imaging sensor is located at an outer sidewall of the robot body; wherein the pressure sensor is configured to sense a draft of the robot body and transmit the draft to the control device; and wherein the thermal imaging sensor is configured to sense a position of each individual around the robot body and transmit the position of each individual to the control device. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited by communication signals, is capable of automatically responding and searching for and rescuing personnel in the underground mines at the first time after a water inrush occurs in the underground mines, improves water inrush emergency rescue capability, and increases a survival probability of trapped individuals in the underground mines.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202411927544.2, filed on Dec. 25, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a field of underground mine rescue technology, and in particular to a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines and a control method thereof.BACKGROUND

[0003] Current mine disaster rescue technologies predominantly rely on tracked, wheeled, or legged robots. However, in waterlogged underground mine environments following water inrush, the maneuverability of these robots is severely limited, thus preventing them from conducting effective rescue operations. Moreover, the rescue robots typically rely on ground personnel for operations. After the water inrush, data transmission between the rescue robots and ground personnel may be interrupted, limiting the real-time information available to operators and making it difficult to conduct rescue operations according to the actual conditions within the underground mines, thereby reducing rescue efficiency.

[0004] In view of this, there is an urgent need for an unmanned rescue robot for underground mines to achieve automatic response and search and rescue at the first moment after the water inrush occurs, thereby improving water inrush emergency rescue capability and increasing the survival probability of trapped individuals.SUMMARY

[0005] In view of this, an objective of the present disclosure is to provide a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines and a control method thereof.

[0006] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines, comprising: a robot body, a sensing module, and a control device; wherein the sensing module is connected to the control device; the control device is located in the robot body and is connected to a drive device of the robot body; the sensing module includes a pressure sensor and a thermal imaging sensor; the pressure sensor is located at an outer bottom of the robot body; and the thermal imaging sensor is located at an outer sidewall of the robot body; the pressure sensor is configured to sense a draft of the robot body and send the draft to the control device; the thermal imaging sensor is configured to sense a position of each individual around the robot body and send the position of each individual to the control device; and the control device controls the robot body to start based on the draft of the robot body, and after the robot body is started, the control device controls the robot body to travel toward the position of each individual based on the position of each individual sent by the thermal imaging sensor.

[0007] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a control process for controlling the hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines, including: in response to determining that the control device receives the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor being greater than or equal to the first preset value, the control device controlling the thermal imaging sensor and the drive device of the robot body to start; and in response to determining that the control device receives thermal imaging information sent by the thermal imaging sensor, the control device controlling the robot body to move based on the thermal imaging information, wherein the thermal imaging information includes the location information.

[0008] As can be seen from the above description, the hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines provided by the present disclosure includes a pressure sensor located at the outer bottom of the robot body. The pressure sensor detects the draft of the robot body when a water inrush occurs in the underground mines. Based on the draft detected by the pressure sensor, the control device activates the drive device and the thermal imaging sensor. The thermal imaging sensor is located on an outer sidewall of the robot body to detect the position of each individual around the robot body. The control device controls the robot body to travel toward the position of each individual based on the position of each individual sent by the thermal imaging sensor, allowing the trapped individuals to board the robot body and thereby achieving automatic rescue in the underground mines. The present disclosure does not rely on communication signals, and the robot can automatically respond, search for, and rescue individuals in underground mines immediately after the water inrush occurs, which improves the emergency rescue capability during the water inrush and increases the survival rate of trapped individuals in underground mines.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present disclosure or the related art, the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments or the related art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only embodiments of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative effort.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a side-view structure of a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a top-view structure of a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for controlling a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a device for controlling a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for generating a navigational adjustment instruction by a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for generating a display instruction and an evacuation instruction by a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Reference signs: 10, robot body; 11, drive device; 20, sensing module; 21, pressure sensor; 22, thermal imaging sensor; 40, lighting structure; 50, acousto-optic warning structure; 60, positioning device; 61, display screen; 80, human-machine interface terminal.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the present disclosure is described in further detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0020] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure shall have the ordinary meanings understood by those skilled in the art. The terms “first”, “second”, and similar terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as “include” or “comprise” mean that the elements or items preceding the term cover the elements or items listed after the term and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or items. Terms such as “connect” or “couple” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right” are only used to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0021] During the construction and production of mines, surface water and groundwater flow into the mine through various channels. When the mine water inflow exceeds the normal drainage capacity, water inrush occurs. As one of the “five major disasters” in coal mines, the water inrush has become the second largest “killer” threatening coal mine safety production and the safety of individuals' lives, second only to gas accidents. After the water inrush occurs, communication between aboveground personnel and individuals in the underground mines is interrupted or delayed, preventing surface rescue personnel from understanding the underground environmental conditions in a timely manner, such as a water inflow location, a water volume, a position of each trapped individual, or the like, and also preventing surface rescue personnel from entering the accident site promptly. In this situation, trapped individuals in underground mines lack survival resources, making self-rescue and escape difficult, thereby reducing their chances of survival. In such water inrush scenarios, unmanned rescue robots are undoubtedly an ideal self-rescue device for the trapped individuals.

[0022] Current mine disaster rescue technologies predominantly rely on tracked, wheeled, or legged robots. However, in waterlogged underground mine environments following water inrush, the maneuverability of these robots is severely limited, thus preventing them from conducting effective rescue operations. Moreover, the rescue robots typically rely on ground personnel for operations. After the water inrush, data transmission between the rescue robots and ground personnel may be interrupted, limiting the real-time information available to operators and making it difficult to conduct rescue operations according to the actual conditions within the underground mines, thereby reducing rescue efficiency.

[0023] In view of this, there is an urgent need for an unmanned rescue robot for underground mines to achieve automatic response and search and rescue at the first moment after the water inrush occurs, thereby improving water inrush emergency rescue capability and increasing the survival probability of trapped individuals.

[0024] The embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a side-view structure of a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a top-view structure of a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, the hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines (referred to as an unmanned rescue robot or robot) includes a robot body 10, a sensing module 20, and a control device; wherein the sensing module 20 is connected to the control device; the control device is located in the robot body 10 and is connected to a drive device 11 of the robot body 10; the sensing module 20 includes a pressure sensor 21 and a thermal imaging sensor 22; the pressure sensor 21 is located at an outer bottom of the robot body 10; and the thermal imaging sensor 22 is located at an outer sidewall of the robot body 10; the pressure sensor 21 is configured to sense a draft of the robot body 10 and send the draft to the control device; the thermal imaging sensor 22 is configured to sense a position of each individual around the robot body 10 and send the position of each individual to the control device; and the control device controls the robot body 10 to start based on the draft of the robot body 10, and after the robot body 10 is started, the control device controls the robot body 10 to travel toward the position of each individual based on the position of each individual sent by the thermal imaging sensor 22. in response to determining that the control device receives a water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor 21 being greater than or equal to a first preset value, the control device controls the thermal imaging sensor 22 and the drive device of the robot body 10 to start; and in response to determining that the control device receives thermal imaging information sent by the thermal imaging sensor 22, the control device controls the robot body 10 to move based on the thermal imaging information; the thermal imaging information includes location information.

[0027] The robot body refers to a physical hardware entity constituting the physical structure of the robot and is configured to carry other components.

[0028] In some embodiments, both the sensing module 20 and the control device are located on the robot body 10, forming the unmanned rescue robot. The robot body 10 includes the drive device 11. The drive device 11 refers a power device of the robot body 10, and is configured to drive the robot body 10 to move, thereby realizing movement of the unmanned rescue robot. The drive device 11 includes a propeller driven by a motor and a steering gear for controlling direction, etc.

[0029] The control device refers to a device that processes data and controls robot actions, such as an embedded microcontroller or a programmable logic controller (PLC), or the like.

[0030] In some embodiments, the control device is a “brain” of the unmanned rescue robot, connected to the sensing module 20 and the drive device 11 of the robot body 10, and is configured to receive information sent by the sensing module 20 and control the starting and stopping of the drive device 11 of the robot body 10.

