Roadway Drone Flight Alerts Using V2X and Distributed Ledger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drone technologies face challenges in safely operating over public roadways and areas with humans due to battery limitations, adverse weather, and potential collisions, leading to risks of drones falling and causing harm.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where drones broadcast their position and flight path using V2X safety messages, detect proximity to humans and roadways via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/Cellular signals, and adjust their flight paths to avoid hazards, while also recording video evidence for liability purposes and using a distributed digital ledger for immutable proof of safe operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drones operate over public roadways to deliver packages, then delivery efficiency is improved, but safety risks increase due to potential falls near pedestrians and vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The system publishes planned flight paths over public roadways to a public database before drone operations begin, allowing pedestrians and vehicles to be notified in advance of approaching drones. This preliminary notification enables ground users to take preventive actions, resolving the safety risk while maintaining delivery efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time feedback through V2X safety messages that continuously broadcast drone position, speed, and flight status to nearby vehicles and pedestrians. This feedback loop enables dynamic safety monitoring and immediate response to potential hazards, maintaining both efficiency and reliability
2Adaptability or versatility
If drones fly over public roadways, then operational versatility is improved, but harmful factors increase due to potential collisions with vehicles and pedestrians
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces V2X communication as an intermediary between drones and ground users (vehicles, pedestrians, infrastructure). This intermediary enables safe interaction by mediating information exchange and coordinating actions, allowing drones to operate over roadways without directly interacting with ground users, thus reducing collision risk while maintaining operational versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of vehicles and pedestrians using V2X messages before drone crossing actions. By identifying hazards in advance and notifying ground users beforehand, the system prevents collisions while enabling drones to maintain versatile routing options over public roadways
3Device complexity
If drones use short-duration batteries for flight, then device simplicity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential power loss and falls
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables drones to autonomously monitor their own battery status and broadcast this information through V2X messages to nearby vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure. This self-service approach allows the drone to maintain simple battery systems while ensuring safety through automated status communication, resolving the reliability concern without increasing device complexity
4Reliability
If drones broadcast real-time position and flight path information, then safety is improved, but information transmission requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses V2X communication technology that serves multiple functions simultaneously: safety message broadcasting, position tracking, speed monitoring, and emergency alerting. By leveraging this universal communication infrastructure, the system achieves comprehensive safety monitoring without requiring separate dedicated systems for each function, thus limiting the increase in overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for operating done flights over public roadways are disclosed herein. An example method includes transmitting, by a first drone, a drone safety message, the drone safety message being received by a vehicle or a roadside infrastructure device located along a first planned flight path, determining an emergency condition for the first done, transmitting a warning message over a vehicle-to-everything communication that indicates that the first drone is experiencing the emergency condition. A connected vehicle or mobile device receives the warning message over the vehicle-to-everything communication. Determining drone operating evidence as the first drone traverses along the first planned flight path, and storing the drone operating evidence in a distributed ledger.