1 GROUND MONITORING CAMERA-DART SYSTEM INTENDED FOR DEPLOYMENT FROM DRONES AND OTHER VEHICLES. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0001]The field relates to a wireless remote viewing camera apparatus released from land based or aerial vehicles to monitor events taking place on the ground. [0002] Modern UAVs and drones can provide aerial views of areas efficiently. However, the usefulness of the aerial view can become quite limited in certain situations that require the view as if standing on the ground as an onlooker. These situations often occur in emergencies, natural disasters and military operations. [0003] The most common current method of gaining ground-based views and awareness is deploying personnel to the area of interest. Though this decision can prove costly economically and ethically, as lives may be put at risk and preventable damages may occur in areas of natural disaster, civil unrest and military operations. [0004] Another alternative is deploying remotely operated land based drones, such as bomb defusing robots. These machines are fitted with cameras to provide insight into the situation. Whilst being very mobile and efficient at gaining awareness, these machines can be extremely expensive and indispensible compared to a purpose-designed system to monitor such situations. These machines often require specialist technicians to operate and deploy, many have a relatively small deployment and uptime due to the stresses exerted on the machine. There also exist other methods to monitor the ground plane with a suitable perspective, such as helicopters. These machines also suffer from the same issues as the remote operated land based drones. [0005] It would therefore be desirable to provide a camera system that is capable of being deployed from an aerial drone and begin monitoring the area on the ground, giving a first person view of the ground to the drone operation crew. This system would need to be relatively low-cost and durable to be deployed in large volumes and provide useful information in the area or situation of interest. Additionally the system would be required to transmit secure data wirelessly over relatively long distances.
2 GROUND MONITORING CAMERA-DART SYSTEM INTENDED FOR DEPLOYMENT FROM DRONES AND OTHER VEHICLES. KEY FOR FIGURES 1 - Transparent camera dome 2 - Wiring/mounting hole 3 - Battery and payload area 4 - Microcontroller/processor and wireless transceiver bay 5 - Shock dampening column 6 - Camera mount spindle 7 - Central housing 8 - Fixative holes 9 - Dart-PCB separator block 10 - Shock dampening passage 11 - Shock dampening reservoir 12 - Main dart body 13 - Piercing rod 14 - Piercing rod retention spines 15 - Transparent camera dome mounting surface 16 - Camera port 17 - Drag inducing fin-segment(s) 18 - Aft fin assembly 19 - Aft-central housing coupler 20 - Stabilisation fin(s) 3 GROUND MONITORING CAMERA-DART SYSTEM INTENDED FOR DEPLOYMENT FROM DRONES AND OTHER VEHICLES. DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION FIGURES [0006] To better provide for understanding of the invention; figure 12 to figure 18 displays exploded and assembled views of the wireless camera system in different perspectives. Figure 12 contain an exploded view of the wireless camera system; where the uppermost portion consists of the camera dome, numbers 17-20 consist of the aft fin assembly, numbers 2-6 consist of the hardware and payload mounting area with the shock absorbing column as number 5, numbers 7-10 consisting of the central housing and lastly on the lowermost portion of the figure in numbers 11-14 represent the dart body. Figure 13 shows the top view of the wireless camera system with the top being in respect to the camera dome. Figure 14 shows an exterior visible-line isometric view of the system fully assembled. Figure 15 shows the same isometric view as mentioned in figure 14, with all lines shown, hence displaying the internal components in their assembled position. Figure 16 displays the system fully assembled, with the right side of the hardware and payload mount shown. Figure 17 displays the system fully assembled with the hardware and payload mount shown on the frontal plane. Figure 18 shows the system fully assembled, with visible-lines only shown on the outside, providing the complete side view of the wireless camera system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF WIRELESS CAMERA SYSTEM COMPONENTS [0007] The wireless camera system is intended to be deployed from aerial vehicles such as UAVs, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft travelling at subsonic velocities. The system provides delivery means for audio and video recording and transmission wirelessly to the deployed vehicle by a means of radio transmission, taking advantage of pre-existing hardware in most aerial and land based military and law-enforcement vehicles. This choice of wireless communication provides for the best method of integration of the system, with minimal changes necessary for successfully integration. [0008] The system is also versatile enough to be deployed from land based vehicles and by hand, by a means of simply pushing into the ground or throwing in such a manner to induce a ballistic descent. [0009] The system features a protruding dart (figure 8, numbers 13 and 14) that is designed to penetrate the ground upon impact. The dart in figure 8's profile is sufficiently small enough to penetrate soft and hard soils effectively, with the piercing rod's retention spines (figure 8, number 14) 4 GROUND MONITORING CAMERA-DART