Underwater robot, and method and apparatus for controlling the same

Abstract

Provided are an underwater robot and a method and apparatus for controlling an underwater robot. The underwater robot includes a robot body and at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on sides of the robot body. Each group of thruster array includes two thruster components, each of the two thruster components includes a housing and a propelling mechanism, the two thruster components in each group of thruster array are symmetrically disposed on two sides of the robot body about a central axis of the robot body, and at least three values of included angles between propelling directions of at least three thruster components located on a same side of the central axis, and the central axis are formed. The control method includes: acquiring coordinates of a target position point and enabling a robot body to arrive at the target position point by using at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on sides of the robot body.

1 . An underwater robot, comprising: a robot body and at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on two sides of the robot body, wherein each group of thruster array comprises two thruster components;
 each of the two thruster components comprises a housing and a propelling mechanism, wherein the housing is configured to carry the propelling mechanism; and   the two thruster components in each group of thruster array are symmetrically disposed on the two sides of the robot body about a central axis of the robot body; propelling directions of at least three thruster components located on a same side of the central axis are arranged at angles from the central axis, wherein the angles have at least three values respectively, so that propelling mechanisms of the at least three thruster components provide the robot body with propelling forces in at least three propelling directions.   
     
     
         2 . The underwater robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is connected to the robot body. 
     
     
         3 . The underwater robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is connected to the robot body through a fixing mechanism;
 the fixing mechanism comprises a fixing part, an extending part, and a carrying part which are successively connected to each other, the fixing part is fixedly connected to the robot body, and the carrying part is configured to carry the propelling mechanism; and   two fixing mechanisms in each group of thruster array are symmetrically disposed on the two sides of the robot body about the central axis of the robot body.   
     
     
         4 . The underwater robot according to  claim 1 , comprising three groups of thruster arrays; wherein a sum of a value of an included angle between a propelling direction of one thruster component at a first end closer to a head of the robot body and a direction perpendicular to a plane where the central axis is located, and a value of an included angle between another thruster component at a second end closer to a tail of the robot body and the direction perpendicular to the plane where the central axis is located is zero, wherein the one thruster component at the first end is located at a same side of the central axis as the another thruster component at the second end. 
     
     
         5 . The underwater robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the two thruster components in each group of thruster array have a same power. 
     
     
         6 . The underwater robot according to  claim 1 , further comprising another thruster component disposed on a bottom surface of the robot body or a top surface of the robot body. 
     
     
         7 . The underwater robot according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the two thruster components comprises a propeller thruster. 
     
     
         8 . The underwater robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the propelling mechanism comprises a motor; and a propelling force provided by the motor to the robot body when the motor rotates in a forward direction and a propelling force provided by the motor to the robot body when the motor rotates in a reverse direction have opposite propelling directions. 
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling an underwater robot, wherein the underwater robot comprises a robot body and at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on two sides of the robot body, each group of thruster array comprises two thruster components, the two thruster components in each group of thruster array are symmetrically disposed on the two sides of the robot body about a central axis of the robot body, propelling directions of at least three thruster components located on a same side of the central axis are arranged at angles from the central axis of the robot body, wherein the angles have at least three values respectively, and the method for controlling an underwater robot comprises:
 acquiring coordinates of a target position point; and   making the robot body arrive at the target position point by using the at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on the sides of the robot body,   wherein making the robot body arrive at the target position point by using the at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on the sides of the robot body comprises:   adjusting a posture of the robot body by using at least two groups of thruster arrays disposed on the two sides of the robot body so as to make a head of the robot body point to the target position point, and propelling the robot body to move by using at least one group of thruster array disposed on the two sides of the robot body so as to make the robot body to arrive at the target position point; or   moving the robot body by using the at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on the two sides of the robot body so as to make the robot body move to the target position point in any posture.   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for controlling an underwater robot, wherein the underwater robot comprises a robot body and at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on two sides of the robot body, each group of thruster array comprises two thruster components, the two thruster components in each group of thruster array are symmetrically disposed on the two sides of the robot body about a central axis of the robot body, propelling directions of at least three thruster components located on a same side of the central axis are arranged at angles from the central axis of the robot body are formed, and the apparatus for controlling an underwater robot comprises:
 a target position acquisition mechanism configured to acquire coordinates of a target position point; and   a position and posture adjustment mechanism,   wherein the position and posture adjustment mechanism is configured to:   adjust a posture of the robot body by using at least two groups of thruster arrays disposed on the two sides of the robot body so as to make a head of the robot body point to the target position point, and propel the robot body to move by using at least one group of thruster array disposed on the two sides of the robot body so as to make the robot body arrive at the target position point; or   move the robot body by using the at least three groups of thruster arrays disposed on the sides of the robot body so as to make the robot body move to the target position point in any posture.   
     
     
         11 . The underwater robot according to  claim 1 , further comprising other thruster components disposed on a bottom surface of the robot body and a top surface of the robot body respectively. 
     
     
         12 . The method for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 9 , wherein each of the two thruster components comprises a housing and a propelling mechanism, wherein the housing is configured to carry the propelling mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . The method for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 12 , wherein the housing is connected to the robot body. 
     
     
         14 . The method for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 12 , wherein the housing is connected to the robot body through a fixing mechanism;
 the fixing mechanism comprises a fixing part, an extending part, and a carrying part which are successively connected to each other, the fixing part is fixedly connected to the robot body, and the carrying part is configured to carry the propelling mechanism; and   two fixing mechanisms in each group of thruster array are symmetrically disposed on the two sides of the robot body about the central axis of the robot body.   
     
     
         15 . The method for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 12 , wherein the underwater robot comprises three groups of thruster arrays; wherein a sum of a value of an included angle between a propelling direction of one thruster component at a first end closer to a head of the robot body and a direction perpendicular to a plane where the central axis is located, and a value of an included angle between another thruster component at a second end closer to a tail of the robot body and the direction perpendicular to the plane where the central axis is located is zero, wherein the one thruster component at the first end is located at a same side of the central axis as the another thruster component at the second end. 
     
     
         16 . The method for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 12 , wherein the two thruster components in each group of thruster array have a same power. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 10 , wherein each of the two thruster components comprises a housing and a propelling mechanism, wherein the housing is configured to carry the propelling mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 17 , wherein the housing is connected to the robot body. 
     
     
         19 . The method for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 17 , wherein the housing is connected to the robot body through a fixing mechanism;
 the fixing mechanism comprises a fixing part, an extending part, and a carrying part which are successively connected to each other, the fixing part is fixedly connected to the robot body, and the carrying part is configured to carry the propelling mechanism; and   two fixing mechanisms in each group of thruster array are symmetrically disposed on the two sides of the robot body about the central axis of the robot body.   
     
     
         20 . The method for controlling an underwater robot of  claim 17 , wherein the underwater robot comprises three groups of thruster arrays; wherein a sum of a value of an included angle between a propelling direction of one thruster component at a first end closer to a head of the robot body and a direction perpendicular to a plane where the central axis is located, and a value of an included angle between another thruster component at a second end closer to a tail of the robot body and the direction perpendicular to the plane where the central axis is located is zero, wherein the one thruster component at the first end is located at a same side of the central axis as the another thruster component at the second end.