Unfoldable multifunctional omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses an expandable multifunctional omni-directional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle, and relates to the field of land-air amphibious spherical unmanned aerial vehicle application, and the expandable multifunctional omni-directional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle specifically comprises a six-rotor structure, an unmanned aerial vehicle control main body and a spherical shell. According to the six-rotor structure, a double-output-shaft motor controls an upper ball screw and a lower ball screw which rotate in the reverse direction to rotate, and an upper lead screw nut and a lower lead screw nut move outwards and inwards at the same time, so that six rotor rods are expanded and contracted; the unmanned aerial vehicle control main body is fixed on the periphery of the double-output-shaft motor through an upper carbon fiber plate, so that the unfolding and the contraction of the rotor wing rods are realized, and the flight motion of the unmanned aerial vehicle is realized; the spherical shell mainly protects the rotor wings and the main body and realizes rolling motion of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the ground. On the premise that high-maneuverability flight is achieved through the six rotors, high-maneuverability ground rolling and rapid steering are achieved through thrust provided in all directions through the six rotors, multi-mode switching deformation is achieved so as to give consideration to high-maneuverability flight and high-stability load transportation, the six-rotor aircraft is suitable for more complex application scenes, and the comprehensive performance is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and relates to a deployable, multi-functional, omnidirectional spherical UAV. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement and development of drone technology, drones have been widely used in many fields such as maintenance, rescue, transportation, and surveying. Among them, spherical drones, compared with traditional non-spherical drones, can reduce the impact of landing by using a spherical shell to protect the main internal structure of the drone. In addition, spherical drones can use the swing of propellers or servos to provide forward rolling thrust, enabling them to roll forward and achieve amphibious flight and rolling. This multi-amphibious capability brings convenience in application and provides an important solution for operation and monitoring in narrow and complex environments.

[0003] Current spherical drone designs are mainly divided into two types. One type consists of a multi-rotor drone connected to a spherical shell. This type of drone can provide greater lift, but its horizontal thrust relies entirely on the tilt of the internal fuselage. It cannot provide horizontal thrust while keeping the fuselage level, resulting in significantly limited horizontal maneuverability. The other type is a single-axis drone with servos installed on the main body. The spherical drone controls the drone's center of gravity to swing through the servos and rolls on the ground using inertia. This type of drone has difficulty navigating complex terrains such as uphill slopes when rolling on the ground, and it also experiences response lag when turning and adjusting speed.

[0004] Therefore, addressing the challenges of providing horizontal thrust and high ground roll maneuverability during stable flight, along with limited transport capacity, is crucial for improving the efficiency and stability of UAVs with spherical internal structures. Currently, a multi-mode, multi-amplitude, omnidirectional transmission UAV structure is needed to resolve the insufficient horizontal thrust and lag in servo roll response of traditional rotor layouts, satisfying both high maneuverability and high payload transport capacity, and further enhancing the UAV's spatial maneuverability and adaptability to complex terrain. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention proposes a deployable, multi-functional, omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising a six-rotor structure, a UAV control unit, and a spherical shell. The six-rotor structure within the spherical UAV enables simultaneous deployment and retraction of the three rotors (upper, lower, and upper), allowing the UAV to autonomously switch between lift and omnidirectional modes. In deployed mode, the six rotors provide lift only in the vertical direction, providing strong lift and payload transport capabilities. In retracted mode, the spherical UAV utilizes the six rotors to provide horizontal thrust, maintaining fuselage balance and significantly improving its high maneuverability and stability. In retracted mode, the UAV rolls on the ground, eliminating the reliance on inertial servo motors for forward rolling. By providing thrust in all directions, the UAV generates torque for forward rolling. Simultaneously, the rotors can rapidly respond and adjust the thrust in each direction, overcoming the slow response and inability to break through obstacles inherent in servo-driven spherical UAVs. Furthermore, the rotors are designed as bidirectional rotors, which, combined with the six-rotor structure, effectively enhance the UAV's lift and steering maneuverability, resulting in improved overall performance.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A deployable, multi-functional, omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a six-rotor structure, a UAV control body, and a spherical shell. The six-rotor structure includes bidirectional rotors, a motor, rotor rods, a lead screw fixing sleeve, a ball screw, a lead screw nut, a support collar, and a dual-output shaft motor. The bidirectional rotors are connected to the rotor rods via the motor. The lead screw fixing sleeve is connected to three rotor rods spaced 120° apart. One end of the ball screw is connected to the dual-output shaft motor, and the other end is connected to the lead screw fixing sleeve. The lead screw nut is externally connected to the support collar, which connects the three rotor rods via a rolling groove installed in the middle of the rotor rods. This groove converts the linear motion of the lead screw nut into the rotational motion of the rotor rods, forming a scissor mechanism. The aforementioned UAV control unit includes upper and lower carbon fiber plates, a three-in-one ESC, a receiver, a central controller, a battery, support columns, and a horizontal frame rod. Two three-in-one ESCs are mounted on the outer sides of the upper and lower carbon fiber plates. The receiver, central controller, and battery are mounted in the middle of the upper and lower carbon fiber plates. The upper and lower carbon fiber plates are connected by six support columns. The horizontal frame rod serves to fix the control unit to the spherical shell, connecting two support columns at one end and the spherical shell at the other. The spherical shell includes upper and lower hemispherical shells, clips, and clip springs. Bolt holes are provided on the exterior of the upper and lower spherical shells for bolt connection. Clips are installed in conical holes inside the spherical shells to connect and fix the upper and lower ends of the rotor structure. Two clip springs are installed between the two clips.

