Unmanned air-ground vehicle
First Claim
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1. An unmanned air-ground vehicle comprising:
- a frame having a center portion connecting two substantially parallel transversely spaced apart track supports;
two tracks generally forming loops, each track disposed about one of the track supports;
two track drive motors, each connected to the frame and configured to propel one of the two tracks about the track supports;
a plurality of propellers, each having a propeller drive motor, attached to the frame and disposed within the loops formed by the tracks, wherein the tracks are configured to propel the vehicle in a ground mode, and the propellers are configured to propel the vehicle in a flying mode; and
a collapsible mechanism that transitions the track supports between ready and storage positions and secures the track supports to the center portion in both the ready position and the storage position, wherein the track supports are spatially closer in proximity to the center portion and a footprint of the vehicle is smaller in the ready position relative to the storage position.
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Abstract
An unmanned air-ground vehicle is provided. The unmanned air-ground vehicle includes a frame having a center portion connecting two substantially parallel transversely spaced apart track supports. Tracks that generally form loops are disposed about the track supports. Track drive motors are connected to the frame and configured to propel the tracks about the track supports. A plurality of propellers, each having propeller drive motors, are attached to the frame and disposed within the loops formed by the tracks. The tracks are configured to propel the vehicle in a ground mode while the propellers are configured to propel the vehicle in a flying mode.
8 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An unmanned air-ground vehicle comprising:
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a frame having a center portion connecting two substantially parallel transversely spaced apart track supports; two tracks generally forming loops, each track disposed about one of the track supports; two track drive motors, each connected to the frame and configured to propel one of the two tracks about the track supports; a plurality of propellers, each having a propeller drive motor, attached to the frame and disposed within the loops formed by the tracks, wherein the tracks are configured to propel the vehicle in a ground mode, and the propellers are configured to propel the vehicle in a flying mode; and a collapsible mechanism that transitions the track supports between ready and storage positions and secures the track supports to the center portion in both the ready position and the storage position, wherein the track supports are spatially closer in proximity to the center portion and a footprint of the vehicle is smaller in the ready position relative to the storage position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A vertical take-off and landing unmanned air-ground vehicle comprising:
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a frame having a center portion and two substantially parallel transversely spaced apart side portions connected to the center portion; a ground drive, attached to the side portions, configured to propel the vehicle in a ground mode; a plurality of propellers, each having a propeller drive, attached to the frame and disposed within the side portions, wherein the plurality of propellers are configured to propel the vehicle in a flying mode, and wherein the propeller blades are configured to shift into parked positions, the parked positions ranging from substantially parallel to the side portions of the frame to substantially perpendicular to the side portions of the frame so that the blades do not extend laterally outward substantially beyond the frame, when the vehicle is operating in the grounder mode; and a collapsible mechanism that transitions the side portions between ready and storage positions and secures the side portions to the center portion in both the ready position and the storage position, wherein the side portions are spatially closer in proximity to the center portion and a footprint of the vehicle is smaller in the ready position relative to the storage position. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vertical take-off and landing unmanned air-ground vehicle comprising:
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a frame having a center portion, two substantially parallel side portions, and a collapsible mechanism that connects the side portions to the center portion, enables the side portions to shift from a ready position to a storage position, secures the side portions to the center portion in both the ready position and the storage position, the side portions being spatially closer in proximity to the center portion and a footprint of the vehicle being smaller in the ready position relative to the storage position; a ground drive, attached to the side portions, configured to propel the vehicle in a ground mode; a plurality of propellers, each having a propeller drive, attached to the frame and disposed within the side portions, the plurality of propellers configured to propel the vehicle in a flying mode; and a battery attached to the frame configured to provide power to the ground drive and propeller drives. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification