UAV Sensor Placement Outside Rotor Keep-Out Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in obstacle avoidance due to interference from their own components, which degrades the accuracy and reliability of sensor information, leading to reduced obstacle detection capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Positioning sensors outside a designated 'keep-out zone' on the UAV, such as on arms or landing stands, to minimize interference from rotor blades and electronic components, allowing for improved data collection and obstacle detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If sensors are positioned on the UAV body, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to interference from rotor blades and electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions sensors on extended structures (arms or landing stands) that project outward from the main UAV body, transitioning from a two-dimensional body surface to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement. This dimensional extension places sensors outside the interference zone of rotor blades and electronic components while maintaining structural integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate structures (arms or landing stands) that serve as mediators between the UAV body and the sensors. These intermediate structures position the sensors at a distance from the interference sources while maintaining structural support and integration, effectively decoupling the sensors from direct interference.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are positioned outside the keep-out zone, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional structural components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional structures (arms or landing stands) that simultaneously serve as structural support elements and sensor mounting platforms. These structures perform multiple functions: providing mechanical support, positioning sensors outside the interference zone, and potentially serving as part of the landing gear or structural framework, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the added sensor placement capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (200, 300, 400, 700, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500) can include a central body(202, 302, 402, 702, 802, 1002, 1202, 1502), a plurality of rotors, and a plurality of arms (204, 306, 406, 706, 806, 1006, 1206, 1506) extending from the central body(202, 302, 402, 702, 802, 1002, 1202, 1502), where each arm of the plurality of arms (204, 306, 406, 706, 806, 1006, 1206, 1506) is configured to support one or more of the plurality of rotors. The UAV may include at least one sensor (208, 318, 418, 718, 818, 822, 1022, 1218, 1222, 1518) located on the UAV (200, 300, 400, 700, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500) outside of a keep-out zone, where the keep-out zone is defined at least in part by (1) a plurality of rotor disks, a rotor disk of the plurality of rotor disks for each of the plurality of rotors, each rotor disk corresponding to an area that is swept by one or more rotor blades (206, 308, 408, 708, 808, 1008, 1208, 1508) of a corresponding rotor when the rotor blades (206, 308, 408, 708, 808, 1008, 1208, 1508) are spun, and (2) a shape that is formed by adjoining respective centers of adjacent rotor disks.