Multicopter Variable Arm Dynamics for Stability and Obstacle Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multicopter designs face challenges in maintaining stability during changes in moment of inertia, center of gravity, and center of mass, such as engine failure or shifts in load, and have difficulty reconfiguring to avoid obstacles like trees and buildings, leading to potential rotor strikes.
Innovation Solution
The design features adjustable arms with telescopic extensions, articulated joints, and rotors that can be repositioned, along with a control system for automated or remote operation, allowing for changes in arm length, joint movement, and rotor placement while maintaining directional control and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the multicopter uses a fixed frame with rotors mounted on fixed arms, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the aircraft cannot adapt to changes in moment of inertia, center of gravity, or center of mass during flight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the arm lengths and rotor positions variable during flight. The frame transitions from a static configuration to a dynamic one where arms can extend or retract, and rotors can be repositioned along the arms. This allows the aircraft to adapt its moment of inertia, center of gravity, and center of mass in real-time to respond to changing flight conditions, payload variations, or engine failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the rigid frame into modular segments - specifically, the arms are segmented into adjustable sections with rotors that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows each component to be adjusted separately, providing fine-grained control over the aircraft's mass distribution and inertial properties while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the multicopter has a fixed rotor configuration, then the control system is simpler, but the aircraft cannot reconfigure to avoid obstacles or accommodate narrow airspace
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the rotor positions dynamic rather than fixed. Thrust generators can be repositioned along the arms during flight, allowing the aircraft to adjust its physical configuration to navigate through narrow spaces or avoid obstacles. This dynamic reconfiguration capability enables the aircraft to adapt its envelope and center of gravity to suit different flight environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies multi-functionality by designing a control system that can perform multiple tasks: maintaining flight stability, repositioning rotors along arms, adjusting arm configurations, and coordinating thrust vectoring. This universal control architecture handles both traditional flight control and the additional complexity of reconfigurable geometry, reducing the need for separate specialized systems.
3Reliability
If the multicopter has fixed arm lengths and rotor positions, then the manufacturing precision requirements are lower, but the aircraft cannot maintain stability during engine failure or load changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the aircraft's flight state (attitude, position, velocity) and using this information to adjust rotor positions and arm configurations in real-time. This closed-loop control system detects deviations from desired flight characteristics and automatically reconfigures the aircraft to restore stability, whether responding to engine failures, payload shifts, or external disturbances.
Solution Approach 2:
The aircraft performs self-adjustment of its configuration in response to changing conditions. Through onboard sensors and control algorithms, the system autonomously determines the optimal arm lengths and rotor positions needed to maintain stable flight under current conditions, eliminating the need for manual intervention or pre-programmed fixed configurations.
4Productivity
If the multicopter uses a compact fixed configuration, then storage is easier, but the aircraft cannot provide enhanced stability and agility during flight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nesting principle by designing telescopic arms where sections are nested within each other when retracted. This allows the aircraft to achieve a compact configuration for storage or low-speed operation while being capable of extending to larger configurations for enhanced flight performance. The nested structure provides both compactness and expandability without requiring completely separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The aircraft transitions between static compact configurations and dynamic extended configurations. The telescopic arms and articulated joints allow the structure to change its geometry in flight, providing enhanced stability and agility when needed while maintaining a compact form factor for storage. This dynamic transformation enables the aircraft to optimize its performance characteristics based on flight conditions.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
An aircraft (40a) is provided that includes a plurality of arms (41, 42, 43, 44) with selected arms having the ability to either adjust their length, have arm segments operative to move about an articulated joint in two or three dimensions, or have one arm operative to adjust an angle between the one arm and another arm, or any combination of the foregoing. Thrust generators are repositionably mounted on selected arms, and a control system enables automated, on¬ board, or remote control of the thrust generators, repositioning of the thrust generators on the arms, adjustment in the length of the selected arms, the movement of selected arms about the articulated joints, and adjustment of the angle between two or more arms, all while maintaining directional control of the aircraft in flight or on the ground. The aircraft has operational capabilities that exceed existing designs and facilitates manned and unmanned delivery of cargo and transportation of passengers.