[0031] The sensing module refers to a collection of devices configured for perceiving and detecting the external environment.

[0032] In some embodiments, the sensing module 20 may include the pressure sensor 21 and the thermal imaging sensor 22. In some embodiments, the sensing module 20 may also integrate other sensors, such as a temperature sensor, a gas sensor, a gyroscope, a radar, or the like.

[0033] The pressure sensor 21 may be various types of pressure sensors such as a piezoresistive pressure sensor, and is configured to measure fluid pressure.

[0034] In some embodiments, the pressure sensor 21 is located at the outer bottom of the robot body 10, i.e., on a side of the robot body 10 close to the ground, to sense the draft of the robot body. Specifically, the pressure sensor 21 may measure the water pressure borne by the outer bottom of the robot body 10 and determine the draft of the robot body 10 based on the obtained water pressure. For example, the draft is calculated based on the water pressure using a built-in physical pressure formula.

[0035] The draft refers to a depth to which the robot is submerged in water, which may reflect a water level at the location of the robot body 10.

[0036] In some embodiments, the unmanned rescue robot is placed on a placement rack in an underground mine roadway, and the placement rack causes the pressure sensor at the bottom of the robot to lose contact with the roadway floor. A height of the placement rack is preset manually, e.g., 20 cm, etc. When no water inrush occurs, the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor 21 is 0 or a very small value close to 0. When the roadway begins to flood and the water level gradually rises and submerges the placement rack, causing the bottom of the robot body to come into contact with the accumulated water, the reading of the pressure sensor 21 begins to increase. Therefore, the draft is a direct factor for determining whether the water inrushes occur in the underground mine where the robot body 10 is located.

[0037] The thermal imaging sensor 22 refers a sensing device configured to detect infrared radiation and convert it into digital imaging data. For example, the thermal imaging sensor may be various thermal imaging devices such as a microbolometer, configured to generate a thermal imaging image. As another example, the thermal imaging sensor may also be a multi-sensor fusion imaging device integrating a thermal imaging module, a visible light module, and a depth perception module, such as a microbolometer integrated with an RGB-D camera.

[0038] In some embodiments, the thermal imaging sensor is located on the outer sidewall of the robot body and is configured to sense the position of each individual around the robot body. Specifically, the thermal imaging sensor 22 may be configured to sense thermal radiation distribution in an environment around the robot body 10, and generate the thermal imaging information to determine whether there are trapped individuals around the robot body 10.

[0039] The thermal imaging information may include location information of a thermal source point, temperature distribution, or the like. The location information of the thermal source point may be represented by pixel coordinates corresponding to the thermal source point.

[0040] The thermal source point may include the trapped individuals, and the location information of the thermal source point may represent the position of each individual. More detailed descriptions of the thermal source point may be found in FIG. 7. The trapped individuals refer to one or more individuals with vital signs who are awaiting rescue.

[0041] In some embodiments, the pressure sensor 21 and the thermal imaging sensor 22 are both in communication connection with the control device. The pressure sensor 21 and the thermal imaging sensor 22 send sensed information (e.g., the water pressure, the draft, the thermal imaging information, etc.) to the control device. In some embodiments, the control device controls an operating state of the drive device 11 of the robot body 10 based on the received information, so as to control a movement direction and a movement route of the robot body 10.

[0042] Merely by way of example, the pressure sensor 21 senses that the draft of the robot body 10 is 50 centimeters. After the control device receives the draft sent by the pressure sensor 21, the control device determines that the water inrush has occurred, and then controls the drive device 11 and the thermal imaging sensor 22 of the robot body to start. The thermal imaging sensor 22 senses the thermal imaging information around the robot body 10 to search for the trapped individuals. Meanwhile, the drive device 11 drives the robot body 10 to move in the underground mine, so that the thermal imaging sensor 22 may search for the trapped individuals at different positions in the underground mines.

[0043] In some embodiments, when the control device starts the drive device 11, the control device controls the drive device 11 to move according to a pre-stored mining engineering map of the underground mines. After receiving the thermal imaging information sent by the thermal imaging sensor 22 during movement, the control device controls the drive device 11 to sequentially move toward a direction of the thermal imaging information, and then continues to move according to the pre-stored mining engineering map of the underground mines, so as to achieve an all-round search and rescue of the trapped individuals.

[0044] In some embodiments, a plurality of thermal imaging sensors 22 are annularly arranged on the outer sidewall of the robot body 10. Preset positions of the plurality of thermal imaging sensors 22 may be set by a person skilled in the art according to a required detection coverage range.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging the plurality of thermal imaging sensors 22, the thermal imaging sensors 22 may sense thermal imaging information of individuals around the robot body 10 in all directions. This is beneficial not only for ensuring the search and rescue effect but also for determining the position of the trapped individual based on the preset position of the thermal imaging sensor 22 on the robot body 10, thereby simplifying the positioning process and enhancing rescue efficiency.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging the pressure sensor 21 at the outer bottom of the robot body 10, the water inrush in the underground mines is sensed. The thermal imaging sensor is configured to sense the position of each individual around the robot body 10. The control device controls the drive device 11 of the robot body 10 to move to the position of each individual based on the thermal imaging information sensed by the thermal imaging sensor 22, so that the trapped individuals can board the robot body 10, thereby achieving automatic rescue of individuals in the underground mines. The unmanned rescue robot, which is not limited by communication signals, can automatically respond and search for personnel in the underground mines at a first time after the water inrush occurs in the underground mines, improves an emergency rescue capability for the water inrush, and increases the survival probability of the trapped individuals in the underground mines.

[0047] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for generating a navigational adjustment instruction by a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0048] In some embodiments, the control device is further configured to: obtain thermal imaging data based on a thermal imaging sensor, wherein the thermal imaging data includes a thermal imaging image and a depth image; obtain a thermal signal feature of a thermal source point and a dynamic behavior feature of a thermal source point based on the thermal imaging image; determine a confidence level of the thermal source point based on the thermal signal feature and the dynamic behavior feature; determine a priority of the thermal source point based on the confidence level and a distance between the thermal source point and a robot body, wherein the distance is determined based on the depth image; determine a target thermal source point based on the priority; and generate the navigational adjustment instruction based on the target thermal source point, and control the robot body to move toward the target thermal source point based on the navigational adjustment instruction.

[0049] The thermal imaging data refers to information data collected by the thermal imaging sensor. In some embodiments, the thermal imaging data includes the thermal imaging image and the depth image.

[0050] The thermal imaging image refers to an image reflecting temperature distribution, which may be in s form of a two-dimensional matrix, and each pixel point represents a temperature value.

[0051] The depth image refers to an image reflecting depth information, which may be in a form of a two-dimensional matrix, and each pixel point represents a distance value (a distance between a scene point corresponding to the pixel and the thermal imaging sensor).

[0052] In some embodiments, the control device may obtain the thermal imaging data through the thermal imaging sensor (e.g., a microbolometer integrated with an Red-Green-Blue-Depth (RGB-D) camera).

[0053] The thermal source point refers to a pixel connected region in the thermal imaging image where a temperature is higher than that of a surrounding environment background. The thermal source point may be trapped individuals, preheated equipment, or other heat sources.

[0054] In some embodiments, the control device may segment a region with a temperature higher than that of the surrounding environment from the thermal imaging image according to an image processing algorithm, and determine the region as the thermal source point. The image processing algorithm may be a fixed temperature threshold segmentation algorithm, an adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm, an edge detection algorithm, or the like.

[0055] The thermal signal feature refers to a parameter configured to describe thermodynamic attributes and spatial morphological attributes of the thermal source point.

