Optical Marker Drone Cargo Delivery Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current delivery drone systems lack efficient methods to accurately identify and deliver cargo to specific locations without human intervention, often relying on GPS coordinates which may not account for precise delivery points or intended recipients.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an optical marker system where a delivery drone captures images of machine-readable labels or alphanumeric characters to determine the intended cargo recipient and specific delivery location, allowing the drone to autonomously navigate and deliver cargo to the correct spot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS coordinates are used for cargo delivery, then the delivery drone can navigate to the general location, but it cannot accurately identify the specific delivery point or intended recipient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical marker as an intermediary element between the GPS navigation system and the final delivery point. The marker contains encoded information (machine-readable labels, alphanumeric characters) that serves as a mediator to translate general location coordinates into specific delivery instructions, enabling precise recipient identification and location without requiring complex onboard processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on complex mechanical/GPS navigation precision with an optical recognition system. Instead of using sophisticated positioning mechanisms to achieve precise delivery, the system uses image capture devices and optical marker recognition to substitute for the limitations of GPS coordinate precision
2Reliability
If the delivery drone autonomously processes images to identify optical markers, then precise delivery to the correct recipient and location is achieved, but the processing time and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The optical markers are pre-prepared and placed at delivery locations before the drone arrives. The machine-readable labels and alphanumeric characters are预先 encoded with delivery information, so when the drone captures the image, the information is already structured and ready for rapid processing, reducing the time needed for autonomous decision-making
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of information encoding from continuous GPS coordinates to discrete optical patterns (machine-readable labels, alphanumeric characters). This parameter change enables faster processing because the image recognition system can quickly identify and decode these standardized optical patterns compared to processing continuous coordinate data and making delivery decisions
Data Source
AI summary
A first optical marker contained in a first image captured by an image capture device of a delivery drone can be identified, the first optical marker indicating a first cargo recipient. Responsive to identifying the first optical marker contained in the first image, first data corresponding to the first optical marker can be generated by performing image processing on the first image. Responsive to the generating the first data corresponding to the first optical marker, a first specific location at a general location can be determined by processing the first data. The first optical marker can indicate the first specific location and the first specific location can be different than a second specific location where the first optical marker is positioned at the general location. The delivery drone can be initiated to deliver the cargo at the first specific location indicated by the first optical marker.