Wind measurement by means of a multicopter

A method of measuring wind speed vw using a multicopter, wherein the multicopter has a number N of electric motors MOTn for driving N propellers PROPn, where n=1, 2, . . . , N and N≥2, the method comprising:

• providing first parameters P1 comprising:
• a 3D position rB=(xb, yb, zb) of a center of gravity B of the multicopter, time derivatives {dot over (r)}B and {umlaut over (r)}B, a 3D orientation oM=(αM, βM, γM) of the multicopter, and a time derivative {dot over (o)}M of the 3D orientation oM;
• providing an aerodynamic power Pa,n presently generated by the respective propellers PROPn;
• on the basis of the first parameters P1 and/or the aerodynamic power Pa,n and/or an estimation of one or more force screws τe acting externally on the multicopter, determining a relative speed vr:=(vr,x, vr,y, vr,z) of the multicopter in relation to air;
• on the basis of the determined relative speed vr:=(vr,x, vr,y, vr,z)T and on the basis of the parameters P1, determining wind speed vw in an inertial system;
• and
• storing wind speeds vw(rB)=(vw,x(rB), vw,y(rB), vw,z(rB)) determined for positions rB and/or wirelessly transmitting the wind speeds vw(rB) to a receiver.

A multicopter having:

• a number N of electric motors MOTn to drive N propellers PROPn, where n=1, 2, . . . , N and N≥2;
• a first interface to provide first parameters P1 comprising:
• a 3D position rB=(xb, yb, zb) of a center of gravity B of the multicopter, time derivatives {dot over (r)}B and {umlaut over (r)}B, a 3D orientation oM=(αM, βM, γM) of the multicopter, and a time derivative {dot over (o)}M of the 3D orientation oM;
• a second interface to provide an aerodynamic power Pa,n currently generated by respective propellers PROPn;
• a first unit, which, on the basis of the first parameters P1 and/or on the basis of a provided model M1 that describes dynamics of the multicopter, and/or an estimation determined on the basis of the model M1 of a force screw τe acting externally on the multicopter, determines horizontal components (vr,x, vr,y) of a relative speed vr:=(vr,x, vr,y, vr,z)T of the multicopter in relation to air;
• a second unit which, on the basis of the determined horizontal components (vr,x, vr,y) and on the basis of the aerodynamic power Pa,n, determines the vertical component (vr,z) of the relative speed vr;
• a third unit, which, on the basis of the determined horizontal components (vr,x, vr,y), the vertical component (vr,z), and also on the basis of the parameters P1 determines a wind speed vw in an inertial system;
• and
• a storage unit to store wind speeds vw(rB)=(vw,x(rB), vw,y(rB), vw,z(rB)) determined for positions rB and/or a transmission unit to wirelessly transmit transmission of wind speed vw(rB) to a receiver.

A method of measuring wind speed vw using a multicopter, wherein the multicopter has a number N of electric motors MOTn for driving N propellers PROPn, where n=1, 2, . . . , N and N≥2, the method comprising:

• providing first time-dependent parameters P1 comprising:
• a 3D position rB=(xb, yb, zb) of a center of gravity B of the multicopter, time derivatives {dot over (r)}B and {umlaut over (r)}B, a 3D orientation oM=(αM, βM, γM) of the multicopter, and time derivative {dot over (o)}M of the 3D orientation oM;
• providing an aerodynamic power Pa,n generated by the respective propellers PROPn;
• on the basis of the first parameters P1 and/or a provided model M1 that describes dynamics of the multicopter and/or an estimation determined on the basis of the model M1 of a force screw τe acting externally on the multicopter, determining horizontal components (vr,x, vr,y) of a relative speed vr of the multicopter in relation to air;
• on the basis of the determined horizontal components (vr,x, vr,y) and the aerodynamic power Pa,n, determining a vertical component (vr,z) of the relative speed vr, and on the basis of the determined relative speed vr=(vr,x, vr,y, vr,z) and on the basis of the parameters P1, determining wind speed vw in an inertial system;
• and
• storing wind speed vw(rB)=(vw,x(rB), vw,y(rB), vw,z(rB)) determined for position rB and/or transmitting the wind speed vw(rB) to a receiver.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for measuring wind speed vw using a multicopter, wherein the multicopter has a number N of electric motors MOTn for driving N propellers PROPn, where n=1, 2, . . . , N and N≥2, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• providing first parameters P1 comprising:
• a 3D position rB=(xb, yb, zb) of a center of gravity B of the multicopter, time derivatives {dot over (r)}B and {umlaut over (r)}B, a 3D orientation oM=(αM, βM, γM) of the multicopter, and a time derivative {dot over (o)}M of the 3D orientation oM;
• providing an aerodynamic power Pa,n presently generated by the respective propellers PROPn;
• on the basis of the first parameters P1 and/or the aerodynamic power Pa,n and/or an estimation of one or more force screws τe acting externally on the multicopter, determining a relative speed vr:=(vr,x, vr,y, vr,z) of the multicopter in relation to air;
• on the basis of the determined relative speed vr:=(vr,x, vr,y, vr,z)T and on the basis of the parameters P1, determining wind speed vw in an inertial system;
• and
• storing wind speeds vw(rB)=(vw,x(rB) , vw,y(rB), vw,z(rB)) determined for positions rB and/or wirelessly transmitting the wind speeds vw(rB) to a receiver.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for measuring wind speed vw using a multicopter, wherein the multicopter has a number N of electric motors MOTn for driving N propellers PROPn, where n=1, 2, . . . , N and N≥2, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• providing first time-dependent parameters P1 comprising:
• a 3D position rB=(xb, yb, zb) of a center of gravity B of the multicopter, time derivatives {dot over (r)}B and {umlaut over (r)}B, a 3D orientation oM=(αM, βM, γM) of the multicopter, and time derivative {dot over (o)}M of the 3D orientation oM;
• providing an aerodynamic power Pa,n generated by the respective propellers PROPn;
• on the basis of the first parameters P1 and/or a provided model M1 that describes dynamics of the multicopter and/or an estimation determined on the basis of the model M1 of a force screw τe acting externally on the multicopter, determining horizontal components (vr,x, vr,y) of a relative speed vr of the multicopter in relation to air;
• on the basis of the determined horizontal components (vr,x, vr,y) and the aerodynamic power Pa,n, determining a vertical component (vr,z) of the relative speed vr, and on the basis of the determined relative speed vr=(vr,x, vr,y, vr,z) and on the basis of the parameters P1, determining wind speed vw in an inertial system;
• and
• storing wind speed vw(rB)=(vw,x(rB), vw,y(rB), vw,z(rB)) determined for position rB and/or transmitting the wind speed vw(rB) to a receiver.