Ground Microphone Array Landing Guidance for GNSS-Denied Drones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drones rely on GNSS for precise landing, but signal disruptions can compromise safety and operational efficiency, especially in urban or obstructed environments.
Innovation Solution
A microphone array at a landing site captures sound emissions from a drone to calculate its position and direction, using sound-based navigation to guide the drone to a safe landing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GNSS is used for drone navigation and landing, then positioning accuracy is improved, but reliability deteriorates when satellite signals are disrupted or unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an acoustic field as an intermediary medium for navigation. Microphones on the drone and reference microphones on the ground receive sound waves from a sound source, and the processor calculates position based on time difference of arrival (TDOA) of these acoustic signals. This acoustic intermediary enables reliable positioning without relying on satellite signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electromagnetic satellite-based GNSS system with an acoustic-based localization system. Instead of receiving electromagnetic signals from satellites, the drone uses microphones to capture acoustic waves from a ground-based sound source, and position is calculated through acoustic signal processing rather than satellite triangulation.
2Reliability
If acoustic signal processing is used for drone localization, then reliability is improved in GNSS-denied environments, but device complexity increases due to microphone arrays and signal processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The drone's own microphones and sound processing capabilities are used to detect and localize the acoustic signal. The system leverages the drone's existing onboard microphones and processors to perform self-localization without requiring additional complex external equipment, making the drone serve its own navigation needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The acoustic localization system can serve multiple functions: navigation, obstacle detection, and positioning. The same microphone array and signal processing infrastructure used for localization can also detect environmental sounds and obstacles, making the system multi-functional rather than single-purpose.
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
Enables safe and precise drone landing even without GNSS, enhancing operational safety and reliability in environments where satellite signals are unreliable.
Implementation Method 1
The airborne vehicle emits sounds that are captured by the microphones and used to calculate the vehicle's position and direction
Data Source
AI summary
A navigation system for airborne vehicles without GNSS data uses at least three microphones positioned at or near a base station. The microphones capture sounds emitted by the airborne vehicle and these sounds are processed to calculate the vehicle's location. The vehicle then makes a series of maneuvers in response to the information received from the base station.