UAV Delivery With Mobile Receptacle Grid-Based Drop Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ensuring safe, secure, and user-friendly delivery of packages using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is challenging due to obstacles and changing landscapes, as UAVs lack sufficient problem-solving skills for real-time decision-making in dynamic environments, and recipients may not want to designate large areas for delivery or keep UAVs close to their dwellings for safety reasons.
Innovation Solution
A two-part delivery system comprising a UAV and a land-based mobile receptacle unit (MRU) that uses sensor data and grid mapping to identify safe delivery locations, with the MRU maneuvering to accept packages and the UAV delivering to it, allowing for real-time adjustments and recipient preferences to ensure safe and secure delivery without the need for the recipient to be present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If UAV delivers packages directly to recipients, then delivery efficiency is improved, but safety and security are compromised due to obstacles and changing landscapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ground-based receptacle unit as an intermediary between the UAV and the recipient. The UAV delivers packages to the receptacle unit, which then makes them available to the recipient. This intermediary solves the contradiction by enabling efficient UAV delivery while ensuring safety through obstacle detection and secure package storage in the receptacle unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the ground-based receptacle unit detect obstacles and prepare delivery locations before the UAV arrives. The receptacle unit scans the environment, identifies safe delivery zones, and positions itself accordingly, enabling the UAV to deliver packages efficiently without real-time decision-making challenges.
2Adaptability or versatility
If recipient designates large areas for delivery, then delivery flexibility is improved, but safety risks increase due to UAV proximity to dwellings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling the ground-based receptacle unit to perform localized obstacle detection and environment scanning at the specific delivery location. This allows the system to maintain delivery flexibility while ensuring safety through localized environmental assessment, eliminating the need for recipients to designate large areas or keep UAVs close to dwellings.
3Extent of automation
If UAV operates autonomously in dynamic environments, then problem-solving capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the autonomous delivery system into two specialized components: the UAV handles aerial navigation and package transport, while the ground-based receptacle unit handles obstacle detection, environment scanning, and delivery location identification. This segmentation reduces system complexity by distributing functions across two simpler, specialized units rather than requiring one highly complex autonomous UAV.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to delivery systems including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). For instance, a UAV may have one or more computing devices. These computing devices may be configured to receive sensor data for a predetermined delivery area and use the sensor data to identify one or more grid cells of a grid corresponding to a map of the predetermined delivery area. The identified grid cells correspond to locations acceptable for delivery by the UAV. The computing devices may also be configured to receive, from a mobile receptacle unit (MRU), information identifying a set of grid cells of the grid identified by the MRU as being acceptable for delivery, determine a delivery location by identifying a common grid cell between the identified one or more grid cells and the set of grid cells, and send the common grid cell to the MRU in order to attempt a delivery.