Reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle capable of landing on water surface

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and discloses a reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle capable of landing on the water surface, which comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle body, a paddle cantilever is arranged on the side surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle body, flight paddles are arranged at the end part of the paddle cantilever, and a supporting cantilever is further arranged on the side surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle body. A supporting stand column perpendicular to the supporting cantilever is arranged at the end of the supporting cantilever, and the device further comprises a floating cover, a buoyancy unfolding mechanism and a folding mechanism. The floating cover is of an annular structure made of an airtight flexible material, the supporting stand column is sleeved with the floating cover, and the floating cover is of a conical structure with an opening in the bottom after being completely unfolded. According to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the floating cover capable of being unfolded / folded is integrated to be matched with the supporting stand columns, the universality of land and water landing is achieved, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be stably parked on the land and can also safely float on the water surface, and the application scene is greatly expanded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically a reconnaissance UAV capable of landing on water. Background Technology

[0002] With the deepening application of drone technology in reconnaissance, surveillance, and other fields, its mission scenarios have expanded from simple aerial operations to complex water-land interface environments. Against this backdrop, the ability of drones to land on water—a controlled and purposeful operation of taking off and landing on rivers, lakes, and seas while maintaining stable floating—has become a key technology for expanding their functional boundaries. This capability is particularly important for performing long-duration, large-scale water reconnaissance missions. Its technological value lies in the fact that after completing aerial reconnaissance of a specific area, if the next phase of the mission does not require immediate flight, the drone can autonomously land on the water, entering a low-power water-based standby or data relay mode. This avoids the unnecessary energy consumption of maintaining hovering, thus significantly saving onboard power and fundamentally improving the overall endurance and mission flexibility of the drone, achieving an upgrade from "continuous flight reconnaissance" to "flight-water-based coordinated reconnaissance."

[0003] To achieve the aforementioned water landing and floating functions, existing technologies generally employ the solution of adding dedicated flotation devices to drones. The most common approach is to fix large floats or buoys to the drone's landing gear or fuselage bottom structure. These floats support the drone's full weight through the buoyancy generated by the water they displace, thus achieving a floating state. However, this technical approach, centered on adding large floats, inevitably introduces new technical drawbacks. Because sufficient reserve buoyancy must be provided to cope with surges or load changes, the volume and projected area of ​​these floats are usually significantly larger than the drone's original landing gear. When the drone needs to land on hard surfaces such as land or decks, this large and fixed-shape float becomes the main support structure. It is difficult to adapt to even slight unevenness in the ground, resulting in unstable three-point or multi-point contact between the drone fuselage and the ground, which can easily induce lateral swaying and capsizing risks. This problem not only prevents drones from achieving stable parking in terrestrial environments, making data retrieval and energy replenishment difficult, but also fundamentally limits the versatility and ease of deployment of the same drone platform in both water and land application scenarios, constituting a technical contradiction that urgently needs to be resolved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a reconnaissance drone that can land on water, in order to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the floating block at the bottom of the drone cannot land stably on uneven ground.

