USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Anthony D Jones

Wayne P Liu

Michael H Tall

Gregory Wayne Anderson

Aaron Bruce Burmeister

Maxwell Mayekawa Kerber

Kurt Arthur Talke

Michael R Murphy

Lance Von Lowenberg

Michael Ouimet

The present invention relates to a system that can to capture, retain, and release a small UAV/drone. Exemplary embodiments include a plurality of capture mechanisms each include a capture arm coupled to an actuator. The capture mechanism can include two pivot points, one of which can move along a track or groove, to allow the capture arm to extend and retract while maintaining a small combined circumference during UAV landing while still being able to extend to engage with a retention ring on the UAV.

Unmanned aerial vehicle self-centering and capture system and related methods

A method for adjusting the proportional gain value of a proportional controller for use in an unmanned underwater vehicle. The invention includes the steps of: recording at an unmanned underwater vehicle a captured image in the direction of travel; applying a first filter to the captured image; calculating a first distance from each pixel in the captured image to a specified target color; finding the selected pixel from the captured image with the minimum distance from the specified target color, normalizing the image coordinates of the selected pixel into normalized image coordinates; passing the normalized image coordinates as an error value to the proportional controller; calculating a rate of error at the proportional controller; updating the proportional gain according at the proportional controller; and applying a control signal at the proportional controller.

Self-adapting guidance method for unmanned underwater vehicle docking

A target spar. A left jaw member. The left guidance portion has a left spiral curve. The left arm portion has a left arm profile, a left arm gear, and a left arm protrusion. A right jaw member. The right guidance portion has a right spiral curve. The right arm portion comprises a right arm gear and a right arm protrusion. A top plate member. A bottom plate member. A drive unit comprising an electric motor within a pressure housing. A drive shaft on the electric motor. The bottom plate member abuts the left jaw member, the right jaw member, and the top plate member. The left jaw member and the right jaw member opened and closed. At the closed position, the target spar is slidably received in the left and right jaw members, the top and bottom plate members, and abuts the left and right arm profiles.

Spiral curve self-aligning docking device

A base member comprising a vertical fin member, a vertical fin stopper surface, a trigger arm recess, and a base guidance slot. A left jaw member comprising a left jaw portion, a left lever portion, a left guidance slot, a left fastening hole, and a trigger release screw. A right jaw member comprising a right jaw portion, a right lever portion, and a right guidance slot. A trigger arm member comprising a trigger hook and a curved trigger end. A top member comprising a top guidance slot, a left spring hole, a right spring hole, a left bottom recess, a right bottom recess, a left spring recess, and a right spring recess. A left spring tension screw received through the left spring hole and a left spring spacer retained in the left spring recess. A bumper member with a bumper surface, a left elongated member, and a right elongated member.

Passive mechanical system for docking and payload transfer for unmanned underwater vehicles

A dynamically balanced, tracked robot, which can switch between dynamically balanced (wheeled) operation and tracked operation, can include a body and at least one wheel rotatably mounted to the body. At least one strut can also be mounted to the body so that it extends therefrom, and an idler wheel can be fixed to the distal end of the strut. A track can be slipped over the wheel and that idler wheel, so that the track frictionally engages both the wheel and the idler wheel. The robot can have a defined vertical reference vector and a processor. The processor can have non-transitory written instructions that, when accomplished, cause the vertical reference vector to be parallel with a vector defined by the robot axis and the revised post-installation center of gravity, to continue to allow for dynamic balancing of the newly-tracked robot.

Track kit for two wheeled balancing ground vehicle

A lightweight inflatable marker buoy system is resistant to deflation and sinking if punctured. This device will most likely be used by a diver while underwater, but could be air delivered or dropped over the side of a boat and be activated by a timer or on command by electronic or acoustic means. A pair of chemical injector/cartridges each contains pressurized gas and a different chemical compound of a binary chemical compound for producing foam. A housing mounts the pair of chemical injector/cartridges on it and has a chamber to mix the pressurized gas and different compounds of the binary chemical compound to produce the foam. A balloon or flexible, compliant bag coupled to the housing receives the foam, is inflated by the pressurized gas and the foam, and is maintained in an inflated condition as the foam hardens. This lightweight portable buoy can be used as a temporary marker by authorities when an obstruction to navigation is found or when permanent buoys are moved or destroyed after a storm.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Anthony D Jones