Load placement system
A load placement system precisely places slung loads by allowing a helicopter pilot to essentially reel the load to the ground. The placement system uses lead lines on the slung load that can be connected to the ground by support personnel. A winch system is connected to the lead lines and guides the load to an intended location. The placement system eliminates at least some of the ground personnel previously needed for pulling the load to a target location and orientation. The placement system may eliminate substantially all ground personnel by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to automatically connect the lead lines to the ground. The UAVs also may actively control the slung load while in flight to reduce pilot workload and enable higher transport speeds.
1. A load placement system, comprising:
one or more lead lines configured to attach to a load carried by a helicopter;
a winch system configured to attach to the helicopter and including one or more reels for reeling the lead lines in and out, the winch system further configured to slacken the lead lines so lower ends of the lead lines can connect to a target location on a ground surface and reel in and tighten the lead lines so the load while being carried by the helicopter is guided onto the target location on the ground surface; and
a remote controller located in the helicopter configured to control the winches and adjust tension between the lead lines and hardpoints connected to the lower ends of the lead lines, wherein the remote controller is configured to control the winches to maintain a selected tension on the lead lines as the helicopter lowers the load onto the target location.
2. The load placement system of claim 1 , further comprising sensors located in the winch system configured to detect pressure readings on the lead lines and transmit the pressure readings to the remote controller.
3. The load placement system of claim 1 , wherein the winch system includes a frame including release hooks coupled to the load, wherein the remote controller is configured to remotely activate the release hooks and detach the frame from the load.
4. The load placement system of claim 1 , including hooks located on the lower ends of the lead lines configured to attach to hardpoints, the hooks remotely disconnected from the hardpoints in response to messages transmitted by the remote controller.
5. The load placement system of claim 1 , including eyes located on the load, the lead lines configured to thread through the eyes and guide the load down onto the target location on the ground surface.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of a remote controller for controlling a winch system attached to a helicopter and carrying a load, the winch system including one or more reels for reeling lead lines in and out, the medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor of the remote controller, cause the remote controller to:
send commands to the winch system to slacken the lead lines and lower ends of the lead lines to connect to a target location on a ground surface;
transmit commands to one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attached to lower ends of the lead lines to move the ends of the lead lines to a target location on the ground;
send commands to the winch system to reel in and tighten the lead lines so the load while being carried by the helicopter is guided onto the target location on the ground surface send instructions to the winch system to slacken the lead lines so the UAVs can move the lower ends of the lead lines to the target location; and
send instructions to the winch system after receiving a connect message from the UAVs to reel in and tighten the lead lines so the load while being carried by the helicopter is guided onto the target location on the ground surface.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the set of instructions are further to cause the remote controller to:
send commands to the UAVs to track movements of the helicopter and move the ends of the lead lines in a same direction as the helicopter.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the set of instructions are further to cause the remote controller to:
send commands the UAVs to connect or drop the lower ends of the lead lines next to the target location.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the set of instructions are further to cause the remote controller to:
send commands to the UAVs to keep the load from rotating while being carried by the helicopter.