[0005] A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water includes a drone body, a propeller cantilever on the side of the drone body, a flight propeller at the end of the propeller cantilever, a support cantilever on the side of the drone body, and a support column perpendicular to the support cantilever at the end of the support cantilever. It also includes a floating cover, a buoyancy deployment mechanism, and a retraction mechanism. The floating cover is a ring-shaped structure made of an airtight flexible material, fitted over the support column. When fully deployed, the floating cover has a cone-shaped structure with an open bottom. The buoyancy deployment mechanism is located inside the floating cover and is used to drive the floating cover to deploy away from the support column when the drone lands on the water, ensuring that the edge of the floating cover is submerged below the water surface. The retraction mechanism is located on the side of the support column near the support cantilever and is used to drive the floating cover to retract and adhere tightly to the outside of the support column.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buoyancy deployment mechanism includes a fixed base fixedly connected to the support column, a plurality of deflection arms rotatably connected to the outer side of the fixed base, the number of deflection arms being greater than or equal to three, a fixing strip connected to the inner wall of the floating cover being provided on the side of the deflection arm, a floating foot being provided at the end of the deflection arm away from the fixed base, and a synchronous deflection component for driving each of the deflection arms to rotate synchronously is also provided on the support column.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the synchronous deflection assembly includes a sliding sleeve that is slidably connected to the support column. The side of the sliding sleeve is rotatably connected to the side of each deflection arm via a connecting rod. The end of the connecting rod away from the sliding sleeve is inclined toward the direction close to the deflection arm.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plug is provided between the fixed base and the supporting cantilever, and the outer edge of the plug is sealed to the top of the floating cover. The plug is used to seal the gap between the floating cover and the supporting column.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the retracting mechanism includes a sliding ring slidably connected to the supporting column. The sliding ring is disposed on the side of the floating cover near the supporting cantilever. At least two extension brackets extend radially from the outer side of the sliding ring, and a collar that mates with the outer wall of the floating cover is provided at the end of each extension bracket away from the sliding ring. A fixing block is fixedly disposed on the side of the supporting column, and an ejector device is mounted on the fixing block. The piston rod of the ejector device is connected to a top block, and the top block is fixedly connected to the side of the sliding ring.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of supporting cantilever arms is greater than or equal to three, and the projections of the floating cover and the flight propeller blades on the water surface are staggered.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drone body has recessed structures on both sides. The outer side of the drone body is rotatably connected to the supporting cantilever via a rotating seat. When the supporting cantilever rotates toward the drone body, the floating cover is located in the recesses on both sides of the drone body. The end of the supporting column away from the supporting cantilever is detachably connected to a supporting foot.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0013] 1. Achieves versatility and high adaptability for both land and water landing: This invention creatively integrates land support and water floating functions onto a single set of support columns. Through the deployable / retractable floating cover design, it completely solves the core problem of instability during land landings caused by the fixed installation of large pontoons in traditional seaplanes. The drone can be stably parked on flat or slightly uneven land, and can also safely land and remain in vast bodies of water, greatly expanding its application scenarios and deployment flexibility.

[0014] 2. Provides ultra-long endurance and low-power operation capabilities: The water landing function allows the drone to land on the water and enter a "hibernation" or "standby" mode without continuously consuming a large amount of power to maintain hovering when performing long-term surveillance, data relay, and other tasks. Combined with its low-power water mobility, the effective mission time of the drone can be extended several times or even dozens of times, solving the bottleneck problem of the endurance of reconnaissance drones.

[0015] 3. It possesses an intelligent and reliable buoyancy system state switching mechanism: The buoyancy deployment mechanism utilizes water buoyancy as a natural driving source, enabling passive and adaptive deployment of the floating shield without consuming additional onboard electrical power. Its structure is simple and its operation is reliable. The retraction mechanism provides active and controllable locking and releasing capabilities, allowing remote control of the floating shield's operating mode via electrical signals, adapting to complex mission requirements. The combination of these two mechanisms achieves efficient and reliable energy and state management.

[0016] 4. Optimized aerodynamic and dynamic performance throughout the entire mission cycle: During flight and ground parking, the floatation dome is tightly closed, and its compact shape minimizes additional wind resistance, reducing the impact on the UAV's flight speed, maneuverability, and energy consumption to a minimum. During landing, the floatation dome also acts as an air damper. This "deploy when needed, conceal when not needed" design concept ensures that the UAV maintains excellent performance under all operating conditions.

[0017] 5. Improved overall structural compactness and portability: By adopting a flexible, foldable floating cover and a rotatable, retractable support cantilever design, the drone's storage volume in non-operational mode is significantly reduced. This not only reduces the difficulty and cost of transportation and storage but also makes it more suitable for carrying and rapid deployment in space-constrained environments (such as small ships and vehicles).