[0056] In some embodiments, the thermal signal feature includes an average temperature, a temperature fluctuation range, a temperature change rate, and a contour feature. The average temperature of the thermal source point refers to an average temperature of a plurality of pixel points in a region corresponding to the thermal source point. The temperature fluctuation range refers to a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature of the thermal source point within a preset time period. The temperature change rate refers to a ratio of a change value of the average temperature of the thermal source point within the preset time period to a duration of the preset time period. The preset time period may be set according to experience of a person skilled in the art, e.g., 30 s, 1 min, 5 min, or the like. The contour feature refers to information configured to describe a shape, a size, and a boundary feature of the thermal source point.

[0057] In some embodiments, the control device may determine a temperature fluctuation range of the thermal source point through data extraction and calculation based on a plurality of frames of thermal imaging images within the preset time period, and determine a contour feature of the thermal source point through an image segmentation algorithm and a boundary tracking algorithm.

[0058] The dynamic behavior feature refers to a characteristic parameter of the thermal source point that dynamically changes over time. For example, the dynamic behavior feature may include a periodic feature, a spatial displacement feature, or the like.

[0059] The periodic feature refers to a periodic feature of the thermal source point caused by life activities (e.g., heartbeat, respiration, etc.), such as a dominant frequency, a signal-to-noise ratio of a frequency spectrum, or the like.

[0060] The spatial displacement feature refers to a feature related to spatial movement of the thermal source point, such as a movement path of the thermal source point, a movement rate of the thermal source point, or the like.

[0061] In some embodiments, the control device may perform time series analysis on an image sequence formed by a plurality of frames of thermal imaging images continuously collected within the preset time period, extract an average temperature signal of a preset region of the thermal source point in the image sequence, perform fast Fourier transform on the signal to obtain a power spectrum, and calculate the dominant frequency and the signal-to-noise ratio of the frequency spectrum from the power spectrum. The control device may track centroid coordinates of the thermal source point in the image sequence, and then calculate a movement speed and a movement trajectory.

[0062] In some embodiments, after obtaining the dynamic behavior feature, the control device may perform a state calibration step to provide standardized input for subsequent confidence level calculation. The calibration is configured for a state of a possibility of identifying an effective life periodic signal, and rules are as follows: when the dominant frequency is within a preset normal human respiration frequency range (e.g., 12-20 times / minute) and the signal-to-noise ratio of the frequency spectrum exceeds a preset threshold, the state may be marked as “1”, indicating that a normal respiration signal is identified, i.e., a high possibility of identifying a human life feature (the thermal source point has a high possibility of being an individual with normal life features); when the dominant frequency is beyond the range but the signal-to-noise ratio of the frequency spectrum exceeds the preset threshold, the state may be marked as “0.5”, indicating that there is an abnormal or uncertain periodic movement (the thermal source point may be an individual with abnormal life features or other life forms, and the abnormal life features may be coma, critical condition, severe pain, etc.); when the signal-to-noise ratio of the frequency spectrum is lower than the preset threshold (i.e., no significant periodic signal is detected), the state may be marked as “0”, indicating that no effective life form is identified (the thermal source point may be an individual without life features or a non-living object).

[0063] The confidence level of the thermal source point refers to a probability that the thermal source point is the trapped individual. The confidence level may be represented by a real value between 0 and 1.

[0064] In some embodiments, the control device may determine the confidence level of the thermal source point through a first vector database based on the thermal signal feature and the dynamic behavior feature. The control device may construct a first feature vector based on the thermal signal feature and the dynamic behavior feature of the thermal source point; determine a first associated vector by performing vector matching on the first feature vector in the first vector database; and determine the confidence level of the thermal source point based on the first associated vector.

[0065] The first vector database may include a plurality of first reference vectors and corresponding reference confidence levels. Each first reference vector may be constructed based on a historical thermal signal feature and a historical dynamic behavior feature of a historical thermal source point in historical data. The reference confidence level may be calibrated based on whether the historical thermal source point corresponding to the first reference vector is an actual result of the trapped individual. In the historical data, when the unmanned rescue robot reaches the historical thermal source point corresponding to the first reference vector, in response to determining that the historical thermal source point is the trapped individual, the reference confidence level is labeled as 1; in response to determining that the historical thermal source point is not the trapped individual, the reference confidence level is labeled as 0.

[0066] The control device may determine N first reference vectors having the greatest vector similarity with the first feature vector as first associated vectors through vector matching, and use an average value of reference confidence levels corresponding to the plurality of first associated vectors as a confidence level of the thermal source point corresponding to the first feature vector. The vector similarity may be negatively correlated with a vector distance. The value of N may be preset manually.

[0067] The distance between the thermal source point and the robot body may be determined by the depth image collected by the thermal imaging sensor on the robot body.

[0068] The priority of the thermal source point refers to a sequence in which the unmanned rescue robot performs a search and rescue task on a plurality of thermal source points. The priority may be represented by a numerical value. A larger numerical value indicates a higher priority.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control device may determine the priority of the thermal source point in various ways based on the confidence level of the thermal source point and the distance between the thermal source point and the robot body. For example, the control device may perform normalization processing on the confidence level of the thermal source point and the distance between the thermal source point and the robot body, and determine a ratio of the confidence level to the distance as the priority, i.e., the greater the confidence level of the thermal source point and the smaller the distance between the thermal source point and the robot body, the higher the priority of the thermal source point. The normalization processing includes, but is not limited to, Min-Max normalization, Z-Score standardization, or the like.

[0070] In some embodiments, the control device is further configured to: perform a weighting process on the confidence level and the distance to determine the priority, wherein a weight of the confidence level and a weight of the distance are determined through a preset vector database based on a task duration, a robot power, and a count of thermal source points.

[0071] For example, the control device may determine the priority by following formula (1):S=α*P+β*D(1)In the formula (1), S represents the priority; P represents the normalized confidence level of the thermal source point; D represents the normalized distance between the thermal source point and the robot body; α and β are the weights of the confidence level and the weight of the distance, respectively, α is a positive value, and β is a negative value, i.e., ensuring that the greater the confidence level and the smaller the distance, the higher the priority.In some embodiments, the weight of the confidence level and the weight of the distance may also be determined through the preset vector database based on the task duration, the robot power, and the count of thermal source points.

[0073] The task duration refers to a cumulative duration of the current rescue task of the unmanned rescue robot, which may be a cumulative duration from a moment when the unmanned rescue robot leaves a placement rack to a current moment.

[0074] The robot power refers to a remaining available energy of a battery of the robot at the current moment, which may be represented in a percentage form of a full battery capacity.

[0075] The count of thermal source points refers to a count of the thermal source points identified by the robot in a current comprehensive full scan, which may reflect a complexity of the rescue environment in the underground mines and a density of rescue requirements.

[0076] In some embodiments, the control device may determine the weight of the confidence level and the weight of the distance through the preset vector database based on the task duration, the robot power, and the count of thermal source points.

[0077] The control device may construct a second feature vector based on the task duration, the robot power, and the count of thermal source points; determine a second associated vector by performing vector matching on the second feature vector in the preset vector database; and determine the weight of the confidence level and the weight of the distance based on the second associated vector.

[0078] The preset vector database may include a plurality of second reference vectors, each with a corresponding reference weight for confidence level and a reference weight for distance. Each second reference vector may be constructed randomly by a human. The reference weight of the confidence level and the reference weight of the distance may be determined based on human experience. For example, when the task duration is relatively long, it tends to be judged that the trapped individuals have been found and rescued, so the weight of the confidence level is manually increased; and when the robot power is relatively high (e.g., greater than a first preset power threshold), the robot is supported to navigate over long distances, the robot is guided to preferentially approach thermal source points that are far away but have high confidence levels, thereby avoiding consumption of remaining resources on nearby thermal source points with low confidence levels; conversely, when the count of thermal source points is relatively small (e.g., less than a preset count threshold) and / or the robot power is relatively low (e.g., less than a second preset power threshold, where the second preset power threshold is less than the first preset power threshold), in order to improve search and rescue efficiency and reduce action costs, the weight of the distance is manually increased, preferentially guiding the robot to thermal source points that are close.

