Flexible drone interceptor

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle interception, and provides a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor, which comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle, an interception assembly and a positioning assembly, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a box-shaped machine body, a front machine arm, a rear machine arm and a rotor assembly; the interception assembly is arranged in a first equipment cabin, the interception assembly comprises a net catcher, a support and a gimbal servo motor, the support is connected with the gimbal servo motor, the net catcher is arranged on the support, and the gimbal servo motor is configured to drive the support to pitch and drive the net catcher to perform corresponding movement; the positioning assembly is arranged in the first equipment cabin and is located above the interception assembly along the height direction of the box-shaped machine body, and the positioning assembly is configured to determine the position of a target object, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can approach the target object and complete the interception of the target object through the net catcher. The present application can realize high automation in the whole process from discovery to interception, reduces the delay of manual operation and improves the countermeasure efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of drone interception technology, and in particular to a flexible drone interceptor. Background Technology

[0002] As drones become increasingly prevalent in people's lives, some unauthorized "black flights" that violate regulations on unmanned aerial vehicle safety often cause trouble for others and even threaten public safety. To prevent the illegal misuse of drones, a new technology has emerged: anti-drone systems.

[0003] Existing countermeasures against drones mainly fall into three categories: jamming and blocking, direct destruction, and monitoring and control. Jamming and blocking involves emitting specific electromagnetic signals to interfere with all signals of the target drone, cutting off its signal and triggering it to return to base. This method is relatively weak. Direct destruction uses laser cannons to shoot down drones directly. This method is highly effective, but downed drones can easily cause harm to ground personnel. Monitoring and control mainly utilizes hacking techniques to infiltrate the drone's operating system, hijack radio controls, and seize the drone. This method is technically complex and costly, making it difficult to implement widely.

[0004] Nowadays, a capture device for intercepting drones is gradually emerging. For example, a drone carrying an intercept frame is used to capture the target drone. Because the drone carries the intercept frame, its speed is difficult to exceed that of the target drone, and its mobility is poor, resulting in a low capture rate and poor practicality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a flexible drone interceptor that can achieve a high degree of automation from detection to interception, reducing the delay of human operation and improving countermeasure efficiency.

[0006] This invention provides a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor, comprising: The drone includes a box-shaped fuselage, a front arm, a rear arm, and rotor assemblies. The front arm includes a first arm and a second arm located on opposite sides of the box-shaped fuselage in the width direction. The rear arm includes a third arm and a fourth arm located on opposite sides of the box-shaped fuselage in the width direction. The front arm and the rear arm are spaced apart along the length direction of the box-shaped fuselage. Each of the first arm, the second arm, the third arm, and the fourth arm is equipped with a corresponding rotor assembly. An interception assembly is provided at the first end of the box-shaped body along its length direction, and the interception assembly is disposed in the first equipment compartment. The interception assembly includes a net catcher, a support, and a gimbal servo. The support is connected to the gimbal servo, the net catcher is disposed on the support, and the gimbal servo is configured to drive the support to pitch, thereby causing the net catcher to perform corresponding movements. A positioning component is disposed within the first equipment compartment, along the height direction of the box-shaped body, and is located above the interception component. The positioning component is configured to determine the location of the target object so that the UAV can approach the target object and intercept the target object through the net catcher.

[0007] According to a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor provided by the present invention, the rotor assembly includes a first drive member and a rotor connected to each other; when the UAV is in a hovering attitude, the first plane on which the rotor corresponding to the front arm is located is higher than the second plane on which the rotor corresponding to the rear arm is located; wherein, the first plane and the second plane are both horizontal planes.

[0008] According to the present invention, a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor is provided in which, when the UAV is in flight, the first plane on which the rotor corresponding to the front arm is located and the second plane on which the rotor corresponding to the rear arm is located are both inclined planes.

[0009] According to a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor provided by the present invention, the net catcher is horizontally positioned when the UAV is in the hovering attitude or the flight attitude.

[0010] According to a flexible drone interceptor provided by the present invention, when the drone is in the hovering attitude, the launch axis of the net catcher is coaxially arranged with the center of gravity of the flexible drone interceptor; when the drone is in the flight attitude, the distance between the launch axis of the net catcher and the center of gravity of the flexible drone interceptor along the altitude direction is less than or equal to 110mm.

