CBRNE sensors and system for monitoring and deploying same
Inventors
Hur, Ryan • Palanisamy, Ramesh • Banares, Berwin • Bauer, Maria E. • Nguyen, So • de la Torre, Sam • Ollat, Xavier
Assignees
Publication Number
US-12163940-B2
Publication Date
2024-12-10
Expiration Date
2040-10-19
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Abstract
A sensor system is disclosed that includes a plurality of sensors, a deployment system for deploying the sensors, a control and charging system for receiving sensor data and optionally charging the batteries within the sensors, and one or more algorithms employed by the sensor system for processing, analyzing, and otherwise using data received by the plurality of sensors.
Core Innovation
The invention disclosed is a sensor system comprising multiple portable airborne agent sensor devices designed for deployment by dropping. Each sensor device features an outer elastomeric housing with specifically arranged apertures on the top and bottom surfaces allowing air passage through the housing to reduce air drag during deployment. The sensor devices include internal circuit boards electrically connected to environmental sensors and wireless transceivers for data transmission, and are designed without wings or parachutes to manage air drag, ensuring a particular orientation when dropped.
A major problem addressed by the invention is the difficulty of safely deploying chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive (CBRNE) sensors in contaminated or remote areas without putting personnel at risk. Previous sensors had to be manually deployed, often placing users in immediate danger and limiting sensing coverage. Existing systems are also costly, requiring retrieval to be reused, and can be lost or damaged during deployment. The disclosed sensor system aims to solve these issues by enabling remote deployment from aerial or ground vehicles, providing improved physical robustness, optimized aerodynamics for controlled descent, and the ability to form a mesh network for broader area coverage and data analysis.
The invention further includes storage assemblies for stacking and charging sensors, and a deployment assembly operable from unmanned aerial vehicles or ground vehicles to release sensors at specific locations. The system incorporates algorithms for processing data from multiple sensors to improve detection accuracy, reduce false alarms, and identify threats beyond the capability of any single sensor. Novel features also include methods for tracking sensor deployment position using RFID and GPS coordinates, and using sensor network data to monitor airborne threats including interactions between different agents.
Claims Coverage
The patent contains multiple independent claims focusing on the structure and deployment of a portable airborne agent sensor system and sensor device. The main inventive features cover sensor device design, housing apertures for air flow, battery and circuit board arrangement, storage and deployment mechanisms, and communication and tracking capabilities.
Sensor device housing with air-passing apertures to reduce drag
The sensor device housing is comprised of an elastomeric material and includes a first plurality of apertures extending through the top surface and a second plurality extending through the bottom surface. These apertures are in communication, allowing air to pass directly through the housing to reduce air drag during the device's drop deployment, and the devices lack wings or parachutes for reducing air drag.
Balanced housing shape and interior component arrangement
The housing has a generally circular disc shape with an oval side profile, a curved bottom surface having apertures along the rounded shape, and the circuit board is circular and suspended along its edges by a gap. The battery is mounted within the housing at the bottom and spaced from the circuit board to influence center of balance and device orientation during descent.
Sensor device container enabling stacked storage and pre-deployment sensing
A sensor device container, configured as a tubular housing with multiple apertures, stores a plurality of sensor devices in a vertical stacked configuration. The apertures expose the sensors partially without releasing them, allowing the sensors to activate and sense environmental agents prior to deployment.
Deployment assembly for selective release from aerial or ground vehicles
A deployment assembly comprising a mounting bracket for unmanned aerial vehicles, container mounting structures to releasably engage sensor device containers, and a release mechanism for selective release of sensor devices from the containers. The assembly may include RFID sensors to identify individual sensor devices upon release and associate GPS coordinate data for tracking.
The claims collectively cover a system of elastomeric, aperture-equipped sensor devices designed for low-drag dropping, stacked container storage facilitating pre-deployment sensing and charging, and controlled deployment assemblies equipped with data tracking and communication functionalities suitable for aerial or ground vehicle use.
Stated Advantages
The housing design with apertures reduces air drag and enables controlled device orientation and stable descent without need for wings or parachutes.
Symmetrical apertures and balanced center of mass increase the likelihood the sensor lands in a predictable orientation maximizing antenna performance and sensor efficacy.
Stackable storage containers with high porosity enable simultaneous storage, charging, and environmental sensing prior to deployment.
Remote deployment from aerial or ground vehicles reduces user exposure to hazardous environments during sensor placement.
Mesh networking and advanced algorithms processing data from multiple sensors increase detection confidence, reduce false alarms, and detect unknown or overlapping threats.
Incorporation of RFID and GPS technologies enables precise tracking of sensor deployment locations and monitoring threat movement over time.
Documented Applications
Detection of toxic warfare agents on battlefields.
Monitoring areas around accidental chemical releases.
Environmental and agricultural contamination monitoring.
Supporting law enforcement and anti-terrorist activities.
Deploying sensors remotely via unmanned aerial vehicles or ground vehicles to monitor dangerous or inaccessible areas.
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