Unmanned Aircraft Hoisting Mechanism for Preflight Package Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned aircraft systems face challenges in easily anchoring packages to linear members during delivery, which affects delivery efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The system includes a hoisting mechanism with a winch to feed out and hoist a flexible linear member, a drop-preventing mechanism to secure the package, and a control device that manages the flight and hoisting operations to ensure easy anchoring and stable delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the aircraft lands to deliver cargo, then the delivery is reliable, but the delivery time increases and requires a flat location with sufficient area
Solution Approach 1:
The package is anchored to the linear member before the aircraft takes off, so that when the aircraft ascends, the package is automatically lifted along with the linear member without requiring the aircraft to land for delivery
Solution Approach 2:
A linear member (rope/cable) acts as an intermediary between the aircraft and the package, allowing the package to be transported aerially without the aircraft needing to land or release the package manually
2Loss of time
If the aircraft uses a hoisting mechanism to deliver cargo aerially, then the delivery time decreases, but the package anchoring becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The package is anchored to the linear member before the aircraft takes off, simplifying the anchoring operation that would otherwise be difficult to perform while the aircraft is in flight
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of attempting to anchor the package to the moving aircraft (difficult), the system inverts the approach by anchoring the package to a stationary linear member that will be lifted by the aircraft's hoisting mechanism
3Ease of operation
If the linear member is fed out while the aircraft is on the ground, then the package can be anchored easily, but the aircraft cannot take off
Solution Approach 1:
The linear member is fed out and the package is anchored before the aircraft takes off, ensuring easy anchoring while maintaining delivery efficiency by avoiding ground-based delivery constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically manages the linear member length by controlling the hoisting mechanism to feed out the member just enough for anchoring, then retracts it to enable aircraft takeoff and flight
4Stability of the object's composition
If the package is anchored close to the aircraft, then the anchoring is stable, but the package cannot be delivered to distant locations
Solution Approach 1:
The linear member has different functional zones: a first length portion that maintains stable anchoring close to the aircraft, and a second longer portion that extends to reach distant package locations, with each portion serving its specific function
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A
AI summary
The present invention has an object of providing an unmanned aircraft system, control device and control method which can more easily anchor a package to a linear member. An unmanned aircraft system (1) of an embodiment of the present invention includes: an unmanned aircraft (2) including a hoisting mechanism capable of feeding out and hoisting a linear member (31); a flight control unit (61) which causes the unmanned aircraft (2) to take off in a state in which a package (T) anchored to the linear member (31) is arranged on a ground surface; and a hoisting control unit (62) which causes the linear member (31) to be hoisted by the hoisting mechanism (3), after the unmanned aircraft (2) has taken off, in a case of a hoisting condition indicating a state enabling hoisting of the linear member (31) being satisfied.