Powered Kite with Enhanced Aerial Position Control

This innovative kite system is called the WindiWing, and utilizes aerodynamic forces and moments to control its configuration for both ascent and descent, eliminating the need for an external power source or human intervention. By harnessing wind power, the system autonomously climbs and descends along a pilot kite line, provided sufficient wind conditions exist. Windiwing includes a set of stops at predetermined upper and lower bounds of the kite line, which define the highest and lowest points the WindiWing can travel. When a stop is hit, the WindiWing changes direction. Therefore, it can sustain extended flight times at different altitudes. Unlike prior solutions, WindiWing is a passive line-climber operating entirely through aero-mechanical principles and does not require electrical power or active control systems for changes in lift. Instead, WindiWing continuously moves between the designated stops along the kite tether, maintaining stable and predictable movement without the need for remote operation or onboard power. WindiWing is designed with flexibility in mind, offering the ability to carry a range of instrumentation, making it suitable for integration with kite-based systems, tethered balloons, or uncrewed aircraft platforms. The absence of electrical components reduces complexity, enhances reliability, and allows for extended atmospheric data collection with minimal oversight. By offering a scalable, cost-effective, and power-independent solution, this technology enables long-duration atmospheric profiling at various altitudes, making it an ideal tool for researchers in the fields of atmospheric research, environmental research, and education.

The ActiVator is a rigid-wing system designed to transport sensor or instrument packages along a kite line using the lift generated by apparent wind. Unlike flexible, sail-like structures, the ActiVator maintains its aerodynamic shape throughout its flight, except for a movable elevator control surface that adjusts the angle of attack to regulate aerodynamic lift. The structural design leverages principles from aircraft wing engineering, incorporating a reinforced spar capable of withstanding lift-induced bending and drag forces, an aerodynamically optimized leading edge, and a thin trailing edge to achieve higher lift coefficients than typical sail-based designs. The ActiVator can be constructed using a variety of materials, including wood with plastic covering, molded foam with reinforcements, or other lightweight composites tailored for both aerodynamic performance and structural integrity. The control system mirrors conventional aircraft design, using a movable surface for pitch control, thereby adjusting lift to facilitate climbing or descending. Currently, the ActiVator operates via radio-controlled inputs, but it can also be configured for preprogrammed flight sequences, allowing autonomous operation without active user control. By offering a stable, compact, and lightweight platform, the ActiVator enables high-performance instrument deployment across diverse wind conditions. Potential applications include air-quality monitoring, atmospheric boundary layer research, distributed weather observations, and remote sensing, such as optimizing the field of view and resolution of a fixed-lens camera. The technology is at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 (validated in a laboratory environment) and is available for patent licensing.

The AeroPods design for steadying and damping payloads includes the use of a tail boom and fin combination. It is a novel design and provides a relatively simple alternative to the traditional methods for suspending equipment from kites or blimps. The AeroPod is superior to the traditional Picavet pulley-style suspension system for kite-flight because its light weight, simple to construct, and has no moving parts. Furthermore, the AeroPod design is advantageous to the traditional tethered blimp suspension technique where tether motion is translated directly to the sensor system because the AeroPod is free of direct motions of the tether.

The technology presents an on-board estimation, navigation and control architecture for multi-rotor drones flying in an urban environment. It consists of adaptive algorithms to estimate the vehicle's aerodynamic drag coefficients with respect to still air and urban wind components along the flight trajectory, with guaranteed fast and reliable convergence to the true values. Navigation algorithms generate feasible trajectories between given way-points that take into account the estimated wind. Control algorithms track the generated trajectories as long as the vehicle retains a sufficient number of functioning rotors that are capable of compensating for the estimated wind. The technology provides a method of measuring wind profiles on a drone using existing motion sensors, like the inertial measurement unit (IMU), rate gyroscope, etc., that are observably necessary for any drone to operate. The algorithms are used to estimate wind around the drone. They can be used for stability or trajectory calculations, and are adaptable for use with any UAV regardless of the knowledge of weight and inertia. They further provide real-time calculations without additional sensors. The estimation method is implemented using onboard computing power. It rapidly converges to true values, is computationally inexpensive, and does not require any specific hardware or specific vehicle maneuvers for the convergence. All components of this on-board system are computationally effective and are intended for a real time implementation. The method's software is developed in a Matlab/Simulink environment, and has executable versions, which are suitable for majority of existing onboard controllers. The algorithms were tested in simulations.

NASA Langley developed the LSMS because of the need for a versatile system capable of performing multiple functions on the lunar surface, such as unloading components from a lander, transporting components to an operational site and installing them, and supporting service and replacement during component life. Current devices used for in-space operations are designed to work on orbit (zero g) only and thus do not have sufficient strength to operate on planetary surfaces. Traditional cranes are specialized to the task of lifting and are not capable of manipulator-type positioning operations. The innovations incorporated into the LSMS allow it to lower payloads to the ground over a significant portion of the workspace without use of a hoist, functioning like a robot manipulator, thus providing a rigid connection and very precise control of the payload. The LSMS uses a truss architecture with pure compression and tension members to achieve a lightweight design. The innovation of using multiple spreaders (like spokes in a wheel) allows the LSMS to maintain its high structural efficiency throughout its full range of motion. Rod portions of the tension members automatically lift off and re-engage the spreaders as the joint articulates, allowing a large range of motion while maintaining mechanical advantage. In addition, the LSMS uses a quick-change device at the tip end that enables automated acquisition of end effectors or special purpose tools to increase its versatility.