Flight Control Apparatus for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies fail to prevent miniature multicopters from deviating from predetermined flight areas during abnormal conditions such as sensor failure, strong winds, or communication interruptions, leading to potential accidents.
Innovation Solution
A flight control apparatus with attitude and flying operation control means, current position acquisition, flight area storage, and deviation prevention mechanisms that forcibly restrain the multicopter from leaving the permitted area by alerting the operator, pulling it back, hovering, landing, or causing it to fall, even in abnormal conditions, using separate main and sub-control devices and a parachute for controlled descent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional flight control methods are used, then the multicopter can operate normally under standard conditions, but it cannot prevent deviation from the flight area under abnormal conditions such as sensor failure, strong winds, or communication interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The flight control system is divided into two independent control devices: a main control device for normal flight operations and a sub-control device specifically for monitoring flight area restrictions. This segmentation ensures that the sub-control device can independently enforce geofence restrictions even when the main control device fails or when abnormal conditions occur, thereby improving reliability without compromising normal operation versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-control device acts as an intermediary between the multicopter's flight control system and the geofence restriction system. It receives position information, determines whether the multicopter is within the permitted flight area, and independently controls the rotors to prevent deviation. This intermediary mechanism ensures that flight area restrictions are enforced reliably under all conditions, including sensor failures, strong winds, and communication interruptions.
2Ease of operation
If the multicopter is allowed to fly freely, then maneuverability and operational flexibility are improved, but the risk of accidents outside the permitted area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-control device implements preliminary anti-action by proactively monitoring the multicopter's position relative to the flight area boundaries and preparing to counteract any potential deviation. When the multicopter approaches or exceeds the permitted flight area, the sub-control device immediately adjusts rotor control to pull the vehicle back or force it to land, preventing accidents before they can occur. This preliminary protective action maintains maneuverability within safe boundaries while eliminating the risk of operations outside the permitted area.
3Reliability
If a separate sub-control device is added for deviation prevention, then flight area restriction reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-control device combines multiple functions into a single integrated unit: it monitors position information from GPS or other positioning systems, determines whether the multicopter is within the permitted flight area by comparing position data with stored geofence coordinates, and directly controls the rotor motors to enforce restrictions. This merging of monitoring, decision-making, and actuation functions into one dedicated device achieves high reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-control device operates autonomously using its own position acquisition capabilities and internal logic to determine compliance with flight area restrictions. It self-manages the entire process of position monitoring, boundary comparison, and corrective control actions without requiring constant input from external systems or manual intervention, thereby achieving reliable geofence enforcement with minimal additional complexity.
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
Effectively prevents multicopters from leaving designated flight areas, minimizing damage and risk by ensuring the vehicle remains within the permitted area even during abnormal operations, thus confining potential losses to the vehicle and avoiding accidents outside the area.
Implementation Method 1
a parachute for controlled descent
Data Source
AI summary
A flight control apparatus that prevents an unmanned aerial vehicle from deviating from a predetermined flight-permitted area and is able to forcibly restrain it even when abnormality is present in the flight environment and the operation of the respective mechanisms of the vehicle, and an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with this apparatus. The apparatus includes current position acquiring means for acquiring a flight position of the vehicle, flight-permitted area storing means, and deviation preventing means, wherein it forcibly makes the body unable to fly when: the current position acquiring means has become unable to acquire the position of the body, the flight position of the body is in the vicinity of the boundaries between the flight-permitted area and space external thereto or keeps out of the flight-permitted area for a predetermined time or longer, or the body has moved away a predetermined distance or more from the flight-permitted area.