[0008] Furthermore, the aforementioned six-rotor structure includes a bidirectional rotor, a motor, an upper motor plate, a lower motor plate, rotor rods, rollers, a screw fixing sleeve, a deep groove ball bearing, a ball screw, a screw nut, a support collar, and a dual-output shaft motor. The bidirectional rotor is connected to the motor, which is installed in the motor through-hole slot of the rotor rod. The upper and lower motor plates are mounted above and below the through-hole, and the upper and lower plates are connected by bolt holes. The screw fixing sleeve is connected to three rotor rods, each spaced 120° apart, using a hinged connection to allow the rotor rods to switch between expansion and contraction. A deep groove ball bearing is installed in the middle of the screw fixing sleeve, and a ball screw is connected to the inner ring of the bearing. The ball screw engages with a ball nut, and the other end of the ball screw is installed in the dual-output shaft motor. The upper and lower ball screws rotate in opposite directions and are simultaneously connected to the dual-output shaft motor. The shaft motor is designed as an integrated unit, enabling the upper and lower ball nuts to move in opposite directions simultaneously when the dual-output shaft motor rotates in a given direction. This achieves both outward and inward movement. The outer ring of the ball nut is connected to the support collar, and the top of the three extended rods of the support collar are equipped with roller shafts connected to the rollers. The rollers are placed in a slot in the middle section of the rotor rod. When the support collar moves outward along with the lead screw nut, the support collar, through the hinged end of the rollers and rotor rod, converts the linear motion of the lead screw nut into the rotational motion of the rotor rod, enabling multi-mode switching of the spherical UAV. This part is the UAV's output mechanism. In retracted mode, the rotor faces six different directions, achieving omnidirectional flight through six-propeller coordinated control. In deployed mode, the six propellers provide force in the same direction through bidirectional rotors, achieving stable payload transport.

[0009] Furthermore, the aforementioned UAV control unit includes upper and lower carbon fiber plates, a three-in-one ESC, positioning pads, a receiver, pads, a central controller, a battery, support columns, and horizontal frame rods. The battery, receiver, and central controller are installed between the upper and lower carbon fiber plates. The battery and receiver are fixed to the lower carbon fiber plate with circular 3M adhesive. The central controller is stacked on the pads at the four corners and connected by bolts. Two three-in-one ESCs are each mounted on the outer side of the upper and lower carbon fiber plates, stacked on the positioning pads at the four corners, and connected by bolts. The pads effectively protect the controller and ESC backplate, preventing impact damage to components. Two support columns are fixed every 120° at the outer end between the upper and lower carbon fiber plates. Three horizontal frame rods are installed on two adjacent support columns close to the lower carbon fiber plate, fixing the UAV control unit to the outer spherical shell. This part controls the dual output shaft motors to move the lead screw nut up and down, thereby expanding and retracting the rotor rods, and simultaneously controls the direction and speed of rotation of the six rotors, achieving omnidirectional high-maneuverability flight.

[0010] Furthermore, the spherical outer shell includes upper and lower hemispherical shells, clips, and clip springs. The upper and lower hemispherical shells are connected by positioning holes spaced 120° apart at the external connection point of the spherical shell, and the connection method is bolt connection. A conical hole is provided at the top of the interior of the hemispherical shell, and a spring return device is installed in the conical hole. There are two clips at each of the upper and lower ends, and the two clips are placed in the slots. Two locking springs are installed in the middle of the clips to realize the clip reset when the drone is disassembled. This part of the mechanism fixes and protects the internal main structure and rotor of the drone. The octagonal-shaped near-circular structure under projection facilitates the drone to perform complex scenarios such as rolling movements.

