Tethered UAV Positioning in GPS-Denied Indoor Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned aircraft operation systems struggle to determine position accurately in environments where radio wave-based positioning systems, such as GPS, are difficult to use, like inside buildings or tunnels.
Innovation Solution
An operation system for unmanned aircraft that utilizes a connecting cable with a winder to apply a tensile force, combined with a delivered amount and direction detecting system to determine distance and orientation, allowing position determination even in radio wave-shielded areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If RTK-GNSS positioning is used to provide accurate position of the unmanned aircraft, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the system becomes unusable in places where radio wave-based positioning is difficult like inside buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system is segmented into two independent subsystems: a radio wave-based positioning system (RTK-GNSS) for outdoor/open environments, and a cable-based mechanical positioning system for indoor/obstructed environments. Each subsystem operates independently in its suitable environment, resolving the contradiction by allowing the system to maintain high positioning accuracy while adapting to different environmental conditions through selective activation of appropriate subsystems
Solution Approach 2:
A connecting cable serves as an intermediary mechanical element that transmits position information from the unmanned aircraft to the base station. The cable acts as a physical mediator that bypasses the need for radio wave transmission, enabling accurate positioning in environments where electromagnetic signals are blocked while maintaining system connectivity and data transmission
2Adaptability or versatility
If a connecting cable with winder is used to determine position mechanically, then positioning is enabled in radio wave-blocked environments, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting cable serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical connection for power and data transmission, acts as a measuring tape for distance calculation through delivered amount detection, and serves as a force transmission medium for orientation detection via direction sensing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while enabling positioning in diverse environments
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting cable itself serves as the positioning measurement tool, eliminating the need for separate measurement devices. The cable's own physical properties (length, tension, direction) are directly utilized for positioning calculations, and the system components detect these inherent cable characteristics to derive position and orientation information, reducing overall system complexity
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 accurate positioning of unmanned aircraft in environments where radio waves are blocked, facilitating safe operation and recovery in case of crashes.
Implementation Method 1
a winder configured to wind a redundant part of the connecting cable to cause a tensile force to act on the connecting cable
Implementation Method 2
a direction detecting section configured to detect a direction of a force acting on a to-be-detected part of the connecting cable between the connected part and the winder
Data Source
AI summary
An operation system includes: a connecting cable; a winder configured to cause a tensile force to act on the connecting cable; a delivered amount detecting section configured to detect the delivered amount of the connecting cable; a direction detecting section configured to detect a direction of a force acting on a to-be-detected part of the connecting cable; and a position determination section configured to determine a position of an unmanned aircraft. The position determination section determines a distance from a predetermined reference position to the unmanned aircraft based on a detection result from the delivered amount detecting section. The position determination section determines an orientation of the unmanned aircraft on the basis of the to-be-detected part based on a detection result from the direction detecting section.