VERSATILE FLEXIBLE AND RECONFIGURABLE VEHICLE SYSTEMS

• US 20200130795A1
• Filed: 10/25/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Fikes, Austin C., Hajimiri, Seyed Ali
• Granted Patent: US 11,021,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2207/02 Variable ballast or buoyancy
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2221/22 by means that allow one or more degrees of angular freedom, e.g. hinges, articulations, pivots, universal joints, not otherwise provided for in this class
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2221/24 by means that allow one or more degrees of translational freedom, e.g. telescopic joints, not otherwise provided for in this class
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2241/08 polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/34 Pontoons floating bridges E01D15/14
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/16 by direct use of propellers or jets
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/22 Adjustment of buoyancy by water ballasting; Emptying equipment for ballast tanks conduits for emptying or ballasting on vessels in general B63B13/00; stabilising vessels using ballast tanks B63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/39 Arrangements of sonic watch equipment, e.g. low-frequency, sonar
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 5/14 characterised by being mounted in non-rotating ducts or rings, e.g. adjustable for steering purpose shrouding ring attached to blades B63H1/16; jet propulsion B63H11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 5/15 Nozzles, e.g. Kort-type
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/223 Modular spacecraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/405 Ion or plasma engines per se F03H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/411 Electric propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/443 Photovoltaic cell arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/40 Modular UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/60 UAVs characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 : Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 : generated by photovoltaics

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to interconnectable tiles configured for operation in an aquatic environment or a near-zero/zero gravity environment. The interconnectable tiles are configured to interconnect relative to one another to form interconnected surfaces, and individual interconnectable tiles provide thrust, ballast, and/or buoyancy to the overall interconnected surface so as to move the interconnected surface in a desired configuration.

Claims

1. A submerging interconnectable tile operable within a liquid, the interconnectable tile comprising:

a frame defining opposing open ends and having one or more connectors configured to engage external connectors of at least one adjacent interconnectable tile to form a joint between the frame and the at least one adjacent interconnectable tile;

a thrust unit secured within the frame and configured to provide thrust for the submerging tile at least in part by pulling liquid through the opposing open ends of the frame;

a controller secured within the frame and configured to transmit control signals to the thrust module; and

one or more shutters operably connected with the, wherein the one or more shutters are configurable between one or more open positions and a closed position to at least partially seal an open end of the opposing open ends of the frame to dynamically control fluid dynamic interactions with a liquid.

2. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, further comprising a buoyancy adjustment system configured to change the buoyancy of the submerging interconnectable tile.

3. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, wherein the one or more shutters are embodied as one or more first shutters operably connected with the frame at a first open end of the opposing open ends of the frame, wherein the interconnectable tile further comprises one or more second shutters operably connected with the frame at a second open end of the opposing open ends of the frame, and wherein the one or more first shutters and the one or more second shutters are collectively configured to at least partially seal an interior of the frame defined between the opposing open ends.

4. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic-based communication system in communication with the controller.

5. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, further comprising SONAR sensing components in communication with the controller.

6. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, wherein the thrust unit is secured within the frame via one or more attitude adjustment mechanisms configured to provide vectored thrust control within the interconnectable tile.

7. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, wherein the one or more connectors are configured to form a rigid joint when engaged with external connectors of at least one adjacent interconnectable tile.

8. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, wherein the one or more connectors are configured to form a flexible joint when engaged with external connectors of at least one adjacent interconnectable tile.

9. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, wherein the one or more connectors are configured to form a dynamically adjustable joint when engaged with external connectors of at least one adjacent interconnectable tile, wherein the dynamically adjustable joint has a dynamically controllable rigidity.

10. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide control signals to the thrust unit based at least in part on master control signals received by the controller.

11. The submerging interconnectable tile of claim 1, wherein the one or more connectors comprise physical data connectors, and the controller is configured to communicate with controllers of connected adjacent interconnectable tiles via the physical data connectors.

12. A submerging interconnected surface comprising:

a plurality of submerging interconnectable tiles each comprising;

a frame having one or more connectors configured to engage external connectors of at least one adjacent interconnectable tile to form a joint between the frame and the at least one adjacent interconnectable tile;

an independently controllable thrust module;

a controller secured within the frame and configured to transmit control signals to the thrust module and to communicate with other interconnectable tiles within the interconnected surface via one or more communication protocols.

13. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 12, wherein the frame of each of the plurality of submerging interconnectable tiles define opposing open ends, and each of the plurality of interconnectable tiles further comprise one or more first shutters operably connected with the frame at a first open end of the opposing open ends of the frame, wherein the one or more first shutters are configurable between:

one or more open positions to provide attitude adjustment for the interconnectable tile while liquid is moving through the opposing open ends of the frame; and

a closed position to at least partially seal the first open end of the frame to dynamically control fluid dynamic interactions with liquid.

14. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 13, wherein the controller of at least one of the plurality of interconnectable tiles is configured to configure the first shutters to a closed configuration to provide decreased drag across a face of the submerging interconnected surface.

15. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 12, wherein the independently controllable thrust modules of each of the plurality of interconnectable tiles comprise at least one marine propeller.

16. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 12, wherein the controllers of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are collectively configured to depower at least one of the independently controllable thrust units.

17. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 12, wherein each of the interconnectable tiles additionally comprise a buoyancy control system, and wherein the controllers of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are collectively configured to modify the buoyancy of the submerging interconnected surface by independently operating the buoyancy control systems of the plurality of interconnectable tiles.

18. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 12, wherein each of the interconnectable tiles further comprises an onboard power supply.

19. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 12, wherein adjacent interconnectable tiles of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are connected via a flexible joint.

20. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 12, wherein adjacent interconnectable tiles of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are connected via a rigid joint.

21. The submerging interconnected surface of claim 12, wherein adjacent interconnectable tiles of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are connected via a dynamically adjustable joint.

22. An interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment, the interconnected surface comprising:

a plurality of interconnectable tiles configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment, wherein each interconnectable tile of the plurality of interconnectable tiles comprises;

a frame having one or more connectors configured to engage external connectors of at least one adjacent interconnectable tile to form a joint between the frame and the at least one adjacent interconnectable tile;

an independently controllable thrust module operable within a zero-gravity environment;

a controller secured within the frame and configured to transmit control signals to the thrust module and to communicate with other interconnectable tiles within the interconnected surface via one or more communication protocols.

23. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein the independently controllable thrust modules of each of the plurality of interconnectable tiles comprises an ion drive.

24. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein adjacent interconnectable tiles of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are connected via a flexible joint.

25. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein adjacent interconnectable tiles of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are connected via a rigid joint.

26. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein adjacent interconnectable tiles of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are connected via a dynamically adjustable joint.

27. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein the thrust unit of each of the plurality of interconnectable tiles is secured within the frame via one or more attitude adjustment mechanisms configured to provide vectored thrust control within the interconnectable tile.

28. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein one or more of the plurality of interconnectable tiles comprises a photovoltaic energy production system.

29. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein one or more of the plurality of interconnectable tiles comprises at least one of a radio-frequency or microwave transceiver.

30. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein the controllers of the plurality of interconnectable tiles are collectively configured to depower at least one of the independently controllable thrust units.

31. The interconnected surface configured for operation in a zero-gravity environment of claim 22, wherein each of the interconnectable tiles further comprises an onboard power supply.