JP7184566B2 - Skydiving Tracker: Integrated System for Flight Data Collection and Virtual Reality Simulator to Improve Skydiving Safety - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to skydiving training and safety with an associated 3D virtual reality (VR) simulator and integrated GPS tracking data collection for 3D mapping for debriefing and accident investigation, It also concerns the continuous improvement of the simulator with an expanded dedicated database of skydiving flight data. The present invention trains teams of 2-12 or more skydivers aboard an aircraft for critical missions such as smokejumpers (firefighters skydiving into remote fires) or military teams. It focuses on doing. Existing systems are expensive, cumbersome and take too long to use.

A skydiver exits an airplane in a short or long free fall. The jumper then opens the parachute and steers toward the target. Existing skydiving training patents are not designed to train teams of skydivers. For example, US Pat. No. 6,200,008, which corresponds to US Pat. Another technique involves having the students wear harnesses, which are cumbersome and expensive at over $100,000 each (GSA price list as of June 2016). Applicant's lightweight system can be set up in minutes and costs less than $5,000 in hardware (i.e., 1/20th the cost of the harness system described above), plus network Train a team of connected jumpers (Fig. 3).

Experts say the best training is real life skydiving, where a beginner starts jumping in tandem with an instructor and progresses to become a certified skydiver. Also, existing training systems do not adequately train for malfunctions such as spinning at 60 rpm, such as the tragic death of Mark Urban in "BLM Final Accident Investigation". Urban may have never practiced simulated malfunctions like Applicant's August 2017 video, which is based on real-world flight data at 45 rpm.
Dangerous YouTube Spin (sit down and watch) - https://youtu.be/U_Q82cvzQHA

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-519730 U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,480

There were 3.2 million jumps in the United States in 2013, resulting in hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths each year. The technology makes skydiving safer with better pre-jump training and post-jump debriefing, including a stunning 3D interactive map.

A system for pre-jump skydiving training and post-jump debriefing according to the present invention comprises:
Pre-jump simulator, computer with basic option of keystroke control only, or sensor tracking arm movements similar to a real life skydiver where the up and down movement of the user's arm controls the rotation and speed of the parachute. a pre-jump simulator having a modern virtual reality headset with
A tracker in which GPS and other data obtained from jumps are automatically error-corrected, and this corrected data augments the skydiving database, thereby continually improving the simulator and , a tracker, where a 3D interactive map for debriefing is also generated.

The system according to the present invention also provides continuously updated data for simulated or real-time 3D maps of airborne or ground personnel on critical missions, with ground or in flight. It further includes a long-range digital radio or network for real-time communication with the aircraft so that if an employee's cell phone communication fails, the system can provide real-time tracking of the team, and this real-time tracking can be transferred to the cell phone. It may be integrable into a network or other networks.

Also, in the system according to the present invention, the above data will generate a virtual reality skydiving simulator, which will be continuously improved through the tracker database and feedback from experienced skydivers. good too.

Also, in the system according to the invention, the above data can be used for flights, including skydiving, and networked by museums in 120-360 degree interactive video rooms on 65 inch displays. It may be converted into an interactive map or video that can be used for tours of some of the greatest geological and man-made sites in the universe.

Also, the system according to the invention simulates round and ram air parachutes anywhere in the world and can be used cheaply and compactly in an airplane while flying to a mission for a team of skydivers. A unique training system, portable with only a PC and arm movement tracking sensors (for the jumper to control his turn and speed), where the user explores by simply turning his head. It may also include a virtual reality headset for immersing yourself in a 3D world.

Also, the system according to the present invention can be used to view night or daytime jumps, and to view one or more jumpers simultaneously to avoid collisions and perform as a team, which existing technologies do not support. It further includes simulated flight data shared locally or remotely over a network, with the option to practice close formations on the fly, as this technology is cost-effective and allows teams of jumpers to quickly practice and immediately commit to a mission. may be enabled to start the

Also, the system according to the invention may further include an option for earphones or a headset to provide verbal instructions during the jump.

A system for real-time or non-real-time tracking during jumps according to the present invention comprises:
a real-time or non-real-time tracker that calculates wind speed and direction prior to the team jump;
A long-range digital radio that relays data to the plane to instruct the pilot on the best flight path to fly the plane based on the landing site and mission, as well as where to drop a team of skydivers. include.

Flowchart Logic of Claims Summary Showing smoke jumper training using this technology Shows a networked version that allows multiple skydivers to work as a team Shows a diagram of 13 jumpers in VR Show that the system automatically evaluates skydivers Shows a real-time tracker that plots the flight path of an airplane from takeoff to landing Shows how tracker data identifies the type of motion (i.e. airplane, skydive, etc.) and the optimal angle to view the plot Shows how tracker data identifies the type of motion (i.e. airplane, skydive, etc.) and the optimal angle to view the plot Shows how tracker data identifies the type of motion (i.e. airplane, skydive, etc.) and the optimal angle to view the plot Shows how tracker data identifies the type of motion (i.e. airplane, skydive, etc.) and the optimal angle to view the plot Shows how tracker data identifies the type of motion (i.e. airplane, skydive, etc.) and the optimal angle to view the plot

The present invention is an integrated state-of-the-art skydiving safety and Provide a training system. Figure 1 illustrates how the system can (1) dramatically improve skydiver training teams and (2) help prevent the leading causes of skydiving deaths, including mid-air collisions. is emphasized.

