Projectile Net with Cocklebur Entanglement for Drone Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drone capture technologies face challenges in reliably immobilizing target drones due to issues with net slippage and failure to envelop the target effectively, particularly when dealing with hostile drones that may carry payloads or pose security threats.
Innovation Solution
The integration of cockleburs into the projectile net, which become entangled with the net upon interaction with the target drone to ensure capture, combined with a drawstring mechanism that closes the net around the target, enhancing the likelihood of successful entrapment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a simple net is used to capture target drones, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability of capture is insufficient due to net slippage and failure to envelop the target
Solution Approach 1:
The net is constructed by integrating cockleburs (natural adhesive structures) with synthetic netting material, creating a composite structure that combines the enveloping capability of the net with the secure attachment properties of cockleburs. This composite design prevents slippage while maintaining overall structural integrity without requiring completely redesigning the net system.
Solution Approach 2:
The net is divided into multiple segments or sections, each potentially equipped with cockleburs at strategic locations. This segmentation allows the net to conform to the target drone's shape more effectively while maintaining flexibility, and enables localized adaptation to different target geometries without increasing overall system complexity significantly.
2Reliability
If the net is designed to envelop hostile drones carrying payloads, then the capture reliability improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Cockleburs are pre-attached to the net structure during manufacturing at optimal locations before deployment. This preliminary action ensures that when the net is deployed, the cockleburs are already positioned to maximize attachment effectiveness, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustment mechanisms and simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining high capture reliability.
3Reliability
If cockleburs are integrated into the net to prevent slippage, then the capture reliability improves, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design allows for variation in cocklebur placement parameters within acceptable ranges, such as spacing between cockleburs, distance from net edges, and orientation angles. By defining acceptable parameter ranges rather than requiring exact precision, the manufacturing process becomes more feasible while still achieving reliable capture performance. The system is designed to be robust to reasonable variations in these parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A projectile component that can be removably attached to a flying vehicle is disclosed. The projectile component includes a net configured in the projectile component, a receiving cavity configured in the projectile component, and a weight attached to the net via a string. The weight can be configured in the receiving cavity in preparation for firing the net from the projectile component. In order to entangle a target flying vehicle in the net, a cocklebur associated with the weight is included. Upon firing the net from the projectile component, and upon the net engaging with a target device, the cocklebur becomes entangled with the net to secure the target flying vehicle. A drawstring structure associated with the net can also be used to ensure that the net envelops and captures the target flying vehicle.