WINDSHIELD
Disclosed are transportable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) facilities. The facilities comprise a housing for holding a UAV, where the housing defines a landing area for the UAV. The facilities also comprise a structure for reducing wind speed across the landing area.
1 . A UAV facility, comprising:
a transportable housing for holding a UAV, the housing defining a landing area for the UAV; and
a structure comprising wind-reducing netting for reducing wind speed across the landing area.
2 . The UAV facility of claim 1 , wherein the structure further comprises one or more rigid elements to support the wind-reducing netting.
3 . The UAV facility of any preceding claim, wherein the housing delimits an aperture through which to receive at least part of the UAV.
4 . The UAV facility of claim 3 , comprising a moveable platform, wherein the moveable platform defines at least part of the landing area and is arranged to move the UAV through the aperture.
5 . The UAV facility of any preceding claim, comprising a UAV positioning mechanism arranged on the housing, the UAV positioning mechanism being configured to position the UAV on the landing area.
6 . The UAV facility of any preceding claim, wherein the wind-reducing netting is arranged such that an obtuse angle is subtended between the wind-reducing netting and the landing area.
7 . The UAV facility of any preceding claim, wherein the wind-reducing netting is arranged to substantially surround the landing area.
8 . The UAV facility of any preceding claim, wherein the structure is erectable.
9 . The UAV facility of claim 8 , wherein the structure is erectable into a first configuration, wherein:
in the first configuration, the wind-reducing netting extends away from the landing area in a direction above the landing surface.
10 . A UAV facility, comprising:
a transportable housing for holding a UAV, the housing defining a landing area for the UAV; and
an erectable wind-porous structure for reducing wind speed across the landing area.
11 . The UAV facility of claim 10 , wherein the structure comprises a panel which has a first end and a second end, and which is connected to the housing via a connector assembly,
wherein the connector assembly is arranged to facilitate movement of the panel with respect to the landing area, the movement being between at least a first position and a second position, wherein:
in the first position, the panel extends away from the landing area in a direction above the landing area, such that the first end of the panel is arranged at a first height; and
in the second position the first end of the panel is arranged at a second height, lower than the first height.
12 . The UAV facility of claim 10 or 11 , wherein:
in the first position, an obtuse angle is subtended between the structure and the landing area.
13 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 or 12 , wherein:
the connector assembly comprises a hinge to hingedly connect the panel to the housing, thereby facilitating rotational movement between the first position and second position; and
in the second position, the panel is arranged substantially on top of the landing area.
14 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 or 12 , wherein:
the housing comprises a side surface; and
in the second position, the panel is arranged substantially adjacent to, and substantially parallel with, at least a portion of the side surface.
15 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 or 12 , wherein the panel is a first panel and the structure further comprises a second panel, wherein:
the housing comprises a side surface, and in the second position, the first panel is arranged substantially adjacent to, and substantially parallel with, at least a portion of the side surface; and
in the second position, the second panel is arranged substantially on top of the landing area.
16 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 or 12 , comprising an enclosure extending beneath the landing area;
wherein, in the second position, the panel is arranged at least partially within the enclosure.
17 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 or 12 , wherein:
in the second position, at least a portion of the panel extends away from the landing area in a direction above the landing area, such that the first end of the panel is arranged at the second height.
18 . The UAV facility of claim 17 , wherein:
the panel comprises a lower panel portion comprising the second end, and an upper panel portion comprising the first end;
the connector assembly comprises a hinge to hingedly connect the upper panel portion to the lower panel portion and to facilitate rotational movement between the first position and the second position;
in the first position, the lower panel portion and the upper panel portion are substantially coplanar; and
in the second position, the upper panel portion is rotated towards the lower panel portion.
19 . The UAV facility of claim 17 , wherein:
the connector assembly facilitates a sliding movement between the first position and the second position.
20 . The UAV facility of claim 19 , wherein:
the panel comprises a lower panel portion comprising the second end, and an upper panel portion comprising the first end;
in the first position, the upper panel portion is arranged further above the landing area than the lower panel portion; and
in the second position, the upper panel portion is translated towards the lower panel portion.
21 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 to 20 , comprising:
one or more sensors configured to monitor weather conditions; and
a controller, configured to:
receive sensor data from the one or more sensors; and
cause the panel to move between at least the first position and the second position, based on the sensor data.
22 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 to 21 , comprising:
a communications system, configured to:
receive a data signal from a remote computing system; and
cause the panel to move between at least the first position and the second position, based on the data signal.
23 . The UAV facility of any of claims 10 to 22 , wherein the erectable wind-porous structure comprises a wind-porous element which has a porosity between 0.1-0.7.
24 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 to 22 , wherein:
in the first position the first end is arranged further above the landing area than the second end;
the panel is wind-porous; and
the porosity of the panel generally increases from the second end towards the first end.
25 . The UAV facility of claim 24 , wherein the panel comprises two or more regions, each region having a different porosity.
26 . The UAV facility of claim 25 , wherein the panel comprises a first region having a porosity of about 0.1, a second region having a porosity of about 0.3 and a third region having a porosity of about 0.5.
27 . The UAV facility of any of claims 10 to 22 , wherein:
the structure delimits a plurality of adjustable apertures; and
a porosity of the structure is adjustable by varying the size of the apertures.
28 . The UAV facility of claim 27 , comprising:
one or more sensors configured to monitor weather conditions; and
a controller, configured to:
receive sensor data from the one or more sensors; and
adjust the size of the apertures, based on the sensor data.
29 . The UAV facility of claims 27 or 28 , comprising:
a communications system, configured to:
receive a data signal from a remote computing system; and
adjust the size of the apertures, based on the data signal.
30 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 to 29 , comprising:
a drive mechanism, arranged to:
adjust a distance between the second end of the panel and the landing area when the panel is arranged in the first position.
31 . The UAV facility of any of claims 10 to 30 , wherein the structure comprises:
a plurality of panels for reducing wind speed across the landing area.
32 . The UAV facility of claim 31 , wherein the plurality of panels are arranged to substantially surround the landing area.
33 . The UAV facility of claim 32 , wherein the landing area defines a shape having four sides, and the plurality of panels comprise four panels for reducing wind speed across the landing area, the four panels being arranged substantially along the four sides.
34 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 to 33 , wherein the housing delimits an aperture through which to receive at least part of the UAV.
35 . The UAV facility of claim 34 , comprising a moveable platform, wherein the moveable platform defines at least part of the landing area and is arranged to move the UAV through the aperture.
36 . The UAV facility of any of claims 11 to 35 , comprising a UAV positioning mechanism arranged on the housing, the UAV positioning mechanism being configured to position the UAV on the landing area.