DECENTRALIZED REDUNDANT ARCHITECTURE FOR AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT FOR SIMPLIFIED INTEGRATION OF SENSOR SYSTEMS

Abstract

An unmanned aircraft includes a plurality of drive modules arranged in a decentralized manner, wherein each drive module has a plurality of aircraft components. The unmanned aircraft further has a payload sensing system consisting of a sensor system including one or a plurality of sensor units in such a way that the solid angle for capturing measuring data is increased and the flight safety of the aircraft is improved simultaneously. The sensor units are centrally arranged in the form of the sensor system.

Claims

1. An unmanned aircraft, comprising: a plurality of drive modules arranged in a decentralized manner, wherein each drive module has a plurality of aircraft components; and comprising a sensor system a payload sensing system including one or a plurality of sensor units, wherein the payload sensing system is centrally arranged.

2. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the sensor system as at least one sensor unit for the optical detection in different optical spectral ranges, for the detection of gaseous chemicals and/or for the detection of other measured variables, such as, e.g., temperature, gas pressure or also electromagnetic fields for the solid angle-resolved measured variable capturing.

3. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the payload sensing system in the form of the sensor system is embodied and arranged in such a way that an angle of at least 180 degrees can be captured through this in a horizontal direction as well as in vertical direction.

4. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, including a redundant controller.

5. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein each drive module has identical aircraft components of the unmanned aircraft and is substantially embodied identically and modularly.

6. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 5, wherein each drive module has a motor, a power source, a proximity sensor, a satellite positioning system, an inertial measuring system, a control electronics and/or a computing unit with the possibility for wireless communication.

7. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the payload sensing system is functionally decoupled from the aircraft components.

8. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the payload sensing system has coupling units, via which the drive modules can be coupled mechanically to the payload sensing system in a simple form.

9. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the payload sensing system has an electric connecting means in the form of a bus system, for electrically coupling the aircraft components, which are assigned to the different drive modules.

10. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 9, wherein that the coupling units electrically couple the aircraft components of a drive module to the electric connecting means.

11. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 8, wherein the coupling units are embodied in such a way that a plurality of drive modules can in each case be coupled to the payload sensing system via a coupling unit.

12. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the payload sensing system has a frame, wherein the frame at least sectionally arranged around the sensor system and holds it.

13. A use of an unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, for image data capturing, measuring data capturing, object examination and/or object monitoring.

14. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the payload sensing system in the form of the sensor system is embodied and arranged in such a way that an angle of at least 270 degrees can be captured through this in the horizontal direction as well as in the vertical direction.

15. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 14, wherein the payload sensing system in the form of the sensor system is embodied and arranged in such a way that an angle of at least 360 degrees can be captured through this in the horizontal direction as well as in the vertical direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The invention will be explained in an exemplary manner below by means of preferred embodiments.

[0035] Schematically:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a known unmanned aircraft from the prior art

[0037] FIG. 2 shows the modular setup using the example of a quadrocopter,

[0038] FIGS. 2a-2c show different sensor systems as payload sensing systems,

[0039] FIG. 3 shows the generic system architecture for a multi-rotor aircraft,

[0040] FIG. 4 shows the generic system architecture for a winged aircraft, and

[0041] FIG. 5 shows the logical arrangement of the aircraft components.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a multi-rotor aircraft known from the prior art as unmanned aircraft, which is embodied as quadrocopter. A sensor unit in the form of a camera is positioned below the centrally arranged aircraft components in an exemplary manner.

[0043] FIG. 2 schematically shows the modular setup using the example of a quadrocopter. In the center, the unmanned aircraft 100 has the payload sensing system 11. The payload sensing system 11 substantially consists of a sensor system 11a, which is arranged in and fastened to a frame 17. The rotors 13 are arranged on the drive modules 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d. The drive modules 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d can be connected to the payload sensing system 11 or to the frame 17 of the payload sensing system 11, respectively, via a plug connection. The sensor system 11a is embodied as individual optical sensor unit here for example.

[0044] The sensor system 11a can be exchanged within the frame 17 in a simple manner. Different sensor systems 11a are shown in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c in an exemplary manner.

[0045] A part of the generic system architecture for an unmanned aircraft 100 is schematically shown in FIG. 3 in the form of a multi-rotor aircraft. Only the payload sensing system 11 and a drive module 10a, which is connected to the payload sensing system 11, is thereby shown in FIG. 3. The payload sensing system 11 has a plurality of coupling units 15 on the frame 17 for connecting further drive modules 10b, 10c, 10d.

[0046] The drive module 10a is embodied in the form of a rotor arm, wherein the individual aircraft components 12, namely one or a plurality of motors 12a, a power source 12b, a proximity sensor 12c, a satellite positioning system 12d, an inertial measuring system 12e and a computing unit with the possibility for wireless data transmission 12f are arranged in the interior of the rotor arm.

[0047] The generic system architecture for a winged aircraft configuration is shown in FIG. 4 in a schematic manner. Only one airfoil 14 is shown thereby. The payload sensing system 11 shown in FIG. 4 is connected to an airfoil 14 via the coupling units 15. The airfoil 14 thus forms a drive module 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d. The airfoil 14 or the drive module 10a, respectively, is connected to the coupling units 15 on the frame 17 of the payload sensing system 11 via connecting elements, for example arms. As does the rotor arm in FIG. 3, the airfoil 14 in FIG. 4 has the aircraft components 12.

[0048] The logical arrangement of the modular aircraft components 12 is shown in FIG. 5. The individual redundant aircraft components 12 of each drive module 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d are electrically connected to one another according to their function. The drive modules 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d or the aircraft components 12, which are assigned to the drive modules 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, respectively, are electrically connected to one another via the electric connecting means 16 in the form of a bus.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0049] 100 unmanned aircraft [0050] 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d drive module [0051] 11 payload sensing system [0052] 11a sensor system [0053] 12 aircraft components [0054] 12a motor [0055] 12b power source [0056] 12c proximity sensor [0057] 12d satellite positioning system [0058] 12e inertial measuring system [0059] 12f computing unit with wireless communications unit [0060] 13 rotor [0061] 14 airfoil [0062] 15 coupling unit [0063] 16 electric connecting means [0064] 17 frame