492results about "Convertible aircrafts" patented technology

A land to air vehicle with lower extendable wings and upper extendible wings, a body, a front hood fan, a rear fan and wheels. The wheels include wheel bases, exterior tires circumscribing the wheel bases, and a fan wheel assembly within each wheel base. The wheel assembly includes extendible fans, a rotor outer rim with teeth for holding a stator inner rim, a propeller shroud configured to house a variety of fan blades, at least one fan within the propeller shroud, a hinge fixedly attached to the outer rotor rim and the propeller shroud, a wheel motor platform and a wheel motor. The hinge is structured to allow the propeller shroud with fans to extend distally from the wheel base interior to navigate the land to air vehicle.

A bipedal robot having a legged assembly and an aerial assembly is described. The legged assembly includes two legs, each leg having a hip frontal joint, a hip sagittal joint, and a knee joint. The aerial assembly includes two thrusters mounted on a carbon fiber-aluminum composite mount. Actuators for the joints include 3D printed housings with embedded components. A controller generates walking trajectories and controls the thrusters to assist with stabilization and obstacle traversal. The robot is capable of dynamic multimodal locomotion, combining legged movement with thruster-assisted stabilization and jumping to navigate challenging terrain.

An aircraft has a boom, a propulsion assembly coupled to a first end of the boom, and a first wing coupled to a second end of the boom. The propulsion assembly is coupled to the boom by a rotating joint. A second wing is optionally coupled to the rotating joint. The first wing is coupled to the boom by a rotating joint. The first wing is coupled to the rotating joint by a hinge. A vehicle with roll, pitch, and yaw maneuverability able to mirror the aircraft movements may be coupled to the second end of the boom. The vehicle body may be picked up with a vehicle chassis disconnected from the vehicle body. The boom houses an energy source to power the propulsion assembly. A rudder is coupled to the second end of the boom. A paddle is disposed between the propulsion assembly and the boom.

The sea and air amphibious robot comprises a support, a machine arm assembly, an air propelling assembly, an underwater propelling assembly, a shell and a waterproof cabin, the shell is fixedly connected to the support, the waterproof cabin is installed in the shell, the machine arm assembly comprises a plurality of machine arms, and the machine arms are symmetrically connected to the two sides of the support correspondingly; the air propelling assembly comprises a plurality of air propellers, the underwater propelling assembly comprises a plurality of underwater propellers, the air propellers and the underwater propellers are installed on the multiple machine arms correspondingly, the installation positions of the underwater propellers are lower than the installation positions of the air propellers, and the buoyancy of the sea and air amphibious robot in water is larger than the gravity. When the sea-air amphibious robot statically floats on the water surface, at least part of each air propeller is located above the water surface, and each underwater propeller is located below the water surface. According to the sea and air amphibious robot, efficient propelling of the robot in water and air media can be achieved.

A quadrotor is proposed than can both fly and roll. The proposed robot employs passively reconfigurable structures to enable the rolling, tightly coupling the attitude of the robot to the rolling cage. The benefits are precise rolling and turning control as well as improved rolling efficiency. The passively reconfigurable structures are enabled by pre-stretched elastic springs to generate a nonlinear restoring torque. The robot leveraged the superior maneuverability in the rolling mode to take photos of the surroundings at different tilting and panning angles to construct a panoramic image. Besides, the results of the power measurements show a significant reduction in the cost of transport brought by at low speed, equating to a 15-fold extension in the operational range.

A hybrid system for drones and other modes of transport. A combustion engine provides range and / or lifting capacity for drones while electric motors / generators provide both control and maneuverability. One or more combustion engines, in conjunction with one or more electric motors / generators form a propulsion system whereby each is connected to and drives its own driving pinion in one or more planetary gear sets, and provide continuously variable transmission for driving propellers or driveshafts. The combustion engine may be connected directly to one of the planetary gear's driving pinions, or can drive one of the planetary gear's driving pinions. If the propellers are only driven by either a combustion engine, or an electric motor / generator, the other engine / motor will be kept at rest by a braking device for a combustion engine or a braking device for an electric motor / generator.