[0018] 6. Enhanced system reliability and maintainability: The mechanical synchronous deflection assembly and modular support foot design reduce the complexity of electronic control and hydraulic systems, lowering the failure rate. Meanwhile, the quick-replacement design of vulnerable parts (such as the support feet) and the detachable connection between the flotation shield and the fixing bars make routine maintenance and battlefield repairs simpler and more economical. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a reconnaissance drone that can land on water.

[0021] Figure 2 A front view of a reconnaissance drone that can land on water.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water, after the supporting cantilever has been folded.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a reconnaissance drone that can land on water after the float cover is retracted.

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of part A in the diagram.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a reconnaissance drone that can land on water after the floating cover is deployed.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the deflection arm in a reconnaissance drone that can land on water.

[0027] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of part B in the diagram.

[0028] In the diagram: 1. UAV body; 2. Propeller cantilever; 3. Flight propeller; 4. Support cantilever; 5. Support column; 6. Floating cover; 7. Buoyancy deployment mechanism; 8. Ring; 9. Extension frame; 10. Sliding ring; 11. Top block; 12. Ejection device; 13. Fixing block; 14. Floating foot; 15. Deflection arm; 16. Sliding sleeve; 17. Connecting rod; 18. Fixing seat; 19. End cap; 20. Fixing strip; 21. Retraction mechanism; 22. Support foot; 23. Synchronous deflection assembly; 24. Rotating seat. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] In one embodiment, see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water comprises a drone body 1, which is typically streamlined to reduce air resistance during flight. Internally, it houses key components such as a flight controller, battery, communication module, and reconnaissance payloads (e.g., cameras, infrared sensors, not shown in the figure). Specifically, propeller cantilever arms 2 are positioned at several symmetrical points along the horizontal circumference of the drone body 1. These propeller cantilever arms 2 preferably extend horizontally outwards, with flight blades 3 mounted above their ends, collectively forming a multi-rotor flight system. By independently and precisely adjusting the rotational speed of each flight blade 3 through the flight controller, vertical lift, pitch, and yaw moments can be provided to the drone, enabling stable flight, hovering, and maneuvering.

[0031] On the side of the UAV body 1, and below the propeller cantilever 2, a support cantilever 4 is provided. Preferably, there are three or four support cantilever 4s, arranged symmetrically to ensure the stability of the UAV when statically parked. The support cantilever 4 also extends horizontally outward, but its installation position is lower than the propeller cantilever 2, forming a staggered layout that effectively avoids interference between components during movement. At the end of each support cantilever 4, a support column 5 is vertically and fixedly connected downwards. This support column 5 serves as the core load-bearing structure, integrating the aforementioned deployable buoyancy system. This system mainly consists of three functional modules: a floating cover 6, a buoyancy deployment mechanism 7, and a retraction mechanism 21.

[0032] The floating cover 6 is a ring-shaped component fitted over the support column 5. It is made of an airtight, flexible material, such as a polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride coating on a high-strength nylon or polyester fabric, or directly from flexible rubber or silicone. This material selection ensures that the floating cover 6 possesses two key characteristics: airtightness, effectively sealing off gas; and foldability, allowing it to transform between different states. In its fully retracted state, the floating cover 6 tightly wraps around the outer periphery of the support column 5, its compact shape minimizing the overall size and wind resistance of the drone. When a water landing is required, the floating cover 6 is deployed, its final form being an inverted cone or umbrella-shaped structure with an open bottom. This structure is similar to the canopy of an umbrella; when its edge is submerged in water, it forms a closed, airtight cavity with the water surface. According to Archimedes' principle, the water displaced by this cavity generates a significant buoyancy, sufficient to support the weight of the entire drone, allowing it to float stably on the water surface.

