UAV Waypoint Locking for Scalable Aerial Traffic Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air traffic management systems are inadequate for managing large fleets of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) due to limitations in automated management, communication, and safety protocols, particularly in three-dimensional aerial spaces.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for aerial traffic management of UAVs that involves receiving navigation requests, determining waypoint clarity, instructing UAVs to hover or navigate, and locking waypoints for exclusive use, ensuring safe separation and efficient navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual coordination of aircraft by a central control tower is used, then traffic management is provided for limited circumstances, but it fails to address the difficulties of management of large fleets of unmanned vehicles and limits communication speed to human operator capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables unmanned vehicles to autonomously request waypoints, navigate to destinations, and manage their own traffic coordination through automated communications with the control server, eliminating the need for human operators to directly control each vehicle
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual human coordination mechanisms with automated electronic communication systems that can process and respond to navigation requests from multiple unmanned vehicles simultaneously at high speeds
2Adaptability or versatility
If de-centralized air traffic management solutions like free flight model are used, then airspace assignment is provided based on pre-defined restrictions, but it fails to address traffic management requirements for large fleets of unmanned vehicles and cannot provide automatic determination of safe takeoff and landing plans
Solution Approach 1:
The control server continuously monitors the positions and navigation status of all unmanned vehicles, dynamically adjusting waypoint assignments and airspace allocations based on real-time feedback to maintain safe separation between vehicles throughout their flight paths
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary checks and calculations to determine safe takeoff and landing plans before vehicles execute these maneuvers, pre-coordinating airspace usage and timing to prevent conflicts among multiple unmanned vehicles
3Productivity
If automated management systems are implemented for large fleets of UAVs, then communication speed and management efficiency are improved, but system complexity and coordination challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation space is segmented into discrete waypoints that can be individually assigned and managed, allowing the complex task of fleet coordination to be broken down into simpler, manageable units of waypoint allocation and vehicle-to-waypoint matching
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for aerial traffic management of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are provided. The method includes receiving at least a navigation request from a first UAV of a plurality of UAVs, wherein the navigation request specifies at least a waypoint; determining whether the waypoint is clear; sending an instruction the first UAV to hover at a specified position until the waypoint is clear, when the received waypoint is not clear; locking the waypoint, when the received waypoint not clear; and instructing the first UAV to navigate to the received waypoint.