[0011] According to the present invention, a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor is provided in which, when the UAV is in flight, the angle between the axis of the box-shaped body and the horizontal plane ranges from 10° to 12°.

[0012] According to a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor provided by the present invention, the positioning component includes an optoelectronic pod and a lidar, wherein the lidar is located above the optoelectronic pod along the height direction of the box-shaped body.

[0013] According to a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor provided by the present invention, the positioning component further includes a second driving member, which is connected to the optoelectronic pod and is configured to drive the optoelectronic pod to yaw and pitch.

[0014] According to a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor provided by the present invention, a second equipment compartment is provided at the second end of the box-shaped body along the length direction. The UAV also includes an ad hoc network module and a flight control module. Both the ad hoc network module and the flight control module are disposed in the second equipment compartment, and along the height direction, the ad hoc network module is located above the flight control module.

[0015] According to a flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor provided by the present invention, a battery compartment is provided in the box-shaped body, and the UAV further includes a battery disposed in the battery compartment; wherein, the UAV also includes a first landing gear and a second landing gear disposed on opposite sides of the box-shaped body in the width direction, at least one of the first landing gear and the second landing gear is provided with a charging contact, and the charging contact is electrically connected to the battery.

[0016] The flexible drone interceptor provided by this invention, upon receiving instructions from a ground base station, will rapidly fly towards the approximate area where the target object is located. Upon arrival, its onboard positioning component will immediately activate, using image recognition algorithms to search for and lock onto the target within its field of view. Once locked, the system enters continuous tracking mode, calculating key information such as the target's azimuth, distance, and speed in real time. Subsequently, the flight control system, in coordination with the positioning component, guides the drone to autonomously pursue the target based on the aforementioned key data, maintaining a preset optimal interception distance at all times. When the target enters the optimal launch window, upon receiving the final instruction, the drone's net-catching device will instantly launch a capture net to intercept the target object. After confirming a successful interception, the drone will end its mission and automatically return to its base. Based on this, the entire process from detection to interception can be highly automated, reducing delays caused by human operation and improving countermeasure efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the flexible drone interceptor provided by the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2This is the second structural schematic diagram of the flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor provided by the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an assembly diagram of the box-shaped body, front arm, and rear arm provided by the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is the third structural schematic diagram of the flexible UAV interceptor provided by the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV in a hovering posture provided by the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the UAV in flight posture provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure label: 1. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV); 11. Box-shaped fuselage; 12. Front arm; 121. First arm; 122. Second arm; 13. Rear arm; 131. Third arm; 132. Fourth arm; 14. Rotor assembly; 141. First drive unit; 142. Rotor; 15. Self-organizing network module; 16. Flight control module; 17. Battery; 18. First landing gear; 2. Interception assembly; 21. Net catcher; 22. Support; 23. Gimbal servo; 3. Positioning assembly; 31. Optoelectronic pod; 32. LiDAR. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly set on another component; when a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to another component.

[0027] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" or "several" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., shown in the accompanying drawings of this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed in the specification, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which this application can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this application, provided that they do not affect the effects and purposes that this application can produce.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor of this invention includes a UAV 1, an interception component 2, and a positioning component 3. The UAV 1 includes a box-shaped body 11, with a first equipment compartment at its first end along its length. The interception component 2 is disposed within the first equipment compartment and includes a net catcher 21, a support 22, and a gimbal servo 23. The support 22 is connected to the gimbal servo 23, and the net catcher 21 is mounted on the support 22. The gimbal servo 23 is configured to drive the support 22 to pitch, thereby causing the net catcher 21 to perform corresponding movements. The positioning component 3 is disposed within the first equipment compartment, along the height direction of the box-shaped body 11, and is located above the interception component 2. The positioning component 3 is configured to determine the position of the target object, enabling the UAV 1 to approach the target object and intercept it using the net catcher 21.

[0031] like Figure 3As shown, the UAV 1 also includes a front arm 12, a rear arm 13, and a rotor assembly 14. The front arm 12 includes a first arm 121 and a second arm 122 located on opposite sides of the box-shaped body 11 in the width direction. The rear arm 13 includes a third arm 131 and a fourth arm 132 located on opposite sides of the box-shaped body 11 in the width direction. The front arm 12 and the rear arm 13 are spaced apart along the length direction of the box-shaped body 11. Each of the first arm 121, second arm 122, third arm 131, and fourth arm 132 is equipped with a corresponding rotor assembly 14. As an example, the box-shaped body 11 is made of 2-3mm carbon fiber plate, while the front and rear arms 13, which serve as the load-bearing core, are made of 8mm carbon fiber plate.