[0033] The buoyancy deployment mechanism 7 is the core actuator that drives the floating cover 6 from the retracted state to the deployed state. It is located in the lower part of the supporting column 5 and is housed within the internal space formed by the floating cover 6. When the drone lands on the water surface, the buoyancy force acting on the drone can be converted into the deployment force of the floating cover 6 through the buoyancy deployment mechanism 7. In other words, when the drone lands on the water surface, the buoyancy deployment mechanism 7 will deploy the floating cover 6.

[0034] The retraction mechanism 21 is used to constrain and hold the deployed or pre-deployed floating shield 6 in its retracted position when the drone is in flight or parked on land, reducing the volume of the floating shield 6 and thus reducing its air resistance, making the drone's flight more convenient. It is located on the upper part of the support column 5, near the side of the support cantilever 4.

[0035] In one instance of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8The buoyancy deployment mechanism 7 includes a fixed base 18 fixedly connected to the upper part of the support column 5. The fixed base 18 is a ring-shaped component, fixedly fitted and connected to the support column 5, serving as the static base of the entire buoyancy deployment mechanism 7. The upper end of a deflection arm 15 is rotatably connected to the outer side of the fixed base 18. There are at least three deflection arms 15, preferably evenly distributed around the circumference of the support column 5. The upper end of each deflection arm 15 is rotatably connected to the outer edge of the fixed base 18 via a pivot. These deflection arms 15 function similarly to the ribs of an umbrella, forming the deployment framework of the float cover 6. A fixing strip 20 is provided on the upper side of the deflection arm 15, with the length direction of the fixing strip 20 aligned with that of the deflection arm 15. The fixing strip 20 is fixed to the inner wall of the float cover 6 by adhesive, sewing, or preferably by Velcro or other detachable connection methods. Thus, the rotation of the deflection arm 15 will directly drive the float cover 6 to unfold or retract. A floating foot 14 is provided at the lower end of the deflection arm 15, and the floating foot 14 is hinged to the lower end of the deflection arm 15 away from the fixed base 18. The floating foot 14 is designed as a hollow sealed structure, and its interior can be filled with lightweight buoyancy materials such as foam, so that it has considerable buoyancy on its own. During the UAV's water landing, the floating foot 14 will contact the water surface before the floating cover 6.

[0036] To ensure that all deflection arms 15 can deploy synchronously and uniformly, thereby guaranteeing the symmetry and stability of the deployed shape of the floating cover 6, a synchronous deflection assembly 23 is provided. Its core includes a sliding sleeve 16 that can slide along the axial direction of the supporting column 5, and a connecting rod 17 connecting the sliding sleeve 16 to each deflection arm 15. The lower end of the connecting rod 17 is hinged to the sliding sleeve 16, and the upper end is hinged to the middle of the side of the deflection arm 15. It is worth noting that the connecting rod 17 is installed at an angle, with its upper end facing towards the direction close to the rotation axis of the deflection arm 15. When any deflection arm 15 begins to rotate due to external force, its movement is transmitted to the sliding sleeve 16 through the connecting rod 17. The up-and-down movement of the sliding sleeve 16 then drives all deflection arms 15 to move synchronously through the remaining connecting rods 17, achieving a linkage effect. This mechanical synchronization scheme has a simple structure, high reliability, and requires no additional electronic control unit.

[0037] In addition, a plug 19 is provided on the support column 5 above the fixing base 18. The plug 19 is also annular, and its outer edge is connected to the edge of the central opening at the top of the floating cover 6 by a sealing method (such as adhesive or heat pressing). The function of the plug 19 is to seal the annular gap between the top of the floating cover 6 and the support column 5, and together with the flexible material of the floating cover 6, ensures that in the deployed state, there is only one opening at the bottom, thereby forming an effective airtight cavity.

