Weight-Sensitive UAV Landing Pad for Safe Takeoff Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The expansion of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) usage is hindered by public safety concerns and the lack of practical solutions for delivering articles to users unfamiliar with UAV technology, with existing proposals not adequately addressing accessibility and charging needs for UAVs, particularly in medical supply transportation.
Innovation Solution
A UAV system with controlled access zones, a flight management system, and communication units that manage access, charging, and medical supply delivery, including remotely operable locks, charging cables with automatic connectors, and medical supply locations, ensuring safe and efficient UAV operations and medical supply distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If controlled access zones with barriers and locks are implemented for UAV landing and take-off, then public safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the facility into multiple controlled access zones, each with its own barrier and lock controlled by the flight management system. This segmentation allows safety control to be applied selectively to different areas without requiring a single complex centralized control mechanism for the entire facility.
Solution Approach 2:
The flight management system serves multiple functions: it manages UAV flight operations, controls access to landing zones, monitors charging status, and coordinates medical supply deliveries. By making the flight management system universal and multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated control systems for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If charging zones with automated charging cables are provided for UAVs, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system is designed to automatically detect when a UAV lands in a charging zone, establish electrical connection through the charging cable, and begin charging without requiring manual intervention from operators. The UAV itself participates in the process by positioning itself correctly and providing identification signals, making the system self-service oriented.
Solution Approach 2:
Charging cables are pre-positioned in charging zones and kept in standby ready to connect to UAVs. The system prepares charging infrastructure in advance rather than deploying it on demand, which simplifies the operational complexity during actual charging events.
3Reliability
If multiple controlled access zones are established for different UAV operations, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flight management system continuously monitors the status of each controlled access zone, including lock status, barrier position, and charging state. This feedback allows the system to dynamically adjust access control decisions, such as keeping zones accessible during scheduled operations or quickly granting emergency access when needed, thereby reducing unnecessary time delays while maintaining safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A UAV location management method for use with a flight management system is provided, where the method comprises providing a location for at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for at least one of: landing, taking-off and loading, providing at least a first weight-sensitive UAV pad at the UAV location, assigning a gross weight limit to each UAV scheduled to take-off from the first weight-sensitive UAV pad, the gross weight limit being based on a safety factor and at least one of: (i) a characteristic of the UAV; (ii) a characteristic of a power source of the UAV; (iii) a scheduled flight path for the UAV; and (iv) a weather condition, monitoring a weight exerted on the first weight-sensitive UAV pad when the UAV is positioned on the UAV pad, and transmitting a halt-flight signal to the flight management system for the UAV where the weight exceeds the gross weight limit.