Water vehicles
AssigneeLiquid Robotics, Inc.
InventorsRoger G. Hine, Derek L. Hine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Equipment and methods that combine the use of wave powered vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones). A UAV can be launched from a wave-powered vehicle, observe another vessel, and report the results of its observation to the wave-powered vehicle, and the wave-powered vehicle can report the results of the observation to a remote location. The UAV can land on water and can then be recovered by the wave-powered vehicle.
Claims19
An apparatus comprising:
- an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
- an autonomous water vehicle (AWV);
- a hull that is part of the AWV, or is towed behind the AWV;
- and
- a tube, mounted to the hull, for launching an UAV, wherein:
- the UAV, prior to being launched, is in a folded form, and when launched, adopts an unfolded form in which the UAV functions as the UAV;
- the UAV comprises a recovery hook which remains above a surface of water after the UAV lands on the water;
- a recovery cable, coupled with the AWV, for engaging the recovery hook of the UAV when the UAV is in the water;
- and
- wherein the recovery cable is ejected from the tube from which the UAV is launched.
An apparatus comprising:
- an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
- an autonomous water vehicle (AWV);
- a hull that is part of the AWV, or is towed behind the AWV;
- and
- a launch tube mounted to the hull for storing the UAV in a collapsed form, the launch tube ejecting the collapsed UAV from the launch tube whereupon the UAV, when ejected, adopts an unfolded form in which the UAV functions as the UAV, wherein the launch tube deploys and retracts a recovery cable, the recovery cable having recovery cable engagement elements and the UAV in water having cooperating UAV engagement elements allowing at least one of the UAV engagement elements to engage with at least one of the recovery cable engagement elements, thereby rendering the UAV engaged with the recovery cable.
A method performed by an autonomous water vehicle (AWV) and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) the method comprising:
- the AWV launching the UAV into flight from a launch tube;
- the UAV gathering information while flying;
- the UAV landing in water;
- the AWV determining a location where the UAV landed in the water;
- the AWV navigating to the location;
- the AWV moving in a closed figure around the location of the UAV in the water until a force sensing switch connected to a recovery cable ejected from the launch tube detects a successful engagement of a UAV recovery means with the recovery cable;
- and
- the AWV recovering the UAV.
An apparatus comprising an autonomous water vehicle (AWV) and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wherein:
- the AWV comprises;
- a hull that is part of the AWV or towed behind the AWV;
- means for navigating to a desired location;
- a launch tube mounted to the hull for storing the UAV in a collapsed form;
- a mechanism for ejecting a collapsed UAV from the launch tube whereupon the UAV, when ejected, adopts an unfolded form, the mechanism comprising one or more of a pre-loaded spring, an elastic bungee, compressed air, and a pyrotechnic;
- a recovery cable for recovering the UAV after the UAV lands in water, the recovery cable ejected from the launch tube and having a floating terminal portion;
- and
- the UAV comprises;
- a recovery hook for engaging the recovery cable when the AWV approaches the UAV.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.