Multirotor Edge Computing Architecture for Flight Controller Failover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-rotor vehicles face reliability and survivability issues due to their centrally-located flight controller, which increases weight and complexity by requiring redundant control and sensor communication across multiple rotors.
Innovation Solution
Implementing distributed modular-based edge computing systems, where each rotor has an independent edge computing system capable of acquiring sensor data, executing motor commands, and communicating with other edge computing systems or remote stations, allowing for redundancy and failover mechanisms to ensure continued operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centrally-located flight controller is used with triple redundant control and sensor communication, then flight worthiness and reliability are improved, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized flight controller into multiple distributed edge computing systems, with each edge computing system independently controlling a specific rotor. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex centralized communication routing while maintaining triple redundancy through distributed architecture, where each edge computing system has its own sensors and actuators locally coupled to it.
2Reliability
If a centrally-located flight controller is used with triple redundant control communication, then flight worthiness is improved, but the vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control architecture into distributed edge computing systems, each independently managing its own rotor with local sensors and actuators. This eliminates the need for extensive communication infrastructure and routing hardware required by centralized systems, thereby reducing overall vehicle weight while maintaining triple redundancy for flight worthiness.
3Ease of operation
If control forces and sensor communication are routed from a central flight controller to each actuator, then centralized control is achieved, but added weight and complexity result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control function by giving each edge computing system independent control capabilities for its associated rotor. Each edge computing system directly interfaces with its own sensors and actuators, eliminating the need for complex communication routing through a central controller. This distributed approach simplifies the communication architecture while maintaining full control functionality.
4Ease of operation
If control forces and sensor communication are routed from a central flight controller to each actuator, then centralized control is achieved, but vehicle complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements segmentation by distributing control functions to independent edge computing systems, each managing its own rotor with local sensor and actuator interfaces. This eliminates the need for extensive communication infrastructure, routing hardware, and associated weight that would be required for centralized control, while still achieving full control functionality through the distributed architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-rotor vehicle includes a plurality of electric motors and edge computing systems (ECSs). The electric motors are operatively coupled to respective rotors, and cause the respective rotors to rotate relative to the airframe. The ECSs are independent, distinct and distributed to the electric motors, each operatively coupled to a respective electric motor and thereby a respective rotor. Each ECS is configured to acquire and process sensor data for the respective rotor to determine rotor status information, and execute motor commands to control the respective electric motor and thereby the respective rotor. The ECSs are configured according to a model in which any of the ECSs is selectable as a primary ECS, and others of the ECSs are operable as secondary ECSs, the secondary ECSs configured to communicate respective rotor status information to the primary ECS, and the primary ECS configured to provide the motor commands to the secondary ECSs.