Decentralized UAV Flight Control With Local IMUs and Batteries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centralized control systems in UAVs are prone to multiple points of failure, leading to potential uncontrolled flight and crashes due to failures in the IMU, CAN bus, propulsion controllers, or power systems, which can result in dangerous situations.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized control and battery system configuration is implemented, where each propulsion controller has a local IMU and battery, allowing for autonomous stabilization and power rerouting in case of failures, with IMUs providing attitude information and switches managing battery connections based on sensor feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized control system is used with a single IMU and central power system, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to multiple points of failure including IMU failure, CAN bus failure, propulsion controller failure, and battery failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized control system into multiple independent decentralized units. Each propulsion controller is equipped with its own IMU and battery, creating autonomous control nodes that can operate independently. This segmentation eliminates single points of failure and allows the system to maintain functionality even when individual units fail, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
2Reliability
If a decentralized control system with distributed IMUs and batteries is implemented, then the reliability is improved through redundancy and independence, but the device complexity increases due to multiple controllers and power systems
Solution Approach 1:
Each decentralized propulsion controller is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls its associated propulsion unit, processes attitude information from its local IMU, manages its own power distribution from its battery, and can independently stabilize the UAV. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in complexity while maintaining high reliability through redundancy.
3Reliability
If centralized power system with two batteries is used, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential battery failure affecting the entire system
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized power system is segmented into multiple distributed battery units, with each battery locally powering its associated propulsion controller. This segmentation ensures that a failure in one battery only affects its local unit, not the entire system. The modular power architecture maintains operational simplicity while dramatically improving reliability through spatial distribution of power sources.
4Reliability
If decentralized control system is implemented with automatic stabilization capability, then the reliability is improved and loss of control is prevented, but the ease of operation decreases due to autonomous control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
Each decentralized propulsion controller is equipped with autonomous stabilization capability that allows it to self-correct flight attitude without external intervention. When the UAV experiences disturbances or failures, the local controllers independently process IMU data and adjust propulsion output to maintain stability. This self-service mechanism ensures continuous reliable operation while requiring minimal operator input, effectively resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1C
Figure 1D
AI summary
An aerial vehicle (100) may include a control unit (310) configured to send control signals in order to control flight of the aerial vehicle (100), propulsion units (110) configured to control the attitude of the aerial vehicle, propulsion controllers configured to send commands to a corresponding propulsion unit of the propulsion units (110) based on the control signals, and inertial measurement units (IMU 320). Each of the IMUs (320) is configured to provide attitude information to a corresponding one of the propulsion controllers. In this way, there is one propulsion controller for each of the propulsion units and one IMU for each of the propulsion controllers. When there is a failure at the control unit, each of the propulsion control unit units are configured automatically generate the commands and control the propulsion units in order to attempt to stabilize the aerial vehicle.