DE102019108256A1 - Arrangement and procedure for enabling an autonomous landing - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a landing method and an arrangement for enabling an aircraft to land autonomously in a landing zone (LZ), comprising an aircraft (100) with a data receiving device for receiving position data (D) from a controller (10), at least one camera (20) ) with an assigned image evaluation means (21) which are prepared to determine a coarse direction and / or position of the aircraft (100) within a detection area (EB) and to forward it to the controller (10), at least three laser sensors (30) assigned Tracking means (31) which are prepared to scan in a predetermined solid angle range for the aircraft (100), to detect and track it, and to transmit direction information representing a relative direction of the aircraft (100) to the controller (10) during the tracking , wherein the control unit from the direction information of the laser sensors (30) a position of the aircraft eräts (100) calculated relative to the landing zone (LZ) and sent as position data (D) to the aircraft (100). The invention further relates to a method for autonomous delivery of goods which uses such an arrangement and such a landing method.

Description

Field of invention

The present invention relates to an arrangement and a method for enabling an autonomous landing of an aircraft, in particular an aircraft capable of hovering, in a landing zone, in particular a landing station on a building roof, and an autonomous goods delivery method using this.

Background and prior art

There are already first pilot projects in various countries around the world, especially in the USA, Switzerland and France, to test autonomous drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, and for the delivery of goods and parcels. Large-scale use is foreseeable.

Basically, two types of goods / parcel delivery are conceivable, depending on whether the drone lands to set down the cargo or does it while hovering.
The latter has the advantage of being possible even if there is no suitable land for landing. Known methods for this are throwing or lowering on a rope. Throwing it down harbors the risk of damage to the transported goods, while the use of a rope entails the risk of it getting caught and causing the drone to crash or at least to be forced into an unplanned landing. In addition, dropping is often prohibited by law and a targeted drop at a desired point is extremely difficult.

The highest level of accuracy and safety for both the cargo and the drone transporting it during delivery is given when it is set down after landing. Here too, however, the problem arises of having to navigate precisely to the desired landing zone and drop-off point.

For this precise approach to the delivery or landing zone, which is necessary for reliable delivery, whether by dropping it down after landing or by means of a winch from the hover, an exact determination of the position of the delivery drone relative to the dropping point is essential. Various approaches are conceivable for this: Position determination using internal sensors of the drone, using external sensors and a mixture of both. All of these options can be found in the prior art.

Internal navigation means such as GPS or inertial navigation units or measuring devices (IMUs) can be found in almost all drones. Both can be used worldwide and are very suitable for flying to a specific target area, but are not sufficiently precise to approach a specific drop-off point with the necessary precision in the range of a few to a maximum of a few tens of centimeters. The accuracy of civil GPS is a few to a few tens of meters, which is about two orders of magnitude below the desired one. In addition, it is also prone to interference from weather and artificial sources of interference. Inertial navigation does not have these disadvantages, but is even less accurate than GPS, especially after long flight routes or times without comparison with a fixed reference.

Cameras or other sensors, such as imaging (millimeter wave) RADAR, laser or ultrasonic sensors, which enable the drone to orientate itself based on the relief of the surroundings, can enable a sufficiently precise control of the drop-off point.

For example, the Offenlegungsschrift suggests

DE 10 2018 205 134 A1 The applicant presented a distance sensor system for a drone for the effective and automatic detection of landing sites, which comprises a plurality of pivotably mounted laser point sensors on the drone, which pass on distance data resolved according to the pivot angle to a signal processing processor, which calculates a 3D relief image of the surroundings. This can be compared with images of a target area stored in a database and thus a landing zone located in the target area can be approached with high accuracy and landed there on a designated landing or touchdown point.

With such a drone-based positioning system, the drone is independent of ground-based infrastructure and is therefore particularly suitable in the early stage of the development of drone-based delivery of goods. However, it has the disadvantage of higher complexity and thus costs per drone and also reduces the maximum payload weight that the drone can transport.