[0079] The control device may determine a second reference vector having the greatest vector similarity with the second feature vector as the second associated vector through vector matching, and use the reference weight of the confidence level and the reference weight of the distance corresponding to the second associated vector as the weight of the confidence level and the weight of the distance corresponding to the second feature vector.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on real-time changing situations such as the task duration, the robot power, and the environmental complexity, a dynamic adjustment is made to prioritize either “rescue efficiency” or “target value”, ensuring decisions that utilize resources reasonably and perform rescue work efficiently.

[0081] The target thermal source point refers to a thermal source point that the robot currently needs to proceed to.

[0082] In some embodiments, the control device may select the thermal source point with the highest priority as the target thermal source point.

[0083] The navigational adjustment instruction refers to a movement instruction that guides the robot to the target thermal source point, and may include a movement direction, a movement speed, a movement distance, or the like. For example, the navigational adjustment instruction may include turning right 45 degrees and going straight 50 meters at 0.5 m / s.

[0084] In some embodiments, the control device determines a position of the target thermal source point relative to the robot body through the thermal imaging data by means such as coordinate conversion, generates the navigational adjustment instruction according to a preset instruction template, and controls the robot body to move towards the target thermal source point based on the navigational adjustment instruction.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by fusing the thermal signal feature and the dynamic behavior feature to accurately identify and lock onto the trapped individuals, interference from other heat sources such as equipment is effectively excluded, ensuring the accuracy of the search and rescue operation; simultaneously, by dynamically adjusting the robot's course based on the priority, the robot can efficiently approach the target in a complex environment, improving search and rescue efficiency.

[0086] In some embodiments, during a process where the control device, based on the navigational adjustment instruction, controls the robot body to move toward the target thermal source point, the thermal imaging sensor re-acquires the thermal imaging image at intervals of a preset distance to re-determine the target thermal source point.

[0087] In some embodiments, the preset distance may be set based on human experience.

[0088] In some embodiments, after the thermal imaging sensor reacquires the thermal imaging image, the control device re-acquires the thermal signal feature and the dynamic behavior feature of the thermal source point, thereby re-determining the confidence level of the thermal source point to determine the priority of the thermal source point, and finally re-determining the target thermal source point. More descriptions of this process may be found in the description related to FIG. 7.

[0089] In some embodiments, the preset distance is negatively correlated with an environmental complexity in the underground mines.

[0090] The environmental complexity in the underground mines refers to a degree of complexity of the environment within the space of the underground mines.

[0091] In some embodiments, the control device may determine the environmental complexity in the underground mines based on a density of obstacles in a pre-stored underground tunnel map of the underground mines, where a greater density indicates a higher environmental complexity in the underground mines.

[0092] In some embodiments, the environmental complexity in the underground mines may be represented by a numerical value from 0 to 1, where a larger numerical value indicates a higher environmental complexity in the underground mines, and thus a smaller preset distance.

[0093] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by matching the frequency of re-determining the target thermal source point with the environmental complexity, the robot can be fast and efficient in simple environments, and steady and precise in complex environments. This not only improves the overall efficiency of the search and rescue, but also enhances the mission success rate of the robot in extremely complex and unknown environments.

[0094] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by introducing the preset distance as a trigger for periodic decision updates, the navigation process of the robot is transformed from a linear “execution” mode into a dynamic cycle of “perception-decision-action-re-perception”, ensuring that the robot can make timely search and rescue decisions in complex, unknown, and constantly changing environments in the underground mines.

[0095] In some embodiments, the unmanned rescue robot further includes a lighting structure 40 and an acousto-optic warning structure 50. In some embodiments, both the lighting structure 40 and the acousto-optic warning structure 50 are located at a head of the robot body 10 and are connected to the control device.

[0096] The lighting structure 40 refers to a lighting device configured to overcome dark environments in the underground mines and ensure detection and rescue operations, such as an LED light, a laser illuminator, or the like.

[0097] The acousto-optic warning structure 50 refers to a device that combines sound and visual signals to attract attention or convey information. In some embodiments, the acousto-optic warning structure may, through the synergistic effect of high-brightness flashing lights and high-decibel warning sounds, overcome environmental interference and ensure that rescue information can be perceived by the trapped individuals in a timely manner.

[0098] In some embodiments, the control device synchronously activates the lighting structure 40 when it activates the drive device 11 of the robot body 10.

[0099] In some embodiments, the lighting structure 40 is configured to assist the trapped individuals in boarding the robot body 10. During the movement of the unmanned rescue robot, the lighting structure 40 can also enhance the recognizability of the unmanned rescue robot, enabling the trapped individuals in the underground mines to identify the light from the lighting structure 40 and move towards the unmanned rescue robot by following the light, which is beneficial for improving rescue efficiency and increasing the survival probability of the trapped individuals.

[0100] In some embodiments, when the control device determines that a water inrush has occurred based on a draft signal sent by the pressure sensor 21, it activates the acousto-optic warning structure 50 to alert personnel both underground and above ground about the water inrush occurrence. The activation time of the acousto-optic warning structure 50 is the same as or even earlier than the activation time of the drive device 11 of the robot body 10. The sound and light emitted by the acousto-optic warning structure 50 not only serve to alert about the water inrush occurrence but also enhance the recognizability of the unmanned rescue robot, enabling the trapped individuals in the underground mines to identify the acousto-optic warning structure 50 and consequently identify the unmanned rescue robot, and move towards the unmanned rescue robot, achieving bidirectional convergence between the unmanned rescue robot and the trapped individuals, which is beneficial for improving rescue efficiency and increasing the survival probability of the trapped individuals.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the lighting structure 40 and the acousto-optic warning structure 50 can assist the unmanned rescue robot in performing rescue operations for the trapped individuals in the underground mines, which can improve rescue efficiency and increase the survival probability of the trapped individuals.

[0102] In some embodiments, the unmanned rescue robot further includes a positioning device 60 and a communication device connected to the control device, wherein the positioning device and the communication device are both located in the robot body 10.

[0103] The positioning device 60 refers to a device configured to determine a location of the unmanned rescue robot within a space of the underground mines. For example, the positioning device may be a Global Positioning System receiver, a radar positioning module, or the like.

[0104] The communication device refers to a device configured to exchange information between the unmanned rescue robot and other devices. For example, the communication device may be a Wi-Fi module, a 4G / 5G cellular communication module, a satellite communication module, a radio transceiver, or the like. The other devices may include other unmanned rescue robots, surface receiver, or the like.

[0105] In some embodiments, the positioning device 60 and the communication device are in communication connection. When the control device receives a pressure signal sent by the pressure sensor 21, the control device controls the communication device and the positioning device 60 to start. After the communication device receives a positioning location from the positioning device 60, it sends the positioning location of the positioning device 60 and the pressure signal of the pressure sensor 21 to other unmanned rescue robots in the underground mines, achieving linkage of location and water hazard information, clarifying a water accumulation location while enabling a plurality of unmanned rescue robots to rescue the trapped individuals at different locations, thereby improving rescue efficiency.

[0106] In some embodiments, the communication device also sends the pressure signal of the pressure sensor 21 to a surface receiver, enabling the ground personnel to know the situation in the underground mines and initiate rescue and other measures.

[0107] It should be noted that communication transmission may be affected when the water inrush occurs in the underground mines. Therefore, the communication device sends information to the surface receiver at a preset frequency to increase the success probability of information transmission. The preset frequency may be set based on experience of those skilled in the art.

[0108] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the positioning device 60 and the communication device can achieve location linkage among the plurality of unmanned rescue robots in the underground mines, to link water levels at locations of the plurality of unmanned rescue robots. Furthermore, the communication device also sends information to the surface receiver, achieving early communication of the water levels in the underground mines, which is beneficial for ground personnel to prepare emergency measures in advance, thereby reducing an impact of the water inrush.

[0109] In some embodiments, the robot body 10 is provided with a human-machine interface terminal 80 connected to the control device; a supplies compartment is provided in the robot body, and the supplies compartment is arranged close to the human-machine interface terminal.

