If a drone is large and powerful enough to carry packages over long distances, it may be too large and too noisy to land among trees, houses and bystanders. The BMT Sparrow system helps by autonomously steering a lowered load.
First unveiled in 2022 with military use in mind, the Sparrow was created by British maritime engineering firm BMT. A sophisticated version of this technology is now patented by the UK Intellectual Property Office.
first there that is We already have a system where a winch integrated into the drone lowers the package to the ground with a cable. These setups allow the drone to stay high and out of the way, but the aircraft must maneuver back and forth subtly to guide the load to its target. This is especially difficult when crosswinds are blowing the entire package.
BMT Sparrow addresses this shortcoming by moving the winch (and its cable reel) to the module. This module fits snugly under the drone during transport. When the aircraft reaches its destination, the module winds up the cable and descends as the top end of the cable is attached to the drone’s undercarriage.
Using an on-board camera, IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), and other sensors, the module can measure its position relative to the target. That target could be the front door of a house, a small landing pad on an army base, or just about anywhere. anything else. When the wind begins to push the module off course, it compensates by activating one or more of the four side-mounted electric pusher propellers.
BMT
That said, these pusher props themselves can pose a hazard to bystanders, or can be damaged by hitting branches etc. Another short cable suspends it below the module.
Zipline’s recently announced Platform 2 drone delivery service is actually somewhat similar, but it retains a winch on the drone and a lowered module with just a single propeller.
In addition to the described usage, the BMT Sparrow can also be used in scenarios where two modules (connected to one drone) deliver packages to two nearby locations at the same time, or from a fixed-wing drone where the modules are circling. It could also be used in a descent scenario.
BMT is currently seeking industry partners to help commercialize the technology.
Source: BMT
