UAV Evasive Hover Control While Maintaining Target Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are vulnerable to being targeted and disabled by hostile ground-based acts such as small arms fire during flight or hovering operations, necessitating a means to evade such threats effectively.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating programming in the navigational operations module of UAVs to enable randomized movement patterns during hover and flight, while maintaining camera and laser locks on targets, to make it difficult for hostile actors to target the UAVs effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the UAV hovers in a fixed position to maintain surveillance on a target, then the surveillance quality is improved, but the UAV becomes vulnerable to hostile ground-based attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning the UAV from a static hover position to dynamic randomized movement patterns. The system continuously adjusts the UAV's position within a surveillance zone, executing unpredictable maneuvers such as changing altitude, moving laterally, and altering hover duration. This dynamic behavior maintains surveillance capability while reducing predictability and vulnerability to ground-based attacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action through cyclic sequences of surveillance and evasive maneuvers. The UAV alternates between hovering to capture target data and executing randomized evasive movements to avoid detection or attack. This periodic alternation between offensive (surveillance) and defensive (evasion) actions allows the system to maintain surveillance quality while periodically reducing vulnerability.
2Ease of operation
If the UAV moves in predictable patterns during flight, then navigation control is simplified, but the UAV can be easily targeted by hostile actors
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic navigation control where the UAV executes randomized movement patterns including unpredictable changes in speed, direction, and altitude. The navigation module generates stochastic flight paths that deviate from predictable patterns, making the UAV difficult to target while maintaining operational control through automated randomized maneuver sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary navigation operations module that acts as a mediator between the surveillance objectives and evasive maneuver requirements. This module autonomously generates and executes randomized navigation commands, shielding the primary control system from the complexity of coordinating surveillance and evasion while ensuring both functions are accomplished through automated decision-making.
3Reliability
If the UAV executes evasive maneuvers to avoid attacks, then survival capability is improved, but maintaining lock on target becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by coordinating dynamic evasive maneuvers with dynamic target tracking. The UAV executes randomized movement patterns while the camera and laser systems continuously adjust their aim to maintain lock on the target. This coordinated dynamic behavior allows the UAV to change position unpredictably for survival while simultaneously maintaining precise target acquisition through active stabilization and tracking algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the target lock status continuously informs evasive maneuver execution. The system monitors whether the camera and laser maintain accurate target acquisition during maneuvers, and uses this feedback to adjust the intensity and frequency of evasive actions. This closed-loop feedback ensures that survival-capable maneuvers do not compromise target lock beyond acceptable thresholds.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods enable a determination as to whether a UAV is hovering at a surveillance location and can engage evasive hovering movements while UAV is engaged in surveillance at the surveillance location. Evasive hovering movement can be restricted to a define space at the UAV's hover location. Engagement of evasive hovering movements can be from a remote controller. A camera can maintain lock on a surveilled target during evasive hovering movements. A laser can maintain lock on a surveilled target during evasive hovering movements. Evasive movements can also be implemented during UAV forward flight.