UAV Stabilized Drop Delivery via Winch and Ballast Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current delivery methods, including small items or packages, often require large vehicles to transport and deliver goods, which can be inefficient and pose safety risks due to the need for vehicles to land at delivery zones before releasing items, increasing energy consumption and potential instability during airborne delivery.
Innovation Solution
A stabilized drop delivery unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with winches, tethers, and a computing device that controls flight and winch mechanisms to lower a platform with items from a height, maintaining stability and efficiency by using active and passive control systems to manage orientation and tension, allowing for precise and safe delivery without landing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large vehicles are used to transport and deliver goods, then delivery capability is ensured, but energy consumption increases and safety risks arise due to landing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the delivery function from the vehicle itself by using a UAV to transport items and a separate drop mechanism to release them. The vehicle (UAV) carries the payload to the destination area, then the items are dropped via tethers and winches without requiring the vehicle to land, thus separating transport from delivery operations and reducing energy consumption while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces tethers and winches as intermediary mechanisms between the UAV and the delivered items. These intermediaries allow controlled release of items from airborne position, enabling precise delivery without the UAV needing to land, thereby reducing energy consumption while ensuring safe and accurate item placement
2Manufacturing precision
If vehicles land at delivery zones to release items, then item delivery is achieved, but instability and inaccuracies increase during the landing process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic control systems including active stabilization and control mechanisms that continuously adjust the UAV's position and the drop mechanism's operation. The system transitions smoothly from stable airborne transport to controlled item release, maintaining stability throughout the process by using sensors and actuators to compensate for disturbances during the delivery sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control through sensors that monitor the UAV's position, orientation, and the status of the drop mechanism. This feedback enables real-time adjustments to maintain airborne stability during transport and ensures precise timing and positioning during item release, eliminating the instability associated with landing operations
3Ease of operation
If winches and tethers are used to lower platforms from height, then controlled delivery is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the winch and tether system to perform multiple functions: securing items during transport, controlling the lowering speed and position, and enabling precise release. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms for each operation, managing system complexity while enhancing ease of operation through integrated control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates automatic control features where the winch system self-regulates based on sensor feedback, automatically adjusting tension and lowering speed without requiring constant manual intervention. The system includes self-diagnosis and safety features that autonomously manage operations, reducing operational complexity while improving ease of use
Data Source
AI summary
Stabilized delivery using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is described. In one embodiment, the UAV includes a flight controller configured to control a flight path of the UAV, a winch mechanism secured to an underside of the UAV, a platform tethered to and extendable from the winch mechanism, and a ballast system configured to stabilize the platform. The winch mechanism may be relied upon to drop an item for delivery without landing the UAV. The winch mechanism can include a first winch mechanism secured to the UAV at a first orientation and a second winch mechanism secured to the UAV at a second orientation. Because the winch mechanism may give rise to certain design and operating considerations, various active and passive flight and/or ballast control systems are described. These systems maintain an orientation of the UAV, the platform, and/or the item during one or more stages of airborne drop delivery.