Device for the automated charging and discharging of a free-flying autonomously controlled drone

Abstract

A device for the automated charging and discharging of an object on a free-flying autonomously controlled drone includes a landing platform for the drone, a storage device for storing objects, a robot where the robot is configured to remove an object from the storage apparatus in an automated manner and to provide the object on the landing platform to be picked up by the drone and is configured to pick up in an automated manner an object that is provided on the landing platform by the drone and to deposit the object in the storage apparatus, and a controller where the robot is controllable by the controller.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: a device for automated loading of objects to a free-flying autonomously controlled drone and for unloading of objects from the free-flying autonomously controlled drone, wherein the device includes: a landing platform for the drone; a storage apparatus; a robot, wherein the robot is configured to: remove a first object from the storage apparatus in an automated manner and to provide the first object on the landing platform to be picked up by the drone; pick up in an automated manner a second object that is provided on the landing platform by the drone and to deposit the second object in the storage apparatus; and a controller, wherein the robot is controllable by the controller.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a delivery vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the robot has a multi-link robotic manipulator that has, at a distal end of the multi-link robotic manipulator, an effector for picking up and holding objects.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein links of the multi-link robotic manipulator are interconnected via a respective actuator-driven rotary joint and/or via a respective linear joint.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the linear joint has a rigid-chain drive.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the landing platform has an opening at an intended landing position of the drone and wherein the robot is configured to provide, from below through the opening in the landing platform, objects for collection by the drone and is configured to pick up objects from the drone and to deposit the picked up objects into the storage apparatus.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the robot has a device for securing an object during a transport of the object.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller has a communication device for data exchange with a control unit of the drone and wherein the controller controls the robot on a basis of data received from the control unit of the drone.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the data received from the control unit of the drone includes a first message that the drone has landed and is ready to dispense an object or a second message that the drone has landed and is ready to pick up an object.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the landing platform is disposed on a roof of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The FIGURE is a schematic representation of a proposed device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(2) The FIGURE is a schematic representation of a proposed device for loading and unloading an object to/from a free-flying autonomously controlled drone.

(3) The device comprises a landing platform 101 for the drone, a storage apparatus 102 for storing objects, a robot 103 which is designed and configured to remove objects from the storage apparatus 102 in an automated manner and to provide the objects on the landing platform 101 to be picked up by a drone, and to pick up, in an automated manner, objects that are provided on the landing platform 101 by a drone, and to deposit the objects in the storage apparatus 102, and a controller 104 for controlling the robot 103. The storage apparatus 102 in this case is designed as a set of shelves and has, in the cross section shown, an object in the bottom shelf and in the top shelf.

(4) The loading platform 101 has an opening 108 through which the effector provides, from below, an object to be picked up by the drone. The drone in this case has landed on the platform in such a way that the landing legs thereof stand on the platform and the drone body can be freely accessed from below by the effector in order to transfer the object from the effector.

(5) The robot 103 in this case comprises a three-link robotic manipulator 105 that has, at the distal end thereof, an effector 106 for picking up and holding objects. The robotic manipulator 105 is connected, at the proximal end thereof, to a robot base. Actuator-driven rotary joints are provided in this case for connecting the links and the effector to the robot base. The control of the associated actuators is carried out by the controller 104. The controller 104 furthermore has a communication means 106 for data exchange with a control unit 107 of the drone, the controller 104 controlling the robot 103 on the basis of data of the control unit 107 of the drone.

(6) Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in detail by preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples and other variations may be derived by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. It is therefore clear that a plurality of possible variations exist. It is likewise clear that exemplary embodiments are indeed merely examples that are in no way to be construed as a limitation of, for example, the scope of protection, the possible uses or the configuration of the invention. Rather, the foregoing description and the description of the drawing make it possible for a person skilled in the art to specifically implement the exemplary embodiments and, in the knowledge of the disclosed concept of the invention, a person skilled in the art may perform a variety of modifications, for example with respect to the function or the arrangement of individual elements specified in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims and the legal equivalents thereof, for example the broader explanations in the description.