Multirotor Arms Rotating for Center of Gravity Shifts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), particularly quadrotors, face stability and efficiency issues when carrying payloads due to shifts in center of gravity, leading to reduced dynamic performance, increased power consumption, and safety hazards from external disturbances and rotor failures.
Innovation Solution
A multirotor aerial vehicle with rotatable arms and a flight trim controller that adjusts the geometric center of the rotors to compensate for shifts in center of gravity, allowing for balanced thrust distribution without interfering with rotor thrust management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If different rotor thrusts are used to compensate for shifted center of gravity, then the center of gravity compensation is achieved, but the dynamic performance deteriorates and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the arms rotatable relative to the housing, allowing the geometric center of the rotors to be dynamically adjusted. When a payload is attached and shifts the center of gravity, the flight trim controller rotates the arms to reposition the rotors, thereby moving the geometric center to coincide with the new center of gravity. This dynamic reconfiguration enables center of gravity compensation without requiring sustained differential rotor thrusts, reducing power consumption and improving dynamic performance.
2Stability of the object's composition
If different rotor thrusts are used to compensate for shifted center of gravity, then the center of gravity compensation is achieved, but the dynamic performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable arms enable the geometric center of the rotors to be dynamically repositioned to match the shifted center of gravity. By physically moving the rotor locations through arm rotation rather than relying on sustained differential thrust, the system maintains full dynamic performance and maneuverability while achieving center of gravity compensation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rotors operate at maximum thrust to account for shifted center of gravity, then the shifted center of gravity is compensated, but the reliability deteriorates due to increased failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of operating rotors at maximum thrust to compensate for shifted center of gravity, the patent dynamically repositions the rotors by rotating the arms. This mechanical reconfiguration allows the geometric center to align with the new center of gravity, enabling all rotors to operate at balanced, lower thrust levels, thereby reducing wear and failure risk while maintaining compensation effectiveness.
4Stability of the object's composition
If rotors operate at maximum thrust to account for shifted center of gravity, then the shifted center of gravity is compensated, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable arm mechanism allows the geometric center of the rotors to be repositioned to coincide with the shifted center of gravity. This dynamic adjustment enables balanced thrust distribution across all rotors, eliminating the need for any rotor to operate at maximum thrust, thereby significantly reducing overall power consumption and extending delivery range.
Data Source
AI summary
A multirotor aerial vehicle (MAV) is disclosed. The MAV includes a housing, a plurality of rotatable arms, wherein each of the plurality of rotatable arms has a proximal end coupled to the housing and a distal end configured to rotate about a vertical axis passing through the proximal end of the corresponding arm, a plurality of thrust-generating rotors, each coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of rotatable arms at the corresponding distal end, a flight controller configured to selectively control each of the plurality of thrust-generating rotors, and a flight trim controller configured to control rotation of the plurality of rotatable arms in order to adjust the geometric center of the rotors of the MAV from a first center of gravity (CoG) associated with the MAV in an unloaded state to a second CoG associated with the MAV in a loaded state.