Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Vedran Coralic

Gur Kimchi

Brian C Beckman

Ricky Dean Welsh

Dominic Timothy Shiosaki

Allan Ko

Richard Philip Whitlock

Taylor David Grenier

Cyriel Notteboom

David Moro Ludena

Emilia Sorana Buneci

John Raymond Brodie

Noam Sorek

Sounds are generated by an aerial vehicle during operation. For example, the motors and propellers of an aerial vehicle generate sounds during operation. Disclosed are systems, methods, and apparatus for actively adjusting the position and/or configuration of one or more propeller blades of a propulsion mechanism to generate different sounds and/or lifting forces from the propulsion mechanism.

Aerial vehicle adaptable propeller blades

Aerial vehicles may be equipped with propellers having pivotable blades that are configured to rotate when the propellers are not rotating under power. A pivotable blade may rotate about an axis of a propeller with respect to a hub until the pivotable blade is coaligned with a fixed blade. When the propeller is rotating, a lifting force from the blade may cause the blade to rotate to a deployed position that is not coaligned with the fixed blade.

Deployable propeller blades for aerial vehicles

Sounds are generated by an aerial vehicle during operation. For example, the motors and propellers of an aerial vehicle generate sounds during operation. Systems, methods, and apparatus may actively adjust the position and/or configuration of one or more propeller blades of a propulsion mechanism to generate different sounds and/or lifting forces from the propulsion mechanism.

Aerial vehicle with different propeller blade configurations

Telescoping propeller blades for aerial vehicles

Aerial vehicle propulsion mechanism with coaxially aligned propellers

Aerial vehicles may be equipped with propellers having pivotable blades that are configured to rotate when the propellers are not rotating under power. A pivotable blade may rotate about an axis of a propeller with respect to a hub until the pivotable blade is coaligned with a fixed blade. When the propeller is rotating a lifting force from the blade may cause the blade to rotate to a deployed position that is not coaligned with the fixed blade.

The present disclosure is directed to controlling, reducing, and/or altering sound generated by an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle ('UAV'), while the aerial vehicle is airborne. For example, one or more transducers, such as piezoelectric thin-film transducers, or carbon nanotube transducers may be applied or incorporated into or on the surface of propeller blades that are used to aerially navigate the aerial vehicle. As the propeller blade rotates and generates sound, the transducers may be activated to generate one or more anti-sounds that cancel, reduce, or otherwise modify the sound generated by the rotation of the propeller blade. The anti-sound combines with the sound and causes interference such that the combined, or net-effect, is an overall cancellation, reduction, or other modification of the sound.

Carbon nanotube transducers on propeller blades for sound control

Aerial vehicle propulsion mechanism with coaxially aligned and independently rotatable propellers

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Vedran Coralic