AUTONOMOUS AIRBAG SYSTEM FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

摘要

The present disclosure is related to an autonomous airbag unit (AAU) for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The AAU includes a first sensor configured to determine a speed of the UAV, a second sensor configured to determine a relative speed of the UAV in relation to an object with which the UAV is likely to collide, an airbag cushion, an inflator connected to the airbag cushion, and an airbag control unit, connected to the first and second sensors and inflator. The airbag control unit is configured to estimate a momentum of the UAV based on a speed of the UAV, determine if the momentum of the UAV exceeds a threshold momentum value, determine if the relative speed of the UAV in relation to the object exceeds a threshold relative speed, and enable the inflator to inflate the airbag cushion when the momentum and the relative speed exceeds respective threshold limits.

主权项

1. An autonomous airbag unit for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising
a first sensor configured to determine a speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a second sensor configured to determine a relative speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle in relation to an object with which the unmanned aerial vehicle is likely to collide; an airbag cushion; an inflator connected to the airbag cushion, and configured to generate gas to inflate the airbag cushion; and an airbag control unit, connected to the first sensor, the second sensor and the inflator, and configured to:
estimate a momentum of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on a mass of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the speed determined by the first sensor;determine if the momentum of the unmanned aerial vehicle exceeds a threshold momentum value;determine if the relative speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle in relation to the object exceeds a threshold relative speed; andenable the inflator to inflate the airbag cushion when the momentum and the relative speed exceed respective threshold limits.