SYSTEM INTENDED FOR DEPLOYMENT FROM DRONES AND OTHER VEHICLES. providing a soil retention surface preventing the whole camera system from rotating in soil and/or falling over. A shock dampening housing (figure 8, number 11) exists for a suitable shock absorbing compound or mechanism to fit, such as soft gels with compressible air pockets or springs. This area allows for the movement of the single piece hardware mount (figure 3) to slide relatively freely in the central housing and the aft fin assembly; and upon impact of the system into the ground, the mount's shock dampening column (figure 3, number 5) slides directly into the aforementioned shock dampening housing, where the dampening material dissipates the shock received to the hardware and camera system. The entire dart (figure 8) would be best made of a high-strength alloy such as stainless steel to prevent damage to the system upon impact. A top view of the dart is provided in figure 7. [0009] After the dart, the central housing (figure 6) is coupled to the top of the dart, this would best be affixed with epoxy through four holes shown in figure 6, number 8. The function of the central housing is to simply protect the electronic hardware and provide connection point to the rest of the system, as it is a hollow tube best formed from high impact plastic such as ABS. There exists a block (figure 6, number 9) in the central housing located at the lower portion of such, which is the contact point for the upper surface of the dart in figure 8 and the lower surface of the hardware mount in figure 3. In the aforementioned block (figure 6, number 9) a hole (figure 3, number 10) is present to allow the shock dampening column (figure 3, number 5) to pass through freely on to the shock dampening housing in figure 8, number 11. Figure 5 shows a bottom view of the central housing in respect to the hole (number 10). [0010] Situated inside the central housing (figure 6), the hardware mount (figure 2 isometric and figure 3) is the area where the microcontrollers, processors, transceivers, batteries and payloads can be securely affixed. There exist 3 discs to centre the mount inside the central housing and aft fin assembly, allowing for smooth movement of the entire mount and effective operation of the shock dampening column (figure 3, number 5 and figure 2, number 5). The mount would be best manufactured of high impact plastic such as ABS, casted in one piece for optimum strength and simplicity for reliable operation. The holes of figures 2 and 3 (number 2) are intended as wire passages and mounting holes for electronic components which should be placed in the microcontroller/processor and wireless transceiver bay (figure 2 and 3, number 4). The mount also features a battery and payload area (figures 2 and 3, number 3) where said items can be affixed directly to the mount. On the uppermost portion of the mount, a spindle (figures 2 and 3, number 6) exists to place a pan/tilt capable camera for video and audio recording. The spindle allows for a small camera system that can revolve around the spindle, providing a means for secure yet free movement 5 GROUND MONITORING CAMERA-DART SYSTEM INTENDED FOR DEPLOYMENT FROM DRONES AND OTHER VEHICLES. to adjust camera view. The optimum arrangement for electronic components on the mount would be to place the wireless transceiver and microcontroller on the area denoted in figure 3, number 4. The power supply for said hardware would be best situated in the battery and payload area of figure 3, number 3 and the wires run through the wire passages denoted as number 2. The camera is placed upon the spindle (figure 3, number 6) and its data and power supply wires passed through the closest wire passage (number 2). Figure 4 provides a top view of the mount in respect to the spindle, showing the wire passages and structural supports for the mount. [0011] Aft fin assembly (figure 9 isometric and figure 10) is to be placed inside of the upper region of the central housing of figure 6, where the recessed region of figure 10 forms the aft-central housing coupler. Upon assembly, this aft area should be affixed by adhesives or epoxy to the inside of the central housing, only after the hardware mount of figure 3 has been configured properly and placed with all appropriate hardware. The function of the aft fin assembly is to provide for a stable descent of the wireless camera system upon deployment. The aft fin assembly features 8 fins (figure 9, number 20) of relatively poor aerodynamics; this is so the system doesn't reach such high velocity of an aerodynamic object deployed in a similar manner. Though they have poor aerodynamics, they provide excellent stabilisation. To further reduce the potential velocity of the dart, drag inducing fin segments (figure 9, number 17) have been implemented to provide a surface for high wind resistance without hindering the stability of the system upon deployment. The transparent camera dome (figure 1, number 1) is intended to be affixed to the upper most surface of the aft fin assembly (figure 9, number 15) by means of adhesive or epoxy. This dome shields the camera whilst providing optimal visibility. When properly assembled, the fin assembly will feature the hardware mount and spindle protruding through the camera port (figure 9, number 16), the hardware mount will have some vertical play due to the shock dampening system it is connected to. Figure 10 shows a side view of the aft fin assembly and figure 11 shows a top view of the aft fin assembly in respect to the drag inducing fin segments.