A convertible ducted fan engine and mounting system. The convertible ducted fan engine has a shroud encircling a mechanical fan. The convertible ducted fan engine includes a fluid-propulsion configuration in which the mechanical fan rotates freely with respect to the shroud to produce thrust through fluid flow, and a drive-wheel configuration in which the shroud rotates about the rotational axis.

Drones with propulsions systems supported in a housing are provided where the orientation of the housing is independent from the orientation of the propulsion system. Drones are provided where a propulsion system is rotatable about a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, permitting the propulsion system to assume substantially any position with a sphere. Drones are provided where a bladeless inner tube is rotatable about a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, permitting the inner tube to assume substantially any position within a sphere. Drone systems are provided with connectable unit drones. An unmanned land vehicle is provided having a wheel assembly that is rotatable about a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, permitting the wheel assembly to assume substantially any position with a sphere.

A payload including a housing provided with one or more toothed guides or with one or more docking mechanisms, each of which is configured to detachably toothedly interact with an unmanned aircraft apparatus being docked so as to enable the movement of said docked unmanned aircraft apparatus with respect to the housing of the payload, wherein the housing of the payload is further configured to detachably toothedly interact with yet another (other) unmanned aircraft apparatus so as to enable the action of said yet another unmanned aircraft apparatus onto said docked unmanned aircraft apparatus for withdrawal of the latter from interaction with the housing of the payload. Furthermore, embodiments of an air transport system include two or more unmanned aircraft apparatuses and one of the payload.

A quadrotor is proposed than can both fly and roll. The proposed robot employs passively reconfigurable structures to enable the rolling, tightly coupling the attitude of the robot to the rolling cage. The benefits are precise rolling and turning control as well as improved rolling efficiency. The passively reconfigurable structures are enabled by pre-stretched elastic springs to generate a nonlinear restoring torque. The robot leveraged the superior maneuverability in the rolling mode to take photos of the surroundings at different tilting and panning angles to construct a panoramic image. Besides, the results of the power measurements show a significant reduction in the cost of transport brought by at low speed, equating to a 15-fold extension in the operational range.

The invention discloses a functional gradient buffer structure suitable for a high-speed water entry process of a cross-medium navigation body, and aims to effectively improve the structural safety and integrity of the navigation body when the navigation body bears a high impact load. The structure mainly comprises a pointed arch-cylinder combined housing, a functional gradient buffer layer and a locking device. Wherein the functional gradient buffer layer is formed by sequentially and tightly attaching high-density (200kg / m < 3 >) rigid polyurethane foam, medium-density (100kg / m < 3 >) rigid polyurethane foam and low-density (50kg / m < 3 >) rigid polyurethane foam, a filling structure with gradually-decreased density is formed in the axial direction, the functional gradient buffer layer is arranged in a cavity between the housing and the navigation body, and the low-density layer is close to the head of the navigation body. The locking device achieves axial limiting and anti-falling fixing of the housing through an annular structure. Under the condition of 100 m / s vertical entry water impact, numerical simulation analysis shows that the structure can reduce the peak value of the impact load coefficient borne by the navigation body to 0.88, and compared with a single-layer buffer structure with the same volume density (100 kg / m < 3 >), the impact load coefficient of the structure is reduced by 27.3%.

An aircraft has a boom, a propulsion assembly coupled to a first end of the boom, and a first wing coupled to a second end of the boom. The propulsion assembly is coupled to the boom by a rotating joint. A second wing is optionally coupled to the rotating joint. The first wing is coupled to the boom by a rotating joint. The first wing is coupled to the rotating joint by a hinge. A vehicle with roll, pitch, and yaw maneuverability able to mirror the aircraft movements may be coupled to the second end of the boom. The vehicle body may be picked up with a vehicle chassis disconnected from the vehicle body. The boom houses an energy source to power the propulsion assembly. A rudder is coupled to the second end of the boom. A paddle is disposed between the propulsion assembly and the boom.

