Shaft-Navigation Drone Control Using Wall and Door Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling drones along shafts, such as elevator shafts, often require complex mechanical guides and extensive sensor systems, leading to high costs and reduced robustness.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling a drone along a shaft using a sensor system for environment detection and an actuator system, where sensor data is processed to determine actual distances from shaft walls and generate control signals for maintaining a target flight route, allowing for partially or fully automated operation without additional mechanical guides and complex electronics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mechanical guides are used to guide the drone along the shaft, then the drone can be mechanically guided vertically along the shaft, but the device complexity and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical guide device with an optical sensing system. The drone uses image sensors to detect shaft walls, door regions, and height markings, then processes these visual signals to determine position and generate control commands, substituting mechanical guidance with an optical-electronic control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The drone performs self-navigation by autonomously detecting its environment through image sensors, processing visual data to identify shaft features, and automatically adjusting its flight path without external mechanical guidance infrastructure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex image processing algorithms are used for navigation, then the drone can navigate in unknown environments, but the device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes only the essential visual features needed for shaft navigation - specifically door regions and height markings - rather than implementing comprehensive complex image processing. This selective feature extraction simplifies the navigation system while maintaining effectiveness in the specific shaft environment.
3Reliability
If additional mechanical guides are installed, then the drone can be guided along the shaft, but the costs for providing the drone system increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical guide infrastructure with a visual sensing and processing system. The shaft environment itself serves as the guide through naturally present features like door regions and markings, eliminating the need for additional mechanical guidance components and reducing overall system cost.
4Measurement precision
If extensive sensor systems are used, then the drone can detect environment and state of flight, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs image sensors that serve multiple functions: detecting shaft walls for position determination, identifying door regions for navigation reference, recognizing height markings for altitude measurement, and providing visual feedback for collision avoidance. This multi-functional use of a single sensor type reduces overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method controls a drone along a shaft having adjoining first and second shaft walls. A drone sensor system detects an environment and/or a state of flight, an actuator system controls the drone, and a control device controls the actuator system. Method steps include: control device receiving sensor data generated by sensor system; determining actual distances of drone relative to first and second shaft walls from sensor data; and generating control signal actuating actuator system such that drone flies based on deviation of actual distances from target distances and a target flight route to a target position. An actual flight route is determined from the sensor data, and the control signal is generated based on a deviation of the actual flight route from the target flight route. Door regions and/or height markings in the shaft are recognized from the sensor data to determine the actual flight route.