[0110] The human-machine interface terminal 80 refers to a human-machine interaction terminal disposed on the robot body and is configured for the trapped individuals to perform information input, issue instructions, and receive feedback information from the unmanned rescue robot.

[0111] The supplies compartment refers to a sealed space integrated inside the robot body, and is configured to centrally store emergency supplies and rescue tools, e.g., oxygen masks, first-aid kits, drinking water, breaking tools, or the like.

[0112] In some embodiments, the human-machine interface terminal 80 is connected to the control device. When the trapped individuals are located on the robot body 10, the trapped individuals can control a specific operation of the drive device 11 of the robot body 10 by operating the human-machine interface terminal 80, to improve operational flexibility of the robot body 10, thereby improving rescue efficiency.

[0113] In some embodiments, the robot body 10 is provided with a simple seating compartment. The human-machine interface terminal 80 is located in front of the simple seating compartment, so that the trapped individuals can sit in the simple seating compartment and operate the human-machine interface terminal 80 to control the unmanned rescue robot. In some embodiments, the supplies compartment is located within the robot body 10, below the simple seating compartment. Personnel sitting in the simple seating compartment can open the supplies compartment to take out supplies to replenish physical strength and wait for rescue, thereby increasing a rescue probability of the trapped individuals.

[0114] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for generating a display instruction and an evacuation instruction by a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0115] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the sensing module further includes a gas sensor, a radar, and a gyroscope; the gas sensor is configured to collect a gas feature of an environment around the robot body; the radar and the gyroscope are configured to collect a morphological change feature of the environment around the robot body; and the control device is further configured to: determine one or more evacuation paths based on map data; determine evacuation path risks of the one or more evacuation paths based on the gas feature, the morphological change feature, and the one or more evacuation paths; determine a target evacuation path based on the evacuation path risks; generate a display instruction and an evacuation instruction based on the target evacuation path; control a display screen of the human-machine interface terminal to display the target evacuation path based on the display instruction; and control the robot body to move according to the target evacuation path based on the evacuation instruction.

[0116] More descriptions of the sensing module may be found in FIG. 7 and its related descriptions.

[0117] The gas sensor refers to a sensor configured to detect gas composition and concentration. In some embodiments, the gas sensor is configured to collect the gas feature of an environment surrounding the robot body.

[0118] The gas feature refers to a parameter set for characterizing gas composition and concentration in the environment surrounding the robot body. The gas composition includes, but is not limited to, O2, CO, CH4, H2S, or the like.

[0119] The morphological change feature refers to a structural evolution feature of the environment surrounding the robot body over time, such as a roof subsidence rate, a roadway convergence rate, a volume of newly added debris, or the like. The roof subsidence rate refers to a sinking amount of a roadway roof in a vertical direction relative to a robot coordinate system per unit time. The roadway convergence rate refers to a reduction amount of a horizontal distance between two sidewalls of a roadway per unit time. The volume of newly added debris refers to a volume of loose rocks or coal newly generated due to falling from the roof or sidewalls.

[0120] In some embodiments, the morphological change feature of the environment surrounding the robot body may be collected by the radar and the gyroscope.

[0121] The map data refers to a map describing a spatial structure of roadways in the underground mines. For example, the map data includes a two-dimensional or three-dimensional digital map including static information such as roadway topology and safety exits. The safety exits may be a main shaft portal, a refuge chamber, or the like. In some embodiments, the map data is pre-uploaded manually and stored in a storage device of the robot.

[0122] The evacuation path refers to a physically passable route for each trapped individual to travel from the current location to a safety exit.

[0123] In some embodiments, the control device may generate one or more evacuation paths from the current location of each trapped individual to the safety exit based on the map data, e.g., through a graph search algorithm, or the like. The graph search algorithm may include a Dijkstra algorithm, an A-Star algorithm, or the like.

[0124] In some embodiments, the control device is further configured to determine one or more evacuation paths based on the map data and a health grade of each trapped individual.

[0125] The health grade of the trapped individual refers to a status indicator obtained after assessing vital signs of each trapped individual. For example, the health grade may be divided into different levels such as “healthy”, “good”, and “poor”.

[0126] In some embodiments, the health grade may be determined by the control device by querying a first preset table based on a thermal signal feature and a dynamic behavior feature of a thermal source point corresponding to each trapped individual.

[0127] The first preset table includes a correspondence among the thermal signal feature, the dynamic behavior feature of the thermal source point corresponding to each trapped individual, and the health grade of each trapped individual.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first preset table may be constructed based on manual experience. Merely by way of example, when an average temperature of the thermal source point is within a normal human body temperature range (e.g., 36° C. to 37.5° C.), a temperature fluctuation range is small (e.g., less than a first preset fluctuation range), a temperature change rate is low (e.g., less than a first preset rate threshold), and a valid periodic signal of life exists (e.g., normal breathing or slight movement), the health grade is determined as healthy. When the average temperature of the thermal source point significantly deviates from the normal human body temperature range (e.g., below 35° C. or above 38° C., etc.), the temperature fluctuation range is large (e.g., greater than a second preset fluctuation range, where the second preset fluctuation range is greater than the first preset fluctuation range), the temperature change rate is high (e.g., greater than a second preset rate threshold, where the second preset rate threshold is greater than the first preset rate threshold), and no significant periodic signal is detected, the health grade is determined as poor. When the thermal signal feature and the dynamic behavior feature of the thermal source point are between the above two cases, i.e., some parameters are abnormal but do not reach a critical level, the health grade is determined as good. More descriptions of the thermal signal feature and the dynamic behavior feature may be found in FIG. 7 and related descriptions.

[0129] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by performing in-depth analysis of thermal imaging features, the health grade can be quickly inferred without contacting the trapped individuals, providing support for subsequent determination of the evacuation path, thereby improving timeliness of rescue and rationality of the evacuation path.

[0130] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to determine evacuation path scores for the candidate evacuation paths based on the map data and the health grade of each trapped individual, and thereby determine one or more evacuation paths based on the evacuation path scores.

[0131] The evacuation path score refers to a comprehensive indicator for measuring the candidate evacuation paths in terms of evacuation safety and evacuation time efficiency. The candidate evacuation paths are candidate paths for the evacuation paths, which may be all evacuation paths from the current position of each trapped individual to the safety exit generated by the control device based on the map data by means of a graph search algorithm.

[0132] In some embodiments, the control device determines a path length of a candidate evacuation path based on the map data. After performing dimensionless processing on the path length of the candidate evacuation path and an evacuation path risk, the control device determines an evacuation path score of the candidate evacuation path through formula (2):A=k1L+k2B(2)In formula (2), A represents the evacuation path score of the candidate evacuation path. L represents a path length of the candidate evacuation path. B represents the evacuation path risk of the candidate evacuation path. k1 and k2 represent a weight corresponding to 1 / L and a weight corresponding to 1 / B, respectively. More descriptions and acquisition processes of the evacuation path risk of the candidate evacuation path may be found in related descriptions of the evacuation path risk of the evacuation path below.In some embodiments, values of k1 and k2 are related to the health grade of the trapped individual. When the health grade is healthy, k2>k1; When the health grade is good, k2=k1; When the health grade is poor, k2 Specific values of k1 and k2 corresponding to different health grades are set by a person skilled in the art based on experience.

[0134] In some embodiments, the control device determines the candidate evacuation path with the evacuation path score greater than a preset score threshold as the evacuation path. The preset score threshold is set based on manual experience.

[0135] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the health grade of the trapped individual is used as one of factors for determining the evacuation path. This enables the robot to achieve differentiated “rescue based on individual conditions” in complex disaster environments, and balances time efficiency and safety of the rescue path, thereby maximizing a final rescue effect.

[0136] The evacuation path risk refers to a quantitative assessment value of potential hazards (e.g., roof subsidence, gas leakage, roadway convergence, etc.) that may exist on the evacuation path. In some embodiments, the evacuation path risk includes a gas risk and a morphological risk.