This can be avoided by using ground-based infrastructure. Either the position of the drone relative to the landing zone or the designated landing point can be determined and sent to the drone via data transmission, or, similar to what is known from civil aviation, a beacon-based system is used in which the drone automatically receives one or more beacons to the desired touchdown point follows. The latter, however, would require equipping the drone with means to capture the beacon, which partially negated the advantages of the ground-based infrastructure.

The same applies to that in the US publication US 2009/0055038 A1 proposed automatic landing system, which comprises a ground-based radar receiver and two transponders: one permanently installed on the ground and one carried by the aircraft to be controlled. The radar receiver determines an angle between the directions to the two transponders and the distance to the aircraft. Assuming that the aircraft is in the extension of a runway, its position in space can be precisely determined. For use in connection with drones, which are usually capable of hovering, in delivery services, at least for the reason that they do not follow a predetermined flight path, but (should be able to) approach from any direction.

Technical task

Against this background, the object of the present invention is to find an external system and a method for enabling an autonomous landing of aircraft, in particular for the dropping of a transport item by an autonomous aircraft when delivering goods, which enables the precise control of a landing point and without additional hardware Board the aircraft.

Solution of the task

This object is achieved by an arrangement according to one of claims 1 - 6th , a landing method using this arrangement according to one of claims 7 or 8 and the method using the landing method for the autonomous delivery of goods according to claims 9 and 10.

A basic idea of the invention is to determine the position externally and to pass this position on to the aircraft, in particular an autonomous drone, via a data connection. Because while means for reliably detecting and tracking a beacon and radar transponders are not part of the basic equipment of drones, all, including fully autonomous ones, have wireless data communication means.

According to the invention, the exact position is determined by triangulation from the directional data from three or more distance sensors, in particular laser sensors. Since these have a very narrow field of view of a few (solid angle) degrees, you have to scan a (spatial) angle range to find and record objects. Due to the comparatively slow scanning speed, it is impractical to have the sensors scan the entire sky in search of approaching aircraft.

Therefore, according to the invention, the laser sensors are coupled via a central controller to one or more cameras which have a large detection area, ideally an entire half-space or more. Image processing means recognize a flight object located in the detection area in the real-time images of the camera and determine its approximate relative direction or, if several cameras are used, also its approximate position. Because of the large captured solid angle range and the delay in image recognition, this direction or position is subject to a relatively high error and does not yet allow a precise landing.

For this reason, the controller calculates a solid angle range to be scanned from the rough direction or position determined by the camera (s) for each of the distance sensors, in particular laser sensors, which are arranged at a certain distance from the ideal touchdown point and from one another around the landing zone and passed on to the respective sensor. This scans the area assigned to it and if it detects the approaching aircraft, it begins its tracking. From the directional data recorded in this way for each sensor together with the offset vectors relevant for the respective sensors, the controller triangulates the exact position of the aircraft relative to the landing zone or, more precisely, relative to a selected point therein, for example the desired ideal touchdown or transport goods dropping point, which at a usually symmetrically shaped, for example circular or square, landing zone can be its center.

In addition to the position itself, a position uncertainty can also be determined. The position data is then transmitted from the controller to the aircraft, which uses it to precisely navigate to the desired landing point.

The precise approach and landing method according to the invention is used in particular as a partial sequence of an autonomous goods delivery method in which the landing zone is designed as a landing station, which has a landing area and conveying means to transport goods, such as a package or other object, that have been deposited by the autonomous aircraft. to be carried away from the drop-off point.

