UAV Inventory System for Shipping Vessel Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual inventory management of shipping vessels in storage facilities is hazardous and inefficient, as employees must navigate through crowded and potentially hazardous environments to record container identifiers and locations, risking accidents and interfering with transportation and storage operations.
Innovation Solution
An aerial inventory system utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a detector and transceiver to identify and transmit shipping container identifiers, and an operator device to control the UAV's flight path and display information, allowing for remote and safe tracking of inventory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If employees manually examine and record shipping container identifiers and locations, then inventory records can be maintained, but employee safety is compromised and operational efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as an intermediary device that flies over the storage facility to capture images of shipping containers. The UAV remotely detects container identifiers and locations without requiring employees to physically enter hazardous areas, thus maintaining inventory accuracy while eliminating employee safety risks associated with manual examination
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual employee examination with an automated aerial imaging system. Instead of employees physically walking through the facility and reading identifiers, the system uses aerial vehicles equipped with detectors to capture and transmit images, substituting human mechanical inspection with automated remote detection
2Productivity
If employees travel throughout the storage facility to obtain inventory information, then inventory records can be updated, but operational interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UAV acts as a mediator that performs inventory data collection without interfering with ground operations. By conducting examinations from the air, the system eliminates the need for employees to walk through storage areas, thereby maintaining productivity while removing the harmful effect of operational interference caused by foot and vehicle traffic
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the inventory examination process from the ground level to the aerial dimension. By flying overhead, the UAV can access and record container information without occupying the same spatial plane as storage and transportation operations, thus eliminating interference while maintaining efficient inventory updates
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments provide a system and method for an unmanned aerial inventory system for maintaining an inventory record of shipping vessels at a storage facility. According to certain embodiments, the aerial inventory system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle having a detector and a transceiver. The detector is configured to detect an identifier of the shipping vessel. The transceiver is configured to transmit information relating to the identifier detected by the detector. The system may also include an operator device having a processor and a display. The operator device may be configured to receive information transmitted from the transceiver relating to the detected identifier and control the display of at least a portion of the information on the display. The operator device may further be configured to control at least a portion of a flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle.