US 10,589,857 B2 · Unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle adapted for hover and short/vertical take-off and landing (S/VTOL) is disclosed. The vehicle comprises: a body having an aspect-ratio less than two and having therein a payload volume, at least one propeller located forward of the body, at least one rudder. The body may have an inverse Zimmerman planform which provides lift as air flows across the body in horizontal flight/fixed wing mode, and further adapted such that during hover and/or short/vertical take-off and landing (S/VTOL) the vehicle operates as a rotorcraft with the body oriented with the at least one propeller substantially above the body. The vehicle is suited to a method of inspection, such as power line inspection where large distances can be analysed efficiently by flying in fixed wing mode, but by transitioning to hover mode allows detailed inspection of selected areas.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a body having a forward end and an aft end;
a propeller that is located forward of the forward end;
a first camera located adjacent to the forward end and configured for use during horizontal flight, the first camera having a maximum resolution;
a second camera located adjacent to the aft end and configured to capture images having a downward view during hover flight, the second camera having a resolution that is greater than the maximum resolution of the first camera,
wherein, in a horizontal flight mode, the body is adapted to provide lift as air flows across the body as the propeller provides horizontal thrust, and
wherein, in a hover flight mode, the body is further adapted such that the unmanned aerial vehicle operates as a rotorcraft with the propeller providing vertical thrust for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Unmanned aerial vehicle

Life of this patent

Unmanned aerial vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19