Such a landing station can be installed on a building (flat) roof, since this ensures unobstructed approach routes and, since they are there less often, the risk of collision with people is also minimized.
A landing station for use in the autonomous goods delivery method according to the invention can for example be a box-shaped housing with an upper landing area in the form of a trap door construction. Inside the housing below the trap door there is a conveyor mechanism, such as a conveyor belt. After the transport goods have been set down precisely by the aircraft by means of the approach and landing method according to the invention, the trap door swings down so that the transport goods slide due to gravity and come to rest on the conveyor system. This then transports the goods from the landing station into the interior of the building. In order to avoid damage to the transported goods, make sure that the height difference between the landing area and the conveyor mechanism is only small or that the trap door only forms a surface inclined by a few degrees so that the sliding speed remains low.

Alternatively, the landing area can also be designed as a vertically movable elevator which can be moved to a floor of the building below. Instead of a conveyor belt, an elevator or a package slide can also be used below the trapdoor-like landing area of the landing station to transport the goods away.

A fully autonomous goods delivery method between two or more buildings, as proposed by the present invention, requires a landing station which also has conveying means for the arrival and not only for the removal of the goods. This means that the funds must be suitable for transporting a transport to be picked up by an autonomous aircraft to a pick-up point on the landing area and to make it available there. A trap door construction, whether in combination with a conveyor belt, a slide or an elevator, is difficult to use for this. A landing area designed as an elevator, on the other hand, would be suitable without modifications, since the transported goods can already be positioned inside the building, whether by a human or a robot, at the correct point on the landing area and the landing area then only moves into its operational position on the top of the landing station must, where it can then be approached by an autonomous aircraft using the approach and landing method according to the invention and the cargo can be picked up.

The main advantage of the inventive arrangement and the method is that autonomous aircraft such as drones without modification, in particular without additional sensors or other navigation or communication means would have to be installed, a precise approach to a landing zone, in particular a landing station for transporting the Transport good, is made possible. The combination of visual coarse recording and laser-assisted fine recording enables fast and effective tracking of the aircraft with real-time updating of the relative position data. Due to the low beam expansion, laser sensors are particularly suitable for position determination with a low level of uncertainty, but have so far not been used for ground-based airspace and approach monitoring of autonomous aircraft due to the long acquisition times and slow scan speeds. It is the merit of the present invention to have shown a technical way how the advantages of laser sensors can be used for high-precision approach monitoring.

Advanced training

Advantageous developments of the present invention are presented below. They can be implemented individually or in combination as long as they are not mutually exclusive.

Preferably, not only is a unidirectional data connection used to pass on the calculated exact position data from the controller to the autonomous aircraft, but a bidirectional connection is established through which the aircraft in turn transmits certain position data to the controller using internal navigation means. Navigation means usually present in autonomous aircraft include GPS and inertial navigation units (IMU - Inertial Measurement Unit) and, barometric or distance sensor-based, altimeters.

This is particularly useful in the phase before the first detection of the aircraft by the laser sensors in order to accelerate the determination of the rough direction and the solid angle range to be scanned by the laser sensors for the purpose of detecting the aircraft. In addition, this can also enable the aircraft to be detected outside the detection range of the camera / s, provided that the swivel or detection range of the laser sensors is not contained in the detection range of the camera. The position data transmitted by the aircraft can also help reduce directional uncertainty.

In addition to the actual position of the aircraft determined by triangulation, the position data transmitted to the aircraft can also contain a target position, i.e. the (landing) position to be controlled by the aircraft or the designated touchdown point within the landing zone. If the coordinates used to represent the actual position are specified relative to the landing position or the designated touchdown point, that is, if this forms the origin of the coordinate system used, this information would be implicitly included in the actual position. This data-saving implicit specification can even be used if the designated touchdown point shifts during the landing maneuver, for example because the targeted landing site has been occupied or otherwise allocated. In this case, the transferred coordinates would also change if the actual position actually remained the same.

