Suspended load stability systems and methods
AssigneeVita Inclinata Techologies, Inc.
InventorsDerek Sikora, Caleb B. Carr, Logan Goodrich
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Abstract
Load stability systems and methods for stabilizing swinging motions of suspended loads. The load stability systems include a fully automated, self-powered device that employs thrust to counteract and control lateral and rotational motion of an external load. The device is a temporary installment on the load, cable, or boom, and is agnostic to the platform from which it is suspended.
Claims30
A load stability system apparatus for stabilizing a load suspended via a cable from above, the apparatus comprising:
- a center module comprising:
- an attachment point for the cable;
- an attachment point for the load;
- a tensile structural element between the attachment point for the cable and the attachment point for the load;
- and
- a thruster mounting structure connected to the tensile structural element;
- a power supply;
- a sensor array comprising:
- an inertial measurement system;
- an orientation measurement system;
- and
- an absolute position measurement system;
- a wireless transceiver;
- a thruster controller;
- two or more thrusters connected to the thruster mounting structure and controlled by the thruster controller;
- and
- a processor operably connected to the sensor array, the wireless transceiver, and the thruster controller;
- wherein the processor is configured to:
- determine a motion of the load, based on the sensor array measurement systems;
- and
- apply thrust to counteract the motion of the load, by controlling the thrusters.
A method, performed by an autonomous load stability system apparatus suspended by a cable, to counteract a swinging of a load suspended below the load stability system apparatus, wherein the load stability system apparatus includes a power supply, a sensor array, a wireless transceiver, a processor, and two or more thrusters, the method comprising:
- receiving an activation signal;
- obtaining, by the sensor array, information describing the position, orientation, and movement of the load stability system apparatus;
- identifying a target location of the load stability system apparatus;
- determining, by the processor, a thrust application vector to move the load stability system apparatus to the identified target location, based on the obtained information describing the position, orientation, and movement of the load stability system apparatus;
- rotating at least one of the two or more thrusters to align with the thrust application vector;
- and
- applying thrust, by the at least one of the two or more thrusters aligned with the thrust application vector, to counteract the swinging of the load.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor in an autonomous load stability system apparatus that includes a power supply, a sensor array, a wireless transceiver, and two or more thrusters and is suspended by a cable, configure the processor to control the load stability system apparatus to counteract a swinging of a load suspended below the load stability system apparatus by:
- receiving an activation signal, wherein the activation signal includes a user selection of a mode or command state comprising one of:
- maintaining a position relative to a fixed or moving point from which the cable is suspended;
- holding a current position;
- moving to a designated coordinate location or a point above the designated coordinate location;
- and
- following an external target not connected to the suspended load;
- obtaining, by the sensor array, information describing the position, orientation, and movement of the load stability system apparatus;
- identifying a target location of the load stability system apparatus, based on the mode or command state;
- determining, by the processor, a thrust application vector to move the load stability system apparatus to the identified target location, based on the obtained information describing the position, orientation, and movement of the load stability system apparatus;
- rotating at least one of the two or more thrusters to align with the thrust application vector;
- and
- applying thrust, by the at least one of the two or more thrusters aligned with the thrust application vector, to counteract the swinging of the load.
A method of counteracting a swinging of a suspended load, the method comprising:
- attaching a load stability system apparatus to a cable for suspending the load, wherein the load stability system apparatus includes a power supply, a sensor array, a wireless transceiver, a processor, and two or more thrusters;
- activating a mode or command state of the load stability system apparatus comprising one of:
- maintaining a position relative to a fixed or moving point from which the cable is suspended;
- holding a current position;
- moving to a designated coordinate location or a point above the designated coordinate location;
- and
- following an external target not connected to the suspended load;
- and
- causing the swinging of the suspended load,
- such that the load stability system apparatus autonomously counteracts the swinging of the suspended load including either or both of a pendulum swing and a conical pendulum swing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.