阅读说明：本技术 360度飞行机器人 (360-degree flying robot ) 是由 K·B·莱斯 王宁 A·莱斯 于 2020-05-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及360度飞行机器人。所述飞行机器人包括具有至少一个开口的开放式机身和连接至所述开放式机身的多个螺旋桨,所述开放式机身包括用于连接或断开适配模块的通用接口。本发明能起到以下有益技术效果：适应市场上的不同应用,因此能够大规模生产。(The invention relates to a 360-degree flying robot. The flying robot includes an open fuselage having at least one opening and a plurality of propellers connected to the open fuselage, the open fuselage including a universal interface for connecting or disconnecting an adapter module. The invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: is suitable for different applications in the market, so that the method can be produced in a large scale.)

1. A 360 degree flying robot comprising an open fuselage having at least one opening and a plurality of propellers connected to the open fuselage, the open fuselage comprising a universal interface for connecting or disconnecting an adapter module.

2. A 360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 1 wherein said open fuselage is U-shaped, H-shaped, E-shaped, V-shaped or O-shaped.

3. A 360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a mechanical or electrical interface connected between said open fuselage universal interface and said adapter module.

4. A 360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of propellers comprises a rotor blade, a rotor blade connector, a protector disposed about said rotor blade, and a motor for driving rotation of said rotor blade, said rotor blade connector for connecting said rotor blade to said protector.

5. A 360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 1 wherein said open fuselage is comprised of at least one of: reticular structure, light material, hollow structure.

6. A 360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an adjustable structure, said open fuselage comprising a plurality of fuselage cells, said adjustable structure being connected between the fuselage cells to adjust the overall width and/or length of said flying robot.

7. A 360 degree flying robot according to claim 1 further comprising a flexible structure made of freely adjustable fuselage substructure to adjust the overall attitude of the flying robot and enable the flying robot to perform an infinite variety of flying maneuvers.

8. A 360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flying robot may employ a load balancing system for automatically balancing the load of said flying robot.

9. A360 degree flying robot according to claim 8 wherein said load balancing system ensures that the load is evenly distributed to the "hover system" which means that hover drives can be used most efficiently and means that the size of the drives can be minimized.

10. The 360 degree flying robot of claim 8, wherein said load balancing system is configured to automatically move a load center to a hover center for automatically balancing a load of said flying robot.

11. A 360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 8 wherein said load balancing system further comprises a weight element, said load balancing system configured to automatically move said weight element into a position for automatically balancing the load of said flying robot.

12. A360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 8 wherein said load balancing system further comprises a buoyancy element, said load balancing system being configured to automatically move said buoyancy element into a position for automatically balancing the load of said flying robot.

13. A360 degree flying robot as claimed in claim 8 wherein said load balancing system is configured to rotate a load for automatically balancing the load of said flying robot.

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of flying robots, in particular to a 360-degree flying robot.

Background

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), known as drones, also known as flying robots, have been in use for many years. Currently, a typical drone is equipped with sensors and cameras and is becoming increasingly popular for commercial, security and industrial applications. Drones have endless applications because they can fly at different locations at any time without a pilot.

A typical drone is made of lightweight materials. The engineering materials used for manufacturing the unmanned aerial vehicle are highly complex and are used for absorbing vibration through special design, so that the sound generated when the unmanned aerial vehicle flies is reduced. The drone may be equipped with an infrared camera, GPS, laser, etc., which may be controlled by a remote ground control system (GSC).

Typical drones are derived from helicopter designs in which the rotor is replaced by smaller propellers arranged around a central flying body. Drones use rotor blades or paddles for propulsion and control. Now, the drone can do three things on the vertical: hovering, climbing or descending. For hovering, the net thrust of the rotor pushing the drone upwards must be equal to the gravity pulling it downwards. When the rotor blades push the air downward, the air will push the rotor blades upward, thereby creating lift and torque. The smaller the rotor blade, the faster the rotor blade rotates. The thrust of rotor plays key role to unmanned aerial vehicle's maneuver and keep flight in the air. The portable architecture enables the user to perform flight routines including complex airborne maneuvers and precise angle handling of the drone.

