Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: grendel@fen.arc.nasa.gov (Raymond E. Suorsa)
Subject: Re: Discussion: Flying Robot
In-Reply-To: conger@rock.concert.net's message of 4 Nov 1993 20:37:15 GMT
Message-ID: <GRENDEL.93Nov9110530@fen.arc.nasa.gov>
Sender: usenet@news.arc.nasa.gov
Reply-To: grendel@windchime.arc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center
References: <CFxJu5.H7n@mach1.wlu.ca> <2bbp5r$5uo@inxs.concert.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 19:05:30 GMT
Lines: 42

>>>>> "Eric" == Eric Conger <conger@rock.concert.net> writes:
In article <2bbp5r$5uo@inxs.concert.net> conger@rock.concert.net (Eric Conger - Virex Developer) writes:


Eric> In article <CFxJu5.H7n@mach1.wlu.ca>, Raymond Skarratt u
Eric> <skar7950@mach1.wlu.ca> wrote:
>>  Ok, I've recently been dreaming up a design for a flying robot.
>> 
>> My design kind of looks like a disc or somthing along those lines
>> (polygon, whatever) with a hole in the middle.  In this hole there
>> are two independantly controlled counter-rotating helecopter
>> rotors.
>> 
>> I think that this design will work, I'm just having problems with
>> how I'm going to handle altitude and direction control.
>> 
>> Please post responses or e-mail me and if I have time I will post
>> results (pending interest)
>> 
>> Thanks for your time, Ray skar7950@mach1.wlu.ca
>> 

Eric> In my spare time, I have been dreaming about creating a "UFO"
Eric> saucer.  I would make it round, open in the middle with a single
Eric> blade.  I'd use the exhaust from the muffler to counter the
Eric> rotation just like rotorless helicopters do.  A large RC
Eric> airplane engine might produce enough thrust to use an airplane
Eric> propeller for lift (instead of a helicopter type rotor).

Eric> Rotation can be controlled by the amount of exhaust which
Eric> opposes the torque.  This gives you steering/direction.
Eric> Altitude is controlled by the throttle position.

Good idea.  Sikorsky has recently done just that with CIFER.  It is
about six feet in diameter (if memory serves) and has counter rotating
blades.  Control is via telemetry with a fuzzy logic controller.

--

  __o   Ray Suorsa,
  \<,   grendel@windchime.arc.nasa.gov,
()/ ()  NASA/Ames:USA (Lab) +1 415-604-6334 (Office) +1 415-604-5451