[0032] Specifically, the drone 1 also includes a first connector and a second connector. The box-shaped body 11 includes a first side plate and a second side plate arranged opposite to each other. The first connector is disposed through the first side plate and the second side plate. One side of the first connector is used to connect to the first arm 121, and the other side of the first connector is used to connect to the second arm 122. The second connector is disposed through the first side plate and the second side plate. One side of the second connector is used to connect to the third arm 131, and the other side of the second connector is used to connect to the fourth arm 132. The first connector and the second connector can both be T-shaped structural components.

[0033] In this embodiment, the front arm 12 and the rear arm 13 can adopt identical dimensions and structural designs, thus greatly improving the interchangeability of components and significantly reducing production and spare parts costs. Furthermore, the first and second connecting parts are spliced ​​and anchored using aluminum alloy connectors, allowing for independent disassembly and assembly of both arms. This modular design ensures that in the event of high-intensity interception collisions or accidental battle damage, maintenance personnel can easily and quickly replace damaged single arms, significantly shortening equipment downtime and improving overall logistical support efficiency and equipment availability.

[0034] It should be noted that the UAV 1 adopts a box-shaped body 11, providing a large internal volume, facilitating the integration of various functional devices, and exhibiting high overall structural strength. The UAV 1's power layout employs a typical quadcopter configuration, with the front arm 12 and rear arm 13 symmetrically distributed. Each arm is equipped with a rotor assembly 14 at its end, providing flight propulsion. The gimbal servo 23 drives the support 22 to perform pitch motion, i.e., up and down swing, thereby causing the net catcher 21 to perform corresponding movements. The positioning component 3 is responsible for detecting and locking onto the target. In other words, the positioning component 3 can determine the position of the target object, providing guidance data for the UAV 1, enabling it to fly towards and approach the target. Located above the interception component 2, the positioning component 3 ensures that its field of view is not obstructed by the net catcher 21 below, especially when it needs to look upwards to track the target, providing a clear and unobstructed detection field of view.

[0035] In practical applications, upon receiving instructions from a ground base station, UAV 1 will rapidly fly towards the approximate area where the target object is located. Upon arrival, its onboard positioning component 3 will immediately activate, using image recognition algorithms to search for and lock onto the target within its field of view. Once locked, the system enters continuous tracking mode, calculating key information such as the target's azimuth, distance, and speed in real time. Subsequently, the flight control system will work in conjunction with the positioning component 3, guiding UAV 1 to autonomously pursue the target based on the aforementioned key data, maintaining a preset optimal interception distance at all times. When the target enters the optimal launch window, upon receiving the final instruction, UAV 1's net catcher 21 will instantly launch a capture net to intercept the target object. After confirming a successful interception, UAV 1 will end its mission and automatically return to its base. Based on this, the entire process from detection to interception can be highly automated, reducing delays caused by human operation and improving countermeasure efficiency.

[0036] In optional embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the rotor assembly 14 includes a first drive member 141 and a rotor 142 connected to each other, wherein the first drive member 141 can be a motor. Figure 5 As shown, when the UAV 1 is in a hovering state, the first plane where the rotor 142 corresponding to the front arm 12 is located is higher than the second plane where the rotor 142 corresponding to the rear arm 13 is located; both the first and second planes are horizontal. Figure 6 As shown, when the UAV 1 is in flight attitude, the first plane where the rotor 142 corresponding to the front arm 12 is located and the second plane where the rotor 142 corresponding to the rear arm 13 is located are both inclined planes.

[0037] Specifically, when the UAV 1 is flying forward at high speed, because the front rotor 142 is in a higher position, the downwash airflow it exhausts downwards and backwards will just pass under the rear rotor 142. In this way, the rear rotor 142 can operate in relatively clean and undisturbed air, and its operating efficiency and stability are almost unaffected by the front rotor 142.

[0038] Based on this, the "front-high, rear-low" rotor layout in this embodiment reduces the energy consumption of the rear motor, thereby extending the endurance or combat radius of the UAV 1. It also reduces airflow interference to the fuselage, making the UAV 1 more stable and precisely controlled during high-speed maneuvers and target pursuit. Overcoming the aerodynamic bottlenecks of traditional layouts, it allows the UAV 1 to achieve higher forward speeds, which is crucial for rapid response and interception of high-speed targets. Furthermore, this layout also helps to fine-tune the forward shift of the center of gravity caused by the heavier nose-mounted equipment such as the interception component 2 and the positioning component 3.

