Automated Drone Flight Planning and Risk Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for preparing safety cases for drone operations are labor-intensive and costly, requiring manual data collection and relying on worst-case scenario analysis, which is not dynamically adaptable to changing environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that automates data collection by accessing public and private databases to identify hazards and determine risk levels, allowing for dynamic flight planning that minimizes risk while meeting user objectives, using a computing device to receive parameters, identify data sources, retrieve data, determine risk, and optimize flight plans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual data collection methods are used to prepare safety cases, then data accuracy can be ensured through human review, but the time and cost required for preparation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data collection and analysis processes with an automated computing system that retrieves data from multiple sources, processes it through algorithms, and generates safety case documentation automatically. This substitution maintains data accuracy through systematic processing while dramatically reducing preparation time and human labor requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically gathering required safety data from various sources, performing risk assessments, and generating flight plan recommendations without requiring manual intervention for each step. The computing device independently completes the entire safety case preparation process, freeing operators from time-consuming manual tasks.
2Reliability
If worst-case scenario analysis is used for safety cases, then regulatory compliance is ensured, but the flight plans become overly conservative and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic risk assessment that adapts to actual environmental conditions and operational parameters. Instead of applying static worst-case scenarios to all situations, the system evaluates specific risks for each flight operation and adjusts the flight plan accordingly. This dynamic approach maintains necessary safety margins for regulatory compliance while optimizing flight paths and timing to avoid unnecessary conservatism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters used in safety analysis from fixed worst-case values to variable parameters based on actual environmental data, weather conditions, and operational context. By adjusting risk assessment parameters dynamically rather than using static worst-case values, the system achieves regulatory compliance while improving flight operation efficiency and reducing unnecessary constraints.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive manual data gathering is performed to identify all potential hazards, then complete hazard identification is achieved, but the complexity and cost of the process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal computing-based platform that handles multiple data collection, analysis, and documentation functions through a single integrated system. This multi-functional approach retrieves data from various sources, performs hazard identification, conducts risk assessments, and generates safety case documentation all through one system, reducing overall process complexity while maintaining comprehensive hazard identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device acts as an intermediary that automatically retrieves and synthesizes data from multiple external sources (weather services, geographic databases, regulatory databases) without requiring manual collection from each source. This intermediary function consolidates complex multi-source data gathering into a single automated process, maintaining completeness while reducing operational complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of determining a flight plan for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprises, with a computing device, receiving (400) a set of parameters associated with a proposed flight operation related to the unmanned aerial vehicle, identifying (402) one or more data sources that contain data associated with one or more of the parameters, retrieving (406) data associated with one or more of the parameters from one or more of the identified data sources, determining (416) a level of risk associated with the proposed flight operation based on the retrieved data, and determining (418) the flight plan based on the level of risk.