247 results about "Micro air vehicle" patented technology

A micro air vehicle (MAV) comprises features that emulate insect-like topology and flight, including a dangling three part body (100a, 100b, 100c), wing-like dual side rotors (107, 107a) positioned to either side on rotor arms (103) providing tilt and teeter motions to vector thrust and allow crawling along improved surfaces, and elevators (101) that approximate the center of gravity and center of pressure control employed by insects via the inertial reaction and aerodynamic influence of a repositionable abdomen. Control, sensing, surveillance, and payload elements (114), (401), (402), (403), (404), (405), and (407) enable transmission of surveillance and engagement of an emerging target. Left and right perch hangers and grapples (112, 112a) allow perching on various structures, and energy storage (504) and (505) combined with power line (500) and solar (502) energy scavenging circuitry allow extended loiter and mission duration by replenishing onboard energy supplies.

Collision detection and estimation from a monocular visual sensor is an important enabling technology for safe navigation of small or micro air vehicles in near earth flight. In this paper, we introduce a new approach called expansion segmentation, which simultaneously detects “collision danger regions” of significant positive divergence in inertial aided video, and estimates maximum likelihood time to collision (TTC) in a correspondenceless framework within the danger regions. This approach was motivated from a literature review which showed that existing approaches make strong assumptions about scene structure or camera motion, or pose collision detection without determining obstacle boundaries, both of which limit the operational envelope of a deployable system. Expansion segmentation is based on a new formulation of 6-DOF inertial aided TTC estimation, and a new derivation of a first order TTC uncertainty model due to subpixel quantization error and epipolar geometry uncertainty. Proof of concept results are shown in a custom designed urban flight simulator and on operational flight data from a small air vehicle.

A system and technique is described which has the capability to track and identify, in real time, various aircraft and objects including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), and Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs). The system uses a combination of techniques including conventional automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B), transponder multilateration, broadband emitter multilateration, primary and secondary radar, and passive coherent location. A series of enhancement to conventional passive coherent location are described.

The invention relates to a three-layer airborne flight control device for a micro four-rotor aerial vehicle, and belongs to the technical field of micro aerial vehicles. A navigation control layer consists of a navigation controller, an inertial measurement unit, a micro laser distance measuring sensor, a micro vision sensor and a wireless fidelity (WiFi) wireless network; an attitude control layer consists of an attitude controller, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a pressure sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a remote controller and receiver unit and a ZigBee wireless communication unit; and a motor speed regulation control layer consists of four brushless motor speed regulators and four actuator units. The attitude controller is added, so that the whole flight device becomes intelligent, can perform autonomous navigation positioning, can avoid obstacles, is independent of manual operation of a remote controller, and becomes an intelligent robot in the real sense.

Multi-wing hovering and gliding flapping Micro Air Vehicles (“MAV”) are disclosed. The MAV can have independent wing control to provide enhance energy efficiency and high maneuverability. Power to each wing can be controlled separately by varying the amplitude of the wing flapping, the frequency of the wing flapping, or both. The flapping frequency can be controlled such that it is at or near the natural frequency of the wings for improved energy efficiency. The wings can be controlled by a gear train, coil-magnet arrangement or many other actuation systems that enable variable frequency flapping, variable amplitude flapping, or a combination of both. The gear train mechanism provides gyroscopic stability during flight. The wing flapping can include a rotation, or feathering motion, for improved efficiency. The wings can be transitioned between flapping flight and fixed wing flight to enable gliding and hovering in a single configuration.

A communications system and method utilizes an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) capable of collecting data about an environment in which the USV resides. At least one micro-aerial vehicle (MAV), equipped for unmanned flight after a launch thereof, is mounted on the USV. Each MAV has onboard radio frequency (RF) communications. Each MAV launched into the air transmits the data collected by the USV using the MAV's RF communications.

