Safe vertical take-off and landing aircraft payload distribution and adjustment
Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft can provide opportunities to incorporate aerial transportation into transportation networks for cities and metropolitan areas. However, VTOL aircraft can be sensitive to uneven weight distributions, e.g., the payload of an aircraft is primarily loaded in the front, back, left, or right. When the aircraft is loaded unevenly, the center of mass of the aircraft may shift substantially enough to negatively impact performance of the aircraft. Thus, in turn, there is an opportunity that the VTOL may be loaded unevenly if seating, luggage placement, and/or positions of internal components are not coordinated. Among other advantages, dynamically assigning the payloads and adjusting components of the VTOL aircraft can increase VTOL safety by ensuring the VTOL aircraft is loaded evenly and meets all weight requirements; can increase transportation efficiency by increasing rider throughput; and can increase the availability of the VTOL services to all potential riders.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving payload information for a particular vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft of a plurality of VTOL aircraft, wherein the payload information includes:
a weight of a rider assigned to a seat within a cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft, the seat having a first seat position and a second seat position; and
a weight of a payload item associated with the rider, the payload item having an assigned location within a storage compartment of the particular VTOL aircraft, the storage compartment being separate from the cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft;
retrieving weight distribution criteria for the particular VTOL aircraft;
determining an adjustment to a weight distribution of the particular VTOL aircraft based, at least in part, on the payload information and the weight distribution criteria;
sending a first instruction to a payload actuator to change the assigned location of the payload item within the storage compartment from a first payload position to a second payload position according to the determined adjustment; and
sending a second instruction to a seat actuator to adjust a position of the seat within the cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft from the first seat position to the second seat position according to the determined adjustment.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payload information is received, at least in part, from a rider submission.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second payload position is determined subsequent to the rider sitting in the seat of the particular VTOL aircraft.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the weight distribution by causing a ballast tank to be filled with an amount of fluid, wherein the amount of fluid is based, at least in part, on the payload information and the weight distribution criteria.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ballast tank is integrated into the seat of the particular VTOL aircraft.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fluid is a coolant.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forecasting a power requirement of the particular VTOL aircraft based, at least in part, on the payload information.
8. A method, comprising:
receiving payload information for a particular vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft of a plurality of VTOL aircraft, wherein the payload information includes:
a weight of a rider assigned to a seat within a cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft, the seat having a first seat position and a second seat position; and
a weight of a payload item associated with the rider, the payload item having an assigned location within a storage compartment of the particular VTOL aircraft, the storage compartment being separate from the cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft;
retrieving weight distribution criteria for the particular VTOL aircraft;
receiving sensor information indicating a weight distribution of the particular VTOL aircraft;
determining an adjustment to the weight distribution of the particular VTOL aircraft based, at least in part, on the payload information and the weight distribution criteria;
sending a first instruction to a payload actuator to change the assigned location of the payload item within the storage compartment from a first payload position to a second payload position according to the determined adjustment; and
sending a second instruction to a seat actuator to adjust a position of the seat within the cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft from the first seat position to the second seat position according to the determined adjustment.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the payload information is received, at least in part, from a rider submission.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the position of the seat is adjusted subsequent to the rider sitting in the seat.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising adjusting the weight distribution by causing a ballast tank to be filled with an amount of fluid, wherein the amount of fluid is based, at least in part, on the payload information and the weight distribution criteria.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ballast tank is integrated into the seat of the particular VTOL aircraft.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fluid is a coolant.
14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forecasting a power requirement of the particular VTOL aircraft based, at least in part, on the payload information.
15. A computer system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform operations, comprising:
receiving payload information for a particular vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft of a plurality of VTOL aircraft, wherein the payload information includes:
a weight of a rider assigned to a seat within a cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft, the seat having a first seat position and a second seat position; and
a weight of a payload item associated with the rider, the payload item having an assigned location within a storage compartment of the particular VTOL aircraft, the storage compartment being separate from the cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft;
retrieving weight distribution criteria for the particular VTOL aircraft;
determining an adjustment to a weight distribution of the particular VTOL aircraft based, at least in part, on the payload information and the weight distribution criteria;
sending a first instruction to a payload actuator to change the assigned location of the payload item within the storage compartment from a first payload position to a second payload position according to the determined adjustment; and
sending a second instruction to a seat actuator to adjust a position of the seat within the cabin of the particular VTOL aircraft from the first seat position to the second seat position according to the determined adjustment.
16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the payload information is received, at least in part, from a rider submission.
17. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the position of the seat is adjusted subsequent to the rider sitting in the seat.
18. The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising adjusting the weight distribution by causing a ballast tank to be filled with an amount of fluid, wherein the amount of fluid is based, at least in part, on the payload information and the weight distribution criteria.
19. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein the ballast tank is integrated into the seat of the particular VTOL aircraft.
20. The system of claim 15 , further comprising instructions for forecasting a power requirement of the particular VTOL aircraft based, at least in part, on the payload information.