Submersible vehicles and methods for transiting the same in a body of liquid
AssigneeiRobot Corporation
InventorsFrederick Vosburgh, Ryan Moody
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid includes a vehicle body, a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, and a dihedral angle control system. The dihedral angle control is system operative to vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins.
Claims29
A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle being an underwater glider, and comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof;
- a dihedral angle control system operative to vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins;
- and
- a buoyancy control system operable to selectively generate vertical force on the submersible vehicle by varying a buoyancy of the submersible vehicle;
- wherein the shape of at least one of the vehicle body and the pair of fins is configured to convert at least part of the vertical force into a forward glide thrust on the submersible vehicle.
A method of providing transit of a submersible vehicle through a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle being an underwater glider and including a vehicle body, a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, and a buoyancy control system, the method comprising:
- varying a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins using a dihedral angle control system;
- and
- using the buoyancy control system, selectively generating vertical force on the submersible vehicle by varying a buoyancy of the submersible vehicle;
- wherein the shape of at least one of the vehicle body and the pair of fins converts at least part of the vertical force to a forward glide thrust on the submersible vehicle.
A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof;
- and
- a dihedral angle control system operative to actively vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins, wherein the dihedral angle control system includes:
- at least one magnetic actuator to induce each of the fins into at least one selected fin dihedral angle;
- and
- a magnet force controller to control an attraction force of the at least one magnetic actuator.
A method of providing transit of a submersible vehicle through a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle including a vehicle body and a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, the method comprising:
- actively varying a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins using a dihedral angle control system;
- wherein:
- the dihedral angle control system includes:
- at least one magnetic actuator to induce each of the fins into at least one selected fin dihedral angle;
- and
- a magnet force controller;
- and
- the method includes controlling an attraction force of the at least one magnetic actuator using the magnet force controller.
A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle being an aquatic glider and comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof;
- a dihedral angle control system operative to vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins;
- and
- a buoyancy control system operable to selectively generate vertical force on the submersible vehicle by varying a buoyancy of the submersible vehicle;
- wherein the submersible vehicle is configured to generate a forward glide thrust on the submersible vehicle responsive to changes in elevation of the submersible vehicle.
A method of providing transit of a submersible vehicle through a body of liquid, the submersible vehicle being an aquatic glider and including a vehicle body, a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, and a buoyancy control system, the method comprising:
- varying a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins using a dihedral angle control system;
- and
- using the buoyancy control system, selectively generating vertical force on the submersible vehicle by varying a buoyancy of the submersible vehicle and thereby changing the elevation of the submersible vehicle in the water, responsive to which the submersible vehicle generates a forward glide thrust on the submersible vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.