UAV Automated Landing and Charging System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems lack efficient automated landing, charging, and takeoff capabilities, limiting their flight duration and operational flexibility, especially for surveillance and delivery missions.
Innovation Solution
An automated landing, charging, and takeoff system (ALCS) that includes a base station with sensors, a transmitter, and a battery charger, allowing UAVs to autonomously land, charge, and take off, using downward-pointing lasers for guidance and a cradle with locks to secure the UAV, enabling continuous operation and extended flight times by swapping UAVs during missions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If UAVs use batteries for power, then they can operate autonomously, but flight time is limited by battery capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary charging actions at the base station before the UAV needs to return for power. The automated charging system is ready in advance, and multiple UAVs are prepared with charged batteries beforehand, allowing seamless replacement without interrupting the mission.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of extending a single UAV's flight time, the system creates copies through multiple UAVs that can replace each other. When one UAV's battery is depleted, another pre-charged UAV takes over the mission, effectively copying the operational capability to maintain continuous flight time.
2Productivity
If manual intervention is used for landing and charging, then operational flexibility is maintained, but mission efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The UAV autonomously navigates to the base station, lands, and connects to the charging system without human intervention. The automated takeoff and landing system (ATLS) and automated charging system (ACS) work together to enable the UAV to service itself, significantly improving mission efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors and transmitters to provide real-time feedback between the UAV and base station. This feedback loop enables automated alignment, precise landing, and proper connection of charging contacts, allowing the system to operate efficiently without manual control.
3Measurement precision
If automated alignment and landing systems are implemented, then charging accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical alignment systems with optical and electromagnetic fields. Transmitters and sensors use light and electromagnetic signals for alignment and detection, eliminating the need for complex mechanical guide rails or physical alignment mechanisms while achieving high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station integrates multiple functions into a single system: the receiving structure serves as both the landing platform and charging interface, while the transmitter and sensors provide both alignment guidance and detection capabilities. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity despite the high precision requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system extends UAV flight times by automating charging and allows for uninterrupted service by swapping UAVs, enhancing mission efficiency and reducing manual intervention, enabling continuous operation and flexible deployment of multiple UAVs.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of downward-pointing lasers and a base station. The base station comprises: a receiving structure configured to receive the UAV; a plurality of sensors configured to detect the UAV, wherein said sensors are laser detectors
Implementation Method 2
sensors are laser detectors, which may be located on an upper surface of a plurality of walls of the base station
Implementation Method 3
the valleys are sloped steeply enough and have a low enough coefficient of friction that the booms are directed down the valleys by gravity
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can automatically guide itself to the vicinity of a charging station of an automated landing, charging and takeoff system, which then assists with the close-range laser guidance of the UAV in order for it to dock, without the need for landing gear. The dock has locating valleys that help the booms of the UAV to self-align under the force of gravity. Electrical connections are automatically made for data download and charging. A cover may be closed over the UAV during charging.