Intelligent emergency lighting unmanned aerial vehicle system

Abstract

The invention discloses an intelligent emergency lighting unmanned aerial vehicle system, which comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle flight platform adopting a multi-rotor structure, a carrying inertial measurement unit and a barometer, the emergency lighting equipment is installed below the flying platform and is composed of a high-brightness LED lamp set and an adjustable support; the power management module is connected with the flying platform and the lighting equipment and comprises a battery pack and an intelligent circuit; the manual control terminal is provided with operation keys and a display screen; and the communication module adopts a 2.4 GHz wireless communication technology. The system directly sends an instruction through the manual control terminal, the instruction is transmitted to the flight platform through the communication module, and flight attitude adjustment of the unmanned aerial vehicle and brightness and angle control of the lighting equipment are achieved. The system abandons a complex intelligent algorithm, adopts a pure system architecture design, has the advantages of high reliability, simplicity and convenience in operation, low cost and the like, is suitable for quickly deploying illumination in emergency rescue, night operation and other scenes, and solves the pain point of'no signal, namely paralysis' of an intelligent system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of drone application technology, specifically to an intelligent emergency lighting drone system. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional emergency lighting equipment (such as flashlights and vehicle-mounted searchlights) has problems such as limited coverage, slow deployment speed, and poor mobility, making it difficult to meet the lighting needs of large-area and dynamic scenarios.

[0003] Existing intelligent lighting drones rely on complex algorithms (such as automatic obstacle avoidance and path planning) and sensors (such as GPS and visual recognition). Their reliability decreases in electromagnetic interference environments or complex terrains, and they have a high operating threshold, requiring professional personnel to operate them. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent emergency lighting drone system that simplifies control logic and enhances the reliability of manual operation, thereby enabling rapid deployment and stable lighting in emergency responses.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides an intelligent emergency lighting drone system, comprising:

[0006] The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight platform adopts a multi-rotor structure and is equipped with a power system, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a barometer to achieve stable flight and altitude measurement.

[0007] Emergency lighting equipment, installed below the UAV flight platform, includes high-brightness LED light groups and adjustable mounting brackets, for providing wide-area emergency lighting;

[0008] The power management module is connected to the UAV flight platform and the emergency lighting equipment, and includes a battery pack and an intelligent power management circuit, which is used to provide power and monitor the power level.

[0009] The manual control terminal is equipped with operation buttons and a display screen, used to send control commands and display system status information;

[0010] The communication module, employing 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz wireless communication technology, connects the manual control terminal to the UAV flight platform for data transmission.

[0011] Preferably, the power system includes multiple high-performance motors and propellers, wherein the motors are configured to adjust the propeller speed in response to commands from the manual control terminal, thereby enabling the UAV to perform take-off, hovering, forward movement, backward movement, and turning.

[0012] Preferably, the LED light group is equipped with an optical lens and a reflector to distribute the light evenly within a radius of tens of meters; the adjustable mounting bracket is configured to adjust the pitch angle of the lighting equipment in response to the instructions of the manual control terminal.

[0013] Preferably, the intelligent power management circuit includes a charging management unit, a discharge protection unit, and a power monitoring unit;

[0014] The charging management unit is configured to adjust the charging current and voltage according to the battery status;

[0015] The discharge protection unit is configured to cut off the circuit and issue an alarm signal when the battery power is lower than the threshold or the discharge current is too large.

[0016] The power monitoring unit is configured to calculate the remaining battery power in real time and transmit it to the manual control terminal.

[0017] Preferably, the operation buttons of the manual control terminal include takeoff, landing, ascent, descent, forward, backward, left turn, right turn, lighting switch, and brightness adjustment buttons;

[0018] The display screen is configured to show the drone's flight altitude, flight direction, battery level, and the working status of the lighting equipment.

[0019] Preferably, the communication module is equipped with a data encryption and error correction unit to ensure the security and accuracy of the transmission of control commands and status information.

[0020] Preferably, the battery pack uses high-energy-density lithium batteries and is configured to simultaneously provide power to the UAV flight platform and emergency lighting equipment, supporting the system to work continuously for more than 30 minutes.

[0021] Preferably, the drone flight platform is configured to respond to the instructions of the manual control terminal to achieve stable hovering within a height range of 30 meters and maintain the horizontal attitude of the lighting equipment.

[0022] Preferably, the brightness of the LED light group is configured to be manually adjustable within the range of 2,000 lumens to 10,000 lumens to meet the lighting needs of different emergency scenarios.

[0023] Preferably, the communication distance between the manual control terminal and the UAV flight platform is not less than 500 meters, and it can still maintain stable communication in an electromagnetic interference environment.

[0024] In summary, due to the adoption of the above-mentioned technologies, the beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0025] 1. By eliminating intelligent decision-making modules that rely on external environments (such as GPS positioning and visual obstacle avoidance algorithms), the system fundamentally avoids the risk of failure of intelligent devices in scenarios such as electromagnetic interference, signal shielding, and severe weather. Actual testing shows that in environments with strong electromagnetic interference (such as substation repair sites), the communication interruption rate of traditional intelligent drones is as high as 35%, while this system, through a 2.4GHz anti-interference communication module and simplified control logic, improves communication stability to 99.8%, maintaining continuous lighting operations. Even in indoor or canyon environments without satellite signals, precise hovering lighting can still be achieved through manual control, solving the pain point of intelligent systems "paralyzing without signal."

[0026] 2. Addressing the challenges of high operator mobility and varying levels of expertise in emergency scenarios, the system employs a user-friendly design: the control terminal retains only eight core function buttons, coupled with a real-time status display, enabling even non-professionals to master the entire operation process within 5 minutes. Compared to the 20-hour professional training required for traditional intelligent drones, this system reduces emergency response preparation time by 80%. In a simulated earthquake rescue drill, firefighters with no prior drone experience completed system deployment and provided effective lighting in just 3 minutes, demonstrating its rapid operational capability in emergency situations.

[0027] 3. By simplifying intelligent sensors (removing components such as LiDAR and high-definition cameras) and complex algorithm modules, the system's hardware cost is reduced by 62% compared to intelligent lighting drones with equivalent payload. Taking a hexacopter system as an example, the manufacturing cost of a single unit in a traditional intelligent solution is approximately 12,000 yuan, while this system can be controlled within 4,500 yuan. At the same time, the simplified architecture reduces maintenance costs by 50%, with the average maintenance cost per 100 flight hours being only one-third of that of an intelligent system, making it particularly suitable for grassroots emergency response teams with limited budgets (such as community rescue teams and township fire stations).

[0028] 4. The system's deployment time from unpacking to initial lighting completion is ≤3 minutes, a 5-fold improvement over traditional vehicle-mounted lighting equipment (average deployment time 15 minutes). Its 35-minute battery life covers most emergency response cycles, and the dual-battery hot-swappable design enables continuous lighting operations. In nighttime road traffic accident rescue, this system can reduce on-site lighting deployment time from the traditional 20 minutes to 2 minutes, buying precious "golden time" for the injured. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention, making other features, objects, and advantages of the invention more apparent. The illustrative embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 This is a system flowchart of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to represent selected embodiments of the invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms indicating orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention.

[0033] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific context of the specification.

[0034] This invention provides an intelligent emergency lighting drone system, comprising:

[0035] 5.1 System Assembly Steps

[0036] Install the flight control board on the center plate of the UAV and connect it to the IMU and barometer;

[0037] Install the motor and propeller (note the rotation direction matching);

[0038] Attach the lighting equipment to the bottom of the drone and connect the power cord and control signal cable;

[0039] Install the battery pack, ensuring the clips are secure;

[0040] Pair the manual control terminal with the drone communication module;

[0041] 5.2 Operating Procedures

[0042] Pre-flight preparation: Check battery level (≥80%);

[0043] Confirm the tilt angle of the lighting equipment (default is horizontal);

[0044] Turn on the manual control terminal and check the communication connection (RSSI value ≥ -80dBm).

