Inflatable Space Enclosures for Low-Gravity Activities
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sports and entertainment venues are limited to Earth-based environments with fixed gravity and aerodynamic conditions, restricting the scope of activities such as sports, robotic battles, and virtual reality experiences.
Innovation Solution
Development of spacecraft with enclosed interior volumes and deployable membranes that can create flexible, pressurized spaces in space, enabling activities like sports, concerts, and filmmaking in low or simulated gravity environments, using drones and robots for competitions and entertainment, and wireless power systems for device operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If activities are conducted in Earth-based venues with fixed gravity and aerodynamic conditions, then the environment is stable and familiar, but the scope and variety of activities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spacecraft enclosure is designed to support multiple types of activities including sports, concerts, and filmmaking within a single versatile platform. The modular interior volume can be reconfigured for different purposes, allowing one system to serve multiple functions rather than requiring separate dedicated facilities for each activity type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs deployable membranes and adjustable pressurization to dynamically change the enclosure's configuration and environmental conditions. This allows the space to adapt its shape, volume, and atmospheric properties based on the specific activity being conducted, transforming a static structure into a dynamic multi-purpose facility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If deployable membranes are used to create flexible pressurized spaces, then the enclosure can be configured for various activities, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes deployable membranes as the primary enclosure structure, replacing rigid walls with flexible thin films that can be inflated, deflated, and reconfigured. This approach provides the necessary adaptability for various activities while keeping the structural elements lightweight and space-efficient when stowed.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure system is divided into modular sections that can be independently deployed, configured, and stowed. This segmentation allows complex overall configurations to be achieved through simpler modular components, making the system more manageable despite its versatility requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable gravity and aerodynamic conditions are implemented, then diverse sports and entertainment activities are enabled, but the system complexity and energy requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts physical parameters such as gravity levels and aerodynamic conditions to match the requirements of different activities. By dynamically changing these parameters rather than maintaining fixed conditions, the system enables diverse sports and entertainment activities while optimizing energy consumption for each specific operational mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs wireless power systems to replace traditional wired power transmission, eliminating the need for physical power cables within the enclosure. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity and allows for more flexible positioning of equipment and participants while maintaining reliable power delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
Enclosures for facilitating activities in space, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed. A representative system includes a spacecraft having an enclosed interior volume (which can be formed by an inflatable membrane) and one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) carried by the spacecraft and positioned to deploy into the enclosed interior volume. The system can include a remote-control system to control the one or more UAVs from a terrestrial location while the spacecraft is in space. A wireless charging system can provide electrical power to the one or more UAVs. A representative method includes configuring one or more controllers to launch a first spacecraft to a first orbit, launch a second spacecraft to a second orbit, move the first spacecraft to the second orbit, dock the first spacecraft with the second spacecraft, and broadcast an event within an interior volume of the first spacecraft to a terrestrial location.