Mission-Adaptable Aerial Vehicle Modular Assembly for Field Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerial vehicles face challenges due to rapidly changing mission and payload requirements, lengthy development cycles, high costs, and technological advancements outpacing design, leading to inflexible and costly solutions for end-users.
Innovation Solution
A mission-adaptable aerial vehicle system with modular, reversibly attachable components and a data processing system that allows for in-field assembly and customization, using a user interface and simulation to adjust flight dynamics and stability in real-time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If aerial vehicle designs are optimized for specific mission requirements, then performance for that mission is improved, but adaptability to changing mission requirements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The aerial vehicle is divided into modular components including fuselage sections, wing assemblies, tail assemblies, and propulsion units that can be independently configured and reconfigured. This segmentation allows the vehicle to maintain optimized performance for specific missions while enabling rapid adaptation to changing requirements by swapping modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The aerial vehicle incorporates dynamically reconfigurable features such as variable sweep wings and adjustable propulsion systems that can change their configuration during operation or between missions. This dynamic capability allows the vehicle to optimize performance for different mission phases or requirements without requiring complete redesign.
2Reliability
If comprehensive design testing and validation are performed, then reliability is improved, but development time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Modular components are pre-tested and validated independently before integration into the complete aerial vehicle system. This preliminary validation of individual modules reduces the overall testing time required for the complete system while maintaining reliability through proven component performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The design process utilizes simulation and computational methods to validate performance across multiple mission scenarios before physical prototyping. By changing design parameters virtually and testing different configurations through simulation, the need for extensive physical testing is reduced while maintaining design reliability.
3Reliability
If custom-designed aerial vehicles are developed for specific missions, then mission performance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The aerial vehicle employs universal modular components that can serve multiple mission requirements. The same fuselage sections, wing assemblies, and propulsion units can be configured for different missions, reducing the need for custom-designed vehicles and lowering manufacturing costs through economies of scale.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular architecture enables individual components to be discarded, recovered, and reused across different missions and vehicle configurations. This approach reduces manufacturing costs by allowing proven components to be recovered and reused rather than requiring new custom manufacturing for each mission.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for mission-adaptable aerial vehicle. In some aspects, a mission-adaptable aerial vehicle includes a configuration having swappable, manipulatable, and interchangeable sections and components connectable by a connection and fastening system able to be modified by an end-user in the field. In some embodiments, a mission-adaptable aerial vehicle can be configured to include a main center body extending along a longitudinal direction, a wing with a lateral cross-sectional airfoil shape, and/or stabilizer and control surface structures with corresponding cross-sectional airfoil shapes.