According to the invention, each camera can have its own image evaluation means and, in addition, each laser sensor can have its own tracking means, preferably in the form of data processing units. In this case, this would preferably be arranged physically in the vicinity of the respective camera or the respective sensor in order to minimize the signal transit times. This would have the advantage of redundancy and fast processing. In addition, since only the evaluation result has to be transmitted, the data connection to the controller could be dimensioned smaller in terms of bandwidth / data rate. However, the system becomes more complex and expensive due to the large number of data processing units required.

As an alternative, it is therefore proposed to use a central data processing unit as the signal processing means, which evaluates the image data recorded by the camera (s) in order to recognize an approaching aircraft and determine its approximate relative direction, and also monitors and monitors the signals from the laser sensors to control their acquisition and tracking of the aircraft.
Mixed forms are also possible. For example, one in which the image data of several offset cameras is evaluated by a central unit, which is able to determine not only an approximate direction but also an approximate (ie rough) position of the approaching aircraft from the parallax of the images, while the laser sensors via individual Have tracking means and can record and track the aircraft independently and independently of one another.

For a reliable and sufficiently precise position determination, the use of at least three laser sensors is proposed, which are preferably arranged symmetrically around the landing zone and the intended landing or touchdown point therein. The sensors can, for example, form the corners of a regular polygon and, particularly preferably, all have the same distance from the touchdown point. If the spatial conditions in the vicinity of the landing zone do not allow the sensors to be arranged in an equilateral polygon, an arrangement in the form of a polygon compressed in one direction can also be used. The compression direction is preferably a diagonal or a mirror symmetry axis of the polygon, so that at least one mirror u. possibly a point symmetry is retained. This has the advantage of accelerating the position data calculations by the control.

Particularly preferably, four laser sensors are used which, even more preferably, are arranged in the shape of a rectangle or diamond, both the geometric terms “rectangle” and “diamond” including a square as a borderline case. With four sensors, as long as all sensors work and the aircraft record and track, position determination is positively improved compared to the use of only three sensors. In addition, a certain redundancy is created against the failure or the loss of detection of an individual sensor without excessively increasing the number and thus the size and complexity of the arrangement according to the invention.

Since buildings and thus their roof surfaces usually have a rectangular floor plan, a rectangular or diamond-shaped arrangement, apart from the already mentioned positive effect of symmetry, also for the intended main application of the present invention, the roof landing on a building roof, results in an optimal use of space in this sense that this maximizes the offset between the laser sensors and creates the largest possible base line for the triangulation.

As already indicated, the arrangement according to the invention is not limited to a single camera. It is also possible to use several cameras that are offset from one another, which enables visual triangulation and determination of an approximate position of the aircraft. In principle, this can also be done with the use of a single camera and a known absolute size of the aircraft by estimating its distance from the apparent size of the aircraft. However, this is a lot less accurate than visual triangulation.

If only a single camera is used, however, it is preferred to mount it as close as possible to the designated landing or touchdown point of the aircraft. For example, the camera could also be installed under a glass plate directly below the touchdown point. If approaches from all directions are to be supported equally well, the most symmetrical possible detection area of the camera around the landing point is recommended. For this purpose, the camera should be installed facing towards the zenith. In order to maximize the detection area, it is proposed to use wide-angle optics, in particular a fisheye lens.

In order to remain usable at night or in bad weather such as fog or rain, it is proposed to use an imaging infrared camera alone or in addition.

In the case of the precise approach and landing method according to the invention, when the precise position of the aircraft is calculated by the controller, the coarse direction or position determined on the basis of the camera data is preferably also taken into account. This can be done in the form of a simple plausibility check which checks whether the calculated exact position lies within the uncertainty range around the rough position. In addition, the coarse position could also be included in the calculation of the exact position in a weighted manner, the weight being, for example, inversely proportional to the uncertainty of the coarse position or the ratio of the uncertainty in the coarse position to the uncertainty of the laser sensors.

To detect the aircraft in step c of the method according to the invention, the controller preferably calculates a solid angle range to be scanned for each sensor, which contains the rough direction or position determined from the image evaluation and / or the internal position data transmitted by the aircraft itself and the offset of the sensor to the real Position of the camera or when combining the recordings of several cameras for the virtual position of the camera.

