Suspended Sign Orientation Control Using Sensor-Guided Thrusters
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Suspended objects, such as signs, often experience disruptions in orientation and position due to wind or support motion, leading to unreadable displays or loss of purpose.
Innovation Solution
A suspended system with orientation control, featuring a planar frame, sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, magnetometer) to track real-time position and orientation, and bidirectional thrusters with propellers to adjust position and orientation, controlled by a microcontroller that receives user inputs and calculates necessary thrust to maintain desired settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If objects are suspended from a support, then the objects can be positioned above the support for various purposes, but the objects frequently become displaced from ideal orientation or position due to wind or support motion
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer) to continuously monitor the frame's position and orientation, feeding this data back to a microcontroller that adjusts thruster output in real-time to maintain desired orientation despite wind or support motion disturbances
Solution Approach 2:
The suspended system autonomously maintains its own orientation through integrated sensors and thrusters that automatically detect and correct deviations without external intervention, with the microcontroller continuously adjusting thruster commands based on sensor feedback
2Reliability
If thrusters are added to control orientation, then position and orientation stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer) are integrated into a unified sensing system that feeds data to a single microcontroller, which in turn controls multiple thrusters through a centralized control algorithm, reducing overall system complexity despite the addition of multiple components
Solution Approach 2:
The microcontroller serves multiple functions: processing data from all sensor types, calculating required thrust adjustments, commanding multiple thrusters, and verifying achieved orientation, thereby consolidating control logic into a single multi-functional component
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 system effectively maintains the desired position and orientation of suspended objects, adapting to changing conditions like wind and support motion, ensuring stable and readable displays even in dynamic environments.
Implementation Method 1
at least two thrusters attached to the frame and configured to adjust the position and the orientation of the frame
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of sensors coupled to the frame and configured to track a position and an orientation of the frame in real time
Implementation Method 3
The plurality of sensors may include a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a barometer, and a magnetometer
Data Source
AI summary
A suspended system with orientation control. The system may have a frame, a sign attached to the frame, a plurality of sensors, at least two thrusters, and a microcontroller operatively coupled to the plurality of sensors and the thrusters. The frame is configured to be suspended from a support, and the sign is configured to display a graphic. The plurality of sensors is configured to track an orientation of the frame. The thrusters are configured to adjust the orientation of the frame. Each of the thrusters may have an axis oriented in a direction perpendicular to the frame. The microcontroller is configured to receive a selected orientation of the frame, receive the current orientation of the frame from the sensors, compare the orientation of the frame with the selected orientation, and control the thrusters to adjust the orientation of the frame into the selected orientation.