Tethered UAV Trajectory Control for Cable Obstacle Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) supplied with power or signals through cables face inefficiencies due to potential contact with the ground or obstacles, hindering their operations.
Innovation Solution
A control system for a second UAV that senses its environment and adjusts its trajectory to avoid contact between cables and obstacles during flight, ensuring smooth operation of a first UAV performing work.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the second UAV flies while holding cables to supply power or signals to the first UAV, then the first UAV can perform work with enhanced operational capability, but the cables may contact the ground or obstacles causing operation interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary detection of cables and obstacles using sensing devices before cable contact occurs. By detecting the presence of cables and predicting potential contact with ground or obstacles in advance, the system can proactively adjust the trajectory to prevent operation interruption, thus maintaining both operational capability and continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The control device continuously receives feedback from sensing devices about cable positions and obstacle locations. Based on this real-time feedback, the control device dynamically adjusts the trajectory of the second UAV to avoid cable contact while maintaining its work-supporting function, ensuring both adaptability and reliability
2Reliability
If the control device continuously monitors cable position and adjusts trajectory to avoid contact, then operation continuity is maintained, but device complexity increases due to additional sensing and control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing devices and control device are designed to perform multiple functions: they not only detect cables and obstacles for trajectory adjustment but also support navigation and work area monitoring. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby maintaining operation continuity without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The control device autonomously processes sensor data to detect cables, predict contact risks, and adjust trajectories without requiring constant external intervention. This self-service capability streamlines the control architecture, achieving reliable continuous operation with minimized additional system complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
The control system is a system for controlling a second unmanned aerial vehicle that flies while holding a first cable connected to a first unmanned aerial vehicle that performs work and a second cable extending from a cable reeling machine. The control system includes a sensing device that senses the surrounding environment and outputs sensor data, and a control device that controls the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The control device is configured, during flight of the second unmanned aerial vehicle, to detect the first cable and the second cable based on the sensor data, and upon predicting that at least one of the first cable and the second cable will contact the ground or an obstacle on the ground, to change the trajectory of the second unmanned aerial vehicle to avoid the contact.