Elimination of air flow interference for mid-air package transfers

12246,834

17/195943

March 09, 2021

A method for stabilizing drones performing a mid-air package transfer. One or more processors detecting the proximity of a second drone to a first drone. Interference of air pressure between rotors of the first drone and rotors of the second drone is detected by data from sensors included on the first and second drone. Positions of the rotors of the first drone are adjusted by moving rotor arms in a first direction and the rotors of the second drone are adjusted by moving rotor arms of the second drone in a second direction that increases separation between the rotors of the first drone and the second drone, and the amount of separation is based on reduced interference of air pressure between rotors of the first and second drone. Responsive to determining completion of a package transfer, the positions of the rotors are adjusted to original positions.

International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY, US)

International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY, US)

1. A method for stabilizing a pair of drones performing a mid-air package transfer, the method comprising: detecting, by one or more processors, that a first drone is located above, and vertically aligned with a second drone; determining, by the one or more processors, an air pressure interference level of an area located between rotors of the first drone and rotors of the second drone, wherein the air pressure interference level is calculated based on a difference in air pressure between respective rotor intake areas of the rotors of first drone and the rotors of the second drone; adjusting, by the one or more processors, positions of the rotors of the first drone while maintaining an orientation of the rotors of the first drone, wherein the adjusting includes moving arms of the first drone to which the rotors of the first drone are attached in a first direction along a horizontal plane with respect to a central cavity of the first drone, wherein the arms of the first drone are moved in the first direction along the horizontal plane until the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone is below a predetermined threshold; and responsive to determining completion of a package transfer, adjusting, by the one or more processors, the positions of the rotors of the first drone to respective original positions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an adjustment of the positions of the rotors of the first drone is performed by activating telescopic arms attached to respective rotors of the first drone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting, by the one or more processors, the positions of the rotors of the first drone in the first direction includes a telescopic movement of the arm attached to the respective rotors of the first drone.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the arms attached to respective rotors of the first drone in the first direction includes a a rotation of the arms in the horizontal plane around the central cavity of the first drone up to a midpoint position between rotors of the second drone.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: measuring, by the one or more processors, a change in the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone as the arms of the first drone move in the first direction along the horizontal plane with respect to the central cavity of the first drone; and determining, by the one or more processors, positions of the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone that result in stabilized positions of the first drone and the second drone, based on a reduction of the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: responsive to detecting an inadequate reduction of the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone, adjusting, by the one or more processors, positions of the rotors of the second drone while maintaining an orientation of the rotors of the second drone, wherein the adjusting includes moving arms of the second drone, to which rotors of the second drone are attached, in a second direction along a horizontal plane with respect to a central cavity of the second drone, wherein the second direction increases a separation between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone, and wherein an amount of the separation is based on a detection of an adequate reduction in the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone to maintain stability.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting, by the one or more processors, positions of the rotors of the first drone further comprises: adjusting, by the one or more processors, the positions of the rotors of the first drone by a combination of movement of the arms in the first direction along the horizontal plane with respect to the central cavity of the first drone, and a rotation of the arms in the horizontal plane around the central cavity of the first drone.

8. A computer program product for stabilizing a pair of drones performing a mid-air package transfer, the computer program product comprising: one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to detect that a first drone is located above, and vertically aligned with a second drone; program instructions to determining an air pressure interference level of an area located between rotors of the first drone and rotors of the second drone, wherein the air pressure interference level is calculated based on a difference in air pressure between respective rotor intake areas of the rotors of first drone and the rotors of the second drone; program instructions to adjust positions of the rotors of the first drone while maintaining an orientation of the rotors of the first drone, wherein the adjusting includes moving arms of the first drone to which the rotors of the first drone are attached in a first direction along a horizontal plane with respect to a central cavity of the first drone, wherein the arms of the first drone are moved in the first direction along the horizontal plane until the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone is below a predetermined threshold; and responsive to determining completion of a package transfer, program instructions to adjust the positions of the rotors of the first drone to respective original positions.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein an adjustment of the positions of the rotors of the first drone is performed by program instructions to activate telescopic arms attached to respective rotors of the first drone.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein program instructions to adjust the positions of the rotors of the first drone in the first direction includes program instructions for a telescopic movement of the arm attached to the respective rotors of the first drone.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein moving the arms attached to respective rotors of the first drone in the first direction includes rotation of the arms in the horizontal plane around the central cavity of the first drone up to a midpoint position between rotors of the second drone.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising: program instructions to measure a change in the air pressure interference level of the rea located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone as the arms of the first drone move in the first direction along the horizontal plane with respect to the central cavity of the first drone; and program instructions to determine positions of the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone that result in stabilized positions of the first drone and the second drone, based on a reduction of the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising: responsive to detecting an inadequate reduction of the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone, program instructions to adjust positions of the rotors of the second drone while maintaining an orientation of the rotors of the second drone, wherein the adjusting includes moving arms of the second drone, to which rotors of the second drone are attached in a second direction along a horizontal plane with respect to a central cavity of the second drone, wherein the second direction increases a separation between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone, and wherein an amount of the separation is based on a detection of an adequate reduction in the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone to maintain stability.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions to adjust positions of the rotors of the first drone further comprises: adjusting the positions of the rotors of the first drone by a combination of movement of the arms in the first direction along the horizontal plane with respect to the central cavity of the first drone, and a rotation of the arms in the horizontal plane around the central cavity of the first drone.

15. A computer system for stabilizing a pair of drones performing a mid-air package transfer, the computer system comprising: one or more computer processors; one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to detect that a first drone is located above, and vertically aligned with a second drone; program instructions to determining detect an air pressure interference level of an area located between rotors of the first drone and rotors of the second drone, wherein the air pressure interference level is calculated based on a difference in air pressure between respective rotor intake areas of the rotors of first drone and the rotors of the second drone; program instructions to adjust positions of the rotors of the first drone while maintaining an orientation of the rotors of the first drone, wherein the adjusting includes moving arms of the first drone to which the rotors of the first drone are attached in a first direction along a horizontal plane with respect to a central cavity of the first drone, wherein the arms of the first drone are moved in the first direction along the horizontal plane until the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone is below a predetermined threshold; and responsive to determining completion of a package transfer, program instructions to adjust the positions of the rotors of the first drone to respective original positions.

16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein an adjustment of the positions of the rotors of the first drone is performed by program instructions to activate telescopic arms attached to respective rotors of the first drone.

17. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein program instructions to adjust the positions of the rotors of the first drone in the first direction includes program instructions for a telescopic movement of the arm attached to the respective rotors of the first drone.

18. The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising: program instructions to measure a change in the air pressure interference level of the rea located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone as the arms of the first drone move in the first direction along the horizontal plane with respect to the central cavity of the first drone; and program instructions to determine positions of the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone that result in stabilized positions of the first drone and the second drone, based on a reduction of the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone.

19. The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising: responsive to detecting an inadequate reduction of the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone, program instructions to adjust positions of the rotors of the second drone while maintaining an orientation of the rotors of the second drone, wherein the adjusting includes moving arms of the second drone, to which rotors of the second drone are attached in a second direction along a horizontal plane with respect to a central cavity of the second drone, wherein the second direction increases a separation between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone, and wherein an amount of the separation is based on a detection of an adequate reduction in the air pressure interference level of the area located between the rotors of the first drone and the rotors of the second drone to maintain stability.

20. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions to adjust positions of the rotors of the first drone further comprises: adjusting the positions of the rotors of the first drone by a combination of movement of the arms in the first direction along the horizontal plane with respect to the central cavity of the first drone, and a rotation of the arms in the horizontal plane around the central cavity of the first drone.

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