Tethered UAV Stabilization Platform and Actuation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) tethered to objects experience unintended movement due to wind gusts or disturbances, leading to misalignment and blurry images or recordings, as existing systems fail to maintain proper alignment between the UAV and the tether cable during flight.
Innovation Solution
The UAV incorporates a platform and rotor system coupled with a pulley or actuation system that allows the platform to rotate relative to the body, synchronizing with the tether cable's rotation to realign the cable with a reference axis, using motors and sensors to adjust the rotor orientation and tension to maintain equilibrium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the UAV is tethered to an object via a cable to collect data, then the UAV can be used for surveillance and exploration, but wind gusts or disturbances cause unintended movement that impedes data collection quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic stabilization system where the platform can rotate relative to the body about a first horizontal axis, and the tether cable can rotate relative to the body about a second horizontal axis. The actuation system dynamically adjusts the platform orientation in response to tether cable rotation, allowing the system to adapt to wind gusts and disturbances while maintaining stable data collection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation system monitors the rotation of the tether cable about the second horizontal axis and provides feedback control by rotating the platform in the opposite direction about the first horizontal axis. This feedback mechanism counteracts the effects of wind disturbances and maintains proper alignment between the UAV and tether cable, ensuring high-quality data collection
2Measurement precision
If the UAV remains stationary to maintain alignment, then image quality improves, but the UAV loses mobility and adaptability to different positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic stabilization system where the platform can rotate independently about the first horizontal axis while the tether cable rotates about the second horizontal axis. This dynamic configuration allows the UAV to maintain stable imaging conditions through active platform adjustment while preserving full mobility and the ability to operate from different positions
Solution Approach 2:
The platform acts as an intermediary between the UAV body and the tether cable, providing rotational degrees of freedom that decouple the mobility of the UAV from the alignment requirements of the tether cable. This allows the UAV to move freely while the platform compensates for misalignment through controlled rotation
3Ease of operation
If the tether cable is allowed to rotate freely, then the UAV has greater freedom of movement, but the cable becomes misaligned and causes image blur
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation system continuously monitors the rotation of the tether cable about the second horizontal axis and provides real-time feedback control by rotating the platform in the opposite direction about the first horizontal axis. This feedback mechanism ensures that even when the tether cable rotates freely due to wind or movement, the platform compensates to maintain proper alignment and image clarity
Solution Approach 2:
The platform serves as an intermediary rotational element that decouples the free rotation of the tether cable from the imaging system. By providing an additional degree of freedom, the platform allows the tether cable to rotate freely for mobility while the platform counter-rotates to maintain alignment, preventing image blur
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned aerial vehicle including a body, a platform, a rotor, a tether cable, and an actuation system. The platform is coupled to the body such that the platform is rotatable relative to the body about a first horizontal axis of rotation. The rotor is rigidly coupled to the platform such that the rotor and the platform rotate together about the first horizontal axis of rotation. The tether cable extends away from the body and is coupled to the body such that the tether cable is rotatable relative to the body about a second horizontal axis of rotation. The first and second horizontal axes of rotation are normal to a vertical plane. The actuation system is configured to rotate the platform in a clockwise direction about the first horizontal axis of rotation when the tether cable rotates in a counter-clockwise direction about the second horizontal axis of rotation.