UAV Placement of Pole-Mounted Electronics Without Road Closures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for maintaining and replacing control or monitoring devices on utility poles, such as streetlight luminaires, require human intervention, leading to inefficiencies like road closures, use of bucket trucks, and lengthy processes.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous placement device system that uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or other unmanned vehicles to remotely and autonomously remove, place, and maintain control or monitoring devices on utility poles, equipped with a remove-and-place system, repository, and propulsion system, allowing for efficient operation without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional manual methods are used for maintaining control or monitoring devices on utility poles, then the devices can be installed and maintained, but road closures are required and the process is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical bucket truck system with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system that can autonomously navigate to utility poles and perform device maintenance operations aerially, eliminating the need for road closures and significantly reducing operation time
Solution Approach 2:
The UAV system is equipped with autonomous navigation and device handling capabilities, allowing it to perform maintenance operations independently without human intervention, thereby accelerating the maintenance process and eliminating road closure requirements
2Ease of operation
If bucket trucks are used to access utility poles, then workers can perform maintenance tasks, but the operation becomes complex and requires multiple coordination steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the maintenance operation from the ground-based bucket truck system and relocates it to an aerial UAV platform, simplifying the operation by eliminating the need for truck positioning, bucket operation, and multiple coordination steps
Solution Approach 2:
The UAV system integrates navigation, device handling, and maintenance operations into a single autonomous platform, reducing operational complexity by consolidating multiple functions into one system
3Productivity
If manual removal and installation of control devices is performed, then device replacement can be completed, but the process requires significant manual labor and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual device handling with an automated UAV-based system that uses mechanical arms or grippers to autonomously remove and install control devices, eliminating manual labor and significantly improving replacement efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The UAV system performs device replacement autonomously through programmed sequences of navigation, device grasping, removal, and installation, eliminating the need for manual intervention and accelerating the replacement process
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous placement device for securing an electronic device to and/or removing an electronic device from an object (such as, for example, a utility pole or a streetlight luminaire optionally forming a part thereof) includes a repository and a remove-and-place system. The repository is arranged to store at least one electronic device. The remove-and-place system is operable, in one embodiment, to retrieve an electronic device from the repository and, after the autonomous placement device has been positioned proximate an aerial placement position, secure the electronic device to the object at the aerial placement position. The autonomous placement device may further include a guidance system operable to locate the aerial placement position prior to aerial positioning. The autonomous placement device may form part of a system, which also includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a payload coupling system that mechanically couples the autonomous placement device to the UAV.