UAV Flight Control Switching for Autonomous Safe Mode
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in ensuring safe operation, particularly during autonomous missions, as existing systems lack effective mechanisms to detect and respond to unsafe conditions or operations, which is critical for compliance with emerging regulatory requirements in commercial airspace.
Innovation Solution
A switchable flight control system onboard UAVs that includes a flight management system, mission control module, safety module, and monitor module, which continuously monitors operations for unsafe conditions and automatically switches to a safe mode when unsafe conditions are detected, ensuring the vehicle's safe operation by prioritizing commands from the safety module over the mission control module.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If autonomous mission control is implemented to enable UAVs to operate beyond radio communication range, then mission capability and operational range are improved, but the risk of unsafe conditions and loss of operator control increases
Solution Approach 1:
An independent safety module is introduced as an intermediary between the mission control module and flight management system. This safety module continuously monitors mission commands and independently determines whether to allow command transmission, acting as a mediator that ensures autonomous capability while maintaining safety oversight without requiring constant operator intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The safety module performs preliminary validation of mission commands before they are executed by the flight management system. By pre-checking commands for safety constraints and potential hazards, the system prevents unsafe operations from occurring in the first place, enabling autonomous operation while maintaining reliability
2Reliability
If a safety monitoring system is added to detect and respond to unsafe conditions, then operational safety is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into distinct functional modules: mission control module for autonomous operations, safety module for monitoring and validation, flight management system for execution, and monitor module for communication management. This segmentation allows each module to have a specific, simplified function while the system as a whole achieves comprehensive safety monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The safety module serves as an intermediary that receives mission commands and independently determines whether to allow transmission to the flight management system. This intermediary approach centralizes safety logic in a single module rather than distributing complex safety checks across multiple components, thereby improving safety while managing system complexity
3Reliability
If the system switches to safe mode upon detecting unsafe conditions, then operational safety is improved, but mission continuity is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between normal operation mode and safe mode based on real-time safety assessments. The communication control module actively manages which module's commands are transmitted to the flight management system, allowing the system to adapt its operational state in response to changing conditions while maintaining mission awareness
Solution Approach 2:
The monitor module continuously monitors the safety module's decisions and the operational state of the UAV. This feedback mechanism ensures that the system can detect when safe mode activation was premature or when conditions have improved, allowing for appropriate mode transitions that balance safety requirements with mission continuity
Data Source
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AI summary
An onboard system for controlling flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (10). The system comprises: a flight management system (40) configured for controlling flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle (10); a mission control module (2) configured to send commands to the flight management system (40) for guiding the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) to perform a mission; a safety module (8) configured to communicate commands to the flight management system (40) for guiding the unmanned aerial vehicle (10) to fly in a safe mode; a communication control component (6) which is switchable between a mission state in which the flight management system (40) receives commands from the mission control module (2) and a safety state in which the flight management system (40) receives commands from the safety module (8); and a monitor module (4) configured to determine whether a trigger condition warranting a change in mode is present or not and to cause the communication control component (6) to switch from the mission state to the safety state when the trigger condition is present.