Dual-Spinning Laser Positioning for Lightweight UAV Landing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current UAV positioning systems, such as those using infrared imaging, increase the weight, power consumption, and cost of the UAV due to the need for optical flow sensors and image computing units, and require additional hardware and computing capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A dual spinning laser-based UAV positioning system utilizing two laser modules rotating around perpendicular axes, with a signal transceiver and controller, to calculate the UAV's relative location through triangulation, requiring only a laser receiver and signal transceiver on the UAV.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If infrared imaging is used for precise positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but UAV weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidUAV weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of equipping the UAV with complex active sensing hardware (infrared cameras, optical flow sensors), the patent inverts the approach by placing passive laser receiving equipment on the UAV and active laser emitting/ scanning equipment on the ground. This transfers the computational and hardware complexity from the moving UAV to the stationary ground station, significantly reducing UAV weight while maintaining high positioning accuracy through triangulation calculations performed on the ground.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Measurement precision

If infrared imaging is used for precise positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidUAV power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent moves the power-intensive components (laser sources, rotating scanning mechanisms, image processing units) from the UAV to the ground station. The UAV only needs to consume minimal power for a simple laser receiver and signal transceiver, dramatically reducing power consumption while the ground station handles all computationally intensive triangulation calculations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Measurement precision

If optical flow sensor and image computing unit are installed on UAV, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidUAV hardware complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the need for complex active sensing hardware on the UAV by inverting the system architecture. The UAV carries only a simple passive laser receiver and signal transceiver, while all complex functionality (laser emission, scanning mechanisms, image processing, triangulation calculations) is implemented on the ground station, significantly simplifying UAV hardware design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Measurement precision

If image data upload is required for image recognition, then positioning accuracy is improved, but loss of time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidpositioning time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The ground station continuously scans the space with rotating laser modules before the UAV arrives, maintaining real-time awareness of the environment. When the UAV enters the scanning range and responds to the laser, the ground station already has current spatial data and can immediately perform triangulation calculations without requiring data upload delays, enabling real-time positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables precise UAV landing and positioning without additional hardware or computing demands on the UAV, reducing weight and power consumption while maintaining high accuracy.

Implementation Method 1

The first laser module is configured to provide a first light beam emitted by rotating around a first axis

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight: Light

Data Source

PatentUS20260086560A1Dual spinning laser-based UAV positioning and landing system and method

Publication Date: 2026.03.26 NATIONAL TSING HUA UNIVERSITY

AI summary

Provided is a dual spinning laser-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) positioning and landing system including a first laser module, a first rotating module, a second laser module, a second rotating module, a signal transceiver, a controller and a substrate, and a method thereof. The first laser module is configured to provide a first light beam emitted by rotating around a first axis. The first rotating module is configured to drive the first laser module to rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the first axis to allow the first light beam to scan in a space. The second laser module is configured to provide a second light beam emitted by rotating around a second axis. The second rotating module is configured to drive the second laser module to rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the second axis to allow the second light beam to scan in the space.