Unmanned aerial vehicle and landing system
Systems, devices and methods related to unmanned aerial vehicles and landing systems are described herein. One example disclosed unmanned aerial vehicle includes a vehicle body including an airfoil shape, a plurality of rotors, a payload void within the airfoil shape profile, and a rotatable payload bay disposed within the payload void. A payload delivery system is also described. The payload delivery system includes a payload void, a payload bay, at least one actuator operative to rotate the payload bay with respect to the payload void, and a payload controller operative to eject a payload from the payload bay. Several landing systems and devices for unmanned vehicles are also described. One example landing device includes a frame including a rear surface operative to attach the frame to a vertical glass surface and an aircraft support element operative to receive and support an unmanned aerial vehicle.
1 . An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body, the vehicle body comprising a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and a longitudinal axis between the front end and the rear end, the vehicle body further comprising an airfoil shape and at least one wing formed by the vehicle body;
a plurality of rotors disposed at the front end of the vehicle body, each rotor comprises at least one attached propeller blade, the plurality of rotors being operative to provide forward thrust in a direction of the longitudinal axis;
a payload void, the payload void being formed by the vehicle body and disposed within the airfoil shape of the vehicle body, the payload void comprising a majority of a volume of the vehicle body;
a payload bay, the payload bay configured to receive a payload, the payload bay being disposed at least partially within the payload void; and
a flight control system, the flight control system comprising:
at least one motor to drive the plurality of rotors;
at least one accelerometer;
at least one gyro; and
a control module configured to lift and lower the vehicle in a tail-sitter orientation, transition between a tail-sitter orientation and a winged flight orientation, and control a winged flight.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
the at least one wing comprises a pair of wings formed by the vehicle body, each wing comprises a proximate end connected to the vehicle body and a distal end apart from the vehicle body, each wing disposed on an opposing side of the vehicle body, and
wherein the plurality of rotors are disposed such that when the propeller blades are rotating they collectively span at least 75 percent of a wingspan.
3 . The vehicle of claim 2 wherein at least two rotors of the plurality of rotors comprise blades that overlap with each other.
4 . The vehicle of claim 3 wherein at least one rotor of the plurality of rotors have a diameter greater than 40 percent of the wingspan.
5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotors comprises two rotors, and each rotor comprises two blades attached thereto.
6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotors comprises three rotors, a first rotor of the three rotors comprises a single attached blade, and a second rotor of the three rotors comprises two attached blades.
7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an S-rod, the S-rod supporting at least one rotor of the plurality of rotors.
8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a variable pitch mechanism associated with at least one rotor of the plurality of rotors.
9 . The vehicle of claim 8 , whereby rapid acceleration is achieved by reducing a propeller pitch, using the variable pitch mechanism.
10 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wing is disposed proximate to the front end of the vehicle body.
11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wing is contoured so as to be continuously formed by the vehicle body.
12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising at least one actuator, each actuator operative to increase a surface area of the at least one wing.
13 . An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body, the vehicle body comprising a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and a longitudinal axis between the front end and the rear end, the vehicle body further comprising an airfoil-shaped main body portion and at least one wing formed by the vehicle body, where said airfoil-shaped main body portion forms a majority of an entire lifting surface of the vehicle;
one or more rotors disposed at the front end of the vehicle body, each rotor comprises at least one attached propeller blade, the one or more rotors being operative to provide forward thrust in a direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the one or more rotors are disposed such that when the one or more rotors are rotating a sum of all propeller diameters is at least 75% of a wingspan of the vehicle;
a payload void, the payload void being formed by the vehicle body and disposed within said airfoil-shaped main body portion of the vehicle body, the payload void comprising a majority of a volume of the vehicle body; and
a payload bay, the payload bay configured to receive a payload, the payload bay being disposed at least partially within the payload void.
14 . The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising a variable pitch mechanism associated with at least one rotor of the one or more rotors.
15 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein at least one rotor of the one or more rotors has a diameter greater than 40 percent of the wingspan of the vehicle.
16 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the one or more rotors comprise a plurality of rotors, and at least two rotors of the plurality of rotors comprise blades that overlap with each other.