Autonomous Drone Port with IR Docking and Contact Charging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Emergency response situations often lack sufficient information, leading to inefficient resource allocation and potential delays in responding to emergencies, which can result in loss of life and property damage.

Innovation Solution

Deploying drones equipped with cameras, sensors, and autonomous flight capabilities to provide real-time aerial imagery and data to dispatchers, allowing for proactive and informed decision-making in emergency situations, including the use of swarms of drones to cover large areas and assess hazards before emergency personnel arrive.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If traditional emergency response methods are used relying solely on call descriptions, then resource allocation is simple and quick to initiate, but situational awareness is insufficient leading to inefficient resource allocation and potential delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesituational awarenessVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically deploying drones to the emergency location immediately after receiving the call, before emergency personnel arrive. The drones capture aerial imagery and transmit it to dispatchers in real-time, providing advance situational awareness that informs resource allocation decisions before responders reach the scene.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Drones serve as an intermediary between the emergency scene and dispatchers, bridging the information gap. The drones capture visual data from the emergency location and transmit it to the command center, allowing dispatchers to see the actual conditions without being physically present, thus improving decision-making while maintaining rapid response capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If more information is gathered about the emergency scene, then resource allocation becomes more effective, but the complexity of the response system increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation effectivenessVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs autonomous drones that self-navigate to the emergency location, automatically capture aerial imagery, and self-transmit data to dispatchers without requiring manual operation. This autonomy reduces the need for additional personnel and complex coordination, gathering comprehensive scene information while keeping operational complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual reconnaissance by emergency personnel with automated drone surveillance. Instead of sending responders into potentially hazardous areas to gather information, unmanned drones perform the information-gathering function, substituting mechanical human effort with automated aerial vehicles equipped with cameras and sensors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If drones are deployed to provide real-time aerial imagery, then situational awareness is enhanced and response times are reduced, but the cost of implementing and operating the drone system increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse efficiencyVSAvoidoperational cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system utilizes relatively inexpensive, small-scale drones with limited battery life rather than expensive, long-endurance aircraft. These compact drones can be deployed quickly and replaced if needed, providing cost-effective real-time aerial surveillance that enhances response efficiency without requiring large financial investments in sophisticated aviation equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS11279481B2Systems and methods for tracking, evaluating and determining a response to emergency situations using unmanned airborne vehicles

Publication Date: 2022.03.22 MODULAR FLIGHT INC

AI summary

Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for enhanced responsiveness in responding to an emergency situation using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Drones are fully autonomous in that they are operated without human intervention from a pilot, an operator, or other personnel. The disclosed drone utilizes movable access doors to provide the capability of vertically takeoff and landing. The drone also includes an emergency recovery system including a mechanism to deploy a parachute in an event of a failure of the on-board autopilot. Also disclosed herein is a drone port that provides an IR-based docking mechanism for precision landing of the drone, with a very low margin of error. Additionally, the drone port includes pads that provide automatic charge to the drone's batteries by contact-based charging via the drone's landing gear legs.