Manual UAV Gimbal Selector for Lightweight Flight Mode Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing UAVs with electronic gimbals and cameras are expensive, fragile, and add weight and bulk, limiting their practicality and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A UAV with a manual gimbal and flight mode selector, allowing manual selection of flight paths and camera angles, reducing reliance on electronic components and simplifying the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electronic gimbals and cameras are used in UAVs, then imaging capabilities are improved, but weight and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electronic gimbal and replaces it with a manual gimbal mechanism, removing the heavy electronic components while retaining the essential camera positioning functionality. This extraction principle directly addresses the contradiction by eliminating unnecessary weight while preserving imaging capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual gimbal mechanism uses simple, lightweight mechanical components instead of expensive, heavy electronic systems. The design prioritizes functionality over sophistication, using basic mechanical elements that are much lighter than their electronic counterparts.
2Reliability
If electronic gimbals and cameras are used in UAVs, then imaging capabilities are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex electronic gimbal system and replaces it with a simple manual mechanism. This extraction of electronic complexity while retaining mechanical functionality directly resolves the contradiction between imaging capability and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes electronic control systems with manual mechanical controls. The flight mode selector uses mechanical linkages and switches instead of electronic sensors and motors, dramatically simplifying the system while maintaining camera positioning functionality.
3Reliability
If electronic gimbals and cameras are used in UAVs, then imaging capabilities are improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manual gimbal and flight mode selector use inexpensive mechanical components instead of costly electronic systems. This substitution dramatically reduces manufacturing costs while preserving the essential imaging functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting the expensive electronic gimbal and camera stabilization systems and replacing them with simple manual mechanisms, the patent achieves cost-effective imaging capability suitable for budget-conscious UAV applications.
4Device complexity
If manual gimbal and flight mode selector are used, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The flight mode selector is designed to perform multiple functions: selecting flight paths, adjusting camera angles, and controlling gimbal positioning all through a single mechanical interface. This multi-functionality maintains ease of operation while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual gimbal system is designed to be intuitively operable without complex electronic interfaces or programming. The mechanical linkages and switches provide direct, tactile control that is self-explanatory and easy to master, maintaining operational simplicity despite the reduced electronic sophistication.
Data Source
AI summary
A UAV having a manual gimbal including a camera, and a flight mode selector configured to select both a flight mode and manually establish a camera position as a function of the selected fight mode. A controller responds to a position of the gimbal or selector to establish the flight mode. The flight mode is selected from several available modes, for example, a horizontal flight mode, a 45-degree flight mode, and a vertical (aerial) flight mode. The flight mode selector is mechanically coupled to the gimbal and establishes a pitch angle of the gimbal, and thus the camera angle attached to the gimbal.