[0038] In one instance of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5The retracting mechanism 21 includes a sliding ring 10 slidably connected to the support column 5 above the plug 19. The sliding ring 10 is sleeved on the outside of the support column 5 and can slide up and down along its axial direction. Extension frames 9 are provided on the outside of the sliding ring 10. The extension frames 9 are L-shaped or approximately L-shaped rigid rods, and their number corresponds to the deflection arms 15. One end of each extension frame 9 is radially fixed to the outside of the sliding ring 10, and the other end extends vertically downwards. All the downward-extending ends of the extension frames 9 are fixedly connected to a collar 8, forming a ring-shaped constraint structure with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the plug 19. When the sliding ring 10 is driven downwards, the collar 8 descends accordingly and passes over the plug 19, finally fitting tightly around the outside of the retracted floating cover 6. The inner wall of the collar 8 applies a radial constraint force to the internal deflection arms 15 and the floating cover 6, preventing them from unfolding outwards, thereby reliably locking the entire floating cover 6 in the retracted state.

[0039] To enable remote or automatic control, a fixing block 13 is installed on the side of the support column 5, and an ejector device 12 is mounted on the fixing block 13. The ejector device 12 can be a linear motion mechanism such as a miniature electric push rod, a linear motor, or a solenoid. The piston rod of the ejector device 12 is connected to a top block 11, which is fixedly connected to the side of the sliding ring 10. By sending commands through the flight controller to control the extension and retraction of the ejector device 12, the lifting and lowering of the sliding ring 10 and the collar 8 can be precisely driven, realizing the mode switching of the floating cover 6's working state.

[0040] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 This application also includes other optimization settings.

[0041] Aerodynamic layout optimization: The vertical projection of the floating shield 6 is offset from the rotational plane projection of the flight blade 3. That is, when viewed from above, the projections of the floating shield 6 and the flight blade 3 on the horizontal plane are offset. This design ensures that during takeoff, landing and hovering, the downdraft generated by the flight blade 3 will not directly impact the deployed or prepared floating shield 6, avoiding abnormal shaking or deployment difficulties caused by airflow disturbance, and ensuring the stability of the landing process.

[0042] Foldable support cantilever 4: To further reduce the UAV's storage volume and flight drag during non-water-based missions, the support cantilever 4 is rotatably connected to the UAV body 1 via a rotating base 24. The UAV body 1 has outwardly convex arc surfaces on both sides, and inwardly concave arc surfaces on the front and rear sides. When high maneuverability is required or when navigating narrow spaces, the support cantilever 4 can be rotated inwards to fit against the convex arc surfaces on the sides of the UAV body 1. Simultaneously, the support column 5 and the folded floating cover 6 are neatly accommodated within the concave structures on the front and rear sides. This design significantly reduces the overall windward area and structural outline of the UAV, improving its maneuverability.

[0043] Modular landing feet: Support feet 22 are detachably connected to the bottom of the support column 5. The lower end of the support foot 22 is preferably tapered or pointed. This design has dual advantages: firstly, the smaller ground contact area allows it to better adapt to uneven land surfaces, enhancing parking stability through a "penetrating" effect; secondly, the modular design allows for quick replacement of the support foot 22 after wear or damage, greatly reducing maintenance costs and time.

[0044] The working process of the UAV of this invention can be divided into the following typical stages according to its mission requirements and environment.

[0045] I. Land Preparation and Takeoff Phase

[0046] The user removes the drone from its storage case and places it on an open, unobstructed surface. At this point, all of the drone's support legs 22 are in contact with the ground, providing stable static support. The folding mechanism 21 is locked, meaning the collar 8 descends, tightly securing the float cover 6 to the support column 5. The drone is then started via remote control or a preset program. The flight controller controls the propellers 3 to accelerate their rotation, generating lift greater than the drone's weight, enabling the drone to take off smoothly and vertically, or to perform other conventional flight missions.

[0047] II. Water Surface Reduction Phase

[0048] When a drone needs to conduct reconnaissance or standby on water (such as lakes, rivers, or sea), the following landing procedure should be followed:

[0049] 1. Flight and Command Issuance: The UAV flies to an appropriate altitude above the target water surface.

