UAV Landing Platform with Self-Leveling and Visual Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in safe landing, especially during extreme weather or at night, and require efficient charging and storage solutions, as existing methods risk damaging delicate parts and are labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A versatile landing platform that can be installed on stationary or mobile objects, featuring a movable cover, charging contacts, visual indicators for UAV orientation, and a movement compensation mechanism for self-leveling and wireless data transfer, enabling autonomous UAV landing, charging, and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If net-recovery is used to retrieve fixed-wing drones, then the drones can be recovered, but delicate parts of the UAV may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
A soft, flexible net made of elastic material serves as an intermediary between the UAV and the ground. The net deforms upon impact to absorb kinetic energy, preventing direct contact between the UAV and hard ground surfaces, thereby protecting delicate parts while enabling recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-deploys a cushioning net structure before UAV landing. The net is positioned and tensioned in advance to create a protective zone that will absorb impact forces when the UAV lands, preventing damage before it occurs
2Ease of manufacture
If manual charging is used for UAVs, then charging can be performed, but labor-intensive tasks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The UAV is equipped with automatic charging capabilities including charging contacts that autonomously connect to power sources, wireless charging receivers that automatically align with transmitters, and onboard power management systems that independently regulate charging processes, eliminating the need for manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The charging system is designed to support multiple charging methods (wired and wireless) and can serve multiple UAVs simultaneously through distributed charging contacts and platforms, making the charging infrastructure versatile and reducing overall operational effort
3Adaptability or versatility
If UAV landing is attempted during extreme weather or at night, then the UAV can land, but autonomous landing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Visual indicators on the landing platform change color or intensity based on operational status and environmental conditions. These illuminated markers are visible in low-light and adverse weather conditions, providing the UAV's vision system with reliable reference points for autonomous navigation and landing
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs sensors and cameras on the landing platform that detect the UAV's approach, position, and orientation in real-time. This feedback is processed to guide the UAV autonomously to the correct landing spot and adjust for environmental disturbances, enabling reliable landing under extreme conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A UAV landing platform having movable covers to securely store/maintain/charge a UAV. The UAV may be launched from the landing platform, and the landing platform can have visual indicators to guide the landing of the UAV back onto the landing platform. There can be an optional mechanism to self-adjust/self-level the landing surface such that a UAV can safely land onto the landing platform even when the landing platform is on a traveling vehicle.