Stackable Drone Mating Recess for Compact Swarm Landing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drone swarms require a large area for take-off and landing, and existing drones are not stackable, leading to inefficient storage and transportation due to the need for each drone to occupy a certain volume.
Innovation Solution
A stackable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design featuring a fuselage with a mating recess and projection that allows for tapering, enabling drones to be stacked compactly, along with a connection element and propelling blades for efficient take-off and landing, and optionally made of transparent materials with LED lights for enhanced visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If drones are designed with traditional non-stackable structures, then each drone can maintain structural integrity and flight stability, but they occupy large storage space and require large ground area for take-off and landing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nesting structure where one drone can be placed inside another drone's fuselage. The inner drone's outer contour matches the outer contour of the outer drone's fuselage, allowing compact stacking. This reduces storage space occupation while maintaining individual drone structural integrity for flight operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from horizontal arrangement (occupying large ground area) to vertical stacking (utilizing vertical space). By designing drones with matching outer contours that enable vertical nesting, the system converts two-dimensional ground occupation into three-dimensional vertical stacking, significantly reducing the ground area required for take-off and landing.
2Ease of manufacture
If drones are designed with traditional non-stackable structures, then manufacturing and operation are simplified, but storage and transportation efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by designing the inner drone's outer contour to match the outer drone's fuselage contour. This allows drones to be stacked vertically for efficient storage and transportation. The manufacturing process remains relatively simple as it involves creating matching contours rather than complex internal mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal stacking interface where multiple drones with matching contours can interlock. This multi-functional design allows the same drone structure to serve both flight operations and compact stacking, improving storage and transportation efficiency without requiring specialized components.
3Extent of automation
If manual handling is required for placing and retrieving drones, then operational control is maintained, but labor requirements and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service stacking where drones automatically align and nest into each other using their matching outer contours. The geometric design allows drones to self-align during stacking without requiring precise manual positioning or complex control systems, reducing both time and labor requirements while maintaining operational control.
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
The stackable UAV design reduces the space required for take-off, landing, and storage, allowing for convenient transportation and enhancing the visual appeal of drone performances by utilizing gravitational alignment and minimizing manual handling.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing gravitational alignment
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a stackable drone and a drone swarm comprising at least two stackable drones. Each drone comprising: a fuselage comprising a first end and a second end; a mating structure arranged in the fuselage and configured to have an opening at the first end of the fuselage, the mating structure forming a mating recess on a first side of the fuselage, the mating recess having an opening at the first side of the fuselage for receiving a mating projection from a further stacking unmanned aerial vehicle. The stackable drones do not require a large area of ground for take-off and landing, require only a small space for storage and transportation. When landing, based on the conical or pyramidal structure, the drone may slide down by gravitational force into the mating recess of another drone thereunder without needs of high precision positioning or alignment system.