Hybrid aerial and terrestrial vehicle

• US 9,150,069 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Illinois Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Kalantari, Arash, Spenko, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US14/454,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20150191246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 5/02 convertible into aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/36 Arrangements or adaptations of wheels, tyres or axles in general
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 37/00 Convertible aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/70 Convertible aircraft, e.g. convertible into land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

A vehicle capable of both aerial and terrestrial locomotion. The terrestrial and aerial vehicle includes a flying device and a rolling cage connected to the flying device by at least one revolute joint. The rolling cage at least partially surrounds the flying device and is free-rolling and not separately powered.

Claims

1. A terrestrial and aerial vehicle, comprising:

a rotorcraft including a rotor powered by an actuator motor; and

a non-actuated rolling cage connected to the rotorcraft by at least one revolute joint.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rolling cage extends around at least a portion of the rotorcraft.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the revolute joint comprises a shaft and a bearing.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the rotorcraft comprises four actuated rotors and four rotor arms each including one of the four actuated rotors, wherein the shaft extends outward from the rotorcraft between two of the four rotor arms.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rolling cage surrounds or encloses at least a portion of the rotorcraft.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotor is disposed within the rolling cage.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the rotor propels both aerial and terrestrial surface locomotion.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rolling cage is a non-powered rolling cage.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a controller adapted to receive a wireless control signal.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rolling cage comprises two opposing hubs and a plurality of rails.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of rotors.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a surveillance camera mounted on the rotorcraft.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotorcraft comprises a tricopter, a quadcopter, a hexacopter, or an octocopter.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotor provides vertical lift during rotorcraft flight and thrust for free rolling of the rolling cage during terrestrial surface locomotion, and the rotorcraft pitches about the at least one revolute joint for the terrestrial surface locomotion.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rolling cage rolls freely against a terrestrial surface.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rolling cage comprises two opposing hubs, a first circular cross rail at a first hub of the two opposing hubs, and a second circular cross rail at the second hub of the two opposing hubs.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of rails each extending between and connecting the first circular cross rail and the second circular cross rail.

18. A terrestrial and aerial vehicle, comprising:

a copter including at least one actuated rotor; and

a non-actuated rolling cage connected to the copter by at least one revolute joint and at least partially enclosing or surrounding the copter.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the revolute joint comprises a shaft and a bearing.

20. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the rotor propels both aerial and terrestrial locomotion.

21. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the at least one rotor comprises a plurality of rotors disposed at least partially enclosed or surrounded by the rolling cage.

22. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the rolling cage rotates about a shaft connected to the copter, the shaft extends perpendicular to an axis of the at least one rotor, and the shaft is connected to the copter or the rolling cage by a bearing.

23. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the at least one revolute joint comprises two revolute joints, and the rolling cage comprises two rolling cage portions each connected to the copter by one of the two revolute joints, and the copter is disposed between the two rolling cage portions.

24. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the copter comprises a quadcopter.

25. A terrestrial and aerial vehicle, comprising:

a rotorcraft including at least one rotor;

a non-actuated rolling cage connected to the rotorcraft;

a shaft connecting the rotorcraft to the rolling cage; and

a bearing connecting the shaft to at least one of the rotorcraft or the cage.

26. The vehicle of claim 25, wherein the shaft extends perpendicular to an axis of the at least one rotor.

27. The vehicle of claim 26, further comprising two bearings and two shaft ends, wherein the cage comprises two opposing hubs each including one of the two bearing at one of the two shaft ends, and the two hubs are connected by a plurality of rails.