[0137] The gas risk refers to an indicator for quantifying a risk of suffocation or poisoning due to oxygen deficiency or the presence of toxic and harmful gases on the evacuation path.

[0138] In some embodiments, the control device calculates the gas risk of the evacuation path through formula (3):Rg=1⁢0⁢0-1⁢0⁢0*C0(3)In formula (3), Rg represents the gas risk of the evacuation path. C0 represents an average value of percentages of oxygen measured multiple times by the gas sensor on the evacuation path. The evacuation path includes one or more road segments. Percentages of oxygen for some or all of the road segments are collected by a gas sensor of a robot that has passed through some or all of the road segments. That is, the percentage of oxygen in the evacuation path may be represented by an average of the percentage of oxygen in some or all of the sections of the evacuation path that have been captured by the gas sensors.The morphological risk refers to an indicator for quantifying a risk of physical channel obstruction or collapse due to factors such as roof and sidewall deformation and falling rocks on the evacuation path.

[0140] In some embodiments, after performing normalization processing on the roof subsidence rate, the roadway convergence rate, and the volume of newly added debris on the evacuation path, the control device calculates a morphological risk of the evacuation path through formula (4):Rm=ω1*rs+ω2*rc+ω3*vd(4)In formula (4), Rm represents the morphological risk of the evacuation path. rs represents a normalized roof subsidence rate of the evacuation path. rc represents a normalized roadway convergence rate of the evacuation path. vd represents a normalized volume of newly added debris of the evacuation path. ω1, ω2, and ω3 represent a weight of the normalized roof subsidence rate, a weight of the normalized roadway convergence rate, and a weight of the volume of newly added debris of the evacuation path, respectively. ω1+ω2+ω3=1. Specific values of ω1, ω2, and ω3 are preset manually. The roof subsidence rate of the evacuation path is represented by an average value of the roof subsidence rates of some or all road segments on the evacuation path that have been collected by the radar and the gyroscope. Similarly, acquisition processes for the roadway convergence rate and a volume of newly added debris of the evacuation path are the same as the acquisition processes for the roof subsidence rate of the evacuation path, and are not repeated here.In some embodiments, the control device determines a sum of the gas risk and the morphological risk of the evacuation path as the evacuation path risk of the evacuation path.

[0142] The target evacuation path refers to a finally determined evacuation route. In some embodiments, the control device determines the evacuation path with the lowest evacuation path risk as the target evacuation path.

[0143] The display instruction refers to an instruction for presenting visual information related to the target evacuation path on the human-machine interface terminal.

[0144] The evacuation instruction refers to an instruction for directing the robot body to move along the target evacuation path.

[0145] In some embodiments, the control device generates the display instruction and the evacuation instruction based on the target evacuation path according to a preset instruction template. Based on the display instruction, a graphical target evacuation path (e.g., highlighted lines, arrow indicators, etc.) is generated on the human-machine interface terminal. Based on the evacuation instruction, the robot body is driven to move along the target evacuation path.

[0146] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by combining the gas features and the morphological change features, which are two types of dynamic environmental information crucial for the trapped individuals in underground mines, the robot is enabled to plan a true “life channel” for the6t trapped individual. In a time-critical evacuation process, this approach minimizes a risk of secondary disasters, thereby effectively improving a success rate of rescue.

[0147] In some embodiments, the positioning device 60 includes a display screen 61. The display screen 61 is located on the robot body 10.

[0148] In some embodiments, the display screen 61 is disposed near the human-machine interface terminal 80 and in front of a simple seating compartment. A positioning location of the positioning device 60 is displayed on the display screen 61, so that an individual sitting in the simple seating compartment may view the positioning location of the positioning device 60 and control a traveling direction of the unmanned rescue robot based on the positioning location to rescue other trapped individuals.

[0149] In some embodiments, the drive device 11 is located at a tail of the robot body 10. The drive device 11 includes a propeller, a rudder, and an engine.

[0150] In some embodiments, the drive device 11 is located at a tail of the robot body 10 and provides power for the robot body 10. The engine and the rudder are connected to the control device. The engine is connected to the propeller to start the propeller. The rudder is configured to control a moving direction of the robot body 10. The propeller controls the robot body 10 to move. The control device controls the moving direction of the robot body 10 by controlling the rudder and controls the robot body 10 to move by controlling the engine.

[0151] In some embodiments, the unmanned rescue robot further includes a generator and an explosion-proof battery; wherein the generator is connected to the explosion-proof battery; and the explosion-proof battery is connected to the sensing module and the control device.

[0152] In some embodiments, the generator is connected to the engine to convert kinetic energy of the engine into electrical energy. The explosion-proof battery is configured to provide power support for electrical components such as the sensing module 20 and the control device on the unmanned rescue robot. The generator and the explosion-proof battery improve a standby time of the unmanned rescue robot, thereby increasing a rescue probability of the trapped individuals in underground mines.

[0153] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for controlling a hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, a process 400 includes operations 410-420.

[0154] There are two known situations: a water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor 21 being less than the first preset value, and the water pressure value being not less than the first preset value.

[0155] In S410, in response to determining that the control device receives the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor 21 being greater than or equal to the first preset value, the control device controls the thermal imaging sensor 22 and the drive device of the robot body 10 to start.

[0156] In some embodiments, the pressure sensor 21 is always in a started state and senses water pressure value at its location. The pressure sensor 21 sends a sensed water pressure value to the control device. The first preset value is a water pressure value representing the occurrence of the water inrush. When a received water pressure value is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the control device determines that the water inrush has occurred in the underground mines. The control device starts the thermal imaging sensor 22 and the drive device 11 of the robot body 10, causing the unmanned rescue robot to operate and conduct search and rescue in the underground mines.

[0157] In S420, in response to determining that the control device receives the thermal imaging information sent by the thermal imaging sensor 22, the control device controls the robot body 10 to move based on the thermal imaging information, wherein the thermal imaging information includes the location information.

[0158] In some embodiments, the thermal imaging sensor 22 is uniformly arranged in a ring shape on the outer sidewall of the robot body 10. The control device analyzes the thermal imaging information sent by the thermal imaging sensor 22. In response to determining that the thermal imaging information includes the thermal imaging information of personnel, based on a position of the thermal imaging sensor 22 that generates the thermal imaging information on the robot body 10, the control device controls the drive device 11 of the robot body 10 to cause the robot body 10 to move toward the position of the thermal imaging sensor 22 to approach the trapped individuals and achieve search and rescue of the trapped individuals.

[0159] In some embodiments, the pressure sensor 21 monitors a water pressure situation at a location of the unmanned rescue robot in the underground mines to achieve monitoring of the water inrush in the underground mines. Based on this, the control device controls operation of the drive device 11 and the thermal imaging sensor 22, causing the thermal imaging sensor 22 to search for the trapped individuals in the mine shaft. The drive device 11 approaches the trapped individuals based on information from the thermal imaging sensor 22. This enables the unmanned rescue robot to automatically rescue the trapped individuals in the underground mines, improving a survival probability of the trapped individual when the water inrush occurs and enhancing the practicality and promotion applicability of the unmanned rescue robot.

[0160] In some embodiments, the process 400 further includes operation 430.

[0161] There are two known situations: the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor 21 being less than a second preset value, and the water pressure value being not less than the second preset value.

[0162] In S430, in response to determining that the control device receives the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor 21 being greater than or equal to the second preset value, the control device controls the lighting structure 40 and the acousto-optic warning structure 50 to start.

[0163] In some embodiments, the second preset value is less than the first preset value and is an early warning signal sent by the pressure sensor 21 to the control device. When the water pressure value reaches the second preset value, the control device starts the lighting structure 40 and the acousto-optic warning structure 50 to transmit early warning information to workers in the underground mines. This enables the workers in the underground mines to quickly learn that the water inrush is about to occur, allowing them to take early warning measures and preventing workers who are about to enter the underground mines from entering. This can avoid an increase in casualties caused by the water inrush.

[0164] In some embodiments, the process 400 further includes operation 440.

