Battery-free unmanned aerial vehicle
AssigneesNorthwestern University, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsJosiah David Hester, Rishabh Goel, VP Nguyen, Tien Pham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles are provided. In one aspect, the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a four-bar linkage mechanism in mechanical communication with a pair of wings. An electrical subsystem includes an actuator in mechanical communication with the four-bar-linkage mechanism. The actuator is in electrical communication with a capacitor. A plurality of solar panels is in electrical communication with the capacitor, which is configured to harvest non-battery energy from the plurality of solar panels to power the actuator for controlling the four-bar linkage mechanism to operate the pair of wings.
Claims20
A battery-free unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a four-bar linkage mechanism;
- a pair of wings in mechanical communication with the four-bar-linkage mechanism;
- an electrical subsystem comprising an actuator in mechanical communication with the four-bar-linkage mechanism, the actuator in electrical communication with a super capacitor;
- and
- a plurality of solar panels in electrical communication with the super capacitor, wherein the super capacitor is configured to harvest non-battery energy from the plurality of solar panels to entirely power the actuator for controlling the four-bar linkage mechanism to operate the pair of wings.
A battery-free unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a plurality of wings;
- an electrical subsystem configured to control the plurality of wings;
- a flapping system in mechanical association with the plurality of wings, wherein the flapping system is in mechanical association, and in electrical communication, with the electrical subsystem, wherein the electrical subsystem is configured to actuate the flapping system to control the plurality of wings;
- and
- a plurality of solar panels in electrical communication with the electrical subsystem, wherein a super capacitor of the electrical subsystem is configured to harvest non-battery energy from the plurality of solar panels to entirely power the electrical subsystem for controlling the flapping system to operate the plurality of wings.
A battery-free unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a four-bar linkage mechanism;
- a pair of wings in mechanical communication with the four-bar-linkage mechanism;
- an actuator in mechanical association with the four-bar-linkage mechanism, the actuator in electrical communication with a super capacitor;
- a plurality of solar panels in electrical communication with the super capacitor, wherein the super capacitor is configured to harvest non-battery energy from the plurality of solar panels to entirely power the actuator for controlling the four-bar linkage mechanism to operate the pair of wings;
- a microcontroller in electrical communication with the actuator, wherein the microcontroller is in wireless communication with a UAV controller for controlling the actuator;
- at least one RC micro-servo motor in electrical communication with the microcontroller;
- and
- at least one tail in mechanical association with the at least one RC micro-servo motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.