A Mobile Landing Platform for Miniature Vertical Take-Off and Landing Vehicles

Abstract

Miniature Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicles have limited range of operations mainly due to their limited payload capacities and power availability. To increase this range, a modified unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is used to transport the VTOL to its target area serving as an onsite take-off/landing and possibly refueling base. A gimbaled landing platform design is proposed and the necessary equations are derived to level the platform despite of the pose (roll, pitch, yaw) of the UGV. To increase UGV endurance, a solar array is used and solar tracking capabilities for performance maximization are examined. Simulations are carried out to check the validity of the design. The case of an ATRV-Jr as the UGV base and a Raptor 90SE as the VTOL is investigated, but the design is generic enough and suitable for other UGV/VTOL vehicles.

Robotic Strategies to Assist Pilots in Landing and Takeoff of Helicopters on Ships and Offshore

“…Dalamagkidis et al design a gimbaled landing platform on an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) (Figure 1). Instead of a ship, an UGV is used in order to transport miniature vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) (Dalamagkidis et al, 2006). A two-axes gimbaled is used for ensuring a horizontal landing and free from vibrations platform for the VTOL, even during the movement of the UGV.…”

“…1. 3D representation of the landing platform installed on UGV top (Dalamagkidis et al, 2006) Before Dalamagkidis a similar configuration was used, but the platform mounted on the vehicle is used to aceleration compensation of it. Graf and Dillmann used a Stewart platform installed on the mobile robot so that abrupt vehicle movements and accelerations affect the object in a smooth way in x-and y-direction.…”

Coordinated control of working implements-vehicle body for terrain adaptation of a robotized hilly tractor

“…7 A universal joint attitude adjusting mechanism composed of two mutually perpendicular rotating joints is used in the ATRv-JR mobile robot. 8 A rotating pair and moving pair are used in an island vehicle helicopter take-off and landing platform, 9 in which the rotating pair realizes direction adjustment and the moving pair realizes horizontal adjustment. A hydraulic cylinder is used to push the tractor cab to rotate around the horizontal axis of rotation, 10,11 and a multipoint support with adjustable length is used in an active suspension mechanism.…”

An Active helideck testbed for floating structures based on a Stewart-Gough platform

“…Dalamagkidis et al design a gimbaled landing platform on an unmanned ground vehicle. Instead of a ship, an unmanned ground vehicle is used in order to transport miniature vertical take off and landing (VTOL) vehicles to its target area serving as an on site take off/landing and/or possibly as a refueling base [9]. Therefore, development of new equipment and technologies are required so as to ease helicopter crew with the execution of flight operation.…”