Drone Flight Controller Power Cut-Off After Collision Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous drones used for agricultural chemical spraying lack safety mechanisms to prevent uncontrollable restarts and damage after collisions, posing risks to people and objects.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a collision/crash detection unit and power cut-off mechanism in the flight controller to stop the drone's motors and cut off power supply upon detection of a collision or crash, ensuring safe operation and preventing further accidents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the drone is equipped with autonomous flight capability for chemical spraying, then productivity and ease of operation are improved, but safety and reliability deteriorate due to lack of foolproof mechanisms against collisions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechemical spraying efficiencyVSAvoidsafety against collision

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flight controller performs preliminary actions by detecting collision/crash conditions through sensor signals and proactively cutting off power supply to motors before the drone can restart or cause further damage. This preventive mechanism ensures safety without interfering with autonomous spraying operations during normal flight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the drone allows restart after collision or crash, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability and safety worsen due to uncontrollability and potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverestart capabilityVSAvoidsafety after collision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flight controller applies preliminary anti-action by implementing a foolproof mechanism that prevents restart after collision/crash detection. The power cut-off command unit permanently cuts power to motors following collision detection, counteracting any potential restart attempts and ensuring the drone cannot operate in an unsafe state after collision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Productivity

If the drone continues operation after collision, then productivity is maintained, but harmful factors increase due to potential accidents and damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespraying operation continuityVSAvoidaccident risk to people and objects

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The flight controller converts the harmful effect of collision into a beneficial safety mechanism by using collision/crash detection signals to trigger power cut-off. This transforms the collision event from a potentially dangerous continuing operation into a controlled stop that prevents further harm to people and objects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS11797000B2Unmanned aerial vehicle, control system thereof and control program

Publication Date: 2023.10.24 NILEWORKS INC

AI summary

Being unable to restart when it collides with an object or crashes, an unmanned aerial vehicle, control system thereof and control program, for preventing damage caused by uncontrollable restarts and crashes is provided. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a plurality of rotating bodies, a plurality of motors individually driving and rotating the plurality of rotating bodies, and a flight controller individually controlling the plurality of motors. The flight controller includes a collision/crash detection unit detecting collision or crash on the basis of a signal from a sensor, and a power cut-off command unit cutting off a power supply on the basis of a detection signal from the collision/crash detection unit.