While current drones come in a variety of sizes, shapes and configurations, most drones are designed for a single purpose and can only be used for the specific application they handle. In this case, the technical companies and the industry cannot build mass-produced drones to adapt to different applications in the market.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a 360-degree flying robot, which can solve the problems of the prior art, adapt to different applications in the market, and thus can be mass-produced.

The above object of the present invention is achieved by a 360 degree flying robot comprising an open fuselage with at least one opening and a plurality of propellers connected to the open fuselage, the open fuselage comprising a universal interface for connecting or disconnecting an adapter module.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: is suitable for different applications in the market, so that the method can be produced in a large scale.

In particular, the invention makes use of a standardized fuselage structure, i.e. an open fuselage with at least one opening, which comprises a universal interface for connecting or disconnecting adapter modules to adapt to different applications. In the structure of the invention, different tasks can be effectively executed by using the same machine body equipment, and different adaptive modules are adopted for cleaning, surface treatment, fire fighting, paint spraying, maintenance and the like.

Preferably, the open body is U-shaped, H-shaped, E-shaped, V-shaped or O-shaped.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: by means of a suitable open fuselage type, the adapter modules can be connected or disconnected more easily and more suitably.

Preferably, the flying robot further comprises a mechanical or electrical interface connected between the universal interface of the open fuselage and the adapter module.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: the adapter modules can be connected or disconnected more conveniently and more suitably by means of suitable mechanical or electrical interfaces.

Preferably, the open body is formed of at least one of: reticular structure, light material, hollow structure.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: through the light stable fuselage structural design, can realize the lightweight when bearing the load.

Preferably, the flying robot further comprises an adjustable structure, the open fuselage comprising a plurality of fuselage cells, the adjustable structure being connected between the fuselage cells to adjust the overall width and/or length of the flying robot.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: the overall width and/or length of the flying robot can be conveniently adjusted, and the flexibility of the flying robot is improved so as to adapt to different applications. The load balance system is adopted to balance the load of the flying robot, so that the flying of the flying robot is more stable.

Preferably, the flying robot further comprises a flexible structure made of a freely adjustable fuselage substructure to adjust the overall attitude of the flying robot and to enable the flying robot to perform an unlimited variety of flying maneuvers.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: the overall attitude of the flying robot can be conveniently adjusted, and the flexibility of the flying robot is improved so as to adapt to different applications.

Preferably, the flying robot further comprises a load balancing system for automatically balancing the load of the flying robot.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: the load of the flying robot is balanced through the load balancing system, so that the flying robot can fly more stably.

Preferably, the load balancing system is configured to automatically move a load centre to a hover centre for automatically balancing the load of the flying robot.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: through a suitable load balancing mode, the load of the flying robot can be balanced automatically, and the flying robot can fly more stably.

More preferably, the load balancing system is also configured to minimize the hover system while accommodating automatic load balancing of the flight.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: the size of the propeller motor can be minimized, the total weight can be reduced, and the flight range can be expanded.

Preferably, the load balancing system further comprises a weight element, the load balancing system being configured to automatically move the weight element into position for automatically balancing the load of the flying robot.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: the load of the flying robot can preferably be automatically balanced by another suitable load balancing means (counterweight element).

Preferably, the load balancing system further comprises a buoyancy element, the load balancing system being configured to automatically move the buoyancy element into position for automatically balancing the load of the flying robot.

According to the technical scheme, the 360-degree flying robot disclosed by the invention can achieve the following beneficial technical effects: the load of the flying robot can preferably be balanced automatically by another suitable load balancing means (buoyancy element).

Preferably, the load balancing system is configured to rotate a load for automatically balancing the load of the flying robot.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the drawings. It is noted that the drawings are merely exemplary and that changes may be made in the specific designs shown.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which will also form the subject of the claims appended hereto.

Drawings

The above features and other aspects of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

fig. 1a is a schematic perspective view of a flying robot including a U-shaped open body connected with a window wiping module and a plurality of propellers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1b is a schematic view of a propeller of an embodiment of the present invention, including a rotor blade, a rotor blade connector, a protector, and a motor.