[0039] In practical applications, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the net catcher 21 is horizontally positioned whether the UAV 1 is hovering or in flight. That is, regardless of the tilt of the box-shaped body 11, the net catcher 21 remains parallel to the horizon. In other words, in the hovering state, the box-shaped body 11 is horizontal, and so is the net catcher 21. In the flight state, the box-shaped body 11 tilts forward, but the net catcher 21 remains horizontal under the action of the gimbal servo 23.

[0040] Specifically, an independent inertial measurement unit can be integrated on the support 22 where the net catcher 21 is located to sense its tilt angle in real time. For example, when the box-shaped body 11 tilts, the inertial measurement unit will detect this tilt. At this time, the gimbal servo 23 will move in the opposite direction to counteract the tilt of the box-shaped body 11, so that the net catcher 21 always remains horizontal relative to the ground.

[0041] In this embodiment, the net catcher 21 remains horizontally positioned regardless of the flight attitude of the UAV 1. This unique design significantly simplifies the interception process; during mission execution, the UAV 1 only needs to be maneuvered to directly in front of or behind the target for launch. Because the net is launched horizontally, its initial velocity is entirely concentrated in the horizontal direction, and its subsequent flight is only affected by gravity and air resistance. This physical characteristic makes the trajectory of the net extremely simple and highly predictable, thereby greatly reducing computational complexity and significantly improving the system's response efficiency while ensuring a high interception success rate.

[0042] In an optional embodiment, when the UAV 1 is in a hovering state, the launch axis of the net catcher 21 is coaxially aligned with the center of gravity of the flexible UAV interceptor; when the UAV 1 is in flight, the distance between the launch axis of the net catcher 21 and the center of gravity of the flexible UAV interceptor along the altitude direction is less than or equal to 110 mm. For example, the distance between the launch axis of the net catcher 21 and the center of gravity of the flexible UAV interceptor is 70 mm.

[0043] It should be noted that when UAV 1 is hovering smoothly, the launch axis of the net catcher 21 passes directly through the center of gravity of the entire interceptor. Specifically, when the launch axis is coaxial with the center of gravity, the lever arm of the recoil force is zero. This means that the huge recoil force will only push UAV 1 backward horizontally without generating any torque that would cause it to roll. The flight control system only needs to simply increase the forward thrust to counteract the backward movement, and UAV 1 can instantly regain stability.

[0044] When UAV 1 is in a forward-leaning or tilted attitude and the net catcher 21 is adjusted to horizontal firing, the launch axis will inevitably deviate from the center of gravity in the vertical direction. At a distance of 110mm or less, although a certain roll torque will be generated during launch, this torque is entirely within the redundant control range of the quadcopter 142's power system. The flight control system can instantly increase or decrease the speed of a specific motor to easily counteract this torque, ensuring that UAV 1 maintains stable flight attitude.

[0045] In practical applications, when the UAV 1 is in flight attitude, the angle between the axis of the box-shaped body 11 and the horizontal plane ranges from 10° to 12°.

[0046] It is particularly noteworthy that, in terms of horizontal center of gravity layout, this interceptor adopts the design of conventional quadcopter drones, precisely controlling it at the intersection of the horizontal projections of the rotation centers of the four rotors 142. This centrally symmetrical center of gravity configuration ensures that each rotor 142 exerts force evenly during flight, thereby effectively reducing airframe vibration.

[0047] In optional embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the positioning component 3 includes an optoelectronic pod 31 and a lidar 32. Along the height direction of the box-shaped body 11, the lidar 32 is located above the optoelectronic pod 31. Both the optoelectronic pod 31 and the lidar 32 can be fixed to the box-shaped body 11 using corresponding mounting parts.

[0048] It should be noted that the lidar-32 is primarily responsible for accurate ranging and obstacle avoidance during high-speed flight. It typically requires an extremely wide horizontal field of view, and placing it at the highest point of the aircraft ensures that it obtains maximum, unobstructed visibility.

