Autonomous Rotorcraft UAS Precision Landing and Recharging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current rotorcraft unmanned aerial systems (UAS) lack the capability for fully autonomous long-duration operation and precision energy replenishment, especially in outdoor environments with variable lighting and GPS signal degradation, limiting their ability to conduct repeated, high-frequency data collection missions without human intervention.
Innovation Solution
A system with onboard high-level autonomy software that enables fully autonomous mission execution, including flight control, state estimation, system health monitoring, emergency behaviors, and automated recharging, using a monocular camera for precision landing and Ultra Wide Band radio transmitters for homing in GPS-denied environments, and a contact-based charging solution for efficient energy replenishment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If rotorcraft UAS are equipped with onboard energy storage for extended flight, then duration of action is improved, but weight of moving object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the energy replenishment task into two parts: the UAS carries lightweight energy storage for immediate use, while a ground-based energy replenishment station provides bulk energy. This segmentation allows the UAS to maintain long flight duration without carrying excessive weight, as energy is transferred during periodic landing cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground-based energy replenishment station acts as an intermediary between the power source and the UAS. Instead of the UAS carrying all necessary energy, the station serves as an external energy reservoir that periodically replenishes the UAS during autonomous landings, resolving the weight-duration tradeoff.
2Ease of operation
If GPS-based navigation is used for autonomous landing, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates in GPS-denied environments
Solution Approach 1:
Visual fiducial markers are introduced as intermediary reference objects on the landing pad. These markers serve as a local reference frame that the UAS can detect and use for precise positioning, replacing reliance on GPS signals and enabling accurate autonomous landing in GPS-denied environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces GPS-based electronic navigation with a vision-based navigation system that uses optical detection of visual fiducial markers. This substitution enables precise position estimation through image processing and geometric calculations, achieving sub-meter accuracy without GPS signals.
3Productivity
If contact-based charging is implemented for rapid energy replenishment, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UAS is equipped with autonomous capabilities to independently navigate to the landing pad, align with visual fiducial markers, and execute precision landing for contact-based charging without human intervention. This self-service approach enables rapid energy replenishment while keeping the charging mechanism itself relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The landing pad serves multiple functions: it is both the target for autonomous precision landing and the platform for contact-based energy replenishment. By combining these functions in a single ground-based station, the system achieves rapid charging without requiring separate complex mechanisms.
4Measurement precision
If visual fiducial markers are used for precision landing, then measurement precision is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to lighting variations
Solution Approach 1:
The visual fiducial markers utilize specific color patterns and high-contrast designs that are optimized for detection under varying lighting conditions. The markers' visual properties are engineered to maintain detectability and geometric integrity across different illumination levels, reducing sensitivity to lighting variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs real-time detection and processing of visual fiducial marker images to continuously estimate the UAS position and orientation. This feedback loop allows the navigation system to adapt to changing lighting conditions by adjusting detection parameters and maintaining accurate position estimation throughout the landing approach.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system provide the ability to autonomously operate an unmanned aerial system (UAS) over long durations of time. The UAS vehicle autonomously takes off from a take-off landing-charging station and autonomously executes a mission. The mission includes data acquisition instructions in a defined observation area. Upon mission completion, the UAS autonomously travels to a target landing-charging station and performs an autonomous precision landing on the target landing-charging station. The UAS autonomously re-charges via the target landing-charging station. Once re-charged, the UAS is ready to execute a next sortie. When landed, the UAS autonomously transmits mission data to the landing-charging station for in situ or cloud-based data processing.