FIG. 2 is a front, side and top view of a flying robot including a U-shaped open fuselage of an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a U-shaped open fuselage of an embodiment of the present invention, which has not yet been connected to a propeller.

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a flying robot including an H-shaped open body connected with a plurality of propellers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5a is a schematic view of a U-shaped open fuselage coupled with an adjustable structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5b is a schematic diagram of an adjustable configuration in an extended state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5c is a schematic view of a flying robot including an O-shaped open fuselage coupled with a plurality of propellers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6a is a schematic diagram of a flexible structure of a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6b is a schematic diagram of a flexible structure of a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a third adjustable structure (robotic arm) rotates an angle in one manner.

FIG. 6c is a schematic diagram of a flexible structure of a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a third adjustable structure (robotic arm) rotates the angle in another manner.

FIG. 7a is a schematic view of a load balancing system for a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the loads are not yet balanced.

FIG. 7b is a schematic view of a load balancing system for a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the loads are balanced.

Fig. 8a is a schematic view of a load balancing system of a flying robot in an embodiment of the present invention, with the weight element on the right side.

FIG. 8b is a schematic view of a load balancing system of a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention with a weight element on the left side.

FIG. 9a is a schematic view of a load balancing system for a flying robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the load is not yet balanced by means of buoyancy elements.

FIG. 9b is a schematic view of a load balancing system for a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention wherein the load has been balanced by means of buoyancy elements.

FIG. 9c is a schematic view of another load balancing system for a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein load balancing is via rotation.

List of reference numerals

101. Open type fuselage

102. Mechanical or electrical interface

103. Adaptation module

104. Rotor blade

105. Rotor blade connector

106. Protective device

107. Electric machine

108. Hollow structure

110. First adjustable structure

111. Second adjustable structure

112. Third adjustable structure

113. Rotary joint

114. Weight element

115. Buoyancy element

HC. Center of hover

LC, load center

Detailed Description

While specific embodiments of the invention will be described below, it should be noted that in describing these embodiments, it is not possible to describe in detail all of the features of an actual embodiment in order to provide a concise description. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions are made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be further appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and tedious, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, and thus should not be construed as a complete understanding of this disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in the claims and the specification should have the ordinary meaning as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. The use of "first," "second," and similar terms in the description and claims of the present application do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather the terms are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms "a" or "an," and the like, do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one. The word "comprise" or "comprises", and the like, means that the element or item listed before "comprises" or "comprising" covers the element or item listed after "comprising" or "comprises" and its equivalent, and does not exclude other elements or items. The terms "connected" or "coupled" and the like are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections, nor are they restricted to direct or indirect connections.

Fig. 1a is a schematic perspective view of a flying robot including a U-shaped open body connected with a window wiping module and a plurality of propellers according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flying robot comprises a U-shaped open fuselage 101 with one opening and a plurality of propellers connected to the open fuselage 101, the open fuselage 101 comprising a universal interface for connecting or disconnecting an adapter module (e.g. a window wiping module in fig. 1 a).

As shown in fig. 1a, the open fuselage 101 may also arrange the electrical components required for flying robots. These electrical components may include an energy module (e.g., a battery), a Flight Control System (FCS) or navigation module, a GPS module, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) module, a communication module, and an Electronic Speed Control (ESC) module, among others, suitable for controlling the motors 107, the electrical wires, and the rotor blade connectors 105, among others, used to drive the rotor blades 104 of the flying robot. In some embodiments, some electrical components may be located on an integrated electrical unit (e.g., a circuit board or module). The flying robot can be remotely controlled by using a flying control system, and can also be autonomously controlled to fly by means of the assistance of a gyroscope, a GPS (global positioning system) and other equipment so as to form a more accurate track.

