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US 11,884,393 B2Granted
Aerial vehicle with failure recovery
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRobert Roy Champagne, Jr., Gur Kimchi, Louis Leroi LeGrand, III, Nicholas Hampel Roberts, Ricky Dean Welsh
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Abstract
This disclosure describes an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), which includes a plurality of maneuverability propulsion mechanisms that enable the aerial vehicle to move in any of the six degrees of freedom (surge, sway, heave, pitch, yaw, and roll). The aerial vehicle may also include a lifting propulsion mechanism that operates to generate a force sufficient to maintain the aerial vehicle at an altitude.
Claims20
An aerial vehicle apparatus, comprising:
- a first propulsion mechanism;
- a second propulsion mechanism;
- a third propulsion mechanism;
- a fourth propulsion mechanism;
- a fifth propulsion mechanism;
- and
- a sixth propulsion mechanism;
- wherein:
- the first propulsion mechanism, the third propulsion mechanism, and the fifth propulsion mechanism are aligned in a plane and oriented in a first direction;
- the second propulsion mechanism, the fourth propulsion mechanism, and the sixth propulsion mechanism are aligned in the plane and oriented in a second direction that is different than the first direction;
- and
- the first propulsion mechanism, the second propulsion mechanism, the third propulsion mechanism, the fourth propulsion mechanism, the fifth propulsion mechanism, and the sixth propulsion mechanism are arranged such that the aerial vehicle apparatus can aerially navigate independently in any of a surge direction, a sway direction, a heave direction, a roll direction, a pitch direction, or a yaw direction.
9 more elements
An aerial vehicle apparatus, comprising:
- a first propulsion mechanism;
- a second propulsion mechanism;
- a third propulsion mechanism;
- a fourth propulsion mechanism;
- a fifth propulsion mechanism;
- and
- a sixth propulsion mechanism;
- wherein:
- the first propulsion mechanism, the third propulsion mechanism, and the fifth propulsion mechanism are aligned in a plane and oriented in a first direction;
- the second propulsion mechanism, the fourth propulsion mechanism, and the sixth propulsion mechanism are aligned in the plane and oriented in a second direction that is different than the first direction;
- a first force produced by the first propulsion mechanism and a sixth force produced by the sixth propulsion mechanism form a first resultant force;
- a second force produced by the second propulsion mechanism and a third force produced by the third propulsion mechanism form a second resultant force;
- and
- a fourth force produced by the fourth propulsion mechanism and a fifth force produced by the fifth propulsion mechanism form a third resultant force.
11 more elements
A method, comprising:
- sending first commands to each of a first propulsion mechanism, a second propulsion mechanism, a third propulsion mechanism, a fourth propulsion mechanism, a fifth propulsion mechanism, and a sixth propulsion mechanism of an aerial vehicle to generate respective forces such that the aerial vehicle can aerially navigate in any of six degrees of freedom;
- wherein:
- the first propulsion mechanism, the third propulsion mechanism, and the fifth propulsion mechanism are aligned in a plane and oriented in a first direction;
- the second propulsion mechanism, the fourth propulsion mechanism, and the sixth propulsion mechanism are aligned in the plane and oriented in a second direction that is different than the first direction;
- and
- the first propulsion mechanism, the second propulsion mechanism, the third propulsion mechanism, the fourth propulsion mechanism, the fifth propulsion mechanism, and the sixth propulsion mechanism are arranged such that the aerial vehicle can aerially navigate independently in any of a surge direction, a sway direction, a heave direction, a roll direction, a pitch direction, or a yaw direction.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.