Water drone
First Claim
1. A vehicle for use in a body of water having a surface, the vehicle comprising:
- a hull having a front end and a rear end and defining a longitudinal axis;
a communications system comprising an antenna positioned at the front end of the hull; and
a propulsion system comprising two actuators, each actuator comprising a propeller positioned at the rear end of the hull and configured to supply thrust along a thrust vector,the hull and the actuators of the vehicle being configured such that the vehicle;
assumes a first steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces no thrust, an elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the first steady-state orientation being greater than 20 degrees, wherein the antenna is kept above the surface of the body of water;
assumes a second steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces forward thrust of a first magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the second steady-state orientation being greater than 0 degrees and less than 40 degrees, wherein the antenna is kept above the surface of the body of water; and
assumes a third steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces reverse thrust of a second magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the third steady-state orientation being greater than 60 degrees,wherein a center of mass of the vehicle is identically located while the vehicle is in each of the first steady-state orientation, the second steady-state orientation, and the third steady-state orientation.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A water drone capable of navigating on the surface, or below the surface, of a body of water. In some embodiments such a vehicle is light-weight, electric-powered, and propeller-driven, and may be operated by remote control from the shore and guided with simple autopilot commands. The vehicle may have two actuators at the rear of the vehicle, each including a motor and a propeller, and each capable of producing forward or reverse thrust. The vehicle may be capable of travelling horizontally through the surf zone and diving vertically through the water column to the seafloor. The vehicle may monitor its own location and depth and may measure environmental conditions such as water temperature; such measurements may be communicated back to the operator using a telemetry system.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A vehicle for use in a body of water having a surface, the vehicle comprising:
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a hull having a front end and a rear end and defining a longitudinal axis; a communications system comprising an antenna positioned at the front end of the hull; and a propulsion system comprising two actuators, each actuator comprising a propeller positioned at the rear end of the hull and configured to supply thrust along a thrust vector, the hull and the actuators of the vehicle being configured such that the vehicle; assumes a first steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces no thrust, an elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the first steady-state orientation being greater than 20 degrees, wherein the antenna is kept above the surface of the body of water; assumes a second steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces forward thrust of a first magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the second steady-state orientation being greater than 0 degrees and less than 40 degrees, wherein the antenna is kept above the surface of the body of water; and assumes a third steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces reverse thrust of a second magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the third steady-state orientation being greater than 60 degrees, wherein a center of mass of the vehicle is identically located while the vehicle is in each of the first steady-state orientation, the second steady-state orientation, and the third steady-state orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19)
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6. A vehicle for use in a body of water having a surface, the vehicle comprising:
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a hull having a front end and a rear end and defining a longitudinal axis; a communications system comprising an antenna positioned at the front end of the hull; and a propulsion system comprising two actuators, each actuator comprising a propeller positioned at the rear end of the hull and configured to supply thrust along a thrust vector, the hull and the actuators of the vehicle being configured such that the vehicle; assumes a first steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces no thrust, an elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the first steady-state orientation being greater than 20 degrees; assumes a second steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces forward thrust of a first magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the second steady-state orientation being greater than 0 degrees and less than 40 degrees; and assumes a third steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces reverse thrust of a second magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the third steady-state orientation being greater than 60 degrees, wherein a center of mass of the vehicle is identically located while the vehicle is in each of the first steady-state orientation, the second steady-state orientation, and the third steady-state orientation, wherein in the first steady-state orientation and in the second steady-state orientation the front end of the hull is entirely above the surface of the body of water. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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9. A vehicle for use in a body of water having a surface, the vehicle comprising:
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a hull having a front end and a rear end and defining a longitudinal axis; a communications system comprising an antenna positioned at the front end of the hull; and a propulsion system positioned at the rear end of the hull and configured to supply thrust along a thrust vector, the hull and the propulsion system of the vehicle being configured such that the vehicle; assumes a first steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces no thrust, an elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the first steady-state orientation being greater than 20 degrees, wherein the antenna is kept above the surface of the body of water; assumes a second steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces forward thrust of a first magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the second steady-state orientation being greater than 0 degrees and less than 40 degrees, wherein the antenna is kept above the surface of the body of water; and assumes a third steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces reverse thrust of a second magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the third steady-state orientation being greater than 60 degrees, wherein a center of mass of the vehicle is identically located while the vehicle is in each of the first steady-state orientation, the second steady-state orientation, and the third steady-state orientation. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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17. A vehicle for use in a body of water having a surface, the vehicle comprising:
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a hull having a front end and a rear end and defining a longitudinal axis; a communications system comprising an antenna positioned at the front end of the hull; and a propulsion system comprising two actuators, each actuator comprising a propeller positioned at the rear end of the hull and configured to supply thrust along a thrust vector, the hull and the actuators of the vehicle being configured such that the vehicle; assumes a first steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces no thrust, an elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the first steady-state orientation being greater than 20 degrees; assumes a second steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces forward thrust of a first magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the second steady-state orientation being greater than 0 degrees and less than 40 degrees; and assumes a third steady-state orientation when the propulsion system produces reverse thrust of a second magnitude, the elevation angle of the longitudinal axis in the third steady-state orientation being greater than 60 degrees, wherein a center of volume of the vehicle is closer to the rear end of the hull than to the front end.
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Specification