[0011] Furthermore, the six-rotor structure is connected to the four holes of the dual-output shaft motor and the four holes of the upper and lower carbon fiber plates of the UAV control body by bolt connection. The top screw fixing sleeve of the six-rotor structure is provided with a snap-fit ​​hole, which is connected to the spring return device in the conical hole inside the spherical shell to fix the UAV rotor part and facilitate disassembly and inspection of the internal structure of the UAV. The three horizontal frame rods of the UAV control body are provided with connection holes near the spherical shell end, which are connected to the connection holes provided inside the connection between the upper and lower spherical shells by bolt connection.

[0012] Beneficial effects

[0013] (1) The present invention designs a mechanism that connects the rotor rod and the ball screw, which can realize the rotor extension mode deformation of the UAV. The six rotors can achieve high maneuverability flight in multiple directions and achieve high-stability load transportation in the deployment mode.

[0014] (2) The UAV control body of the deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical UAV designed in this invention uses two three-in-one ESCs to coordinate the control of six bidirectional rotors, and provides power in multiple directions and opposite directions in the retracted mode to achieve omnidirectional high maneuverability flight.

[0015] (3) The six-axis rotor structure with cross-shaped upper and lower sections designed in this invention can generate torque by controlling the six rotors in different directions to rotate forward and backward in a compact state, thereby achieving rapid rolling and turning. This avoids the delayed response phenomenon of spherical UAVs controlled by servo motors during turning and acceleration.

[0016] (4) The deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical UAV designed in this invention can switch between multiple modes through a central controller, control the rotor mechanism to deploy and retract, adapt to multiple scenarios, and the spherical UAV can achieve an S-shaped path on the ground, making it suitable for more complex application scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical UAV of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the hemispherical shell-free structure of the deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical UAV of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 An exploded view of the central main body of the deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical UAV of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 Exploded view of the spherical UAV control body of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 Cross-sectional view of the spherical outer shell structure of the UAV of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 Cross-sectional view of the rotor rod roller groove structure of the UAV of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the retractable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical UAV of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the deployment mode structure of the deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical UAV of the present invention.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1-Dual output shaft motor, 2-Ball screw, 201-Screw nut, 202-Support collar, 3-Deep groove ball bearing, 4-Screw fixing sleeve, 5-Rotor rod, 501-Roller, 502-Bidirectional rotor, 503-Motor upper plate, 504-Propeller motor, 505-Motor lower plate, 6-Upper carbon fiber plate, 601-Lower carbon fiber plate, 7-Three-in-one ESC, 701-Positioning pad, 8-Battery, 9-Central controller, 901-Pad, 10-Receiver, 11-Support column, 12-Horizontal frame rod, 13-Spherical shell, 1301-Snap fastener, 1302-Snap fastener spring. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] According to the appendix Figure 1 , 2 As shown, a deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a UAV control unit and a rotor structure, both housed within a spherical shell 13. The upper and lower symmetrical halves of the spherical shell 13 are positioned and connected by bolts through three bolt holes spaced 120° apart. Four lead screw fixing sleeves 4 are mounted at each of the upper and lower ends of the rotor structure. The lead screw fixing sleeves 4 are connected to the spherical shell 13 via spring-loaded latches. The top of each lead screw fixing sleeve 4 has a groove of a certain depth, and the sleeve wall has rectangular holes that can engage the spring-loaded latches 1301. (Refer to the attached diagram.) Figure 5The spherical outer shell 13 has a conical hole inside with a rectangular hole through which a buckle 1301 can pass. Two buckle springs 1302 are installed between the two buckles 1301. The buckle spring 1002 passes through the round hole of the protruding square block in the conical hole and is connected to the buckle 1301. This device can better fix the main body of the UAV and improve the stability of the aircraft. At the same time, by pressing the buckle 1301, the main body of the UAV can be disassembled for easy inspection and replacement of parts. The bottom outer wall has a rotating joint that is rotatably connected to the rotor rod 5. In the horizontal direction, the central control body is fixed to the spherical outer shell 13 by three horizontal frame rods 12, each 120° apart. One end of the horizontal frame rod 12 is fixed to the upper carbon fiber plate 6 and the lower carbon fiber plate 601 by two support columns 11, and the other end is connected to the bolt hole inside the spherical outer shell 13. At the same time, the horizontal frame rod 12 has multiple through holes in the middle to reduce air resistance and energy consumption of the UAV during flight.