In Block 1, Applicant's low-cost trackers (trackers costing less than $1000) with proprietary error checking generate clean flight data (latitude, etc.). A Kalman filter was used to study GPS/INS data fusion. If more than two jumpers are on board the plane, the system automatically cross-checks the data between the jumpers correctly. A 3D interactive plot is created showing the path of the plane, the exit points/landing points, and the path of each jumper. The technology also evaluates trackers that show that the best-selling digital clock, which shows that the jumper was 300 feet underground at the time of landing, is highly inaccurate.

Detailed flight data is added to a dedicated skydiving database that can contain any number of jumps (i.e., one jump or millions of jumps) (Block 2), which is useful for accident investigation/debriefing. can be used and improve the accuracy of the simulator. A networked simulator allows teams of multiple jumpers to train together (Block 3). The flight data creates a 3D interactive flight path for the jumper/airplane (Block 4). If desired, the jumper is provided real-time commands via earphones or headset to guide him towards the target (block 5). Feedback from experienced jumpers enhances this simulator (Block 6). This amazing skydiving training system provides pre-jump simulation, mid-jump guidance, and post-jump debriefing (Block 7). A similar technique (block 8) for interactive 3D tours of the greatest places in the universe (such as the Grand Canyon). Tracked jumps improve training for jumpers, pilots and spotters (Block 9).

"Skydiver Trackers" have been purchased/used by the US Government in hundreds of training jumps. One skydiver training manager said it helped them "help teach parachute maneuvers to newer jumpers and help experienced jumpers refine their skills... "The concept is of interest to us," he wrote, "because it reduces mission risk by being able to stay at a higher altitude to deliver a package of cargo."
Stunning "You Tube" Skydiving Simulation to the Grand Canyon - http://youtu.be/n2srxXJlQs8
FIG. 2 shows a smokejumper (geared) 201 training in Applicant's non-virtual reality (VR) version, but a more powerful option is a VR headset 204 that does not require a display 202. ing. The sensor 203 tracks the user's arm movements as in real life skydiving. A jumper pulls a virtual (or real) toggle that controls the chute. If their arm is pointing straight up, they will fly straight forward at maximum speed, but if one (ie, left) arm is down, they will turn left. This technique trains both ram jumpers and round jumpers. The U.S. Forest Service's "US Forest Service Ram-Air Parachute System Implementation Project" (June 2015) states, "The currently used round FS-14 parachute The system was eventually replaced by a square ram-air parachute system...most jumpers believed ram-air was more likely to end their careers through injury or death." But this simulator, which can be used at work or at home, could ease their worries.

Tracker flight data can be used to simulate the type of parachute and payload used with data from a small number of jumps. A simulator that cannot be customized based on real-world flight data performance is just a game.

FIG. 3 shows how a low-cost jump VR simulator (simulators costing less than $5000) 301, 309 can be set up in minutes to train a team. The instructor sees all jumpers with their flight data in a top down view on a 3D color map 316 . For example, Jumper 1 wearing headset 301 is at J1 on the map at 1200 feet (365.76 meters) AGL. The team's goal is the north side of the island. Their equipment is a laptop PC and sensor/headset, which can be set up in 10 minutes. Teams can train over a network, in the same room, or around the world.

Thirteen jumpers in this VR view must avoid colliding with other jumpers during the mission (Fig. 4).

This technology also enables science museums to offer stunning educational virtual reality tours of the greatest geological and man-made sites around the world and in the solar system. The technology is stunning, yet affordable and customizable for stunning 120-360 degree video rooms on a 65-inch display.

Significant Skydiving Database Over 400 skydives have been tracked with this skydiving tracker, part of an ever-growing jump history. With just 3 clicks all flight data for the plane/jumper with interactive 3D maps/videos are available and immediately available for debriefing/accident investigation. Mark Urban's BLM accident report was published eight months after his death. Also, they (investing thousands of dollars) "did not render the data useless, but increased the degree of uncertainty associated with each data point... A faulty data logger that was not provided was used.

The left portion of Figure 5 shows 10 rookie smokejumpers exiting the plane at 782-1209 feet from the target (cross in box). They exited at 1478-1580 feet (450.4944-481.584 meters) AGL (height above ground).

Applicant's proprietary logic automatically calculated the wind speed of 8 mph (approximately 12.87 kph), the type of aircraft, and the type of parachute used (round parachute). They usually came out two at a time (eg jumpers 6 and 7), with jumper 7 landing closest to the target (89 feet, the best of the group). The line connecting jumpers 6 and 7 indicates the flight path of the airplane. The plane circled six times and released all ten jumpers. Gray and black areas are trees and bushes.

The technology automatically transforms millions of data points from trackers into 3D interactive maps to evaluate spotters, pilots and jumpers. A skilled jumper typically lands within 50 feet (15.24 meters) of the target. During two weeks of training in 2016, several recruits on board used this tracker (Fig. 5). Rookie jumpers landed an average of more than 200 feet (60.96 m) from the target in week 1, but by week 2 landed within 100 feet (30.48 m) of the target. , improved dramatically.

