Modular air delivery
    5.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10373104B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-08-06

    申请号:US15134821

    申请日:2016-04-21

    Abstract: Aspects of modular airborne delivery are described. When a shipping container is provided to an airborne carrier for delivery, the airborne carrier may assess weather across a route for airborne delivery of the shipping container, evaluate an approach to drop the shipping container at a delivery zone, and calculate a remaining amount of time until a target delivery time, for example. The airborne carrier may then select components to assemble a modular unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on those or other factors, and assemble the UAV using the selected components. The modular UAV may then be directed to deliver the shipping container according to instructions from the airborne carrier. According to the concepts described herein, flexibility and other advantages may be achieved using modular UAVs for airborne delivery.

    DISTRIBUTED AND RECONFIGURABLE AERIAL VEHICLE CONFIGURATION

    公开(公告)号:US20190118944A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-04-25

    申请号:US15789192

    申请日:2017-10-20

    Abstract: Systems and methods to form distributed and reconfigurable aerial vehicle configurations are described. An aerial vehicle configuration may include a plurality of aerial vehicles that are connected to a payload via respective tethers in order to complete a task, e.g., delivery of the payload to a location. The plurality of aerial vehicles selected as part of the aerial vehicle configuration may be of various types and may form a particular initial configuration. During operation, the aerial vehicle configuration may be modified based on changes to various operating parameters associated with aerial vehicles, the aerial vehicle configuration, the task, and/or the environment. The modifications may include changing positions, altitudes, and/or orientations of aerial vehicles with respect to each other and/or the payload, releasing aerial vehicles from the configuration, or adding new aerial vehicles to the configuration.

    SIX DEGREE OF FREEDOM AERIAL VEHICLE WITH A RING WING

    公开(公告)号:US20180229839A1

    公开(公告)日:2018-08-16

    申请号:US15435121

    申请日:2017-02-16

    Abstract: Described is an apparatus and method of an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) that can operate in either a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) orientation or a horizontal flight orientation. The aerial vehicle includes a plurality of propulsion mechanisms that enable the aerial vehicle to move in any of the six degrees of freedom (surge, sway, heave, pitch, yaw, and roll) when in the VTOL orientation. The aerial vehicle also includes a ring wing that surrounds the propulsion mechanisms and provides lift to the aerial vehicle when the aerial vehicle is operating in the horizontal flight orientation.

    UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE PROTECTIVE FRAME CONFIGURATION

    公开(公告)号:US20180099745A1

    公开(公告)日:2018-04-12

    申请号:US15849374

    申请日:2017-12-20

    Abstract: This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes a frame that provides both structural support for the UAV and protection for foreign objects that may come into contact with the UAV. The UAV may have any number of lifting motors. For example, the UAV may include four lifting motors (also known as a quad-copter), eight lifting motors (octo-copter), etc. Likewise, to improve the efficiency of horizontal flight, the UAV may also include one or more pushing motor and propeller assemblies that are oriented at approximately ninety degrees to one or more of the lifting motors. When the UAV is moving horizontally, the pushing motor(s) may be engaged and the pushing propeller(s) will aid in the horizontal propulsion of the UAV.

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