UAV Anchoring Mechanism for Stable Soil Penetration Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used in agricultural data collection face issues with reactive forces when penetrating soil, causing them to lift off and resulting in inaccurate data capture due to their lightweight nature.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for anchoring UAVs to surfaces using a landing pad and anchoring devices that engage both the soil and the landing pad, allowing the UAV to stabilize and prevent lifting during data collection, featuring augers or arcuate members driven by actuators to secure the UAV to the ground and pad.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the UAV uses a lightweight design, then the UAV is easier to operate and more maneuverable, but the reactive force from soil penetration causes the UAV to lift off and results in inaccurate data capture
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring system is divided into separate anchoring legs that can be independently deployed from the UAV body. Each leg can engage the ground separately to provide stabilization during soil penetration operations, allowing the main UAV body to remain lightweight while adding anchoring capability only when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchoring legs are deployed before soil penetration operations begin. By pre-positioning the anchoring elements to engage the ground, the system prevents reactive forces from causing UAV lift-off during data collection, ensuring stable and accurate measurements from the outset.
2Reliability
If the UAV includes an anchoring device to prevent lift-off, then data capture accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and weight of the UAV increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring function is extracted as a separate, modular component system with distinct anchoring legs that can be independently controlled. This separation allows the anchoring mechanism to be added to the lightweight UAV without significantly increasing overall complexity, as each leg operates independently rather than requiring a complex integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchoring legs are designed to be dynamically deployable and retractable, transitioning between stowed and deployed configurations. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain low weight and simplicity during flight while providing full anchoring functionality when needed on the ground, reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If the anchoring device engages the soil to stabilize the UAV, then data collection accuracy is maintained, but the anchoring device must also disengage from the landing pad to allow UAV movement
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring legs operate in periodic cycles of deployment and retraction. During data collection, the legs are deployed to engage the soil and stabilize the UAV. When movement is required, the legs are retracted to disengage from the landing pad. This periodic action allows the system to maintain both stabilization capability and mobility without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchoring legs are designed to automatically engage and disengage based on operational conditions. The system can self-regulate the anchoring state without complex external control, simplifying operation while maintaining both stability during data collection and ease of movement when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for anchoring unmanned aerial vehicles to surfaces includes a landing pad configured to be installed on an agricultural machine, with the landing pad defining a landing surface. Furthermore, the system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to land on the landing surface and a top surface of a field across which the agricultural machine is traveling. The UAV, in turn, includes an anchoring device configured to engage soil within the field to anchor the UAV to the field when the UAV has landed on the top surface of the field. Additionally, the anchoring device is further configured to engage the landing pad to anchor the UAV to the landing surface when the UAV has landed on the landing pad.