Aerial Drone Data Collection for Vegetation-Attenuated Sensor Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telemetry systems face challenges in agricultural environments due to vegetation attenuation, which reduces the effectiveness of wireless communication between sensor stations and a central base station, often requiring expensive solutions like elevated antennas.
Innovation Solution
A drone-carriable aerial data collection system that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol for transmitting sensor data from ground-level sensor stations with directional antennas, allowing vertical transmission to reduce signal attenuation by nearby vegetation, and a pre-defined flight path for the drone to collect data from multiple stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sensor stations are placed at ground level in agricultural environments, then installation cost and complexity are reduced, but wireless communication reliability deteriorates due to vegetation attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile aerial platform (drone) that operates in the vertical dimension to collect sensor data. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for ground-level sensor stations to have line-of-sight communication with fixed base stations, as the aerial platform can receive data from ground-level sensors without vegetation obstruction in the horizontal plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile aerial platform acts as an intermediary between ground-level sensor stations and the data collection system. It carries receivers that can selectively tune to different sensor station frequencies, mediating the data collection process while allowing ground-level sensors to operate without expensive elevated infrastructure.
2Reliability
If elevated structures are used to position sensor stations above vegetation, then wireless communication reliability improves, but installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of elevating sensor stations vertically (which increases cost), the patent moves the data collection platform to the aerial dimension. This allows ground-level sensors to communicate reliably with the mobile aerial receiver without requiring expensive towers or elevated mounting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a mobile aerial platform that can dynamically position itself over different sensor stations rather than using fixed elevated infrastructure. This dynamic approach reduces installation cost while maintaining communication reliability, as the platform can fly directly over each sensor station to collect data.
3Device complexity
If a fixed base station is used to collect data from all sensor stations, then system complexity is reduced, but communication reliability deteriorates due to distance and vegetation attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the static fixed base station with a mobile aerial platform that can dynamically position itself close to each sensor station. This maintains relatively simple system architecture while significantly improving communication reliability by reducing transmission distance and avoiding vegetation obstructions through aerial operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile aerial platform operates in the vertical dimension, allowing it to collect data from multiple ground-level sensor stations without being constrained by horizontal distance or vegetation attenuation. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining simple system design while achieving reliable communication through dimensional change.
4Loss of information
If sensor data is transmitted continuously from all sensor stations, then data collection completeness improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic data collection where the mobile aerial platform visits sensor stations at scheduled intervals rather than requiring continuous transmission. Sensors can transmit data in periodic bursts when the aerial platform is nearby, ensuring data completeness while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows sensor stations to store data locally and transmit only when the aerial platform is in range, making the sensors self-serve their data collection function without requiring continuous active transmission. This reduces energy consumption while maintaining data completeness through on-demand transmission triggered by platform presence.
Data Source
AI summary
A telemetry system includes an array of sensor stations arranged in a spaced apart arrangement, wherein respective sensor stations include a respective sensor to generate respective sensor data regarding a respective sensed parameter, a respective sensor station memory to store the respective sensor data, a respective sensor station antenna, a respective sensor station wireless transmitter, and a respective sensor station processor to periodically activate the respective sensor station wireless transmitter to transmit the respective sensor data via the respective sensor station antenna. The telemetry system includes an aerial data collection system including an aerial data collection system antenna, and an aerial data collection system receiver to receive the respective sensor data transmitted by the respective sensor station antenna.