System and method for multiple vehicles moving a common payload

摘要

A system and method are provided for controlling a plurality of vehicles to affect positioning of a common payload. The system comprises of multiple vehicles having positioners to change the location of the common payload, where the group of vehicles form a swarm that is controlled by a driver or pilot station. Each vehicle is autonomously stabilized and guided through a swarm electronics unit, which further includes sensor, communication, and processing hardware. At the driver or pilot station, a system or a person remotely enters payload destinations, which is processed and communicated to each vehicle. The method for controlling a multi-vehicle system includes inputting the desired location of the payload and determining a series of intermediary payload waypoints. Next, these payload waypoints are used by the swarm waypoint controller to generate individual waypoints for each vehicle. A controller for each vehicle moves the vehicle to these individual waypoints.

主权项

1. A computing system configured for use in controlling a plurality of vehicles configured to affect positioning of a common payload, the computing system comprising:
a transceiver configured to receive data about at least one of said common payload and said plurality of vehicles; and a processor, in communication with said transceiver, configured to compute a path for said common payload towards a desired payload destination, configured to use said path and a current payload state to compute a desired payload state, and configured to use said current payload state and said desired payload state to compute a respective desired state for each one of said plurality of vehicles to move said common payload along said path, said respective desired state for each one of said plurality of vehicles computed by determining a next waypoint for said each one of said plurality of vehicles and then updating at least one of position, velocity and acceleration for said each one of said plurality of vehicles.