[0050] 2. Pre-release of the float cover 6: The flight controller sends a retraction command to the ejection device 12. The piston rod of the ejection device 12 retracts, driving the sliding ring 10 and the collar 8 upward through the top block 11. The collar 8 rises and releases its constraint on the float cover 6, and the float cover 6 enters the "ready to deploy" state.

[0051] 3. Contact with water surface and initial deployment: The UAV begins its slow descent. First, the support feet 22 and the floating feet 14 contact the water surface. At this time, due to the buoyancy of the floating feet 14, they are subjected to an upward thrust from the water. This thrust acts on the free end of the deflection arm 15, creating a torque that causes the deflection arm 15 to rotate outward about its upper hinge point.

[0052] 4. Full Deployment and Stable Floating: Under the influence of buoyancy, the deflection arm 15, through the linkage of the synchronous deflection component 23, deploys outward synchronously, thereby opening the floating cover 6 and forming an inverted cone-shaped airtight cavity. As the UAV continues to descend, the edge of the floating cover 6 gradually submerges below the water surface. When the total buoyancy generated by the cavity balances the weight of the UAV, the UAV will float stably on the water surface. At this point, the rotation of the flight propellers 3 can be completely stopped, and the UAV enters an extremely low-power water surface dwell mode, maintaining only the necessary communication and reconnaissance equipment, achieving ultra-long endurance standby.

[0053] III. Water Surface Movement Stage

[0054] The floating drone is not stationary; it possesses controllable water surface movement capabilities. By differentially controlling some of the propeller blades 3 to operate at lower speeds through the flight controller, the drone's body can be tilted at a certain angle. At this time, the buoyancy of the water surface acting on the floating shield 6 balances gravity in the vertical direction, while generating a component force in the horizontal direction, propelling the drone to glide on the tilted side. By adjusting the direction and degree of tilt, the drone can move forward, backward, or turn on the water surface, enabling it to adjust its reconnaissance position or track moving targets, while consuming far less power than when flying in the air.

[0055] IV. Water Surface Takeoff and Mode Conversion Phase

[0056] When the mission requires the drone to take off again from the water:

[0057] 1. Power Boost: The flight controller instructs all flight propellers to rapidly increase to takeoff speed.

[0058] 2. Lifting off the water: The powerful lift enables the drone to overcome gravity and the surface adhesion of the water, allowing it to quickly lift off the water.

[0059] 3. Automatic retraction: The buoyancy acting on the floating foot 14 disappears the instant it leaves the water. At the same time, under the influence of gravity, the deflection arm 15 tends to retract inward. More importantly, during the drone's ascent, the relative airflow blows towards the drone from top to bottom, and the aerodynamic force generated by this airflow will further "press" the deployed floating cover 6 against the supporting column 5, assisting it to retract quickly and smoothly.

[0060] 4. Aerial Flight: After the floating cover 6 is retracted, wind resistance is significantly reduced, the UAV resumes normal flight performance, and can efficiently perform subsequent aerial missions.

[0061] V. Airborne Landing Buffer Phase

[0062] It is worth noting that the floatation dome 6 also plays a positive role during conventional land landings. During descent, if the floatation dome 6 is not fully restrained, its deployed shape will be affected by upward airflow, generating an air resistance effect similar to a parachute. This resistance effectively buffers the drone's descent speed, reducing landing impact. For reconnaissance drones, this means a smoother landing process, better protection of the airframe structure and onboard equipment, and less counter-torque required from the propeller blades 3 during landing, further optimizing energy consumption.

[0063] When the UAV moves laterally, the floating shield 6 adheres tightly to the outside of the supporting column 5 under the influence of airflow. Therefore, the increase in energy consumption caused by the floating shield 6 during lateral movement is minimal. Since this application targets reconnaissance UAVs, which do not require rapid ascent or descent for various rapid maneuvers, although the floating shield 6 affects the UAV's maneuverability, the low power consumption of the propellers 3 caused by the floating shield 6 can greatly increase the UAV's single flight duration. This allows reconnaissance UAVs to continuously operate in target airspace or water areas, completing various information collection tasks. In summary, this invention, through a clever combination of mechanical structure and aerodynamics and fluid dynamics, enables the UAV to achieve optimized energy consumption and mission adaptability under various operating conditions such as ascent, descent, water surface hovering, and movement.