The open fuselage 101 has a universal interface that allows the adapter module 103 to be connected or disconnected to suit the task, while the adapter module 103 may be used for window cleaning, surface treatment, maintenance, painting, fire fighting and other defined applications. The adaptation module 103 is connected to a mechanical or electrical interface 102, which mechanical or electrical interface 102 can be installed in the open body 101 to achieve stability of the entire system when performing tasks. A mechanical or electrical interface 102 is mounted in the open fuselage 101, for example with bolts, to ensure the safety of the load, preventing it from detaching from the flying robot. The adaptation module 103 is equipped with a PLC/microprocessor and a cable, which is connected to the flight control system. The adapter module 103 shown in fig. 1a is a window wiping adapter module with cables connected to the flight control system. The flight control system may be configured to estimate the current speed, direction, and/or position of the flying robot based on data obtained from visual sensors, IMUs, GPS receivers, or other sensors, perform path planning, provide control signals to actuators to implement navigational control, and the like.

In this case, the flight control system may be configured to issue control signals to adjust the state of the flying robot and the connected adaptation module based on the remotely received control signals. The flight control system directs the flying robot to fly to a predetermined destination, when the flying robot reaches the destination it feeds data to the PLC/microprocessor of the adaptation module 103 that is to perform the task, and after the task is completed, the PLC/microprocessor sends feedback to the flight control system. As shown in fig. 1a, the adapter module 103 may be connected to the open body 101 by sliding the additional mechanical or electrical interface 102 onto the open body 101, whereas the adapter module 103 may be disconnected from the open body 101. Basically, the open fuselage 101 can be expanded or shortened to match the size of the corresponding model 102/103.

The open body 101 can be easily adjusted by being folded, extended, or tilted in various directions. The rotation of the open fuselage and propeller may be flexible or fixed as desired. The flexibility of the open fuselage structure is a great advantage of flying robots integration in the automation process.

Fig. 1b is a schematic view of a propeller according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a rotor blade 104, a rotor blade connector 105, a protector 106 and a motor 107. The propeller is connected to the open fuselage 101 by a rod that allows the propeller to fold and/or unfold during operation. The propeller can change the movement of the flying robot into free three-dimensional movement. The motor 107 generates a force in the form of a rotation of the shaft to provide rotation of the rotor blades 104.

FIG. 2 is a view of the flying robot of FIG. 1a from a different angle, operating with a load. During the driving of the motor 107, the propellers can be flexibly rotated in groups to maintain load balance. The propeller/blades can be adjusted in various directions to accommodate various operations. The propellers 104 are not necessarily in the same plane, and the arrangement plane thereof may be automatically changed according to different purposes.

Currently, the existing flying robot can only fly vertically or horizontally, so it is difficult to perform a task on an object having a complex structure. The present invention provides a 360 degree flying robot equipped with a tuning system that can be easily reached and operated at all angles of an object (e.g., non-linear buildings, system maintenance, etc.). The whole system is controlled by a programmable controller/microprocessor system and a sensor.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a U-shaped open fuselage 101 of an embodiment of the present invention, which has not yet been connected to a propeller. The open body 101 may be constructed of at least one of: reticular structure, light material, hollow structure. For example, a substantially rectangular hollow structure 108 can be seen in the cross-sectional view A-A of FIG. 3. Of course, one skilled in the art will appreciate, based on the present disclosure, that a mesh structure may also be used. Reticulated structures are valued for their high specific strength, which provides a material structure of minimum density and relatively high compressive and shear properties. In addition, the open body 101 may be made of a lightweight stable material such as a carbon fiber material, helium foam, or the like to enhance the strength and reduce the weight of the flying robot. The propeller shown in fig. 1b may be attached around an open fuselage 101 to give the complete finished product shown in fig. 1 a. In particular, the open fuselage 101 is centrally located and the propellers may be distributed evenly around it in a symmetrical manner.

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a flying robot including an H-shaped open body connected with a plurality of propellers according to an embodiment of the present invention. The propellers are connected to both ends of the open body 101. The open fuselage 101 may also arrange the electrical components required for flying robots. As previously mentioned, these electrical components include an energy module (e.g., a battery), a flight control system, a navigation module, a GPS module, an inertial measurement unit module, a communication module, and an electronic speed control module, among others. In this case, the generic interface of the flying robot allows the flying robot to load according to the needs of its specific task or application.

