Determining center of gravity of an automated aerial vehicle and a payload

• US 9,550,561 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beckman, Brian C., Porter, Brandon William, Kimchi, Gur, Buchmueller, Daniel, Bezos, Jeffrey P., Schaffalitzky, Frederik, Navot, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US14/491,201
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 701/124
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 17/00 Aircraft stabilisation not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 40/20 for in-flight adjustment of the base configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/07 for weighing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/125 of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/127 during the flight
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 3/00 Control of position or direction G05D1/00 takes precedence; numerical control to execute positioning G05B19/18

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system and method for determining the center of gravity of a payload engaged by an automated aerial vehicle and adjusting components of the automated aerial vehicle and/or the engagement location with the payload so that the center of gravity of the payload is within a defined position with respect to the center of gravity of the automated aerial vehicle. Adjusting the center of gravity to be within a defined position improves the efficiency, maneuverability and safety of the automated aerial vehicle. In some implementations, the stability of the payload may also be determined to ensure that the center of gravity does not change or shift during transport due to movement of an item of the payload.

Claims

1. An automated aerial vehicle, comprising:

a frame;

a power supply module coupled to the frame;

a payload engagement element coupled to the frame for engaging and disengaging a payload;

a center of gravity adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a center of gravity; and

a memory coupled to a processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to at least;

prior to an aerial transport of the payload to a destination by the automated aerial vehicle;

determine a first location of a first center of gravity of the payload;

determine a second location of a second center of gravity of the automated aerial vehicle; and

send instructions to the center of gravity adjustment mechanism to adjust at least one of a position of the payload with respect to the frame of the automated aerial vehicle or a component of the automated aerial vehicle with respect to the frame of the automated aerial vehicle until the first location of the first center of gravity of the payload is within a defined position with respect to the second location of the second center of gravity of the automated aerial vehicle.

2. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the center of gravity adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of rails coupled to the frame and the payload engagement element, wherein the payload engagement element is horizontally movable along the rails.

3. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the payload engagement element includes at least one cable for engaging the payload and moving the payload vertically with respect to the frame of the automated aerial vehicle.

4. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 3, wherein moving the payload vertically includes retracting the payload into a cavity of the payload engagement element.

5. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the payload engagement element includes a plurality of engaging latches configured to engage one or more engagement locations of the payload.

6. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the defined position is determined based at least in part on a position of a plurality of motors of the automated aerial vehicle.

7. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of motors;

a plurality of motor controllers, each of the plurality of motor controllers communicating with a respective motor of the plurality of motors; and

wherein the program instructions that cause the processor to determine the first location of the first center of gravity of the payload, include instructions that cause the processor to at least;

send instructions that cause the automated aerial vehicle to lift the payload;

receive from each of the plurality of motor controllers rotational speed information corresponding to a rotational speed of a respective motor; and

determine, based at least in part on the rotational speed information received from each of the plurality of motor controllers, the first location of the first center of gravity of the payload.

8. The automated aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors; and

wherein the program instructions that cause the processor to determine the first location of the first center of gravity of the payload, include instructions that cause the processor to at least;

send instructions that cause the automated aerial vehicle to lift the payload;

receive from each of the plurality of sensors at least one of pitch information and roll information corresponding to a pitch or a roll of the automated aerial vehicle; and

determine, based at least in part on the pitch information or the roll information, the first location of the first center of gravity of the payload.

