UAV Perimeter Markers for Disabled Vehicle Hazard Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional vehicle perimeters become inadequate when vehicles become disabled or temporarily immobile, as they fail to adapt to changing vehicle sizes, weights, and configurations, and do not extend functionality beyond conventional perimeter functions.
Innovation Solution
The development of perimeter devices comprising a signal member, a base member, and a UAV that can transition between non-deployed and deployed configurations, allowing for dynamic positioning and deployment of perimeter devices, such as cones or reflective triangles, around immobilized vehicles to establish safety perimeters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional perimeters are used for vehicles, then the perimeter structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the perimeter becomes inadequate when vehicles become disabled or temporarily immobile and cannot adapt to changing vehicle sizes, weights, and configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static traditional perimeters to dynamic UAV-based perimeters that can automatically adjust their position and configuration. The UAVs can fly to predetermined locations around disabled vehicles and form adaptive perimeters that accommodate different vehicle sizes, weights, and configurations, resolving the contradiction between perimeter adaptability and device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional perimeter functions are used, then the perimeter device structure is simple, but the function cannot be extended beyond conventional perimeter functions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by designing UAV-based perimeter devices that perform multiple functions beyond conventional perimeter marking. The UAVs can provide visual signals, audio warnings, emergency communication relay, and data collection capabilities, allowing a single device to serve multiple purposes including safety perimeter establishment, hazard warning, and emergency response coordination, thereby extending perimeter functionality while managing device complexity through integrated multi-functional design.
3Productivity
If traditional perimeters are deployed manually, then the deployment process is simple, but the deployment time and labor requirements increase for disabled vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling automated perimeter deployment through UAVs that can autonomously navigate to predetermined locations around disabled vehicles and establish perimeters without human intervention. The system uses vehicle location data to automatically calculate and execute perimeter placement, eliminating manual deployment labor and significantly reducing deployment time while improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
The technical description relates to perimeters for vehicles. Specific examples relate to vehicle perimeters established by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as autonomous drones, for a variety of vehicle types, including manually-driven, partially autonomous, and fully autonomous vehicles. Perimeter devices, vehicles, including autonomous vehicles and human-controlled vehicles, UAVs, and related systems and methods are described. Perimeter devices respond to triggering events, such as vehicle-immobilizing events, GPS-based events, and environment-based events, to establish a perimeter adjacent a vehicle such that observers can visually detect the presence of a signal member, such as a warning triangle having a reflective surface. An example vehicle includes a tractor unit, a trailer connected to the tractor unit, a storage enclosure associated with the tractor unit, and a plurality of perimeter devices disposed in the chamber. Each perimeter device of the plurality of perimeter devices includes a triangular signal member, a base member, and a UAV. Each perimeter device is adapted to deploy from the chamber and establish a perimeter by the vehicle in response to a triggering event, such as parking of the vehicle in a location for which a perimeter must be established, impact of the vehicle with another object, such as during a traffic accident, rollover of the vehicle, or mechanical and/or electrical failure of the vehicle.