A supply glider is disclosed herein. The supply glider includes a body having a first end and a second end, the body being configured to be coupled to a host aircraft, a container disposed between the first end and the second end of the body, wings coupled to the body between the first end and the second end, and stabilators coupled to the body adjacent the second end.

A drone with railway driving capabilities has a drone body and at propeller arms. Each propeller arm has a propeller assembly having a propeller driven by a motor assembly. The propeller assembly of at least one propeller arm has a rotatably mounted propeller guard placed coaxially with the propeller. The propeller guard is shaped as a train wheel and is driven by the motor assembly. The propeller arm has an actuated joint for providing the propeller assembly with at least one rotation degree of freedom so that the propeller can be rotated between a flight mode and a driving mode and back. The flight mode involves a more horizontal orientation of the propeller assembly for providing an upwardly directed thrust force to the drone, in operational use, and the driving mode involves a more vertical orientation of the propeller assembly for allowing the respective propeller guard to drive on the railway track.

In some embodiments, a multi-modal robot can be capable of aerial mobility and ground mobility, and can switch between configuration. The multi-modal robot can include a chassis, and a leg attached to the chassis. The leg can include a frontal hip joint. The frontal hip joint can rotate around a frontal hip axis of rotation. The frontal hip axis of rotation can be parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chassis. The leg can further include a sagittal hip joint, wherein the sagittal hip joint is coupled to the first distal end of a first link. The sagittal hip joint can rotate around a sagittal hip axis of rotation. The leg can include a wheel. The wheel can be configured to rotate around a wheel axis of rotation. The leg can further include a propeller. The propeller can be co-axial with the wheel.

The invention relates to a self-adaptive energy-absorbing conformal head cap of an air-water cross-medium aircraft, which is mainly applied to aircrafts capable of switching motion between two media of air and water. The head cap comprises a top cover, a skin combination, an energy absorption mechanism, a shape preserving mechanism and a modular adaptive interface, wherein the skin combination comprises an outer-layer skin and an inner-layer skin; the energy absorption mechanism is arranged in the inner-layer skin; the conformal structure is arranged between the inner-layer skin and the outer-layer skin; the modular adaptive interface comprises a base and a switching section, the base is connected with one end of the inner-layer skin, and the switching section is connected with the aircraft body; and the top cover is connected with the other end of the inner-layer skin. Stable hydrodynamic performance and low underwater resistance can be provided under different water entry speeds and angles, head appearance damage caused in the deformation process of a traditional energy absorption structure is effectively avoided, and the key technical problems in design of the air-water cross-medium aircraft are solved.

A transport vehicle that transports packages includes: a first arm; a second arm; a first wheel connected to the first arm; a second wheel connected to the second arm; at least one actuator; and a controller (control processor). When the transport vehicle is slidably hung from the first rail via the first wheel and the second wheel, the controller controls the at least one actuator (arm actuator, roller actuation motor) to disengage the first wheel from the first rail and place the first wheel on the second rail, and disengage the second wheel from the first rail and place the second wheel on the second rail.

A vehicle for travelling on a road and in the air is provided, comprising a fuselage extending from a forward to a rear end along a horizontal longitudinal roll axis, a pair of main wings mounted on the rear end of the fuselage, a pair of canard wings mounted to the fuselage forward of the main wings, a plurality of wheels configured to facilitate travelling on the road, and a rotor system comprising a plurality of rotors. Each of the main and canard wings extend from the fuselage in deployed positions, and are configured to be shifted to a stowed position in which it overlies the fuselage. The rotor system comprises a pair of tiltable main rotors mounted a main wing and configured to tilt through a plurality of positions between a forward position parallel with the roll axis, and an upward position parallel with the yaw axis.

A device has a rotor module comprising a motor generator, rotor blades, and a rotary-wing kinematic system for the rotor blades connected to the motor generator. The rotor blades are each divided into a plurality of longitudinal sections, each for receiving at least one actuator integrated in a longitudinal member or transverse member of the rotor blade, and have a variable, asymmetrical airfoil which, in one revolution of the rotor blade on a diameter of the circular path, the diameter being freely orientable within an adjustment range and having turning points, can be adjusted in at least one longitudinal section of the rotor blade with a length in such a way that the suction surface and the pressure surface of the asymmetrical airfoil change at the turning points from the outside to the inside of the circular path, or vice versa.

