LIDAR-Guided Spray Drone Control for Wind Drift Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerial vehicles face challenges in mitigating spray drift caused by wind and wind gusts, leading to unintended deposition of chemicals on non-target areas due to varying wind speeds and directions, which are influenced by obstacles and landscape changes.
Innovation Solution
An aerial vehicle equipped with a liquid chemical tank, LIDAR sensors, and a processing unit that analyzes wind data to control flight operations and spray units, adjusting height, position, and droplet size to mitigate spray drift by accounting for real-time wind speed, direction, and distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the aerial vehicle operates closer to field edges or sensitive zones to improve coverage, then productivity increases, but spray drift onto non-target surfaces worsens due to wind effects
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary wind measurement using LIDAR to detect airborne particles and calculate wind velocity vectors before spray application. This advance detection allows the control system to pre-adjust spray parameters (droplet size, spray angle, flow rate) and flight path to compensate for anticipated drift, enabling safe operation near field edges without causing harmful drift onto sensitive zones
Solution Approach 2:
The LIDAR system continuously measures wind conditions and provides real-time feedback to the control system. This feedback loop enables dynamic adjustment of spray parameters and flight path during operation, allowing the aerial vehicle to maintain optimal spray deposition while avoiding drift onto non-target areas, thus improving productivity without increasing harmful effects
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the aerial vehicle flies at lower heights to reduce spray drift, then spray drift decreases, but the vehicle becomes more susceptible to wind gusts and turbulence from ground obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts flight height based on real-time LIDAR wind measurements and calculated wind vectors. When wind conditions are favorable, the vehicle operates at lower heights to minimize drift. When wind gusts or turbulence are detected, the system automatically adjusts height to maintain flight stability, thus resolving the contradiction between drift reduction and flight reliability
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the aerial vehicle increases spray droplet size to reduce drift, then spray drift decreases, but manufacturing precision of spray application worsens due to larger droplet dispersion
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes spray parameters (droplet size, spray angle, flow rate) based on real-time LIDAR wind measurements. When wind velocity is low, smaller droplets are used for precise deposition. When wind velocity increases, the system transitions to larger droplets to reduce drift, while simultaneously adjusting spray angle and flow rate to maintain deposition precision. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between drift reduction and spray precision
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the aerial vehicle uses LIDAR and processing unit to determine wind vectors and control spray operations, then spray drift mitigation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The LIDAR system serves multiple functions: it measures wind velocity vectors for drift compensation, navigates the aerial vehicle, and monitors environmental conditions. The processing unit integrates these LIDAR data with spray control and flight management. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated drift measurement devices, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving improved drift mitigation
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
This solution enables precise control of spray deposition, allowing the aerial vehicle to operate closer to edges or areas not intended for spraying, reducing drift and ensuring compliance with legal limits, while avoiding double application or missed areas within fields.
Implementation Method 1
At least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to measure the direction, distance and speed of airborne particles relative to the aerial vehicle
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an aerial vehicle (10). aerial vehicle comprises a liquid chemical tank (20), at least one liquid spray unit (30), at least one actuator (40), a plurality of sensors (50), and a processing unit (60). The liquid chemical tank is configured to hold a liquid chemical. The at least one liquid spray unit is configured to spray the liquid chemical. The at least one actuator is configured to operate the at least one liquid spray unit. At least one sensor (51) of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a speed of the aerial vehicle relative to the ground. At least one sensor (52) of the plurality of sensors is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to measure the direction and distance of airborne particles relative to the aerial vehicle with respect to a fore-aft axis of the aerial vehicle. The processing unit is configured to determine an air movement direction and distance relative to a projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground and determine an air movement speed relative to the ground. The determination comprises utilisation of the speed of the aerial vehicle, the direction and distance of airborne particles relative to the aerial vehicle with respect to the fore-aft axis of the aerial vehicle and the speed of airborne particles relative to the aerial vehicle. The processing unit is configured to control at least one flying operation of the aerial vehicle and/or control the at least one actuator. Determination of at least one instruction for the control of the at least one flying operation of the aerial vehicle and/or determination of at least one instruction for the control the at least one actuator comprises utilisation of the determined air movement direction and distance relative to the projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground and the determined air movement speed relative to the ground.