Multicopter Forced Landing Control With Autonomous Site Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned aircraft require remote control for forced landings in abnormal situations, limiting their autonomy and ability to choose a safe landing site, especially when they can continue flying.
Innovation Solution
An unmanned aircraft equipped with a control unit that identifies a forced landing site using predetermined locations, position detection, or image analysis, and controls the rotors for autonomous landing, employing a soft landing device if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If remote control is used for forced landing in abnormal situations, then the user can control the landing process, but the aircraft cannot autonomously select a safe landing site
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft performs forced landing autonomously without user intervention by detecting abnormalities, identifying safe landing sites using position detection and image recognition, and automatically controlling motors to execute the landing. The system serves itself by making independent decisions throughout the entire forced landing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The aircraft pre-identifies multiple candidate landing sites and evaluates their safety before actually needing to perform a forced landing. When an abnormality is detected, the system can immediately execute the landing at the pre-selected safe site without requiring real-time user input or deliberation.
2Extent of automation
If the aircraft makes a soft landing at an arbitrary location using an air bag, then it can ensure safety, but it cannot choose a specific forced landing site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical air bag landing system with an active control system that uses position detection units, image capturing units, and motor control to actively navigate and land at predetermined safe sites. This substitution allows the aircraft to choose specific landing locations rather than relying on arbitrary air bag deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the aircraft's position using position detection units and captures ground images to verify landing site safety. This feedback mechanism allows the aircraft to adjust its flight path and confirm it is approaching the correct forced landing site, ensuring both autonomous site selection and landing safety.
3Productivity
If the aircraft requires user remote control for forced landing, then the user can make decisions, but the response time and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft autonomously detects abnormalities, identifies forced landing sites, and executes the landing sequence without waiting for user input. This self-service capability eliminates the time delay associated with remote control communication and user decision-making, significantly improving forced landing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system rapidly progresses through the forced landing sequence by automatically detecting abnormalities and immediately initiating the landing protocol. It skips the time-consuming steps of user notification, user decision-making, and remote control transmission, rushing through the critical phases to minimize response time.
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned aircraft 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention provides an unmanned aircraft that properly makes a forced landing in case of an abnormality. The unmanned aircraft 1 is configured as a multicopter that flies with lift and thrust generated by rotation of six rotors 13. The unmanned aircraft 1 identifies a forced landing site in a case of having detected an abnormality during flight and controls motors 12 configured to drive the respective rotors 13, to make a landing at the identified forced landing site. The unmanned aircraft 1 is consequently enabled to make an autonomous forced landing at a specific site in case of an abnormality.