US-12623782-B2 - UAV autoloader systems and methods

Abstract

A method includes determining, by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a position of an autoloader device for the UAV; based on the determined position of the autoloader device, causing the UAV to follow a descent trajectory in which the UAV moves from a starting position to a first nudged position in order to deploy a tethered pickup component of the UAV to a payout position on an approach side of the autoloader device; deploying the tethered pickup component of the UAV to the payout position; causing the UAV to follow a side-step trajectory in which the UAV moves laterally to a second nudged position in order to cause the tethered pickup component of the UAV to engage the autoloader device; and retracting the tethered pickup component of the UAV to pick up a payload from the autoloader device.

Inventors

• André Prager
• Marcus Hammond
• Kevin Jenkins
• Ivan Qiu
• JASPER LEWIN

Assignees

• WING AVIATION LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230609

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A payload retrieval apparatus comprising: an upwardly extending member; a channel having a first end and a second end, the channel coupled to the upwardly extending member, and the channel adapted to receive a payload retriever; a first tether engager coupled to the upwardly extending member, the first tether engager including a primary member that forms a lower edge that extends in a first direction from the first end of the channel, and an upper guide member that forms an upper edge that is positioned above the channel; and a payload holder positioned on the second end of the channel and configured to hold a payload for retrieval by the payload retriever.
2. 2 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the upper guide member extends from a second end of the channel toward the primary member and is attached to the primary member of the first tether engager.
3. 3 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 1 , further including a second tether engager coupled to the upwardly extending member, the second tether engager including a lower edge that extends in a second direction from the first end of the channel, and an upper edge that is positioned above the channel.
4. 4 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the lower edge of the second tether engager is formed by a primary member of the second tether engager, and the upper edge of the second tether engager is formed by an upper guide member.
5. 5 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the upper guide member of the first tether engager extends from a second end of the channel toward a primary member of the first tether engager and is attached to the primary member of the first tether engager.
6. 6 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the upper guide member of the second tether engager extends from the second end of the channel toward the primary member and is attached to the primary member of the second tether engager.
7. 7 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the channel includes a first tether slot extending from the first end of the channel to the second end of the channel.
8. 8 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second end of the channel includes a curved portion and the first tether slot extends through the curved portion of the channel.
9. 9 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a second tether slot is positioned between the primary member of the first tether engager and the primary member of the second tether engager; and wherein the second tether slot extends into the first tether slot at the first end of the channel.
10. 10 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a third tether slot is positioned between the upper guide member of the first tether engager and the upper guide member of the second tether engager; and wherein the third tether slot extends into first tether slot at the second end of the channel.
11. 11 . A payload retrieval apparatus comprising: an upwardly extending member; a channel having a first end and a second end, the channel having a first tether slot extending from the first end of the channel to the second end of the channel, and the channel configured to receive a payload retriever; wherein the second end of the channel includes a curved portion, the channel coupled to the upwardly extending member and the first tether slot extending through the curved portion of the channel; and a first tether engager that extends in a first direction from the first end of the channel, the first tether engager including a primary member that forms a lower edge that extends in a first direction from the first end of the channel, and an upper guide member that forms an upper edge that is positioned above the channel; and a payload holder positioned on a curved portion of the second end of the channel and configured to hold a payload for retrieval by the payload retriever.
12. 12 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 11 , further including a second tether engager coupled to the upwardly extending member, the second tether engager extending in a second direction from the first end of the channel.
13. 13 . The payload retrieval apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first tether engager includes a lower edge that extends in the first direction from the first end of the channel, and an upper edge that is positioned above the channel; wherein the lower edge is formed by a primary member of the first tether engager, and the upper edge is formed by an upper guide member; wherein the upper guide member extends from the second end of the channel toward the primary member and is attached to the primary member of the first tether engager; wherein the second tether engager includes a lower edge that extends in the second direction from the first end of the channel, and an upper edge that is positioned above the channel; wherein the lower edge is formed by a primary member of the second tether engager, and the upper edge is formed by an upper guide member; and wherein the upper guide member extends from the second end of the channel toward the primary member and is attached to the primary member of the second tether engager.
14. 14 . A method of retrieving a payload from a payload retrieval apparatus, including: causing a tether suspended from an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) to engage a first tether engager attached to an upwardly extending member of the payload retrieval apparatus, the first tether engager including a primary member that forms a lower edge that extends in a first direction from the first end of the channel, and an upper guide member that forms an upper edge that is positioned above the channel; causing the tether to be drawn into a first tether slot positioned in a first end of a channel coupled to the upwardly extending member; causing a payload retriever attached to the tether to be drawn into the channel; causing the payload retriever to exit a curved portion on a second end of the channel; adjusting an angle of the payload retriever as it exits the channel using the configuration of the curved portion of the second end of the channel; and causing the payload retriever to engage a handle of a payload positioned on a payload holder located on the curved portion of the second end of the channel and retrieve the payload.