In order to enable rapid detection, the size of this solid angle area should be as small as possible, ideally a cone with an angular diameter of 10 degrees or less. In order to reduce the size of the spatial area, it is also proposed to use the data from laser sensors, which have already been captured by the aircraft, to reduce the position uncertainty and thus the solid angle area to be scanned. This can also help to enable quick recapture if one or more of the laser sensors should lose the aircraft from detection, for example due to an abrupt flight maneuver.

If the internal inertial navigation unit of the aircraft is sufficiently accurate, it would in principle be sufficient to inform the aircraft of an exact relative position to the designated landing point once, whereupon it could approach the landing point by means of its inertial navigation. The rough position as well as the exact position of the aircraft is, however, preferably determined continuously during the approach, ie at the shortest possible time intervals, and transmitted to the aircraft.
If this takes place at intervals of a few to a few tens of milliseconds, that is to say with a frequency in the range from 100 to 1000 Hz, the aircraft can correct its approach path in real time. Such an external real-time control is difficult to implement due to the delay in the signal processing of the sensor data. As a result, the triangulated actual position of the aircraft can only be updated approximately 1 to 10 times per second and transmitted to the aircraft. Since this is too slow for the desired approach precision at sensible approach speeds of at least 1 to 10 km / h, it is proposed, as indicated above, to use the inertial navigation means of the autonomous aircraft for fine control of the approach. Based on the last known externally determined position, these would also couple the current position of the aircraft with a sufficient time resolution, for example between 100 to 1000 times per second, and thus enable it to precisely control the approach to the desired target position in real time. No additional hardware is required for this on the aircraft side, only appropriate software.

Embodiments

Further properties, features and advantages of the present invention emerge from the exemplary embodiments presented below with reference to the figures. These are only intended to illustrate the present invention and in no way restrict the general principle of the invention as recited in the independent claims.

• 1: Eine perspektivische Gesamtübersicht einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Landeanordnung.
• 2: Ein Diagramm der Komponenten einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Anordnung .
• 3: Eine Illustration einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen autonomen Warenlieferverfahrens, bei dem eine Dachlandestation mit Fördermitteln zum Einsatz kommt.

Show it:

• 1 : An overall perspective overview of a preferred embodiment of the landing arrangement according to the invention.
• 2 : A diagram of the components of a preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention.
• 3 : An illustration of a preferred embodiment of the autonomous goods delivery method according to the invention, in which a roof landing station with conveyor means is used.

1 shows an overview of a preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention for enabling an autonomous landing.
The order 1 includes the camera 20th , the four mechatronically swiveling laser sensors 30th as well as the control and the image evaluation means assigned to the camera and the tracking means assigned to the laser sensors (not shown). The camera 20th is in the starting point AP , the center of the square landing area LZ in the form of a landing station LS on the roof of the building H , arranged and directed towards the zenith, so that their cone-shaped detection area EB symmetrical around the touchdown point AP lies.
After entering the aircraft 100 in the detection area EB the camera, the image evaluation means determine a rough position G of the aircraft with an uncertainty DG, here by a cone illustrated. This will be the sensors 30th communicated, which then scan a solid angle range assigned to them by the controller until they reach the aircraft 100 have captured. For tracking, the laser sensors are tracked to the aircraft so that the respective relative direction results from the rotation angles of the laser sensors. These are forwarded to the control system, which uses them to determine the exact actual position R. of the aircraft 100 triangulated and the position data via a wireless data link to the aircraft 100 sends. Unless the position R. relative to the desired touchdown point AP is specified, the aircraft knows 100 implicitly which target position it has to go to.