[0028] According to the appendix Figure 3 As shown, the main body of the UAV mainly includes a central control unit and a rotor structure. The rotor structure mainly includes a rotor rod 5, a dual-output shaft motor 1, and a ball screw 2. The ball screw 2 acts as the rotor of the dual-output shaft motor 1 and is integrated with the dual-output shaft motor 1. The other end of the screw is engaged with a deep groove ball bearing 3. The outer ring of the bearing is engaged with the screw fixing sleeve 4. The upper and lower ball screws rotate in opposite directions to ensure that the upper and lower ball nuts 2 can move upward or downward simultaneously when the motor rotates. A support collar 202 is installed on the outer ring of the screw nut 201. The support collar 202 extends obliquely out of the rod and engages with a roller 501 in the middle. (Refer to the attached diagram.) Figure 6 The rotor is installed in the roller groove in the middle of the rotor rod 5. The rotor rod 5 has a motor mounting cylinder at the propeller end. The propeller motor 504 is installed in the rotor rod 5 through the upper motor plate 503 and the lower motor plate 505. The upper motor plate 503, the lower motor plate 505 and the rotor rod 5 are connected by bolts through positioning holes. The rotor rod 5 has a propeller guard frame on the outer ring of the bidirectional rotor 502 to protect the propeller. The intermediate control body fixes the dual-output shaft motor 1 in the middle through the upper carbon fiber plate 6 and the lower carbon fiber plate 601. The upper carbon fiber plate 6 and the dual-output shaft motor 1 are connected through the positioning hole in the middle, and the dual-output shaft motor 1 is fixed in the middle position of the lower carbon fiber plate 601.

[0029] According to the appendix Figure 4As shown, the central control unit mainly includes upper and lower carbon fiber plates, support columns 11, horizontal frame rods 12, a three-in-one ESC 7, a battery 8, a central controller 9, and a receiver 10. The receiver 10 and the battery 8 are installed between the upper and lower carbon fiber plates. The central controller 9 is installed on the lower carbon fiber plate 601 via pads 901. Two support columns 11 are provided at 120° intervals on the outer end of the carbon fiber plates. The support columns fix the upper and lower carbon fiber plates and also fix the stator of the UAV control unit and the dual-output shaft motor 1. The three-in-one ESC 7 is installed on the upper and lower carbon fiber plates near the rotor rod 5 via positioning pads 701. The mounting pads can effectively protect the backplane wiring of the three-in-one ESC 7 and the central controller 9.

[0030] In an embodiment, the aerial working principle of a deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is as follows: the UAV flies in the air, referring to... Figure 8 In deployed mode, the device drives symmetrically arranged lead screw nuts 201 to move synchronously to the far end via dual-output shaft motor 1, which in turn drives the support collar 202 to deploy the rotor rod 5 via sliding roller 501. The three rotors on each side of the drone are staggered, and on the vertical projection plane, the rotors are evenly distributed at 60°. In this mode, receiver 10 transmits control signals to the central controller 9, which uses two three-in-one ESCs 7 to independently drive and control the six bidirectional rotors 502. In this mode, the upper three rotors rotate forward, and the lower three rotors rotate in the opposite direction, allowing the drone to provide greater lift, suitable for delivery missions or rescue scenarios requiring the carrying of heavy supplies. During flight, the drone can retract the rotor rod 5 from deployed mode via the central controller 9, controlling the dual-output shaft motor 1. Figure 7 When it enters the compact structure mode, the six bidirectional rotors 502 face six different surfaces. In this mode, the lift provided by the drone is lower than that in the deployed mode, but it can change its course by providing reverse thrust through differential drive or reverse rotation of the propellers in each direction. It can move more quickly and more responsively in all directions, while avoiding the tilting phenomenon of spherical drones controlled by servos during turning and acceleration.