15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , further including a second tether engager coupled to the upwardly extending member, the second tether engager extending in a second direction from the first end of the channel, wherein the lower edge extends in a first direction from the first end of the channel, wherein the upper guide member extends from the second end of the channel toward the primary member and is attached to the primary member of the first tether engager, wherein the second tether engager includes a lower edge that extends in the second direction from the first end of the channel, and an upper edge that is positioned above the channel, wherein the lower edge is formed by a primary member of the second tether engager, and the upper edge is formed by an upper guide member, and wherein the upper guide member extends from the second end of the channel toward the primary member and is attached to the primary member of the second tether engager.
16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: prior to causing the tether to be drawn into the first tether slot in the channel, causing the tether to be drawn through a second tether slot formed between the primary member of the first tether engager and the primary member of the second tether engager.
17. 17 . The method of claim 15 , further including: prior to causing the payload retriever to exit the second end of the channel, causing the tether to be drawn through a third tether slot formed between the upper guide member of the first tether engager and the primary member of the second tether engager.
18. 18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the exit angle of the payload retriever from the channel causes the tether and payload retriever to be in a generally vertical position when the payload retriever engages the handle of the payload.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/366,114, filed Jun. 9, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND An unmanned vehicle, which may also be referred to as an autonomous vehicle, is a vehicle capable of travel without a physically-present human operator. An unmanned vehicle may operate in a remote-control mode, in an autonomous mode, or in a partially autonomous mode. UAVs may be used to deliver a payload to, or retrieve a payload from, an individual or business. In some operations, once the UAV arrives at a retrieval site, the UAV may land or remain in a hover position. At this point, a person at the retrieval site may secure the payload to the UAV at an end of a tether attached to a winch mechanism positioned with the UAV, or to the UAV itself. For example, the payload may have a handle that may be secured to a device at the end of the winch, or a handle that may be secured within the UAV. However, this scenario has a number of drawbacks. In particular, if the UAV is late for arrival at the retrieval site, the person designated for securing the payload to be retrieved by the UAV may have to wait a period of time before the UAV arrives, resulting in undesirable waiting time. Similarly, if the UAV arrives and the person designated to secure the payload to be retrieved to the UAV is delayed or fails to show up, the UAV may have to wait in a hover mode or on the ground until the designated person arrives to secure the payload to the UAV, resulting in undesirable delay and expenditure of energy by the UAV as the UAV waits for the designated person to arrive, and also resulting in undesirable delay in the subsequent delivery of the payload at a delivery site. As a result, it would be desirable to provide for the automated pickup of a payload by the UAV, where the UAV may automatically pick up the payload without the need for a designated person to secure the payload to the UAV at the retrieval site. Such automated pickup of the payload by the UAV would advantageously eliminate the need for a designated person to secure the payload to the UAV and eliminate potential delays associated with the late arrival of the UAV or designated person at the retrieval site. SUMMARY The present embodiments are directed to systems and methods for payload pickup by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from an autoloader device. In one aspect, a method includes determining, by a UAV, a position of an autoloader device for the UAV. Based on the determined position of the autoloader device, the method includes causing the UAV to follow a descent trajectory in which the UAV moves from a starting position to a first nudged position in order to deploy a tethered pickup component of the UAV to a payout position on an approach side of the autoloader device. The method further includes deploying the tethered pickup component of the UAV to the payout position. The method additionally includes causing the UAV to follow a side-step trajectory in which the UAV moves laterally to a second nudged position in order to cause the tethered pickup component of the UAV to engage the autoloader device. The method further includes retracting the tethered pickup component of the UAV to pick up a payload from the autoloader device. In another aspect, a UAV is provided with a tethered pickup component and a control system configured to perform operations. The operations include determining, by the UAV, a position of an autoloader device for the UAV. Based on the determined position of the autoloader device, the operations include causing the UAV to follow a descent trajectory in which the UAV moves from a starting position to a first nudged position in order to deploy the tethered pickup component of the UAV to a payout position on an approach side of the autoloader device. The operations further include deploying the tethered pickup component of the UAV to the payout position. The operations additionally include causing the UAV to follow a side-step trajectory in which the UAV moves laterally to a second nudged position in order to cause the tethered pickup component of the UAV to engage the autoloader device. The operations further include retracting the tethered pickup component of the UAV to pick up a payload from the autoloader device. In a further aspect, a non-transitory computer readable medium is provided comprising program instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include determining, by a UAV, a position of an autoloader device for the UAV. Based on the determined position of the autoloader device, the operations include causing the UAV to follow a descent trajectory in which the UAV moves from a starting position to a first nudged position in order to deploy a tethered pickup component of the UAV to a payout position on an approach side of the autoloader devic