2 shows a diagram of the components of the arrangement according to the invention and their connection in a preferred embodiment.
The order 1 for external position determination includes the control as shown 10 , signal processing 11 , a camera 20th and four distance sensors 30th in the form of, preferably mechatronically pivoted, laser point sensors. The signal processing 11 communicates via data connections both with the distance sensors 30th , the camera 20th as well as the control 10 . The latter is still in data connection with the aircraft via the data link DL 100 in order to transmit the position data D comprising the calculated actual position to the latter. In this embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, the control is used 10 in addition, the control of a conveyor 200 which one by the aircraft 100 Transport goods (not shown) deposited on the landing zone can be transported away from the landing zone and, in particular, into the interior of a building. The control 10 activates the funding only after either by a message from the aircraft 100 or based on the aircraft's still registered position 100 it is certain that it has started again and left the landing zone.

In 3 is the embodiment of the arrangement from 1 shown when used in the context of the delivery method according to the invention.
The funding 200 the landing station LS on the roof of the building H include a trapdoor-like landing area 210 and a conveyor belt not too deep underneath 220 . After the aircraft 100 his cargo, here the package W. , has stopped and has started again, the controller (not shown) activates the conveyor 200 , whereupon the trapdoor-like landing area lowers and the cargo W. under the influence of gravity on the conveyor belt from where it slips with the conveyor belt 220 is transported further inside the building.

List of reference symbols

1

Landing order

10

control

11

Signal processing means

20th

camera

21st

Image evaluation means

30th

Laser sensors

31

Tracking means

100

Aircraft

200

Funding

210

Trap gate

220

Conveyor belt

LZ

Landing zone

AP

ideal starting point

G

Coarse direction or position

ΔG

Directional uncertainty in G

R.

exact position of 100 relative to LZ or AP

EB

Detection range from 20

LS

Landing station

W.

package

H

building

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• DE 102018205134 A1 [0008]
• US 2009/0055038 A1 [0011]

Claims (10)

