A tethered unmanned aerial vehicle airport system capable of automatic switching between tethered and free flight and a control method thereof

By integrating an automatic wire reel, an automatic wire disconnection assembly, a liftable landing platform, and a PLC controller, the system solves the problems of limited operating range for tethered drones and insufficient battery life for free-flying drones. It achieves automatic and seamless switching between tethered and free-flying modes, meeting the needs of long-term aerial operations and long-distance cross-regional operations, and improving the system's flexibility and reliability.

CN122126515APending Publication Date: 2026-06-02SANGAIR TECH
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
SANGAIR TECH
Filing Date
2026-04-21
Publication Date
2026-06-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing tethered drones have limited operating range, free-flying drones have significant shortcomings in endurance, tethered systems lack deployment flexibility and automation, and mode switching schemes lack reliability, failing to meet the needs of long-term aerial operations and long-distance cross-regional operations.

Method used

It adopts an automatic wire reel assembly, an automatic wire disconnection assembly, a liftable landing platform, deformable tripods, and a PLC controller to achieve automatic and seamless switching between tethered and free-flight modes. It supports vehicle-mounted mobile deployment, unattended storage, and real-time charging of the onboard battery, combined with tension closed-loop control and multiple reliability assurance mechanisms.

Benefits of technology

It enables automatic switching between long-term hovering in tethered mode and cross-regional operations in free flight mode, improving scenario adaptability and operational efficiency, reducing failure rate, and ensuring operational safety and reliability.

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Abstract

This invention discloses a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airport system and its control method that automatically switches between tethered and free flight. The system includes an airport housing, an automatic cable reel assembly, an automatic cable disconnection and docking assembly, and an adaptable UAV. The airport housing integrates an automatic hatch, a liftable platform, a storage cavity, and charging and vehicle-mounted power supply interfaces. Both the hatch and platform are driven by stepper motors. The docking assembly is located inside the platform's conical cylinder, and the UAV has a pairing and locking mechanism and deformable landing gear, adaptable to fixed-point docking and ground landing. The system is linked by a PLC to various modules and the UAV flight controller, supporting vehicle-mounted manual / automatic control. The winch is powered by 400-900V DC output via AC-DC, and the onboard DC-DC converter provides battery charging. The PLC adjusts the cable reel speed based on tension sensor signals to stabilize tension. This invention significantly improves the scenario adaptability and operational efficiency of tethered UAV systems, meeting the engineering application requirements of various low-altitude operation scenarios.
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Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Tension adjustment device and winch device for mooring unmanned aerial vehicle and tension adjustment method

    CN110001997A

  • Aerial docking assembly and mooring unmanned aerial vehicle system

    CN113978750A