Aerially-Mobile Device Autonomous Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Setting up complex device systems in large or varied environments is time-consuming and prone to errors, as manual reconfiguration requires knowledge of system components and their physical arrangement, orientation, and operation.
Innovation Solution
A system of aerially-mobile devices equipped with propulsion and control systems that can autonomously reconfigure themselves based on predetermined configurations or dynamically determined arrangements to perform cooperative functions, using a control system to instruct and navigate the devices to specific locations within an environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual reconfiguration is used to set up device systems, then the system can be configured according to specific arrangements, but the process is time-consuming and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The aerially-mobile devices autonomously navigate to their designated spatial locations and self-configure into the desired device configuration without requiring manual intervention. The control system automatically determines configurations based on environmental parameters and goals, and the devices independently execute the reconfiguration operation by flying to specified locations and arranging themselves accordingly.
2Ease of operation
If manual reconfiguration is used, then operators can control the arrangement of devices, but the process requires specialized knowledge and is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical reconfiguration with an automated control system that uses computational algorithms to determine optimal device configurations based on environmental parameters and operational goals. The control system automatically generates navigation commands and coordinates the movement of aerially-mobile devices, eliminating the need for operators to manually handle and position each device.
3Productivity
If autonomous reconfiguration is implemented, then setup time is reduced and efficiency improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into modular functional components: environmental parameter sensing modules, goal determination modules, configuration calculation modules, and navigation command generation modules. Each aerially-mobile device also has independent navigation and positioning capabilities. This segmentation allows the complex autonomous reconfiguration task to be broken down into manageable sub-tasks that can be executed independently and coordinated systematically.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for autonomous device reconfiguration are described herein. A system may include aerially-mobile devices each configured to perform a respective end-use function and carry out a portion of a reconfiguration operation, which involves arranging the one or more aerially-mobile devices according to a device configuration. A given device configuration may specify spatial locations within an environment corresponding to the aerially-mobile devices. The system may also include a control system configured to facilitate a reconfiguration operation by executing instructions including: (i) determining, for each aerially-mobile device, a respective spatial location associated with a particular device configuration; (ii) detecting a triggering event indicative of an instruction to arrange aerially-mobile devices according to the particular device configuration; and (iii) responsive to the detection of the triggering event, causing each aerially-mobile device to begin flying to its respective spatial location associated with the particular configuration.