The present invention relates to an apparatus and system for recovering an unmanned vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an unmanned vehicle and a method of recovering the same.
Systems for releasing and recovering unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) in-flight are known. Present methods for recovery include trailing a hook from the rear of the mothership, which is snagged by the daughter UAVs. The hook and UAV is then reeled into the mothership. However, in this example, once snagged the daughter UAV is not controllable, and therefore there is a risk of damage to both the mothership and the daughter UAV.
Cooperative engagement between a plurality of unmanned assets to achieve goals is also known. Particularly, there are systems whereby high value assets can remain above a cloudbase while low value assets can transmit images back to the high value asset while operating below the cloudbase.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recovering an unmanned vehicle, comprising:
The apparatus may further comprise a drogue coupled to the second end of the tether.
The apparatus may further comprise a grab within the container for restricting movement of the UAV.
The apparatus may further comprise a refuelling connection extendable into the container for coupling to the UAV.
The apparatus may further comprise:
wherein the processor may be configured to determine the location of the UAV relative to the opening and to generate control signals to control control surfaces of the UAV such that the UAV flies into the opening,
wherein the transmitter may be configured to send the control signals to the UAV through the wired connection.
The apparatus may further comprise a receiver,
wherein the receiver may be configured to receive positional information from the UAV, and wherein the processor may be configured to use the positional information to determine the location of the UAV relative to the opening.
The apparatus may comprise:
The apparatus may comprise at least one retractable guide extendable from at least one wall of the container to increase the width of the opening.
The retractable guide may be a conical net.
The apparatus may comprise a pod having the container housed therein, wherein the pod may be configured to be coupled to a hardpoint of an aircraft.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft comprising the apparatus according to the first aspect.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unmanned vehicle comprising a probe for engaging with a tether extending from a container, the unmanned vehicle being configured to detect a light source on the tether and use the light source to engage with the tether.
The unmanned vehicle may comprise a receiver configured to receive control signals through the tether and control surfaces of the unmanned vehicle may be configured to be controlled according to the received control signals.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for recovering an unmanned air vehicle, the system comprising the aircraft according to the second aspect and the unmanned vehicle according to the third aspect.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of recovering an unmanned vehicle, comprising:
The method may further comprise extending at least one retractable guide from at least one wall of the container to increase the width of the opening.
The method may further comprise:
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of recovering an unmanned vehicle, comprising:
The method may comprise:
It will be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention can be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, an apparatus of the invention can incorporate any of the features described in this disclosure with reference to a method, and vice versa. Moreover, additional embodiments and aspects will be apparent from the following description, drawings, and claims. As can be appreciated from the foregoing and following description, each and every feature described herein, and each and every combination of two or more of such features, and each and every combination of one or more values defining a range, are included within the present disclosure provided that the features included in such a combination are not mutually inconsistent. In addition, any feature or combination of features or any value(s) defining a range may be specifically excluded from any embodiment of the present disclosure.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
For convenience and economy, the same reference numerals are used in different figures to label identical or similar elements.
Embodiments described herein generally relate to recovering an unmanned vehicle, such as an unmanned air vehicle (UAV), unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), or unmanned watercraft. Unmanned vehicles are recovered so that they can be transported long distances efficiently or refuelled and/or rearmed.
Herein, the word “mothership” is used to refer to a vessel or craft for transporting, releasing and recovering unmanned vehicles. In an exemplary embodiment, the mothership is itself an unmanned vehicle, albeit larger than the unmanned vehicles that it transports. However, in other embodiments the mothership is a manned vehicle, such as a cargo aircraft or submarine.
However, the unmanned vehicles 10 are relatively small, and carry relatively little fuel and armaments. Therefore, they need to be recovered by the mothership 10 for transport back to an airfield, or to be refuelled and/or rearmed during a mission.
Here, the recovery apparatus 10 includes a retractable tether 102, the operation of which will be described in more reference to
The free end of the tether 102 has a plurality of lights 106 embedded therein. The lights 106 are arranged in a pattern. In one embodiment, there is only one light 106 in the end of the tether 102. In one embodiment, the lights 106 are be embedded in the tip of the tether 102. In another embodiment, the lights 106 are embedded in the drogue 104. The lights 106 may be LEDs, for example, but any appropriate light source may be used. The lights 106 may be of a wavelength not detectable by the human eye, for example infrared, to minimise the presence of the mothership 10 in a combat environment. In embodiments where there are a plurality of lights 106, each light 106 may be of a different colour, or frequency, to the others.
