IoT Techniques and Elements for Drone Package Delivery Networks
several meters above the delivery location . A release mechanism detaches the cargo on contact with the ground or landing surface .
5.2 LANDING PADS , DRONE DOCKS SMART DRONE MAILBOXES AND AUTOMATED WAREHOUSES
Drone delivery networks typically need a structured device to load or unload packages . These could be simple , passive landing pads , drone docks / drone-in-a-box solutions , robotic smart postal boxes or a fully integrated warehouse solution . There have even been experiments with mobile landing systems , some acting as remote warehouses [ 23 ], some able to send and receive packages from moving vehicles [ 24 ].
5.2.1 PASSIVE LANDING PADS
The simplest ground support system is a passive landing pad . These are typically receivers only , and don ’ t have provisions to shelter drones or packages , recharge drones , or provide enhanced security or safety . Their form could be a heavy mat that the package recipient places outdoors in a clear , reasonably secure location away from people and animals .
They often contain some printed fiducial such as a QR code that the drone can recognize during final approach ( using its down-pointing camera ), verify the recipient and use for final landing guidance . The drone may perform a full rotors-stop landing , unload the cargo onto the pad , and take off . Or it could do a “ touch and go ” delivery where the drone pops down onto the landing pad briefly , and a contact sensor automatically triggers the release of the package .
Winch systems can use these landing pads as targets to direct their cargo hooks from many meters above . Some advanced versions of landing pads have lights or beacons to aid night deliveries , and security systems to monitor pad and cargo status . A big disadvantage of this approach is that there is no physical separation between the drones and people / animals on the ground , they don ’ t solve the “ porch piracy ” problem of stolen packages , and don ’ t enable the loading of packages ( for bidirectional logistics , medical samples , customer returns , etc .).
5.2.2 DRONE DOCKS
Drone docks are structured active landing systems that provide more support infrastructure for the drones . They are sometimes called “ drone in a box ” solutions because they integrate drones with fixed location boxes that service them . Some active manufacturers in this space include : Skydio [ 25 ], Dronehub [ 26 ], DJI [ 27 ] and Nokia [ 28 ].
Drone docks typically have a weather cover that opens to receive a landing drone , and then closes to completely contain it . This protects the drones from extreme weather and secures them from theft and vandalism . Drone docks usually have automated charging or battery swap functions that replenish the energy reserves of the drone parked within them . They often have fast , secure
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