Autonomous Robotic Blimp Structure for Safe Long-Endurance Indoor Flight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing indoor aerial robots, such as quadcopters, pose safety concerns due to fast-spinning propellers and have limited flight endurance, making them unsuitable for human-occupied indoor environments and applications requiring sustained airborne presence.
Innovation Solution
A robotic blimp with a circular disk-shaped envelope filled with lighter-than-air gas, equipped with a gondola housing a thrusting mechanism, electronics suite, and battery, allowing for autonomous flight and human-robot interaction with extended endurance and safety features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If lighter-than-air robots are designed to achieve sufficient buoyancy, then flight endurance is extended, but size increases making them unsuitable for indoor applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the density parameter by using lighter-than-air gas (helium or hydrogen) to achieve buoyancy, allowing the blimp to maintain extended flight endurance while keeping the size suitable for indoor applications through precise density control and neutral buoyancy achievement
2Speed
If traditional indoor aerial robots use fast-spinning propellers for propulsion, then mobility is achieved, but safety concerns arise in human-occupied environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fast-spinning propeller mechanical system with a thrusting mechanism that generates thrust through controlled gas release or propulsion, eliminating the safety hazards of rotating blades while maintaining mobility capabilities in human-occupied environments
3Ease of operation
If quadcopters are used for indoor aerial operations, then maneuverability is achieved, but flight time is limited to less than 20 minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses buoyant force from lighter-than-air gas to counteract gravity, providing sustained lift without continuous motor operation. This allows the blimp to maintain maneuverability through controlled thrusting while achieving flight times dramatically exceeding the 20-minute limitation of quadcopters
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
The robotic blimp provides safe and prolonged indoor flight capabilities, enabling applications like surveillance and human-robot interaction without the safety risks associated with traditional quadcopters, while maintaining omnidirectional mobility and reducing oscillation-related energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
Lighter than air robots (LTARs) keep themselves aloft without the need for consistent motor action
Data Source
AI summary
A blimp includes a circular disk-shaped envelope filled with a lighter-than-air gas. A gondola is affixed to an underside of the envelope and is disposed at a region directly below a center point of the circle defined by the intersection of the envelope and the horizontal plane. The gondola includes: a horizontally-disposed elongated circuit board that functions as a structural member of the gondola; and a vertical member extending upwardly from the circuit board and having a top that is attached to the underside of the envelope. A thrusting mechanism is affixed to the gondola and is configured to generate thrust. An electronics suite is disposed on and electrically coupled to the circuit board and includes a blimp processor configured to generate control signals that control the thrusting mechanism. A battery is affixed to the gondola and provides power to the electronics suit and the thrusting mechanism.