A deformation structure of an air vehicle. The deformation structure includes: a driving part, a transmission part which is fixedly connected to the driving part, is driven by the driving part, and linearly moves back and forth relative to the driving part, a fixing part which sleeves the transmission part, at least two main rods which are respectively disposed on the two sides of the transmission part, wherein each main rod includes a first bottom part and an opposite first tail part, and the first bottom parts of the at least two main rods are hinged to each other and are limited to one end of the fixing part, wherein the end of the fixing part is in proximity to the driving part, at least two auxiliary rods, wherein each auxiliary rod includes a second bottom part and an opposite second tail part, and the two second bottom parts of the at least two auxiliary rods are hinged to each other and are limited to one end of the fixing part, wherein the end of the fixing part is far away from the driving part, at least two pull rods, wherein one end of each pull rod is connected to the first tail part of one of the main rods and the other end of each pull rod is connected to the second tail part of one of the auxiliary rods, and at least two connecting rods, wherein one end of each connecting rod is hinged to the transmission part and the other end of each connecting rod is hinged to the main rod. The invention also provides a micro air vehicle.

The present invention relates to a method of the 3D track simulation for a miniature aircraft under urban surroundings and belongs to the field of the 3D real-time route navigation technology for a miniature aircraft. The following modules are set in a computer: a map digitalized module, which digitalizes the 3D model of urban surroundings including threat points, buildings, the departure and target points of a miniature aircraft that is inputted by the graphical user interface (GUI), map parameters and the coordinate of a candidate navigation point composed of the 3D model of urban surroundings and the map parameters; a flight path programming module, which inputs the data from the map digitalized module, calculates the overall route index that takes the flight resource consumption rate and the survival rate into consideration, figures out the most feasible route using network optimizing algorithm under the condition of taking barriers into consideration, and then smooths the bevel at turnings and generates a realtime flight orbit; a data-collecting module, which collects the coordinate values of the aircraft positions and postures outputted by the flight path programming module and forms a posture coordinate value including orthogonal coordinate variables X, Y and Z, a pitch angle h, a yawing angle p and a roll angle r. The present invention saves flight resources and improves flights simultaneously.

The invention relates to a multi-rotor-wing automatic positioning detector used for a transmission line. A patrol nacelle of the detector is fixedly connected with a multi-rotor-wing micro air vehicle by a connection structure; a master control board is fixed on the airframe of the multi-rotor-wing micro air vehicle; a power supply module is fixed on the patrol nacelle; a crawling mechanism is formed by a power device fixed on a side arm of the patrol nacelle and idler wheels connected with the power device; the master control board controls the power supply module to supply power for a driving mechanism of the multi-rotor-wing micro air vehicle or the power device of the crawling mechanism; an infrared video camera and a visible light camera are arranged on the inner wall of the patrol nacelle; the visible light camera is used for shooting the transmission line and the ambient environments and transmitting the information of the shot images to a ground station system by the master control board in real time; and the infrared video camera is used for detecting faults of the transmission line and transmitting the fault information to the ground station system by the master control board in real time. The multi-rotor-wing automatic positioning detector can be used in fields, has the advantages of high working efficiency and good safety, and has a real-time visual patrol function.

A micro air vehicle having a navigation system with a single camera to determine position and attitude of the vehicle using changes the direction to the observed features. The difference between the expected directions to the observed features versus the measured direction to the observed features is used to correct a navigation solution.

A flying wing rotation mechanism of a micro air vehicle is driven under a control of a power module and a detent member. The flying wing rotation mechanism of a micro air vehicle includes a flapping arm and a flying wing. The flapping arm is connected to the detent member, and swings as the power module drives the detent member. An end of the flying wing is pivoted to the flapping arm. When the flapping arm swings, the flying wing swings with the flapping arm in sync. When swing direction of the flapping arm changes, the flying wing rotates relative to an axial direction of the flapping arm.

A method of controlling wing position and velocity for a flapping wing air vehicle provides six-degrees-of-freedom movement for the aircraft through a split-cycle constant-period frequency modulation with wing bias method that generates time-varying upstroke and downstroke wing position commands for wing planforms to produce nonharmonic wing flapping trajectories that generate non-zero, cycle averaged wing drag and alter the location of the cycle-averaged center of pressure of the wings relative to the center of gravity of the aircraft to cause horizontal translation forces, rolling moments and pitching moments of the aircraft.

