Mechanisms for Lowering a Payload to the Ground from a UAV

摘要

Embodiments described herein may help to provide medical support via a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An illustrative UAV may include a housing, a payload, a line-deployment mechanism coupled to the housing and a line, and a payload-release mechanism that couples the line to the payload, wherein the payload-release mechanism is configured to release the payload from the line. The UAV may further include a control system configured to determine that the UAV is located at or near a delivery location and responsively: operate the line-deployment mechanism according to a variable deployment-rate profile to lower the payload to or near to the ground, determine that the payload is touching or is within a threshold distance from the ground, and responsively operate the payload-release mechanism to release the payload from the line.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
determining, by a computing system, a variable deployment-rate profile for deployment of a payload from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein a line couples the payload to the UAV; the computing system causing a line-deployment mechanism to operate according to the determined variable deployment-rate profile to lower the payload towards the ground, wherein the variable deployment-rate profile is such that the deployment rate of the line varies while the payload is being lowered to the ground; detecting, by the computing system, at least one release indication that indicates that the payload is at or near to the ground; and in response to detecting the at least one release indication, the computing system causing the payload to be released from the line.