The unmanned vehicle 20 couples to the end of the tether 102 having the drogue 104. In the embodiment shown, the nose of the unmanned vehicle 20 engages with the tether 102. In other embodiments, the unmanned air vehicle 20 includes a probe (fixed or extendable) for engaging with the tether 102.
The unmanned vehicle 20 comprises a sensor, for example an optical sensor, and a processor. The sensor scans the scene in front of the unmanned vehicle 20 to locate the lights 106. Once the lights 106 on the tether 102 are detected, the processor generates control signals to control control surfaces of the unmanned vehicle 20 such that it moves to engage with the tether 102. The position of each light 106 (or the light 106, in the case where there is only one) relative to a boresight of the sensor is used to determine the position of the unmanned vehicle 20 relative to the tether 102. For example, if the lowest light 106 in the pattern is greater than a threshold distance below the boresight when the unmanned vehicle 20 is travelling horizontally, then the processor is able to determine that the unmanned vehicle 20 is too high relative to the tether 102 and controls the unmanned vehicle 20 to descend.
In some embodiments, the tether 102 includes electrical wiring. On engaging with the tether 102, the unmanned vehicle 20 is able to communicate with the mothership 10. In other words, the unmanned vehicle 20 includes a receiver for receiving signals from the mothership 10. The signals may include control signals for controlling control surfaces of the unmanned vehicle 20. As the mothership 10 knows its own course, altitude and speed, it is more efficient for the mothership 10 to control the unmanned aircraft 20 to enter the recovery apparatus 100. For example, the mothership 10 (or a processor of a recovery apparatus 100) controls an unmanned air vehicle to fly into a container of the recovery apparatus 100 using signals transmitted through the tether 102.
In some embodiments, the unmanned aircraft 20 transmits its location relative to the mothership 10 to a receiver onboard the mothership 10. The signal having the location information is transmitted via the electrical wiring in the tether 102. Wired transmissions of data are preferable over wireless transmissions where information is time sensitive (e.g. instantaneous location of a moving aircraft), as wired systems have lower latency and faster data transmission speeds. The location information may include the unmanned vehicle's course, speed and altitude, as gathered by sensors onboard the unmanned vehicle 20.
In other embodiments, the mothership 10 includes sensors, such as a video camera, configured to detect the location of the unmanned vehicle 20 relative to the mothership 10. This information is used in generating the control signals to control the unmanned vehicle 20 to move into the container of the apparatus 100.
A container 103 is installed within the housing 101. The container 103 may be shaped to fit a single unmanned vehicle 20. Alternatively, the container 103 may be configured to store a plurality of unmanned vehicles 20. The container 103 is substantially cuboidal, having an opening 105 on one side. The opening 105 optionally has a door (or flap) to expose the opening during launch or recovery of an unmanned vehicle 20, although this is not shown in the Figure. The opening 105 has a width and height optimally suited for receiving at least one unmanned vehicle 20.
Parts of the unmanned vehicle 20, such as the wings or tail surfaces, may be retractable or foldable to reduce the volume occupied in the container 103 by the unmanned vehicle 20.
The recovery apparatus 100 includes at least one grab 110. The purpose of the grab 110 is to secure the unmanned vehicle 20 within the container 103, and thereby prevent its movement. This aids in refuelling and rearming the unmanned vehicle 20 when the unmanned vehicle 20 is inside the container 103. The embodiment shown in
The grab 110 may be, for example, a pincer that retracts around the unmanned vehicle's body when it is in the container 103. In another embodiment, the grab 110 is a strong magnet that attracts the body of the unmanned vehicle 20 and prevents its movement within the container 103.
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown here, the unmanned vehicle 20 couples to the tether 102 by inserting a probe 22 into the free end of the tether 102. The tether 102 is then reeled in, or retracted, using a winch 112. The tether 102 is wrapped around a spool of the winch 112 as it is withdrawn.
A further embodiment is shown in
Further in the embodiment shown in
Where, in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned that have known, obvious, or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present disclosure, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the disclosure that are described as optional do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, while of possible benefit in some embodiments of the disclosure, may not be desirable, and can therefore be absent, in other embodiments.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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18275179.2 | Nov 2018 | EP | regional |
1819093.4 | Nov 2018 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/GB2019/053064 | 10/30/2019 | WO | 00 |