Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously landing unmanned aerial vehicles with collaborative information sharing

A system comprising:

• a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles intending to land on a landing strip, wherein each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes
• a communication interface;
• a memory;
• and
• an electronic processor communicatively connected to the communication interface and the memory, the electronic processor is configured to
• control the communication interface to establish a wireless communication link with one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, and
• autonomously coordinate landings at the landing strip with the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles to prevent collisions,
• wherein, to autonomously coordinate the landings at the landing strip with the some or all of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to prevent collisions, the electronic processor is configured to exchange messages with the some or all of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles according to a collision avoidance protocol and via the wireless communication link, and
• wherein the autonomous coordination occurs without a central coordination entity.

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

• a communication interface;
• a memory;
• and
• an electronic processor communicatively connected to the memory and the communication interface, the electronic processor configured to
• control the communication interface to transmit a priority-claim message with a highest priority designation to one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, the priority-claim message including a first unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, a landing strip identifier, a trajectory to land on a landing strip identified by the landing strip identifier, a time stamp, and a message identifier,
• receive a yield message from each of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, the yield message including the first unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, a second unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, and the message identifier, and
• control the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate the trajectory and land on the landing strip in response to receiving the yield message from the each of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles.

A method comprising:

• controlling, with an electronic processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle, a communication interface of the unmanned aerial vehicle to transmit a priority-claim message with a highest priority designation to one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, the priority-claim message including a first unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, a landing strip identifier, a trajectory to land on a landing strip identified by the landing strip identifier, a time stamp, and a message identifier;
• receiving, with the electronic processor, a yield message from each of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles, the yield message including the first unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, a second unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, and the message identifier;
• and
• controlling, with the electronic processor, the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate the trajectory and land on the landing strip in response to receiving the yield message from the each of the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles including a first unmanned aerial vehicle and a second unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the first unmanned aerial vehicle includes
• a communication interface;
• a memory;
• and
• an electronic processor communicatively connected to the memory and the communication interface, the electronic processor configured to
• control the communication interface to transmit a priority-claim message with a highest priority designation to the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, the priority-claim message including a first unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, a landing strip identifier, a trajectory to land on a landing strip identified by the landing strip identifier, a time stamp, and a message identifier,
• receive a yield message from the second unmanned aerial vehicle, the yield message including the first unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, a second unmanned aerial vehicle identifier, and the message identifier, and
• control the first unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate the trajectory and land on the landing strip in response to receiving the yield message from the second unmanned aerial vehicle, and
• wherein the second unmanned aerial vehicle includes
• a second communication interface,
• a second memory, and
• a second electronic processor communicatively connected to the second memory and the second communication interface, the second electronic processor configured to
• receive the priority-claim message from the first unmanned aerial vehicle,
• determine whether the second unmanned aerial vehicle is within a contention zone,
• determine whether the second unmanned aerial vehicle intends to land on the landing strip identified by the landing strip identifier, and
• control the second communication interface to transmit the yield message in response to determining that the second unmanned aerial vehicle is not within the contention zone or in response to determining that the second unmanned aerial vehicle does not intend to land on the landing strip.