A system including an aerial vehicle, a sensor, and a winch system. The winch system includes a tether disposed on a spool, a motor operable to apply a torque to the tether, and a payload coupling apparatus coupled to the tether and configured to mechanically couple to a payload. The system also includes a repositioning apparatus mounted on the payload coupling apparatus and configured to reposition the payload coupling apparatus in at least a horizontal direction by applying at least a horizontal force directly to the payload coupling apparatus. A control system is configured to control the aerial vehicle to deploy the payload coupling apparatus by unwinding the tether from the spool; receive, while the aerial vehicle hovers above the payload and from the sensor, data indicative of a position of the payload coupling apparatus in relation to the payload; and reposition, using the repositioning apparatus and based on the data, the payload coupling apparatus in the horizontal direction to mechanically couple to the payload.
ACTIVE POSITION CONTROL OF TETHERED HOOK
AKTIVE POSITIONSSTEUERUNG EINES FESTGEBUNDENEN HAKENS
COMMANDE DE POSITION ACTIVE D'UN CROCHET ATTACHÉ
2024-04-10
Patent
Electronic Resource
English