Drone Housing-Shape Matching for Beacon-Free Unit Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drone delivery systems require dedicated equipment, such as a beacon apparatus, to be installed at the destination dwelling unit, which is impractical for widespread implementation.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that acquires shape and location information of a housing complex, allowing a drone to determine and specify the target dwelling unit by comparing detected shapes with pre-stored information, enabling accurate landing without dedicated equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a beacon apparatus is installed at each dwelling unit to enable drone delivery, then the drone can accurately identify and land at the target dwelling unit, but the system complexity and cost increase due to requiring dedicated equipment installation in every dwelling unit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from the dwelling unit itself and places it on the drone. Instead of requiring beacon apparatus at each destination, the drone carries its own identification equipment (imaging device and shape recognition system) to actively identify the target location by recognizing the housing complex shape and comparing it with pre-stored reference data.
Solution Approach 2:
The drone performs self-identification of the target dwelling unit using its own onboard imaging device and shape recognition algorithms. The system uses pre-stored shape information of housing complexes to enable the drone to autonomously identify and locate the destination without external beacon assistance.
2Reliability
If a beacon apparatus is installed at each dwelling unit, then the drone can reliably identify the target location, but the ease of operation and deployment deteriorate because dedicated equipment must be installed in every destination dwelling unit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the drone universally applicable to any dwelling unit within a housing complex by equipping it with general-purpose imaging devices and shape recognition capabilities. The system can identify any target location within the complex by comparing observed shapes with pre-stored reference shapes, eliminating the need for location-specific beacon installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy or model of the housing complex shape and stores it in advance. The drone captures images of the actual housing complex and compares them with the stored digital model to identify the target dwelling unit, replacing the need for physical beacon apparatus at each destination.
3Measurement precision
If dedicated beacon equipment is installed at each destination, then accurate drone delivery is achieved, but the cost-effectiveness deteriorates due to the high cost of equipment installation and maintenance across multiple dwelling units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from the destination infrastructure (beacon apparatus at dwelling units) and relocates it to the mobile platform (drone). This eliminates the need for expensive infrastructure installation at each destination while maintaining delivery accuracy through the drone's onboard imaging and shape recognition systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces expensive, permanent beacon apparatus installations with a portable, reusable identification system on the drone. The pre-stored shape information and image processing capabilities provide a cost-effective alternative that eliminates ongoing installation and maintenance costs associated with dedicated equipment at each dwelling unit.
Data Source
AI summary
An acquisition unit acquires data indicating a result of detecting a shape of a housing complex that includes a target dwelling unit that is a destination of a drone. An acquisition unit acquires shape information regarding the shape of the housing complex, and positional information regarding a position of the target dwelling unit in the housing complex. A determination unit determines whether or not the housing complex reached by the drone is the housing complex that includes the target dwelling unit by comparing the detection result of detecting the shape of the housing complex reached based on the position of the drone with the acquired shape information. A specifying unit specifies the position of the target dwelling unit in the housing complex when the housing complex reached based on the position of the drone is determined to be the housing complex that includes the target dwelling unit.