Multi-Modal UAVs for Versatile Operational Switching

A long endurance hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle (HUAV) that can transition between vertical takeoff/landing and fixed wing flight modes. It has a fixed wing section with a forward thrust motor, and VTOL units with vertical thrust motors on the tail boom. Solar cells on the wings power the VTOL motors during takeoff/landing. The control unit gradually transitions flight modes by varying motor speeds. The HUAV can also amphibiously land/takeoff on water. It has payloads like cameras, sprayers, sensors, and communication systems. The HUAV is autonomous, swarmable, and has hybrid power sources like batteries, fuel cells, and solar panels.

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A hybrid unmanned aerial and submersible vehicle that can transition seamlessly between air, water, and submerged operation. The vehicle has tilting wings that allow vertical takeoff and landing on water. The fuselage is designed for both aerial and underwater use. The vehicle can fly, swim, dive, and navigate underwater using the same propulsion system. It can also transition between modes without surface infrastructure. The hybrid vehicle enables versatile operations in multiple environments without the need for specialized vehicles.

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Control method for an amphibious aircraft that can switch between flying, hovering on water, and submerged underwater navigation. The method involves using a motor with high speed and low torque for air flight, and low speed and high torque for water and submerged navigation. The aircraft also uses sensors for positioning and navigation, and a remote controller for control. The switching between flight modes is done through a state switching module and buoyancy adjustment module.

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Amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can both fly in the air and navigate on water. The UAV has a landing control system that allows it to switch between landing modes depending on the surface. The control system uses sensors to detect the landing destination and then adjusts the power and landing gear accordingly. For water landings, the UAV lowers a buoyant device to support it on the water. For landings on solid ground, the UAV uses the landing gear like a regular UAV. This versatility allows the UAV to transition between aerial and aquatic travel without needing separate watercraft.

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An unmanned aerial/ground hybrid vehicle that can convert between aerial and ground modes using the same actuator. The vehicle has a rotor that can pivot between a vertical position for flying and a horizontal position to drive on the ground. The rotor is mounted on a shaft that can rotate to transition between the two positions. A locking mechanism holds the rotor in place once transitioned. The same motor powers the rotor in both modes. A tilting mechanism actuated by a servo motor moves the rotor between positions.

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Asymmetric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) with simplified and efficient transition between hovering and forward flight modes. The UAV has an asymmetrical configuration with one main wing a smaller intersecting wing, and three sets of propellers along the wings. The propellers are arranged to generate torque-free roll and yaw moments during transition. The unique wing and propeller arrangement allows a simple and fast transition between modes while providing stable flight and control in all orientations.

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Efficiently transitioning between flight and ground modes in a dual-mode unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to improve speed and reduce power consumption compared to stopping and restarting in mid-air. The method involves using the horizontal momentum of the UAV when switching modes. When taking off, the UAV generates vertical thrust to reach target altitude within a set time based on horizontal speed. When landing, it uses vertical thrust to maintain horizontal speed. This allows seamless mode transitions without stopping.

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A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft capable of transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight configurations for improved efficiency and ease of use compared to traditional aircraft. The aircraft has multiple rotors on the main and vertical wings that can adjust speed and pitch independently to provide complete control and rotation about any axis. It uses electric motors for propulsion and a flight control system that allows semi-autonomous flight with simple directional commands. This allows the aircraft to take off and land vertically like a helicopter but transition to horizontal flight like a fixed-wing aircraft for faster speeds and longer range.

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Convertible aircraft that can transition between vertical and horizontal flight modes. The aircraft has two wings with segments that can translate and rotate to change the configuration. When flying horizontally, the wing segments are aligned with the fuselage. For vertical flight, the segments move apart and rotate 90 degrees. Engine pods on the wing segments also rotate to maintain thrust direction. This allows the aircraft to switch between modes without requiring complex mechanisms.

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An aircraft that can switch between a fixed wing flight mode and a rotor flight mode by rotating the wings and fuselage. It has a fuselage with a rotating section containing wings that can rotate about their spars. The wings have engines mounted at positions between 20% and 75% of the semi-span. Actuators are coupled to the wings' spars to rotate them. The fuselage section with the rotating wings can rotate around the longitudinal axis.

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A land-air dual-purpose drone that can operate both on the ground and in the air. The drone has a body with six symmetrical arms, each arm has a motor and a rotor. The bottom of the body connects to a support rod through a ball hinge. The support rod has wheels at the other end allowing the drone to roll on the ground. The drone can transition between ground and air modes by unfolding the wheels and lifting off, or folding the wheels and landing. A signal receiver on the body allows remote control.

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Autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can vertically take off and land, fly with fixed wings, and stay in the air silently for long periods by using a balloon. The UAV has an engine group that powers the front and rear propellers. The engine is a hybrid that runs on hydrogen fuel. When the balloon is inflated, the UAV can remain stationary using just the electric engine. The UAV also has folding wings that extend when the front propeller starts spinning. The UAV can be operated remotely or autonomously.

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A multi-purpose drone that can fly, drive on land, and float on water. The drone has a detachable propeller arm that can be removed for land and water travel. The drone also has a coupling mechanism between the air and water units for seamless transitions between modes. The drone is controlled by a single controller for both air and ground/water movement.