A landmine detection and neutralization apparatus and method is disclosed. The apparatus to determine the location of landmines, comprises at least two detection modules utilizing different infrared, sound, and / or optical detection and a remotely operated miniature airborne vehicle, that may carry the detection modules at an optimum altitude over a surface that may contain landmines. The neutralization device may be a microwave, acoustic and / or infrared wave generator. The method for determining the location of land comprises using at least two different landmine detection techniques where the techniques are infrared, sound, and optical detection, operating the detection techniques in a close proximity to a surface that may contain landmines and maintaining this close proximity by operating a remotely operated miniature airborne vehicle. Neutralization may be achieved by directing microwaves or infrared waves at detected landmines.

The invention belongs to the flex-wing miniature aircraft auxiliary design technical field. The invention is characterized in that: the following modules which are respectively a structure-flow field entity modeling and basic assumption module, a k-epsilon turbulent flow model flow field analysis module, a linear elastic structure analysis module and a structure-flow field coupling interface module are set in a computer, wherein, the structure-flow field entity modeling and basic assumption module is provided with flexible wings and a three-dimensional model in a circumferential flow field; the k-epsilon turbulent flow model flow field analysis module is used for obtaining distribution pressure on a fluid-solid coupling surface of the flow field under different flight conditions; the linear elastic structure analysis module obtains displacement and speed of flex-wing structure meshes; the structure-flow field coupling interface module obtains deformation of the meshes of the flow field from the obtained displacement of the flex-wing structure meshes, and the deformation is taken as an input condition of the k-epsilon turbulent flow model flow field analysis module and then outputted; distribution pressure on wing surfaces of the flexible wings is obtained according to the distribution pressure of the flow field and taken as an input condition of the linear elastic structure analysis module and then outputted. The flex-wing miniature aircraft has the advantages that: higher accuracy than two dimensional analysis is guaranteed and simultaneously the efficiency of simulation calculation can be improved.

A micro aerial vehicle includes: a fuselage; a flapping transmission mechanism mounted on a front portion of the fuselage; a flexible wing frame secured to and driven by the flapping transmission mechanism for producing a figure-eight flapping trajectory for mimicking the flight of a tiny natural flier, such as hummingbird; and a tail wing secured to a tail portion of the fuselage; wherein the flexible wing frame is formed by respectively pivotally or rotatably mounting a wing skin made of parylene foil to a pair of leading-edge arm members made of carbon fiber, and linked to the flapping transmission mechanism to thereby make a miniaturized micro aerial vehicle.

The present invention discloses a quick three-dimensional sampling method for physical data of a building. The present invention adopts a miniature unmanned aircraft to load corresponding types of sensing devices, data recording devices and information returning devices, etc., so as to acquire the physical data (intensity of sound, audio, temperature, humidity, illuminance, light color, gas components, electromagnetic field intensity, air-ion concentration, radiation strength, etc.) and carry out round trip flight in space and continuously acquire the physical data at each point of the path, and position the miniature aircraft by a photogrametry technology. The method concretely comprises the steps of: selection of the miniature unmanned aircraft for indoor flight, selection of sensing devices or sensors for sampling the physical data of the building, establishment of a system synchronous clock, sampling of the physical data of the building and accurate spatial positioning for the sampling points by a close-range photogrammetry method. Since the aircraft is fast in moving speed and is not restricted by the ground movement condition, the isochronism of the data can be ensured even if the number of the spatial sampling is largely increased than that of the ground operations.

A system, method, and apparatus to train autopilots to fly a simulated aeronautical vehicle includes a three-degree of freedom gimbaled platform comprising a pitch, roll, and yaw axis; an autopilot comprising an inertial measurement unit mounted to the platform; motors that rotate the platform along the pitch, roll, and yaw axes; shaft encoders connected to the motors to calculate an angular position of the platform; motor drivers connected to the motors to power the motors; a microcontroller connected to the motor drivers; a quadrature encoder connected to the shaft encoders and the microcontroller; sensors that generate and sense environmental conditions affecting the platform and the autopilot; a flight simulator connected to the microcontroller; and a computer that executes the flight simulator causing actuation of the platform, causing the sensors to generate environmental conditions, and causing the autopilot to react to the environmental conditions.

