Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Michael Daniel Piedmonte

Cyriel Notteboom

David Moro Ludena

Christopher Gornall

James Thomas

Gur Kimchi

Ubaldo Bova

Joshua White Traube

Liam Stewart Cavanaugh Pingree

Described is a system and apparatus that provides redundant flight control for an aerial vehicle without the use of independent and dedicated redundant flight control boards and processors. Additional compute resources available on processors of other device boards of an aerial vehicle may be used to execute redundant flight control programs. The device boards and/or those redundant flight control programs monitor the operability of the various flight controllers. If any of the flight controllers is determined to be inoperable, one of the redundant flight control programs assumes the role of the inoperable controller.

Multi-device redundant flight controller

Modular units having one or more bays or compartments are installed into openings of aerial vehicles that are sized and configured to accommodate the modular units. Multiple items may be loaded into the respective bays or compartments of the modular unit, which is installed into an opening of an aerial vehicle, and carried by the aerial vehicle to locations where the items are to be delivered. Hatches or coverings of the bays or compartments are selectively operated to deploy the items therefrom at the designated locations. A modular unit may be selected for use in a mission based on a number of bays or compartments therein, or any other features of the modular unit, and installed in any number of aerial vehicles having appropriately sized and configured openings.

Modular delivery units for use in aerial vehicles

An aerial vehicle may include adjustable shrouds to selectively provide protection for propellers of the aerial vehicle. The adjustable shrouds may be moved to an extended configuration around a periphery of one or more propellers during generally vertical flight or hovering operations, when delivery a payload, and/or upon detecting objects in proximity. Likewise, the adjustable shrouds may be moved to a retracted configuration that eliminates or minimizes adverse aerodynamic effects during generally horizontal flight operations, when operating at high altitude, and/or upon detecting no objects in proximity. The adjustable shrouds may include various designs, such as fan shrouds, telescoping shrouds, folding shrouds, and deployable arm shrouds.

Adjustable shrouds for propeller safety

Various mechanisms for adjusting pitches of propeller blades are described. For example, the pitch adjustment mechanism may include a propeller hub enclosing a geared mechanism that cooperates with a compound gearbox having first and second planetary stages to adjust pitches of propeller blades. Alternatively, the pitch adjustment mechanism may include a propeller hub enclosing a pitch adjustment assembly that utilizes tension cables and torsion springs, or rack-and-pinion structures, to adjust pitches of propeller blades. Using any of the various mechanisms, the pitches of propeller blades may be rotated at least 90 degrees, and up to and exceeding 360 degrees, in order to effect thrust reversals and/or adjust thrust profiles.

Variable pitch mechanisms for propeller blades using a compound gearbox

Data captured during evolutions performed by aerial vehicles prior to one or more missions, and data regarding outcomes of the missions, may be used to train a machine learning system to predict data regarding an outcome of a mission of an aerial vehicle based on the performance of the aerial vehicle during one or more evolutions. The data may be captured by sensors provided aboard an aerial vehicle, or in association with a testing facility, and may include data captured during both pre-flight and/or in-flight evolutions performed by the aerial vehicle. The evolutions may include any pre-flight operation of motors, propellers and/or control surfaces, or any other components, as well as the in-flight operation of such components. If a machine learning system determines that a mission is unlikely to succeed, the mission may be canceled, delayed until further inspections may be performed, or assigned to another aerial vehicle.

Automated pre-flight and in-flight testing of aerial vehicles by machine learning

An aerial vehicle having a single wing is configured for vertical-flight and forward-flight operations. The wing has a substantially high aspect ratio. The aerial vehicle includes tilt motor assemblies disposed at a forward end and an aft end of a fuselage. The tilt motor assemblies are configured to orient motors and rotors vertically, horizontally, or at any angle between vertical and horizontal. A pair of parallel booms are mounted beneath the wing on either side of the fuselage. Each of the booms has at least one vertically oriented motor and rotor associated therewith, and a vertical fin extending thereunder. Additionally, a forward tilt motor assembly includes a rotatable extension that is deployed when the motor assembly is configured for vertical flight, enabling the aerial vehicle to land on the vertical fins and the landing rotatable extension.

Versatile multirotor aerial vehicles

An aerial vehicle may include adjustable configurations to selectively provide protection for propellers of the aerial vehicle. Portions of the wing and/or the tail plane of the aerial vehicle may be reconfigured to an extended configuration around a periphery of one or more propellers during generally vertical flight or hovering operations, when delivery a payload, and/or upon detecting objects in proximity. Likewise, the portions of the wing and/or the tail plane may be reconfigured to a retracted configuration that eliminates or minimizes adverse aerodynamic effects during generally horizontal flight operations, when operating at high altitude, and/or upon detecting no objects in proximity. During the reconfiguration, portions of the leading edge of the wing may be extended or retracted, and/or portions of the tail plane may be extended, retracted, and/or rotated.

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Bothell, WA, United States of America

Michael Daniel Piedmonte