A flying vehicle with folding wings that drives well on the ground and flies well in the air; controlled from inside, it changes from automotive to aircraft configuration without the operator needing to get out of the vehicle. The balance point of the vehicle is located midway between the front and back wheels, providing good handling on the road. In the aircraft configuration with wings unfolded, there is a front wing and a back wing. The incidence of the front wing is controllable, enabling the craft to rotate and take off with a center of gravity located well ahead of the rear wheels. The back wing is fitted with foldable vertical stabilizers near its wing tips. In automobile configuration the wings are folded on top of the body; the wings resemble a roof rack with large surfboards on it. Driven wheels provide motive power on the ground; ducted fans provide thrust for air travel. An autopilot system provides stability and navigation aid, particularly in bad weather or poor visibility. In the roadable configuration, filling water ballast tanks provides additional crosswind stability and crash protection. Also in a roadable configuration, the present invention may be licensed as a three-wheeled motorcycle towing a two-wheeled trailer. In its flying configuration, the invention can be licensed as a Light Sport Aircraft.

An aircraft designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and fixed wing flight. The aircraft's structure includes a streamlined fuselage, forward swept wing and a canard, featuring a configuration of propulsors symmetrically embedded along the aircraft's longitudinal center of gravity and tilting propellers on the forward swept wingtips. Additionally, the fuselage includes doors to the propulsor ducts that can be opened for vertical flight and closed for forward flight.

The water-air cross-medium unmanned platform multi-mode structure based on the bionic design specifically comprises an aircraft main body bionic model designed based on the sperm whale swimming principle, and a pair of bow bionic front fins are arranged on the left side and the right side of the front end of the aircraft main body bionic model; a bionic dorsal fin is arranged on the upper portion of the separable shell, a plurality of rotor mechanisms are arranged in the separable shell, when the separable shell is opened, the rotor mechanisms are unfolded to work, a bionic tail fin and a double-shaft steering engine are arranged at the tail of the aircraft body bionic model, a seven-blade propeller is sleeved with a propeller guide pipe, and the propeller guide pipe is connected with the separable shell. When the aircraft main body bionic model sails underwater, the separable shell and the aircraft main body bionic model are attached to each other, so that the streamline of the aircraft main body is ensured; when the aircraft main body bionic model is in an air flight mode, the separable shell is lifted to provide space for unfolding of the multiple rotor wing structures below the separable shell.

The invention relates to a rapid cross-medium aircraft capable of realizing sustainable operation by utilizing solar energy to electrolyze seawater, which comprises a tail shell, a gas tank shell, an arm folding layer shell, a midship shell, a resistance reduction shell and a head shell which are sequentially arranged from top to bottom, and a mechanical control system is clamped in the arm folding layer shell; the sustainable energy supply system is used for sustainably generating, storing and providing hydrogen and oxygen; the ballast part of the ballast propulsion system is used for adjusting the buoyancy and the gravity center position of the aircraft, and the propulsion part is used for the aircraft to achieve rapid water outlet through hydrogen-oxygen mixed ignition; the underwater drag reduction system is used for providing drag reduction bubbles during underwater cruise of the aircraft; the pipeline part of the main pipeline system is used for conveying seawater, hydrogen and oxygen. According to the device, great explosive force can be obtained in a short time, the cross-medium aircraft is helped to quickly water out, stable and quick water out of the cross-medium aircraft is achieved, and hydrogen and oxygen need to be continuously supplied in the operation process.

