US 11,905,005 B2
Unmanned vehicles capable of environmental interaction
David J. Cappelleri, West Lafayette, IN (US); and Daniel R. McArthur, Lafayette, IN (US)
Assigned to Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed by Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/403,706.
Application 17/403,706 is a continuation of application No. 16/109,873, filed on Aug. 23, 2018, granted, now 11,091,256.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/550,199, filed on Aug. 25, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0380233 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); B64D 47/08 (2006.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 50/13 (2023.01); B64U 101/00 (2023.01)
CPC B64C 29/0025 (2013.01) [G05D 1/101 (2013.01); G05D 1/102 (2013.01); B64D 47/08 (2013.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 50/13 (2023.01); B64U 2101/00 (2023.01); B64U 2201/10 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An unmanned ground-based system, comprising:
a chassis;
a plurality of wheels coupled to the chassis and configured to allow the chassis to move about a surface;
a plurality of propeller assemblies configured to provide on-ground motion, the plurality of propeller assemblies each having a propeller include i) two fixed propeller assemblies disposed on port and starboard which are coupled to the chassis and ii) a tail fan, wherein the tail fan configured to apply forces to thereby generate yaw control to enable smooth on ground motion;
a boom having a form of an elongated shaft extending from the chassis and having a boom propeller assembly with a boom propeller disposed on a plane generally perpendicular to the propellers of the fixed propeller assemblies, configured to independently and selectively provide positive and negative rectilinear thrust vectors; and
an end-effector coupled to a distal end of the boom, the end-effector having a force sensor configured to provide contact force between the end-effector and an object, wherein the contact force is used as a feedback signal to determine magnitudes of the positive and negative rectilinear thrust vectors that are generated by the propeller of the boom propeller assembly.