Six degree of freedom aerial vehicle having reconfigurable wings

US10981649B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC. · US

Inventors

• Louis LeRoi LeGrand, III · Seattle, US
• Omri Rand · Seattle, US
• Gur Kimchi · Bellevue, US
• Sebastian Fischer · Lennestadt, DE
• Ricky Dean Welsh · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 17, 2018
• Grant date: Apr 20, 2021
• Expiry date: May 24, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B64U2101/64
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Various reconfigurations of wing sections of a ring wing of an aerial vehicle are described. For example, responsive to a fault or failure of a propulsion mechanism, one or more wing sections may be modified to maintain control and safety of the aerial vehicle. In example embodiments, positions, angular orientations, and/or pitches of one or more wing sections may be modified to maintain control and safety in either a horizontal, wingborn flight orientation, or a vertical, VTOL flight orientation.