[0165] In S440, in response to determining that the control device receives the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor 21 being greater than or equal to the second preset value, the control device controls the positioning device 60 and the communication device to start.

[0166] In some embodiments, when the control device receives the water pressure value reaching the second preset value, it immediately starts the positioning device 60 and the communication device. The communication device communicates with devices above the underground mines on one hand, sending water inrush occurrence information and the water pressure value, so that personnel above the underground mines can take corresponding emergency measures. The communication device establishes communication with the communication devices on other unmanned rescue robots in the underground mines on the other hand, sharing positioning information from the positioning device 60 and the water pressure value, so that unmanned rescue robots at different locations obtain the water pressure value at the location of each unmanned rescue robot, enhancing the linkage and timeliness of the unmanned rescue robots.

[0167] In some embodiments, the operation of the unmanned rescue robot in practical application is as follows.

[0168] The plurality of unmanned rescue robots are placed in the underground mines. The unmanned rescue robots are placed on standby at corners of the underground mines (or other positions that do not affect normal work in the underground mines) and are placed on the placement racks. A height of the placement rack is a fixed value. When an accumulated water height at the location of the unmanned rescue robot is lower than the fixed value, the pressure sensor 21 does not sense accumulated water information, and the control device of the unmanned rescue robot does not react, continuing to be in a standby state. This avoids the operations of the unmanned rescue robot due to ordinary accumulated water in the underground mines, which is beneficial for improving the practicality of the unmanned rescue robot. When the accumulated water height in the underground mines reaches the fixed value, the pressure sensor 21 senses the water pressure value and sends it to the control device. The fixed value is the second preset value. That is, the control device turns on the positioning device 60, the communication device, the lighting structure 40, and the acousto-optic warning structure 50 when the water pressure value first appears, achieving water inrush warning and communication positioning at the beginning of the water inrush occurrence. This avoids the situation where communication is interrupted due to the water inrush occurrence and communication with the ground is impossible, greatly improving the success probability of communication during the water inrush occurrence. This enables personnel above the underground mines to know the water inrush situation in time and take emergency measures, and enables personnel in the underground mines to quickly know the water inrush situation, escape quickly, or find the unmanned rescue robot through the lighting structure 40 and the acousto-optic warning structure 50 to quickly board the unmanned rescue robot, improving the survival chance of trapped individuals in the underground mines.

[0169] When the water pressure value sensed by the pressure sensor 21 reaches the first preset value, the control device controls the drive device 11 of the robot body 10 and the thermal imaging sensor 22 to start. That is, the unmanned rescue robot starts the work of searching and rescuing the trapped individuals in the mine shaft. The thermal imaging sensor 22 is configured to sense a position of the trapped individuals. The drive device 11 is configured to drive the unmanned rescue robot to travel and move toward the position of the trapped individuals sensed by the thermal imaging sensor 22, so that the trapped individuals can board the unmanned rescue robot. This avoids the trapped individuals being soaked in water, and also allows the trapped individuals to replenish physical strength through supplies in the supplies compartment, improving the survival chance of the trapped individuals.

[0170] Merely by way of example, during a normal production phase of the mine, a plurality of placement racks for the unmanned rescue robots are uniformly arranged in a roadway of a mining face, and the unmanned rescue robots are placed in the placement racks in advance, the pressure sensor 21 at a bottom of the unmanned rescue robot placed in the placement rack is about 10 cm from a roadway floor.

[0171] The location of the unmanned rescue robot and a plane graph of the mining roadway in the underground mines are input into the control device of the unmanned rescue robot, and the plane graph of the mining roadway in the underground mines is updated in real time at a frequency of once a week.

[0172] When the water inrush occurs, causing accumulated water in the roadway to touch the pressure sensor 21, that is, when the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor 21 received by the control device of the unmanned rescue robot is the second preset value, the control device controls the communication device and the positioning device 60 to start, performs communication linkage with other unmanned rescue robots in the roadway, determines the accumulated water location and transmits it to the ground. The acousto-optic warning structure and the lighting structure 40 start, warning personnel in the underground mines of the existing water inrush.

[0173] When the control device determines, based on the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor 21, that a draft of the unmanned rescue robot reaches 50 cm (i.e., the water pressure value reaches the first preset value), the thermal imaging sensor 22 located around the unmanned rescue robot and the drive device 11 are started. The control device determines positions of the trapped individuals through the thermal imaging sensor 22.

[0174] The control device starts the drive device 11 and moves to the position of the trapped individual according to a pre-input plane graph of the mining roadway in the mine shaft. After the trapped individual boards the unmanned rescue robot, the trapped individual can change an automatic mode of the unmanned rescue robot to a manual takeover mode through the human-machine interface. Further, the trapped individual may communicate with other trapped individuals in other unmanned rescue robots through the communication device. The trapped individuals may also open the supplies compartment and use the supplies therein for replenishment.

[0175] If the trapped individual boards the unmanned rescue robot before the water pressure value sensed by the pressure sensor 21 reaches 50 cm (i.e., the first preset value), the trapped individual may enter the manual takeover procedure in advance, allowing the trapped individual to carry out self-rescue.

[0176] It should be noted that the method in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be executed by a single device, e.g., a computer or a server. The process of the present embodiment may also be applied in a distributed scenario and completed by a plurality of devices cooperating with each other. In the distributed scenario, one device of the plurality of devices may only execute one or more steps of the process in some embodiments of the present disclosure, and the plurality of devices interact with each other to complete the process.

[0177] It should be noted that some embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recorded in the claims may be performed in an order different from the order in the above embodiments and still achieve the desired results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order or continuous order shown to achieve the desired results. In some implementations, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0178] In some embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a control device.

[0179] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the control device includes a start module 100 and a movement module 200.

[0180] In response to determining that the control device receives the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor being greater than or equal to the first preset value, the start module 100 activates the thermal imaging sensor and the drive device of the robot body.

[0181] In response to determining that the control device receives the thermal imaging information from the thermal imaging sensor, the movement module 200 activates the robot body to move based on the thermal imaging information. The thermal imaging information includes the location information.

[0182] For convenience of description, the above device is described by dividing functions into various modules. Certainly, when implementing the present disclosure, functions of the modules can be implemented in the same one or more software and / or hardware.

[0183] The device of the above embodiment is used to implement the control method in any of the foregoing corresponding embodiments and has the beneficial effects of the corresponding process embodiments, which are not repeated here.

[0184] In some embodiments, the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The processor, when executing the program, implements the control method in any one of the foregoing embodiments.

[0185] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The device may include: a processor 1010, a memory 1020, an input / output interface 1030, a communication interface 1040, and a bus 1050. The processor 1010, the memory 1020, the input / output interface 1030, and the communication interface 1040 are connected to each other for communication within the device via the bus 1050.

[0186] The processor 1010 may be implemented by a general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits, and is configured to execute related programs to implement the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0187] The memory 1020 may be implemented by ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, etc. The memory 1020 may store an operating system and other application programs. When the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure is implemented by software or firmware, related program codes are stored in the memory 1020 and called and executed by the processor 1010.

[0188] The input / output interface 1030 is configured to connect an input / output module to implement information input and output. The input / output module may be configured as a component in the device (not shown in the figure) or may be external to the device to provide corresponding functions. The input device may include a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a microphone, various types of sensors, etc. The output device may include a display, a speaker, a vibrator, an indicator light, etc.

[0189] The communication interface 1040 is configured to connect a communication module (not shown in the figure) to implement communication interaction between the device and other devices. The communication module may implement communication by a wired manner (e.g., USB, network cable, etc.) or in a wireless manner (e.g., mobile network, WIFI, Bluetooth, etc.).

[0190] The bus 1050 includes a path for transmitting information between various components of the device (e.g., the processor 1010, the memory 1020, the input / output interface 1030, and the communication interface 1040).

[0191] It should be noted that although the above device only shows the processor 1010, the memory 1020, the input / output interface 1030, the communication interface 1040, and the bus 1050, in specific implementation, the device may further include other components necessary for normal operation. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may understand that the above device may also only include components necessary for implementing the solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and does not necessarily have to include all components shown in the figure.

