Propeller-Guided Object Holder for Hovering-Aircraft Log Pickup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for transporting felled tree trunks, such as cable crane systems and helicopters, face challenges including time-consuming assembly, costly operations, damage to trees, and require skilled pilots for safe object capture.
Innovation Solution
A receiving device for a hovering aircraft with horizontally acting, motor-driven propellers allowing precise positioning and automated gripping, enabling safe and efficient pickup of cylindrical objects like tree trunks without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a helicopter is used to transport tree trunks, then accessibility to remote areas is improved, but operation costs and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving device automatically orients itself using horizontally acting motor-driven propellers that can independently adjust the device's attitude without requiring skilled pilot intervention. The device self-positiones above the object and autonomously aligns the lower fixing device for grasping, making the operation independent of pilot expertise while maintaining high efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by using a hovering aircraft with a separately controllable receiving device that can independently adjust its orientation and position. This separation allows the aircraft to remain stationary while the receiving device optimizes its configuration, improving both accessibility and operational efficiency
2Device complexity
If manual sling placement is used to attach objects to helicopter, then equipment complexity is reduced, but safety and time efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The lower fixing device automatically grasps the object once the receiving device is positioned above it, eliminating the need for manual sling placement. The device performs the attachment function autonomously, improving safety by removing ground personnel from hazardous areas while maintaining simple equipment requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving device positions itself and orients the lower fixing device in advance before the actual grasping operation. This preliminary positioning and alignment ensures that the attachment process is already optimized before contact is made, improving both safety and efficiency without adding complex attachment mechanisms
3Reliability
If automated grab device is used to grasp tree trunk, then operation safety is improved, but pilot skill requirements and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into independent components: the aircraft hovering control is separated from the receiving device orientation control, which is further separated from the grasping action. The horizontally acting propellers provide independent rotational and translational control of the receiving device, allowing simple aircraft piloting while automated systems handle the complex alignment and grasping operations
Solution Approach 2:
The horizontally acting motor-driven propellers act as an intermediary between the simple hovering aircraft and the complex automated grasping function. These propellers enable the receiving device to independently orient and position itself, serving as a mediator that translates simple aircraft positioning into precise automated grasping without requiring skilled pilot intervention
4Quantity of substance
If cable crane systems are used for tree trunk transport, then transport capacity is improved, but environmental damage and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complex cable crane infrastructure and replaces it with a simple hovering aircraft carrying a compact receiving device. This removes the need for time-consuming assembly and dismantling of cable routes while maintaining the ability to transport heavy objects, and eliminates environmental damage from cable anchoring and deforestation
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving device with horizontally acting propellers automatically orients and positions itself without requiring external cable infrastructure. The device independently performs all alignment and grasping operations, eliminating the need for complex pre-installed cable systems and their associated assembly time and environmental impact
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
Facilitates faster, safer, and more economical transport of heavy objects by allowing automated and precise alignment, reducing the need for skilled pilots and minimizing ground damage.
Implementation Method 1
at least two horizontally acting, separately motor-driven propellers whose axes of rotation are not aligned coaxially with one another
Data Source
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AI summary
A receiving device for picking up an object for attachment to a hovering aircraft comprises a base structure with a lower and an upper end, wherein at the upper end an upper fixing device for a towing device attachable to the aircraft and at its lower end a lower fixing device for securing the object to be lifted is formed, further comprising at least two horizontally acting, separately driven propellers whose axes of rotation are not coaxially aligned with each other. The invention enables the targeted control of the propellers, allowing for precise movement of the base structure. This enables faster and therefore more economical picking up or transport of logs or other objects.