Elastic Hook Release for UAV Payload Detachment on Ground Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Payload release from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) poses challenges due to risks of injury from spinning blades, parachute deployment failures, and tether entanglement or malicious tugging, which increase delivery time and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A payload release apparatus (PRA) with a tethered hook and elastic member that expels the payload upon contact with the ground, eliminating the need for sensors and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a parachute is used for payload deployment, then the payload can descend at safe speeds, but the parachute may not deploy fast enough when the drone is hovering too low and the payload may land outside the intended target area due to wind
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the payload from the drone by cutting the tether, allowing the payload to free-fall or be deployed by a secondary mechanism while the drone retains full maneuverability. This eliminates the time delay associated with parachute deployment and allows the drone to continue its mission without waiting for payload release.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a cutting mechanism that severs the tether before the payload can be affected by adverse conditions such as wind or low-altitude deployment issues. By preemptively cutting the tether, the system prevents potential deployment failures rather than reacting to them.
2Reliability
If a winch system is used to release the payload with a tether, then the payload can be controlled during descent, but the tether may be pulled maliciously causing flight malfunction or become tangled with the payload upon ground contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the tether connection between the drone and payload by using a cutting mechanism. This extraction of the tether eliminates the risks of malicious tugging and tangling while maintaining a relatively simple device structure compared to controlled winch systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting mechanism is designed to automatically sever the tether when certain conditions are met, such as when the payload reaches a certain distance or when a specific time has elapsed. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex manual control systems while ensuring safety.
3Ease of operation
If the drone lands to deliver the payload, then the payload can be delivered directly to the user, but spinning blades pose a serious injury risk to nearby individuals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the payload from the drone using a tether-cutting mechanism, allowing the payload to be delivered independently while the drone maintains a safe distance. This eliminates the need for the drone to land, thereby removing the injury risk from spinning blades while still achieving direct payload delivery to the user.
4Measurement precision
If sensors and complex control systems are used for payload release, then the payload can be released with high precision, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting mechanism is designed to automatically activate based on simple triggers such as tether tension changes, time elapsed, or distance traveled, without requiring complex sensors or continuous power consumption. The mechanism serves itself by detecting natural changes in the system state and executing the cut autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a simple, low-cost cutting mechanism that does not require expensive or power-intensive sensors. The mechanism is designed for single-use operation, sacrificing the tether rather than investing in complex reusable control systems.
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
Ensures safe and efficient payload detachment without requiring intervention, allowing UAVs to maneuver more effectively and increase delivery capacity.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member, the elastic member blocking the gap defined between the high point and the shank of the hook portion, the elastic member having a relaxed position and a stretched position
Data Source
AI summary
A payload release apparatus (PRA) is configured to expel payload efficiently at a delivery location. In an embodiment, the PRA includes a top portion, the top portion including a connector adapted to connect to a first end of a tether; a hook portion connected to the top portion, the hook portion including: a shank, a vertex, a high point, and a gap defined between the high point and the shank; and an elastic member, the elastic member blocking the gap defined between the high point and the shank of the hook portion, the elastic member having a relaxed position and a stretched position.