MUMBAI, India, April 17 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202631011778 A) filed by Grape Uav Private Limited, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, on Feb. 4, for 'autonomous docking and battery-swapping system for multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles.'
Inventor(s) include Mr. Santrupta Mishra; Dr. Suman Bhattacharya; Dr. Upali Aparajita Dash; Mr. Pratik Das; and Mr. Gurudutta Pradhan.
The application for the patent was published on April 17, under issue no. 16/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The present invention discloses an autonomous docking and battery-swapping system for multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), designed to reduce operational downtime and improve fleet utilization. The system comprises a ground-based docking structure supporting the UAV during battery replacement, a vertically arranged battery magazine for compact, high-density storage, and a positioning mechanism with a vertically movable carriage. A battery-handling assembly mounted on the carriage includes a horizontally movable battery carrier and a push-pull insertion actuator configured to safely extract depleted batteries and insert charged batteries. The system further incorporates passive alignment guides for precise UAV positioning, electrical contacts for simultaneous battery charging, thermal management to maintain optimal battery temperature, and motorized shutters to protect against adverse weather. An electronic controller coordinates all operations, maintains battery health data including state-of-charge and cycle count, and provides real-time telemetry for remote monitoring and fleet management. The UAV remains stationary during the entire battery-swapping process, enabling rapid, reliable, and fully autonomous operation."
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