The invention relates to a double-wing type insect-like air vehicle, belonging to the technical field of micro air vehicles. The double-wing type insect-like air vehicle comprises four wings, permanent magnets, spiral coils, a control module, an air vehicle body, four carapaces, L-shaped chests and flexible hinges, wherein the permanent magnets and the spiral coils are corresponding to the four wings, and the L-shaped chests and the flexible hinges are corresponding to the four carapaces; the four wings are respectively bonded at the B ends of the four carapaces; the spiral coils and iron cores are bonded on the surface of the L-shaped chest along the D end; the four permanent magnets are respectively bonded on the surface of the carapaces opposite to the spiral coils and the iron cores; the axial lines of the permanent magnets, the iron cores and the spiral coils are coincident; the four L-shaped chests are fixedly arranged in the air vehicle body; the flexible hinges are respectively connected with the L-shaped chests and the carapaces; and the control module is installed at the center of the air vehicle body and is respectively connected with the four spiral coils. In the invention, each wing is directly driven by the electromagnetic force of an electromagnetic driver, thus each wing has simple structure and can be controlled conveniently and flexibly; the change frequency and the acting direction of the driving force can be changed by changing the frequency, the time sequence and the amplitude value of exciting pulse; and the main structure of the air vehicle is processed by adopting the MEMS technology, thus the miniaturization of the air vehicle can be realized easily.

The invention relates to a biomimetic micro air vehicle with 8-shaped flapping tracks, which makes use of a flexible carbon fiber rod and a parylene film as an aerofoil framework and an aerofoil covering skin respectively for a palm-sized micro air vehicle. Even through a flapping (gear connecting rod) driving mechanism is only designed into a single degree of freedom four-bar (mechanism), the linkage of the upward and downward flapping is successfully coupled to flow direction forward and backward vibrations through the material and the shape design of a flexible aerofoil, thus three-dimensional 8-shaped flapping tracks are assembled at the aerofoil tip; and the flapping frequency of the generation of the 8-shaped tracks is close to or even more than 20 Hz, thus a micro air vehicle with a simple structure is formed and can generate the 8-shaped tracks automatically according to the essence of aeroelasticity without getting help from the design of a complicated delicate movement mechanism with multiple degrees of freedom.

The invention discloses a flapping wing and turning device of a micro aerial vehicle. The flapping wing and turning device comprises a flapping wing rocking rod, a round pin, a connecting plate, a driving motor, a connecting rod, an installing frame, a gear, a turning rod, a tail wing supporting plate, a turning motor, a swinging arm, a rotating component and a swinging frame, wherein the driving motor drives a first-grade pinion to rotate, and the first-grade pinion drives a double-layer gear to rotate, and the double-layer gear drives second-grade gears at two sides to rotate, and the second-grade gear drives the connecting rod to move, and the connecting rod drives a left wing connecting plate, a right wing connecting plate and a flapping wing rocking rod to swing up and down so as to achieve the flapping of the wing. The turning motor drives a rocking frame to rock, the rotating component in the rocking frame drives the rocking arm to rotate around the round pin, so that the angles of two turning rods are deviated, and as a result, the aerial vehicle can be turned. According to the flapping wing and turning device, the flapping wing and the turning device are integrated, so that the benefit is brought to the microminiaturization of the flapping wing aerial vehicle; and meanwhile, the flapping wing and turning device has the characteristics of being simple in structure, flexible and small.