[0064] This invention provides a reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water. By integrating an deployable / retractable floating dome 6 with a supporting column 5, it achieves versatility for both land and water landing, allowing the drone to be stably parked on land and safely float on water, greatly expanding its application scenarios. The floating dome 6 passively and adaptively deploys using water buoyancy, requiring no additional energy consumption, while the retraction mechanism 21 is actively controlled, achieving intelligent and reliable state switching. This design maintains low wind resistance during flight, minimizing the impact on maneuverability; on water, it supports low-power loitering and movement, significantly extending endurance. The overall structure is compact, combining good aerodynamic performance and portability, while also exhibiting high system reliability and convenient maintenance.

[0065] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

Claims

1. A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water, comprising a drone body, a propeller cantilever mounted on the side of the drone body, and flight propellers mounted at the ends of the propeller cantilever, characterized in that, The side of the drone body is also provided with a support cantilever, and the end of the support cantilever is provided with a support column perpendicular to the support cantilever. It also includes a floating cover, a buoyancy deployment mechanism and a folding mechanism. The floating cover is a ring-shaped structure made of airtight flexible material and is fitted over the outside of the supporting column. When fully unfolded, the floating cover has a cone-shaped structure with an open bottom. A buoyancy deployment mechanism is located inside the floating cover and is used to drive the floating cover to deploy away from the supporting column when the UAV lands on the water surface, so that the edge of the floating cover is submerged below the water surface. A retraction mechanism is provided on the side of the support column near the support cantilever, for driving the floating cover to retract and fit tightly against the outside of the support column.

2. The reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buoyancy deployment mechanism includes a fixed base fixedly connected to the support column. Multiple deflection arms are rotatably connected to the outer side of the fixed base. The number of deflection arms is greater than or equal to three. The side of the deflection arm is provided with a fixing strip connected to the inner wall of the floating cover. The end of the deflection arm away from the fixed base is provided with a floating foot. The support column is also provided with a synchronous deflection component for driving each deflection arm to rotate synchronously.

3. A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water, as described in claim 2, is characterized in that, The synchronous deflection assembly includes a sliding sleeve that is slidably connected to the support column. The side of the sliding sleeve is rotatably connected to the side of each deflection arm via a connecting rod. The end of the connecting rod away from the sliding sleeve is inclined toward the direction close to the deflection arm.

4. A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water according to claim 3, characterized in that, A plug is provided between the fixed base and the supporting cantilever. The outer edge of the plug is sealed to the top of the floating cover. The plug is used to seal the gap between the floating cover and the supporting column.

5. A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retraction mechanism includes a sliding ring that is slidably connected to the support column. The sliding ring is located on the side of the floating cover near the support cantilever. At least two extension brackets extend radially from the outer side of the sliding ring. The end of the extension bracket away from the sliding ring is provided with a collar that cooperates with the outer wall of the floating cover.

6. A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water according to claim 5, characterized in that, A fixing block is fixedly installed on the side of the support column, and an ejector device is installed on the fixing block. The piston rod of the ejector device is connected to a top block, and the top block is fixedly connected to the side of the sliding ring.

7. A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of supporting cantilever arms is greater than or equal to three, and the projections of the floating cover and the flight propeller blades on the water surface are staggered.

8. A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone body has recessed structures on both sides. The outer side of the drone body is rotatably connected to the support arm via a rotating seat. When the support arm rotates toward the drone body, the floating cover is located in the recesses on both sides of the drone body.

9. A reconnaissance drone capable of landing on water according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the support column away from the support cantilever is detachably connected to a support foot.

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