UAV Tether Compensation Mechanism for Delivery Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face flight instability and undesirable movements when using a winch to lower items for delivery, due to external factors like air resistance and wind, which can lead to unsafe and inefficient delivery operations.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a tether compensation mechanism that includes sensors and actuators to stabilize the tether and item, allowing the UAV to maintain a stable flight path and prevent undesirable sway or oscillations by gripping or counterbalancing against movement, thereby ensuring safe and efficient delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a winch is used to lower items for delivery, then delivery capability is improved, but flight stability deteriorates due to air resistance and wind causing sway and oscillations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a tether compensation mechanism that acts as a counterbalancing system. Sensors detect movement of the tether and item, and actuators generate compensating forces to counteract the sway and oscillations caused by air resistance and wind, thereby maintaining flight stability while enabling delivery operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a closed-loop feedback control system. Sensors continuously monitor the position and movement of the tether and item, feed this information to a controller, which then adjusts the actuators to compensate for detected movements. This feedback mechanism enables real-time stabilization of the UAV during delivery operations
2Use of energy by moving object
If the UAV maintains minimum height above landing surface, then energy efficiency is improved, but safety deteriorates due to increased risk from tether movement and external factors
Solution Approach 1:
The tether compensation mechanism provides active counterbalancing of forces acting on the tether and item. By using actuators to generate compensating forces against air resistance and wind, the system enables safe delivery operations at minimum height, maintaining both energy efficiency and delivery safety
3Stability of the object's composition
If a tether compensation mechanism with sensors and actuators is implemented, then flight stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tether compensation mechanism integrates multiple functions into a unified system. The same sensors and actuators that compensate for tether movement also contribute to overall flight stabilization, and the control system manages both delivery operations and stability maintenance, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems
Data Source
AI summary
A tether compensated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is described. In one embodiment, the UAV includes a winch with a tether to lower an item from the UAV for delivery, a tether compensation mechanism configured to contact the tether as it extends from the winch, and a flight controller to control a flight path of the UAV. The flight controller is also configured to direct the tether compensation mechanism to clamp the tether based on the flight path of the UAV. Further, based on movement identified in the tether using a sensor, a tether response controller can determine a complementary response and direct the tether compensation mechanism to brace the tether against the movement. Thus, the tether compensation mechanism can help stabilize sway or movement in the tether, which can help prevent the tether from undesirable swinging.