Scissor Arm Mechanism for UAV Payload Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned robotic systems, such as drones, pose a risk to humans due to their moving parts, particularly propellers, when interacting with payloads, necessitating a safe and reliable method for physical interaction without exposing humans to hazards.
Innovation Solution
A scissor arm mechanism that extends and distances the payload away from the drone's center, utilizing gravity for extension and a simple electric motor for control, allowing horizontal and vertical extension to safely interact with the payload outside the drone's hazardous area, made of lightweight carbon fiber segments for durability and low thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the payload is positioned close to the drone for interaction, then interaction efficiency is improved, but safety risk increases due to exposure to spinning propellers and moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The scissor arm serves as an intermediary mechanism between the drone and the payload. It extends the payload away from the hazardous propeller area while maintaining connection to the drone, allowing safe interaction distance from the harmful elements
Solution Approach 2:
The scissor arm extends the payload in three-dimensional space away from the drone's hazardous zone, creating spatial separation between the payload and the spinning propellers while maintaining operational capability
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a long scissor arm is used to distance the payload, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scissor arm is divided into multiple segments connected by pivots, allowing it to extend to long lengths while maintaining structural integrity and control. Each segment can be independently managed in the folding mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The scissor arm uses a dynamic folding mechanism with pivots that allow it to transition between extended and retracted positions. The mechanism adapts its configuration based on operational needs, simplifying storage when retracted
3Ease of operation
If the scissor arm is made lightweight for ease of deployment, then ease of operation is improved, but strength and durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The scissor arm utilizes carbon fiber segments that provide high strength-to-weight ratio. This composite material delivers the required structural strength while maintaining lightweight characteristics for easy deployment and minimal impact on drone payload capacity
4Ease of manufacture
If the scissor arm structure is simplified with fewer components, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The scissor arm is constructed from modular segments that can be manufactured separately and assembled. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual components while maintaining overall system reliability through standardized connection interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The scissor arm uses uniform carbon fiber segments with consistent structural properties throughout. This homogeneity simplifies manufacturing processes and ensures predictable performance, while the repeated modular structure provides redundancy for reliability
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
Enables safe human interaction with payloads by positioning them away from the drone's moving parts, reducing the risk of injury and allowing efficient transfer of items like documents during operations like traffic stops, with a lightweight and low-maintenance design adaptable to various robotic systems.
Implementation Method 1
while extending, the scissor arm and its payload are helped by gravity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention recites a scissor arm for an unmanned robotic system such as a UAV, also known as a drone. This arm would typically be installed on the underside of a UAV with hover capability. The arm is designed to simultaneously vertically lower and horizontally extend a payload, permitting a person to interact with the payload without risk of injury by the UAV's propellers. This arm is practical for applications such as a routine police traffic stop, wherein an officer can safely remain in their vehicle and interact with the driver via a drone equipped with communication equipment and such an arm. The drone's arm can present the driver with a box for gathering documents from the driver without risk of injuring the driver or damaging the driver's vehicle. This is accomplished by two inventive “L”-shaped trusses that offset the arm's payload horizontally as the arm is extended downward.