Innovations in Drones for Increased Flight Duration

A large multi-copter that can lift heavy payloads and fly long distances, it has enhanced safety and security features. The multi-copter has two sets of propellers—large lift propellers for generating thrust and smaller control propellers for maneuvering. This configuration allows efficient flight without overloading the control motors. The multi-copter also has an onboard computer to aid stability and control. To enhance safety, the control system is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access or tampering.

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A drone with extended flight time can be used by multiple removable battery packs that can be connected in series. The drone has a fuselage with openings between the arms, where battery packs can be inserted. Each battery pack contains multiple battery blocks connected in series. When multiple packs are inserted, their blocks are automatically connected in series to provide higher voltage and endurance.

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A flying robot that can project video onto its body to provide a high-visibility display and human interaction. The robot has a separate movable end with projectors, sensors, and flight control components and a fixed end with processing, charging, and communication components. The cooperative design allows lightweight, long-duration flight with distributed functionality. The projectors can display images on the flexible main body. The fixed end sends control commands and receives sensor data wirelessly.

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Flying robot that uses a distributed architecture with a fixed base and a detachable flying component. The fixed base provides power, control, and communication while the flying component performs flight and interaction. This reduces weight for longer flight times. The flying part has projectors that display on its spherical body. The fixed base controls the flying part wirelessly and receives data from its sensors.

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Combined vertical takeoff and landing UAV that overcomes the limitations of existing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for long-range missions. It involves connecting a small UAV to a large UAV using a clamping and magnetic adsorption device. The large UAV can hover at high altitudes and act as a relay to extend the range and endurance of the small UAV. The connecting device allows stable and reliable connection between the UAVs.

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A fixed-wing drone architecture that enables longer flight endurance and improved aerodynamics compared to prior art drones. The drone has a tandem wing configuration with two wings, one in front of the other. The rear wing is smaller than the front wing. This allows the drone to have a greater surface area covered by photovoltaic cells for solar power generation without excessive wing spans that cause structural stresses. The tandem wing configuration also reduces the shadowing of the cells.

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Automated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) power station that enables autonomous UAV charging and swapping of power modules to extend their range and endurance. The reconfigurable power station has modular power bays to house different types of power cartridges like batteries or fuel cells. It has a mechanism to automatically swap depleted power modules on landed UAVs with ones charged by the station. The station uses markers to guide UAVs to land and take off autonomously.

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Retractable propeller blades for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can extend and retract during flight to provide variability in lift, drag, energy efficiency, and storage. The blades can lengthen outwards to increase propulsion efficiency and lift for longer flights. The blades can retract inwards to decrease drag, increase maneuverability, and enable storage in a compact case. The blade extension/retraction can be automatic based on UAV needs or triggered manually.

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Reducing the load of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with a fuel cell system to improve flight time and range. The load reduction involves lightweight hydrogen storage containers, removing the byproduct gases, and cooling the fuel cell using forced convection of the byproducts. This avoids heavy pressurized tanks and prevents heat buildup. Removing byproducts via electrolysis or evaporation helps reduce vehicle weight.

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A tethered drone system enables long-duration UAV flights for monitoring, surveying, etc. The system uses a ground tether to provide continuous power to the drone so it can stay aloft indefinitely without needing large onboard batteries. The tether also provides a data connection. The drone has an onboard battery and reconfigurable power converter that can receive power from the ground station. This allows the drone to adjust power levels based on payload weight, flight conditions, etc.

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Automated landing, charging, and takeoff systems for UAVs enable the extension of flight times and unmanned operations through autonomous charging and swapping of UAVs. A base station receives the UAV, aligns it using sensors and lasers, charges its battery, and then sends it off.

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A solar-powered UAV with long-duration flights in the stratosphere. The aircraft has a boom fuselage supporting stabilizers and a main wing with a carefully located center of lift, flexural center, and center of mass. These are positioned within a region less than 4% of the wing chord length to achieve longitudinal stability. This allows the UAV to fly for extended periods in the stratosphere powered by solar energy. It is launched vertically and uses a boom fuselage for stability. The careful positioning of lift, flexural center, and mass ensures stable flight over long periods.

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A multi-rotor flying machine, like a drone, provides extended flight times compared to electric motor-powered drones. The machine has multiple head rotors mounted on outriggers and a central motor that drives the rotors. Each outrigger also has a pitch rudder system at the end. This allows independent yaw control from the central motor. The machine can be powered by a single IC engine to achieve much longer flight times compared to electric motors.

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Fixed-wing drone powered by solar cells is designed to maximize endurance without excessive wingspans or structural stress. The drone has two wings, a forward one and an aft one, each covered in solar cells. The aft wing has a smaller wingspan but a larger chord than the forward wing. This balances the lift and compensates for the smaller size of the aft wing. The aft wing also has a positive dihedral angle, while the forward wing has zero dihedral. The asymmetrical design allows the solar cells to capture more sunlight without creating large shadow areas.

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High efficiency long-range drone that increases flight time and payload compared to conventional drones. The drone uses an engine generator as a primary power source and a battery as a secondary power source. The drone can selectively use the engine or battery to power the thrust motors. This allows more power for takeoff and landing using the engine, but cruising using the battery for efficiency. The drone has a unique quadcopter configuration with two main and two perpendicular secondary thrust motors.

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A solar powered, tethered drone system for securing and monitoring outdoor agricultural fields that are difficult to access and far from power sources. The drone is equipped with cameras and other sensors to monitor the field. It uses a tether to stay airborne indefinitely and to receive power from a ground-based trailer unit that contains solar panels and batteries. This allows continuous aerial surveillance without the need for grid power or frequent battery changes.

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Hybrid VTOL fixed-wing drone design that improves endurance, stability and reliability. It has two parallel columns of propellers on linear supports with canard forewings attached. This provides redundancy to stay in the air if one propeller fails. The propellers are arranged to minimize aerodynamic drag and disturbance by using two parallel columns rather than stacking propellers. The rear push propeller is used for high speed flight.

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Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system that allows a UAV to land on and ride along with a moving vehicle to extend its range and endurance. The system includes a control center that can monitor and communicate with the UAV, enabling it to autonomously land on a vehicle that is traveling along a route corresponding to part of the UAV's flight path. The UAV uses sensors and control signals from the center to safely land on and take off from the vehicle while in motion.

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A quadcopter design that improves efficiency and flight duration by using a pushing motor and propeller oriented horizontally to provide forward thrust in addition to the lifting motors. The pushing propeller allows the lifting motors to run at lower speeds when moving horizontally, reducing power consumption. A wing is also included to aid vertical lift during horizontal flight. This configuration allows extended flight duration compared to traditional quadcopters.

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Optimizing delivery drone range and energy efficiency by allowing them to piggyback on vehicles to reach their destinations. The drones autonomously identify compatible candidate vehicles based on destination and route information obtained through communication. The drone then docks with a selected vehicle to conserve energy, charge onboard batteries, avoid obstacles, and save time compared to flying the whole way.

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