Aerial robot with dispensable conductive filament

• US 7,631,834 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stealth Robotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Stealth Robotics, LLC
• Inventors: Mimlitch, Robert Henry Jr., Burkard, William Dennis, Mimlitch, Robert H. III, Norman, David Anthony, Johnson, Samuel Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory; Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US11/737,591
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 244 31- 33, 244 6- 7 C, 244 121- 126, 244 1711- 1727, 244 23 R- 23 D, 244/76.R, 244/175, 244/189, 244/190, 244/75.1, 342 5- 20, 342 52- 58, 342 61- 67, 446 30- 45
• US Class Current: 244/17.17
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/202 using tethers for connecting to ground station
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20

Abstract

This disclosure involves aerial robots that dispenses conductive filament or systems, methods, and software for support such aerial robots. One remotely powered aerial robot system includes an aerial robot and a power source. The aerial robot comprises a body, a first propeller coupled to the body and operable to provide thrust to the aerial robot, a rotatable spool coupled to the body, and a conductive filament that is dispensed from the spool by rotation of the spool is one direction and retrieved by rotation of the spool in another direction. The power source is coupled with, and remote from, the aerial robot via the conductive filament, where the conductive filament is operable to power the first propeller using power from the power source.

Claims

1. An aerial robot comprising:

a body;

a plurality of sensors for detecting different types of environmental aspects associated with the aerial robot including orientation information and images of an observed area;

a first propeller coupled to the body and operable to provide thrust to the aerial robot;

a conductive filament that is operable to be coupled with a remote power supply, operable to be dispensed from the aerial robot, operable to provide power to the first propeller, and operable to transmit images of the observed area to a ground station; and

a controller that dynamically adjusts, independent of the remote power supply, operational aspects of the aerial robot in response to the orientation information detected by at least one of the plurality of sensors.

2. The aerial robot of claim 1 configured to maneuver in three-dimensional space.

3. The aerial robot of claim 1, the conductive filament comprising a pair of small diameter conductor wires and operable to provide bi-directional communications between the aerial robot and the remote power supply, each wire coated in a flexible dielectric material.

4. The aerial robot of claim 3, the conductive filament further comprising an optical fiber.

5. The aerial robot of claim 3, the conductive filament further comprising a flexible support member.

6. The aerial robot of claim 1 further comprising at least one high energy density battery that provides supplemental power to the aerial robot.

7. The aerial robot of claim 1 further comprising a spool, the conductive filament operable to be dispensed from the aerial robot via the spool.

8. The aerial robot of claim 7, the spool larger than the body in at least one dimension.

9. The aerial robot of claim 7, the spool coupled to the aerial robot in an axially symmetric location.

10. The aerial robot of claim 7, the spool located below the first propeller.

11. The aerial robot of claim 10 further comprising an inner lower exhaust cone, the spool located within the exhaust cone such that the filament is dispensed from a central annulus of the exhaust cone.

12. The aerial robot of claim 7 further comprising tension control means for providing tension to the filament as it dispenses.

13. The aerial robot of claim 12, the tension control means being remotely adjustable.

14. The aerial robot of claim 13, the spool configured to be quickly disconnected from the aerial robot.

15. The aerial robot of claim 7, the filament being between 1000 feet and 5280 feet in length.

16. The aerial robot of claim 7, the spool operable to automatically collocate its center of gravity in response to a change in the center of gravity of the aerial robot.

17. The aerial robot of claim 7, the spool operable to automatically retrieve a portion of dispensed filament.

18. A remotely powered aerial robot system comprising:

an aerial robot comprising;

a body;

a plurality of sensors for detecting different types of environmental aspects associated with the aerial robot including orientation information and images of an observed area;

a first propeller coupled to the body and operable to provide thrust to the aerial robot;

a spool coupled to the body;

a conductive filament that is dispensed from the spool and transmits images of the observed area to a ground station; and

a controller that dynamically adjusts, independent of the remote power source, operational aspects of the aerial robot in response to at least the orientation information detected by at least one of the plurality of sensors; and

a power source coupled with, and remote from, the aerial robot via the conductive filament, the conductive filament operable to power the first propeller using power from the power source.

19. The system of claim 18, the aerial robot configured to maneuver in three-dimensional space.

20. The system of claim 18, the conductive filament comprising a pair of small diameter conductor wires and operable to provide bi-directional communications between the aerial robot and the remote power supply, each wire coated in a flexible dielectric material.

21. The system of claim 18, the remote power source comprising a ground power source.

22. The system of claim 18, the remote power source further operable to provide control of the aerial robot and visualization of data associated with the aerial robot.

23. The system of claim 18, the remote power source comprising joysticks for the control and a port for a client device for the data visualization.

24. The system of claim 18, the aerial robot comprising a first aerial robot and the system further comprising a second aerial robot with a second spool and a second conductive filament, the remote power source further operable to the second aerial robot via the second conductive filament.

25. The system of claim 18, the remote power source comprising one or more of the following:

internal battery power;

distributed battery power;

a generator; and

AC main power.

26. The system of claim 25, the remote power source generating high voltage power for the aerial robot, the high voltage power comprising one of AC power or DC power.

27. The system of claim 26, the aerial robot operable to convert the high voltage power for use by the first propeller.

28. The system of claim 26, the aerial robot further comprising a high voltage motor for the first propeller, the motor compatible with the high voltage power.

29. The system of claim 18, the spool comprising a rotatable spool and the filament dispensed by rotation of the spool in one direction and retrieved by rotation of the spool in another direction.