Draganfly Innovations Inc.

Greg Wood

Orville Olm

Zenon Dragan

A multi-rotor UAV comprises a body and a plurality of rotor arms extending radially from the body. A rotor assembly is connected to an outside end of each rotor arm. An attachment interface is connected to the body and provides rotor arm attachment points for attaching the rotor arms to the body and pivoting the rotor arms from an unfolded operating position, to a folded position wherein the rotor arms are pivoted such that an outer arm portion of each rotor arm is enabled to cross the pivot end and an inner arm portion of an adjacent rotor arm.

Multi-rotor UAV with compact folding rotor arms

A combination rotor and wheel assembly for an unmanned vehicle with ground and aerial mobility has a rotor arm adapted to be attached at an inner end thereof to a vehicle body. A rotor is rotatably connected to an outer end of the rotor arm about a rotor axis, and a rotor drive mounted on the rotor arm rotates the rotor such that the rotor exerts an upward lift force on the rotor arm. An open spoked wheel is rotatably connected about the rotor axis independent of the rotor The diameter of the wheel is greater than that of the rotor, and a bottom edge of the wheel is below the rotor. A wheel drive rotates the wheel. Vehicles can have various numbers and orientations of the rotor and wheel assembly to provide aerial and ground mobility.

Vehicle with aerial and ground mobility

A circular folding wheel has a center wheel section encompassing the center of a circle and adapted to be mounted to an axle at the center, with a side substantially corresponding to a chord of the circle. A wheel segment is pivotally attached to the center wheel section about a pivot axis extending along the side of the center wheel section. The wheel segment is movable from a rolling orientation, where the outer edge of the wheel segment is aligned with an outer edge of the center wheel section such that the folding wheel takes a rolling circular shape, to a folded orientation where the wheel segment extends laterally away from the pivot axis. Two, three, or more wheel segments can be pivotally attached to corresponding sides of the center wheel section.

Wheel with folding segments

A rotary wing aircraft apparatus includes a body and a rotor pair connected to the body by an arm. The rotor pair has an upper rotor driven by an upper motor and rotating about an upper rotor axis and a lower rotor driven by a lower motor and rotating about a lower rotor axis. The upper and lower rotor axes are tilted with respect to each other. Tilting the axes away from the arm increases the distance from the rotor blades to the arm, and decreases the risk of the blades of the rotor contacting the arm. In an aircraft with a plurality of arms extending from the body, and a rotor assembly connected to each arm, the arms can be pivoted from a flying position, where the arms extend laterally outward to a folded position where the arms are positioned substantially parallel and adjacent to each other.

Growing community of inventors

Saskatoon, Canada

Greg Wood