FURTHER OPTIONS Applicant uses an inexpensive digital radio for less than $400 with an antenna to provide real-time flight data to pilots on ideal flight paths to tell jumpers when to exit the plane. do. Simple streamers also test wind conditions, but with Applicant's integrated solution, the latest wind conditions are sent to inform pilots and jumpers. In short, this real-time guidance system was used to build a resupply robot (shown below), along with providing real-time data for tracking both in the air and on the ground.

Emergency Medical System Applicant's proven technology can land within 30 feet of a target. When the parachute opens, a motor pulls a toggle-mounted nylon cord to autonomously guide the parachute to the target landing site, as shown in the first successful robotic test flight. .
"YouTube" Robot Flight Test - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEDibD18O4E&feature=youtube_gdata
The US military has expensive systems that operate in large open areas (as opposed to wildfire littered forests). But during the Syrian war, the US Department of Defense delivered $1 million in weapons to terrorists because a robotic resupply unit landed half a mile away from its target instead of landing precisely. It became a thing. This failure demonstrates the need to override manual controls such as our VR to land small payloads precisely, an option that more expensive units do not have.

Real-time tracking of ground crew, such as the 20 firefighters who died in Yarnell due to a failure of emergency alert network cell phone communications. A 900 MHz network with long range digital radios (digital radios with ranges up to 100 miles, FIG. 6) can be customized. In their accident report (June 30, 2013), "When the shelter is deployed, a VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker) will hover above the fire and drop flame retardants as soon as the crew's position is determined. I was waiting to do it." With this technology, we could either (1) automatically broadcast their location to tell the VLAT where to drop the flame retardant, or (2) skydiving robots if the VLAT failed. could have been useful, however, as it could deliver water precisely to shower trapped firefighters. The real-time tracker 1202 has radio, GPS, a parachute, costs less than $1000, and weighs 2 pounds. The real-time tracker 1202 broadcasts the position of the real-time tracker 1202 within the airplane until it exits the airplane, then accurately relays the wind speed/and airplane flight direction 1201, turning at 10,000 feet. It was confirmed that the aircraft in flight could constantly monitor the exact GPS locations of smokejumpers and firefighters on the ground.

Figures 7-11 illustrate how the tracker data is used to identify the type of motion (airplane, skydiving, etc.), correct for errors in the data, and optimize for viewing plots in a 3D interactive map or video. Indicates whether to calculate angles and viewpoints.

The skydiving tracker goes far beyond its existing capabilities by providing (1) a virtual reality team simulator that allows practice in any real-world location before jumping, and (2) used by teams of skydivers. Creates flight data that can be used to customize the simulator for the correct parachute and payload to be tested, and for 3D graphics for post-jump debriefing/accident investigation, 4 oz. Revolutionize skydiving training and safety for individual and team skydivers with the following low-cost trackers (trackers costing less than $1000). This skydiving tracker should be used for every jump.

202 Display 203 Sensor 204 VR Headset 301, 309 Jump VR Simulator 316 3D Color Map 1202 Real Time Tracker

Claims (7)

In a system for pre-jump skydiving training and post-jump debriefing,
Pre-jump simulator, computer with basic option of keystroke control only, or sensor tracking arm movements similar to a real life skydiver where the up and down movement of the user's arm controls the rotation and speed of the parachute. a pre-jump simulator having a modern virtual reality headset with
A tracker in which GPS data obtained from jumps is automatically error-corrected, and the corrected data enriches the skydiving database, thereby continuously improving the simulator. , a tracker in which a 3D interactive map for debriefing is also generated. For real-time communications with the ground or with aircraft in flight, providing continuously updated data for simulated or real-time 3D maps of air or ground personnel on critical missions. Further comprising a long range digital radio or network, the system can provide real-time tracking of the team if the employee's cell phone communication fails, and the real-time tracking can be integrated into the cell phone network . The system of claim 1. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data produces a virtual reality skydiving simulator that is continuously improved through a tracker database and feedback from experienced skydivers. The data can be used for flights, including skydiving, and networked by the museum in interactive video rooms of 120-360 degrees on 65-inch displays of the greatest geological data in the universe. 3. The system of claim 1, which converts the map into an interactive map or video usable for tours of natural and man-made places. For a unique training system that simulates round and ram-air parachutes anywhere in the world and can be used inexpensively and compactly in an airplane while flying to a team of skydiver missions. for immersing the user in a 3D world explored simply by turning their head, portable with only a PC and arm movement tracking sensors (for the jumper to control his turn and speed) 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a virtual reality headset. For viewing night or daytime jumps and for viewing one or more jumpers simultaneously to practice close formations to avoid collisions and perform as a team, not addressed by existing technology. Further including simulated flight data shared locally or remotely over a network with the option, this technology is cost-effective and allows teams of jumpers to practice quickly and begin missions immediately. A system according to claim 1. 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an option for earphones or a headset to provide verbal instructions during the jump.

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