[0031] The ground working principle of a deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical UAV in an embodiment is as follows: (Refer to...) Figure 7The drone employs a compact structure for rolling on the ground. Rolling is achieved through the differentiated rotation of six bidirectional rotors 502, generating a reaction torque. The upper three bidirectional rotors 502 consist of one rotating clockwise and the other two counter-clockwise, providing power in the opposite direction. The lower rotor, parallel to the clockwise rotating rotor, rotates clockwise, while the two lower rotors, parallel to the counter-clockwise rotating rotors of the upper layer, rotate counter-clockwise. This torque applied to the drone enables rolling. When encountering an obstacle and needing to turn right, the upper clockwise rotating rotor is used as a reference. By reducing the speed of the left rotor of the upper clockwise rotating rotor and the lower rotor parallel to it, and similarly increasing the speed of the right rotor and the lower rotor parallel to it, a turning torque is generated, allowing the drone to turn right. Similarly, controlling the rotor on the other side controls a left turn. The drone can achieve an S-shaped path in complex scenarios, making ground operations more flexible. The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modifications or equivalent changes made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising a hexacopter structure, a UAV control body, and a spherical shell (13), characterized in that, The six-rotor structure includes a bidirectional rotor (503), a propeller motor (504), rotor rods (5), a screw fixing sleeve (4), a ball screw (2), a screw nut (201), a support collar (202), and a dual-output shaft motor (1). The bidirectional rotor (503) is connected to the rotor rods (5) through the propeller motor (504). The screw fixing sleeve (4) is connected to three rotor rods (5) that are 120° apart. One end of the ball screw (2) is connected to the dual-output shaft motor (1), and the other end is connected to the screw fixing sleeve (4). The screw nut (201) is externally connected to the support collar (202). The support collar (202) connects the three rotor rods (5) by means of rollers (501) installed in the roller groove in the middle of the rotor rods (5). The main control unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes upper and lower carbon fiber plates (6) (601), a three-in-one ESC (7), a receiver (10), a central controller (9), a battery (8), support columns (11), and a horizontal frame rod (12). Two three-in-one ESCs (7) are installed on the outside of the upper and lower carbon fiber plates (6) (601). The receiver (10), the central controller (9), and the battery (8) are installed in the middle of the upper and lower carbon fiber plates (6) (601). The upper and lower carbon fiber plates (6) (601) are connected by six support columns (11). One end of the horizontal frame rod (12) is connected to two support columns (11), and the other end is connected to a spherical shell. The spherical shell (13) includes upper and lower hemispherical shells, buckles (1301), and buckle springs (1302). Bolt holes are provided on the outside of the upper and lower spherical shells for bolt connection. Buckles (1301) are installed inside the conical holes inside the spherical shells. Two buckle springs (1302) are installed between the two buckles.

2. The deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The key feature of the six-rotor section is that the three rotor rods (5) on each of the upper and lower layers are connected to the screw fixing sleeve (4) at 120° intervals. The six rotors are arranged in a cross pattern, with the six bidirectional rotors (502) facing six different directions. The propeller motor (504) is installed in the motor hole of the rotor rod (5). The lower motor plate (505) supports the propeller motor (504). The upper motor plate (503) separates the bidirectional rotors (502) from the propeller motor (504). The upper and lower motor plates are fixed to the rotor rods (5) through bolt holes. The bidirectional rotors (502) are installed on the shaft of the propeller motor (504).

3. The deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The six-rotor structure includes a multi-mode deployment mechanism, which includes a dual-output shaft motor (1), a ball screw (2), a screw nut (201), a support collar (202), a deep groove ball bearing (3), and a screw fixing sleeve (4). The key point is that the support collar (202) is installed in the middle of the surface of the screw nut (201). The three ends of the support collar (202) are connected to the three rotor rods (5) respectively through connecting rollers (501). The rollers (501) are placed in the roller groove in the middle of the rotor rods (5). The ball screw (2) cooperates with the screw nut (201), and its end is connected to the screw fixing sleeve (4) through the deep groove ball bearing (3).

4. A deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The roller (501) connected to the end of the support collar (202) is placed in the roller groove in the middle section of the rotor rod (5).

5. A deployable multi-functional directional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the UAV control system includes a battery (8), a central controller (9) and a receiver (10) which are installed between the upper carbon fiber plate (6) and the lower carbon fiber plate (601). The central controller (9) is fixed on a pad (901), and two three-in-one ESCs (7) are each fixed on a positioning pad (701) on the other side of the upper and lower carbon fiber plates near the rotor rod (5). Two support columns (11) are fixed at every 120° on the outer end of the carbon fiber plate. One end of the horizontal frame rod (12) is connected to the support column (11) and the other end is connected to the spherical shell (13) by bolts.

6. A deployable multi-functional omnidirectional spherical unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring buckle device of the spherical shell (13) includes a buckle (1301) and a buckle spring (1302). The buckle (1301) and the two buckle springs (1302) are fixed in the conical groove of the spherical shell (13) and snap the screw fixing sleeve (4) by springback.

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