UAV Landing Site Selection Under Peripheral Downwash Effects

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Solution Overview

Problem

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face difficulties in landing due to the influence of downwardly-blowing wind hitting and bouncing off features in the peripheral area, making it challenging to control the landing process even on horizontal surfaces.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device and method that detects features in the peripheral area, estimates the degree of influence of downwardly-blowing wind on landing, and determines suitable landing places based on this analysis, considering attributes and three-dimensional sizes of features to select a landing site less affected by wind.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the landing place is selected based only on horizontal surface criteria, then the landing place appears suitable, but the downwardly-blowing wind from the propeller hits and bounces off peripheral features causing difficult landing control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelanding controlVSAvoidground effect from peripheral features
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of peripheral features and estimation of ground effect influence before finalizing the landing place selection. By analyzing the three-dimensional information of features in the peripheral area and calculating the magnitude of downwardly-blowing wind influence in advance, the system can identify and exclude landing places that would be adversely affected, ensuring easier landing control from the outset.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the detection range is expanded to include peripheral features, then the accuracy of landing suitability determination is improved, but the computational complexity and time required increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelanding suitability determination accuracyVSAvoiddetection and estimation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system focuses detection and estimation efforts on the peripheral area surrounding each landing candidate place rather than uniformly analyzing the entire landing area. By detecting features specifically in the peripheral region and estimating ground effect influence locally for each candidate, the system achieves high accuracy in determining landing suitability while avoiding unnecessary computational complexity in areas that do not affect landing decisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the peripheral area detection is performed for all landing candidate places, then the reliability of landing selection is improved, but the processing time and computational load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelanding place selection reliabilityVSAvoidlanding preparation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of peripheral features and estimation of ground effect influence for all landing candidate places during the initial analysis phase. By completing these computationally intensive tasks before the final selection decision, the system ensures reliable landing place selection based on comprehensive data while minimizing the time required for the actual landing execution phase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4230962A1Information processing device, landing suitability determining method, and program
Publication Date: 2023.08.23 RAKUTEN GROUP INC

AI summary

The information processing device detects a feature existing in the peripheral area of a landing candidate place of the UAV 1, estimates a degree of influence on a landing due to downwardly-blowing wind generated during the landing of the UAV 1, hitting and bouncing off the feature, which is the degree of influence at the landing candidate place, and determines whether or not the landing candidate place is suitable for landing on the basis of the estimated degree of influence.