UAV Flight Control Near Restricted Airspace Boundaries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) lack effective systems to detect and respond to flight-restricted regions, such as airports, leading to potential safety hazards and regulatory violations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for assessing the location of a UAV relative to flight-restricted regions, calculating distances using GPS and ENU coordinate systems, and implementing appropriate flight responses, including automatic landing, alerts, or restricted flight modes based on predefined thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UAVs are equipped with flight control systems to detect and respond to flight-restricted regions, then safety and regulatory compliance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by determining the location of flight-restricted regions and calculating distances to these regions before the UAV enters prohibited airspace. The flight control system proactively assesses relative locations and implements flight responses (such as altering flight path or altitude) before the UAV violates regulations, thereby preventing safety issues rather than merely reacting to them.
2Reliability
If the system implements multiple flight response measures based on different distance thresholds, then safety and compliance are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts flight responses based on real-time distance calculations. When the UAV is within a first distance threshold of a flight-restricted region, the system implements a first flight response measure (such as alerting the operator). When the distance falls within a second, smaller threshold, a second flight response measure is implemented (such as automatic landing or forced return). This dynamic, multi-level response system adapts to the urgency of the situation, improving safety while maintaining operational clarity through automated decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes one or more processors individually or collectively configured to assess a location of the UAV, calculate a distance between the UAV and a flight-restricted region using the location of the UAV, assess whether the distance falls within a first distance threshold, and instruct the UAV to take a flight response measure selected from (1) a first flight response measure when the distance falls within the first distance threshold, and (2) a second flight response measure different from the first flight response measure when the distance falls outside the first distance threshold. The first flight response measure at least includes causing the UAV to descend or hover over a location. A rate at which the UAV descends is determined based on the location of the UAV.