9. A computer-implemented method for selecting an automated aerial vehicle, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,

determining a center of gravity of a payload to be transported by an automated aerial vehicle;

selecting an automated aerial vehicle from a plurality of available automated aerial vehicles based at least in part on the center of gravity of the payload, wherein each of the plurality of automated aerial vehicles have a different automated aerial vehicle configuration and each automated aerial vehicle configuration is configured to engage payloads having different centers of gravity; and

instructing the automated aerial vehicle to engage the payload.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the center of gravity of the payload is an expected center of gravity determined based at least in part on an item included in the payload, a position of engagement between the payload and the automated aerial vehicle or a simulation.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the center of gravity of the payload is determined based at least in part by measuring a mass of the payload with a plurality of sensors.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the payload includes an item ordered from an e-commerce website that is to be delivered to a destination using the automated aerial vehicle.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the automated aerial vehicle is configured to at least:

engage the payload;

determine a location of the center of gravity of the engaged payload; and

adjust a position of the engaged payload to move the location of the center of gravity of the engaged payload with respect to the automated aerial vehicle or adjust a position of a component of the automated aerial vehicle to move a second location of a second center of gravity of the automated aerial vehicle.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the location of the center of gravity of the engaged payload is moved into a three dimensional space around a center point between each of a plurality of motors of the automated aerial vehicle.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the component is at least one of a power supply, an adjustable motor arm, a payload engagement element, or a counterweight.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the automated aerial vehicle is further configured to at least:

adjust a flight control parameter based on the determined location of the center of gravity of the engaged payload.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the automated aerial vehicle is further configured to at least:

disengage the payload; and

adjust a flight control parameter based on the second location of the second center of gravity of the automated aerial vehicle.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the automated aerial vehicle is further configured to at least:

determine a location of a combined center of gravity of the payload and the automated aerial vehicle based on the location of the center of gravity of the payload and the second center of gravity of the automated aerial vehicle; and

wherein the position of at least one of the engaged payload or a component of the automated aerial vehicle is adjusted to move the location of the combined center of gravity with respect to the automated aerial vehicle.

19. A system for transporting a payload, comprising:

an automated aerial vehicle having a frame and a payload engagement element coupled to the frame and configured to engage a payload; and

a memory coupled to a processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to at least;

prior to engaging a payload by the automated aerial vehicle, determine a center of gravity of the payload;

select, based at least in part on the determined center of gravity of the payload, an engagement location from a plurality of engagement locations for engaging the payload with the payload engagement element; and

cause engagement of the payload and the payload engagement element utilizing the selected engagement location.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the engagement location for engaging the payload with the payload engagement element is further selected based on at least one of:

an automated aerial vehicle center of gravity, a combined center of gravity of the payload and the automated aerial vehicle, a payload moment of inertia, a combined moment of inertia of the payload and the automated aerial vehicle, a payload mass distribution, an automated aerial vehicle mass distribution, a combined mass distribution of the payload and the automated aerial vehicle, a payload physical characteristic, or an automated aerial vehicle characteristic.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a payload stability controller configured to determine a stability of the payload.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the stability of the payload is determined based at least in part on a change in a location of a center of gravity of the payload when the payload is moved from a first position to a second position.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the payload engagement element is horizontally adjustable with respect to the frame of the automated aerial vehicle for adjusting a position of the payload with respect to the automated aerial vehicle.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the processor to at least:

cause an adjustment of a position of at least one component of the automated aerial vehicle with respect to the frame based at least in part on a determined center of gravity of the payload.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the payload engagement element includes at least one cable for engaging the payload and vertically positioning the payload with respect to the frame of the automated aerial vehicle.

26. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a payload container configured with a plurality of engagement locations for receiving and engaging with the payload engagement element; and

a center of gravity adjustment controller configured to determine the engagement location from the plurality of engagement locations based at least in part on a determined center of gravity of the payload.

27. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

an engagement location at which the payload is placed for engagement by the automated aerial vehicle;

a plurality of sensors positioned at the engagement location and configured to measure a mass of the payload when placed at the engagement location; and

wherein the program instructions that cause the processor to determine a center of gravity of the payload further include instructions that cause the processor to at least;

receive from each of the plurality of sensors the mass information corresponding to a mass measured by each respective sensor when the payload is placed at the engagement location; and

determine, based at least in part on the mass information received from each of the plurality of sensors, the center of gravity of the payload.