Deployable VTOL Landing Pad with Expandable Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional landing pads for vertical takeoff and landing vehicles are large, obtrusive, and aesthetically unpleasing, necessitating a compact and portable alternative that can be dynamically deployed.
Innovation Solution
A deployable landing pad system with an adjustable body that can transition from a stowed state to a deployed state, featuring a deployment mechanism to expand the platform surface area, allowing for the reception of vertical takeoff and landing vehicles while minimizing space occupation and maintaining an unobtrusive design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a conventional landing pad is constructed to be large in size, then the visibility and identification of the landing area is enhanced, but the space occupation and aesthetic appeal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The landing pad is designed to be dynamically deployable, transitioning from a compact stowed configuration to a large deployed configuration. The platform expands using deployment mechanisms (hydraulic cylinders, scissor mechanisms) to provide sufficient landing area and visibility only when needed, rather than permanently occupying large space.
Solution Approach 2:
The landing pad structure employs nesting where the platform can be folded or collapsed into a compact form that fits within a limited footprint when not in use. The support legs and platform sections nest together to minimize space occupation during storage or non-operational periods.
2Ease of operation
If a conventional landing pad is constructed with permanent structures and large insignia, then the identification of the area is facilitated, but the aesthetic appeal and obtrusiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insignia and identification markings are made dynamic rather than permanent. LED light arrays and programmable displays provide identification signals only when the landing pad is deployed or active, allowing the structure to blend with the environment when retracted while still providing necessary identification functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The landing pad incorporates changeable visual indicators such as LED lights that can alter color or illumination patterns to signal different operational states. This provides clear identification when needed without requiring permanent large painted insignia that would permanently mar the aesthetic appearance.
3Area of stationary object
If a landing pad is designed to be compact and portable, then the space occupation is reduced, but the ability to receive VTOL vehicles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The landing pad features deployable support legs with scissor mechanisms or hydraulic cylinders that enable the platform to transition from a compact stowed position to a fully extended operational position with sufficient area and height to accommodate VTOL vehicles. This dynamic extension provides the necessary vehicle reception capability only when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The landing pad is divided into modular segments including the platform, support legs, and deployment mechanisms. These segmented components can be folded or reconfigured into a compact form for storage while maintaining the capability to assemble into a full-sized vehicle-receiving structure when needed.
4Area of stationary object
If a landing pad is made dynamically deployable, then the space occupation is minimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deployment mechanisms utilize scissor-like geometric structures or hydraulic cylinders that provide efficient mechanical advantage for extending the platform. These mechanisms achieve the required deployment function with relatively simple component arrangements, minimizing structural complexity while maximizing space efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of deploying a landing pad, for a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, relative to a surface of an environment in which the landing pad is disposed, includes stowing an adjustable body of the landing pad in a stowed state. The adjustable body includes a platform surface that in the stowed state defines a first planar surface area relative to the surface, the first planar surface area being inoperable to receive the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle thereon. The method includes deploying the adjustable body from the stowed state to a deployed state. In the deployed state the platform surface defines a second planar surface area greater than the first planar surface area, the second surface planar area of the platform surface is sized and shaped to receive the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle thereon in the deployed state.