Unmanned aerial aquatic platform with battery management
AssigneeAurora Flight Sciences Corporation
InventorSamvruta Tumuluru
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system of connectable aerial vehicles. The system includes a plurality of aerial vehicles that each include a platform, one or more rotors operatively connected to the platform, and a power source that supplies power to the one or more rotors. The plurality of aerial vehicles are configured to operate in air, and operate in water while connected to form a floating platform. The floating platform is configured to support an object with at least a portion of each of the plurality of aerial vehicles configured to form a segment of the floating platform.
Claims20
A system of connectable aerial vehicles, the system comprising:
- a plurality of aerial vehicles, each comprising:
- a body;
- a platform that is operatively connected to the body and that is spaced outward from a first side of the body, the platform comprising an outer edge that is spaced laterally outward beyond the body;
- arms that extend laterally outward from the body;
- rotors operatively connected to the arms, the rotors extend outward from a second side of the body with the rotors positioned laterally away from the body and spaced apart from the platform, the rotors positioned laterally inward from the outer edge of the platform, and
- a power source that supplies power to the one or more rotors;
- wherein the plurality of aerial vehicles are configured to:
- operate in air,
- operate in water while connected together as a collective unit and form an enlarged platform, the enlarged platform configured to support an object, with at least a portion of each of the plurality of aerial vehicles configured to form a segment of the enlarged platform;
- wherein during operation in the water, the enlarged platform is positioned on the first sides of the bodies of the aerial vehicles and the rotors are positioned on the second sides of the bodies of the aerial vehicles for the rotors to be submerged in the water while the enlarged platform is positioned above the water;
- wherein one of the aerial vehicles is a control vehicle that controls an operation of the collective unit.
A connectable unmanned aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle comprising:
- a body comprising a first side and a second side;
- a platform connected to and positioned on the first side of the body and with the platform comprising an outer edge;
- connectors that extend outward from the platform and are configured to connect to other aerial vehicles;
- one or more rotors operatively connected to and positioned on the second side of the body and positioned laterally inward from the outer edge of the platform;
- a control unit comprising a control circuit and a memory circuit, the control unit configured to control the operation of the aerial vehicle;
- a power source that supplies power to the one or more rotors;
- and
- wherein the aerial vehicle is configured to:
- operate in air, and
- operate in water while connected through the connectors to the other aerial vehicles to form an enlarged platform comprising the platform aligned with one or more other platforms of the other aerial vehicles, wherein during operation in the water the connectors connect to the other aerial vehicles for the one or more rotors to be submerged in the water while the platform is positioned above the water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.