[0192] The electronic device of the above embodiment is used to implement the control method in any of the foregoing corresponding embodiments and has the beneficial effects of the corresponding process embodiments, which are not repeated here.

[0193] In some embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions. The computer instructions are configured to cause a computer to execute the control method in any one of the foregoing embodiments.

[0194] The computer-readable medium of the present embodiment includes permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that may implement information storage by any process or technology. The information may be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, read-only compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that may be configured to store information accessible by a computing device.

[0195] The computer instructions stored in the storage medium of the above embodiment are configured to cause the computer to execute the control method in any one of the foregoing embodiments and have the beneficial effects of the corresponding method embodiments, which are not repeated here.

[0196] In some embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a computer program product including computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any of the foregoing embodiments. The computer program product has the beneficial effects of the corresponding method embodiments, which are not repeated herein.

[0197] It is to be understood that, before using the technical solutions of the various embodiments in the present disclosure, the type, scope of use, usage scenario, etc. of the involved personal information are notified to the user in an appropriate manner, and the user's authorization is obtained.

[0198] For example, in response to receiving an active request from a user, prompt information is sent to the user to explicitly inform the user that the operation requested to be performed will require acquisition and use of the user's personal information. Thus, the user may autonomously choose whether to provide personal information to the software or hardware, such as an electronic device, application, server, or storage medium, that executes the operations of the technical solutions of the present disclosure, based on the prompt information.

[0199] As an optional but non-limiting implementation, the manner of sending the prompt information to the user in response to receiving the active request from the user may be, for example, a pop-up window. The prompt information may be presented in text within the pop-up window. Furthermore, the pop-up window may also carry selection controls for the user to choose “agree” or “disagree” to provide personal information to the electronic device.

[0200] It is to be understood that the aforementioned notification and user authorization acquisition process is merely illustrative and does not limit the implementation of the present disclosure. Other methods compliant with relevant laws and regulations may also be applied to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0201] Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of the present disclosure, including the claims, is limited to these examples. Under the concept of the present disclosure, the technical features in the above embodiments or in different embodiments may also be combined, the steps may be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations in the different aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity.

[0202] Additionally, to simplify the description and discussion, and to avoid making the embodiments of the present disclosure difficult to understand, well-known power / ground connections to integrated circuit (IC) chips and other components may or may not be shown in the provided drawings. Furthermore, the apparatus may be shown in block diagram form to avoid making the embodiments of the present disclosure difficult to understand, and also in consideration of the fact that the details regarding the implementation of such block diagram apparatus are highly dependent upon the platform upon which the embodiments of the present disclosure are to be implemented (i.e., these details should be fully within the understanding of those skilled in the art). In instances where specific details (e.g., circuits) are set forth to describe exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented without these specific details or with variations thereof. Therefore, these descriptions should be considered illustrative and not restrictive.

[0203] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing description. For example, other memory architectures (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM)) may use the discussed embodiments.

[0204] The embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the embodiments of the present disclosure shall be included within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines, comprising: a robot body, a sensing module, and a control device; wherein the sensing module is connected to the control device; the control device is located in the robot body and is connected to a drive device of the robot body;the sensing module includes a pressure sensor and a thermal imaging sensor; the pressure sensor is located at an outer bottom of the robot body; and the thermal imaging sensor is located at an outer sidewall of the robot body;the pressure sensor is configured to sense a draft of the robot body and send the draft to the control device; the thermal imaging sensor is configured to sense a position of each individual around the robot body and send the position of each individual to the control device; andthe control device controls the robot body to start based on the draft of the robot body, and after the robot body is started, the control device controls the robot body to travel toward the position of each individual based on the position of each individual sent by the thermal imaging sensor; wherein,in response to determining that the control device receives a water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor being greater than or equal to a first preset value, the control device controls the thermal imaging sensor and the drive device of the robot body to start; andin response to determining that the control device receives thermal imaging information sent by the thermal imaging sensor, the control device controls the robot body to move based on the thermal imaging information; the thermal imaging information includes location information.

2. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to:obtain thermal imaging data based on the thermal imaging sensor, wherein the thermal imaging data includes a thermal imaging image and a depth image;obtain a thermal signal feature of a thermal source point and a dynamic behavior feature of the thermal source point based on the thermal imaging image;determine a confidence level of the thermal source point based on the thermal signal feature and the dynamic behavior feature;determine a priority of the thermal source point based on the confidence level and a distance between the thermal source point and the robot body, wherein the distance is determined based on the depth image;determine a target thermal source point based on the priority; andgenerate a navigational adjustment instruction based on the target thermal source point, and control the robot body to move toward the target thermal source point based on the navigational adjustment instruction.

3. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 2, wherein the control device is further configured to:perform a weighting process on the confidence level and the distance to determine the priority, wherein a weight of the confidence level and a weight of the distance are determined through a preset vector database based on a task duration, a robot power, and a count of thermal source points.

4. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 2, wherein during a process where the control device, based on the navigational adjustment instruction, controls the robot body to move toward the target thermal source point, the thermal imaging sensor reacquires the thermal imaging image at intervals of a preset distance to re-determine the target thermal source point.

5. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 4, wherein the preset distance is negatively correlated with an environmental complexity in the underground mines.

6. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 1, further comprising a lighting structure and an acousto-optic warning structure; wherein the lighting structure and the acousto-optic warning structure are both located at a head of the robot body and are connected to the control device.

7. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning device connected to the control device and a communication device connected to the control device, wherein the positioning device and the communication device are both located in the robot body.

8. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 1, wherein the robot body is provided with a human-machine interface terminal connected to the control device; a supplies compartment is provided in the robot body, and the supplies compartment is arranged close to the human-machine interface terminal.

9. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 8, wherein the sensing module further includes a gas sensor, a radar, and a gyroscope; the gas sensor is configured to collect a gas feature of an environment around the robot body; the radar and the gyroscope are configured to collect a morphological change feature of the environment around the robot body; and the control device is further configured to:determine one or more evacuation paths based on map data;determine evacuation path risks of the one or more evacuation paths based on the gas feature, the morphological change feature, and the one or more evacuation paths;determine a target evacuation path based on the evacuation path risks;generate a display instruction and an evacuation instruction based on the target evacuation path; control a display screen of the human-machine interface terminal to display the target evacuation path based on the display instruction; and control the robot body to move according to the target evacuation path based on the evacuation instruction.

10. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 9, wherein the control device is further configured to: determine the one or more evacuation paths based on the map data and a health grade of a trapped individual.

11. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 10, wherein the health grade is determined based on a thermal signal feature and a dynamic behavior feature of a thermal source point corresponding to the trapped individual.

12. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 7, wherein the positioning device includes a display screen; and the display screen is located on the robot body.

13. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 1, wherein the drive device is located at a tail of the robot body; and the drive device includes a propeller, a rudder, and an engine.

14. The hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 1, further comprising a generator and an explosion-proof battery; wherein the generator is connected to the explosion-proof battery; and the explosion-proof battery is connected to the sensing module and the control device.

15. A control method for controlling the hull-shaped unmanned submersible rescue robot for underground mines according to claim 1, comprising:in response to determining that the control device receives the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor being greater than or equal to the first preset value, the control device controlling the thermal imaging sensor and the drive device of the robot body to start; andin response to determining that the control device receives the thermal imaging information sent by the thermal imaging sensor, the control device controlling the robot body to move based on the thermal imaging information, wherein the thermal imaging information includes the location information.

16. The control method according to claim 15, further comprising:in response to determining that the control device receives the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor being greater than or equal to a second preset value, the control device controlling a lighting structure and an acousto-optic warning structure to start.

17. The control method according to claim 15, further comprising:in response to determining that the control device receives the water pressure value sent by the pressure sensor being greater than or equal to a second preset value, the control device controlling positioning device and communication device to start.

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