[0049] The electro-optical pod 31 typically includes a visible light high-definition camera and an infrared thermal imager responsible for visual confirmation, detail identification, and continuous, precise aiming and locking. The electro-optical pod 31 has extremely high directional accuracy, requiring long-range target tracking. Located below the lidar 32, the electro-optical pod 31 not only has an unobstructed forward field of view but also allows for better alignment with the net trap 21 below, reducing parallax.

[0050] In practical applications, the positioning component 3 also includes a second driving component, which is connected to the photoelectric pod 31 and is configured to drive the photoelectric pod 31 to yaw and pitch.

[0051] It should be noted that the second driving component grants the optoelectronic pod 31 two degrees of freedom: it can rotate left and right in the horizontal plane and it can rotate up and down in the vertical plane. The structure of the second driving component can employ a dual-axis gimbal mechanism with two-dimensional adjustment capabilities, such as a two-axis brushless gimbal system composed of a yaw motor and a pitch motor, thereby achieving independent rotation and attitude stability of the optoelectronic pod 31 in both horizontal yaw and vertical pitch dimensions.

[0052] In this embodiment, upon receiving instructions from the ground base station, UAV 1 will rapidly fly towards the approximate area where the target object is located. Upon arrival, its onboard electro-optical pod 31 will immediately activate, using image recognition algorithms to search for and lock onto the target within its field of view. Once locked, the system enters continuous tracking mode, calculating key information such as the target's azimuth, distance, and speed in real time. Subsequently, the flight control system will work in conjunction with the lidar 32, guiding UAV 1 to autonomously pursue the target based on the aforementioned key data, maintaining a preset optimal interception distance at all times. When the target enters the optimal launch window, upon receiving the final instruction, UAV 1's net catcher 21 will instantly launch a capture net to intercept the target object.

[0053] In optional embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a second equipment compartment is provided at the second end of the box-shaped body 11 along its length. The UAV 1 also includes a self-organizing network module 15 and a flight control module 16. Both the self-organizing network module 15 and the flight control module 16 are located inside the second equipment compartment, with the self-organizing network module 15 positioned above the flight control module 16 along the height direction. Both the self-organizing network module 15 and the flight control module 16 can be fixed to the box-shaped body 11 using corresponding mounting components.

[0054] It should be noted that the self-organizing network module 15 is the nerve center for high-speed data interaction with the ground command center. Placing the self-organizing network module 15 at the top ensures that its antenna is as close as possible to the top of the UAV 1. This minimizes obstruction by the battery 17, metal structural components, and other electronic devices inside the airframe, thereby greatly improving communication range and network connection stability. Furthermore, the flight control module 16, containing gyroscopes, accelerometers, and electronic compasses, is extremely sensitive to electromagnetic interference. Placing the highly radiating self-organizing network module 15 above and the flight control module 16 below further reduces the risk of electromagnetic crosstalk through spatial isolation.

[0055] In optional embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a battery compartment 17 is provided inside the box-shaped body 11, and the drone 1 also includes a battery 17, which is disposed in the battery compartment 17. The drone 1 also includes a first landing gear 18 and a second landing gear disposed on opposite sides of the box-shaped body 11 in the width direction. At least one of the first landing gear 18 and the second landing gear is provided with a charging contact, which is electrically connected to the battery 17.

[0056] It is particularly important to note that the base plate in the box-shaped body 11, which is used to support the battery 17, not only serves as a sturdy support for the heavy-duty high-rate battery 17, but also accommodates the installation positions of the BMS (Battery Management System 17) module and the downward-facing camera.

[0057] It should be noted that the batteries 17 are centrally located in a dedicated battery compartment inside the box-shaped fuselage 11, and metal charging contacts are embedded in the bottom or inner side of the first and second landing gears, which are directly electrically connected to the batteries 17 via internal wiring. In this way, when the interceptor completes its mission or automatically returns to base and lands on the apron or hangar due to low battery, the contacts on the landing gear can directly connect to the ground power supply system and automatically begin recharging, thus achieving highly efficient automated closed-loop operation without human intervention throughout the entire process.

[0058] The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor (hereinafter referred to as the interceptor) in this embodiment supports hovering time of not less than 20 minutes. In hovering mode, the four lift propellers provide all lift and control force, and the interceptor is in a pure multi-rotor state.

