Indoor Drone Control Using Predictive Human Position Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drones operating indoors face safety risks due to inadequate onboard sensors for detecting people and objects, leading to potential malfunctions and restricted flying times, as they often require empty spaces to avoid collisions, resulting in underutilization.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines real-time and predictive information about individuals' positions within a building using mobile devices and sensors, allowing drones to control their flight paths, speeds, and actions to maintain safe distances, land, or transmit warning sounds to avoid collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If drones operate indoors using only onboard sensors, then the device complexity is reduced, but the safety and reliability deteriorate due to insufficient detection capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces building sensors (external intermediaries) that detect individual positions and transmit this information to the drone controller. This mediator system compensates for the drone's insufficient onboard sensing capabilities without requiring the drone itself to be overly complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the drone's onboard sensors with building-wide sensor networks (cameras, LIDAR, radar, motion sensors) to create a hybrid detection system. This merging provides comprehensive detection capability while distributing complexity across multiple components.
2Reliability
If drones are operated only in empty spaces, then the safety is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to restricted flying times
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously receives real-time position information from building sensors and feedback loops adjust drone flight paths dynamically. This allows the drone to operate safely among individuals by constantly adapting to their movements, thereby increasing productivity without compromising safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic flight path adjustment where the drone's operational parameters (speed, altitude, route) are continuously modified based on real-time individual positions. This dynamic operation enables safe coexistence with individuals, transforming static safety zones into adaptive operational spaces.
3Reliability
If drones maintain real-time monitoring of individual positions, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is segmented into building infrastructure sensors (permanent installation) and drone onboard sensors (mobile). This segmentation places the energy-intensive monitoring burden on the building's power infrastructure rather than the drone's limited battery, enabling continuous monitoring without proportionally increasing drone energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus and system are provided for operating one or more drones in a building. In the context of a method, information is determined that includes at least one of real time information or predictive information. The real time information is indicative of a position of at least one individual in the building, while the predictive information is indicative of a predicted location of the at least one individual in the building at a certain time. The method also includes controlling the one or more drones in the building according to the at least one of the real time information or the predictive information to avoid the at least one individual while the drone is performing a task.