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An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can vertically take off and land like a drone and then transition to fixed-wing flight for endurance. The UAV has a detachable fixed wing assembly and a detachable rotor assembly. The body connects to either assembly for vertical takeoff/landing or fixed-wing flight. This allows using the drone-like rotors for short-range tasks and detaching them for long-range fixed-wing missions. The body has features like a tail and support frame that work with both assemblies.

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A drone with a modular design that allows it to switch between multicopter and airplane flight modes. The drone has a body with attachments for both horizontal multicopter propellers and vertical airplane propellers. It also has wing attachments. This lets the user replace the horizontal propellers with vertical propellers and wings for airplane flight, or use the horizontal propellers only for multicopter flight. The drone body has electronics to control both types of propellers. This allows versatility between the efficient lift of an airplane and the maneuverability of a multicopter. The modular design enables the drone to have both functions in one device instead of requiring separate multicopter and airplane drones.

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Allowing drones to take off from any orientation, including upside-down, by reversing the rotation direction of some propellers. The drone has propellers with sets of rotating parts that can spin in opposite directions when flipped. This allows the drone to maintain lift and fly rightside-up or upside-down. The drone can be programmed to automatically flip itself if sensors detect certain conditions. The reversed propeller directions prevent contact with the ground when landing upside-down. The drone can also land and take off from inclined surfaces.

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A morphing wing design for aircraft like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) enables rapid transition between high maneuverability and high-speed flight modes. The wing pivots at the aircraft body and rotates the outer section downward and inward. This reduces lift and drag compared to the extended position. The pivoting wing shape creates a fluid channel under it for lift generation. The morphing wing allows quick changes between low-drag configurations for fast dives/climbs and high-lift configurations for slow flight. This provides enhanced maneuverability and speed for applications like counter-UAS.

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Compound-wing electric powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for efficient inspection of reservoirs. The UAV has vertical takeoff and landing capability along with fixed-wing flight. The UAV has an integrated fuselage with embedded ducted lift rotors on both sides. The rotors are opposite spinning to enable vertical takeoff/landing. Wings with ducted propulsion fans are also provided. The UAV has a cockpit, battery compartment, tail, and landing gear. The symmetrical rotors and ducts allow vertical takeoff/landing while the wings provide efficiency for cruising. The UAV can operate in reservoirs with vertical access and fixed-wing speed.

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A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can transition between vertical and horizontal flight using contra-rotating propellers and retractable wings. The UAV hovers using the propellers and extends wings for horizontal flight. This allows vertical takeoff and landing without a runway, then transitioning to horizontal flight with wings for efficiency. The contra-rotating propellers provide vertical thrust with zero torque in hover mode, and horizontal thrust in level flight. The wings retract into the fuselage when not needed for vertical flight.

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A multi-modal unmanned vehicle that can transform its shape and body configuration to realize different forms of mobility and navigate unstructured environments. It can fly, roll, crawl, balance, tumble, scout, and loco-manipulate objects by changing between unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and unmanned aerial system (UAS) modes. The vehicle has a transformable chassis and legs with wheels and propellers that can be actuated to transition between modes.

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Compact and simplified land-air dual-purpose flying vehicle that can transition between driving on the ground and flying in the air. The vehicle has a body with a steering wheel and seats for driving, but when the seats are reconfigured, it becomes a flying vehicle with flight controls. The vehicle body also houses a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) multi-axis rotor and a propeller integrated into one of the wheels. This allows the vehicle to hover, fly, and drive without requiring separate propulsion and control systems for each mode.

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A variable configuration unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can switch between fixed wing and multi-ducted configurations for long range cruise and hovering/maneuverability. The UAV takes off using a rocket engine and fixed wings. After reaching the target, it separates the wings and tail to become a multi-ducted aircraft with ducted fans. This allows hovering and precise maneuverability. The multi-ducted fuselage has a compartment for mission payloads. The separation is triggered by explosive bolts.

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A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can operate in the air, on land, and in water. The UAV has lift propellers for vertical flight, a cabin for cargo/passengers, and a water propulsion system at the rear to push the cabin when partially immersed. This allows the UAV to takeoff/land vertically on water like a seaplane, fly in the air like a regular UAV, and also drive on land using wheels. The amphibious capability comes from the rear water propeller and cabin-mounted wheels.

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An aircraft rotor system has a reconfigurable duct that can be closed or opened to enclose or expose the rotor blades. The duct has a movable portion that can collapse or unfold. In one configuration, the movable duct piece surrounds the rotor blades for increased thrust. In another configuration, the movable duct piece moves away from the rotor blades to reduce drag. This allows the duct to be optimized for hover or cruise modes by enclosing the rotor for vertical thrust and opening it for horizontal flight. The duct reconfiguration is coordinated with the tilt of the tiltrotor aircraft to align the rotor thrust direction.

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VTOL aircraft design that can transition between vertical takeoff/landing and efficient forward flight modes, enabling runway-free operation with high-speed capabilities. The aircraft features M-shaped wings with forward and backward-swept portions and tilt-rotor propulsion. This allows it to generate lift from thrust vectors in VTOL mode and from the wings in forward flight mode. The tilting rotors provide thrust vectoring for vertical lift and thrust, while the swept wings generate lift in horizontal flight.

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