The invention discloses a mummingbird-wing-flapping-imitating micro air vehicle (MAV) which belongs to a biomimetic MAV field. The MAV comprises: a frame, a reduction gear set, a motor, a transmission mechanism, a parallel shaft structure, and a pair of wings. The reduction gear set, the motor, and the parallel shaft structure are directly arranged on the frame. The transmission mechanism is arranged between the reduction gear set and the parallel shaft structure, and is used for converting continuous rotation outputted by the reduction gear set into reciprocative rotation of the parallel shaft structure. The pair of wings is arranged on the parallel shaft structure, such that self flapping movements can be realized. The pair of wings and other parts form a complete wing-flapping MAV. According to the invention, the flapping movements of the two wings are completely symmetric, such that influences of vibration on the performance of the MAV are greatly reduced, and control difficulty of the MAV is reduced. Also, the MAV provided by the invention has advantages of simple and reasonable structure and convenient processing. The MAV can easily be improved, such that complicated tasks can be completed.

The invention provides a system and method for multi-power integrated flight control applied in a micro air vehicle. The system comprises a flight control computer, a flight parameter sensor, a PID controller, a yaw propeller power system, a posture propeller power system and a main propeller power system, wherein an output end of the flight parameter sensor is connected to an input end of the flight control computer, and an output end of the flight control computer is separately connected to the yaw propeller power system, the posture propeller power system and main propeller power system by the PID controller. The system and method provided by the invention have the advantages that (1) a layout manner of a main propeller, a posture propeller and a yaw propeller is applied, so that a load of the posture propeller can be effectively reduced during a flight course, efficiency of a power system of the air vehicle can be effectively increased, and flight duration of the air vehicle can be increased; and (2) integrated control is carried out to the multiple sets of power systems of the air vehicle, so that the problem that lift force of the main propeller of the air vehicle is unstable and the problem about reverse torque balance of the main propeller can be solved, and finally autonomous flight of the multi-rotor air vehicle with the new layout can be realized.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an ultra-miniature aircraft which is able to perform ‘Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL)’ and maintaining altitude when the vehicle is moving or when the horizontal velocity of a vehicle is at 0 by getting life only from a single rotor's rotation, and without using separate stabilizers such as a tail-rotor or a gyro. To fulfill the above purpose, this invention comprises: several blades in airfoil shape that are places in calculated angle and space; hubs that connect the blade to with a body of a vehicle; a rotor which gives lifting force with its spin; a spin-able axle which its vertical hem is bound to the hubs; a rotor drive that is needed to spin the rotor; a vehicle body that is placed right under the rotor in order to fly from the lift that is obtained by revolutions of the rotor; fixed-wings that are placed in certain angle and space around the outside of the vehicle body in order to reduce a reaction torque, which affects the body to turn the opposite direction of the rotor, from the rotor's movement; and a reaction-torque-counter-balancing-system on each of the above fixed-wings that offsets the reaction torque aggressively.

The invention relates to an observation system and method for an aerodynamic force test and a flapping wing flow field of a flapping-wing micro air vehicle. The system comprises an observation box, a flapping-wing micro air vehicle, an aerodynamic force testing device, a three-dimensional particle image velocity measuring device, and an upper computer. The observation box is used for accommodating an observation object and an observation device. The flapping-wing micro air vehicle is used as an observation object for observation. The aerodynamic force testing device is used for recording various parameters of aerodynamic force characteristics of the flapping-wing micro air vehicle during the flapping process. The three-dimensional particle image velocity measuring device is used for recording various parameters of flapping-wing flow field characteristics of the flapping-wing micro air vehicle during the flapping process. The upper computer is used for displaying a lifting resistance parameter, a flapping frequency parameter, and a flow field characteristic analysis chart of the flapping-wing micro air vehicle. The method includes a step of carrying out aerodynamic force characteristic observation by using a aerodynamic force testing device and a step of carrying out flapping wing flow field characteristic observation by using the three-dimensional particle image velocity measuring device. Compared with the prior art, the system and method have advantages of complete equipment, excellent special performance and great simpleness and convenience.