[0059] The hovering range analysis is as follows: The entire machine weighs approximately 8kg, and a single power system needs to provide 2kg of pulling force. According to the test table provided by the manufacturer, when the pulling force of the power system selected in this embodiment is 2kg, the system force efficiency is 5.5kg / kW, the overall hovering power is 8 / 5.5=1.45kW, and the hovering current is 1450 / 44.8=32.3A.

[0060] In this embodiment, the selected power battery 17 is a ternary solid-state battery 17, arranged in two series groups, with six cells in each group, and a rated voltage of 44.4V (actual operating voltage is 50.4V when fully charged to 39.4V when depleted). Based on the hovering current, if the interceptor is to achieve the required hovering time (not less than 20 minutes, or 0.34 hours), the required capacity is at least 3.23A × 0.34 = 10.98AH. Considering that the interceptor does not hover in an ideal environment, and the capacity decay caused by battery 17 cycling, a factor of 1.4 is applied to the capacity, resulting in a required capacity of 15.37AH for battery 17. Based on the model of commercially available packaged batteries, two 6S (22.2V) batteries with a capacity of 16000mAh each are selected to meet the hovering requirements.

[0061] To ensure the feasibility of the selected power system, a power bench test will be conducted on the selected motor / lift propeller and governor to measure the power system power consumption and generate a measurement report to guide the subsequent development of similar products. Specific test data are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0062] Table 1

[0063] Table 2

[0064] During the target search phase, the interceptor primarily hovers and flies at low speeds. To achieve a 10km cruising distance while maintaining a 20-minute hover time, the interceptor needs to maintain a flight speed of 30km / h (approximately 8.3m / s). Previous tests on quadcopter interceptors have shown that at speeds below 10m / s, the power consumption of a multi-rotor interceptor is almost the same as when hovering (the interceptor's tilt angle is small at low speeds, approximating hovering). Therefore, given a 20-minute flight time, the range can exceed 10km.

[0065] Preliminary simulations of the dynamic model were conducted using the Ardupilot simulator. The conclusion was that the quadcopter interceptor could reach its maximum sustained top speed when tilted forward by approximately 36-38°. Therefore, subsequent CFD simulations will be based on this, and a prototype will be built for real-world flight testing.

[0066] Assuming the interceptor flies horizontally at the maximum output power of its motors, a single motor can generate a continuous thrust of 7 kg (in calm airflow). At high speeds, this will generate induced drag, resulting in lift loss. Using the airfoil Reynolds number as an analogy, at an altitude of 1000 meters and a speed of 50 m / s, an interceptor with dimensions on the order of 700 mm would experience a Reynolds number of approximately 2.34 million. To ensure the interceptor can continuously accelerate to 50 m / s, a fairing needs to be added to reduce the drag coefficient.

[0067] In this embodiment, the front half of the NACA0020 airfoil is used as the design basis for the interceptor's nose fairing. The interceptor nose carries a net trap 21, and the drag coefficient is increased by 1.6 to 1.8 times compared to a pure airfoil.

[0068] In CFD software, the lift and drag coefficients of the NACA0020 airfoil were calculated from -5° to 15° angle of attack. The interceptor fuselage is approximately an airfoil with a top-view area of ​​about 0.075 m², a flight speed of 50 m / s, and a drag coefficient of 0.0676. The drag generated by the interceptor's wing under these conditions is calculated as follows: ; Where D is drag, ρ is air density, v is flight speed, S is wing area, and C is air density. d The drag coefficient is given. The wing generates 9.73 kg of drag. The total drag is approximately 95 N. Considering the interceptor also has other protrusions such as arms, landing gear, and lidar 32, the total drag during cruise flight should be higher. The total drag is tentatively calculated using an empirical value of 150 N. The four rotors 142 need to provide approximately 15 kg of horizontal thrust separation at a tilt of 38°. In this embodiment, a thrust system of 7 kg is selected. When flying forward at 50 m / s, the horizontal component is approximately 28 × sin38° = 17 kg, which is sufficient to overcome the current drag and achieve a horizontal flight speed of 50 m / s.

[0069] It is particularly important to note that the net trap 21 can be the DHGY-DL-FW-03A type net trap 21 manufactured by Dalian Dongheng Guangyu. Its parameters are as follows: Launch distance: 8~10m; Net area: ≥3.2m × 3.2m; Net shape: square; Initial launch velocity: ≥15m / s; Launch angle: ≥20°; Radar frequency: 60GHz; Radar power: 20dBm; Beamwidth: 10°; Detection distance: 8m; Transmission control: External RS232 control, automatic transmission based on radar distance; Weight: ≤270g; Recoil force: ≥520N.

