Drone Rotor Clearance Control Near Mobile Device Users
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Solution Overview
Problem
The interaction between drones and bystanders poses a safety concern due to the potential hazard of drone propellers rotating at high speeds, especially when humans are in proximity to drones that are starting or stopping operations.
Innovation Solution
A drone system that utilizes sensors and communication protocols to detect the presence of humans within a designated clearance area, preventing rotor activation until the area is unoccupied, and using a mobile device as a kill switch to disable rotors when the user is nearby, ensuring safe operation and user awareness through warnings and safe landing procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drone is equipped with sensors and communication protocols to detect humans and prevent rotor activation, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety system is segmented into distinct functional modules: sensors for human detection, communication protocols for signaling, and control mechanisms for rotor activation/deactivation. This modular approach allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of human presence before activating the rotors. By detecting humans in the vicinity beforehand and preventing rotor activation when humans are present, the system eliminates the hazard before it can materialize, rather than relying on reactive measures.
2Reliability
If the drone operates autonomously with human detection capabilities, then safety is improved, but loss of time increases due to detection and verification procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses rapid sensor scanning and quick verification protocols to minimize the time spent on safety checks. When no humans are detected or verification is quickly completed, the drone proceeds without delay, effectively skipping unnecessary waiting time while maintaining safety standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous drone performs self-verification of the clearance area using its own sensors and communication systems without requiring external human intervention for each safety check. This self-service capability reduces the time loss associated with manual verification procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for operating drones in proximity to objects are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining a change in drone, flight status that involves a rotor of the drone being active, determining presence of a mobile device within a designated clearance area established around the drone, preventing the drone from landing, providing a warning message to a user of the mobile device to clear away from the designated clearance area, detecting that the mobile device and the user are not within the designated clearance area, and causing the drone to land.