Firearm-Mounted sUAS Storage for Rapid Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In tactical situations, the deployment of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) requires significant operational workload, diverting resources and compromising the operator's readiness, and existing systems lack adequate protective storage for sensitive equipment.
Innovation Solution
The sUAS is tactically mounted to a firearm for rapid access, enabling single-handed deployment through a storage system with a quick-release lid and integrated electrical interconnects, allowing the operator to withdraw, activate, and launch the air vehicle without moving from a ready position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sUAS is stored in a protected storage system, then the sUAS is protected from damage, but the deployment time and operational workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sUAS is pre-positioned in a storage system that is already mounted to the firearm, with electrical connectors pre-aligned. When deployed, the sUAS is simply pulled from the storage system and electrical connection is automatically established, eliminating the need for separate mounting and wiring steps that would otherwise be required
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system is nested within or mounted to the firearm structure, and the sUAS is nested within the storage system. This nested arrangement allows the sUAS to be carried in a compact, protected position while enabling rapid extraction and deployment without requiring separate storage containers or mounting procedures
2Ease of operation
If the operator uses both hands to deploy the sUAS, then the deployment is more controlled, but the operator cannot maintain firearm control
Solution Approach 1:
The deployment operation is segmented into distinct functional zones: the left hand operates the firearm while the right hand performs the sUAS deployment sequence. The storage system, electrical connectors, and control switches are positioned and designed to enable this divided-task operation, with each hand performing its specialized function independently
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system acts as an intermediary mechanism that facilitates sUAS deployment while the operator maintains firearm control. The storage system's quick-release design and integrated electrical connectors enable automated connection processes, reducing the manual dexterity required and allowing the operator to deploy the sUAS with one hand while keeping the other hand on the firearm
3Reliability
If the sUAS requires multiple steps to deploy, then the deployment is more thorough, but the operational workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connectors are pre-positioned and pre-aligned in the storage system before deployment is initiated. The control system is pre-configured to automatically establish electrical connections and initiate power delivery when the sUAS is extracted, eliminating the need for manual connection steps and reducing the deployment sequence to a simple extraction motion
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple deployment functions are merged into a single integrated storage system: physical protection, electrical connection, power delivery, and control activation are all combined in one unit. When the sUAS is removed from the storage system, all these functions are automatically performed simultaneously, reducing the deployment process to a single action rather than multiple separate steps
Data Source
AI summary
The invention specifies key small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) features which include the tactical mounting of the sUAS to a firearm for rapid access in tactical situations. The invention claims both the fixturing of a sUAS to a firearm and technologies and methodologies to allow for deployment of the sUAS utilizing a single hand of the operator.