Abstract:
An omni-directional aircraft with flight capabilities surpassing those of a regular VTOL or helicopter, being able to take full advantage of the simultaneous six degrees of freedom of motion possible in the atmosphere, undergoing any desired combination of translational and rotational movement, and keeping station in the air in any arbitrary attitude. In the preferred embodiment, the flying object comprises a cubic body on the six faces of which are mounted six propulsion units, such that the propellers on each pair of opposite faces are coplanar with each other and with the main axis passing through the centers of these opposite faces, and their thrusts act along the direction of another main axis, each of the three pairs of propellers acting along a different one of the cube's three main axes. The thrust from each motion-inducing assembly being continuously variable and reversible, the resultant translational and rotational thrust vectors can be positioned arbitrarily within their respective solid envelopes. A control element with equal freedom of motion allows intuitive piloting of the vehicle. In an alternate embodiment, the propulsion units are disposed along the sides of a tetrahedron.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for launching unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the aircraft can be launched from an apparatus that includes a launch carriage that moves along a launch guide. The carriage can accelerate when portions of the carriage and/or the launch guide move relative to each other. A gripper carried by the launch carriage can have at least one grip portion in contact with the aircraft while the launch carriage accelerates along the launch axis. The at least one grip portion can move out of contact with the aircraft as the launch carriage decelerates, releasing the aircraft for takeoff. A brake can arrest the motion of the gripper after launch.
Abstract:
A micro air vehicle having a bendable wing enabling the micro air vehicle to fly. The bendable wing may be bent downwards so that the wingspan may be reduced for storing the micro air vehicle. The bendable wing may be formed from one or more layers of material, and the wing may have a camber such that a concave surface of the wing faces downward. The wing may substantially resist flexing upwards and may transfer uplift forces to a central body of the micro air vehicle. In addition, the wing may be bent severely downwards by applying a force to tips of the wing. The micro air vehicle is capable of being stored in a small cylindrical tube and may be deployed from the tube by simply releasing the micro air vehicle from the tube.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for launching unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the aircraft can belaunched from an apparatus that includes a launch carriage that moves along a launch axis. A gripper carried by the launch carriage can have at least one grip portion in contact with the aircraft while the launch carriage accelerates along the launch axis. The at least one grip portion can move out of contact with the fuselage of the aircraft as the launch carriage decelerates, releasing the aircraft for takeoff.
Abstract:
Embodiments for determining the bearings to targets from a remote location are disclosed. The apparatus consists of an array of acoustic sensors that is capable of autonomous flight. The array may be large in diameter, approximately one meter or greater. The apparatus is capable of navigating its flight to arrive at a predetermined location, measuring acoustic sound waves emitted by targets both during flight and after landing. The apparatus may then calculate the bearings to the targets and transmit this information to a remote location.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for capturing, recovering, disassembling, and storing unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the boom can be extended to deploy a recovery line to capture the aircraft in flight, a process that can be aided by a line capture device having retainers in accordance with further aspects of the invention. The aircraft can then be returned to its launch platform, disassembled, and stored, again with little or no direct manual contact between the operator and the aircraft, for example, by capturing a first wing of the aircraft and securing a second wing before releasing the first.
Abstract:
A dual ducted fan arrangement in which the duct components, engine, and avionics/payload pods are capable of being quickly disassembled to fit within common backpacking systems.. Each duct is identical in fan, stator, and control vane design. Assembly connections between ducted fans and electronic modules are also identical. An engine or APU drives the dual ducted fans through a splined shaft to a differential or through electric motors. Energy is transferred to the ducted fans by a single gear mounted to the stator hub. Relative speeds of the individual ducted fans are controlled through separate frictional or generator load control braking mechanisms on each of the splined shafts between the differential and ducted fans. In the electric motor case relative speed is through electronic speed control. The fans are counter rotating for torque balancing. The electronic module locations are vertically variable for longitudinal center of gravity for variations in payloads.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for launching, capturing, and storing unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the aircraft can be assembled from a container with little or no manual engagement by an operator. The container can include a guide structure to control motion of the aircraft components. The aircraft can be launched from an apparatus that includes an extendable boom. The boom can be extended to deploy a recovery line to capture the aircraft in flight. The aircraft can then be returned to its launch platform, disassembled, and stored in the container, again with little or no direct manual contact between the operator and the aircraft.
Abstract:
The purpose of this invention is to provide an ultra-miniature aircraft which is able to perform ‘Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL)’ and maintaining altitude when the vehicle is moving or when the horizontal velocity of a vehicle is at 0 by getting life only from a single rotor's rotation, and without using separate stabilizers such as a tail-rotor or a gyro. To fulfill the above purpose, this invention comprises: several blades in airfoil shape that are places in calculated angle and space; hubs that connect the blade to with a body of a vehicle; a rotor which gives lifting force with its spin; a spin-able axle which its vertical hem is bound to the hubs; a rotor drive that is needed to spin the rotor; a vehicle body that is placed right under the rotor in order to fly from the lift that is obtained by revolutions of the rotor; fixed-wings that are placed in certain angle and space around the outside of the vehicle body in order to reduce a reaction torque, which affects the body to turn the opposite direction of the rotor, from the rotor's movement; and a reaction-torque-counter-balancing-system on each of the above fixed-wings that offsets the reaction torque aggressively.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for launching unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the aircraft can belaunched from an apparatus that includes a launch carriage that moves along a launch axis. A gripper carried by the launch carriage can have at least one grip portion in contact with the aircraft while the launch carriage accelerates along the launch axis. The at least one grip portion can move out of contact with the fuselage of the aircraft as the launch carriage decelerates, releasing the aircraft for takeoff.