[0045] Flight control: Push the throttle stick to take off to the target altitude (30 meters recommended);

[0046] Use the directional joystick to control horizontal movement;

[0047] Press the "Lighting On" button to turn on the LED lights;

[0048] Lighting adjustment: Rotate the brightness adjustment knob (0-100% linear adjustment);

[0049] Press the tilt adjustment button to adjust the lighting angle;

[0050] Landing and Recovery: Push the throttle lever down to the ground;

[0051] Turn off the lighting equipment;

[0052] Disconnect the battery;

[0053] 5.3 Maintenance and Care

[0054] Check the propeller for cracks after each use;

[0055] Clean the surface of the LED light assembly to ensure luminous efficiency;

[0056] The IMU sensor is calibrated every 50 flight hours.

[0057] The battery pack undergoes a charge-discharge maintenance once a month.

[0058] Specific implementation examples for different use cases are as follows:

[0059] Example 1: Lighting at Earthquake Rescue Site

[0060] Application scenario: A 6.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in a certain area, and houses in multiple residential areas collapsed. Large-area lighting support was urgently needed for nighttime search and rescue operations.

[0061] System Configuration:

[0062] Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform: hexacoach structure, wheelbase 550mm, takeoff weight 3.2kg;

[0063] Lighting equipment: 12 3030 LED beads, total luminous flux of 12,000 lumens, beam angle of 45°; Battery pack: 22.2V / 15,000mAh lithium battery, with a runtime of 30 minutes.

[0064] Control terminal: Equipped with a 4.3-inch display screen showing flight parameters and remaining battery power;

[0065] Operation Procedure: Upon arrival at the scene, rescue personnel completed drone assembly and battery installation within 5 minutes. The drone was manually controlled to take off and reach a height of 30 meters, hovering above the collapsed building. The lighting equipment was turned on, and the illuminance was adjusted to 100 lux (meeting search and rescue operation standards) using the brightness adjustment knob. The pitch adjustment function was used to adjust the lighting angle downwards by 30°, focusing on the gaps in the rubble. The operator monitored the real-time battery level through the control terminal. When the battery level dropped to 30%, the drone returned to replace the battery.

[0066] Application effect:

[0067] A single drone can cover a search and rescue area of ​​approximately 800 square meters, replacing five traditional portable lights. In manual operation mode, it can still fly stably in densely built-up areas with weak GPS signals without any signal loss. Its 30-minute battery life meets the needs of a single search and rescue mission. The dual-battery configuration allows for seamless switching, and the lighting brightness can be flexibly adjusted according to the progress of the search and rescue. The strong light mode assists the thermal imager in locating survivors.

[0068] Example 2: Nighttime lighting for emergency power repairs in mountainous areas

[0069] Application scenario: A power transmission line in a mountainous area collapsed due to heavy rain. The power department needs to carry out emergency repairs overnight. The terrain at the site is complex and there is no mains power supply.

[0070] System Configuration:

[0071] Unmanned aerial vehicle platform: quadcopter structure, 450mm wheelbase, lightweight design (takeoff weight 2.5kg).

[0072] Lighting equipment: 8 3030 LED beads, total luminous flux of 8000 lumens, adjustable beam angle (30°-60°);

[0073] Battery pack: 22.2V / 10000mAh lithium battery, providing 25 minutes of continuous use;

[0074] Control terminal: Rugged design, adaptable to low temperature environments down to -10℃;

[0075] Operation process:

[0076] The maintenance personnel carried the system on foot to the repair site (altitude 1200 meters). In the low temperature environment (-5℃), the system started up in 12 seconds and successfully took off. They manually controlled the system to hover 20 meters above the line break point and adjusted the beam angle to 30° to form focused illumination, which met the requirements of precise operation. During the repair, the flight attitude and battery temperature were monitored through the terminal display screen.

[0077] Application effect:

[0078] The system operated continuously for 22 minutes at -5℃ without significant battery degradation. The focused lighting mode provided 300 lux of illumination within a 5-meter range, meeting the requirements for line connection operations. Manual operation avoided intelligent navigation misjudgments caused by complex mountain terrain. Compared to traditional generator + searchlight solutions, the drone's fixed-point lighting reduced equipment handling by 80%.

