UAV Tether Tension Control Near Flight Zone Boundaries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) tethered with tethers can experience sudden tension changes, leading to strong impacts and potential crashes when flying near the maximum tether length, as they attempt to move further away from the tethering device, potentially causing the UAV to fly out of control.
Innovation Solution
A control device with a processor that adjusts the tether tension based on specified distances from the UAV's position to the boundary of a no-fly zone, gradually increasing tension as the UAV approaches the boundary to prevent sudden impacts, and maintaining constant tension when the UAV is farther away to avoid slackness, ensuring the tether does not become too tight or too loose.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the tether length is increased to allow greater flight distance, then the flight range is improved, but the risk of sudden tension changes and impact on the UAV increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tethering device dynamically adjusts the tether length based on the UAV's position and flight status. The processor continuously monitors UAV coordinates and calculates the optimal tether length, allowing the system to adapt between maximum extension for range and controlled retraction for safety, resolving the contradiction between flight range and safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the processor receives real-time position information from the UAV, calculates the current tether length, and adjusts the tether accordingly. This closed-loop control prevents sudden tension changes by continuously monitoring and adjusting the tether state based on UAV position relative to the no-fly zone boundary
2Force
If the tether tension is increased to prevent UAV from entering no-fly zone, then the boundary control effectiveness is improved, but the impact on UAV when approaching maximum length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by calculating the distance from the UAV to the no-fly zone boundary and proactively adjusting the tether length before the UAV reaches dangerous positions. The processor determines the optimal tether length based on predicted UAV movement, preventing sudden tension changes by already having the tether at the appropriate length, thus counteracting potential harmful impacts before they occur
Solution Approach 2:
The tethering device performs preliminary action by continuously calculating and preparing the optimal tether length in advance. The processor monitors UAV position and pre-adjusts the tether length based on the distance to the boundary, ensuring the tether is already at the correct tension level before the UAV approaches critical positions, avoiding sudden impacts
3Reliability
If the tether length is dynamically adjusted to maintain constant tension, then the UAV safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical tension control mechanisms with an information processing approach. The processor calculates the optimal tether length based on UAV position coordinates and no-fly zone boundary data, then controls the tethering device accordingly. This substitution of mechanical complexity with computational logic simplifies the overall system while achieving constant tension control
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameter from direct tension control to length control. Instead of directly controlling tether tension which would require complex force sensors and actuators, the processor controls the tether length parameter based on UAV position and boundary distance. This parameter transformation simplifies the control system while maintaining the effectiveness of tension control
Data Source
AI summary
A control device includes a processor which: obtains first region information indicating a first region; obtains first position information indicating the position of an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to a tethering device using a tether; and controls the tethering device using the first region information and the first position information to cause the tether to have tension corresponding to a specified distance which is at least one of the shortest distance between a boundary of the first region and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a distance included in a predetermined range from the shortest distance.