A winch boom system and method includes a frame, a shaft supported by the frame, and a winch drum attached to the shaft such that rotation of the shaft about a shaft axis rotates the winch drum. A boom is pivotably coupled to the frame, the boom defining a cavity in which the winch drum is positioned. A winch rope is wound about the winch drum, passing through the cavity of the boom, and extending from the boom at a point distal from the winch drum.

A plurality of sensors measure rope depth at a plurality of locations along an axis of a winch drum for use by a control unit in determining rope defects.

A method of controlling operation of equipment that spools an elongated member on and off a rotatable drum, in one or more embodiments, includes obtaining video data of a position of the elongated member on the rotatable drum. The method can also include feeding data into a trained artificial neural network and processing the data fed into the trained artificial neural network to determine at least one of a calculated position of the elongated member on the rotatable drum, a calculated fleet angle, or both. The method can also include actuating the rotatable drum to one of spool elongated member on and off the rotatable drum.

Methods and systems are provided for a fairlead with an illumination module. In one example, a fairlead includes an illumination module seated against a recessed mounting surface. The illumination module is housed within a body of the fairlead and configured to illuminate a main opening of the fairlead.

Described herein are methods and systems for picking up, transporting, and lowering a payload coupled to a tether of a winch system arranged on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). For example, the winch system may include a motor for winding and unwinding the tether from a spool, and the UAV's control system may operate the motor to lower the tether toward the ground so a payload may be attached to the tether. The control system may monitor an electric current supplied to the motor to determine whether the payload has been attached to the tether. In another example, when lowering a payload, the control system may monitor the motor current to determine that the payload has reached the ground and responsively operate the motor to detach the payload from the tether. The control system may then monitor the motor current to determine whether the payload has detached from the tether.

A winch including a motor, a first reel holder, a second reel holder, a connecting structure used for connecting the first reel holder and the second reel holder, a rotatable reel, and a deceleration unit. The motor is connected to the first reel holder. The deceleration unit is connected to second reel holder. The winch further includes a housing, which is connected to the first reel holder. The motor is located in the housing. The housing is provided with an in-and-out structure used for an electrical connection to a power supply structure of the motor.

Methods and systems are provided for a winch including a motor and a contactor assembly coupled around the motor. In one example, the contactor assembly is coupled around and in face-sharing contact with a portion of an outer surface of the motor. Additionally, the contactor assembly may include two or more coils spaced apart from one another within the contactor assembly.

Disclosed are an online monitoring system for a crack on a hoist spindle and an operation method thereof. The system comprises: a rope power part, a crack detection part, a wireless transmission part, and a computer. The rope power part comprises two traction ropes, two guide wheels, two stepper motors, and two stepper motor drivers. The crack detection part comprises a spiral tube guide rail, a sliding body, and an ultrasonic generator. The wireless transmission part comprises three zigbee wireless sensing modules. The zigbee wireless sensing modules receive instructions from the computer and transmit the instructions to the stepper motor drivers to control the motors to rotate. The stepper motors drive the guide wheels to rotate to realize the winding of the ropes, so as to pull the sliding body to slide on the spiral tube guide rail. The ultrasonic generator clamped on the sliding body monitors the rotating spindle along the spiral tube guide rail. The zigbee wireless sensing modules transmit the detected data to the computer in real time. The present invention can effectively monitor a hoist spindle in time before a failure occurs, thereby avoiding safety accidents.

The present disclosure relates to a control unit for controlling operation of a hoist in a load slip condition. The hoist may include a motor coupled to a winding drum for lifting and lowering a load. The control unit may include a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory may store processor executable instructions, which, on execution, cause the processor to operate the hoist for selectively lifting and lowering a load between a first position and a second position upon detecting a load slip condition. The processor may operate the hoist based on parameters pertaining to transport of the load. The control unit may be configured to reciprocate the load in a load slip condition to prevent overheating and failure of a motor, thereby preventing a fall of the load in a work area.

Disclosed are systems, apparatuses, and methods to deploy and stow a deployable equipment to and from a hoist, to control a load on a suspension without transfer of torque to the suspension cable, for the deployable equipment to obtain data and information from the hoist, and for the deployable equipment to control the hoist, such as a reel of a hoist, to control a z-axis of a terminal end of the suspension cable. Control of the z-axis may be, for example, to control an elevation of a load, such as relative to carrier, ground, or an objective or target, to control a tension on or of suspension cable. Control of the z-axis may be, for example, to control a rate of ascent or descent of a terminal end of suspension cable.