The invention discloses a fuel cell-turbofan engine hybrid power system for a cross-medium aircraft, and relates to the technical field of aero-engines, the system comprises a solid oxide fuel cell, a turbofan engine, a lithium battery, an energy management module, a motor, a propeller, a reforming hydrogen production device and a medium self-adaptive oxidant supply subsystem. In an air flight mode, the system adopts autothermal reforming hydrogen production, a fuel cell and a turbofan engine to cooperatively work, a high-efficiency low-oil-consumption low-speed cruise and high-thrust acceleration mode is provided, and meanwhile, a lithium battery is charged. In the underwater submerging and water surface sailing mode, a turbofan engine flow channel is closed, steam reforming hydrogen production is adopted, a hybrid power system composed of a fuel cell and a lithium battery is used for driving a propeller, the fuel cell provides stable power, and the lithium battery meets the instantaneous high-power requirement. The system solves the problems that a traditional power system is low in efficiency, poor in cruising ability, single in working mode and the like.

A payload system for carrying a payload including a platform configured to support the payload, and a payload distribution sensor configured to sense the distribution of the payload on the platform. At least two autonomous aerial vehicles are provided, with coupling arrangements being configured to couple each vehicle to the platform. One or more processing devices configured to determine a payload distribution in accordance with signals from the payload distribution sensor and control operation of the vehicles in accordance with the determined payload distribution to thereby allow the platform and payload to be lifted.

The invention relates to a hovercar, a vehicle and an aircraft. The hovercar comprises the vehicle and the aircraft. The vehicle comprises a vehicle body and the separation and combination device, the vehicle body is fixedly provided with a land-running cabin, and the separation and combination device is arranged on the vehicle body; the aircraft comprises an aircraft body and a plurality of foldable rotors, and the aircraft body is fixedly provided with a flight cabin; the plurality of foldable rotors are arranged on the aircraft body; the aircraft can vertically take off and land on the ground, and the separation and combination device is used for pulling the aircraft to be in coupling connection with the vehicle when the aircraft is in a state of stopping on the ground. In the embodiment, the aircraft does not need to be precisely positioned with the bearing platform on the vehicle body and can rapidly and vertically stop and descend on the ground, then the separation and combination device of the vehicle is connected with the aircraft and drags the aircraft to the bearing platform, and the control difficulty of coupling of the aircraft and the vehicle is relatively low.

An aerial and preferably marine vehicle intended to operate in its principal mode near the surface of water or land employing the Wing-in-Ground Effect (WIG) and capable to take-off and land vertically (VTOL) by means of thrust vectoring, which vehicle has a wing arranged at the lowermost part of the fuselage, propulsion units comprising four rotatable pylons extending transversely in pairs on both sides of the upper part of the fuselage, four elongated nacelles mounted on the outer tips of said pylons, which nacelles contain electric motors (E) and provided with propellers at their extremities, so that the rotation of the pylons results in turning the nacelles and thrust of propellers from substantially vertical, ensuring take-off and landing, to substantially horizontal providing a flight mode, retractable hydroskis for emergency landing on water, while said propulsion units and said wing are spaced apart vertically and horizontally and do not overlap.

A payload including a housing provided with one or more toothed guides or with one or more docking mechanisms, each of which is configured to detachably toothedly interact with an unmanned aircraft apparatus being docked so as to enable the movement of said docked unmanned aircraft apparatus with respect to the housing of the payload, wherein the housing of the payload is further configured to detachably toothedly interact with yet another (other) unmanned aircraft apparatus so as to enable the action of said yet another unmanned aircraft apparatus onto said docked unmanned aircraft apparatus for withdrawal of the latter from interaction with the housing of the payload. Furthermore, embodiments of an air transport system include two or more unmanned aircraft apparatuses and one of the payload.

An aerial vehicle has a passenger cabin for receiving at least one passenger, a load-bearing structure beneath the cabin, and a propulsion system including a number of propulsion units, which propel the aerial vehicle for powered flight and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). The propulsion units are preferably carried by support arms attached to the load-bearing structure and extending upwards therefrom so as to support the propulsion units at a level above the cabin. The aerial vehicle is preferably reconfigurable to a compact configuration after landing, with at least some of the propulsion units overlapping the cabin and / or each other, while still allowing passenger transfer in and out of the vehicle, thereby facilitating efficient use of space for implementing a vertiport.