Autonomous Drone Evacuation Routing for Building Emergencies

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for responding to emergency conditions in buildings rely on human detection and communication, which can lead to errors and delays, potentially worsening the emergency situation and causing property damage, safety risks, and increased costs.

Innovation Solution

A computing platform that uses autonomous drones to detect emergency conditions, gather sensor data, plan evacuation routes, and transmit instructions to drones to indicate evacuation routes to persons in the vicinity, thereby enhancing the accuracy and speed of emergency response.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If human detection and communication methods are used for emergency conditions, then system complexity is reduced, but response time increases and detection accuracy decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse timeVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables autonomous drones to self-navigate to emergency locations, self-capture sensor data, self-analyze conditions, and self-communicate findings without human intervention at each step, thereby reducing response time while managing complexity through automation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual human detection and communication processes are replaced with automated drone-based sensor systems and electronic communication channels, eliminating the need for human physical presence and manual reporting, thus reducing response time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If manual detection and communication processes are used, then device complexity is minimized, but detection accuracy and reliability decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous drone system performs multiple functions including navigation, sensor data capture, real-time analysis, and communication through a single integrated platform, improving detection accuracy across multiple parameters while managing complexity through multi-functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously captures sensor data, analyzes it in real-time, and uses the feedback to adjust navigation and detection strategies, improving detection accuracy through iterative refinement while maintaining manageable complexity through automated feedback loops

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If autonomous drones are deployed for emergency detection and response, then response time and detection accuracy improve, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemergency response efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The complex autonomous drone system is divided into separate functional modules including navigation subsystem, sensor subsystem, analysis subsystem, and communication subsystem, allowing each to be optimized independently while improving overall emergency response efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Drones are pre-positioned or rapidly deployable to emergency locations before full response teams arrive, and sensor systems are pre-calibrated for quick activation, enabling immediate detection and response while managing complexity through preparatory measures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Loss of information

If autonomous drones with sensor data collection are used, then information accuracy improves, but loss of time in data processing may increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation accuracyVSAvoiddata processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The drone system captures comprehensive sensor data beyond minimum requirements and performs full analysis onboard, ensuring complete information accuracy is achieved without sacrificing time, as the automated processing handles the excess data efficiently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12347306B2Emergency incident detection, response, and mitigation using autonomous drones

Publication Date: 2025.07.01 ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY

AI summary

A system may be configured to detect an emergency condition at a premises; dispatch one or more autonomous drones to a location associated with the emergency condition; receive from the one or more autonomous drones, sensor data associated with the emergency condition; generate, based on the sensor data, a plan identifying an evacuation route for safely evacuating the premises; and transmit an instruction that causes the one or more autonomous drones to indicate, to one or more persons in a vicinity of the emergency condition, the evacuation route. The system may further detect, based on the sensor data, one or more safe areas in the premises, and the evacuation route may pass through at least one of the one or more safe areas.