Fig. 5a is a schematic view of a U-shaped open fuselage coupled to a first adjustable structure 110 and a second adjustable structure 111 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Flying robots can be quickly converted to different configurations and sizes to obtain the best fit for a particular application and module. The open fuselage comprises a plurality of fuselage cells between which a first adjustable structure 110 and a second adjustable structure 111 are connected to adjust the overall width and/or length of the flying robot. The adjustable structures 110, 111 allow the flying robot to make the necessary size changes to accommodate different sized adaptation modules and loads. The existing flying robot has limitations in handling objects of various sizes.

The open fuselage 101 of the invention, by means of the adjustable structures 110, 111 shown in fig. 5a or 5b, provides an adaptation module in a range of sizes to suit the application in question. The first adjustable structure 110 is directly connected to the open fuselage 101 and fixed across the open fuselage 101, enabling lateral movement, thus adjusting the overall width of the flying robot; the second adjustable structure 111 is located at the side of the open body 101 and can adjust the overall length of the flying robot, thus extending the body of the flying robot. During operation, the distance of the adjustable structures 110, 111 may be adjusted manually or automatically to accommodate the size of the adapter module or load.

FIG. 5c is a schematic view of a flying robot including an O-shaped open fuselage coupled with a plurality of propellers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The flying robot can lift load through the opening of the O-shaped open type fuselage. During operation, the O-shaped open fuselage structure may be operated alone or in pairs. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate, based on the present disclosure, that other open fuselage configurations (e.g., B-shaped, D-shaped, etc.) may be used without departing from the scope of the claims herein.

FIG. 6a is a schematic diagram of a flexible structure of a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6b is a schematic diagram of a flexible structure of a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a third adjustable structure (robotic arm) rotates an angle in one manner. FIG. 6c is a schematic diagram of a flexible structure of a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a third adjustable structure (robotic arm) rotates the angle in another manner. The third adjustable structure 112 (mechanical arm) is connected with the rotary joint 113, so that the flying robot has flexibility and can be manipulated at different angles according to application purposes. That is, the third adjustable structure 112 (robot arm) may be connected between the body units by means of the rotary joint 113 to adjust the overall attitude of the flying robot.

The flying robot can also be provided with a load balancing system to realize high-efficiency operation. Load balancing is mainly illustrated in the following cases.

The first case is shown in fig. 7a and 7b, the load balancing system is configured to automatically move the load center LC to the hover center HC for automatically balancing the load of the flying robot. To balance the load of the flying robot, the load center LC shares the same center with the hover center HC, which is located at the center of the four propellers to keep the flying robot level. In this case, the engines (propeller motors) may have exactly the same size.

The second case is shown in fig. 8a and 8b, where the weight element 114 is introduced in the vicinity of the load centre LC and the hovering centre HC. The weight element 114 may be moved left or right to balance the load. As shown in fig. 8a, in order to ensure that the flying robot is level, the engine size on the left side should be larger than the engine size on the right side when the weight element 114 is moved to the right side; as shown in fig. 8b, in order to ensure that the flying robot is level, the engine size on the right side should be larger than the engine size on the left side when the weight element 114 is moved to the left side.

A third situation is shown in fig. 9a and 9b, where the loading of the flying robot is balanced by the introduction of buoyancy elements 115. The buoyancy element 115 has an upward force or thrust applied to the opposing load. For example, a helium balloon may be used as the buoyancy element 115 to support the load. Buoyancy element 115 is also used to compensate for load weight, as it may be higher or lower than load weight. In this case, the engines may be of the same size. However, in these three cases, the hover center HC must remain constant.

FIG. 9c is a schematic view of another load balancing system for a flying robot of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein load balancing is via rotation. In this case, the rotation of the load may assist the rotation mechanism of the flying robot.

What has been described and illustrated herein are preferred embodiments of the present invention and certain variations thereof. The terms, descriptions and numbers used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, which will be defined by the following claims (and their equivalents) in which all terms are in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Any headings used in this specification are for reference only and do not have legal or limiting capabilities.