UAV Deployment Parameter Control for Worker-Safe BVLOS Operations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Drones face safety concerns due to FAA regulations prohibiting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, and their presence can distract or pose hazards to workers, limiting scalable and cost-effective operations in environments like warehouses and construction sites.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that analyzes observational data from UAVs to detect disruptions caused by their presence, adjusting parameters such as flight paths, noise levels, and timing to ensure compliance with regulations and minimize distractions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If drones operate in working environments with workers, then productivity and operational effectiveness are improved, but safety hazards and distractions to workers increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational effectivenessVSAvoidsafety hazards to workers

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors worker behavior and environmental data, analyzing observations to detect disruptions caused by drone operations. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustments to flight paths, noise levels, and timing parameters to mitigate safety hazards while maintaining productivity benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically modifies operational parameters including flight path coordinates, altitude, speed, noise levels, and timing of drone operations based on detected worker responses and environmental conditions, resolving the contradiction between maintaining productive operations and ensuring worker safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If drones conduct BVLOS operations, then operational scalability and cost-effectiveness are improved, but compliance with FAA regulations deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational scalabilityVSAvoidFAA compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The drone system autonomously monitors its own operational compliance, analyzes collected data to detect potential regulatory violations, and automatically adjusts its flight parameters to maintain FAA compliance without requiring external visual observers or radar systems, enabling scalable BVLOS operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If drones increase noise levels for better communication and navigation, then operational reliability is improved, but disruptions and distractions to workers increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoidnoise disruptions to workers

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts noise levels and communication protocols based on real-time detection of worker presence and response, modifying operational parameters to maintain reliability while minimizing disruptive noise effects on workers in the environment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12372977B2Unmanned aerial vehicle deployment parameter modification

Publication Date: 2025.07.29 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A computer-implemented method, in accordance with one embodiment, includes obtaining observational data from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployed in a working environment, the working environment including a plurality of entities carrying out tasks within the working environment. The data is analyzed to detect a disruption caused by the UAV to one or more of the entities within the working environment during the deployment. A parameter of a deployment is adjusted based on the analysis of the obtained data.