The invention provides an electromagnetic drive insect-like flapping-wing micro air vehicle. Two wings are respectively connected with two ends of a carapace through flexible hinges; the wings, the carapace and a baffle block form a 'baffle' structure; the carapace is rigidly connected to a chest; a cylindrical permanent magnet is attached to the center position at the lower part of the chest; a spiral coil is attached to the center position at the upper part of a machine body opposite to the permanent magnet; the spiral coil and the permanent magnet are respectively located at the upper side and the lower side of each wing when being assembled; and the spiral coil overlaps with the axis of the permanent magnet. By adopting the traditional four-connecting rod drive mechanism, the transmission efficiency of the air vehicle is greatly improved; better flight stability can be obtained by adjusting the center of gravity to overlap with a lift center; by adopting simple structures of the flexible hinges and the baffle block, a certain degree of passive reverse can be obtained in a flapping process due to interaction of inertia force and aerodynamic force; the assembly precision is improved by folding and assembling; and miniaturization of the air vehicle is easily achieved.

Systems and methods for anti-collision lights on a UAV. A method for passive anti-collision lights on a Micro-Aerial Vehicle (“MAV”) including determining a location of the MAV using a flight management computer configured to fly the MAV on a programmed path using data from a global positioning system and an inertial navigation system. The flight management system transmits light activation data and selectively activates at least one navigation light located on a visible surface of the MAV using the light activation data from the flight management computer.

A method of configuring a wing velocity profile includes segmenting a complete wingbeat cycle into a set of quarter-strokes including a first quarter-stroke, a second quarter-stroke, a third quarter-stroke, and a fourth quarter-stroke. The method further includes generating time-varying quarter-stroke wing position commands for each of a first and second wing planforms to produce wing flapping trajectories that generate non-zero, cycle averaged wing lift and drag and alter a cycle average center of pressure of each of the first and the second wing planforms relative to the aircraft. The wing position commands include velocities and positions with temporally symmetric and asymmetric quarter-stroke components for the first wing planform and the second wing planform. The first wing planform and the second wing planform produce controlled six-degrees-of freedom vehicle motion without using actuators in excess of the first actuator and the second actuator.

The invention discloses a split differential tail wing control mechanism of a flapping-wing micro air vehicle. The control mechanism is characterized in that a torsional steering engine is mounted on a machine body frame and connected to one end of a torsional steering engine rocking arm; a torsional connection rod is connected to the other end of the torsional steering engine rocking arm; a torsional shaft rocking arm is connected to the other end of the torsional connecting rod and connected with a torsional shaft; a front bearing and a rear bearing are mounted on the machine body frame; the torsional shaft is fixedly connected to a tail vane mounting surface; the tail vane mounting surface is connected with a left tail vane and a right tail vane through two tail vane hinges respectively; a left tail vane machine and a right tail vane machine are mounted on the tail vane mounting surface; a left tail vane rocking arm is arranged on the left tail vane; a right tail vane rocking arm is arranged on the right tail vane; the left tail vane machine is connected to one end of a left tail vane machine rocking arm; a left tail vane connecting rod is connected to the other end of the left tail vane machine rocking arm; the left tail vane rocking arm is connected to the other end of the left tail vane connecting rod; the right tail vane machine is connected to one end of a right tail vane machine rocking arm; a right tail vane connecting rod is connected to the other end of the right tail vane machine rocking arm; the right tail vane rocking arm is connected to the other end of the right tail vane connecting rod. The control mechanism has the advantages of high control efficiency, simple structure, good reliability and the like.

Having evolved over thousands and millions of years, birds are endowed with very excellent flying ability and their wings have terrific vehicle agility. A routine aircraft is mostly a fixed or rotor craft and cannot produce enough lift force at low Reynolds number to maintain balance. When the size is reduced to a certain level, a series of problems will appear. However, birds are outstanding flyers at low Reynolds number. Thus, an ornithopter imitating birds will certainly be the inevitable choice of future miniature air vehicles. Flight mode of bats is different from that of general birds. When bats flap their wings up and down, wingspan area is adjusted by folding and spreading wings to provide the lift force during flight. Therefore, on one hand, the single driving link flapping-wing flying robot space mechanism imitates up-down flapping of bats; and on the other hand, shrinking of bat wings is imitated. In addition, in comparison with other bat-imitating flying robots, the flapping-wing aircraft which imitates bat flight by the use of a single driving link has characteristics of light weight, strong vehicle agility and the like.