An arrangement for enabling an autonomous landing of an aircraft (100), in particular an aircraft capable of hovering, in a landing zone (LZ), the aircraft (100) being equipped with a data receiving means for the wireless reception of position data (D), comprising - a controller (10) with data transmission means for wireless transmission of position data (D) to the aircraft (100), - At least one camera (20) with an assigned image evaluation means (21), which are prepared to determine a coarse direction and / or position (G) of the aircraft (100) within a detection area (EB) of the camera (20) and to which To pass on control (10), - At least three distance sensors, in particular laser sensors (30) with assigned detection and tracking means (31), which are prepared for this to scan for the aircraft (100) in a spatial angle range specified individually by the controller (10) for the respective sensor (30), to detect and track it, and o to determine directional information representing a relative direction of the aircraft (100) from the respective sensor (30) during the tracking and to forward it to the controller (10), - The control unit being prepared to calculate an exact actual position (R) of the aircraft (100) relative to the landing zone (LZ) from the directional information from the laser sensors (30) and to send it to the aircraft (100) as part of the position data (D) ) to send. Arrangement according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the controller (10) and the aircraft (100) are prepared for setting up a bidirectional data link (DL) and for this purpose via this data link (DL) both - the position data (D) from the controller (10) to the aircraft (100), as well as - by means of internal position determination means of the aircraft (100), in particular a GPS and / or an inertial navigation unit and / or an altimeter, to send determined position data from the aircraft (100) to the controller (10), - the Position data (D) o the calculated actual position (R) of the aircraft (100), and / or o a target position specified by the controller, in particular a designated touchdown point (AP). Arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that a common signal processing means (11) is provided as image evaluation means (21) assigned to the camera (20) and / or tracking means (31) assigned to the laser sensors. Arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 - 3 , characterized in that four or more, in particular exactly four, laser sensors (30) arranged in a rectangular and / or diamond shape are used. Arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 - 4th , characterized in that the laser sensors (30) are arranged symmetrically around the landing zone (LZ), in particular at the same distance from one another and / or to a designated touchdown point (AP) within the landing zone (LZ). Arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 - 5 , characterized in that - two or more cameras (20), in particular one camera (20) per laser sensor (30) and / or - an infrared camera are used, and / or - at least one camera (20) in a designated touchdown point (AP ), in particular a center point of the landing zone, is arranged. Method for the autonomous landing of an aircraft in a landing zone using an arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 - 6th , characterized by the steps (a) navigation of the aircraft (100) with the help of internal navigation means in a detection area (EB) of the camera / s (20), (b) detection and determination of a rough direction and / or position (G) of the Aircraft (100) by the camera / s (20) in connection with assigned / b image evaluation means (21), (c) detection of the aircraft (100) by laser sensors (30) and tracking of the sensors (30) by means of these assigned / n acquisition and tracking means (31), (d) determination of direction information representing the relative direction from the respective laser sensor (30) to the aircraft (100) and forwarding of this direction information to the controller (10), (e) determination of an exact one Actual position (R) of the aircraft (100) relative to the landing zone (LZ) comprehensive position data (D) and wireless transmission of this data (D) to the aircraft (100) (f) approaching the landing zone (LZ) by the aircraft (100 ) using the position data (D ) and landing on a designated touchdown point (AP). Landing procedure according to Claim 7 , characterized in that - the coarse direction or position (G) determined by the camera (s) (20) and the image evaluation means (21) flows into the calculation of the position data (D), and / or - the detection of the aircraft ( 100) by the laser sensors (30) takes place in that the laser sensors (30) have one for each sensor (30) from the coarse direction (G) of the aircraft and an offset of the Sensor (30) scan the solid angle range calculated relative to the camera, and / or - as long as not all of the laser sensors (30) have detected the aircraft (100) and track them or if one or more of the laser sensors (30) the aircraft (100) during the Losing tracking again, the directional information from the laser sensors (30) that have been recorded by the aircraft (100) is used to limit the solid angle range to be scanned by the laser sensors (30) that have not been recorded by the aircraft (100) for (re) recording , and / or - the position data (D) sent to the aircraft (100) are updated continuously, in particular between 1 to 1000 times per second, and / or - the aircraft (100) based on the position data received from the controller (100) in connection with an internal inertial navigation unit carries out a real-time fine control, - via a bidirectional data link (DL) with the help of internal navigation means, esp Particularly by means of GPS, an inertial navigation unit and / or an altimeter, certain absolute position data is sent from the aircraft (100) to the controller (10) and used to determine the rough direction (G) or to reduce a directional uncertainty (ΔG) of the rough direction (G) and / or - the position data (D) sent by the controller (10) to the aircraft (100) also include a target position specified by the controller, in particular a designated touchdown point (AP). Method for the autonomous transport of goods from a starting point to a destination within a landing zone by means of an autonomous aircraft using one of the landing methods according to FIG Claims 7 or 8th , wherein the landing zone (LZ) is a landing station (LS) which has conveying means (200) for conveying goods (W) away from the landing station (LS), in particular into the interior of a building (H), characterized in that - the aircraft (100) takes over the cargo (W) at the starting point, - the aircraft (100) navigates from the starting point to the vicinity of the landing zone with the aid of internal navigation means, - the landing procedure according to one of the Claims 7 or 8th is carried out, - the aircraft (100) deposits the transport goods (W) and - the transport goods (W) are transported away from the landing zone by the conveyor (200), in particular into the interior of a building (H). Procedure for the fully autonomous delivery of goods between two buildings using the delivery procedure according to Claim 9 , wherein each of the buildings has a landing station with a conveyor for transporting goods from the interior of the building to the landing station and vice versa from the landing station to the interior of the building, characterized in that - conveyed goods from the interior of a building to its landing station and there to Takeover is provided by an aircraft, and - by the aircraft according to the method Claim 9 is transported to the second building.

Images