Rotor Blade LED Flight Direction Indication for Multicopter Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing use of multicopters for various purposes poses challenges to flight safety due to their agility and rapid direction changes, necessitating an effective means to indicate their flight direction to avoid collisions with other aerial vehicles and ground-operated vehicles.
Innovation Solution
The system utilizes coordinated control of light sources on rotor blades to create a visual flight direction indication, providing a substantially still image or sequence of images that indicates the momentary flight direction, using LEDs arranged along the radial extensions of the rotor blades, with control units capable of quick on/off switching and high resolution, and optionally incorporating blade position sensors and flight direction sensors for accurate direction detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multicopters operate at high speeds with rapid direction changes, then productivity and agility are improved, but flight safety deteriorates due to difficulty in being detected and avoided by other vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by using different colored LEDs (red, green, yellow) to indicate flight direction and status. The rotor blades are equipped with color-changing light sources that display directional information to observers on the ground, enabling safe operation of agile multicopters through visual communication of movement intent
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary visual indication system using rotor blades as carriers for light sources. This intermediary system bridges the gap between the multicopter's rapid movements and ground observers, translating high-speed flight data into visible color codes that facilitate safe coexistence of multiple vehicles
2Measurement precision
If light sources are switched on and off quickly to create still images, then measurement precision of flight direction is improved, but use of energy increases due to high-frequency switching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by switching light sources on and off in synchronized sequences with rotor blade rotation. The control unit activates specific light sources at predetermined positions during rotation, creating periodic illumination patterns that form recognizable directional images while managing energy consumption through controlled duty cycles
3Measurement precision
If multiple light sources are arranged along rotor blades to provide detailed images, then measurement precision of flight direction is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the rotor blade into multiple segments with independently controllable light sources. Each segment can be activated at specific positions during rotation to contribute to different parts of the visual indication, enabling detailed directional information to be conveyed through modular, manageable components
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
This solution enhances flight safety by providing clear visual feedback on the flight path of multicopters to operators and observers, reducing the risk of collisions and improving airspace awareness, as the visual indications are intuitive and recognizable even at high speeds.
Implementation Method 1
The light source is carried by a UAV and positioned to emit a light ray in a first direction
Implementation Method 2
The light transmission portion is positioned to transmit the light ray to the light exit portion
Implementation Method 3
the light exit portion is positioned to direct the light ray in a second direction so as to form a visual indication
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A flight direction indication system (2) for an aerial vehicle (100) having a plurality of rotors (110) includes: for each of the plurality of rotors (110), at least one rotor blade (10) having a plurality of light sources (20) arranged along a radial extension of the rotor blade (10); and a control unit (30), coupled to the plurality of light sources (20) of the rotor blades (10) of the plurality of rotors (110); wherein the control unit (30) is configured to effect a coordinated control of the plurality of light sources (20) of the rotor blades (10) of the plurality of rotors (110), with the coordinated control yielding an image (80) or a sequence of images across the plurality of rotors (10) to an observer of the aerial vehicle (100); and wherein the control unit (30) is configured to control the plurality of light sources (20) of the rotor blades (10) of the plurality of rotors (110) on the basis of a momentary flight direction (70) of the aerial vehicle (100), with said image (80) or said sequence of images comprising a flight direction indication, indicative of the momentary flight direction (70) of the aerial vehicle (100).