[0070] Specifically, the net catcher 21 is mounted on a support 22 integrally molded from carbon fiber composite plastic. To improve integration and the reliability of the physical structure, the net catcher 21 and the support 22 completely abandon the cumbersome traditional cable plug-and-play connection, instead using highly reliable elastic contacts to simultaneously achieve stable power supply and data communication. Thus, operators can quickly disassemble and assemble the net catcher 21 in a short time without the need for any auxiliary tools.

[0071] Upon receiving instructions from the ground base station, UAV 1 will quickly fly towards the approximate area where the target object is located. Upon arrival, its onboard electro-optical pod 31 will immediately activate, using image recognition algorithms to search for and lock onto the target within its field of view. Once locked, the system enters continuous tracking mode, calculating key information such as the target's azimuth, distance, and speed in real time. Subsequently, when the target enters the optimal launch window, the net catcher 21 will autonomously intercept the target object.

[0072] Finally, it should be noted that the terms "parallel" and "perpendicular" in the embodiments of this invention should not be strictly limited to a geometric sense. At least manufacturing and installation errors should be considered. For example, an error of ±10° should be within the protection range of the embodiments of this invention. The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this invention, and not to limit it. Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention.

Claims

1. A flexible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interceptor, characterized in that, include: The drone includes a box-shaped fuselage, a front arm, a rear arm, and rotor assemblies. The front arm includes a first arm and a second arm located on opposite sides of the box-shaped fuselage in the width direction. The rear arm includes a third arm and a fourth arm located on opposite sides of the box-shaped fuselage in the width direction. The front arm and the rear arm are spaced apart along the length direction of the box-shaped fuselage. Each of the first arm, the second arm, the third arm, and the fourth arm is equipped with a corresponding rotor assembly. An interception assembly is provided at the first end of the box-shaped body along its length direction, and the interception assembly is disposed in the first equipment compartment. The interception assembly includes a net catcher, a support, and a gimbal servo. The support is connected to the gimbal servo, the net catcher is disposed on the support, and the gimbal servo is configured to drive the support to pitch, thereby causing the net catcher to perform corresponding movements. A positioning component is disposed within the first equipment compartment, along the height direction of the box-shaped body, and is located above the interception component. The positioning component is configured to determine the location of the target object so that the UAV can approach the target object and intercept the target object through the net catcher.

2. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotor assembly includes a first drive member and a rotor connected to each other; when the UAV is in a hovering attitude, the first plane on which the rotor corresponding to the front arm is located is higher than the second plane on which the rotor corresponding to the rear arm is located; wherein, the first plane and the second plane are both horizontal planes.

3. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the UAV is in flight attitude, the first plane on which the rotor is located corresponding to the front arm and the second plane on which the rotor is located corresponding to the rear arm are both inclined planes.

4. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the drone is in the hovering or flying posture, the net catcher is horizontally positioned.

5. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the UAV is in the hovering posture, the launch axis of the net catcher is coaxial with the center of gravity of the flexible UAV interceptor; when the UAV is in the flight posture, the distance between the launch axis of the net catcher and the center of gravity of the flexible UAV interceptor along the altitude direction is less than or equal to 110mm.

6. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the UAV is in flight, the angle between the axis of the box-shaped body and the horizontal plane ranges from 10° to 12°.

7. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The positioning component includes an optoelectronic pod and a lidar, with the lidar positioned above the optoelectronic pod along the height of the box-shaped body.

8. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to claim 7, characterized in that, The positioning component further includes a second driving element connected to the photoelectric pod, the second driving element being configured to drive the photoelectric pod to yaw and pitch.

9. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The second end of the box-shaped body along its length is provided with a second equipment compartment. The UAV also includes a self-organizing network module and a flight control module. Both the self-organizing network module and the flight control module are located in the second equipment compartment, and along the height direction, the self-organizing network module is located above the flight control module.

10. The flexible unmanned aerial vehicle interceptor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The box-shaped fuselage is equipped with a battery compartment, and the drone also includes a battery disposed in the battery compartment; wherein, the drone also includes a first landing gear and a second landing gear disposed on opposite sides of the box-shaped fuselage in the width direction, at least one of the first landing gear and the second landing gear is provided with a charging contact, and the charging contact is electrically connected to the battery.

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