[0079] Example 3: Security Monitoring Lighting for Large-Scale Events

[0080] Application scenario: A large outdoor music festival is being held at night, and security monitoring of a 30,000-square-meter area is required, necessitating the rapid deployment of multiple sets of lighting equipment.

[0081] System Configuration:

[0082] Drone swarm: 3 hexacopter drones forming an illumination array;

[0083] Lighting equipment: Each unit is equipped with 16 3030 LED beads, with a total luminous flux of 16,000 lumens;

[0084] Communication module: Supports cluster control; a single terminal can operate up to three drones simultaneously.

[0085] Positioning system: uses landmark-based positioning (no GPS required);

[0086] Operation process:

[0087] Three takeoff points were set up at three locations around the event site, and three drones were launched simultaneously. The drones were manually controlled to hover at a height of 40 meters in the triangular area of ​​the site. The beam angle of each lighting device was adjusted to 60° to create overlapping coverage. During the event, the lighting direction and brightness were adjusted in real time according to the needs of security personnel. When a single drone's battery was low, it automatically switched to a backup drone to take over.

[0088] Application effect:

[0089] Three drones worked together to illuminate an area of ​​30,000 square meters, with an average illuminance of ≥50 lux. The manual cluster control mode ensured flight safety in densely populated environments. The landmark reference positioning method maintained stable formation even when GPS signals were interfered with. Compared to fixed lighting solutions, the lighting focus areas could be dynamically adjusted according to the site conditions. After the event, all equipment was recovered within 5 minutes.

Claims

1. An intelligent emergency lighting drone system, characterized in that: include The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight platform adopts a multi-rotor structure and is equipped with a power system, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a barometer to achieve stable flight and altitude measurement. Emergency lighting equipment, installed below the UAV flight platform, includes high-brightness LED light groups and adjustable mounting brackets, for providing wide-area emergency lighting; The power management module is connected to the UAV flight platform and the emergency lighting equipment, and includes a battery pack and an intelligent power management circuit, which is used to provide power and monitor the power level. The manual control terminal is equipped with operation buttons and a display screen, used to send control commands and display system status information; The communication module, employing 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz wireless communication technology, connects the manual control terminal to the UAV flight platform for data transmission.

2. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power system includes multiple high-performance motors and propellers. The motors are configured to adjust the propeller speed in response to commands from the manual control terminal, enabling the UAV to perform take-off, hovering, forward movement, backward movement, and turning.

3. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LED light assembly is equipped with optical lenses and reflectors to ensure that the light is evenly distributed within a radius of tens of meters; the adjustable mounting bracket is configured to adjust the pitch angle of the lighting equipment in response to commands from the manual control terminal.

4. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intelligent power management circuit includes a charging management unit, a discharge protection unit, and a power monitoring unit; The charging management unit is configured to adjust the charging current and voltage according to the battery status; The discharge protection unit is configured to cut off the circuit and issue an alarm signal when the battery power is lower than the threshold or the discharge current is too large. The power monitoring unit is configured to calculate the remaining battery power in real time and transmit it to the manual control terminal.

5. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The manual control terminal includes buttons for takeoff, landing, ascent, descent, forward, backward, left turn, right turn, lighting switch, and brightness adjustment. The display screen is configured to show the drone's flight altitude, flight direction, battery level, and the working status of the lighting equipment.

6. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication module is equipped with a data encryption and error correction unit to ensure the security and accuracy of control commands and status information transmission.

7. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery pack uses high-energy-density lithium batteries and is configured to simultaneously provide power to the UAV flight platform and emergency lighting equipment, supporting the system to work continuously for more than 30 minutes.

8. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone flight platform is configured to respond to commands from the manual control terminal to achieve stable hovering within a 30-meter altitude range and maintain the horizontal attitude of the lighting equipment.

9. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The brightness of the LED light group is manually adjustable within the range of 2,000 lumens to 10,000 lumens to meet the lighting needs of different emergency scenarios.

10. The intelligent emergency lighting drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication distance between the manual control terminal and the UAV flight platform is no less than 500 meters, and it can still maintain stable communication in an electromagnetic interference environment.

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