UAV retrieval system and method

• US 9,221,557 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Friesel, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benedik, Justin
• Application Number:
  US13/788,053
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 244/110.E, 244/110.R, 244/110.G, 244/113
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/02 for arresting aircraft, e.g. nets or cables
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/025 using decelerating or arresting beds
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/0299 characterized by the use of multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/60 Take-off or landing of UAVs from a runway using their own power

Abstract

An apparatus for capture of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprises a wind tunnel including at least one fan for generating airflow in the wind tunnel; sensors for sensing characteristics of the UAV; and a control system coupled to said sensors and said at least one fan. The control system is configured to cause the at least one fan to generate airflow based on the sensed characteristics of the UAV to bring the UAV that is in the wind tunnel to a low or zero airspeed above a floor of the wind tunnel, thereby allowing the UAV to be dropped onto the floor of the wind tunnel when the airflow and a motive force of the UAV are stopped.

Claims

1. An apparatus for capture of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a wind tunnel including at least one fan for generating airflow in the wind tunnel;

sensors for sensing characteristics of the UAV; and

a control system coupled to said sensors and said at least one fan;

wherein said control system is configured to cause the at least one fan to vary the airflow based on the sensed characteristics of the UAV, to bring the UAV to a low or zero airspeed above a floor of the wind tunnel after the UAV enters and traverses a portion of the wind tunnel, thereby allowing the UAV to be dropped onto the floor of the wind tunnel when the airflow and a motive force of the UAV are stopped.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a speed sensor, a heading sensor, and an airflow sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to determine an inertial mass of the UAV based on the airflow sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control system is configured to vary a direction and speed of the airflow generated by the at least one fan to dynamically match the inertial mass, speed, and heading of the UAV to bring the UAV to a low or zero airspeed above the floor of the wind tunnel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a database of UAV inertial masses, and wherein the control system is configured to determine the inertial mass of the UAV based on the database of UAV inertial masses.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the floor of the wind tunnel comprises a landing pad onto which the UAV is dropped.

7. A method for capturing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

sensing characteristics relating to a UAV to be captured;

directing said UAV into a wind tunnel;

dynamically adjusting a speed and direction of an airflow in the wind tunnel based on the sensed characteristics to bring the UAV in the wind tunnel to a low or zero airspeed at a low height above a floor of said wind tunnel; and

stopping the airflow and a motive force of the UAV, thereby causing the UAV to drop onto the floor of said wind tunnel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein sensing characteristics relating to the UAV comprises sensing at least one of a speed, a heading, or an inertial mass of the UAV.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein sensing the inertial mass of the UAV comprises dynamically estimating the inertial mass of the UAV from a response of the UAV to the airflow.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein sensing the inertial mass of the UAV comprises determining the inertial mass from a database of UAV inertial masses for a model of the UAV being captured.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein dynamically adjusting the speed and the direction of the airflow in the wind tunnel based on the sensed characteristics comprises dynamically adjusting the speed and the direction of the airflow based on the speed, the heading, and the inertial mass of the UAV.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising dynamically adjusting the speed and the direction of the airflow in the wind tunnel based on control parameters of the UAV.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the control parameters of the UAV comprise at least one of speed, acceleration, attitude, and heading of the UAV.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein stopping the airflow and the motive force of the UAV causes the UAV to drop onto a landing pad on the floor of said wind tunnel.

15. A system for capture of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a wind tunnel including at least one fan for generating airflow in the wind tunnel;

an integrated control for controlling flight control parameters of the UAV and the airflow generated by the at least one fan;

sensors, for sensing characteristics relating to the UAV, coupled to the integrated control; and

wind tunnel sensors, for sensing characteristics relating to the wind tunnel, coupled to the integrated control;

wherein the integrated control is configured to dynamically adjust one or both of flight control parameters for the UAV and the airflow generated by the at least one fan, based on one or both of the sensed characteristics relating to the UAV and the sensed characteristics relating to the wind tunnel, to bring the UAV to a low or zero airspeed above a floor of the wind tunnel, and

wherein the integrated control is further configured to stop the airflow and a motive force of the UAV when the UAV is at the low or zero airspeed above the floor of the wind tunnel, thereby allowing the UAV to drop onto the floor of the wind tunnel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensors for sensing characteristics relating to the UAV comprise one or both of sensors on the UAV or sensors integral to the wind tunnel, including at least one of a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an attitude sensor, a heading sensor, and an airflow sensor.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensors for sensing characteristics relating to the wind tunnel comprise at least one of a speed sensor, a heading sensor, and an airflow sensor.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the integrated control is further configured to dynamically adjust the airflow generated by the at least one fan based on the flight control parameters of the UAV including at least one of a speed, an acceleration, an attitude, and a heading of the UAV.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the integrated control dynamically adjusts one or both of a speed and a direction of the at least one fan to adjust the airflow generated by the at least one fan in the wind tunnel.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the integrated control is further configured to dynamically estimate the inertial mass of the UAV using an airflow sensor or a database of UAV inertial masses for a model of the UAV being captured, and wherein the integrated control is further configured to dynamically adjust the airflow generated by the at least one fan based on the estimated inertial mass of the UAV.