UAV Beacon Tracking for Stable Flight Around Moving Vessels

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in maintaining a stable position and orientation relative to a moving target, especially in dynamic and unpredictable scenarios, exceeding the capabilities of a single pilot, particularly in military operations or complex cinematography tasks.

Innovation Solution

A UAV system that tracks a moving beacon by maintaining a fixed position and velocity relative to it, using a flight control system that adjusts flight objectives and maneuvers based on position and velocity thresholds, incorporating inputs from remote control, geofences, and environmental conditions, with an optimization engine for path computation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single pilot manually controls the UAV to track a moving target, then the pilot can respond to visual feedback, but the UAV cannot maintain stable position and orientation relative to the moving target in dynamic scenarios

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of UAV position relative to moving targetVSAvoidpilot workload in dynamic scenarios

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously receives position data from the moving target's beacon and compares the UAV's actual position to the desired position, using this feedback loop to automatically adjust flight objectives and maintain stable relative positioning without requiring continuous manual pilot intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The flight control system automatically monitors position differences, configures flight objectives, and commands electromechanical systems to correct deviations, enabling the UAV to self-correct and maintain tracking of the moving target without constant pilot input

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If the UAV automatically tracks the moving beacon, then position stability is improved, but the system complexity increases due to automated flight control

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition accuracy relative to beaconVSAvoidflight control system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flight control system integrates multiple functions including beacon tracking, position monitoring, flight objective configuration, and electromechanical system command into a single automated system that handles both navigation and stabilization tasks simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual mechanical control with an automated electronic flight control system that uses computer processing to calculate position differences and generate control commands, reducing the need for manual mechanical manipulation while improving precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250321590A1Enhanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight With Situational Awareness For Moving Vessels

Publication Date: 2025.10.16 SKYDIO INC

AI summary

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprises a flight control system and an electromechanical system directed by the flight control system. The flight control system is configured to track a position of a beacon that is in motion and monitor a difference between an actual position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a desired position of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to the position of the beacon. The flight control system configures one or more flight objectives based on one or more factors comprising whether the difference between the actual position and the desired position exceeds a threshold, wherein the flight objectives comprise a velocity objective and a position objective. The flight control system also commands the electromechanical system based at least on the one or more flight objectives.