Personal Flight Vehicle Body-Motion Control and Counter-Rotating Propulsion
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a new Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) vehicle that addresses the drawbacks of existing VTOL vehicles, including the lack of control mechanisms for spatial orientation without additional steering mechanisms, and requires a manufacturing process that is reliable, cost-effective, and efficient, while also providing an intuitive method for learning and flying.
Innovation Solution
A personal flight vehicle with a platform base assembly and axial flow propulsion systems positioned around its periphery, allowing for vertical takeoff, flight, and hovering, controlled by the pilot's body movements, and featuring a flexible platform base assembly and counter-rotating propulsion systems to minimize gyroscopic effects, along with a handheld controller and safety features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional VTOL vehicles use multiple rotors within a solid frame and conventional control mechanisms, then structural stability is improved, but device complexity and difficulty of control increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is divided into a modular platform base assembly with multiple independent axial flow propulsion systems positioned around its periphery. Each propulsion system can be independently controlled, allowing simplified modular design while maintaining structural stability through the distributed configuration of propulsion units around the platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform base assembly is designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to adapt to pilot movements. The propulsion systems are dynamically controlled based on pilot's body movements, eliminating the need for complex traditional steering mechanisms while maintaining stability through active control.
2Measurement precision
If traditional VTOL vehicles use conventional control mechanisms with handles, pedals or joysticks, then control precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complex steering mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle controls itself by sensing the pilot's body movements and automatically adjusting the thrust from various propulsion systems. The pilot simply moves their body to indicate desired orientation changes, and the control system interprets these movements to adjust propulsion accordingly, eliminating complex steering mechanisms while maintaining precise control.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical steering mechanisms (handles, pedals, joysticks) are replaced with a sensor-based system that detects pilot's body movements and translates them into propulsion adjustments. This substitution of mechanical control with sensor-based control simplifies the interface while maintaining or improving control precision.
3Force
If single-direction rotating propulsion systems are used, then thrust generation is improved, but harmful factors increase due to gyroscopic effects
Solution Approach 1:
Counter-rotating propulsion systems are used where pairs of rotors rotate in opposite directions. The gyroscopic effects generated by each rotor are equal and opposite, causing them to cancel each other out. This eliminates net gyroscopic stresses on the vehicle while maintaining full thrust generation capability from all propulsion systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the pilot to control the vehicle's spatial orientation through body movements, providing efficient and intuitive flight capabilities, while minimizing gyroscopic stresses and ensuring safety with integrated safety features.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of axial flow propulsion systems positioned about a periphery of the platform base assembly, where said propulsion systems generate a thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platform base assembly
Implementation Method 2
counter-rotating propulsion systems to minimize gyroscopic effects
Data Source
AI summary
A personal flight vehicle including a platform base assembly that provides a surface upon which the feet of an otherwise free-standing person are positionable, and including a plurality of axial flow propulsion systems positioned about a periphery of the platform base assembly. The propulsion systems generate a thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platform base assembly, where the thrust flow is unobstructed by the platform base assembly. The thrust flow has a sufficient intensity to provide vertical takeoff and landing, flight, hovering and locomotion maneuvers. The vehicle allows the pilot to control the spatial orientation of the platform base assembly by the movement, preferably direct, of at least part of his or her body, and the spatial movement of the vehicle is thus controlled.