UAV Landing Gear Leveling on Uneven Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face risks of rollover during takeoff and landing due to uneven terrain, as they require a flat surface for safe operation, and existing methods do not effectively detect or adjust for ground unevenness before landing.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a UAV with adjustable supporting vertical rods, equipped with ranging units and a flight control system, which detects ground clearance and adjusts rod lengths to maintain the fuselage horizontal during landing, using a motor to extend or contract the rods based on terrain data from ranging units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the UAV uses fixed-length supporting rods, then the structure is simple, but the fuselage cannot remain horizontal on uneven terrain causing rollover risk
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting rods are designed with adjustable length capability through telescopic structures and motors, allowing the system to dynamically adapt to uneven terrain during landing. Each rod can independently extend or contract to match the ground contour, enabling the fuselage to remain horizontal while maintaining structural simplicity through modular design.
2Reliability
If the UAV requires flat terrain for landing, then landing safety is ensured, but the adaptability to different environments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting structure is divided into multiple independent telescopic rods, each capable of independent length adjustment. This segmentation allows each rod to adapt to local terrain variations while collectively ensuring the fuselage remains horizontal, thereby enabling safe landing on uneven surfaces without compromising overall stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the length parameter of each supporting rod dynamically based on detected terrain height. By adjusting the rod length parameter in response to ground clearance measurements, the UAV can maintain a horizontal fuselage attitude on varying terrain, significantly improving environmental adaptability while ensuring landing safety.
3Reliability
If the UAV adjusts supporting rod lengths to compensate for uneven terrain, then landing safety on uneven surfaces is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that automatically detect ground clearance and terrain unevenness, feeding this information to the control system which then autonomously adjusts the rod lengths. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for complex manual intervention systems while improving landing safety on uneven terrain through automated adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to continuously monitor ground clearance and fuselage attitude, providing feedback to the control system. Based on this feedback, the control system adjusts the rod lengths in real-time to maintain horizontal fuselage orientation, thereby improving landing safety while managing complexity through closed-loop control.
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
Enables safe landing by detecting and adjusting to uneven terrain, preventing rollover by ensuring the UAV's fuselage remains horizontal, thereby enhancing landing safety on uneven surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of ranging units, the plurality of ranging units being respectively installed below the plurality of supporting bars, and the ranging unit being configured to detect a distance between the corresponding supporting vertical rod and a detection target
Data Source
AI summary
A method for detecting landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle includes: acquiring a current ground clearance of each supporting vertical rod; acquiring a current height above ground of the unmanned aerial vehicle when receiving a landing instruction; determining whether a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal; when the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle is horizontal, adjusting a length of the supporting vertical rod according to the current ground clearance of the supporting vertical rod to keep the fuselage horizontal when the unmanned aerial vehicle lands; and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to descend for landing.